Was there on a Friday night. There weren't many people out on the dance floor, which was funny. Didn't seem like the DJ has a huge variety of music. My friends and I asked for a few different songs and he said he didn't have any of them (or maybe he just didn't want to play them :') But drinks were very standard bar fare, which worked well for me. They have a nice little patio out front. read more

The Front - ladies - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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We went out here for a night out and were pretty disappointed. We got there at almost 11 pm and the place was still pretty empty. there was a dj and the music was okay, but would very rapidly shift vibes. We left at around 11:30 because we had gotten drinks and wanted to finish them. I was disappointed there were no drink specials, especially for a friday night. The high noon we did have was frozen a third of the way through, which was disappointed and showed the drink was old. Overall, I likely wouldn't come back here as it was pretty dead and they didn't have much to bring people in. read more

*Cough* 2 & 1/2 stars for now. Yep, I showed up to The Front for a quick second. We walked around trying to find our group and gave up because the place is super packed with young people booty shaking. I have nothing against this place, they play great music though. But the three people I came with, one of them didn't like it. She was dying to go to Tangier's... And of course, we ended up going to Tangier's. Don't worry, I will come back to this place and experience it the whole night so I can write more...let's just hope they don't change the name to "The Back" by the time I come back! read more

The Front - a disco ball surrounded by candles - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Went on a Saturday night ant it was packed. The people that were at the bar were all nice and the staff as well. We just did not like the DJ at all. Most his music was all music that felt relevant 10 years ago. I would go back to this place if they had a new DJ but if this guy is still there I would no go. read more

The Front - Worst DJ EVER. We gave him a shot for an hour. Horrible. - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dance, dance, dance! Can't believe no one has reviewed this place since 2009! The Front is one of my faves for dancing, relatively D-bag free and they have happy hour until 10:30 p.m. on the weekends (which is the only time they are open anyway). It's a gorgeous, dark and sexy space that looks rather European in the same way that Club Jager does---it even has a fireplace! You can expect a DJ that isn't afraid to play all the guilty pleasure songs too. That, my friends, is the best kind of DJ there is. Every time I've been here it's either been bursting at the seams with people or totally dead. The patio also makes for spectacular people watching, as The Front is "the front" for Ground Zero. The not-so-good: The post-HH drinks get a little pricey and the bartenders always seem to be overwhelmed when it's busy. The last time I was here, I had to wait probably 20 minutes at the bar before I was helped. It's not like the bartenders themselves are bad, but throwing more staff back there would certainly make things more pleasant for thirsty patrons. Also of note: They don't serve food and they are only open Friday and Saturday nights. read more

The Front - the interior of a restaurant - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dance your pants off here! This is a place to get down and pretend you are still in your early twenties. There is quite a large range of ages here, but you have the usual creepy guys standing in the corner just scoping out the scenes. There is a small second floor balcony if you want a little room to breathe or need to find your friends who got sucked into the mob of sweaty dancers. Not only is there a long line for the bar, but also the bathroom. It is really difficult to get there once the place fills up. The best way is to climb over the picnic table then vear right to stand in line. The bonus of this place is the wild 70s style outfits of the regular DJ, his giant beer glass, his legit platforms and the videos playing on the walls. This place it fun for bachelorette parties. read more

This literally used to be my favorite spot for YEARS. Stopped in tonight, DJ Duke is still AMAZING. But the SMALL drinks are one thing, but when I tell u they BARELY give u a shot of alcohol, it was literally a few drips, and I'm a GREAT tipper, and I kept tipping. But the older blonde bartender, avoid her like the Corona... GARBAGE, and I kept tippin the btch thinking she would give a full pour... mind u there were 30 ppl tops. Never again read more

The Front is hands down my favorite place to go dancing in the Twin Cities! NEVER a cover charge, always good music, great people watching, eclectic DJ, music videos playing on the big screen and quick service at the bar. The best part is the lofted area which is perfect for big groups, throwing your coat down, taking a breather on the couch, or grooving your thang in front of the circular window. They recently started taking credit cards which can be a good or bad thing, depending on your situation. For me, it was bad because I ended up buying an extra round of drinks for everyone in my group (and some strangers) on Sat night. Ugh. If you aren't into the downtown scene and still want to do a little dancing--I highly recommend the Front!!! read more

YES YES YES. Da Front is da best. You know when you have that "F*&k dudes tonight, I just want to dance" attitude, but you don't want to go to a grimy club? The Front will play jam after jam after jam (seriously, great DJ) and offer a floor for you to groove without feeling like you're at risk of some slimy homeboy slipping handsy feels in unwelcome areas. There's a great balcony where you can observe the night creatures and get a lay of the hunnies down below. read more

