508 Bar & Restaurant

If I rated this place based only on my personal taste, I would give it one star. I am not a fan of sports bars. But it was cold and we needed to eat before seeing a show at First Ave so we stopped in.
It was pretty dead. The service was good, our waitress was quick and kept our drinks filled. The food was mediocre bar food. Not good, not bad. Just what one would expect from a sports bar. Nachos, Thai lettuce wraps, cheese curds. Totally boring and inoffensive.
There is no reason to seek this place out but there is certainly no reason to skip it if you’re hungry or need a drink and it’s before 10pm.

Doorman outside was EXTREMELY rude. Basically accosted my boyfriend because he was wearing a baseball hat & accused him of trying to sneak by with it on… Uhhhhm, excuse me? We were from out of town & nowhere was posted that baseball caps weren’t allowed. I definitely got the vibe that if anyone else in our group (white) had been wearing a baseball hat it wouldn’t of been an issue. But because my boyfriend is black, it’s a problem. Absolutely ridiculous. The only reason we continued with going in after the way we were treated outside was because the Oregon game was on in OT & we didn’t want to risk missing it.

Great place to hang out and watch a game, especially if you’re going to watch the Twins, Wolves, Wisconsin (it’s a Wisconsin bar) or Marquette. Here’s my take
Food — Great buffalo chicken wontons. Could eat them everyday. Served on a bed of slaw. They don’t over saturate them with buffalo sauce, and they’re not overly deep fried either. Good beer selection, too. Probably a good 20+ beers on tap with 2 bars in the basement and one upstairs.
Atmosphere — fun atmosphere, ample space to watch most sporting events, and the staff are pretty good. I’ve had some on point waiters and some off the mark waiters, too. The ones who weren’t as good were during large Wisconsin gatherings, so I’ll chalk some of that up to the size of the event (150+ people in the basement). The scene changes at night on the weekends and becomes more of a club which is cool if that’s your scene. Being a married man, I’m not really scoping the field anymore. Fun times though! DJ’s have been good.
Pricing — reasonable. The buffalo chicken wontons will run you about $ 12. Add a beer for 5 – 8 bucks, and it’s pretty comparable to most downtown bars.
Overall — great bar for a laid back time with friends and family for a ball game, or if you wanna get turnt up late on a weekend.

I went up to the bar asked for a red bull and this bartender asked me to show him my breast for a free drink. This is absolutely disrespectful and it ruined the bar’s reputation for me and my friends.

I always enjoy dancing here over places like Aqua. One time I lost my wallet there and the manager found me on Facebook to let me know they found it! Good people.

Good lunch spot for a middle-​of-​the-​day break, or if you’re walking over to Target Field or the Target Center for an event.
I stopped in for a work break, and found myself to be the only person at the bar with Jade taking my order. I went for their Reuben sandwich, a side of tater tots, and a Surly Hell beer. The reuben was good, the tater tots were better, and Jade took note of the fact that I was working while at the bar, so she minimized interruptions but always kept an eye out to be sure that I wasn’t left hanging. About the only thing I couldn’t understand was that I was charged for a side of mayo for the tots, but it didn’t break the bank.
As convenient as it was to me, I stopped in again for a take-​away lunch order. Their Juicy Louie is quite good, as are their cheese curds.
They also participate in the Skymiles Dining program, so every dollar you spend here can earn you up to 5 Delta Skymiles — definite win. All said — it’s not a spot I’d rush back to, but it’s a spot that’s convenient enough that I’d likely stop back in sometime.

Wasn’t great. Wasn’t bad. The place looks great in terms of the décor and the waitress we had was nice but the food isn’t anything special sad to say. The wild rice soup was good but the bacon isn’t needed just added a weird flavor and it felt kind of greasy. I love Cuban sandwiches so I was pleased to see one. The bread they use leaves the sandwich testing drier than it should. The fries on the other hand are hand cut and tasted pretty good with the garlic herb blend. My husband loves onion rings but the ones there didn’t fly with him. He had the buffalo chicken sandwich and was indifferent about it. Again the food isn’t bad it’s just nothing special and I hate saying that :(

Stopped by 508 on a Saturday night (in town on vacation) and had a mixed experience. This is very much the 20-​something hangout. Know that going in to it. Just like other reviewers, it’s bachelorette party central and home to «throwback» beats from 2006. Don’t want that vibe? Stay upstairs at the bar. Way more chill.
Entry was easy as the line hadn’t started yet. Looking through reviews I’m a little surprised we weren’t «flagged» for not being «dressy» enough, but it was earlier in the night so I think we missed a couple points where others have knocked this place.
Food: We sat at the bar and ordered a Chippers dessert (platter of cookies!). The cookies took more than 30 minutes to come out and I felt like a jerk having to ask the bartender where they were. But when they came, they were clearly fresh-​baked and delicious. Maybe just a note to the customer that they’ll take a little longer because they are actually baking them there. I assumed it would be some homemade (prior-​baked) cookies. My bad.
The great: our bartender, a guy whose name I never got, made one of the best drinks I’ve had. And I’ve had plenty. He was friendly and relaxed and make one hell of a drink. He actually made my night, so thanks for that!
All in all, I think it was our bartender who made the experience. I don’t believe I’d be giving 4 stars for a club-​meets-​restaurant packed with obnoxious drunk college kids. Go have a drink. Grab some food if you have time and then bust a move somewhere less «clubby.»

