Official Gophers Football/University of Minnesota Visitors Guide Thread!!

[GopherHole Staff]

GopherHoler's - through the years we get a number of visiting fans, and first time Gopher fans, making the trek to beautiful TCF Bank Stadium to catch a Gopher game. Many of these guests will spend the weekend in the area as well and ask for the best places to stay, tailgate, eat, bar scene, weekend activities, etc. We'd like to make a master thread that we can continuously update which we will do in this thread. We'll put a "last updated" date so visitors know how current the information is. We can treat this as our own mini "wiki" thread, and as you get new ideas, recommendations, make a new post, we'll grab that information and insert it into this post. Additionally, newbies can ask questions for more specific needs in the thread. Thanks all!

LAST UPDATED: 9/1/16

Campus Bars and Restaurants

http://www.stubandherbsbar.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/als-breakfast-minneapolis

http://www.yelp.com/biz/annies-parlour-minneapolis

Hotels Near TCF Bank Stadium

http://www.commonshotel.com/

Area Bars and Restaurants Outside of Campus

http://www.britspub.com/

http://www.the-local.com/

http://www.gasthofzg.com/

http://www.mattsbar.com/

http://surlybrewing.com/

Hotels Near Downtown

http://www.minneapolis.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/min...HHH/index.html

Other Sites/Activities Throughout Metro Area

Twins game at Target Field
Walker Sculpture Garden
Weisman Art Museum
Minnehaha Falls
The Depot Rink
Science Museum of Minnesota
Mall of America

[GopherHole Staff]

Here are previous threads on this exact topic, we're going to start grabbing the "best of" to include in the top post, and again, we encourage GopherHolers to put their ideas in this thread and we'll populate in the top post.

http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/boa...n-Visiting-MSP

http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/boa...p-a-Trojan-out

http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/boa...n-Opener-v-TCU

http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/boa...First-time-fan

http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/boa...7-Visitor-Info

http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/boa...g-to-Minnesota

[MinneStoa]

What breweries are relatively close to campus? Is it just Fulton and Surly?

Here's a good resource for MN breweries: http://growlermag.com/minnesota-brewery-map/

As for recommendations, I'd stick around Northeast MPLS. Indeed, Sociable Cider Werks, Dangerous Man, and BauHaus are all very close to each other and are among the top of my list. Otherwise Urban Growler and Bang are both right past hwy 280 just off University.

[Brewnic]

Here's a good resource for MN breweries: http://growlermag.com/minnesota-brewery-map/

As for recommendations, I'd stick around Northeast MPLS. Indeed, Sociable Cider Werks, Dangerous Man, and BauHaus are all very close to each other and are among the top of my list. Otherwise Urban Growler and Bang are both right past hwy 280 just off University.

I would also add Town hall to the list. Gets overlooked by the new places but solid line up and some great seasonal at times.

[MinneStoa]

I would also add Town hall to the list. Gets overlooked by the new places but solid line up and some great seasonal at times.

That's a very good point. One of the originals, and it has stuck around for a reason. Good food and really good beer.

[Donovan]

I posted this info in a different thread, but thought these are good options to save on this official visitor thread.

If people want to stay in the North Loop area (if I lived out of town, this is the option I would do). Look at staying at the TownPlace Suites for about $125/night. There are some cool, affordable restaurants in walking distance (The Red Cow, Black Sheep Pizza, The Freehouse, and the Smack Shack), if you like beer you can walk over to Fulton Brewery. For the football game you have about a 6 block walk over to catch the Green Line at the Target Field Station.

http://fultonbeer.com
http://blacksheeppizza.com
http://smack-shack.com
http://www.freehousempls.com
http://redcowmn.com

There are some nice higher end restaurants, as well: Bar La Grassa, Spoon & Stable, Haute Dish, Borough/Parlour, and The Bachelor Farmer. Plus a sushi place if you are into that: Origami. Just Google "North Loop Minneapolis restaurants."

[DL65]

Under the Other Sites/Activities Throughout Metro Area, I suggest:

Uptown and Lake Calhoun (bars and restaurants and an eclectic look/feel).

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Check out Gopher Men/women Hockey schedules for November.


Go Gophers!!

[barry79]

Bringing a friend and their two teen age sons to the homecoming game. Any ideas on where to eat before the 11 am game? What is the MacNamara Center like before a game? Is there food there? Can you buy a glass of wine there? Thank you

[Go4]

Bringing a friend and their two teen age sons to the homecoming game. Any ideas on where to eat before the 11 am game? What is the MacNamara Center like before a game? Is there food there? Can you buy a glass of wine there? Thank you

it's an ok scene there. really subdued crowd, which is fine if you're looking for that. you can get wine there. hot dogs, hamburgers also available.

[GopherPoke]

We've come from ND for a handful of games, and would like to start getting into the tailgating crowd. Are there guidelines that need to be followed for a good place to park and pitch a tent for cooking and beers? Do you have to pay for a special lot? Just curious of the whole process for this.

[mcwhirter]

We usually tailgate but want to meet some folks at a bar for the Indiana St. game. What are good bars to meet at that have cheap/free parking and a shuttle to the game and back? A decent Bloody and food, maybe breakfast, would also be a plus.

[hungan1]

We usually tailgate but want to meet some folks at a bar for the Indiana St. game. What are good bars to meet at that have cheap/free parking and a shuttle to the game and back? A decent Bloody and food, maybe breakfast, would also be a plus.

I know this is a little late for those going to today's game. If you don't mind getting up early and catching the buses and train from St. Louis Park to Stadium Village Train Station, I highly recommend Bunny's Bar & Grill.
Bunnys Bar and Grill in St. Louis Park is my favorite place to stop after a group run around Lake Calhoun.

With breakfast, you get a free complimentary juice, Bloody Mary, or Screwdriver on select entrees. http://bunnysbarandgrill.com/breakfast/

Parking is free, and it is 8.6 miles from the TCF Stadium. There are also plenty of free street parking around the neighborhood. Allow yourself about 1-1/2 hours to 2 hours to ride the public transportation.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/TCF+...44.9289136!3e0

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bunny's+Bar+%26+Grill/@44.9280025,-93.3600863,16.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x4bbfb6fdded61252!8m2!3d44.92 89005!4d-93.3551116

You can catch the Metro Transit 12X Excelsior Blvd/Uptown bus by walking 236 feet to Excelsior and Brookside Ave. Station and get off at Hennepin and Lake St. Then walk 2 blocks north on Hennepin Ave. to the Hennepin Ave Uptown Sation and get on 17/17W bus to Hennepin Ave and Washington. Finally, catch the Green Line train from the Warehouse District & Hennepin Ave Station to the Stadium Village Station at the University Of Minnesota campus.

The Route 12X bus leaves every thirty minutes on Saturday. https://www.metrotransit.org/route/12/2

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Up...!4d-93.2984172

Bus 17/17W leaves the Uptown Station every 25 to 30 minutes. https://www.metrotransit.org/route/17

Green Line train Warehouse District to Stadium Village: http://www.metrotransit.org/route/902

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9821.../data=!3m1!1e3

[upnorthkid]

Quick question. Normally tailgate but the spot holders are out of town. What time do the places around tcf (bars and restaurants) open for pregame with an 11am start?

[mcwhirter]

Quick question. Normally tailgate but the spot holders are out of town. What time do the places around tcf (bars and restaurants) open for pregame with an 11am start?

at Stub and Herb's at 8:00am.

[RodentRampage]

Here's a link for 25 free things to do in the Twin Cities. They all look good, but my top recommendation would be a visit to Minnehaha Falls.

https://www.thrillist.com/entertainm...is-twin-cities