Visitor Info

[RailBaronYarr]

Well, here's a question: will you have a car? That would shape the discussion for where you can go.

I would say you've got a long weekend in the twin cities, don't rule out seeing other places than just campus/downtown Mpls/Nordeast. All great. But the St Paul area has some great burgers, fun neighborhoods, and I honestly would not miss Cosetta's. Great food and gives you a chance to at least say you've seen the second city.

Looks like other people disagree on Al's being best breakfast in town. Hell's Kitchen is most definitely good, and obviously near your hotel, but I'd take Al's any day, especially if you'll be on campus. But you have Fri, Sat, Sun, AND Mon for breakfasts, so try them all (Lucia's is also great). Also Thurs, Fri, Sat, maybe Sunday for drinking? I'd focus on Nordeast, Campus, and Uptown for your 3 night-drinking spots, maybe leave time at the end of one or two of the nights to hit the bars near the hotel downtown. During the days, explore anywhere and everywhere on the map for food and stuff to do.

And why hasn't anybody here mentioned the lovely Mall of America?? Eh?? Kidding, don't go there.

 

[HouseOfHagen]

Well, here's a question: will you have a car? That would shape the discussion for where you can go.

I would say you've got a long weekend in the twin cities, don't rule out seeing other places than just campus/downtown Mpls/Nordeast. All great. But the St Paul area has some great burgers, fun neighborhoods, and I honestly would not miss Cosetta's. Great food and gives you a chance to at least say you've seen the second city.

Looks like other people disagree on Al's being best breakfast in town. Hell's Kitchen is most definitely good, and obviously near your hotel, but I'd take Al's any day, especially if you'll be on campus. But you have Fri, Sat, Sun, AND Mon for breakfasts, so try them all (Lucia's is also great). Also Thurs, Fri, Sat, maybe Sunday for drinking? I'd focus on Nordeast, Campus, and Uptown for your 3 night-drinking spots, maybe leave time at the end of one or two of the nights to hit the bars near the hotel downtown. During the days, explore anywhere and everywhere on the map for food and stuff to do.

And why hasn't anybody here mentioned the lovely Mall of America?? Eh?? Kidding, don't go there.

Al's Breakfast is good but they don't serve booze. What good is breakfast if you can't buy a bloody to go with it?

 

[RailBaronYarr]

Al's Breakfast is good but they don't serve booze. What good is breakfast if you can't buy a bloody to go with it?

By the OP's post and responses here it sounds like these fine gents won't have a problem finding booze the 3.5 hays they're here I suggest they try them all!

 

[station19]

By the OP's post and responses here it sounds like these fine gents won't have a problem finding booze the 3.5 hays they're here I suggest they try them all!

You can also tell where the posters hang out.

 

[RailBaronYarr]

You can also tell where the posters hang out.

I'm sorry, isn't Al's Breakfast on campus where they'll be attending the game on Saturday??

My opinion is that it would be a total loss to spend a FULL weekend (Friday-Monday) and not see some places other than downtown Mpls and campus. Uptown and Northeast are great but there are other things to do/see as well.

 

[gophertime]

Hi all,
Me and 4 other guys are coming from Arizona this weekend to watch the football game on Saturday and the hockey game on Sunday. We do a trip like this every year.
I am looking for advice on what to do and where to go.
We get in Friday afternoon and leave Monday.
We like to drink beer and get the entire college town/gameday experience.
Where should we go Friday night?
What should we do/ where should we go before the game
where should we eat

We are staying downtown at the Marquette hotel.
We will definitely be bringing warm clothes

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. The past few years we have been to Florida, Tennessee, LSU, Oregon, Wisconsin, Texas AM, and Notre Dame so the bar has been set pretty high for gameday experiences.

Thank you and look forward to this weekend

Go Gophers

I'm trying to figure out why MN-Purdue after all of these other venues? Must have been on someone's bucket list.

