Butcher & The Boar

 

Visited on a recent work trip to Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

Tried the following:
Surly Hell Lager (draft)
Indeed Brewing Hop Dab IPA (draft)

Which were drinking beautifully. Tap selection was small but well curated. For dinner I had the smoked salmon with pickled onions and egg to start, and the wild boar sausage links for entree. Both dishes were superb. Atmosphere was a bit stuffy/pretentious and I got stuck beside some dude bros who were super annoying. Bartender made sure that my food and drinks arrived promptly, but he wasn't very engaging. Prices were on the high side. In summary, then, the food and beer were great while the service and vibe left something to be desired. My overall experience was above average, and I would possibly come back.

I heard a lot of good things about this place so when I visited Minneapolis, I wanted to give it a try. A good walking distance from many downtown establishments, the restaurant is located on busy Hennepin Avenue. It did feel like it was a little away from most things downtown near what I imagine is the core of Hennepin Ave, but it was not a bad walking distance.

The establishment is dimly lit with some tables when you enter and a large rectangular bar to your right. After that, its all booths. At first, like some other reviewers noted, I felt so underdressed; the restaurant felt too classy for me. But I was welcomed in and noticed other guests were as casual as me as well.

The smell was incredible as long as you like this food: pork. I did not eat, but i wish i did. There were about 5 bartenders and they put on a show. They are able to concoct so many mixed drinks and provide so many different types of liquors with thorough knowledge to the other patrons sitting near me, it was impressive just to watch. My beers were good in and of themselves but my bartenders were very knowledgeable on the breweries and styles.

My only regret is I wish i had a bigger wallet for their food. Otherwise, this is a great spot for beer or liquor.

 

Visited on a Monday evening (early). Crowded already. I sat at the bar.

V - An expensive steak house crossed with an activity of a more casual dining establishment. Not a beer joint vibe but a nice place to visit. 4.5

Q - Beers seemed to be rotating as the beer menu was not completely up to date. All beers served in the correct glass. 4.25

S - The bartender was friendly and helpful with the food. Though I did not have any beer questions, she seemed knowledgeable and quick with a taste. 4.5

S - Excellent selection with locals, good seasonals (Founders Curmudgeon that went great with my steak), and a few rarities (like Prairie Birthday Bomb). 4.5

F - The best part of this place was the food. I had a great piece of steak. 4.75

I was in Minneapolis for a week and ended up going here three times. Outstanding food (i tried several types of sausage, a pork loin, several vegetables and the mac and cheese), the wait staff were helpful, knowledgeble and let you have your space. They had a good list, which tried to be locally based, but some qualiyy beers other parts and they also had outstanding cocktails. If you are in Minneapolis, you are doing yourself a disservice if you do not go here.

 

 

Vibe upfront is very upscale and super classy. I almost felt underdressed for the occasion. Luckily they have a beer garden out back for plebeians like myself. The front area is a super fancy upscale bar with fine dining. Middle area is a patio that feels a little more chill but still classy. In the very back is a tent with a bar that contains 3 dozen taps, sports on tv and they serve brats. Something for everyone.

From the beer to the food, everything was quality. Served in the right glasses, and the food was tasty and well made.

Service was good, nothing amazing but good.

Selection for beer was outstanding. I was able to get Surly Darkness for the first time since they'd had a Surly takeover the night before. They had a lot of other great stuff on tap. Lots of great hoppy beers, deep dark beers, earthy beers and even some ciders.

I had the brats, which were awesome. Supposedly they serve some really upscale stuff too, if the brats are any indication then its probably amazing.

 

 

Great atmosphere, beer, food, and bourbon.

Terrible service.
The Stuffed Jalapenos are stuffed with peanut butter, although it does not say that anywhere on the menu. The General Manager also has a peanut allergy, but decided it still does not need to be listed. No "*contains allergen" or anything. Having my friend go to the Emergency Room really put a damper on my bachelor party.

But the icing on the cake: When we informed the waitress that our friend was gone because he was at the hospital because he ate peanut butter, she said, "Oh, you should have told me."

Hopefully they decide to change the menu to contain info about the most common food allergen. If not, this will definitely be happening again soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This place is amazing. I ate at the beer garden tonight. Darkness on tap along with a ton of other rarer great beers. Food was reasonably priced and delicious. Darkness for 7$ per 10oz!? Sign me up. Made reservations at the main restaurant. I can't imagine it would disappoint.

 

 

This is a James Beard award nominated restaurant featuring the kinds of food - pork, sausages. ribs, mussels - you want to eat with beer and a beer list worthy of the food. Their 30 some taps include local favorites, and regional and national craft brews. They back that with a stable of bottled imports. It's a friendly place. We usually end up sharing food with the people next to us.

 

 

 

Talk about a gem of a restaurant. Dig great beer? Check! Dig great wine? Check! Looking for speciality mixed drinks, or high end spirits? Check! Great food? Check--in spades. Atmosphere? Mix of business casual and casual--there's an outdoor "beer garden" with an outdoor bar that is very relaxed, and indoor seating with an indoor bar for a more business casual (but still not so business casual that you'd be out of place in shorts and a t-shirt, despite some folks wearing business suits) vibe. Open aired kitchen is in plain view from the open dining room, with lots of solid, modern wooden furniture throughout. Really great place.

During my visit, taps included multiple Surly (Cocoa Bender, Furious, Bitter Brewer, Hell), a Fulton, an Indeed, a few Odell's, two Bells, two Founders, Victory Prima Pils, Ballast Point Grunion, 3 regular Sierras, an Ommegang, and the entire SN Beer Camp offerings. Could have done without the Beer Camp lineup myself, but I guess some folks prob dig seeing them all on at once. No matter--the other local/regional options were more than satisfactory.

Truly a gem of a joint. Not cheap (most pints in the $6.50-8 range, and entrees ranging from $15 to $50, with many smaller options available (in the $7-$20 ballpark), but high quality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big fan of Butcher & Boar. The food is ridiculously good (though I'd probably not take a vegetarian there... that's probably obvious from the name though). They have a very solid beer list with a lot of variety. The only downside is that it's fairly popular so seating can get a bit difficult at times. I understand that the Beer Garden helped with that some, though I haven't been back to the Beer Garden yet. If for whatever reason you aren't feeling like beer that night (I know, blasphemy, right?) they make awesome cocktails as well, which is how I got started going to Butcher & Boar.

 

 

I don't know what else there is to say about how amazing this place is. Impressive bar. Great patio area. Unique beer list rarities and one-offs. Fantastic food. If I had to pin point any criticism...the seating is a little cramped. This is a must visit in the Twin Cities for beer and food.

 

 

This is a cool, relatively new place downtown. I have not had any of their food, but I understand from others that it is quite good. I have had a few beers there. There is a good selection, with a fair amount of emphasis on local/regional beers across several styles. There isn't anything particularly rare here, but even still, there are a few gems. Atmosphere is decent, a bit loud, and can fill up with some obnoxious people, but even still, a decent place. Service is friendly, seemed knowledgeable, but a bit slow. Prices were decent for downtown, a bit high compared to other places.