Day Block Brewing

Never been here before and I mainly went because my Boyfriend and I wanted something to do and they were celebrating their 2^nd Anniversary with a Bacon Raffle!
The beer selection was great. I liked the Coconut Imperial Stout, however for me it came off a tad bitter, but it was still delicious! My favorite had to be the Mocha Stout. It was sweet and chocolaty with a great coffee aftertaste!
The food has to be then highlight of the dining experience there though. We tried the Viet Nachos and the Bacon Flight. Bother were amazing, and it gave me a new look on Nachos! Next time I go back there I need to try the other foods, they has so many dishes that just sounded amazing!
I would gladly come here again if I had the chance. There is free parking but it isn’t directly behind the building like I thought, its just two lots to the left in the back, which isn’t that far of a walk for parking! On weekend though you can park on the street behind the place and it was $ 2 for us to park there for 8 hours, which by no means did we stay for 8 hours!
Overall a great place, the atmosphere is really nice, the waitstaff were awesome and it was just a fun, great experience.
I would go again and recommend it to friends gladly!

Positively loved the Bahn Mizza!

The apps we had were good (bruschetta & garlic knots) but it’s so crazy loud, if you can’t sit at the bar expect to leave horse from shouting and have no clue what your dinner companion said.

Great place for Lunch or Happy Hour. Absolutely LOVED their tomatoes basil soup (please bring it back!!!) that comes with these amazing Garlic Knots. (Their soup option changes on specials menu)
Great service today for take-​out lunch. Can be slow sometimes depending on the crowd. Good pizzas but they generally take longer.

Tried the coffee porter– it’s top notch! You can definitely taste and smell the notes of coffee, but it blends so well. Very smooth.
I also got biscuits and gravy for dinner. They serve brunch all day on Sunday’s. Came in to watch Sunday Night Football. Not bad for this part of downtown on a Sunday night. Would totally come back again.

I’m sorta a sucker for any brew pubs so we decided to check this place out for lunch. The beer was decent — nothing special, but certainly not bad. Would I seek this place out for the beer again — probably not, but I wouldn’t necessarily turn it down either.
For an appetizer, we got the devils on a horseback which were pretty good. I’ve never seen those outside of Minneapolis, so must be a local thing? I ordered the Bahn mizza which was pretty good. You could taste the fresh dough they used for the crust and they didn’t skip on the toppings. The flavor was right on. My husband ordered the korean beef sandwich which was not what he was expecting. The beef and toppings were good, but there was no «Korean» to the wich at all — better calling it just a beef sandwich because you couldn’t taste the kimchi or the peanut sauce. I would probably normally rate this either a 3 or 4, but the service was really good and I liked that it was just as much restaurant as it was a brewery — possibly more restauranty so I figured they deserved a 4.

A late lunch of purely appetizers.
The pretzel was good. The Charcuterie was excellent especially the bacon jam. The mussels were different and in the end maybe it that they we’re too salty with the bacon.
A sampler flight with the standard red, IPA, brown ale, and especially the coffee porter went well with the appetizers.
The service was prompt and friendly.
Nice atmosphere. The specialty pizzas on the menu would make it worth another trip to try.

Came here to meet some friends for dinner and a couple of beers. After my two wonderful experiences the day before (at Gyst and Urban Growler — see reviews) this place failed to even tickle my interest to come back.
First of all, parking is a pain, as Grumpy’s next door has commandeered most of the parking lot, so there’s about 10 spaces for Day Block and the rest is in a lot at the end of the block (it’s a big one). I understand it is downtown but seeing that half empty lot and having to park a few hundred yards down was a minor nuisance. Perhaps they should work out a partnership? Hmmmm…
The location itself is nice, with wide open windows that allow you to people watch as you please. Nice tall ceilings open up the place too, and the atmosphere is inviting and hip.
Service was mediocre at best, young inexperienced waitresses with a bit of an attitude. Food was subpar; we ordered the Greek Goddess pizza and I might be a bit to blame on this one as I don’t like olives, but nevertheless, $ 22 for a pizza that was meh is not my idea of money well spent. I tried my friends’ Vietnamese style pizza and while it wasn’t bad it’s nothing to die for either.
Which brings me to the main course: beer. I tried their 6-​beer flight and there were a couple that were OK, particularly the Pub Ale. Nothing to complain about here, but nothing to highlight either.
I might give this place another shot with significantly reduced expectations, and most likely just for cheap beer.

A respite and chance to sample the brews. It doesn’t have any real distinctive quality, as far as atmosphere, vibe, etc. Didn’t seem very original or warm/​friendly. But it was fine. The beer was tasty. I think it could really add some atmosphere if they added a jukebox with local music– hip hop and indie rock, and just have a bit more interesting funkiness to the bar area.
Otherwise, check it out.

