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The curved wooden bar at the CC Club, with many bottles behind it.
The CC Club in south Minneapolis.
Katie Cannon

10 Iconic Twin Cities Dive Bars

For Hamm’s on tap and square-cut pizza

by Justine Jones and Joy Summers Updated
View as Map
The CC Club in south Minneapolis.
| Katie Cannon
by Justine Jones and Joy Summers Updated

These are a select few of the Twin Cities’ most comfortable, well-worn, quick-serving bars. Dive bars are a part of the fabric of Minneapolis and St. Paul, especially in neighborhoods like Northeast Minneapolis and St. Paul’s West Seventh neighborhood, historically working-class areas. (For a deeper look at Nordeast’s dive bar scene, check out this map.) Ditch the tasting menus for cheap beer and whiskey in these beloved dives, each blessedly dark and easy on the wallet. Don’t forget to bring cash.

Note that these restaurants are listed geographically.

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Skinner’s

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Pete and Molly Skinner bought Skinner’s 23 years ago, but it’s been a beloved West Seventh dive since not long after Prohibition. Come for the exceptional pizza — thin-crust, square-cut, and made from scratch — and the warm, timeless vibe that only a century’s worth of friendly ghosts can conjure.

919 Randolph Ave, St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 291-0146
(651) 291-0146
The exterior of Skinner’s Pub, a brick building on a road at dusk with a glowing sign.
Skinner’s Pub.
Skinner’s Pub

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Spot Bar

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Spot Bar is a proper Hamm’s bar — it serves Minnesota’s favorite golden elixir on tap. (Or a Pig’s Eye pilsner, if you prefer.) As far as old-time dives go, it’s hard to compete with Spot Bar. It’s been a neighborhood staple since 1885. Come for the meat raffles, the pull tabs, and the hotdish cookoffs.

859 Randolph Ave, St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 224-7433
(651) 224-7433

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Cedar Inn

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Cedar Inn is famous for its jumbo “pterodactyl” chicken wings, slathered in buffalo sauce or coated with a punchy dry rub. The bar has a friendly neighborhood vibe, plus darts, arcade games, and pinball in the back. Dive bars are sparser in south Minneapolis compared to Northeast, but Cedar Inn is well worth a stop.

4155 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407
(612) 729-9785
(612) 729-9785
A black and white photo of a sign that reads “Cedar Inn, ATM” with drawings of a burger, a beer, and a chicken.
Cedar Inn in south Minneapolis.
Cedar Inn

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Palmer's Bar

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Palmer’s was a beloved West Bank bar for decades before Tony Zaccardi (formerly of Grumpy’s Northeast, also a local musician) bought it in 2018. This a salt-of-the-earth kind of bar, perhaps Minneapolis’s most quintessential dive. As Zaccardi told Growler Magazine: “One of my favorite mantras about Palmer’s, is that it’s very much Black, white, rich, poor, gay, straight, trans, left, right, it kind of doesn’t matter. Everyone’s welcome here until you’re an asshole.” The nightly live music calendar is back in full swing.

500 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454
(612) 333-7625
(612) 333-7625

CC Club

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Cheap enough to continue to inspire rock n' roll miscreants who make the local music we love and dark enough to make you fall in love with a new friend. Put a quarter down on the pool tables in the back.

2600 Lyndale Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 874-7226
(612) 874-7226
The curved wooden bar at the CC Club, with many bottles behind it.
The CC Club, a classic south Minneapolis dive.
Katie Cannon

19 Bar

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Low-key and welcoming, 19Bar is the best gay dive bar in the city. Bring cash for cheap margaritas and play pool all night — or grab a spot on the seasonal patio.

19 W 15th St, Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 871-5553
(612) 871-5553

Cuzzy's Grill & Bar

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Cool since the North Loop was just an isolated neighborhood adjacent Warehouse District, Cuzzy's is dark, comfortable, and the perfect antidote to any long day. Bring a dollar bill to stick on the wall.

507 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 339-6211
(612) 339-6211
People sitting in a dive bar with photos plastered all over the wall.
A crowd at Cuzzy’s.
Cuzzy’s Grill & Bar

Dusty's Bar

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Whiskey drinks like water inside this Northeast fixture. Note the old phone booth, which gives Dusty’s a bit of a time traveler’s vibe. Buy a couple of pull tabs to while away the minutes while waiting for one of the famous sandwiches, made with Italian pork sausage, caramelized onions, mozzarella, and sweet peppers.

1319 Marshall St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 378-2118
(612) 378-2118
A row of bottles and a cash register in a low-lit bar area.
Behind the bar at Dusty’s.
Katie Cannon

Mayslack's

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Minneapolis-born Polish pro wrestler Stan Mayslack and his wife Ann “Butch” Mayslack opened Mayslack’s in 1955. While Stan whipped up garlic roast beef sandwiches in the kitchen, Butch ran the till. The pair hosted many a rowdy polka night. These days, Mayslack’s hosts plenty of live bands (and plays polka on the jukebox) and is still serving its famous slow-roasted beef sandwiches, heaped with banana peppers and onions and served au jus.