DO NOT COME HERE FOR HAPPY HOUR! So I found out about this place through the happy hour app. I come here and I order my beer and water and say I’m sitting on the patio area. I bring my beer and water outside and I never saw a waiter since. I understand it’s a 3pm on Friday but don’t have a happy hour if you aren’t going to attend to people who show up and spend money. I went back to the bar to order and bring my own beer out again, this time two beers. The inside bar said he would send a waitress out and still no service. Like wtf bruh! Either properly staff your restaurant during the day or change the hours! This is ridiculously infuriating! I was at the restaurant for over 30 mins and the crowd was thin at best!

Great dance floor n a little expensive drinks. The people and crowd are cool and the music rocks

The times I have tried the food it was average, perhaps because when i ordered it was around 930pm and the cooks we’re ready to end their day? The bartenders don’t seem to enjoy taking food orders as well, which is odd coming from the upstairs portion which is primarily the restaurant portion.
Downstairs it is very large and very open. But it does fill up quick at night so don’t be fooled. The service was always good, the bartenders are polite and don’t seem to pick favorites.
The negatives, whoever is the House DJ I have given a nickname for…‘OCDJ.’ He can’t seem to figure out what the hell he wants to do half of the time, so instead he will play the first minute of every song and then hit the transition button and move onto the next one, exactly when you are trying to get into the current.
Also, since it is a basement bar and it gets very packed. Its hard to ignore the smell that always arises when too many people are dancing in an area with little ventilation.

Cheap drink specials, walking distance from all the U’s sports complexes, lots of seating and a kitchen open late mean’s this place is the definition of A-​OK in my book.
A friend had to wait for me after I was covering an event, so she headed here and got to watch some NHL while nursing a few beers. I ordered some nachos and one beer, she had like 4 beers and my bill was bigger than hers (not by much). That’s some hella cheap beer.
It’s exactly what you think it is and it serves you well in that capacity. Mission accomplished.

Very rude. Waited standing at the bar for 20 min. Never did get a beer. Will never return

The buffalo chicken wontons were delicious!!! Had the Jucy Lucy and it was very good. Girlfriend had the pulled pork and also loved it. The herb fries were a nice change from traditional fries but they could be better. Overall, great experience. Waitress was great and very fast even though it was busy. We came the night Kevin Garnett arrived back with the Timberwolves so the place was packed.

Don’t listen to the negative reviews, this place is awesome! Great selection of beers on tap (25ish). They had one of my favorite beers on tap, Bells Hopslam! Definitely come before 6:30pm for happy hour $ 3 Dom taps, $ 4 craft taps, and $ 3 off some great tasting appetizers. I’ll be stopping by here again fo sho!

I’ve had nothing but good experiences at 508 the few times I’ve been there. It’s perfect for casual drinks downtown during the week. Otherwise I have also been there on a Saturday night, and on Halloween night. They open up the basement On weekend nights and hire a live DJ. Plenty of space for dancing, fun atmosphere, drinks that don’t break bank, no cover, and a short line if any. I don’t know why I’ve been going to pour house for so long, waiting in long lines and paying a cover charge.
The upstairs is much smaller, they offer booths and high top tables for dining. Good tap beer selection behind a beautiful bar. The atmosphere was rustic yet modern and very inviting. During a weeknight I came in while bar hopping around the city. We decided to stay at 508 after going to one other bar because it was freezing out but more so we were enjoying ourselves so much there. We didn’t get to explore the menu outside of the appetizers (appetizers were $ 3 off during happy hour). We ordered nachos with pulled chicken which were pretty solid. Definitely not the best nachos I’ve had in my life, but far from the worst. I would love to come back and try some entrée’s. 508 is quickly becoming one of my favorite bars downtown.

I’m going to preface this review by saying that I don’t go here to «party.» I have ended up here a few times for a bachelorette party and it’s like every other bar/​club in downtown Minneapolis on a weekend — a shit show. I’m not judging the 508 based on that.
I have been here at least 10 times with my husband and different groups of friends before various sporting events or a show at 1^st Avenue. We will always suggest 508 because the food is two steps above the average bar food. We. We usually stop in for drinks and appetizers. I feel like this is the way to go with the 508 — the hummus appetizer is great, as are the flatbreads. The entrees tend to be underwhelming.
The tap list is above average for this part of downtown and they have a really good happy hour. 508 will continue to be one of our go-​to spots in downtown Minneapolis!

