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    The Spot Bar

    4.1 (25 reviews)
    InexpensiveDive Bars
    Closed 2:00 pm - 11:30 PM

    The Spot Bar Photos

    THE SPOT BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    the menu of the restaurant
    Steve T.

    Well. Well. Well. Hello Review #400 and hello! The Spot Bar. This place is like an old sweater. For example the bar pizza. Here you get Giovanni's (no Heggie's here) so that is a plus as they offer some different flavors. You also have pinball, darts, and TouchTunes. I dig the TouchTunes app as I can load up music and many places around town also use TouchTunes and I can just let it rip from wherever I'm at straight from my phone. In general, this is just a good old place to enjoy a drink. The Spot has even has better prices then the dive institution I'm in walking distance of, Ted's Rec. For example, if I get my special of Hamm's and a bump of blackberry brandy (on the rocks), the Spot saves me a whole quarter, which goes towards my pinball. But let's not forget the meat raffle. The Spot as a meat raffle and in this state, that is something you need to find when you search. Plus the area has many additional establishments close by if you want to get something a little more substantial for food. #meatraffle

    a glass of beer on a table
    Elizabeth W.

    What's not to love? Oldest bar around. Good beer. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and a rotating cast of neighborhood regulars. best dive bar in the Twin Cities, hands down.

    "Been There, Seen It, Done It!" twice now!
    RunAway B.

    St. Paul, Minnesota --- "The Spot Bar" was a pARTy Gods' find ... a GREAT neighborhood bar - customers walk here, bike here & even bus here ... originally a "Hamm's" beer bar in the late 1800's & still has "Hamm's" beer on tap ... bartender "Kevin" was super & the customers were really "neighborly" ... my newest "Run-A-Way Bill" FAVORITE sticker winner bar with "Coon Trap" status - this bar drew me in & now I am trapped forever! "Run-A-Way Bill" was here! 07.22.19

    Bob A.

    The Spot Bar is as friendly as it is vintage! I was killing time here while waiting for a table at nearby Mucci's, Neighborhood bars are not usually my thing since I don't drink, but this is still a cozy place to hang out! And since Mucci's is awesome and I'll be going back there a lot and there is often a long wait there, I suspect I'll come hang out at The Spot Bar again. Note that there is a ten dollar minimum to use a credit card.

    Darts in the back
    Gabby L.

    Are you looking for somewhere cool, dark, and quiet in St. Paul to get a $3 Hamm's or Grain Belt where you can just play darts with your friends in peace? Or, maybe you have an hour and half to kill before your table opens up at Mucci's. Either way, The Spot should work for you. It definitely seems to be a throwback to simpler times, full of history and local charm. As others have mentioned, it is indeed what you'd probably expect from the outside-- small, divey, old-timey. The bartender seemed to know all of the patrons who were there, but was still pleasant to my group of young, Minneapolitan friends. It took us a few minutes to realize what was different about this bar-- there was no music playing. But there was a juke box, so I suppose we could have changed that. Also, they have pull tabs, "analog" darts, and a tiny library.

    Kevin M.

    A great neighborhood dive. A couple friends of mine live four blocks away, and whenever it's late and we're out of beer, this is where we hike. Said friends are on first name terms with the owner, and recently had an outdoor lawn-game / piñata themed graduation barbecue here. All that said, the divey nature of the place does carry over into the bathrooms, the seating is limited, and the parking in the neighborhood can suck. But if you're near Randolph and West 7th, and you need a place to get your night-cap on, this is THE place to go. A bare barroom with a couple booths and sweet pitcher deals. No nonsense, no pretense, and after a couple rounds, no sense.

    Snacks.

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    2 years ago

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    11 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Cozy bar with inexpensive drinks and snacks! Nice neighborhood vibe and friendly service!

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    5 years ago

    You get what you think. Cheeky bartenders and stiff drinks. Always a good time coming here!

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    5 years ago

    This is the best bar I've been in. Kind and interesting workers and good clientele with cheap and strong drinks. Steel tip darts too!

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    11 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    Ask the Community - The Spot Bar

    Review Highlights - The Spot Bar

    Paul to get a $3 Hamm's or Grain Belt where you can just play darts with your friends in peace?

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    The White Squirrel Bar - 2.5 CBD Delta-8 Classic Squirrel Lemonade

    The White Squirrel Bar

    4.4(31 reviews)
    0.5 miWest Seventh

    Bad Julia. I was so busy enjoying myself that I failed to take pictures. Anyway, this is an awesome…read moreplace. I came in to enjoy some live music with a couple of amazing local bands, and I am absolutely sold. Highlights include: tons of street parking nearby, superior selection of drinks (more on this later), and awesome people. Everyone, from the folks behind the bar to the other patrons, was ultra welcoming. I'm pretty sure this is the neighborhood Cheers. Seriously--amazing vibes, and it's great for solo people. (I realize that might be ambiguous, so what I mean by "great for solo people" is that you won't feel uncomfortable coming here alone. It's easy to chat with people if you want to; it's easy to just enjoy the music if you want to.) Okay, I know you want to hear about the drinks. They have a great selection of beer on tap. They have tons of cocktails, including a selection of barrel-finished cocktails. Not drinking tonight? They have plenty of THC and even a CBD-only option (winning!), along with some non-altering choices that include switchel(!). There's a huge outdoor patio with fire pits that I will probably check out next time. Anyway, this is a great spot!

