Two SW Minneapolis Spots Clinch "Best Bar" Recognitions

"Best Bar" and "Southwest Minneapolis" are not phrases commonly associated with each other.

Broadly speaking, we're a pretty family-oriented part of town. Anyone walking around the area on a Friday night would be hard-pressed to confuse it with Uptown. Yet, two local establishments just won Minnesota Monthly's nod for "Best Bar" in their October issue, which hits the newsstands this week.

George and the Dragon  at 50th and Bryant was the magazine's pick for best pub, beating out the likes of Anchor Fish in Northeast and Chips and Merlin's Rest in Longfellow. While reviewer Tim Gihring found some points lacking compared to the competition—the fish and chips, for example—the eatery's burgeoning status as a neighborhood anchor was, they said, what a true pub should be.

"Here, you can take the kids after soccer practice, talk with your neighbors or about your neighbors—the line out the door suggests there is no one who doesn't feel welcome," the Gihring writes. 

Cafe Maude  at 54th and Penn came in for top marks, oddly enough, for its bartenders' non-alcoholic creations. Sodas with creative flavors won over reviewer Kate Dohman. 

"Finally, a full list of fun, sophisticated drinks for the teetotaler," she wrote.