Half Time Rec

This is the spot! Excellent burgers, great size and flavor at fair prices. Kind, attentive servers & bartenders. Pull tabs, TVs with the game, good tunes on the jukebox, chill vibes and bocce ball in the basement. What more could you ask for?! Belly up to the bar like a man for the best experience. Order the Paddy Shack burger with an extra patty for the win!

We are so lucky to live in the neighborhood, but we'd drive across town for this gem. The food is great, especially the wonderful breakfast. We love the omelets, hash browns and French toast. The burgers and salads are delicious and house made too. They have great cocktails too. The staff are always so friendly and attentive. Our favorite bartender is Jennae, but all of the staff are super welcoming and nice. Would give 10 stars if I could.

The chicken sandwich is amazing holy smokes.

I had a very nice time with my group at HTR. We were a large party, it was nice and lively: food is bar-food okay, nothing to complain about service-wise ...but at some point, they started blasting music, making it impossible for us to hear each other. We ended up leaving. I'm not sure why they would want that?

Great neighborhood bar with old time atmosphere to watch the game or just hang out in! The food is above par and the cheese curds rival the State fairs'! Always great service especially from Jennay who always welcomes you with a smile!

Love this bar! Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood, this place is really a gem! Can't say enough nice things about the staff who welcomed me and my husband right away. Food is delicious! They have one of the best Buffalo chicken sandwiches I've ever had, have good burgers and wings and I also love the chicken fingers. Great ambiance and something for everyone here.

My husband introduced me to the wings a while ago and they were delicious. My first time dining in and even better. Great service, food and price.

The staff especially Janae, Megan, and Mel are amazing. Fantastic hospitality and great bloodys and Mexican candy shots. Food is decent, especially the fries and buffalo tenders, the Hawaiian chicken sandwich was a good surprise. Live music, regular dj, and karaoke are fun.

This is the spot! Excellent burgers, great size and flavor at fair prices. Kind, attentive servers & bartenders. Pull tabs, TVs with the game, good tunes on the jukebox, chill vibes and bocce ball in the basement. What more could you ask for?! Belly up to the bar like a man for the best experience. Order the Paddy Shack burger with an extra patty for the win!

They have a credit service charge, which I didn't see psted anywhere or on the menu but not surprised. The server was very nice, though busy as she was doing the bar and tables. The turkey parmesan was the star of the two sandwiches, though towards the end, he admitted it was too much american cheese. My burger was a thin smashed burger type, so it was dry and more bun than meat. The fries were fine they had a coated season type. The bathroons were not great at all, at least the ones I went to on the main bar side. Noticed after that there was another set on the other side of the bar, those maybe better.

Local bar in the area the drinks are good and the breakfast is great especially "The Shack Hash" ppl are nice lots of TV's with sports on each tv

Met a friend and some friends that are regulars last month. What a great neighborhood bar! I didn't ask if it was new or I just never noticed but besides street parking they have a small parking lot across the street! Our bartender was very attentive and friendly... kept stopping back as I couldn't decide if I was going to drink or not? The patrons are just a bunch of chill folks hanging out...definitely my atmosphere. Not like you would think... a dim lit bar... we had full lights beaming during our visit. I like that they have some regulars photos stapled along the bar....as a dear friend who passed several years ago.... I always look for his photos. Thanks Half Time Rec for being such a relaxing and inviting place to catch up w friends, cheers!

Half Time Rec I used to dance here years ago when the left side was given over to Cajun and square dance. Everyone brought their own water, so the bar side didn't make much from us. Eventually it was turned into an Irish-flavored pub that served some Gaelic-style food (like actually yummy mushy peas). The Irish flavors are as gone as the dance floor. My sister and I both tried burgers. Hers, a special of the day was a bacon cheeseburger which she enjoyed. Mine was a California Burger. The meat was well cooked, a little rare as it should be, with cheddar cheese, lettuce, and a small slice of tomato. Inexpensive eats, nothing dazzling, just good plain food.

