The Spot Bar

Do you like cozy dive bars with incredibly friendly staff, a wide drink menu, jukeboxes and dart boards, and character oozing from every ounce of the wood paneled walls? The Spot is the place for you. I'm from NJ visiting my sister who lives two blocks away. Her boyfriend brought me and a few other out-of-towners here on a Sunday night, and we all loved it. I rocked up to the bar in an Eagles sweatshirt and NJ accent fully expecting to get flak for it, but the bartender was as nice as ever. Later in the evening when we were the last patrons left, he asked us where we were all from and struck up a conversation with us. Bonus for movie buffs: the 2023 movie "Downtown Owl" with Ed Harris filmed a scene here. Great atmosphere, great customer service, great drinks, great music. Can't wait to come back the next time I visit my sister.

Well. Well. Well. Hello Review #400 and hello! The Spot Bar. This place is like an old sweater.For example the bar pizza. Here you get Giovanni's (no Heggie's here) so that is a plus as they offer some different flavors. You also have pinball, darts, and TouchTunes. I dig the TouchTunes app as I can load up music and many places around town also use TouchTunes and I can just let it rip from wherever I'm at straight from my phone. In general, this is just a good old place to enjoy a drink. The Spot has even has better prices then the dive institution I'm in walking distance of, Ted's Rec. For example, if I get my special of Hamm's and a bump of blackberry brandy (on the rocks), the Spot saves me a whole quarter, which goes towards my pinball. But let's not forget the meat raffle. The Spot as a meat raffle and in this state, that is something you need to find when you search. Plus the area has many additional establishments close by if you want to get something a little more substantial for food. #meatraffle

Frills? Nope. Friendly barkeep? Yup. Good Old Fashioned? Well, it was okay. I had an hour to kill before needing to pick up a kid, so I thought I would nurse an old fashioned at The Spot and read a book at the bar for an hour. Its not big - room for the bar, a few tables, a dartboard. But it has all the ingredients for a neighborhood dive bar in spades. I would happily go back for the welcoming atmosphere and the reasonably priced cocktails. A better than average tap selection by the look of things too. Check it out!

What's not to love? Oldest bar around. Good beer. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and a rotating cast of neighborhood regulars. best dive bar in the Twin Cities, hands down.

St. Paul, Minnesota --- "The Spot Bar" was a pARTy Gods' find ... a GREAT neighborhood bar - customers walk here, bike here & even bus here ... originally a "Hamm's" beer bar in the late 1800's & still has "Hamm's" beer on tap ... bartender "Kevin" was super & the customers were really "neighborly" ... my newest "Run-A-Way Bill" FAVORITE sticker winner bar with "Coon Trap" status - this bar drew me in & now I am trapped forever!"Run-A-Way Bill" was here! 07.22.19

The Spot Bar is as friendly as it is vintage! I was killing time here while waiting for a table at nearby Mucci's, Neighborhood bars are not usually my thing since I don't drink, but this is still a cozy place to hang out! And since Mucci's is awesome and I'll be going back there a lot and there is often a long wait there, I suspect I'll come hang out at The Spot Bar again. Note that there is a ten dollar minimum to use a credit card.

Walked in one day. Asked the bartender if he would make me a sidecar. He gave a look and politely said, "sorry, this is a working man's bar." Had a long day? Go to the Spot. Want to play a little pinball while you're knocking back rum and cokes? Go to the Spot. Are you a grown-up who needs a stiff grown-up drink? Go to the Spot. Need to plot your next heist over drinks with your crew without people poking into your business? Go to the Spot.Are you looking to get loud and rowdy with the boys/girls, maybe get in a fight, and vomit everywhere at the end of the night? Don't go to the Spot. This bar ain't for kids. It's for working people.Nuff said.

Are you looking for somewhere cool, dark, and quiet in St. Paul to get a $3 Hamm's or Grain Belt where you can just play darts with your friends in peace? Or, maybe you have an hour and half to kill before your table opens up at Mucci's. Either way, The Spot should work for you. It definitely seems to be a throwback to simpler times, full of history and local charm. As others have mentioned, it is indeed what you'd probably expect from the outside-- small, divey, old-timey. The bartender seemed to know all of the patrons who were there, but was still pleasant to my group of young, Minneapolitan friends. It took us a few minutes to realize what was different about this bar-- there was no music playing. But there was a juke box, so I suppose we could have changed that. Also, they have pull tabs, "analog" darts, and a tiny library.

A great neighborhood dive. A couple friends of mine live four blocks away, and whenever it's late and we're out of beer, this is where we hike. Said friends are on first name terms with the owner, and recently had an outdoor lawn-game / piñata themed graduation barbecue here. All that said, the divey nature of the place does carry over into the bathrooms, the seating is limited, and the parking in the neighborhood can suck. But if you're near Randolph and West 7th, and you need a place to get your night-cap on, this is THE place to go. A bare barroom with a couple booths and sweet pitcher deals. No nonsense, no pretense, and after a couple rounds, no sense.

Gentleman serving at the bar was extremely unfriendly. Reluctant to serve and I had a REAL ID, and I am well over 21. He doubted my ID then denied serving us shots, basically stating they "don't do that here"..... But proceeded to serve shots to the next customers....Will not forget this treatment.