Bars + Nightlife Guide | Out + About | The Best of the Twin Cities

2920 E. 38th St., Mpls.; 612-724-5837

They may not scream “NORM!” when you walk in, but the Cardinal Tavern feels like a pub where everybody knows your name. Located off the 38th St. Light Rail stop, the Cardinal has all the necessities of a good neighborhood bar: regular clientele, cheap beer and wine, a large menu of greasy food and plenty of pool tables and dart boards. The cozy Longfellow location may not look like much, but whether you’re cheering the Twins or competing in the bar’s karaoke contests, the Cardinal Tavern is a reliable place to make a few new friends.

Casper & Runyon's Nook

492 Hamline Ave. S., St. Paul; 651-698-4347

The sign hanging outside this quaint St. Paul hangout reads "Casper & Runyon's Nook: A Small Place with Big Burgers." Certainly, the burgers are what bring in the business—the place is regularly noted as one of the best burger joints in the Twin Cities—but Casper & Runyon's is also a great place to grab a drink and catch the big game. Sports memorabilia lines the walls, there are nightly happy hour specials, and plenty of TVs put you in the mood to cheer on your favorite team. Continue Reading

Caspers & Runyons Shamrocks

995 W. 7th St., St. Paul; 651-228-9952

Who needs four-star restaurateurs when you’ve got Ted Casper and Mike Runyon, the barely-old-enough-to-drink-their-own-beer boys behind St. Paul’s Shamrocks and the legendary burger haven The Nook? Shamrocks serves the same great beer and burgers as it’s well-known sibling, but the Sham gives its typically younger crowd a chance to shimmy with regular live music and DJs. Burgers, beer, and booty shakin’—now that’s a lucky charm. Continue Reading

Cause Spirits & Soundbar

3001 Lyndale Ave S, Mpls.; 612-822-6000

Located in the up-and-coming Lyn-Lake neighborhood near Uptown, Cause attracts the kind of clientele you'd expect in the area: young, hip iconoclasts who like loud music. Inside, you'll find dim lighting, two bars, and an eclectic array of contemporary art. If you're looking to be part of the “it” crowd with the option of head-banging to the edgy metal band playing in the back room, then Cause is the bar for you. Don’t order conventional drinks, either—that “spirits” in the name is your first clue that they take bartending seriously here. Continue Reading

CC Club

2600 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls.; 612-874-7226

Since prohibition ended, the CC Club has been abetting local inebriates from Tom Arnold and The Replacements to your overweight uncle and that creepy neighbor kid with the punk hairdo. People don’t go to the CC Club for fancy drinks (don’t try to order no fernet and coke), they go for the people. Whether you join the middle-aged crowd at the bar, or the artist’s palette of characters in the back rooms, someone at the CC Club will be waiting for you with a smile and a smart-ass comment. One day, that someone might be you. Continue Reading

Champion's Saloon & Eatery

105 W. Lake St., Mpls.; 612-827-4765

Champion's Saloon & Eatery is a south Minneapolis institution of sorts--the sort that would call a place that serves food an "eatery." Essentially a neighborhood sports bar with grub, Champion's serves a staunchly working-class clientele in an iffy neighborhood, and the evening crowd is often described as "rough." For those who aren't so rough, it's the sort of place that requires a careful risk-assessment before entering. At the end of the day, though, Champion's is no more and no less than a large, neighborhood dive with a big island bar in the middle. If you're content to sip your suds and watch the game, it can be a fun place to hang out, and if you''re a writer looking for characters, you will find several novels' worth here on any given night of the week. Continue Reading

Chatterbox Pub

2229 E. 35th St., Mpls.; 612-728-9871

This Chatterbox is a little dingier than the newer St. Paul location, but it has the same great concept—beer and board games. Choose from dozens of classic board or video games, and then order a brew off the pub’s specialty menu. We suggest the Chatterbox Lager. Continue Reading

Chatterbox Pub-Linden Hills

4501 France Ave. S., Mpls.; 612-920-3221

We're so glad the Linden Hills neighborhood now has a place to gather for family game night. Chatterbox is no Chuck E. Cheese or Dave & Busters, it serves creative pub fare, homemade brews, all sorts of fun non-alcoholic drinks for the kiddies, and has a large selection of games to play at your booth. Perfect for a rainy afternoon...or heck, a sunny one. At night, its perfect for friends looking to add a little competition, without the drinking games. Continue Reading

Chatterbox Pub-South Minneapolis

2229 E. 35th St., Mpls.; 612-728-9871

The original Chatterbox is a little grittier than its newer counterparts in St. Paul and Linden Hills, but the key elements are all there: homemade brews, classic board games, and, if you're lucky, a spot in front of a Super Nintendo or Atari. Continue Reading

Chatterbox Pub-St. Paul

800 Cleveland Ave. S., St. Paul; 651-699-1149

A little slicker than the original in Minneapolis (with amenities such as flat-screen TVs) the St. Paul Chatterbox Pub location nevertheless evokes Gen X and Millenial childhoods, with its great selection of board and video games (Battleship, Super Mario Bros.). It also boasts a full menu and bar, which makes it a perfect hangout in the Highland Park neighborhood. Continue Reading