Turf Club

Great brunch selections, very good service.

This place is very solidly in my heart. I’m grateful for the incredible bands I have been able to see over the years at a reasonable ticket price and not too far from home. I love that you let us go downstairs to line up now!!! Please keep doing that!

Came in on a Saturday morning for the cartoon bunch. The Agressive Burrito was very good. Huevos Rancheros was good as well. But the shining star of our brunch was our server, Ashley.

Literally my new favorite place in Saint Paul. Most relaxed environment I’ve ever been too here! Mature crowd but knows how to have fun and the staff is exactly what I’ve been looking for in life ha.
My girlfriend and I were celebrating her 21^st bday week and happened to run across a «TheHoodInternet» show playing here. Were it not for that show I don’t know that I would have ever heard of this place; however, I’m super excited that I did.
The evening started off kinda rough but as soon as STV SLV came out the vibe was there and it was apparent.
Show was great, intimate stage setting, love this f****ng bar!
¹⁰⁄₁₀ — will go again

Great place to see a show and take in some music history. Terrible brunch stop. The «aggressive breakfast burrito» was so freaking tame, bland. Get a new chef or nix this shark jump turf!

This is a really great venue for a variety of reasons — there’s free parking out back, the acoustics are pretty great, the food is delicious, and there’s actual seating during the show.
My roommate and I went here to see Communist Daughter recently. Our waiter was pretty great, but when time came to order at the bar, one of the bartender’s was not giving the best customer service — not only to me, but also to two ladies up at the bar. After overhearing the way he addressed me, they told me he was rude to them the entire evening as well. This is my only reason for not giving Turf Club 5 stars.

I came here for brunch because I had a groupon, and I left blown away.
Outside the signs boast about the restaurant’s storied history, something about this place being the true gem of the 1940s. Inside, you’re punched in the face with that awesome retro feel. On my Saturday brunch visit they were putting on «tunes and toons,» a vinyl DJ mixing retro music to classic cartoons. How cool is that?
I ordered a Bloody Mary, the grilled cheese, and the breakfast tacos. Incredible. I’m no bloody connoisseur but it was good stuff. Now I am a bit of a grilled cheese connoisseur, and this was one of the best I’ve seen. Gobs of stringy cheese, thick golden crunchy toast, with a side of an incredible tomato soup. The breakfast tacos were the recommendation of our waitress, and they may have even topped the amazing grill cheese. Just delicious all around.
Don’t be fooled by the outside or the part of town. This truly is a gem serving up awesome food.

Fun little spot for brunch! Always have something different happening via Facebook. Jazz Brunch on V-​Day did not disappoint! Good basic brunch food. Tasty bloodies. Service was crazy slow when I was there but most likely due to understaffing. They were completely packed and I only saw one poor waitress for the entire place. She was very friendly and I still had a great time. I’ll be back for sure :)

If you’re heading out to the jazz brunch, don’t go on an empty stomach. It’s a popular destination and you’ll be waiting awhile for your food since it’s a small kitchen working with a large crowd. The options on menu are really creative and interesting so it’s not just pancakes/​toast/​eggs and the breakfast tacos came highly recommended. If you do, get the crema on the side. My tacos were doused in it and despite all the ingredients in the shell, you could only taste the sauce. The eggs were good, but you want to taste your food, not the textures. I’d like to check out the rest of the menu when I’m back and the jazz band put on a nice show.

My first and last trip to Turf Club was tonight. Went to meet my friends and see Charlie Parr perform. After having a beer and ordered food I was getting warm in my jacket so I set it on some chairs up at the front of the place near the stage. I was quickly asked by one of the waiters if I had a bracelet which is apparently for the performers only. I told him I did not and he was very angry that I had left my jacket in an area only for performers. I told him I did not know this rule and he said there was coat check downstairs (did not know this either since it was my first trip to Turf Club. He was treating me with zero respect and was very upset so I said to him «Screw You» and then he threw me out of the restaurant. First time ever!
At this point I was happy to leave as he treated my like dirt. Not the kind of treatment I am accustomed to in a restaurant. Won’t be back. I ordered food and paid for it but did not get to eat it so can’t give you a review on the food. Liked the bartender as she was very nice and courteous. I would give this place a zero out of 100.
Hope my buddies liked Charlie Parr. :-)

