The Unofficial

OK, I am improving my score by a FULL STAR because the manager contacted me and explained (in a super-​professional way) that the music is crowdsourced by the folks within the bar, and she’d buy me a drink next time I stop by. Super awesome.

Great burger and great service. We had a great server tonight thank you Patrick. New place and new friends.

I was pleasantly surprised– I did the build your own burger option, which is great to really make something that fits your craving. I had the black bean burger with Swiss in a lettuce wrap (instead of a bun) and it was tasty. The side salad it came with was large and fresh, a really good meal for $ 10 close to home. The rail drinks are refreshingly inexpensive. People I went with enjoyed the wings and the $ 5 lunch special (hamburger and fries plus a drink). The atmosphere was fine, low key and the noise carried a bit in the open space but not a big deal. My primary complaint is they had raw onion in the side salad, which I didn’t notice until after I consumed it, but next time I’m sure I can ask to skip onion and it will be fine. Very friendly folk!

We have been twice to the unofficial. The first was on New year’s day evening, which was very busy, but we had great food & service. Their tots are awesome!
This morning the whole family went for breakfast and again had great service & food. The staff was very friendly. They had bloodys and mimosas for $ 3. Bloody was very good with just the right amount of horseradish. Kids were entertained with skiball and «Kiss» pinball.

TL;DR — good food+excellent service+fun atmosphere=new local favorite.
With «The Holidays» finally over, the wife and I needed a date night, but the weather was telling us to keep it local. In the mood to venture beyond our usual haunts, I suggested The Unofficial, which is an easy mile from our house. I got nervous as I pulled into the expansive parking lot because there was barely a spot available. «We’re never going to get a table,» I thought to myself, eyeing the people standing by the window near the door. But we were committed, so we parked in a miraculously open spot and made our way in. The place was packed and loud – not altogether unexpected for a Friday night at 6:15 – and most of the tables looked occupied. There’s no hostess at The Unofficial, so you have to scan the crowd and look for tables with the little black check folder that signifies that the meal is coming to a close and stalk the patrons. It takes a little bit more extroversion than some might be comfortable with (I heard a couple express as much as they decided to bail), but all it takes is a simple five-​word exchange («Are you leaving?» «Yes/​No»). I spotted such a table and within five minutes we were seated.
Our server, Chad, came by within a few minutes, but we weren’t sure what we wanted to order. He left and came back a short time later to answer any questions. Although they usually feature a bunch of rare/​specialty beers on tap (with a good range of others in cans/​bottles) it was Insight Brewery tap takeover night, so alas, no Pumking for me today. This explained the shiny little firkin couched at the end of the bar… I already knew what I wanted to order, foodwise, from having perused the menu online earlier in the day, so the drink choice was easy for me, but the wife was hesitant to order an off-​menu cocktail. She overcame her hesitation and we gave Chad our orders – Insight blackberry saison for me, cosmo for the lady – and he was off. After we got our drinks and placed our food order, we had a chance to size up the place. While it’s obvious from the outside, you’d never know it was a former Baker’s Square from the inside. There are 6 – 8 hightops along with a large, round party table near the bar, with regular tables in the space between the bar area and the arcade (complete with Skee-​Ball). It could probably use a few more two-​tops, as there were a lot of empty chairs, but space isn’t unlimited, and they manage ok with the arrangement.
The food came within about 10 minutes and we were more than ready to devour our selections. I got the Fitzy, the wife got the Cobb salad. The burger was very good, although it could have used a bit more of the spicy mustard. I liked the natural cut fries with their potent potato flavor, but I could see how some might prefer the more processed (and thus crispier) varieties offered elsewhere. The salad was a solid «B,» well-​executed, but nothing inherently special until you get to the dressings. They are made in-​house and you can tell; the ranch and the honey mustard blew every other dressing we’ve had out of the water. I enjoyed the brioche croûton when I snuck a bite of the salad but the wife thought it a bit bland. There was one other problem, however: the salad came without the promised bacon crumbles – a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions. We let Chad know and he was gone and back in under a minute (43 seconds to be exact – yes, I timed him – don’t look at me like that!). For a place that claims to be a «dive bar,» the service is top notch.
We finished our food and settled the tab and were getting ready to pack it in when we checked the NestCam in our daughter’s room. The grandparents were still putting her to bed, so we decided to extend the night rather than interrupt bedtime. We ordered a new round of drinks and, with no dessert menu, opted for the mozzarella sticks. You know those gluey, crumbly, frozen, industrial food-​service sticks you find at every two-​bit concession stand slings for an inflated price? You won’t find those here. Instead, what you will find are hand-​battered (in what appeared to be a combination of panko and maybe crushed corn flakes) giant sticks stuffed with delicious and stretchy cheese. The marinara was a bit lacking, but wasn’t objectionable. It could you a bit of heat, maybe a little red pepper or cayenne – just a thought.
Stuffed to the brim, I went to use the men’s room while we waited for the check to come a second time. While The Unofficial might have gotten a solid 4 stars for our little night out, it picked up the fifth star by putting a changing table in both the ladies’ room and the men’s room! While not a complete rarity, it’s nice to know they get it: it’s 2016 and sometimes it’s dad’s turn to change the little one’s diaper. This sort of thing matters to guys me and now I know I can come here for a daddy-​daughter lunch and not have to worry.
Overall impression: food wasn’t perfect but the service made up for it.

Visited the Unofficial for lunch last week. Service was amazing, welcoming and genuine. As fans of Sporty’s on Como (related ‘dive’) we had to try the Lonely Guy burger to see how it stacked up and we weren’t disappointed. Yummy with just the right amount of garlicky goodness. We had the sweet potato fries that had a beer batter coating, slightly sweet and salty delicious. Tried the round tots, cheesy potato decadence. Very satisfying meal. The wait staff refilled sodas constantly. I’m a fan of this place. upon reflection, going from 4 to 5 stars (thanks for caring, Jackie, the 5^th star is for you)

Good service but the food isn’t that great. Visited with my family on a Sunday afternoon and we got some happy hour apps and shared a few entrees. We had no problem finding a seat during the Vikings game and I was actually surprised at how few people were there for a game day.
Now on to the food:
Corndogs: light crispy batter but way too salty and greasy
Rib tips: not flavorful or tender. Chimichurri sauce was good though
Spicy beef chili: definitely not spicy but good cuts of beef
Crispy fried chicken salad: chicken was cold and dry but the homemade thousand island was tasty
Tator tots: good flavor, weird texture… possibly too much Tator for the tots
Parking is ample. Again, service was good, but the food was just not cutting it. I’d rather go to Applebee’s or Chilis if I’m gonna go down this route for happy hour.

Thought I would try new local place, went on Sunday December 20^th around half time of Vikings game for a quick drink and appetizers. There were around 25 Patrons at the bar, there was 2 bartenders and 4 servers. Figured should be average or better service, had 2 servers walk past me and waited for over 5/​minutes with no one asking us anything, no drink order no one giving us a menu. We left and went to a different bar and was served immediately.

Tried to go at 9:20PM on a Wednesday with my family (biological parents!) and we had to leave since I am not 21. What other place that serves food has such rules on a Wednesday night.
In my brief stint (3 minutes long), I felt the place was tight and the atmosphere manufactured and unnatural.

Good first visit and happy to see a brand new place busy. Burgers were good but too much breading on the sweet potatoes fries. Looking forward to a return visit!

I went on opening day. Yeah, I waited too long to get waited on but I get it. Good beer. Kudos to employee Casey… We had a great convo about music. And he told me how great the peanut butter burger was. Next visit should be a 5