So you’re as excited as anyone about the new light-rail line—it’s a real step toward sustainable development in the Twin Cities. Your only complaint is that there is not ample parking at the stations for your Toyota hybrid. Also, the rules prohibit consumption of your daily dose of wheatgrass juice on the train. But dig deeper. Admit it: Isn’t there a part of you that thrills at the prospect of going out for a night of adult beverages without worries about driving, as if you were in a “real” city like New York or Chicago?
Aside from the many salubrious joints at the northern end of the line (downtown), farther south there are lots of quirky neighborhood joints within stumbling distance of our delightful new rail stations. The drinking railroader is wise to double-check the schedule, to avoid getting stranded during the late-night hours, when trains go from scarce (after 10 p.m.) to non-existent (between 2 and 4 a.m.).
Fort Snelling Station: Fort Snelling Club
Fort Snelling Building 89; 612-725-2272
Open until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Five-minute walk south and east of station.
Once a club for employees only, it has been
open to the public for the last decade. It’s administered by the V.A., but its ambience is
Holiday Inn lounge circa 1985, accented by white Christmas lights.
Bonus: No sales tax on food or drink
Downside: Crimes committed on federal property become felonies, so mind your Ps and Qs!
What’s on the walls: Rural sunset paintings
Pull-tab charity: Disabled American Veterans
Music: Joe Walsh-into-Weezer jukebox,
at surprisingly high volume
Smoke level: Fleece-permeating
46th Street Station: Sunrise Inn
4563 34th Avenue South; 612-721-3137
Open from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Three-minute walk west of station.
To be clear, the Sunrise Inn is not a motel and it does not open at sunrise. It is a 3.2 bar/restaurant that has been around since 1937, one that still retains its original iceboxes and bar, and a vintage Peter Max 7-Up sign, complete with psychedelic rainbows and flowers. Food and bottles of aspirin can be purchased at the bar.
Bonus: $1.75 beers
Downside: Drinks purchased after midnight are assessed a twenty-five-cent fee to pay for the extra licensing cost of staying open until 2 a.m.
What’s on the walls: Photo of Kevin McHale scoring for the Celtics; a sign cautioning “No public phone, don’t even ask!”
Pull-tab charity: Roosevelt High School Boosters Club
Music: None
Smoke level: Tolerable with door open
38th Street Station: Cardinal Bar
2920 East 38th Street; 612-724-5837
Open until 1 a.m. Next to station.
After three decades, the Cardinal has a new, bright-red awning, a new patio, and a gravel parking lot that got sacrificed to the adjacent light rail station. These are just a few of the changes at this mullet-friendly Southside institution, which caters to softball players, pool shooters, dart throwers, and broomballers. The bar serves strong beer and wine, and the kitchen is open with a full menu until 11 p.m.
Bonus: Meat raffle (Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.)
Downside: Restrooms—especially the women’s
What’s on the walls: Outside sign proudly proclaiming, “We patty our burgers fresh daily”
Pull-tab charity: MN/USA Wrestling Incorporated
Music: The Guess Who
Smoke level: Noticeable bluish haze
Lake Street Station: The Schooner Tavern
2901 27th Avenue South; 612-729-4365
Open until 2 a.m. Eight-minute walk—two blocks west and one block north (next to Rainbow Foods)
A no-frills, no-nonsense joint that has been serving up drinks since the end of Prohibition. Draft beers are $2.05 and are served in jars. There’s no kitchen, but frozen pizza and free popcorn are available. The entertainment includes two projection-screen TVs, karaoke on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and pool sharking throughout the day.
Bonus: Bar doesn’t feel as tough as the neighborhood
Downside: Booths in back look cute but are uncomfortable
What’s on the walls: “Check cashing for bar patrons only” sign
Pull-tab charity: Roosevelt High School Boosters
Music: Hank Williams Jr. into Al Green into Cher
Smoke level: Not horrible
Cedar-Riverside Station: Palmers Bar
500 Cedar Avenue South;
612-333-7625. Open until 2 a.m.
Five-minute walk west to Cedar Avenue, turn left.
Palmers attracts a truly West Bank crowd:
gray-haired hippies, body-pierced punk rockers, East Africans, college students, and general hard-luck cases.
Bonus: Good beer selection on tap
Downside: You may be hesitant to have “everybody know your name” here
What’s on the walls: Faux fireplace with flickering electric lights
Pull-tab charity: No pull tabs
Music: Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust in its entirety
Smoke level: What does it matter now?—Dan Gilchrist
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