Went to the cartoon brunch Jan 9^th late morning. Full house. They had a terrible time finding the tables the orders went to. I got my order waaaaay before the rest of my table did. Found out they brought the wrong order to our table. They seemed to just wander around asking who ordered what. They may want to number their tables for reference. I ordered the huevos rancheros which were pretty tasty. The coffee was nice and strong. The cartoons were an after thought on screens to the left side of the room, not sure what I expected, but wasn’t impressed. Will probably just stick to music here.

So boys and girls, it has been a while since I last wrote you but this past weekend I had an experience that cries out to be shared.
Some friends of mine and I went down to see this crazy band at the Turf club and let me tell you, crazy is what we got!
1. The Turf– Food
2. Hastings 3000– Music
3. Metalachi– Music
1. The Turf club… It has been a decade since I last darkened the doorstep of this bar and now I know it was a good thing. It has gone from what was once a hardcore alt bar to an uppity hipster bar full of people pretending to be a hell of a lot cooler than they really are with dam rude bartenders who cut attitude when you question whither their diet coke mix is a little off.
Looking for some food before the show, we decided to give the menu a try based on the reviews here on Unilocal,and I have to say, i smell some FAKE reviews here folks!
My girlfriend and I decided to split the Baja Burger $ 11 with fries an xtra $ 2.50: What we got was a tasteless meat ball of a hand pressed patty on a bun that was way to big. I think if they want to be in the thick burger market they need to check out Five Guys to learn how it is done correctly. The Poblano was MIA and I think the mayo was the greasy spot on the top of the bun since I had to resort to using the mayo I got for my fires to add some zest to the disappointment.
My friend and his wife ordered the Chicken Biscuit sliders which for $ 7.50 looked like a couple of old biscuits with a tiny portion of chicken and some butter… really, for $ 7.50? To accompany this they got the Cayenne Cheese Curds which were nothing more than bad cheese curds out of a bag with a pepper seasoning sprinkled on. Another $ 8 wasted.
So as far as the food goes at the Turf…1 star.
2. Hastings 3000
The opening act was this One Man show (which was really one man with a hot blond on drums) called Hastings 3000. This guy was supposed to be as I would describe it an attempt at 70s Punk Electro Rock Performance Art. Sadly what we got was an unoriginal, amateurish waste of our time. Some needs to pull him aside and let him know there is another artist called, Beck, and he has been doing for 20+ years what H3K is trying to do, and doing better than he could ever hope to.
He opened with a cliché move of appearing on the bar and walking its length wailing on his guitar like he thought he was Eddie Van Halen. He did do his one pretty cool song «Speed of Light» but ended his massive 4 song set with the cliché move of playing his way out the front door to leave his blond drummer alone on the stage to improvise some sort of tantrum over his departure. Turning to his blond drummer, had she not been really hot, especially when she was gratuitously bending over to show off her tight little bottom in very short shorts as she helped set up the drum set, I would not have so willing to have sat through her banging on the drums like she thought she was female drummer from Scott Pilgrim VS the World. Although Sex Bob-​Omb is way cooler than anything that was played during the H3K set.
And did I mention the 4 song set? That was due to the fact this guy took the stage 45 minutes late! Now I am all down for a band being late to the stage, but who the H**L does this guy think he is, Axl Rose? Nope, just some dude in a gas-​mask.
What really pissed me off was the fact that this guy was banging around the bar when we walked through he door at 8:15 but still managed to take the stage a full 45 minutes late at 9:45 forcing the staff I suspect to cut his set down to ONLY 4 songs. Thank God for that.
My advice to you if you see Hastings 3000 on a bill… Find something else to do that night.
3. As for the real reason we went to the Turf, Metalachi. This is a Mariachi band out of LA that only covers Heavy Metal bands. That’s right, you heard me, a Mariachi band that only plays Metal Covers.
They took the stage only 15 minutes late and tore the roof off of the Turf club for nearly 2 hrs with their covers of metal icons like Dio, Ozzy, Metallica, AC/​DC, and Motorhead to name a few. Their original spin on traditional metal combined with their crowd friendly on-​stage antics made for an unforgettable night.
I was horse the next day from all the hollering and screaming as the WHOLE bar partied along with these mad men of mariachi…
If they ever return to MN and you get a chance, you are crazy not to spend a couple of hours with Metalachi.
With that said, Metalachi is the only reason this is not a 1 Star review.

