Bandana Brewery

Bandana BreweryBandana Brewery
Bandana BreweryBandana Brewery
Brewery, Eatery

302 N. Plainview Avenue
Mankato, Minnesota, 56001
United States

// CLOSED //
BEER STATS
Average:
0
Beers:
0
Ratings:
0
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.12
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
4
pDev:
6.31%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by MeLikeBeer:
Photo of MeLikeBeer
Reviewed by MeLikeBeer from Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I hit this Brewpub up again yesterday with a friend for lunch and was once again impressed. Whenever I'm in the Southern MN area, this is quickly becoming a must-stop. The building itself is a converted Elks Lodge and there is plenty of space. The brew kettles are on display right behind the back bar and the beers are priced right.
Tons of drink specials throughout the week. Filled up my growler with the Eagle Lake Pale, for just 6 bucks. I just had a cheeseburger and fries, but it was cooked just how I asked and was a great price ($2.75) everyday.
They have 6 "regular" brews and typically 2 seasonals. The seasonals they have on tap now are a Doppelbock and the "Preston Wee Heavy".
I tried the Wee Heavy- very much like a Scotch Ale, with great hop flavors and a sweet aftertaste. Highly recommended.
The service was great...there weren't very many people in the place, but our server was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. She didn't know alot about the beers, but quickly brought another server over to answer our questions.
Great place to stop if you're in the neighborhood!
May 08, 2006
More User Ratings:
Photo of spoots
Reviewed by spoots from Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -9.5%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
This is the place to drink if you want high-quality micro-brewed beer at an aggressive price. Most tall taps were about $3 and I took home a new growler of excellent porter for just $7.95. On Wednesdays it's all you can drink for $5 and on another night--Mondays?--taps are just $1 each. Wow!

[As an aside, I'm from Mankato originally, and it's nice to see this place thrive in a town that's pretty hostile to non-mainstream bars. Frankly, for a college town, Mankato can be a dry hole for cool nightspots, interesting cultural options, and ethnic restaurants. For that alone, kudos to Bandana for giving it a go in this white bread burg.]

Anyhow, Bandana has some very good beers--the porter on tap now is a terrific example of the style, and their Eagle Lake Pale Ale is a robust, flavorful, hoppy brew. I am not so much a fan of their dopplebock (a little light on character), and their Mankato Gold is a forgettable light beer. To be fair, most of the people at the bar when I visited were sucking on bottles of MGD light, which seems incredibly sad considering the overall high quality of their house brews. So I can't blame Bandana for giving the people what they want.

I didn't try the food, but my friend's sandwich looked well made and he said it was "super tasty." The menu is middle-of-the-road sports bar food, but it was priced right and they covered all the bases.

One aspect worth noting was the service. Our waitress was great--charming and confident in her beer knowledge. Wish I'd gotten her name so I could give her props here.

[Another thing worth noting: if smoke bothers you, this might be a place to avoid--one of the smokiest joints I've visited in ages. I feel sorry for the people who work there. Half point deduction for the smoke.]
Dec 27, 2005
Photo of garymuchow
Reviewed by garymuchow from Minnesota

4.24/5  rDev +2.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
I like this place. I've met the brewer a couple of times and he's been generous with his time and attention. I was familiar with his work while he was in Eden Prairie and the fine skills have transferred well to Mankato.
The mainstays are all good, with the pale ale being very well done and the amber being my next favorite. The brewer is also committed to a regular rotation of seasonals, all of which I've enjoyed.
Space is huge, with it being formerly the local Moose lodge (I believe). It has 3 seperate eating/drinking areas, with the main area being large enough for a live music stage.
I haven't eaten there yet, although the menu appears standard fare the portions look big. Open early and closes late. Growlers are a bargain.
I recommend a stop it if in the area.
Jun 10, 2004
Photo of TastyTaste
Reviewed by TastyTaste from Minnesota

4.44/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
There is a ton of room in this bar, which was nearly empty when i went. I've had most of the beers there, all of which were pretty good. If you are in Mankato this is about the only place to get a decent beer. At $3 for a tall mug, it is definitely worth going to. Growlers are a good option, only $8 for a new jug, $6 for a refill. Definitely get the Pale Ale and the Octoberfest, actually, I have yet to have a beer there that wasn't quality. I have changed my mind about this bar. It's low prices, qualtiy seasonals, friendly service, and expansive space make this one of my favorites. My only complaint is the lack of cask-conditioned offerings, but I am sure that that will eventrually change when it has been open for longer.
Nov 16, 2003
Bandana Brewery in Mankato, MN
Place rating: 0 out of 5 with 4 ratings