Just/us Opens Tomorrow in New Lowertown Location

The St. Paul-based restaurant just/us is preparing to reopen tomorrow in Lowertown’s Northwestern Building after the first iteration on Wabasha and 7th was pushed out due to landlord conflicts.

This new spot is the former location of Golden’s Deli, which left a significant void in the building when it left. Since then, building managers have been trying to fill the space as a way to take advantage of foot traffic from the nearby St. Paul Farmer’s Market and Art Crawl. Through a series of coincidences, the just/us team caught wind of the space and saw it as an ideal home.

Owner Nate Docken referred to December 10th through January 10th as a “soft opening phase” where him as his team will be taking things slowly and closely monitoring the flow of service. A much larger grand opening event will come around in the beginning of 2020.

According to Docken, the restaurant was supposed to be up-and-running in August, but this wasn’t a reality due to major delays caused primarily by plumbing work.

Just/us was created by five close friends as a response to the pretentiousness of fine dining. A punk aesthetic with no-b.s. service has always been the leading ideology.

Matt Gundrum/Eater Twin Cities

The restaurant originally began as a prix fixe spot in the evenings with burgers in the daytime. But the move has brought about a new take on the food: it’s now distinctly New American with strong international influences.

Since its inception, just/us has attempted to be a community hub for local musicians and artists. At the new location, this desire has been brought to fruition with a much larger space for open mic nights and live music.

The team has also made major efforts to revitalize the interior. Plush and leather seats, a mix of contemporary and old fashioned baubles, and a full mural by local artist Ta-coumba Tyrone Aiken has provided a major atmospheric lift.

The restaurant will be open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. There will be espresso, cocktails, beer, and wine available all day.

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