Best venue. Best photo booth. And now great food! Try the Artichoke & Spinach Dip or Crawfish Mac n Cheese!

Headed there tonight to see the Eagle Rock Gospel Singers!
Here from Jacksonville, Florida. Should be a great show:)

We first checked out the Turf Club brunch on a Groupon, but we’ve been back several times. The food is yummy (we typically go for the french toast and/​or biscuits and gravy) and they make a really good Bloody Mary. The service is also really good — friendly and attentive.

Amazing food! We had brunch there and seriously got an insane amount of bang for our buck!
I had the eggs on top of sweet potatoes and veggies and it was soooo good! It tasted like something you would pay 25 dollars for at a café.
We are gonna go back for lunch for sure bc the guy one table had a burger and it look OUTTA CONTROL!
Pumped!

I’ve only been to this place for brunch except for one late night outing. The brunch is great and the staff was attentive. It did take quite a long time for our food to come out… Overall cool atmosphere

We bought a Groupon for the Turf Club, used it yesterday and are very pleased with the food and service. My hubby ordered the Turf Club sandwich, I ordered a special Club sliders with smoked thick cut bacon. Both were the best we’ve ever had and had a tasty special sauce, the Turf had roasted red peppers, which added a great flavor and kicked up a plain old club a couple notches; potato salad was good but cayenne pepper on top was too hot for me so our they subbed some delish tutor tots.
The service was EXCEPTIONAL; we had a very friendly guy who even offered us complimentary tickets for the concert that night. Food came quickly and it was a fun Saturday afternoon for us.
The restaurant was clean and seriously, they offered better service than even high-​end restaurants!
We’ll be going back to try the brunch.

Good food great little bar with good food and good service. Had the Turf Burger in recognition of Burger Day. I was pleasantly surprised. I added the side of potato salad and found it to be fantastic. I wii for sure return to this establishment and look forward to sampling more of their culinary delights. Did I mention they have a Deschutes Brewery tap on hand.

apparently, there’s two kinds of bloody mary’s, ask for the «house mix» version. the other one is good but definitely #2

Man I want to love the Turf Club on Sundays for brunch but strike two.

I’ve been going to shows for years and I don’t know why I haven’t been here sooner! We saw a live show of one of our fave bands from London, England last weds night. It was perfect. The staff was VERY friendly at the door, which is unusual for a lot of big clubs in the cities. The bar staff was phenomenal and made a good drink for very inexpensive. The sound quality wAs superb and that is something that I hold in high regard having grown up in a highly musical family.
It was not overcrowded and we were able to get to the squeaky clean bathrooms and close to the stage with ease! I felt like a VIP! We were in such a laid back environment for a band that sells out shows in Europe that we even got to meet some band me members casually hanging right outside the front door! Can’t wait to see more shows here! Ya baby!

We went to the Turf Club to see an amazing band called Cactus Blossoms. Unfortunately, their website said 8:00 pm music (which was inaccurate); their ticketing website said 9:00 pm with some act named Sam Houston (which would mean the main act would start at 10 pm, presumably). Nope. Some acoustic crappy artist played at 9 (which wasn’t listed at all on any of the billings). Then the opening act at 10, which was decent quality. Still waiting for the main act and it’s almost 11:00 pm. Here’s a thought: put accurate information on your website. If the main act isn’t scheduled to perform until 11 pm, you may want to allude to that in sone of your communications. Very poor marketing on the Turf Club’s part.

