Amsterdam Bar & Hall

Lots of shows and events, but don’t plan on drinking of you go. My boyfriend and I ordered a tap beer and a cocktail last night… 20 $!

This place has great drinks, service and live acts. They have a wide selection of gin and gin flights are available. I have not tried the food there, yet.

Awesome atmosphere!!! Love this place. Live music available. Rocky the bartender is one of the best I’ve seen

This place is amazing for the trivia brunch alone, butterkoeken and $ 4 coffee presses abound, but the XX Breakfast and top notch happy hour bring this into 5 star, absolutely-​never-​say-​no-​to-​coming-​here territory.
So first, every Sunday at noon, there’s Trivia Brunch, which combines two of Earth’s best things: Trivia and Brunch. You can get, as I said, a tall coffee press with delectable sweets for just $ 4, and it’s actually good coffee, not cheap diner swill which I affectionately guzzle at Waffle House down south, it’s actually tasty. They offer a wide range of breakfast menus with crispy hash browns, crisp bacon, eggs, and even a few vegetarian or vegan options.
The happy hour is awesome too, though. $ 6 mussels, cheap apps, great little bar sandwiches, and booze prices that I’d go gaga over if I still drank often. Any time before 6 on a weekday will be a real value of a splurge.
Bonus points for super awesome staff and great ambience. I can’t wait to check a show out here.

Stopped in for a late breakfast. Ordered one of their hash meals and it was fantastic. I love the openers of this place. It is dark which I also love. I would return here anytime am in the area. Love it.

Great live music on Saturday night, (5 stars)
Beer selection was ok (3 stars)
Service (no stars)
Waitress very attentive to surrounding tables, but the told us we had only ‘bar service’ for us. She continued to help everyone else, we had to go to the bar.

Finally found my way to Amsterdam and I’m glad I didn’t go out of my way previously because it’s certainly not worth it.
Dingy, divey place with no host, waiters, or hospitality.
We had brunch on the weekend. The bartender was an aloof bearded hipster. There’s no waitress or waiter, so any time you want to order a drink or meal, you have to get up and line up at the bar to make your order.
If you order the Bloody Mary, they force you to make it yourself. I can see how some hippie people might find that «charming», but puh-​lease, that’s the bartender’s job, not mine.
The Himalayan Cream sounded good on paper on their menu, but was really basic and plain in presentation and taste. The «Savory» dutch babies was tasty but not very filling if you’re super hungry.
Anyway, since we served ourselves, didn’t make any sense to dole out tip for the non-​existent service. Absolutely no desire or reason to return here.

Loved the atmosphere and the food was delicious and inexpensive. We went there before the opera at the Ordway — simple, short walk to the theater.

As a ½ dutch person, I am slightly biased regarding the food here. That said, this place is as close as I can get to dutch bar/​snack shop food without flying to Amsterdam. I was very pleased with everything I have tasted here on the various occasions I have dropped in. My only pecadillo would be that bitterballen offers should include the option of always having the traditional style (meat paste) available in addition to any creative riffs on bitterballen. I have been here several times and I have yet to be able to get traditional bitterballen. The creative bitterballen have always been good, however.
The frites are not to be missed. Every type of frites I have ever seen in the Netherlands is available here… well played Amsterdam Bar & Hall, well played. The only typical dutch thing I haven’t seen on the menu is whole herring with onions… I am sure that these could be procured from coastal seafoods in season ;-)
The genever choices are, outside of the Netherlands, stunning. Where they get some of their booze, I have no idea. The beer selection is also quite good.
I would take issue with the characterization that this place isn’t for kids. I would say that it depends on the time of night. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to bring kids here for early (before 6:30) dinner times. When we came early with our kids and our friends’ kids, the waitstaff were attentive and very nice. We saw a few other families as well.

Went here on a Monday night for trivia… cool place! The frites with an assortment of sauces are a great appetizer along with a 2 for 1 happy hour special. Right before trivia, there was a speaker on the other side of the restaurant, and it seems like there are quite a few events like this throughout the month. It’s a casual place with friendly servers and bartenders. Trivia brought in work groups and friend groups alike, both young and old. A fun time to be had by all!