Solid "dive" bar! Food is good for any appetite, and some cinematic history to go with it. "Grumpy Old Men" is a classic and forgotten Christmas movie, filmed here as "Slippery's Tavern"

We order food at once a week Today I ordered tacos they had to remake 3 times the 3 time the The waitress even Watts them make them and they were still wrong. And then, as you're walking out, you can hear them with the patrons. Talking about you that is They were in the wrong i'm sorry if i'm a bitch but you fucked up

The bartender was not attentive for over 20 minutes. Came by and didn't engage or stop when flagged. I was with a lady who had a disability and she had to go to the front bartender to get her drink. We were finally recognized. We use to be regulars and that is where they were attentive. I refused to order food but my friend needed some food. We then had to ask for go box and that took another 10 minutes. The bartenders need to learn how to look and engage the whole bar of customers. Not sure I will return if the wait staff doesn't improve. However, the 4:00 pm staff was incredibly efficient.

Food was ehh service even less so. Steak and cheese was just that steak and cheese nothing else. Menu stated it was the special for the day but was charged full price. Bartenders were not that friendly and they were very slow so didnt even bother to mention it. They have bocce ball downstairs in the basement. Was fun but its very cold dirty and not level at all. But is a plus to have something to do

Food is fine. Service is not good. Be ready to wait for each round and get dirty looks from busy servers when you order food. Sad. Used to be much better.

Wouldn't call it an Irish pub by any means anymore, just a very established Saint Paul dive. Strong drinks, bomb-ass smashburgers, daily menu specials, and cheap-but-decent weekend brunch.

We are from out of state and Half Time Rec was recommended by a friend. We walked in to a very loud, unfriendly setting. We found a place to sit and no one ever approached our table. We got up and left. We will not return!

Wow! Their Fish & Chips basket - YUM! After a very long absence from this bar, I came here last Friday evening to try some of their beer-battered cod. Their evening special was a fried shrimp po-boy sandwich. Plus, "Irish Brigade" was playing until 7:30pm (it's a group I often came to this place to listen to, although this time, only Michael was playing). We got a table by the pull-tab booth, and noticed a beer advertised on a sign just above our heads - my companion had previously had the beer and liked it, so we each ordered a pint (there was a godzilla-like monster on the ad) when our server came around. And I ordered the fish & chips, and my companion ordered the shrimp po-boy. Our beers were delivered a few minutes later, and we munched on a few baskets-full of their free popcorn (terribly salty, as expected), available in their corn popper machine. A little while later, our food arrived, piping hot - just out of the fryer. I had to remind the server that I wanted some lemon wedges to squeeze onto my fish, and she returned a few minutes later with a few lemon slices. My fish was excellent - 3 logs of beer-battered cod - piping hot, crunchy on the outside and juicy-very tender cod fish on the inside. The squeeze of lemon juice elevated the experience to an even greater level. The tartar sauce is really good - with plenty of dill - I think it could be even better with some acidity - either lemon, or some malt vinegar mixed in. The "steak fries" were also piping hot, with a crisp, firm exterior and a tender-dry interior. Plus they have Heinz ketchup squeeze bottles at the tables. Mmmm! My companion said he really enjoyed his shrimp po-boy and steak fries - almost as much as the one served at Sea Salt in Minnehaha Park (but not quite, for that's pretty hard to beat). We each enjoyed a second beer before leaving for the night, since we were not up for making "a night of it" at the bar.

Greasy food, yellow beer and bocce ball. Sounds like an all around winner to me. Half Time Rec is a spacious St. Paul dive that's a great spot to spend a few hours at with friends. There're two large rooms upstairs, plenty of tables and chairs plus a long bar for you to prop up at when you're there on your own. Maybe the best selling point is the two bocce ball courts in the basement. Sure it's dingy down there and my friends kept telling me someone lives down there as well (basement dwelling bar owner--cool!), only adding to the allure. The courts are well-lit, though, and there're even a few spots to sit and spectate. Don't be surprised if some friendly locals challenge you to a match. Happened to us! I'd definitely go back.

