Bottle Rocket in St. Paul Comes in With a Bang

Bottle Rocket pops with great cocktails and twists on North American classics.

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It wasn’t long ago that the opening of a neighborhood joint with full liquor service was thought of as a potential blight for the locals (“Boozy drunks on my lawn!”). That’s largely why the residential wards of St. Paul had so few full liquor licenses. But as times change, and drinks get more sophisticated, locals have come to see neighborhood cocktail bars as more of a bonus, and less of a buzzkill.

When Blue Plate restaurant group nabbed a full liquor license for its old Scusi spot in St. Paul, they changed up the décor and swapped the Italian concept with a more all-encompassing neighborhood eatery called Bottle Rocket. The idea was to create a place where you could grab lunch with the kids, then come back and have a drink with your spouse.

I’m happy to report it’s achieved its goal. The dining room is bright and welcoming, with barn planking and mod orange accents. The space is made current with counter seating at the kitchen and a communal table by a window. Separated by a wall, the bar side is a bit more elegant, with a chandelier and moody lighting, plus gorgeous tile and wallpaper that makes you feel like you could be right downtown. All the while it remains friendly and approachable, never letting you forget that this is a neighborhood joint where fleece and jeans are welcome.

Equally approachable are Bottle Rocket’s cocktails—though they do make a statement. The Friday night Manhattan special answers the old “should I go out or stay in?” conundrum with a resounding “both!” Pop over to the bar for a fresh take on the Manhattan each Friday (made with the same rye whiskey and house vermouth, it’s given a little spin here and there to keep it fresh). Pair it with a plate of Supercharged Flashcracker Wings with chile glaze, and you’ve got a quick happy hour after which you can amble home with plenty of time for Netflix.

Timing is everything here. Your bartenders are not the upper-tier mixologists who take 20 minutes to craft your drink. Yet they’ve been trained to understand the nuances of finer spirits, and their menus will only get better with time. The list of specialty cocktails is brief, and a few of the drinks ventured into that too sweet and cloying territory, but there were plenty that hit the right notes (see below for two favorites).

The food plays a similar casual neighborhood beat, with a bit more zing and sass than some of Blue Plate’s other spots. Expect crisp, juicy fried chicken; breakfast all day (as it should be); fresh, healthy, and filling salads; a great muffuletta; a perfectly cooked flank steak; and nothing more than $17 on the entrée menu.

In all, Bottle Rocket hits the right metrics for a solid neighborhood eatery, proving you can have a great drink and a fine plate of food at any time of the day. 

Happy Together

Two of our favorite food and drink pairings at Bottle Rocket

Freehouse Brew Burger 

An unapologetic double-patty burger with Velveeta oozing from beneath the shiny egg bun. 

BrandyAlexander 

Take the burger and a shake idea to the next level with BR’s Christian Brothers Brandy shake with crème de cacao and cocoa bitters.

Porch Light Salad 

This fresh and bright salad doesn’t skimp. The dates, avocados, and goat cheese make it rich and slightly decadent for a salad.

Gimlet 

It’s a fully flavored cocktail but remains light and refreshing, with Spruce gin and flavors like tarragon, pink peppercorns, and lime. 

Mpls.St.Paul Daily Edit

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