Blue Bricks

LMAO at all of the reviews of this place on the internet that say something along the lines of «if it was anywhere else I’d expect more, but for Kato it’s good». This is exactly why you will never have many quality restaurants in Kato. That being said, the food here is usually pretty good for the bar food it is. The beer selection is fair for a small town bar (cider on tap, decent big name import selection). The service can leave something to be desired, again it’s a college town and it all depends on if the college girl serving you cares enough to provide quality service that day or not… it’s honestly a toss up. The patio is nice and in the summer it’s a cool place to kick back for a few beers and some over priced snacks (again, typical for Kato). Appetizers here are an afterthought, (the open a frozen bag and dump it in the deep fryer type) Entrees aren’t much better… burgers, chicken strips, chicken sandwiches and pizzas. It’s a shame so many places in this town lack the creativity/​knowledge/​experience to actually create a menu from raw ingredients so you can’t just buy the exact same thing next door. Don’t show up expecting anything special here, I am convinced better than 90% of the menu is frozen and straight off of a Sysco food service truck (the only thing I’m not sure are trucked in is the pizzas) which honestly is typical for both the area this restaurant is in and for the whole of Kato save a few real gems.

This is a typical old tavern with lots of historic charm. Very large bar and lots of seating inside and out. Lots of tv’s, pool and space to roam around. Great bartender & attractive servers.
I was really surprised how good the pizza was. It was thin crust, like a fire baked pizza, delicious sauce and tasty toppings. Great place to hang out for a game or relax after work.

Been here numerous times. Buffalo chicken pizza is by far the best menu item. Reasonably priced drinks and good atmosphere.

Blue Bricks has a special place in my heart, since it’s where my husband and I went on our first date. Blue Bricks has been a favorite bar of mine since I was very young, so it’s been on my favorite list for more than 10 years. If you want a fun, very busy place to go late night on Thur, Fri, or Sat, then this is the place. If you’re looking for more quiet and more adults, go a bit earlier and you’ll be fine. It’s a bar that grows with you. :)

This was one of my hangouts in Kato. I was happy when it expanded.
Pluses:
–Great bar food, especially the old standard chicken strips with lightly seasoned fries and honey mustard. Nachos, the Maverick Burger, the Ace of Spades and their buffalo chicken salad are tasty too.
–The Cider beer on tap. Nice if you’re sick of beer or hungover.
— Location. Good place to get your night going. Always people around and the patio is nice.
— Music/​Décor. Love the blues and the photos that compliment the bar’s name.
Minusses:
— The smell. It’s almost worse since the smoking ban.
— The staff. It’s tough to get any service, even when it’s slow. I wish the back bar would just stay open all the time. If you know someone that works there, only go when he or she is working. It helps.

Where would I be without Blue Bricks? I mean I totally miss the old school Don’s Hobby and their creaky floor. Blue Bricks, in my opinion, definitely holds the honor of being able to sustain a business in this memorable building.
The first time I ate here I was a little sketchy about the food just looking at the kitchen. Just a little corner grill not much bigger than what you find in most RV Campers these days. I was completely worried my burger would be this grease riddled slab of tough meat. To my surprise, The Maverick Burger, THE MOST DELICIOUS CONCOCTION TO GRACE MANKIND.
It seems lately that the K-​Town bar scene has become a place for trendy elitist college bar snobs and it’s hard to be able to go to anyone specific establishment and actually enjoy it.
I’ll come to B. Bricks for as long as they’re around, not because they have one or maybe two choices of Oregon beer, but because it’s my version of Cheers. It is most definitely a place where someone there will know my name. No matter how infrequent I actually make it there these days.

I’ve been to Blue Bricks three different times now, with more than a year between the first two times. I find it to be a nice little piece of the city in my home town. It’s a large-​ish establishment which, having been divided into three distinct long and narrow rooms, has managed to retain (at least somewhat) the feeling of a smaller bar.
In addition to that, Blue Bricks has the largest (and by far the best) draft beer menu that I have seen in Mankato, featuring craft beers (including several from Minnesota), as well as imports and domestics. Leinie’s Honey Weiss, Summit Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale, and Boulder Singletrack are a few examples.
The only food I’ve had is the breaded cod sandwich (around $ 7) with onion rings substituted for fries. The sandwich was better than I expect for Mankato, and the beer-​battered onion rings were tasty, too.
Waitstaff has been attentive but not overbearing during all of my visits.
In short, this is a place I would expect more of in the beer & food departments if it were in a larger city, but in Mankato I feel quite comfortable here. Reminds me a little bit of the Old Town Alehouse in Ballard.
But I do wish there were no TV’s behind the bar …