Tony Jaros' River Garden

A fun little dive bar to sit and watch a game or socialize with friends! Be aware that the place is cash only, but it's definitely worth it.You have to come and try their signature greenie - warning that they are super sweet and super strong but worth the try! There are also different colors with different flavors - all remind me of jolly ranchers or sweet tarts.Service was quick and easy, it was pretty empty when we first arrive and it slowly filled up. Didn't phase the bartender - seemed like a lot of regulars!Will definitely be back just for a lax drink.

I really love this place. It gives small town vibes in the city. You've got to get a greenie. No one knows what's in it, but it's a must... and after one, you'll probably get two! It's super fun to belly up to the bar with your group or snag a booth or two. It's a simple place, but the good times keep rolling. Make sure to dj on the touch tunes for an extra good time. Service is fast and nice. It's is cash only, so make sure to plan ahead.

I chose this local bar in nordeast Minneapolis to take my friends from Denver to on our one-day tour of must-see places. They loved it! It was noon on a Thursday and only one other patron was there at the time. Which was perfect as we could schmooze all we wanted with Brad the bartender, who happened to be the great nephew of Tony himself and filled us in on the history of the bar and their famous Greenie. It's pretty much a classic neighborhood dive bar (that takes cash only). Long and narrow, lots of bar seating, kitchen in the back ($3 tacos that day), big juke box. Locals started arriving around 12:30 for lunch, a beer, and conversation. But we were there specifically to try a Greenie (and Pinkie and Bluie). They all start out as equal pours of vodka and soda into a 16 ounce cup, followed by powdered sour mix and a finishing touch of the color mixer (grenadine, etc.). The Greenie mix is their own recipe which they bottle and sell. The friends decided it was worth paying to check luggage just so they could bring some home. :-) If you haven't been here, add it to your must-see list. But be warned ... these drinks go down easy and will sneak up on you!

Go for the Greenie or any other color but you can skip the BLT. It had two tiny pieces of bacon. The tots were fine but tough to screw up frozen potatoes you throw into a fryer.

Large wrap around dive bar open late in Northeast Minneapolis! They have ample booth and bar seating options, late night eats, and of course their famous "greenie" drinks! My greenie was a super yummy lime flavored mixed drink with vodka. They have other colors and flavorings available too such as the pinkie, Bluey , purple-y, and brownie! Fun and cheap, would also recommend bringing a deck of cards or a board game! This bar is cash only.

Tony Jaros' has been a hangout for almost 30 years, which tells you I like the joint and the bar has never disappointed despite some bartenders not really wanting to be there. The kitchen however has been up and down in recent years (I believe it is usually operated by a third party) and this review is focused on the kitchen. As of February 2023 the kitchen is simply terrible. Limited menu of burgers and factory made deep fried bar food. If the cook simply needed to open a bag and dump some food into the fryer, it was actually fried well. But properly fried Tator tots shouldn't be a measurement of someone's cooking chops, even in a bar. When you are hungry you pick a bar often because you think they have a great (or even just decent) burger. That's no longer the case at Tony Jaros' where at the moment the burgers are terrible and appear to be made with re-heated pre-cooked patty's. No one in our group was able to eat theirs.In April 2021 the kitchen began being operated under the name Darby's, but I don't recall being there before the COVID-shutdown, but the chili, chili dogs and taco Tuesday's seemed to garner positive reviews. The previous kitchen operator Geoff Hausmann operated under the name Pork & Pickle and on our visits was all over the place in regards to quality and consistency. It was in the category of could have been great but somehow didn't quite live up to its potential and closed unexpectedly in March 2021. From 2019 - 2020 Tony's tested the Burger Dive concept from Josh Thoma (co-owner at The Lexington and Smack Shack) and Chef Nick O'Leary (Saffron, Borough and many other restaurants). I didn't like everything on the menu then, but the burgers were great and everything was fresh, bold and the menu gave you a reason to go there. It created enough of a buzz that suddenly it was hard to get in. For whatever reason that closed when Burger Dive opened their St. Paul location. Prior to 2019 the kitchen was run by various people but generally sticking to a simple bar food menu featuring a daily special. Yes some of the sides and apps were simply deep fried factory-made food, but the actual burger, sandwich, soup or whatever was made from scratch and with care. That concept is what kept us frequently visiting as did the friendly staff (miss you Tara) that went out of their way to engage you. During this period we'd often go to Tony's for food and a drink, vs just a drink. That sounds like a small distinction but if I think of a place as just a drinking place, I'm not going to be there nearly as often or stay as long which translates into I will spend less money there over time. Tony's as a bar is on the small side and I'm sure that impacts the volume for the kitchen making it difficult to operate profitably and I also recognize the current state of service industry economics. But does Tony's want to be the place we hang out at for the evening or just go to after we hit one of the other great NE bars for dinner? At the moment it's a bar. Yes there's food available, but there is much better food available in the other bars in the area.

In Minneapolis and I had to try a Greenie. It was not what I expected. I thought it would be sweeter but it was good and definitely packed a punch. Cheap too. I think it was $6.50? I also tried a purple one and it was good but I liked the Greenie better. The bar seemed to be filled with mostly locals who all knew each other. Bar is across the street from Betty Danger's which was also on my must visit list. Cash only. There is an ATM onsite.

Popular dive bar here in Minneapolis! Known for their greenies, but have upgraded to other colors over the years. Basically a cup of sugar and alcohol lol plenty of seating around the bar and booths, but it's a small place so it's hard to fit a big group of people. There is a parking lot so parking isn't usually hard to find! Overall I would recommend for a drink or 2, but I usually don't stay too long. It's a great stop for a NE bar crawl!

When in Minneapolis, you have to get a greeny at Tony Charles. The atmosphere is so old school and you feel so at home. Just love this place.

Five stars for the Greenies, environment , and experience. Three for the food from DiveBar. I know ppl have been raving about the burgers but, we ordered burger, chicken sandwich, and perogies. Non were very good. They all tasted bland. The chicken tasted like it was kind of freezer burnt before, and had way too much lettuce on it. So much that it was all over the basket. The burger and sanwhich came with a bag of chips. They were good Dutch chips! Go for the Greenie and the fun...I will try the food one more time hoping this was an off night. Update to come when I do. Loved our server even though she was busy she was great!