My wife and I had a $ 30 Groupon, so we had to use it up on a Sunday before it expired.
It is kind of divey looking inside with a small stage inside which is pretty awesome on the weekend, but this was for food and drinks.
I ordered an Indeed IPA to start out as we perused the big menu. I went for the veggie burger with a fried egg on top. Spectacular. I love fresh made veggie burgers and the egg juice that exploded on top was a great touch. The bun was fresh and perfectly toasted as I ordered a bloody mary and a Surly Furious to finish off the Groupon value. All of it was fantastic. The Bloody Mary wasn’t too spicy, but pretty light on the booze, and of course the Surly Furious was A+ as always.
The service was pretty slow, but if it wasn’t for that, the food was by far a 4 star place and the beer selection was solid.
My wife and I had lots of laughs, and it was a nice brunch on a lazy Sunday.

This review is based on their food at lunch time. In case you weren’t aware, since the takeover by the First Ave folks, they now have full kitchen service.
I work across the street from the Turf, and everything I’ve heard from coworkers who’ve stopped in for lunch, dinner and happy hour has been good.
This week, two of us stopped in on a Tuesday a little after noon. There were only about two other people in the place, which is a shame. I had the Turf Club sandwich, which is exactly that — a club sandwich. Very tasty! Excellent bacon, the bread was toasted just right, and the red bell pepper and seasoned mayo gave it enough zest to rise above what you might expect from a club sandwich. My coworker had the Turf burger which he said was also very good. Their burgers are half-​pounders, so you get good bang for your buck. I’ve also heard good things about the Breakfast burger.
The ambiance is still a bit divey, as intended, but the place looks nice now and the music is cool and not too loud to have a conversation. The staff has always been great too. Although when I’ve been there they haven’t had very much to do!
I’m really hoping their food offerings get better known. It’s a great option for lunch or dinner if you’re in the neighborhood. Don’t forget the great beer selection either!

Love the menu! A nice vegetarian selection. Amazing breakfast. Ginger maple syrup is to die for. Red beans and rice were a particularly pleasant surprise.
Great southern flair without being too greasy, salty and sweet.

1 Star for its rude staff. I get it this place is for the «too cool» crowd but your front of house of staff who greets people doesn’t need to pull that attitude. Music should be an inclusive experience and when you’re given a less than friendly greeting at the door, it doesn’t start your experience off right.
3 Stars because it’s a nice venue for a more intimate music experience of up and coming bands or veteran bands doing something special. It’s LOUD so prepare for some ringing in your ears after. Once you’re near the stage and the crowd fills in, it’s tough to get back to the bar to refill.

God I love the people at the Turf Club.

Let me start by saying that as a music venue, I do like the Turf Club quite a bit. But as a restaurant I’m not impressed at all. I went for brunch with sister and neither of us was thrilled with our meal. I had the brunch burger and it tasted like plain ground beef with some cheese in the middle. I can do that at home for less money. My sister liked the bloodys but I wasn’t a fan.
I’d heard a lot of positive things about the new TC kitchen so gave it a shot but wouldn’t go back for food. But I’ll go there for a show anytime.

This is a review of the new remodel that was obviously pulled off by someone with bad taste.
First the positives: the bathrooms are nice, beer selection good, able to handle bigger crowds.
The bad: a corporation came in and stripped the Turf club of nearly all its rare old retro character. They left the iconic ceiling fixtures (not backlit like they always were), but tore up the flat ceiling, which must be part of the horrible acoustics I heard last night (maybe the speakers too?).
The clown lounge is a disgrace — they left the wood paneling and put up some generic clown pictures on the wall. Pretty sad if you remember how incredibly unique the «clown lounge» once was, even the last «up-​north» cabin theme had heaps more character, why they even bothered to change is beyond me. Upstairs, every inch of the place is flooded with generic can lights. Please… I felt like I was getting an FBI interrogation upstairs. I’m starting to think the retro character has no place in the future after seeing this and Bedlam’s new theater. They have the huge sign on the wall «Best remnant of the 40’s» — seriously, after this remodel, you put that front and center? I hope someone from First Avenue (new owner), with taste and class, at least changes the lighting, works on the acoustics, and gets the basement lounge back to the funky place it used to.