    The White Squirrel Bar was just okay to me. There was live music going on, which was a nice touch…read moreand probably the highlight of the visit. The inside of the bar is pretty small and felt a bit cramped, especially with how busy it was on a Sunday. They do have a back patio that is fairly large, which I appreciated, but during the day it did not feel very inviting. Without lighting or much going on, it came off a bit plain. As for drinks, I tried a non alcoholic half and half with lemonade and iced tea, which I actually really liked. I also had a mojito style cocktail that was not my favorite and tasted a bit too strong for me. The overall vibe just was not really my thing, but I could see it being more fun at night or with a bigger group.

    Photos
    The White Squirrel Bar - Bar area

    Bar area

    The White Squirrel Bar - Booths are comfortable and fairly private.

    Booths are comfortable and fairly private.

    The White Squirrel Bar - White Squirrel

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    White Squirrel

    Nickel Sports Bar - Bar entrance

    Nickel Sports Bar

    4.5(2 reviews)
    2.5 miMidway

    What an interesting local bar in Minneapolis! Our group wandered into this bar shortly after…read moreattending a wedding at the Church of St. Agnes right around the corner. Once we walked into the bar we could tell immediately this was a local dive bar for the surrounding area. To paint a picture most of the people who were at the bar at 3pm on a Sunday were an older crowd (50+), one lady was wearing a shirt which was dress-length with a cat plastered on the front, and in the corner, to my delight, there were various arcade games which cost $1 to play. I'd definitely recommend this bar if you're looking to escape the surrounding summer heat after a wedding and get $3 beers. The bar offers cheap beers on tap and arcade games in the corner which you can entertain yourself with. There's a jukebox which also doubles as a free photo booth (we may or may not have taken multiple free photos). Since we were a wedding party of men in suits and women in cocktail dresses we definitely got a lot of side eye from the local crowd (also probably due to our poor decisions to play a few Nickelback songs on the jukebox) but since we were in a large group we had a blast!

    New owners! Fabulous people and a great new vibe, from the new owner. Big change..it appears that…read morethe new management actually likes to have... customers! We are looking forward to maybe an expansion and events in their super party room. Cheap drinks, and they have a sign for bingo. If their upgrading the bar turns out as absolutely spectacular as the upstairs apt remodel (you can see it on a real estate site) it will be great for the neighborhood.

    Photos
    Nickel Sports Bar - Interesting bar decor (this one was my favorite)

    Interesting bar decor (this one was my favorite)

    Nickel Sports Bar
    Nickel Sports Bar - Interesting decor

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    Interesting decor

    Turf Club - Cheese Curds

    Turf Club

    4.0(124 reviews)
    2.5 miMidway
    $$

    This is a fabulous music venue, as seen dozens of shows here. It's an old dive bar, literally been…read morearound for decades. Easy to find, light rail will take you to the front door or there is parking in the back. Food is always good, big portions, menu is limited to apps and handheld sandwiches, but has a fair amount of options to please everyone. Love the servers, bartenders and door staff as well. They all appear to be happy when at work and are certainly friendly and helpful. Make sure you check out the clown bar in the basement!

    It has been 8-years since I visited this venue. The Turf Club is an established staple to MN as…read moreit's part of First Avenue on the Saint Paul side. I was pumped when my upcoming wedding band Clean Plate Club (CPC) got to open here which is my reason for visiting. I'm not much of a concert girly so this was a big step for me. There is a tiny parking lot in the back, otherwise, a few blocks down in the residential streets there is complimentary parking - just ensure you follow the sign rules as it goes by odd and even sides based on the date. To lead with parking confusion is why I'm giving this venue 4 stars. Walking as a single woman for a night show by University is not something I would ever suggest unless you have a buddy with. For this venue, I would recommend the buddy system or Uber. The venue has a normal bouncer, ID check and tickets can be purchased in advance via the AXS app or onsite. Once inside, the venue is breathable and long. The stage sits at the opposite side of entry and there is a long bar on the side wall, a few tables in the back, and then standing room for most concerts. My friend and I ordered a drink from the bar and then weaseled our way to the front to support CPC. The sound, lighting and stage was the best! We had a great time. Looks like there is a basement here (I never visited it) and that food is served. Also can't speak for this but something to look into. Thanks, Turf Club!!

    Photos
    Turf Club - Runnner at the Turf (view from a table midway back)

    Runnner at the Turf (view from a table midway back)

    Turf Club
    Turf Club

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    Local Rumor - Well designed interior

    Local Rumor

    4.4(47 reviews)
    2.4 miMerriam Park

    The interior of this place is incredible, such a cute spot with moody lighting, intimate seating,…read moreand vibey music. It's a great place for drinks and appetizers. The drinks were good, and they also have a solid selection of beer on tap. The food portion are a bit small imo but I will say the Mac and cheese was pretty darn tasty!

    I'd seen rave reviews about this place, so we decided to go here to celebrate a personal…read moreaccomplishment last weekend! It's a really cozy moody interior, with *no big lights* aka great low lighting and comfy seating options. When we went, there were just a few other parties there so pretty quiet. I liked that we had a whole corner to ourselves with a sectional couch of sorts and some chairs. They close at 10pm on a Friday night, which felt absurdly early for a cocktail bar. But, we were able to order and drink one drink during the ~45 minutes we had. They closed up shop promptly at 10pm. They had a classics and a "rumors" section of the menu. I didn't think the signature drinks were overly unique, with classics like Paper Plane making that menu side. I had a pomegranate mojito which was good! Consensus was that the cocktails were good not exceptional, especially for the $16-17 price point. We ordered churros for the table which were a table favorite! I wouldn't go out of my way to come here again, but we enjoyed our time and could see this being a good option if you lived in the neighborhood and don't mind the early close hours.

    Photos
    Local Rumor - Elevated mocktail program

    Elevated mocktail program

    Local Rumor
    Local Rumor

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    The Spot Bar - divebars - Updated May 2026

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