tilsner.net

Lowertown Guide
Restaurants, Cafes, and Bars

BLACK DOG COFFEE AND WINE BAR

The hub of Lowertown. Good local and organic food, pizza, coffees, teas, beer, and wine. Nightly happy hour from 4-7pm.

Gallery shows, music events, and various local discussion groups. Free wireless Internet. Great place for business meetings.

Location: 308 Prince Street, corner of Prince/4th and Broadway.

Website: www.blackdogstpaul.com



CHRISTOS GREEK RESTAURANT

Good food, excellent lunch buffet, good happy hour appetizer specials, set in a gigantic atrium that was the old Union Depot train station's ticket hall. Christos has served classic Greek fare for 13 years and offers dishes from all of Greece, and specialties from the island of Cyprus. Traditional dishes are balanced with contemporary items, and a wide array of appetizers and platters makes it easy to sample the cuisine or dine family-style. The wine list now features products from five Greek wineries in addition to domestic selections. Affordable.

Location: 214 Fourth Street East, corner of Wacouta or Sibley and 4th.

Website: www.christos.com



GOLDEN'S DELI

Great sandwiches, service window open in the summer, right at the Saint Paul Farmers' Market.

Location: 275 E. Fourth St., corner of 4th and Wall.

Website: None.



GOPHER BAR

Affordable dive bar with world class Coney Island Hot Dogs that beat the average, actual Coney Island Hot Dog hands down.

Rarely open late, cash only.

The staff don't hate you, they hate everyone.

Location: 241 7th St E, Corner of Wacouta and 8th.

Website: None



HAT TRICK LOUNGE

Bar with affordable bar food and live music.

Location: 134 East 5th Street, Corner of 5th and Robert.

Website: www.robincommunications.com



INNUENDO

Gay bar spin-off from downtown Saint Paul's Rumours, with excellent daily drink specials. Couches. Innuendo's website lists a ton of weekly events, from disco and karaoke nights, to bear nights! Emphasis on friendly, welcoming atmosphere obvious throughout the site, and the bar staff reflect this both in their warm greetings and helpful service.

Haven't tried the food yet but it did look good and very reasonable on the wallet. Quesadillas, sandwiches, all affordably priced.

Location: 213 East 4th Street, across from the Union Depot.

Website: www.rumours-stpaul.com



JIMMY JOHNS

Very good sandwiches of all kinds. Delivery available, but it's slow!

Location: 523 Jackson Street, at 10th Street.

Website: www.jimmyjohns.com




KELLY'S DEPOT BAR

Affordable dive bar-restaurant with 10 or so small TV screens playing quiz shows and sports during the day, and news and sports at night. Mid-range pub food but cheap. Alcohol also cheap.

Artists and postal workers are the main clientele. Patio nice in summer. New heated winter patio tent helps the smokers survive outside while -- ironically -- killing themselves. Open til 2am.

Location: 241 Kellogg Blvd E., Corner of Kellogg and Wacouta.

Website: None.



LOTO LIFETIME CAFE

Yuppie bar/restaurant created by David Fhima, whose other yuppie restaurant in downtown Saint Paul has already failed. The food is good, if you want to order a chicken dish and have it served with just potatoes and no vegetables. Hell yes, it'll taste great, it's just all a bit foo foo and $15 chicken is $15 chicken.

If the restaurant downtown -- where there's actually a central business district --failed, this one's days are numbered. Totally wrong neighborhood for this place. Fhima got a million bucks from the city to open up this joint, which totally ruined the former main entrance to Galtier Plaza.

Five visitors to the Rake's website gave them a combined rating of Ambience: 8.4, Food: 6.6, Service: 5.6 on a scale of 1 (worst) - 10 (best). Definitely very kind ambience ratings for this soulless, clinical, modernist, undeserved leech of public funds.

Location: 380 Jackson Street. Former lobby of Galtier Plaza on Mear's Park. Technically, it's on Sibley Street between 5th and 6th.

Website: www.lo-to.com (non functioning)




SAWATDEE

Sawatdee Saint Paul was the first Sawatdee as well as the first authentic Thai restaurant in the Twin Cities, opening in 1980. Originally located in Lowertown, "the old Sawatdee" closed down a few years ago but reopened in early 2008 in a different location. Food is excellent. Delivery available.

Location: 486 Robert Street, on 9th Street.

Website: www.sawatdee.com



SEŅOR WONG RESTAURANT & COCKTAIL LOUNGE

Opening on February 4th, 2008, this is a Chinese-Mexican hybrid. Sounds fun!

Location: 111 Kellogg Blvd, on Robert Street.

Website: www.senorwong.com





STATION 4

18+ hardcore and punk venue, surly staff, no real food to speak of unless frozen pizza is your thing, and drink prices are sometimes jacked up for events.

Occasional good bands, excellent burlesque show on alternate Wednesdays. Ambience: black.

Location: 201 East 4th Street, across from the Union Depot.

Website: www.station-4.com



TANPOPO NOODLE SHOP

Great sushi and noodles, light wood and minimalist decor without being snobby, pretty nice to dine in, and the killer...cooking classes currently available!

Location: 308 Prince Street (4th Street), next to the Black Dog Cafe.

Website: www.tanpoporestaurant.com


Last Revised: 30 January 2008 by Nigel Parry

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