Grumpy’s, open since 1906, is the cream of the crop among Northeast’s time-worn, unpretentious neighborhood bars. Pat Dwyer and Tom Hazelmyer have been at Grumpy’s helm since ‘98 — they’ve kept the bar true to its divey roots, stocked with great beer and Heggie’s pizza. Anyone and everyone is welcome at Grumpy’s.

Minneapolis-born Polish pro wrestler Stan Mayslack and his wife Ann “Butch” Mayslack opened Mayslack’s in 1955. While Stan whipped up garlic roast beef sandwiches in the kitchen, Butch ran the till. The pair hosted many a rowdy polka night. These days, Mayslack’s hosts plenty of live bands (and plays polka on the jukebox) and is still serving its famous slow-roasted beef sandwiches, heaped with banana peppers and onions and served au jus.

Whiskey drinks like water inside this Northeast fixture. Note the old phone booth, which gives Dusty’s a bit of a time traveler’s vibe. Buy a couple of pull tabs to while away the minutes while waiting for one of the famous sandwiches, made with Italian pork sausage, caramelized onions, mozzarella, and sweet peppers.

Low-key and welcoming, 19Bar is the best gay dive bar in the city. Bring cash for cheap margaritas and play pool all night — or grab a spot on the seasonal patio.

Palmer’s has been a beloved West Bank bar since 1906 — and owner Tony Zaccardi has been at the helm since 2018. This a salt-of-the-earth kind of place, perhaps Minneapolis’s most quintessential dive. As Zaccardi told Growler Magazine: “One of my favorite mantras about Palmer’s, is that it’s very much Black, white, rich, poor, gay, straight, trans, left, right, it kind of doesn’t matter. Everyone’s welcome here until you’re an asshole.” There’s a nightly live music calendar, so come catch a show on Palmer’s famously tiny, triangular stage — or swing by for the legendary Cornbread Harris’s weekly performances.

Cedar Inn is famous for its jumbo “pterodactyl” chicken wings, slathered in buffalo sauce or coated with a punchy dry rub. The bar has a friendly neighborhood vibe, plus darts, arcade games, and pinball in the back. Stop by for Sunday night poker.

Doug Flicker was a longtime fine-dining chef who influenced a generation of Minneapolis chefs, but he walked away from the world of white linen to open a neighborhood bar alongside his wife, Amy Greeley. The result, Bull’s Horn, has everything you could ask of a great corner bar: a jukebox, burgers and beers, and pull tabs, true to Minnesota dive form. Grab a bucket of the famous pickle-brined fried chicken.

Half Time Rec might be St. Paul’s most iconic dive. There’s bocce ball in the basement, a reliable crowd of Vikings and Twins fans upstairs, and patty melts hot off the flat top. St. Patrick’s day is a scene here. Come for happy hour and pull tabs.

Pete and Molly Skinner bought Skinner’s 23 years ago, but it’s been a beloved West Seventh dive since not long after Prohibition. Come for the exceptional pizza — thin-crust, square-cut, and made from scratch — and the warm, timeless vibe that only a century’s worth of friendly ghosts can conjure.

The Nook made its name serving one of the Twin Cities’ best Juicy Lucys, a.k.a. the Juicy Nookie. Matt’s Bar has its ride-or-die crowd — but so does this place. The Nook is a Twin Cities gem in terms of ambiance, too: The small downstairs bar is papered in dollar bills, and there’s a bowling alley with arcade games. Keep an eye out for the nightly food specials and $3 happy hour beers.