“Out here on the North Shore, the center of town life is often the municipal bar + liquor store. This is a canonical example of that Minnesota tradition. One very overworked female bartender, frozen bar pizza plus apps from the deep fryer (frozen pickles nom), cold beer on draft, and a pull tabs machine in the corner. This particular one gets props in a couple respects. First, great drafts -- I haven't seen Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter in a long long time. Second, they actually have their own house whiskey -- a California bourbon barrel selection from Savage & Cooke. And it's quite good! Third, the locals are pretty welcoming of a city slicker. I did get quizzed fairly extensively about my religious and political beliefs by one very close talking local, but at no point was she inappropriate or jerky, and when I said "hey, I need to pay attention to my kid", she chilled out and let me drink and play cards with my daughter. I can't say as I'm going to be up this way a lot (pretty much did what we wanted to do at the state parks), but if I were, I'd hit this lounge again, it's the best and most reliable food and drink option in a 5 mile radius. (Their competitors in Beaver Bay are also pretty great, so it's a hard call to make.)”
Liquor Stores
“Out here on the North Shore, the center of town life is often the municipal bar + liquor store. This is a canonical example of that Minnesota tradition. One very overworked female bartender, frozen bar pizza plus apps from the deep fryer (frozen pickles nom), cold beer on draft, and a pull tabs machine in the corner. This particular one gets props in a couple respects. First, great drafts -- I haven't seen Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter in a long long time. Second, they actually have their own house whiskey -- a California bourbon barrel selection from Savage & Cooke. And it's quite good! Third, the locals are pretty welcoming of a city slicker. I did get quizzed fairly extensively about my religious and political beliefs by one very close talking local, but at no point was she inappropriate or jerky, and when I said "hey, I need to pay attention to my kid", she chilled out and let me drink and play cards with my daughter. I can't say as I'm going to be up this way a lot (pretty much did what we wanted to do at the state parks), but if I were, I'd hit this lounge again, it's the best and most reliable food and drink option in a 5 mile radius. (Their competitors in Beaver Bay are also pretty great, so it's a hard call to make.)”