NorthStar Tavern opened in 2018 as a family dream project and grew into one of the best neighborhood spots in west Bloomington. The room is upscale-casual — nicer than a sports bar, more relaxed than a gastropub — with 24 rotating taps of craft beer, a full craft-cocktail program, and a kitchen led by Chef Adam turning out food that punches well above bar-food weight.

The menu spans a huge range. Signature handhelds like the Bacon Jam Burger and the Bahn Mi Pizza have earned regular-order status, while five different walleye preparations (strips, sandwich, tacos, fish-and-chips, entree) do the Minnesota state fish proper honor. Wings come with a proper choice of sauces (Buffalo, Korean BBQ, Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ, Jalapeño Mango) or dry rubs (Cajun, Garlic Herb, Nashville Hot, Ghost Salt, Tavern Spice). Weekend brunch runs Saturday and Sunday 10am–2pm; scrambles, biscuit sandwiches, a Bloody Mary bar, and a Late Night menu takes over after the full menu closes.

On the THC side, NorthStar quietly runs one of the most transparent published lists in the metro — the drinks appear right on the beverages page with dosing and prices spelled out. The rotating lineup includes Squoze AHHHnold Tea & Lemonade (10mg THC), Squoze Blueberry Haze (2.5mg THC + 10mg CBD), Squoze Raspberry Kush (5mg THC seltzer), and Insight Brewing’s Flavor Pixels Pineapple (5mg THC) — all $13.75 by the can. Ask the server for what’s cold; the note on the menu is explicit that flavors rotate.

Outside, the three-level patio holds 200 with two firepits, drawing families all summer and Mall-of-America-adjacent crowds year-round. Reservations strongly recommended, walk-ins welcome, dogs on the patio, kids all day.

Up Yonder sits at 1615 West Highway 61 in Grand Marais, right at the Harbor Light building on the edge of uptown, and it’s the pitstop after a day on the North Shore. Skiers coming off Lutsen Mountains, paddlers back from the Boundary Waters, hikers off the Superior Hiking Trail, snowmobilers finishing a run up the Gunflint Trail — they all end up here. The room is proper North Shore: warm, worn-in, pool table and darts inside, yard games and an outdoor stage in back, TVs for the game, pull tabs for a slow afternoon.

The kitchen turns out elevated bar food that punches above the room. The duck wontons — six deep-fried, filled with duck meat and cream cheese, served with Thai chili sauce — have achieved regional legend status; regulars order them every visit. Beyond that: Angus burgers, flatbread pizzas (BBQ chicken pineapple, Buffalo chicken, steak & pepper), a chicken parmesan panini, cheese curds, and rotating specials pulling in whatever’s local and in season.

On the THC side, Up Yonder became a 23rd State on-premise retail partner in January 2026 — the Minneapolis-based, woman-owned cannabis beverage brand founded by Leah Kollross in 2023. The anchor pour is Fresh Press, 23rd State’s flagship 10mg THC + 10mg CBG pear-cider-inspired sparkling can, alongside their broader lineup of infused sparkling drinks. Two-a-day possible: WTIP trivia nights, live music on the indoor stage year-round and the outdoor stage in warmer months, and karaoke keeps the room going late. Open until midnight most nights, 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Takeout available with a $2 fee.

Lyons Pub has been Downtown Minneapolis’s neighborhood Irish pub since 1984. It sits at 16 South 6th Street between Hennepin and Nicollet, tucked underneath the skyway system — you can walk down from the Embassy Suites lobby by day, or come in from the sidewalk at night when the skyway closes and the ID checks tighten up. The room feels older than it is: dark wood, a long bar, self-serve popcorn that stays out all night, TVs tuned to whichever game is on.

The food is exactly what you want from a pub this old — a Juicy Lucy, a proper Fish & Chips with beer-battered cod, a Prime Rib Sandwich on a Kaiser roll that regulars come back for, and the kind of Corned Beef and Cabbage that turns into a St. Patrick’s Day pilgrimage. Kitchen and bar are open until 2 a.m. six nights a week (Sunday closed). Reservations are taken, delivery goes out through DoorDash and Grubhub, and the patio opens whenever Minneapolis weather permits it.

On the THC side, Lyons pours Gigli, a Minneapolis-based brand that launched from Kaskaid Hospitality in 2023. Gigli’s lineup includes THC cocktails (Blood Orange Margarita, Pineapple Mojito, Raspberry Mule, Blueberry Lemonade, Strawberry Spritz, Cherry Limeade) and Zero-line seltzers in citrus and mango, all in 5mg and 10mg pours. Rotating selection by the can — ask the bartender what’s cold.