The Contented Cow Pub & Wine Bar

Cozy pub vibesssss. Love it. I’ve been here only 2 times, both just for a nice pint of something. This place is dark and cozy, has free popcorn to snack on, couches, board games and also feels perfectly pub-​ish.
The staff have always been super nice and while I don’t frequent this place often (since its a ways from Mpls), I dig it!

Do not support this establishment. A holocaust denier and on top of that everything is way overpriced. Stay away if you have a shred of human decency.

I didn’t care for this place, but in fairness I am not a dive bar kind of girl, so keep that in mind. The only thing charming about this place is its whimsical name. Drinks were reasonably priced, but the place is kind of dodgy and attracts even dodgier clientele. The night I was there featured live music, if you can call it that. The performers were ATROCIOUS. I hope to never return here.

Northfield is growing on me because of places like this. Sometimes it is hard to tell which bar you are in — the inside of this place reminded me of the Froggy Bottom and I did a double take. I actually didn’t come here for a while because of the other posts regarding some affiliations but I didn’t see anything that led me to believe the comments to be true.
They have a really nice patio facing the river and a ton of beers to select from. They have events, music, and tastings all the time — plus free popcorn. Sometimes you want to hit a local tap room — sometimes you just want an O’Dell’s.
The inside is really cool with exposed brick. The servers were really friendly and make you feel at home. They are also dog friendly — a plus.

My cow was not contented.

I’m at a loss to understand why this place is popular (or maybe it isn’t anymore). The only positive I can think of is that it has good popcorn. The negatives… mediocre food, a wait staff that thinks it’s beneath them to actually «wait» on customers, a limited draft beer selection and an owner who apparently believes the holocaust never happened. My advice to potential customers… don’t bother.

The Good: Decent beer selection. The entryway is pretty cool. They had some neat lights.
The Bad: Expensive. Limited seating. Unfortunate atmosphere. The guy sitting at the table next to continuously looking at my pants as if there were a stain and then looking back at his friend, taking a drink and then looking at my leg again.
The Rest: I really do think the entryway is cool. You have to go down into the alley in order to get into the ‘Cow. I wasn’t impressed overall, but I wouldn’t mind going with friends if we just needed a place to have drinks.

Why would anyone support a bar that hosts holocaust deniers a speaker?
Forget this bar exists. Go to Froggy Bottom right down the street. They’ve got better food, great beer and really nice folks.
Who don’t deny the Holocaust.

Does not seem like a college bar and perhaps it’s more of a blend of college and local watering hole. I like when you walk in, they have a listing of the beers on a chalk board so you can take a peek. The beer selections are pretty good and will also list the location of the beer. It’s a nice little area to grab some food and beverages. They have outdoor seating and some nice dark wooden booths/​tables. Great little find in this town.

Brutal… walked in… sat down… no greeting/acknowledgement…left. We literally walked by the bartender twice without acknowledgment, then watched her check her phone, all while there was only one other table within her sight. The place also didn’t smell so great.

As a student in Northfield, this bar was ideal as opposed to the others in town because they don’t card at the door. As a freshman or sophomore, not yet 21, it stinks to not be able to go out with your upperclassmen friends… The Cow is great, because they only card at the Bar. So you can go, get sodas, snacks and enjoy your friends, or live music without the hassle of being carded and kicked out… Great location, usually easy street parking, and good drinks. Not the most reasonably priced drinks, I’d say, but that’s because I’m from Texas and am used to drinks being between $ 2.50 and $ 4.00 … Great outdoor section for summer nights!!!
BONUS: They have a free popcorn machine that makes the most delicious popcorn EVER.

Mediocre pub atmosphere. Overpriced beer ($ 6 – 6.50 for a decent draught) and okay selection. Unfortunately, this is kinda the only show in town for decent beers. It’s a shame that their prices are so ridiculous.

I was in town to visit some local friends, we stopped here to sit outside and enjoy the weather. Live music, $ 3.50 tequila sunrises, great service. Very much enjoyed our time there.

I really liked the Contented Cow! We went here on St. Patty’s Day after some hiking for a snack and a beer. We got a couple of good, cold tap beers and some nachos. The food was good and the beer was even better. The service was slightly lacking but it was really busy so I can’t hold that against them.
We will certainly be back for the patio and a few more cold ones!

I love the cow! Great atmosphere, good live music many nights, excellent drinks, and free popcorn! The cow usually has great events set up too — like a tea and scones morning for the Royal Wedding, and trivia on Sundays is a lot of fun (though it gets crowded).
The food isn’t great, but the fun atmosphere, good drinks, and events more than make up for it!

Good: Alcohol (how can you screw that up?), nice atmosphere.
Bad: The food. Inedible. Gross.
Bottom line: Go for the buzz and the company, but eat elsewhere.

The Cow is very popular in Northfield for St. Olaf and Carleton students. After the closure of Froggy’s, the Cow became the go-​to place for thirsty Thursdays and 21^st birthday parties. Admittedly, the Cow excels with its drink selection, with food an afterthought. Better for happy hour or drinks with friends, rather than lunch or dinner.
I’m a big fan of the Cow. It has a great homey atmosphere, and I look forward to visiting with my friends. On the weekends, the Cow is filled with college students, which contributes to an overall sense of revelry.
Also, they have complimentary popcorn, which is unbelievably delicious and oh-​so-​addicting.
The Cow is a great taste of local Northfield flavor — definitely stop by!

People were really nice, and ambiance is cool. But that is not enough to save this place from too serious flaws:
1. They have NO wait staff. It is entirely «order from the bar», and they have one small bar. Wait time to place an order and get a drink was about 20 minutes. Brutal, and not expected or OK for such a small, quaint place in Northfield.
2. All the food is made by one guy. We (party of four) came in for dinner and drinks. Placed our dinner order, and about 20 minutes later one plate came out. Then five minutes later another one came out. Five minutes later another, and then finally our last one came out. Not cool. And when we got our food, it was not good. Sloppy Joe’s were bland, chicken Caesar was weak, and chicken Caesar wrap was equally lame.
Last, they had a band playing inside so we moved outside. Then the band moved outside so we moved back inside. Not terrible, but not what we were looking for.
Decent enough place for a beer during a non-​busy time, but otherwise not at all great.

I was in Northfield with a friend this weekend and we happened upon this place and decided to go in. Here are the facts:
— Great cellar-​like atmosphere. They don’t build them like that anymore.
— Very good tap beer selection. I had a Tetley’s.
— Thirty minute wait for nachos. THIRTY. Seriously?

The Contented Cow is quite homey and I always try to make a stop here for a night cap when I’m in town. It’s perfect to have dinner at Chapati and wander over for a cheap ($ 15) bottle of wine and more girl talk. Even better because you can snag free popcorn and curl up on the red velvet couch near the fireplace in the back.
It always seems pretty busy for a small town bar, even on random weeknights which is nice to see and the staff have always been super friendly. I’m definitely a fan of «the Cow.»