We came in for brunch before the Vikings game on Sunday and it was a ghost town. Kind of surprising given there proximity to TCF Bank Stadium but maybe that will change when the new US Bank Stadium opens, which is even closer. We ordered a beer flight (one of everything) and they were all just OK. Nothing spectacular but definitely no flawed beers.
Also had a breakfast pizza the ‘Merica (sausage, bacon, eggs and cheese) and was pretty disappointed. The crust was floppy and flimsy. The marinara sauce did not pair well with eggs and bacon. The bacon was chew and undercooked. For $ 21 I expected higher quality. We also tried the bacon flight which was unique and very good.

Came in here on a Monday evening for dinner and to taste their beers/​ales,
Started off with a salad, then a flight of pickles and then a flight of bacon.
Mixed Greens Salad: Mixed greens, house-​made beer vinaigrette, apple, walnut & goat cheese
Pickle flight: Pickled Kim Chi; pickled beets; pickled cucumbers
Bacon flight: Bacon dusted with Cumin and served with a Chimichurri sauce; Bacon with a French toast maple syrup; Peppered Bacon served with a beer cheese
The salad was crisp and yummy. The pickle flight was, well I’ll just say I’ll eat most anything pickled — I love the brine, the sourness, the tartness! The Pickled Kim Chi was also nicely spicy — good heat!
Finally, all three bacon types offered were damn tasty! My favorite as the bacon dusted with Cumin! I may have to try my hand at making this at home!
I then did a tasting flight of all six of their beers/​ales:
Brown Ale (5.3% ABV)
Tabah Black Ale (5.4% ABV)
Leonard Day IPA (6.9% ABV)
Pub Ale (5.0% ABV)
Porter (6.2% ABV)
Frank’s Red Ale (5.4% ABV)
I found all of their beers/​ales to be rather meh — with the exception of the Leonard Day IPA — I really liked this Ale! Excellent IPA.
Service was very good! The staff was very nice!
I came back to Day Block one more time later in the week for a private event and stuck with the Leonard Day IPAs for the evening.
Overall, in my experience, the food is better than their beers/​ales.

I have been here a few times and have really enjoyed the chill, comfortable atmosphere and delicious pizza! The pizza is what always brings me back. They have such unique options. I love the Banh Mizza that has pork, pickled slaw, and cilantro on it, but my favorite is the taco truck pizza though. It has carnitas, radish, cilantro, jalapeño, onion, cheese and salsa verda on it and it so fresh! Such a fun twist on pizza. Their beer is what lost stars for me — nothing really sticks out for me. I like when beers are extra hoppy or very creamy etc. and most of their beers are on the calmer side. It is nice to have a beer with your dinner though so I would still recommend trying one!
Tip: They have some free parking spots behind their building! Every time I have gone I have been able to park back there, which is really nice for being close to downtown where parking usually isn’t free.

Pretzel with cheese dip and mustard = great!
Vietnachos = good, until they got soggy
Mushroom pizza = good!

If you are looking for a place that has quality beer, good food, easy to find a place to sit (but parking can be hard) then this is the place for you. The pizzas are pretty big — I got a small one and could only eat ½ of it. The service was a bit slow (we did show up at 2:30 so odd time), but everyone was very friendly. I would head back there, next time probably on a bike so I wouldn’t have to worry about parking

I absolutely loved this place.
Amazing beer and food. The atmosphere was beautiful… Everything was clean & not cluttered.
We received our food pretty fast. The service was very good. A cheerful server… It was just overall a pleasant experience. I am definitely coming back.

Came here for Sunday lunch with the boyfriend. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and the live music playing was a great treat too! They serve their own brewed beers so don’t have a lot of variety on beers but the beers they serve are great too. The boyfriend had a strong dark Belgian beer and an imperial stout. I had the Berliner Weiss flight (original, strawberry, wild blueberry, herbs, rhubarb, and raspberry). I loved all the flavors but my favorite would have to be the herbs — it was sort of like a beer version of a mint mojito. Very refreshing! Also available are bloody mary, whiskey, and other hard liquors as well.
Here is the breakdown on the food:
Garlic Knots — shouldn’t really be called garlic knots in my opinion because it was crusty like bread and didn’t really have the garlic taste. I imagined garlic knots to be softer and somewhat lighter. The garlic knots here are very dense.
Pretzel with Beer Cheese Sauce and Mustard — pretzel was crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. I’d highly recommend this item. The cheese sauce was good. I’m not a big fan of mustard but the mustard they serve is the whole grain one. If you are not a fan of salt, then I wouldn’t really recommend this item, unless you are ok with dusting off the salt on the pretzel.
Banh Mizza — aka banh mi pizza! This was delicious and tasty! The pizza crust is chewy, crunchy, and light. It is topped with Vietnamese style pork belly, pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, and a soy based glaze. I’d definitely recommend this item! They have other pizzas that looked good as well. They also have an option for «make your own» pizzas.
I would definitely come back to try their other foods and beers when I am back in Minneapolis!

