Pillbox Tavern

Pillbox Tavern is a solid spot if you’re in the area and looking for a late-night bite or a drink. It’s open late, which is a big plus, and the atmosphere is relaxed and casual. The staff was okay — nothing over the top, but service was decent. The food was fine as well — nothing mind-blowing, but it gets the job done if you’re just looking to grab a quick bite or hang out with friends for a bit. Overall, it’s an okay place to have in the neighborhood for a casual stop.

We came at 5pm on a Tuesday and it was very chill, which we enjoyed. The food taste and portions were great (we got the cheese curds burger and fall harvest bowl - I appreciated the cauliflower rice!). The waitress was very helpful and accommodating. Food came out quick.

Came for the Guinness Perfect Pint event and we were so impressed with the level of service and the quality of the food and drinks even when they were absolutely packed! The Jalapeño Popper Juicy was DE-licious 🤩 and, though I’m not a huge fan of fried food (and the burger itself was also fried 🫣), if I had left room, I would have gone for the Big Dream Chocolate Chip Cookie (which is also… fried). Overall lovely atmosphere with super friendly folks and a great experience.

Stopped in for some apps before a show. We tried the pretzel with beer cheese and the buffalo Parmesan garlic wings. The pretzel was really good and my husband liked the wings!

Love this place! Service is great. Consistent and friendly. Food is good, atmosphere is great. I wish we lived a little closer, as we almost solely come before and after concerts at the Palace theatre, but we're going to try to come a little more often solely for the experience at Pillbox Tavern. :) Thank you!

Nice bar. Visited for happy hour. I had the chicken tinga nachos. They were huge and delicious. Very filling and I needed a box for the rest. The chicken was seasoned well, the queso was delicious, the guacamole was well seasoned, all together made a delicious plate. I also had a Tequila sunrise which was delicious. I enjoyed myself and will be going back. I can tell the Cooks like what they are doing.

Ok the low down from out of Towner. It's a great sports bar but for NFL fans they do not carry football package. I am not sure about other sports so I would check. I think for local sports it's perfect. Plenty of TVs and the sound system is spot on. Now the foot. Delicious all the way for comfort food and enjoying sports. The service is impeccable.

Great experience overall. The server was attentive and took care of all details perfectly. The burgers (jalapeno popper juicy Lucy and the BBQ/bacon) my husband and I ordered were incredible creations, cooked perfectly; mouthwatering and delicious. The old fashioned cocktail with bourbon was exceptional.

Ok, so we went here before the Josh Ritter concert (which was fabulous). Pretty cool place. Plenty of chairs at the bar and ample tables for those eating and drinking. First, the drinks: Saint Paul 75 was a fun twist on the classic. The Irish Whisky added a bit of complexity to the drink. Grab this one if you want a cocktail. The Electric Margarita: It was good, but it didn't distinguish itself from any other margarita. Skip it. Beer selection was adequate. It was a bit consternating that you had to jump through a few hoops to get to UnTapped to see the offerings. DreamYard was fresh and excellent. Second, the food: decent bar menu. The beet salad was solid. Added beef as a protein. We would do that one again. Chees curds were solid. They used apple cider with the batter, which added a nice dimension. The burgers were certainly a homerun. The Pillbox burger was solid, as was the pork belly burger. The Hangover burger was amazing! it has everything you want if you are recovering or just really hungry. Hashbrowns, an egg, a bunch of beef, and bacon. I barely finished it, much to my regret...i hate when I over-eat. Service: this was relatively lackluster, and I was gonna drop this down to three stars, but I decided to round it up. The place was not that busy for a Monday, but for whatever reason, service was painfully slow at our table. If I pop in here next time I will sit at the bar to eat and drink to avoid the initial frustrations.

Fun place for happy hour! We had several appetizers and everyone was able to order their drinks of choice. Food was just okay but the cocktails were delicious. Service was excellent! We came in 10 minutes before the kitchen closed and our server helped us to get our orders in right away. Ambiance was a standard sports bar experience but its convenient location in downtown St Paul was the reason we chose this place.

