I have heard so many good things about this venue over the years from various sources. Somehow between busy schedules and finding the right show it took me until last week to finally go. The show - J. Boog, Jesse Royal, and Etana - and the club were both great! It's a shame it took me so long to get here and I will make a point of checking their events calendar regularly from now on.
My boyfriend and I went an hour early to grab dinner and a drink before the show. I'm glad we did because it was nice to get a feel for the space with less people around and the food was actually SO good. In general, the main room strikes a nice balance in terms of size - big enough to fit a lot of people and achieve a certain energy and small enough where the show still feels intimate. You can see the stage from pretty much anywhere, which is great. We were also able to snag a high top for the show which, in hindsight, was ideal. We were able to keep our drinks/my purse/coats here - preferable in the middle of February - and sit OR hover nearby once the show was underway. There are maybe 10-15 high tops, otherwise the rest of the space is standing room, which totally has it's own appeal depending on the show. What we didn't realize but turned out to be AMAZING was that the waiter/waitress continues to serve these tables throughout the show. It was a Monday night show, but the crowd was impressive - apparently there is a larger reggae following in the Twin Cities than I realized? Haha who knew!! Just when I think I know this city...Anyways, so table service saved us a lot of time struggling through the crowd/waiting for service at the bar and gave us more time watching the show. And our server was phenomenal! Very attentive and efficient.
Now food. Yes, it was SO good. Nothing fancy, more or less a menu of classic bar food options, e.g. burgers, wings, fries, cheese curds, etc., but fitting for this type of establishment and done very well. And of course, Turf Club keeps it hip, progressive, and local by offering an herbivorous butcher brat and bacon among their vegetarian offerings which I thought was awesome. I'm not vegetarian but tend to eat a more plant-based diet so this was appreciated. On this night, however, I was feening for a burger as I tend to do when out so I went with the classic burger + fries. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I honestly think this burger could compete in the larger arena of best burgers in the cities. It is humble and simple but SO satisfying. And the "turf sauce" is crazy good! I have no idea what it is, probably some combo of ketchup, mayo, and one or two other condiments, but it definitely makes this burger. If you consider yourself a burger connoisseur, you need to give this burger a try.
As for drinks, I can't speak beyond their beer list because this is generally where I live, but this was very good. Tons of variety with mostly local and regional craft offerings on tap and even more to choose from by the bottle/can.
Thanks for a great night Turf Club! You met and exceeded any expectations I had given your long hyped St. Paul institution status. I will definitely be back for next year's reggae night and hopefully several times before that. read more