If I’ve never been to a brewery before, I always like to start with a flight and go from there. When I discovered that Day Block Brewing also offered a bacon flight, it moved in a flash to the top of my list of breweries to visit in Minneapolis.
It was a Monday afternoon shortly after opening that we rolled in to Day Block. Street parking was plentiful however as we approached the door we saw info about free parking in a lot around back. It was too hot for us to care so my drinking partner and I made our way to a booth inside. (We saw signs for a patio, but again, it was too hot to be outside.)
We arrived prepared… or so we thought. We ordered up the beer and bacon flight but also noticed the pickle flight on the menu and decided to just go for all three flights at once. Our table was a thing of beauty. We were very enthusiastic about all the flights but I probably could have done without the pickle flight. The bacon flight was very exciting. I enjoyed the HCMC Golden Ale from our beer flight and surprisingly the Extra Special Bitter. The Berliner Weisse was okay, but even better when I ordered a pint of it with rhubarb. (They offer to add flavoring to the Berliner Weisse which I highly recommend.)
The taproom itself wasn’t all that exciting, but it does the trick and offers a comfortable atmosphere where beers can be enjoyed and food can be consumed. Of course I ended up leaving with one of their cool «true pint» t-​shirts. Yes, I could see myself here quite frequently.

Bacon and Beer! I am in! My new beer flight addiction led me here and I could not have been happier!
Parking is a little iffy before 6 because of all the restrictions on Washington and in the lot, but after 6 PM, I would anticipate parking to be a little easier. Whatever you do, do NOT park in a spot reserved for Grumpys! They will tow you!
Back to the Beer and Bacon-​I love that you can pick your size of flight! I picked a flight of four and enjoyed all four! I picked two and our delightful server picked the other two. I still feel so ignorant about beer so I can not explain what exactly I had but no dark or IPA, I know that much… I wish I knew the server’s name because he was Perfect. He was inviting, helped with parking questions, beer selections, and was the right level of attentive.
The Bacon Flight was fun. I forgot to order it crispy but most of it was cooked well enough for me, a crispy bacon lover but next time, I would order it well done.
I loved the sauces in the Bacon Flight. Beer Cheese, a sweet syrup that along with the bacon, tasted like French toast, and a curry type sauce which was my least favorite. Although it was fun, I am not sure it was worth $ 11 for the equivalent of about three pieces of bacon.
We also had the garlic knots with Marinara sauce. Mehh… Nothing special at all. I would not order this again.
Next time I want to try a pizza and there WILL be a next time!

The first time I visited in early 2014, it was for an office-​outing in their space next to the dining room that you can reserve. The seating in there (at least a year ago) was awful for hosting 20 – 30 people to gather around drinking beer and eating pizza while being able to socialbly engage with your peers, but it appears that they have reorganized their space so maybe it’s better now? One cool aspect is that the space has its own full size bar in lieu of relying on the main bar — that’s unique and a reason alone to reserve the space for your next office outing.
I have since been back for happy hour and lunch. The lessoned learned is that if you don’t have more than an hour to sit and talk before your food lands on your table during the lunch hour then it’s probably best to skip Day Block. Granted, I ate there for lunch only the one time and the manager was apologetic and provided us something to snack on for free while we waited, but I rarely can spend 90+ minutes at lunch during the week and have passed on this place every since because I can’t afford a repeat of that day.
Happy Hour on the other hand is a winner. Day Block has some fantastic pizzas that are unlike any I’ve had elsewhere in the city. The Taco Truck has carnitas, jalapeños, salsa, radish and fresh cilantro served with limes and sriracha hot chili sauce (I love authentic tacos and the flavor of this pie is very close to the real thing). The Bahn Mizza is also another food favorite of mine metamorphosed into a pizza in a way that isn’t yucky, but down right delicious. During Happy Hour, a pizza took only 15 minutes to be served, and beer is served lightening fast. Excellent and prompt service during the afternoon & early evening hours.
The beer is good too, and a couple of brews are very good. I generally don’t like beers that are malt dominate except for an occasional Belgian Ale — several of their beers are in this category with a high ABV and a low IBU. Many love them, but I do not. However of the 6 beers on rotation, there are always a one or two IPA’s and one that is evenly balanced and easy drinking — a good beer for masses that you can drink several of without having to be carried home. And if you don’t like beer, they have wine and liquor too.
Day Block may not become your daily watering hole, but it’s certainly a place worth visiting. And if you go once, I would wager that you’ll come back again and again. Day Block has a great location with a private lot and ample nearby street parking. The inside has a high ceiling and a 100% glass front looking onto Washington Avenue making the place inviting; and during warm weather they turn a small section of the rear parking into outdoor seating that overlooks the new Vikings Stadium.

Last night I participated in the last day of the one year anniversary party of Day Block! I’ve been here before and I really enjoy the atmosphere. If you’re into porters, especially coffee porters, Day Block has the BEST coffee porter I’ve ever had (I’ve tried a lot of craft beer especially stouts and porters). We also split the garlic knots and the taco truck pizza. It was all good expect for the fact that I bite into a jalapeño (my roommate wanted them on the pizza). With the new vikings stadium going in next door this place is going to become a huge destination.
P. S. I also heard they are expanding!