The last time I stepped foot in 508, I was in my early twenties, from «California,» sorta dating this cute sorority girl from Alpha-​something something at UW-​Madison, and visiting the Twin Cities during the Winter holidays. As a young-​gun, I tried to werk (work) it at clubs every weekend, and I admit, I’ve spent a few stupid nights at 508 booty-​shaking with rhythmless women that wore high heels so large that they made themselves look like they played the two position (shooting guard) for the Minnesota Lynx. Have you ever tried putting your arms around a girl that’s a foot taller than you? I have and it’s not easy, yo. #goodtimes
A decade later, I roll with a serious boo/​potential future wifey and spend a shameful number of hours burning my retinas watching Netflix instead of partying and slamming drinks. Yet, the universe has magically guided me back to this dank basement for my 10-​Year high school reunion. What are the f****** chances of that happening? Pretty slim, really.
And about my reunion, some things from high school apparently do not change:
–Cliques still remain like that scar you got from hella scraping your knee while running on that blacktop during recess in middle school.
–Awkwardness, in all its forms, still looms like a smelly fart in a poorly ventilated room. Thanks for that nasty-​assness, Jacob L…
–No one gained like 100 pounds (everyone surprisingly looks pretty much the same). Damn you, Showtime movies. Damn you.
Like my high school reunion, 508 hasn’t changed a bit, either:
–There are still some hits and misses with the food. For example, they have pretty decent pulled meats, but they use grocery store buns. Not so great quesadillas.
–It seems like almost every girl that’s about to get married drops by 508 for her bachelorette party. On Saturday, I had this girl drunkenly murmur to me, «I’m frommmmm Manitoba. Would you like to danceeeeeeee with me?» I replied, «Yo, I’m cool. Thanks, though.» I’m pretty sure I met a girl from Manitoba a decade ago. It’s totally possible, it’s the same girl. However, she would’ve been, like, 15 back then, so probably not.
–Drinks are cheap, but they won’t get you drunk. I’m not sure how many rum and cokes and glasses of white wine I downed –perhaps six or seven total– within a three-​hour span, but it was a lot. (How else are you supposed to navigate through awkward moments without any liquor?) Despite my attempt to become inebriated, sadly, I could still read and text messages on my HTC One and order a Lyft back home. This is also coming from a lightweight. And by lightweight, I mean my mom can drink me under the table.
–The music is either really dope or super whack. In other words, one night you may have the pleasure being serenaded by R-Kelly’s «Bump and Grind» followed by amazing slow-​jam after amazing slow-​jam, or have your ears bleed by listening to five electronic remixes of some N-​Sync song that never was relevant in the first place. Nevertheless an electronic remix… (BTW, I think I saw Joey Fatone –Googled his name, k?- on an infomercial now. Wow, times are rough.) Like the Vikings’ quarterback situation, you never know what’s going to happen. Seriously, f******* Josh Freeman starting at quarterback for our game versus the Giants? WTF.
All-​in-​all, 508, like my high school reunion, was neither absolutely awesome nor abhorrently awful. Although, I would consider giving half a star (if I could) because I haven’t heard Juvenille’s «Back Dat Azz Up» in, like, foreverrrrr.

The food is good. The drinks are reasonably priced. There’s a large dance floor. This is also apparently the Official Bar of Wisconsin Fans, so that’s cool (if you’re a Badger fan).
I have to preface this review with a little story: in college there was a bar that was your typical last-​stop-​before-​last-​call, drunken, sloppy, occasional-​stabbings-​type bar called Schyde’s. Lots of sexual harassment, unwanted grabbing, people passed out, people doing inappropriate things in public restrooms, etc. It has become my consistent standard for whether a bar is terrible or not. (E.g. «At least it’s cleaner than Schyde’s!» or «It’s like Schyde’s, but with foam.»)
So when I hit up the 508 most recently after 11 pm (my first time coming this late at night on a weekend) the first thing I texted my husband was that it was «Schyde’s-adjacent.» Really disappointing. We had to wait outside in the cold for nearly an hour (with the other members of a small bachelorette party I was attending and at least 50 other people that the bar inexplicably wasn’t letting in), watching approximately 500 heartbroken Badger fans – several so drunk that they literally toppled out of the door and fell down into the street – stream out of the bar like it was a clown car (it was the night Wisconsin lost to Kentucky in the Final Four).
And once we got in it was deeply disappointing. The service was good, and the drinks were fine, as always – but wow. So packed and sweaty on the dance floor that you couldn’t move. So much unwanted grabbing. Had to knee a guy in the groin. A friend had to body check another guy. People (not uniformly young people, either) sloppily making out all over the place.
So I guess the moral here is that I’ll return during the day, or at least before the late-​late-​night crowd arrives, but either watching trashed 22-​year-​olds barf on the stairs while fending off uninvited groping was never fun, or I’m too old for this scene now.

*Review only pertains to the late night dance floor.
Pretty solid dj’ing here, but don’t expect to do much dancing. The dance floor is densely packed with bodies to the extent that you cannot move your appendages but are forced to stand in place with your arms glued to your sides. And, if you’re small, there is a likelihood that you can get swept away by the motion of the masses coming and going and pushing their way through the crowd. The demographics skew young and immature.