A Dive bar with banging real deal bar food and a funkalicous menu of good eating. This bar is divey so don't expect restaurant quality seating and service although the staff is friendly. The Bar stools are falling apart and the heating isn't great for the winter but don't let that detract from the excellent quality flavors you will experience. I had the cork dog on a Thursday night for the $7 special. This dog is a home run! It's quality juicy beef wrapped in perfectly cooked bacon resting in a slit hoagie sized roll, topped with a smooth cheese coated elbow macaroni, mustard and chili pesto. The portion size is large and it's too messy to pick up and eat . The chili Pesto is a visual trick since it looks like relish but really tastes like basil and mild chili peppers. The bread is way above the average bun that detracts from the taste of so many America hot dogs. The cork dog blew me away for sure. This is an exceptional dog that you've got to try. I would love to put my face in front of more of there delicious sounding menu soon.

The two must haves here are the green chile cheese fries and the breakfast toasty sandwich. The cheese on the cheese fries is a delicious beer cheese and the breakfast toasty sandwich is my absolute favorite. Worth stopping in.

Never had such rude service. Troy, the barback, was great! Way more helpful than the bartenders. Move him up. Him and the girl selling meat raffle during the game were literally the only nice staff I encountered. Food was good once the correct order was brought out. A simple smile can go a long ways....just saying.

I'll begin with the good. I've been here a few times to just grab a beer and go home. Those times have been fine, and the service has been sufficient for being a bar. The bartenders are very adequate. The bad is much longer. I went here because of a Thrillist article (https://www.thrillist.com/drink/minneapolis/minneapolis-world-cup-bars-2018) saying that it was a good place to watch football during the World Cup. It's near my work, so it was a good choice for me. This place made me intensely uncomfortable. First off, there was no soccer playing. While the bartender was very kind about changing the channel, there is nothing about this place that says, "we're playing World Cup games". More importantly, though, this place is populated by local regulars who are racist, homophobic, and generally assholes. I definitely heard the word "f****t" tossed around a few times, and complaints about Mexicans playing sports (hint: Mexico wasn't playing for the game I was watching). I was berated more than a few times with "way to make America great" for rooting for a mostly-white, European team, and told I wasn't watching a real sport. Not only is this not a place to watch soccer, it's not even a good place for anyone other than local, MAGA-loving regulars to hang out in. Would definitely not recommend to anyone.

A drunk friend wanted to go here for dinner, craving a Paddy Shack burger. The entire ride there this burger was talked up as being the best. How could I not order it? Burger was good, but not great. A bit messy. I'd really like if they sliced the picked tomato instead of wedges. It'd be much easier to eat! (The pickled tomato was a nice touch though, tasty). Fries were the bees knees! Yummy, potatoey goodness. Plus, POPCORN! You'll always win me over with popcorn. Pretty decent food for a legit dive bar (not a hipster 'dive' bar)

I have spent many, many hours at this hole in the wall dive bar from high school (no one carded then), through college and post college years. I love that despite the music changes and new owners and upgraded food and lack of lingering smoke smell nothing has really changed here and that is good. Some Irish music mixed into a broader music program keeps things lively. The drinks are strong and relatively cheap. The bocce is still lake playing in your grandmas basement. Everything important is still the same. Now you add in a very nicely done menu for very little money and you have a winner. I loved my huge huge Paddy Melt with blue cheese and perfectly grilled bread. The Paddy Shack burger was up there with the best in town. The Fish and Chips ere lightly breaded and tasty with crispy fries. Everything we tried we liked. Nice job Scott and Steve on improving on a classic bar?

Ok, I was hungry... my friend Brook brought me to half time... for food? I think I've probably been here on a bender or three... but food? Got the Patty Melt... totally split, cuz it's huge. Delicious burger with an onion jam on RYE bread! Omg! Awakens my love for the melt-of-the-patty! Appetizers look amazing! Come for the food, the DJ is spinning some sweet tunes, stay for the people!

Total dive bar and proud! The atmosphere is lively, friendly and proud. What drew me here was to pay respect to my dad who loved the movie Grumpy Old Men, which had some scenes here. But the food! I had the Paddy Melt and it was GREAT! Burger was seasoned well and caressed in blue cheese on a layer of the onion jam! The onion rings were light, crispy and were not greasy. Very good! Just watch the step on your way out...trust me.