 

[Tx_Gopher]

If you're up for a pretty good circuit on Friday I'd do a loop in the northeast (Nordeast when you're here) that includes:
Grumpy's Link
Gasthof Link
Psycho Suzie's Link
(optional) The Sample Room Link I think they still have a pretty good happy hour, but maybe not the scene you're looking for.
Not Optional: Nye's Link This is not optional, because this is a must. Just go to the bar side, rather than the restaurant side and order a Polish. You will get a Polish beer (like from Poland). Just order it that way because no one remembers the names of the damn beers.

This is an absolute must.

Not sure how much you (OP) want to focus on game-day experiences and how much you want to experience "local" flavor. If you like live music/concerts, you might want to check out First Avenue. It's a classic Minneapolis concert venue. (I guess you could say venues since there are multiple concert spaces in one location.)

You also might want to schedule a visit to either Matt's or the 5-8 for a Jucy Lucy. I learned to appreciate them, but some people swear by them. (Watch that first bite!)

Other random thoughts:

If you get tired of hamburgers, try a sub at Big Ten (Stadium Village--which is basically on one side of the Minneapolis campus; Dinkytown is on the other). I'd give my right kidney for an Assorted right now. The location near the U gets really busy on game days, though.

If you want pizza, try Black Sheep Pizza on Washington in Minneapolis. It's a bit of a walk from your hotel but not that bad (the walk). I went there when I visited the Twin Cities last year and really liked it. (Pizza Luce is closer to your hotel and has a very good vegetarian, but I think Black Sheep is better.)

I'm a huge fan of Cossetta's. Personally, I'd say it's worth the cab ride over to St. Paul. It's not fancy, but I've been satisfied every time I've eaten there.

Between The Local and Brit's: Both are "pubs." The Local is more Irish. I think they claim to serve more Jameson than anywhere outside of Ireland. Both places open early on Saturday's if there's a big soccer match, and Brit's is a GREAT place to go watch an England national team soccer match. (There isn't one this weekend, but maybe you'll come back sometime.)

Since I'm not from Minnesota originally (and because I've already been called slow and an idiot elsewhere), I can say this: I think MOA is great. The light rail goes right from Minneapolis and ends at the mall. I used to go just to wander around. My wife and I would save our pennies (I was a grad student at the U) and go to Napa Valley Grille, although it's probably not where you want to go on a guy's weekend.

Have fun! Come back and let us know what you decided to tackle.

 

[atsgopher]

Same advice to all out of towners: Beware of gas station Beer in MN... it is not the real thing! Buy your beer at the liquor store. They are closed on Sundays, so plan appropriately on Saturday Night.

Cab fare in Minneapolis is horrible. You can get accross Manhattan cheaper than Minneapolis. Plan on the train from the airport to hotel. Also, if you head Northeast they are underserved by taxi (I grew up in the neighborhood). Secure your ride ahead of bar close or you'll find out what cold and frustrated feels like.

The Northeast tour should include Tony Jaros (must buy a greenie), The Palace, Jimmy's, 22nd Ave, Mayslacks, The Knight Cap, 1029, and Nye. You can skip the rest. If you want some real NE action, then hit the Vegas, Moose, and Spring Inn (also great for breakfast).

Ignore the NE Bulldog, Keagan's and the like, you might as well go downtown.

If you go Uptown Liquor Lyle's (Frankiln & Hennepin) has 2 for 1s every night from 9-11.

 

[minnyrules11]

Would love a recap.

Hi all,
Me and 4 other guys are coming from Arizona this weekend to watch the football game on Saturday and the hockey game on Sunday. We do a trip like this every year.
I am looking for advice on what to do and where to go.
We get in Friday afternoon and leave Monday.
We like to drink beer and get the entire college town/gameday experience.
Where should we go Friday night?
What should we do/ where should we go before the game
where should we eat

We are staying downtown at the Marquette hotel.
We will definitely be bringing warm clothes

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. The past few years we have been to Florida, Tennessee, LSU, Oregon, Wisconsin, Texas AM, and Notre Dame so the bar has been set pretty high for gameday experiences.

Thank you and look forward to this weekend

Go Gophers