We were looking for a place to pregame for a concert nearby. Pillbox happen to right around the corner from the venue. Looks like they have a nice indoor & outdoor patio. Otherwise it's a pretty standard sports bar. I ordered a Pink on Pink and it was super tart. I tried to order a different drink as well but they were out of it. So I ended up ordering another Pink on Pink and adding grenadine to cut down the tartness. I also ordered the southwest potato wedges. It was basically 1 potato cut into 4 pieces and it had cheese, chives and a side of sour cream (comes w/ bacon but I don't eat pork). It was a bit underwhelming for $15. The waitress seemed to be in a rush the entire time. It's like you order one thing and she takes off even though there were 4 people at the table and we all wanted to order drinks/apps. One person decided to pay with cash and wanted change back, the only time she wasn't in a rush. We ended up leaving & they never got their change. I'd say overall this place wasn't my vibe.

I've been here a few times before or after events at Palace theatre or New Amsterdam Hall. It's right across the street from both so it's a convenient place to get food and drinks beforehand. It can be fairly busy in there from the attractions all around but we've never had to wait for a table. There is limited street parking but plenty of parking ramps around that'll you have to pay for. There is a patio for the warmer weather months as well. We dined on some delicious, saucy wings and I got some chicken pesto pasta. I personally enjoyed the honey lemon pepper wings! Good sized wings and actually really good ranch! The sauce was fairly neutral and my boyfriend said it didn't taste like much. He liked the Buffalo ones better. Seriously didn't expect much for the pasta but omg it was some of the best pasta I've had in a while!

My friend heard of the biggest mozzarella stick out there and of course, we had to try it. It was super crunchy, cheesey, and seems to have pesto in it. Do not try to tackle this bad boy on your own, you will need help! We tried the jalapeño burger and it was pretty good. There was a spicy sauce that was very tasty. The fries were served cold and they charged us for a ranch we were never served.

I am a bit surprised at some of the previous negative reviews for Pillbox Tavern. We walked in with a huge group of 12 and were promptly seated. The server realized we would all be on different checks and took orders accordingly to make sure she got the orders correct. I ordered the Patty melt, and an order of cheese curds (not pictured in my review). The patty melt was solid with a decent amount of beef (cooked to a proper medium temp) with grilled onions and plenty of cheese, but the bread wasn't toasted or seared on either side. Seared and buttered bread is a staple of a good patty melt. This lead to a really off-putting texture. Fries were decent bar-style fries.... noting to write home about. The cheese curds however were ridiculously good. It was gooey melted cheese wrapped in a funnel cake style batter with a hot honey dip. These were the best darn cheese curds i've had in forever. I'd recommend giving the spot a try. Especially in a downtown area devoid of any real bars outside of the Pillbox Tavern.

Don't let my 4 stars stop you from coming here... it's only for the slow service. I've passed this place numerous times on my way to Candyland and never thought to try it until this evening before a concert at Xcel. My siblings and I enjoyed deviled eggs and spinach & artichoke dip for our appetizers. Both very good. The spinach & artichoke dip came out so hot and was so creamy and good... I'd say the best I've ever had. Definitely a must try. For entrees: we enjoyed the chicken sandwich, pork belly tacos, buffalo chicken wrap, and cheese curd burger. Everyone enjoyed their food very much and consensus was we'd definitely come back. I saw on their happy hour menu they serve jalapeño poppers and giant mozzarella sticks.... I will be back to try both of those. Seems like a fun sports bar spot. They offer pulltabs in the machine. Also looks like they have patio seating as well.

Loved the beer selection. The dry rub wings and shrimp tacos were great too. Will go again in a heartbeat.

Great experience and will be a solid go to in STP. Stumbled in with no expectations. Staff, chef were hospitable in a time where this can be challenging for a variety of reasons. Truly attentive and welcoming. Great job on wings and fries. These are my go to for pub food and they nailed it. Quick service! When does that happen anymore, very unexpected and appreciated. Would definitely recommend!