If your looking for a out of the way corner bar like the good ole days. Here's a place for you. The place is split in 2 for the bar and the bands. I have seen Irish music on Thursdays, a 60s cover group on a Saturday when the place was packed, a Beatles Tribute Band, and my personal favorite "The Party Army" have been there many times. As I don't drink I go for the free popcorn and live music. Oh yea they have this "Hammer & Nail" game there and bacchi ball in the basement. Tell em the ZERO sent ya.

Very good meals! We had Irish Toasty with tomato and egg- The Cork Rec Dog- And a Paddy Melt. All were very good- interesting and awesome flavor combos, and really great bread! Our server, Colin, was friendly and attentive- and great at anticipating our needs. Also- the restaurant was very clean which is nice. I'd recommend dinner here- worth the visit!

Went here today for lunch and was sadly disappointed after all the reviews and I had the beer Mac and cheese nothing really that special...got a side of mushy peas (that needed to be more mushy and less peppery)...my aunt got fish and chip which was very good with the tartar sauce killer! Not really Id be back!

Excellent place to watch the Vikings game. We had a great server and the burgers and steak fries, yum steak fries, were delicious! Definitely be back!

The ultimate in dive bars. Good beer list, decent menu, surly servers, and amazing people watching. We liked the lobster grilled cheese and the fries with corned beef and coleslaw. Free popcorn, too!

My wife and I just had dinner at the Rec. Very disappointed--used to have the best onion rings in town, now rank with the worst. Stuck together hard crusty batter, tatter totes were the same, must have been sitting for a while. Wait staff was ho hum not really into the job, lots of new people maybe why the not so good attitude. The experienced wait staff, "IE", Kayla offered some of the best dinnering experience in the city but the last two times we were at the Rec. we were told we could not eat in the dinning room and thoes who waited on us had a ho hum attitude. We wil probably go back but with some hesititaion,

For a dive bar this place may be perfect for some but not for me. A dated bar with just beer or hard liquor and boxed wine. This is a place for the regulars and if your at looking for some cheap drinks.

Is the music always unbearably loud? It's was 8:30 on a Wednesday! There was maybe 10 people in the bar. It was tough to have a conversation with my husband. And I'm not some blue hair complaining because my hearing aid was turned up;) It was just stupid loud so we left.

Neighborhood bar that I frequent whenever I'm down for a strong tasty drink. Haven't tried much of their food yet. What I have tried was delish. I love this bar.

A little too racist for my taste *shrugging arms emoji* Service was bad, food was better. A decent tap list.

Great neighborhood charm. Friendly and inexpensive place eat and greet. The place is great for distancing. The food is reasonably priced as our the drinks. There is no outside gathering areas. The staff and the place was used in the Grumpy Old Men movie scene.

I can't decide between two and three stars for Paddy Shack, which is sort of the restaurant part of the Half Time Rec. Our waiter was a great fellow, so he gets a star. Of course, the black and tans were good, as they have been for decades, another star. But I was so very disappointed in the food. My husband had the cod and chips. I tasted a bit of the cod, which looked delicious but tasted more like icky fish than yummy fish. I asked him if all the rest of the fish tasted like that and he said "yes." He's used to sushi so he was able to stomach the flavor, however I would have sent it back if I had gotten it. He said the fish breading was very good and he devoured the chips. He wouldn't touch the shot glass full of smashed peas. I don't blame him. They were minty and strange. I ordered the shepard's pie. It was lava-like. Now, I usually have the opposite problem, but this little casserole was so hot that if I had dropped it in my lap I'd have had to do a Macdonald's and sue them for burned skin. While it cooled, I ate the brown bread, which I had really looked forward to, as I ate loaves of it in Ireland years ago. Sadly, this had no relation to that rustic bread. This was flavorless, smooth and dense and tasted like it had a maple glaze on it. My husband had mostly consumed his fish before I could eat my "pie," but after all that waiting, I was sad. The dish consisted of a big pile of mashed potatoes with barely an inch of mostly-gravy stew down at the bottom. Either I had baked my taste buds, or it just had no taste. Regardless, it was pretty disappointing. There were a lot of other things on the menu that looked interesting, and I wouldn't mind trying them, if we ever go back to eat. Incidentally, my husband and I were regulars at the Rec back in the 80s and 90s, in the heyday of the Irish bands. The place hasn't changed that much, except for a number of high tables and stools and a modified bar. It looks a little cleaner too, (although I never went in there during daylight anyway, so don't know for certain). Apparently they don't often have Irish music anymore, so our nostalgia trip was not fully realized.

