Bob A.
Yelp
If you're in the market for a true sports & gaming bar with good bar food, you are very likely to be satisfied with a stop at St Paul Tap. For the longest time, I would merely glimpse the sign from 35E, and maybe spot the fully-utilized parking lot, and wonder what they had going on in there. And now I know! The new iteration of what was known as "Tav' on the Ave'" is a large neighborhood-y bar and restaurant with a ton of games. Pool, mega-foosball, mega-table-shuffleboard, mega-Jenga, lots of old and new video games and pinball machines, bingo activities, all that kind of stuff. More than I could even really take in. The games are what will dominate many people's impression of St. Paul Tap, and if you want to go to a place with lots of games options I think you'll be excited to come here.
I've tried the build-your-own-burger and also ordered a unique creation of theirs, a Giardiniera burger. I'm not totally sure I'm spelling that right, but it was REALLY good! Huge and flavorful and spicy! So filling. The build-your-own situation is good too; plenty of options at a reasonable price (especially at lunchtime on weekdays). I've had their fries & tots, which were average, and I tried some of their chicken wings which were nice and crispy; their quality surprised me a bit.
As part of a recent update, they put in a really cool outdoor seating section. Also, a sign indicates that they are overhauling the parking lot, which is probably a good thing although street parking will do when their lot is full.
I think if St Paul Tap were looking for opportunities to improve, they could add some legit desserts to their menu and maybe step up their fried potato game. But I think they deserve five stars for giving their customers a lot of enticing reasons to come and hang out. I feel like some reviewers might be a little too haughty to offer a five-star rating to an ostensibly humble sports bar joint, but they are clearly working hard to excel in this space. I'll be back for sure!