Sophie is the best bartender in town and wears cool shirts. She's not boring and the food is good

Stopped by on a slow Sunday. The service and food were great. They have a great selection of beer and food along with being reasonably priced for the area. We are very happy we passed thru on our short visit to town.

I was in St Paul for about 5 days and went to Pillbox Tavern for three of those days. It was the Pearl Jam hub of Labor Day weekend 2023. Take note, Xcel Center visitors! It met so many needs: - Dinner and drinks at the bar - Sit down relaxing dinner with drinks - Drinks and snacks midday The staff was great, there were solid IPAs (whoa 10% ABVer we had multiple times), the food hit the spot for each scenario. It wasn't gourmet, it wasn't fancy but it was an above solid pub experience.

Good location downtown and close to Xcel energy center. Open late with food offered till midnight Limited food menu however the fact that they offer food at 11:30 at night made it work for me. Lots of seating and tv's to watch a game. We had the boneless wings , chicken nuggets and tater tots. All were devoured. We were hungry. Food came out fast and was hot.

Great friendly quick service. They know how to deliver the drinks & food before the big show or game! Across the street from The Palace, very handy. I had the Philly Cheesesteak. Was tasty with peppers & onions but a lot of bun for me. The fries were Fantastic!

I stopped in for brunch because I believed Pillbox still offered bottomless mimosas. They do not. I was disappointed and planned to leave after the drink I ordered. I got lazy and decided to stay and order a salad. I finished the salad, but it wasn't the best salad I've the had. I would not order it again and will likely keep my future orders to things that simple and straightforward.

What a lively place. Watched the Vikings win. The food was yummy. The service was fairly quick

Nice little find in St Paul. Went for brunch and an early morning Vikes game, very busy place. Took a bit to get a server, but once we did she was on top of things. Would recommend the bottomless mimosas! 20 bucks and drinks were not weighed down the OJ! Food was okay, ordered the eggs Benedict with Salmon. Eggs were very overdone and hard boiled like, if they weren't the dish would have been perfect. Would go back if in the area again. Oh....and the chairs! The most uncomfortable I've ever sat in!

The food is delicious and unique! I visited with a group recently and sat at a huge table set for us and snacked on yummy apps. Wings, brussel sprouts, and the pretzel were so good! The cheese curds were tator tots stuffed with cheese. My 1st time trying and would highly recommend! I decided to order through Uber Eats tonight at my hotel, and everything arrived in a decent amount of time, plus it was hot, fresh, and made correctly. I also tried the pear salad without cheese, and it was yummy. The greens and fruit are fresh. Portion size is perfect, and I have leftovers for tomorrow.

Stopped in for a drink and stayed for dinner. Cheese curds were delicious. Husband really liked the chicken tenders- the breading was unique and very tasty. My burger was delicious! Bacon, carnalities onions...yum! Service was good- our waitress was super friendly and attentive. They have big garage doors so you can sit on the patio, inside or where we were which was a combo of both since we sat right by the doors. Will for sure return!

Great spot to stop before a show at the Palace Theater. Good food and drinks. Good service.

We enjoyed a nice brunch meal before the Wild game. I enjoyed the Taste of Mexico Benedict. Very delicious and the service was great. Really top notch and not outrageously expensive.

The Pillbox Tavern is an excellent tavern. Yes, it's a sports bar with 24 TV's, great tap/bottled/canned beers & seltzers (THC beverages recently added) and way better than "Sports Bar" quality food. What makes The Pillbox stand out most are the people. From ownership through to the back & front of house teams these folks deliver...everyday!

We came here on a busy Saturday night. It was snowing like crazy that night and I didn't then expect them to be packed. But these damn Minnesotans don't let no snow stop them from eating. Despite them being busy, their service was in point. We started off with an order of their cheese curds. They tasted fresh and were served with Calabrian chili honey. The sauce was a nice touch since I've only ever tried cheese curds with ranch and sometimes marinara. My wife ordered their Pillbox Burger. It came with white American cheese, burger sauce, bacon, fried onions lettuce and tomato. I got a little bite, but I didn't really care much for it. I ordered their Juicy Jalapeño Popper burger. This one was a lot better. A burger stuffed with pepper jack and jalapeño and then deep fried. And then it was topped with jalapeño cream cheese and apricot jam. Despite all thess damn jalapeños, trust me when I say, that it wasn't even spicy. It tasted good, but lacked any real heat. Not sure if I'd come back here next time I'm in Minnesota, but if I ever did, I would reorder this burger.

