The Black and Blue Bites — a dish of blackened tenderloin, melted bleu cheese, and portobello mushrooms with horseradish cream — is a must at Inver Grove Brewing Co. The menu features American fare like lake perch fingers, reuben nachos, and dill pickle wings. You’re as likely to find an amber ale here as an IPA, as there’s a huge tap list of house and guest beers.

This brewery’s cozy patio feels like a bunch of storybook moments sewn together at random – nestled in the ruins of the historic Hamm’s brewery, it has comfy seating and a fireplace built into a canoe. The ambiance makes sharing a flight and wood-fired pizza that much more enjoyable. The Sweet Goat Surprise, topped goat cheese and honey, has a bold, tangy flavor. The potato-chip battered chicken sandwich, smeared with a subtly spicy garlic chili aioli, is another standout.

Urban Growler’s Friday fish fry takes cues from Wisconsin. The wild-caught walleye is breaded in Panko and deep-fried until it’s golden and crispy, and the mac and cheese — made with Cowbell Cream Ale beer cheese — is a cheesy, comforting side. As far as beers go, the Cowboy Cream Ale is an easygoing choice for craft beer newbies and those who like a versatile beer.

Bauhaus’s playful, German-influenced tap list accompanies Animales Barbecue’s dry-rubbed, oak-smoked meats. Chef Jon Wipfli’s menu changes often, adding dishes like pork shoulder congee bowls, beef cheek banh mi, and hot beef sandwiches to the mix. The Animales food truck is seasonal, though — it usually wraps up in November and reopens in April.

Formerly known as Pig Ate My Pizza, Travail’s Nouvelle Brewing rebranded with a (mostly) new menu and great beers. One can’t-miss staple is the Nouvelle fries cooked in bacon fat and sprinkled with parmesan cheese, black pepper, served with stone fruit ketchup. The menu’s veggie offerings are also unique: Think hummus, szechuan green beans, eclectic salads, and even elote made with Iowa corn. As an added bonus, snag some Dream Creamery ice cream for dessert. 

Barbecue is tricky, and Stormking does it right, pairing good beers with tender brisket and pulled pork, and even barbecue pulled squash. The Czech pilsner might be the best beer to prop up the flavors of the food — it cuts through the fatty meat with a strong, toasted-bread-crumb maltiness.

Bricksworth’s Detroit-style pizzas are loaded with melted cheese — even the crusts. The North Loop location is ideal for Twins baseball game days or for visiting several brewery spots in walking distance. One popular pizza, the “Happiest Meal,” mimics McDonald’s cheeseburgers, with plenty of pickles and American Cheese; the Illegal Fireworks pizza is topped with pepperoni alfredo sauce, parmesan, and a blueberry honey drizzle. All pair well with the Mexican Lager (served with a lime wedge) or one of the many punchy IPAs Bricksworth and sister company BlackStack are known for.

La Doña has a big taco menu (think tender al pastor, black bean and sweet potato, buffalo shrimp, even a Midwest beef) plus quesadillas, fresh guacamole and chips, and crispy yucca fries. Pair a meal with a purple corn Mexican lager or a peach wheat ale, and save room for tres leches.

Town Hall Brewery, a staple of the Minnesota beer scene, has an eclectic menu offering walleye, curry, and Minnesota’s revered Juicy Lucy burger — the patty stuffed with lava-hot, molten cheese — means there’s plenty to pair with the taproom’s various beers. Find its ever-popular Masala Mama IPA (a throwback to IPAs before the haze craze) on cask, which gives it a creamier mouthfeel.

Rooftop drinks are a plus at LynLake, but so is its patty-slinging Burger Joint pop-up. Burgers rotate in and out as monthly specials — the Swiss cheese and pineapple patty was August’s feature. Pair a burger with the new Karate Chimps wheat beer, which brims with tangerine flavor.

Sure, moto-i is a ramen restaurant and sake brewery, not a typical spot for beer. But it serves some of the finest ramen in Minneapolis (not to mention piping hot steamed buns stuffed with pork belly, vegetables, or tofu). A variety of sake with pear, strawberry, apple, and even watermelon notes is brewed right on-site. 

Wooden Hill is a great spot for burgers and sandwiches: The garlic aioli-smeared house burger, for one, is a double-pattied flavor bom, and the pub burger goes all in with a pretzel bun, cherrywood-smoked bacon, and oozing cheddar cheese with avocado sauce. The beef or veggie dog topped with housemade sauerkraut and ale mustard is a salty joy. Pair those with Code 3 (an award-winning IPA at the 2021 Minnesota Brewers Cup), the Caramel Frap coffee brown ale, or prickly pear sour.