Well, they used to have a great menu. Authentic English pub grub. They've taken the good stuff off now. So it's just another dive. Very sad. Their lobster rolls, shepherds pie and bangers and mash were top notch. No more. But hey, they have hamburgers. Probably Heggies.

Ehhhh....Not so good!!!! I was very disappointed with my experience here. Met my niece for lunch which I think was our first mistake. I think the food would have been better, hotter, fresher, had we came on Saturday night. She had the Beer Mac and Cheese with chicken and naturally, my fork veered over to try it, and it was mehhh....nothing great. It honestly looked left over from the night before and they threw in boiled chicken. Yes, the chicken is boiled. It almost looked canned to me but I really doubt it was. The temperature was not hot enough for me and the sauce was not saucy. It just did not look fresh to me nor did it taste fresh. I had the walleye which was excellent. My first time having mushy peas and I don't like peas but these were A'ight....Too peppery for me though...They were also runny....I am not sure they are supposed to be runny? I swapped out Champ which is basically mashed potatoes with onions. I love me sum spuds so something would have had to be horribly wrong for me not to like these taters. They were good but not great because they were luke warm. All of this adds to my suspicion that everything was a reheat except my fish. That would be WAY too noticeable. Ohhhhh I loved loved the tartar sauce!!! Definitely homemade! I really wish that this establishment would spend a little money and at least get some new bar stools. Every single one was cracked and old. Its sad when a place like this which has been around FOREVER doesn't care to put any money back into the business. I highly doubt this new food menu will be successful because the place is such a dump. The only reason I am giving three stars is my fish and the service. Our server was pretty good and she had the whole place. I will not go back but I am glad I tried it.

It still seems odd that a couple heavy hitters in the food scene chose a neighborhood bar to launch an Irish menu, but hey, it works. Came here on a Friday night for dinner. We had the stuffed jalapeños (small but crispy and gooey), lobster roll (rich and buttery) and fish n chips (soft and flaky, not overly battered and fried). This is NOT your standard bar food. It is delicious and well-crafted. A little pricier, sure, but such a treat for the midway area. Service was spot on. Biggest downside is the noise and some loud, tipsy types. Hopefully the Paddy Shack survives.

I've said it before and I will say it again (and again) - I love a good dive. Halftime Rec is a great dive in my eyes for a few reasons... I can walk there. Be jealous everyone. Beer is fresh & cheap. It feels like Cheers in there. It's a good old bar with mainly stools & just a few hightop tables. Everyone who walks in is a "regular" and is welcomed warmly...my friend commented to me that it seemed like a reunion. Sometimes they charge a cover, I wouldn't bother on those nights...but any other night it's great! Stop in!!

Half Time Rec has great food, really good service, and is a lively, fun place to get dinner and good beer. We go at least a few times a year.

Awesome food and staff. The burgers are amazing, they have won the T/C burger battle last year and second place this year. For a special treat, the Irish Toasty (glorified grilled cheese) with bacon and lobster added on as extras is on their secret menu as the (Poorburt special)!!! Enjoy, you can't go wrong with this dive bar with gourmet food. Guy Fieri will be here soon if he hasn't been already!

I had a blast here. This place is huge! There is a diverse crowd of people that hang out which are great for people watching. Drink prices are fair, selection is decent. You can play pool and darts like at any bar. . . . BUT in the basement they have a bocce ball court! It's pretty fun. I had my first bocce experience here. The basement has a musty, earthy smell that I have always loved since the 3rd grade when my entire school had to crouch in the bomb shelter for 4 hours due to a tornado watch. The employees are pretty nice, which is a bonus.