The cook or something has clearly changed!! The food is no where near the quantity or taste that it once was. We've frequented this place monthly over the last few years. I've highly recommended it. No more. I've tried it twice in the last month and my burger was disgusting. It honestly tasted like dog. Twice now. I hate to be harsh but it was gross. I thought it was a one off but no, it's clearly not fresh and the beef looks like a freezer cut puck now. We ordered chicken tenders the last time and they were so over cooked there was nothing tender about them. The "fries"... Well let me put it this way. How about stale McDonald fries from yesterday. I might have preferred those over what we got with our order. Sad as it was a great option for food in downtown STP. Until it's back to the quality and taste, I can not recommend and would avoid!

I was one of the first customers attend the establishment when it first opened. The place was conducive when I got there. one thing I was told was, I needed to pay off front and I thought it was weird. I do have money and credit cards. I asked why and they told me it was their policy. I then knew that it was due to the color of my skin

Loved the largo open space with a huge bar with plenty of seating. Service was prompt quickly attended to by the bar tender and the food runners quickly brought out our food while it was fresh. I had a delicious black salt margarita, deviled eggs for the appetizer and the Nashville chicken tacos for the entree. Deviled eggs you will get 6 of them and they had a nice mild spice but I do wish there was a little pickled relish or more pickled peppers. The tacos come with three of them and they are packed full. This was plenty to eat of the two of us.

We stopped in after the MN Whitecaps game (which is on the top floor of the same building) to warm up with some coffee and soup. I remember when this place opened, soon before the 2020 shut down and I hoped this local business would make it. I was happy to see that they were doing well on a Sunday afternoon. I had the chicken and wild rice soup with some coffee and my friend had the Caesar salad. The soup was very good. Service was quick and friendly. From the sidewalk or street looking in it doesn't seem like much of a restaurant. But inside is cute and warm and I could easily spend time here watching a game.

Super slow service. Not worth the wait. It's 4pm on Monday..crazy. After waiting 15 minutes. Tried to order drinks at bar. He said, someone will be right over to your table, never happened. Went elsewhere.

The Pillbox was short walk from my hotel. The burger was delicious and the drink was very good. I would definitely go again.

We stopped here while staying in St. Paul after a Mississippi River cruise. Another couple went there night before and raved about how wonderful the food was. So we ordered boneless chicken wings (very spicy) and potato wedges. It was true comfort food!!!!! The bartender lady promptly brought us drinks while we waited. It was over the top excellence - nice and spicy and moist wings in a ball with light breading. Potatoes were smothered with spices and hit the spot. A definite home run!!!!!

I'm not sure why their menu states that vegan options are available, unless they think cheese is a plant.

I work in downtown St.Paul so this has recently been one of my go-to spots for client lunches! I've been here a few times and one of the days we went they were completely out of a majority of their protein options. Their Buffalo chicken salad is life changing and I would highly recommend!

This is a huge sports bar themed tavern/bar/pub. Tables are close and sometime too close to your neighbor. Seeing the happy brunching and boozing crowd we can only think this must be one of the greatest in downtown St Paul. There would be caveat to that thought, as we looked around and everything else in the area was closed, so that makes Pillbox more of a default place, but it still has some great choices. After fifteen minutes with no menu or server a party member asked the bartender to please send someone. In less than two minutes the server arrived and we quickly ordered so we wouldn't have to wait for their return. There was a Sunday brunch menu with limited choices some of which were out of ingredients already. I did order the Pork Hash Browns, which comes with two jumbo eggs on top cooked to order and covered in a rich not too sweet sauce. It was a large plate and very delicious. It took forty minutes to arrive and I had to do a flag down to check on the order. Amazingly another slight escalation and my plate arrived direct from the kitchen. The food was delicious and those of us having root beer enjoyed the true brand of 1919, (real root beer). We did receive a disclaimer they are still recovering from Covid-19 losses of less employees so I'll give some slack in that regard. The restrooms are in the central lobby and you will need to find the six-digit code to enter.

