Illinois @ Minnesota 2-10-13

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PBLIllini

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Hello There! Illini fan here, I come in peace. A small group of friends and I will be attending our first game at The Barn this February and I wanted to see if anyone here would be willing to offer some advice on pre/post game venues for drinks/food/entertainment as well as hotels. I have been to downtown Minneapolis a few times but never to any Gopher games or campus events.

Any advice/insight you might have would be greatly appreciated. It will be just a small group of us and we are hoping to have a fun night out on Saturday before the game on Sunday. We are all post-college age, not students, so not necessarily the college hot spots but still places that get some decent crowds.

We are looking forward to a great game, both IL and MN seem to be trending up this year and having good seasons.

Thanks in advance for your help!
 

PBLIllini said:
Hello There! Illini fan here, I come in peace. A small group of friends and I will be attending our first game at The Barn this February and I wanted to see if anyone here would be willing to offer some advice on pre/post game venues for drinks/food/entertainment as well as hotels. I have been to downtown Minneapolis a few times but never to any Gopher games or campus events.

Any advice/insight you might have would be greatly appreciated. It will be just a small group of us and we are hoping to have a fun night out on Saturday before the game on Sunday. We are all post-college age, not students, so not necessarily the college hot spots but still places that get some decent crowds.

We are looking forward to a great game, both IL and MN seem to be trending up this year and having good seasons.

Thanks in advance for your help!
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The game is actually at the Target Center on the ninth.
 


Stubs is a good bar, so is sally's, there's a Raddision on campus not too far from Williams
 

bemidjigopher said:
Stubs is a good bar, so is sally's, there's a Raddision on campus not too far from Williams
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This is good advice. Try eating at either Stub and Herb's or at Sally's. Both are only a block or so from Williams Arena. The Raddison on campus is nice too but I am not sure how easy it will be to get rooms. Hard to do on football dates, not so sure for basketball.

It is pretty easy to get in and around campus so you will have no problems.
 


I agree on Stub and Herb's and Sally's, while you are at it, you should hit up Campus Pizza a block down from Stub's for some great pizza. I highly recommend the Spicy Special.

There are some good bars in Dinkytown worth checking out too. I have always been a fan of The Library and Blarney's. If you make it to Dinkytown, you can get a great Burrito at Burrito Loco while you are there. They are much better than Chipotle, and are much bigger too, you even get free chips.

There is also a Buffalo Wild Wings about a pitching wedge from Williams Arena. It will likely be packed, so if you guys are Buffalo Wild Wings fans...arrive early.
 

Thanks for all the replies! I appreciate the insights.

Are there any hotels in Dinkytown? That sounds like it might be our best option for eating/night life.
 

If you get a hotel on/near campus or the east side of downtown, you can easily walk to dinkytown, or even bus.
 

Best bet is The Commons Hotel (formerly Radisson) which is right in Stadium Village. That is the quickest walk to Dinkytown, and is a block from Williams Arena. If you go to Burrito Loco, make sure you get a Buffalo Chicken Burrito. Unreal how good they are. I am getting one in an hour before today's game. If you will be going to any of the places on campus before the game, make sure you get there at least 2.5 hours before the game to ensure a seat somewhere.
 





**Extra buffalo sauce (mouth watering, can't think straight)
 

Need more info about your group before offering suggestions.

All guys, all girls, mixed bag? Single, married, in a relationship? Anybody looking for a "slump-buster"? (Not an offer from me, just trying to steer you in the right direction).

What kind of bar experience are you looking for? Eating and drinking (if your group imbibes), or someplace to eat and then some bar suggestions? If you're looking for just the best bars with the typical big city bar scene there are many, many options in many different districts. My type of bar-hopping experience, when I travel, is to look for something unique to the area, rather than just some generic, popular bar that looks like any bar you would find in any larger city.

Will you guys have a car and driver, or are you thinking about cabbing it around, walking?

There will be no lack of opinions here if you check back on this thread in the upcoming weeks.
 



Bar? One can enjoy a double Jack on the rocks anywhere, so enjoy.

Food? You will not be disappointed, as the college scene establishments all have good food.

Fun? Williams Arena is a unique experience, one you will never forget. MOST of the fans are even cordial to visitors, and not like TxTech fans.

Weather? Wear a warm jacket and walk fast. :)

Hookers? Advice not available, I don't know.

Drunks? Yes, you will probably run into one or two.
 

For the best breakfast at a reasonable price you really must try Al's!!! it is right in Dinkytown and an award winning eatery. Just hope you don't mind the limited space:drink:
 

Unregistered User said:
Need more info about your group before offering suggestions.

All guys, all girls, mixed bag? Single, married, in a relationship? Anybody looking for a "slump-buster"? (Not an offer from me, just trying to steer you in the right direction).

What kind of bar experience are you looking for? Eating and drinking (if your group imbibes), or someplace to eat and then some bar suggestions? If you're looking for just the best bars with the typical big city bar scene there are many, many options in many different districts. My type of bar-hopping experience, when I travel, is to look for something unique to the area, rather than just some generic, popular bar that looks like any bar you would find in any larger city.

Will you guys have a car and driver, or are you thinking about cabbing it around, walking?

There will be no lack of opinions here if you check back on this thread in the upcoming weeks.
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All guys. Mixed bag on the relationships, so we typically end up following the single guys to the busy spots, lol. Not necessarily to college bars but places where 25-30 year olds hang out. We are pretty sociable so we look for places we can mingle.

We will probably eat one place and then head to another for drinks. We tend to hop from place to place so if there is an area with multiple bars/pubs that is what we look for!

We will have a car but will walk or take cabs since we will be drinking.
 