This place has easily become one of my favorite drinking holes - hands down! It has hilarious locals, a really fun staff, and a ginormous amount of room. I don't feel the need to dress up or impress anyone. I don't feel the need to watch my dancing. And I really don't feel the need to be sober here. And you know what? Everyone around me is okay with that! The "everyone" around me consisted of either of people my age (late 20s) or really old (late 50s). It's cool that everyone can just chillax and have a good time together! Friday night - band playing, five dollar cover charge, and a jukebox to close out the night. Oh yeah, some pretty dirty bocce ball grounds downstairs. Not bad.

This bar is a rip off. We came here for Tim Sigler's 1,000 show for the night. Got 2 drinks at the bar and transferred our tab to our waitress. Common practice at any bar/restaurant in the country. The bartender didn't warn us, but... They charged us a $25 upcharge for swapping tabs, even though all waitresses (here too) pay out the bartenders. There goes the tip :( She checked with the manager too. They didn't care. Do NOT frequent this bar!

Read the reviews, this place is an amazing dive bar! We moved to the Como neighborhood two years ago and still love showing up here. The new Paddy Shack opened up recently which added an amazing Irish menu to this once "only frozen pizza" place. Not your boring bar menu mind you, expect a delightful change to your pallet. They offer live music, bocce ball, pulltabs (with regular hours) meat raffle, and enough large t.v.'s to watch your favorite game!

I love me a good drive bar and this a pretty good one. I met up with some friends the night be for St. Patrick's Day for some drinks and to hear some music. We had a pretty big group and the bar was nice enough to reserve some tables for us since we called ahead of time. Overall, when you walk in the bar, you get the feeling of being in someone's basement or garage. In the backroom, there is a ping pong table set up for people to play on and in the basement of the bar, there is a bocce ball court. I look forward to going back and checking them out sometime since I passed up the chance this time. There is also a small stage for live bands to play which on the night that I was there, the bands were pretty good. The price for drinks doesn't seem that bad for drinks. I was impressed that they had Finnegans on tap and for $4 or so, you can't beat the price. I'm kicking myself for it taking me living in St. Paul for over 2 years to check this place out.

Mike who plays on Wednesday's is the best!!!! And so is the corned beef dinner, and the potatoes that come along with it. I am not a potato person, but perhaps it's the Irish-ness of the bar, but the potatoes/fries are super good here. Drinks are strong and service is a little slow. There is also bocce ball, which is a super fun time!

This bar is pretty divey, and the drinks and prices here are about the same as any other dive bar. What keeps me coming back here, besides proximity to my friend's house, are the bocce ball courts they have located in their basement. With exception to food, the next best thing to accompany drinking is a bit of competition and physical activity and bocce ball is the perfect level of chill / fun rivalry while drinking...the only thing that could make this better if it were outside on a hot summer day...free beer wouldn't hurt either I guess.

****UPDATE*** - I received an extremely apologetic and sincere message from one of the owners of Half Time Rec. He assured me that this was an exception to their normally diverse and welcoming crowd and staff and I believe him. ***UPDATE**** My friend and I went into Half Time Rec on Sunday, September 24 to watch the Vikings game. We got in the door and started looking for a table just as the national anthem was being played for the Vikes game on television. As the camera showed a couple of NFL players taking a knee, one gentleman in the bar started loudly booing and then said, "Look at those f*aggot n*ggers. I think I saw them looting during the hurricanes!" I found out from our server that this man is the maintenance man for this establishment, and that the owner was sitting at the opposite end of the bar in full earshot of everything. The service was great, the food was fine. The atmosphere because of the owner and the maintenance man was hostile, racist and homophobic. I definitely won't be returning and will make sure I tell everyone I know to avoid this place.

This is one of my favorite dive bars in the area. The wings are huge and tons of flavor. The burgers are absolutely out of this world. The live music is always a hit too. I love this place. Seriously one of the best by Como Park Area.