Heard lots of good things about this place and decided to give it a shot. The food was ok. Deviled eggs were a little bland. Nashville Chicken Tacos weren't great - the chicken pieces were so bulky, it made it hard to eat. The tortillas were also not great. But the dill sauce on these tacos was super good! My husband had the Roasted Tomato and Mozzarella sandwich with a side of fries and he really liked his dish! We will give this place one more try in the future to try other dishes because we've heard good things and don't want to dismiss it yet. Service and ambience were really nice!

They have gf marked on their menu so points for that! I got the brussels sprouts and the pillbox burger. OMG those brussels sprouts are the best vegetable i have ever tasted! highly recommend! the burger was meh meat was over cooked and the bun disintegrated but most gf buns aren't super stable. Wouldn't come back for the burger but def for the brussels sprouts

I found this nice bar while travelling to Walgreens (they are in the same building). I started off with a small Mixed Green Salad. It had pickled fennel, red onions, roasted shallot vinaigrette. I've never had fennel, so when I got the salad, I was unsure if I was going to like it and I'm not a big onion eater, I usually pick the onions off my salads. That was one of the best salads that I've ever had. It was so good. I ordered the Korean Sweet Wings. They were good and it came with a homemade ranch dressing. The wings sauce wasn't wet, but it was enough sauce on them to enjoy the flavor. I ordered The Knockout cocktail, and it was very good and not too sweet. It didn't knock me out, but it had a little hit to it.

First of all, the service was great. All the staff was especially friendly and welcoming. But with that being said, you still couldn't pay me to go back to this location. The fries tasted identical to McDonald's fries except if they were two days old and found on the floor of your car. Hard, stale, just ew. The burger was average but again tasted just like a McDonald's burger. The pink on pink cocktail tasted exactly like the most sugary pink lemonade I've ever had... and I'm not even convinced there was alcohol in in it. Overall I am SO disappointed since I was really excited and really wanted to enjoy it because of the patio option and live music. But paying $50+ for sub-par McDonalds style food just is not it. :(

Great atmosphere, wonderful service, amazing food, and killer cocktails! Will definitely go again on my next Twin Cities visit!

We stopped in to grab a few drinks and eat before an event at Xcel. Even for being really busy, we had good service and the staff was friendly. I loved the tater tot poutine!

Food was great! Burgers were phenomenal but the jalapeño burger was a standout! Had a Rhubarb Lager which was fantastic. Bartender Annie, did a great job and answered all of our questions and offered fantastic suggestions. Great atmosphere for games or whatever! We were in from out of town for business and not disappointed at all... in fact we will be back again before we leave town!

Conveniently located near the Palace theater downtown St.Paul! We stopped by for a couple hours before a show and had a great time. Service, food, and drinks all very good! Crispy chicken sandwich was yummy, large pretzel, juicy, all very good and shareable! Beet salad that another friend had looked amazing as well. (Forgot to take pics). Ate outside, tons of outdoor seating.

Great spot!! We happened upon this because so many places are closed Monday and pillbox isn't, it was very full (but still had some empty tables and fast service) and is huge they have indoor and outdoor seating as well as garage type doors they left open so it felt like sitting outside while inside. Lots of large TVs as well and great drink deals based on twins or saints games, half priced wine Wednesday and bottomless brunch on the weekends! They also have music weekends and wednesdays. We had cheese curds which were perfection as well as the Nashville hot chicken tacos which were fried perfectly and great flavors with chopped up pickles and tomatoes and ranch sauce. Definitely try this place out any day of the week!