1428 4th St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 789-9862
(612) 789-9862

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Grumpy's Bar

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Grumpy’s has everything you could ask of a great dive: Plenty of great beer, unpretentious decor, and perfectly cheesy bar pizza, cut into proper squares. This is a popular gathering spot for local musicians.

2200 4th St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
(612) 789-7429
(612) 789-7429
Dive bar with a top shelf beer selection
Grumpy’s Northeast/ Google Images

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Skinner’s

919 Randolph Ave, St Paul, MN 55102

Pete and Molly Skinner bought Skinner’s 23 years ago, but it’s been a beloved West Seventh dive since not long after Prohibition. Come for the exceptional pizza — thin-crust, square-cut, and made from scratch — and the warm, timeless vibe that only a century’s worth of friendly ghosts can conjure.

919 Randolph Ave, St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 291-0146
(651) 291-0146
The exterior of Skinner’s Pub, a brick building on a road at dusk with a glowing sign.
Skinner’s Pub.
Skinner’s Pub

Spot Bar

859 Randolph Ave, St Paul, MN 55102

Spot Bar is a proper Hamm’s bar — it serves Minnesota’s favorite golden elixir on tap. (Or a Pig’s Eye pilsner, if you prefer.) As far as old-time dives go, it’s hard to compete with Spot Bar. It’s been a neighborhood staple since 1885. Come for the meat raffles, the pull tabs, and the hotdish cookoffs.

859 Randolph Ave, St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 224-7433
(651) 224-7433

Cedar Inn

4155 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Cedar Inn is famous for its jumbo “pterodactyl” chicken wings, slathered in buffalo sauce or coated with a punchy dry rub. The bar has a friendly neighborhood vibe, plus darts, arcade games, and pinball in the back. Dive bars are sparser in south Minneapolis compared to Northeast, but Cedar Inn is well worth a stop.

4155 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407
(612) 729-9785
(612) 729-9785
A black and white photo of a sign that reads “Cedar Inn, ATM” with drawings of a burger, a beer, and a chicken.
Cedar Inn in south Minneapolis.
Cedar Inn

Palmer's Bar

500 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454

Palmer’s was a beloved West Bank bar for decades before Tony Zaccardi (formerly of Grumpy’s Northeast, also a local musician) bought it in 2018. This a salt-of-the-earth kind of bar, perhaps Minneapolis’s most quintessential dive. As Zaccardi told Growler Magazine: “One of my favorite mantras about Palmer’s, is that it’s very much Black, white, rich, poor, gay, straight, trans, left, right, it kind of doesn’t matter. Everyone’s welcome here until you’re an asshole.” The nightly live music calendar is back in full swing.

500 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454
(612) 333-7625
(612) 333-7625

CC Club

2600 Lyndale Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55408

Cheap enough to continue to inspire rock n' roll miscreants who make the local music we love and dark enough to make you fall in love with a new friend. Put a quarter down on the pool tables in the back.

2600 Lyndale Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 874-7226
(612) 874-7226
The curved wooden bar at the CC Club, with many bottles behind it.
The CC Club, a classic south Minneapolis dive.
Katie Cannon

19 Bar

19 W 15th St, Minneapolis, MN 55403

Low-key and welcoming, 19Bar is the best gay dive bar in the city. Bring cash for cheap margaritas and play pool all night — or grab a spot on the seasonal patio.

19 W 15th St, Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 871-5553
(612) 871-5553

Cuzzy's Grill & Bar

507 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Cool since the North Loop was just an isolated neighborhood adjacent Warehouse District, Cuzzy's is dark, comfortable, and the perfect antidote to any long day. Bring a dollar bill to stick on the wall.

507 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 339-6211
(612) 339-6211
People sitting in a dive bar with photos plastered all over the wall.
A crowd at Cuzzy’s.
Cuzzy’s Grill & Bar

Dusty's Bar

1319 Marshall St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Whiskey drinks like water inside this Northeast fixture. Note the old phone booth, which gives Dusty’s a bit of a time traveler’s vibe. Buy a couple of pull tabs to while away the minutes while waiting for one of the famous sandwiches, made with Italian pork sausage, caramelized onions, mozzarella, and sweet peppers.

1319 Marshall St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 378-2118
(612) 378-2118
A row of bottles and a cash register in a low-lit bar area.
Behind the bar at Dusty’s.
Katie Cannon

Mayslack's

1428 4th St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Minneapolis-born Polish pro wrestler Stan Mayslack and his wife Ann “Butch” Mayslack opened Mayslack’s in 1955. While Stan whipped up garlic roast beef sandwiches in the kitchen, Butch ran the till. The pair hosted many a rowdy polka night. These days, Mayslack’s hosts plenty of live bands (and plays polka on the jukebox) and is still serving its famous slow-roasted beef sandwiches, heaped with banana peppers and onions and served au jus.

1428 4th St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 789-9862
(612) 789-9862

Grumpy's Bar

2200 4th St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418

Grumpy’s has everything you could ask of a great dive: Plenty of great beer, unpretentious decor, and perfectly cheesy bar pizza, cut into proper squares. This is a popular gathering spot for local musicians.

2200 4th St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
(612) 789-7429
(612) 789-7429
Dive bar with a top shelf beer selection
Grumpy’s Northeast/ Google Images

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