I never thought I would enter Ground Zero, but I also never thought I would end up at the Bulldog in the pouring rain - and then proceed to have nowhere to stand because everyone else at the Red Stag's NE Block Party had the same idea. My friends and I jogged over to the Front after a few minutes of getting seriously and constantly jostled at the Bulldog, and I was pleasantly surprised. To be honest, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it may have been along the lines of nipple clamps and pierced necks. I didn't see either of these things at the Front that night, but it was such a breath of fresh air (literally) from the Bulldog that I don't think we would have minded. The best part about the Front is 2-for-1 everything until 10:30. The drinks are reasonably/normally priced as it is ($4-5 for a mixed drink), so giving me two is a pleasant surprise. The service is a bit slow as they only had one bartender, however I'm not sure if that's normal. There was plenty of room at the bar to get your multiple drinks, and my somewhat obscenely large group also found a similarly large table to sit at and watch the poor NE-sters run through the storm. By 11:30 it had turned into a dance party with sometimes good/sometimes bad music, and I was mingling with goth kids and cheesy bachelorette parties. The crowd's diversity was surely surprising, as was the awesome Tom Collins our bartender poured. Two black painted thumbs up! read more

I have been going to the Front for more than 10 years ever since I lived in the neighborhood while going to school at the U. While the patronage and it's appearance has changed quite a bit over the years, it's ambiance and energy have remained strong and constant. How this place has remained, for the most part, an un-tapped resource is beyond me. The Front is the best place in the Cities for dancing. HANDS DOWN. I realize that is a bold statement, but I stand by it. You will always find DJ Dirty Duke in his leisure suit and 5 inch platform boots, drinking his massive goblet of scotch, all while spinning the best mix of R&B, hip-hop, electro & rock. Duke is great at taking requests and he definitely recognizes his regulars. Needless to say, after 10 years, Duke plays what we want. In fact, most of the time we don't even need to request our songs. He simply sees us walk in, and he plays them. Anyway, no where else will you find such a vast array of tunage being played to appease the masses. There is never a cover charge, the crowds are typically always decent with a low amount of a-holes, and the happy hour until 10:30 is a plus. However, watch out, as this place is fairly small so it can get PACKED. Don't get me wrong, I prefer it to be nuts to butts on the dance floor, but it can get difficult to get a drink at times. That is usually why I'm half in the bag before walking in the door. The bottom line is the Front is my happy place. I'll be cutting a rug here until I'm 65, no doubt. read more

HOOK. LINE. SINKER. ...and that was a decade ago. It is rare that you crave going to a "bar" to dance instead of drink but DJ Dirty Duke is all of the inebriation you will need. Without question the best DJ in the Twin Cities...and I'd even argue the Upper Midwest. This isn't your KDWB music mix. This is the stuff that makes your body involuntarily boogey...MJ, Lionel, Stevie with a modern "spin". Not to mention Darude, 2Pac, Snoop, JT, Timberland, GaGa, Clinton, or anything else you could possibly imagine requesting. The physical space fits Northeast perfectly and the cliental runs the gamut. Everyone is welcomed and everyone is there to have fun and dance! DJ Dirty Duke recognizes and appreciates his repeat customers and takes care of them. He is the best in the business AND the best dressed! Dude is flawless. Reasonable drink prices...mixed stronger than most. Great bar staff. Great bouncers. Great location. Great time! Fridays and Saturdays are busiest, naturally, and the crowd really gets pumpin' around 10:30-11 PM. Be prepared to sweat your arse off while dancing with everyone. Oh yeah, NO COVER CHARGE has got me singin' "Music's got me feeling so free (we're gonna celebrate), Celebrate and dance for free!" read more

Last I checked, Jack Daniel's isn't clear, taste like battery acid... but when I asked for 4 jack and cokes, bartender grabs the correct bottle filled with a clear liquid... I thought hey maybe it was the angle of the light, but I had a buddy go back and order one more, I stood next to where they were pooping the drink. Yup clear liquid in a jack Daniel's bottle. read more