This spot deserves more love on the weekends for lunch or brunch. The bartenders are fantastic as well as the manager. They seem to genuinely care and treat you like a human. Which matter a lot to me. The food I have had off the menu are not home runs but I am comparing them to all caliber of restaurants. For a tavern, for a pub, for the vibe it is excellent. I really, really like this place. The brunch is a new thing. I think after they work out some kinks it will be much better. Labels, better accompaniments, the ability to order some form of runny yolk... I am not a professional but I think a few little tweaks would help. Please come here and spend your money when it isn't late at night. Support them. This place grew on me when I expected very little.. something about that is important too. Also.. Bottomless mimosas. That is pretty great. Not just a sports bar. They sometimes have dog shows, which we all like.

I discovered this from one of my chef friends on FB. The talk is fishfrys, naturally. I'm glad they offer it on Thurs. as well as Friday. It's the place to see and be seen downtown so it gets packed. The fish is walleye and the best I've had. Beyond crunchy but a great flavor. Matchstick fries were good, coleslaw was average. We started with the best lentil soup I ever had, heavy cumin. It's served in a huge bowl. A great gingerale too. We parked in the garage. Nothing says downtown like the winding exits.

Covid era rating I ordered the jalapeno popper juicy lucy. I didn't read the description. All I knew was it was an award winning burger. What I got was a deep-fried juicy lucy stuffed with cheese and jalapenos, topped with more jalapenos and cream cheese. The buns had a sweet glaze between them and the patty. It did not disappoint. I couldn't even finish it. My arteries were like "nooo" but my spirits were lifted. Thank you Pillbox

First dine-in experience in the books after restaurant reopening. We decided to hit up a place that got sort of a raw deal since they opened literally right before the first shutdown back in March. They're open in the building housing the MN Wild practice facility, Tria Rink, and cranking out awesome pub grub and craft cocktails. Now that hockey is back on, sans fans, you can enjoy the game there and still be near the action. Reservations recommended because they are adhering to the new Covid mandates. I came for a burger, but as soon as our server let us know the chef had a special that he declared may be the best special he has made -- we knew we had to order that too! What we ordered: Philly Cheesesteak ~ tons of thinly sliced steak cooked up with peppers and onions and drowned in cheese wiz sauce. **this may be the best cheesesteak I've had in the Twin Cities, and I don't say that lightly. Chef was correct. I really hope they keep this for awhile or at least have it as a reoccurring item. Fantastic!** Pillbox Burger ~ White american, burger sauce, bacon, fried onion, lettuce, tomato. **I asked for pink and this juicy burger was perfectly cooked with a nice char. Toppings were on point as well!** Cheese Curds ~ lightly battered Wisconsin cheese curds w/ calabrian chili honey. **battered as they should be vs breaded. These were on par with the State Fair and the chili honey paired perfectly

Not bad for a sports bar. Popped in for a quick drink and dinner before a concert at the Palace Theatre. Bonus for super close location to the show! The beer list is via QR scan/Untappd and nothing special with a bunch of blah domestics. The one beer I tried to order they were out of, so I ended up treating myself to a margarita instead. The Mediterranean plate was surprisingly large with a stack of pita triangles, lots of falafel, pickles, onions, and tomato, and a pretty good hummus spread. My friends thought this was the best of our food choices, didn't feel that their wings had much flavor from the dry rub, and the hot chicken tacos were not hot whatsoever. Did someone forget the flavor back in the kitchen? Could be kicked up a few notches. Overall, this met expectations, which weren't too high from the start.

Great place for a drink. New chef... I'll wait to say... loved burgers and chicken tacos.. we will see

I had the best time here around noon on a Saturday. When I arrived there was outdoor seating, "almost" outdoor seating, and indoor. The garage doors were up with tables right at the threshold, so I picked one of those tables to feel mostly outside but to also get a little more cool air blast from inside. Chicken sandwich and Caesar side salad were so good. I ate it all. I don't love mustard, and the mustard pickles truly are very mustard-y; fellow mustard rivals beware! I solved the dilemma by pulling the pickles off and replacing with three not-mustard pickles which were already provided on the plate. The service was great, too. One person chicken sandwich + Caesar side salad + water + 20% tip = $20