PBLIllini said:
All guys. Mixed bag on the relationships, so we typically end up following the single guys to the busy spots, lol. Not necessarily to college bars but places where 25-30 year olds hang out. We are pretty sociable so we look for places we can mingle.

We will probably eat one place and then head to another for drinks. We tend to hop from place to place so if there is an area with multiple bars/pubs that is what we look for!

We will have a car but will walk or take cabs since we will be drinking.
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Do you have Gopher swear shirts so you will fit in?
 

Unregistered User said:
Driving in or flying?

What is your ETA/ETD for whichever mode you're arriving?
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Driving in. Should get there late on Friday so we have all day Saturday and Saturday evening to go out before taking in the game on Sunday.

By the way, nice win today for the Gophers. I was rooting for you guys, I'm not much of an Izzo fan.
 

Sounds like a fun trip. Saturday night I would visit ne minneapolis. Places like Nye's and Gastoff's should be in play. Near gastoff's you will find around 10 good bars within 10 blocks. They are reasonable and have cute women in their 20's and 30's. this is the old Polish and german hood hence all the bars.
Sunday morning breakfast at Al's.
 

nokomismod said:
Sounds like a fun trip. Saturday night I would visit ne minneapolis. Places like Nye's and Gastoff's should be in play. Near gastoff's you will find around 10 good bars within 10 blocks. They are reasonable and have cute women in their 20's and 30's. this is the old Polish and german hood hence all the bars.
Sunday morning breakfast at Al's.
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Thanks! That sounds right up our alley. We will check those places out. Nye's looks like a good place to eat too.
 

PBLIllini said:
Thanks! That sounds right up our alley. We will check those places out. Nye's looks like a good place to eat too.
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If you want to see some females that range in age be sure to go to Nyes. Plus, Nyes is simply awesome. Kitty Kat Club can be really cool if you hit the right night (Dinky Town). If you can get-up early enough....hit Al's for breakfast. You really need to plan ahead for Al's though-don't bother if you are in any kind of hurry as you might have to wait a while.
 

PBL
Need similar info about Champagne for Jan 9 game...
 

row19gopher said:
PBL
Need similar info about Champagne for Jan 9 game...
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Champaign has a nice little campus area with bars and restaurants. It's a bit of a hike to walk to Assembly Hall from this area, as it's on the opposite side of the campus.

I recommend eating/drinking pregame at Murphy's Pub on Green Street. They make a good burger. Also, Firehaus is a pretty good joint for food and drink. After the game those places are pretty good too. Get a nice crowd. Legends is a decent bar for drinks and I occasionally hit Brothers if my friends drag me in there. Some will tell you Kam's (the old school campus dive) is a good place but I am too old for that place anymore. It's pretty nasty inside.

As far as hotels go, I always stay at Hampton Inn on W. University Ave. It's closer to the bar area of campus. We typically drive to the game and then go back to the hotel and walk to where we want to eat/drink. Hope that helps.
 

PBLIllini said:
Champaign has a nice little campus area with bars and restaurants. It's a bit of a hike to walk to Assembly Hall from this area, as it's on the opposite side of the campus.

I recommend eating/drinking pregame at Murphy's Pub on Green Street. They make a good burger. Also, Firehaus is a pretty good joint for food and drink. After the game those places are pretty good too. Get a nice crowd. Legends is a decent bar for drinks and I occasionally hit Brothers if my friends drag me in there. Some will tell you Kam's (the old school campus dive) is a good place but I am too old for that place anymore. It's pretty nasty inside.

As far as hotels go, I always stay at Hampton Inn on W. University Ave. It's closer to the bar area of campus. We typically drive to the game and then go back to the hotel and walk to where we want to eat/drink. Hope that helps.
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I am going too... Any advice on tickets..debating whether to buy them off stubhub before I go or wait and see if there are scalpers down there..
 

I wouldn't suggest the bars in Dinky if you're looking for 25-30 yr olds. I'd say Uptown is your best bet. Chino Latino is a great restaurant -- awesome atmosphere, good food, a little expensive though. You'll find plenty of busy bars there with more the age you're looking for. Attractive girls too.

PBLIllini said:
All guys. Mixed bag on the relationships, so we typically end up following the single guys to the busy spots, lol. Not necessarily to college bars but places where 25-30 year olds hang out. We are pretty sociable so we look for places we can mingle.

We will probably eat one place and then head to another for drinks. We tend to hop from place to place so if there is an area with multiple bars/pubs that is what we look for!

We will have a car but will walk or take cabs since we will be drinking.
Click to expand...
 

UofMdad said:
For the best breakfast at a reasonable price you really must try Al's!!! it is right in Dinkytown and an award winning eatery. Just hope you don't mind the limited space:drink:
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:clap: Completely agree with this one! Hit up Al's for breakfast, but only if are not prone to claustrophobia or have any issues with someone standing right behind you leering eagerly at your spot while you eat. :cool:
 

JSjobes24 said:
I am going too... Any advice on tickets..debating whether to buy them off stubhub before I go or wait and see if there are scalpers down there..
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You might still be able to get tickets through the University ticket office. You can try FightingIllini.com to see if there are any left.

I'd buy them before going, but I don't get back to many games in Champaign anymore so I am not sure about the scalping situation. There were people scalping when I went last year but now that they are playing better they might be harder to come by. Back in the Dee Brown era it was quite common to have people ask you if you had tickets to sell when you were walking up to the arena. Nobody was scalping back then.
 

Thanks for the Champaign info. Will definitely check some of those spots you mentioned. May actually stay more than one night as we are headed to Bloomington for Saturday's game also. Hoping for a split. Go Gophers!
 

Is Garcia's Pizza (by the slice) in Champaign (or Urbana?) no longer around? I looked for it last year but couldn't find it anywhere.
 

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