Surprised I have not written a review on this place yet. The Front is my go-to spot when I want to drink and dance my face off. DJ Dirty Duke is the bomb and spins a great mix of songs you didn't know you forgot from HS and college days, classics (hello Whitney "I Wanna Dance With Somebody") and some of today's hot jams. I love that they play the videos to go with the songs also. This place gets super packed and the bar itself is a little small, but even so, once you're able to make your way up there, it's not too long of a wait to get someone's attention and get a drink. Drinks are relatively cheap and strong. Tip -- if you're a beer drinker, bring cash and hit up the beer tub by the door to avoid the whole line altogether. While it does get crazy crowded on the dance floor, there never seems to be anyone at the booths by the front windows, and they provide a nice home base to plant coats and friends who need a break or are not in the mood to shake their tailfeathers. The bathroom situation here is rough -- only two stalls I think and there are perpetually long lines so plan ahead and don't wait until you're about to burst to get in line. Other than that, I have no bad things to say. Come here prepared to dance like no one's watching and drink like there's no tomorrow! read more

I had forgotten how fun The Front was until I inadvertently found myself there last night. DJ Dirty Duke was putting on his usual sparkly best. My friend got her Billie Jean on and I shook my Brick House. No Cover. Come as you are, stay as long or as little as you like. read more

I have never seen a more focused group of individuals (men). A female I was with referred it as terrifying. In addition, the guy picking up glasses told a female friend said she was told to "drink her drink fast (chug it)". So..creepy dudes and creepy staff..and the DJ/Owner is a horrible DJ. Can't review less than 1 star It's a very weird place read more

Meh. The space is pretty neat with decent lighting, and our bartender was great. We were hoping to dance, but the DJ spun a mix of (great) 90s and aughts music with one Rihanna or Beiber song every three or four songs. People would amp up with those tunes, then cool down with the others. It was clear the bro-centric crowd wanted more modern stuff, and I would have been happy to dance to that, but the DJ was a bit off. Other comments: drinks were reasonably priced, though I didn't have any mixed drinks. Bathrooms were clean enough for a bar. Space was decent on a weekend evening. I just wasn't that impressed overall. read more

I discovered this place on a night I was supposed to be going to Ground Zero for an album release party. It was d.e.a.d. when we strolled in around 9:15, but we had no where else to go before Ground Zero's doors opened at 10 so we ordered drinks and sat down. (2 for 1's were great and my double malibu coke was mixed just right...almost clear :) ) I opened the Yelp app on my phone to see what the place is all about -I'm all for equality so don't take this next comment to heart: I had initially thought gay bar because there were only 4 people (men) sitting at the bar. I was wrong but I haven't had the experience the rest of you Yelper's write about! I was meaning to check it out after the show but my boyfriend literally dragged me to our car (i had a little too much to drink!) Next time I find myself in N.E. I'll drop in and update this review! read more

The Front has grown on me the last few times I've been. Mainly my obsession is the music here (and the music videos they play on screen). Like last night: Jumpin' Jumpin' by Destiny's Child followed by Macklemore's White Walls got my hips moving... And then they follow up with some Way You Move by my kryptonite, Outkast? I went wild. And I think people liked the way I moved (or so it seemed... I was a few gin and tonics in). Tip: try and get that upper balcony spot for you and your friends. Prime bar real estate. Makes you feel just like Gatsby overlooking one of his parties, old sports. read more

Gorgeous interior, love that there's a patio area. We came on a rather dead Friday night...then again, it was also just 10:45-ish when we came in. The TV was showing a CC'd "Zoolander," and we were just coming up to the part when Zoolander goes "What is this? A center for ants?!" when the DJ started playing these awesome disco songs (with matching music videos). We've gots to get up and dance, you know whamsaying? Knocked back a decent vodka/lemonade, and started boogeying down to Jamiroquai. At this point, it as around 11:30 and there were a couple other people dancing, and we even met a great couple who really liked our boisterousness. What can I say, I'm a pretty boisterous individual. The DJ -- who, actually, could be Jamiroquai's twin -- takes request, and does eventually start playing more Top 40 hits; he does a good job blending the songs and never stopping the rhythm. That, my friend, makes for a great dance night. read more

The place has plenty of tables and seating but NO ONE was sitting... EVERYBODY dancing! The music was so fun, loud, great bass. Great fun on a Saturday night! I accidentally gave the (male) bartender a $10 bill in my stack of one dolla bills... he alerted me of my error and gave the ten spot back to me. WOW. I threw him an extra buck as a thanks. Great place. read more

So far, this is my favorite bar in the cities! The music is the best, drinks are cheap, and the DJs almost always listen to requests! My only negative experience there was on a Saturday evening because it was packed and there was no room at all to dance - but the popularity is not a surprise to me, this place is great! read more

Fantastic dance scene. The bar is always full on Friday and Saturday night. One tip - the music is extremely loud and my ears are often ringing when I leave. Bring earplugs if you're sensitive to loud noises! read more

THE FRONT is the best place to shake your groove thang in Minneapolis! THE FRONT is the first bar when you walk into Ground Zero nightclub - on Friday and Saturday nights DJ Dirty Duke spins the best funk/soul/old school tunes around town. Most weekends THE FRONT is filled with NE hipsters and locals who want to dance without paying cover and don't feel like dealing with the pretentious crowds of some local dance clubs. Hands down, best DJ in Minneapolis if you're looking to groove to funk/soul/old school hits. Open until 3 AM and bar takes cash only. read more

How in all the years of going to Ground Zero did I not go here? Well, I should have, because it's cool and pretty! Love the decor and the patio is a bonus. I was here early on a Saturday, so not yet crowded, which was perfect. And by the other reviewers comments, I'll need to come back to dance! read more

Weird vibe here...I was looking for a modern club, but this club has a more vintage vibe and look. dj plays throwbacks all night. Like literally ALL NIGHT...so be sure you are into that before walking into this bar. read more

I really can't think of anything I don't like about this place. Drinks are good strong and not too pricey. DJ plays great songs and it's busy and has a great atmosphere. Not too many creeps just a fun dance party :) read more

Hidden dance club in north east? Of course! Pretty good drinks and decent craft beer list. Dj plays a lot of 90's dance hits and there's always at least 1 if not 2 bachelorette parties every Saturday. read more

What the hell is going on at this place. The DJ is the goofiest dressed individual I have ever seen and seems to have his own crowd of male groupies. The scene is just off. Low prices which is a plus I just can't shake the odd vibe this place gives. read more

This place is OK. probably the whitest club I've been into but if you're into that then it's good. Nice space to dance to but I would improve the music if I could. read more

I have been going here for years and this place is hands down the best place to dance in Twin Cities. I have proudly introduced so many people this place. DJ Dirty Duke is the bomb. He video mixes 60's-current and knows how to work the dance floor. The crowd tends to be younger, but don't let that stop you if you are not. Drink prices are very reasonable It's just a fun place to go and get lost for a night. read more

This place was a blast! Great dancing bar, and apparently not a bad place for a straight fellow to find a girl and hookup. Both of my friends talked and danced with a girl, one went home with one. Music was great. 90s. I would go back for sure, much better and completely different from its neighbor, ground zero. read more

hmm. i went with high hopes, but that may have been a mistake. the bar must have been overwhelmed... it took an age to get drinks. the atmosphere was less eclectic than i was hoping for.... and on a friday night, the place was packed but almost nobody was dancing. considering that i've heard this is a good place for that.... hmmmm. strange. that was the biggest disappointment. i feel like the Front was what happened when somebody tried to merge a downtown club with a lower-key, casual, cozy ambiance. and it's sort of... successful on neither front. not actually a great place to go drink and dance your face off, and too cold and impersonal for a cozy, offbeat pub. i must say, though, i did enjoy the DJ in his leisure suit, and the tunes were fun. the dance floor was mostly full of people a bit too buttoned up to get down and dance, but out on the patio there was an interesting mix of people out for a smoke, some of whom drifted over from Ground Zero. the most enjoyable time i personally had at the Front was making new friends outside. i didn't have a bad experience, but it wasn't what i was expecting and honestly wasn't to my taste. to be fair, though, i'll probably have to give this place another try some night out in NE. read more

This place was a fantastic alternative to the clubs in downtown. Fun crowd, nice staff, and excellent music!

This is definitely one of my favorite places to dance on Fridays and Saturdays. On Fridays, the DJ mixes in a lot of older songs (Michael Jackson, Fat Joe, etc.), so that's my favorite day to go since I'm into the old funk and 90s-00s hip-hop. Saturdays are a lot of fun, too. The DJ plays more current music then. The crowd is really laid back and seems to be there just to have fun (vs intense scouting for someone to take home). The bartenders are super fast. I never have to wait long for a drink. The venue itself is really nice... decorated well with good lighting. They also have really good drink specials until 10:30, which is around the time the DJ comes on. Definitely recommend this place! read more

This place is only hot during the holidays/Halloween times. Otherwise, it is just another scruffy NE Mpls. bar. The Bulldog is probably better and the newer places that have opened up around it. Staff rude. read more

Another Northeast Minneapolis Hot Spot. This place reminds me of a more up scale version of a College Bar. A stripped down bare bones scene is what you get here but the DJ is a good one who looks like he is acting in a Movie every time I go here. The mixture of Co-Ed U of M students and Northeast Minneapolis Hipsters as well as a mix of other races and types makes this place intriguing. If you live in the area, I would recommend frequenting this place. read more

Great ambiance. Friendly staff. Good music. BUT... I saw the bartender watering down liquor bottles. Saw her do it twice! Is that even legal? read more