Deschutes Black Butte Porter on Tap — hell yes! I walked in here on Thanksgiving eve and caught the end of a «MOTH» short story competition. It was interesting.
One lady told a story about herself and her lesbian friend on a trip to Libya. They helped celebrate the 10^th anniversary of Muammar Gaddafi with Manuel Noriega at a parade. Or so she says.
Anywho, there was a DJ later in the night. Not a bad place to grab a drink.

The bartender was GREAT, the hash sucked. french press was decaf. trivia was unreal hard we gave up after two questions, you can’t expect people to know that shit.
side note: Beets in the bloody mary were BOMBDIZZLE.

I was driving around looking for a lunch spot I haven’t been to before. I was giving up when I make a turn and there was a parking spot in front. Mind you it was on the left side one way, so 10 minutes later I’m parked close enough to the curb. One guy stopped for a light was giving me instructions, it was such a sorry sight. It was around noon and not many people inside this dark atmosphere. I took a seat where I spotted some light to read. I don’t usually get pork but it seemed appealing on the funny menu. Appealing it was, shredded with a light herbal mayo base made it perfect. I had a salad as the side with a house blue cheese. I don’t think they do soup here. I bet it’s a blast when it comes alive at night, but for lunch it’s peaceful and the food is delicious. The iced tea is from the gun, but surprising to both me and the server, who was awesome, they have raw sugar. Gotta get back there.

The food is a four star rating for me — I’m a fan of the veggie sandwiches and love their fries, and it’s all reasonably priced. But the service here has been consistently poor to middling. At worst, I’ve had my order given to another table, and when we asked the waitress to check on our food, she must not have. We had to ask again later and then she realized the mistake. Took us more than 90 minutes to actually get our food. Second worst was having to actually get up and chase down the waitress because she brought us our food but never our drinks. Which gets at the more common issue that I have at least half the time I’m here — I can’t get the staff’s attention when I need it. Really frustrating. Now that I don’t do trivia anymore, I can’t imagine putting up with that frustration to get the food. It’s good, but not worth the hassle.

Stopped in for some brunch today. We were running with a big group planning on celebrating a bday with a bar crawl down the light rail. This was the first stop and it was perfect. It wasn’t busy so our group of 15 found ample seating in these booths that were practically designed for large loosely affiliated groups.
The brunch menu is simple me and my girl split the Himalayan Crème w bacon and a fried egg and the sweet Dutch Babies. FRICKEN DELISH and perfect fuel for the adventure of our Saturday.

We came here two weeks ago for a SPCO Musician Conversation Chat. Well, parking was simple enough at garage at $ 5 after 4PM. It was a short walk across the train tracks and we were told to find the group in the back. Well, the stage was pretty informal with nice sofas for the host and the musician. Our tables were in front but we decided to sit along the wall with cushioned seats. The high chairs were difficult to get in and out. However, it was a minor detail and not too many people sitting along wall so not a big deal. For food, we settled on the mussels and fries with an interesting dressing. For dessert, we had the pot brownie which was okay. Overall, I loved the mussels and the fries which had a nice touch of wine sauce and dressing respectively. The SPCO interview was more talky with not much to listen and the host talked more over the guest. At least, we had a nice night out to try out this place. Will come here again but probably not for SPCO conversation night.

Amsterdam is a great venue for music. Food and tap selection are awesome!
However, had a bizarre run in with their bartenders. I’m 21+ and ordered fries with a glass of water and pint just fine. Watched an 18+ show, ordered dessert, tried to get a refill on water, and they tried to charge me for water! They didn’t bother trying to help me understand why this was the case, kept reiterating it was $ 2, and then brushed me off when I politely asked for clarification.
I enjoy the music and the venue, but that was just disappointing. Make sure to be in an extra patient mood the next time you visit Amsterdam. You’ll need it.

I ate here on a weekday for lunch so I did not get to experience any live music. The dutch sandwiches are small but really good. The beer selection is nice too. Plenty of European style beers which is a unique twist. I did not feel like I was in Amsterdam 100% because some of the food is run of the mill diner food — but not bad food. The Amsterdam is a real good Downtown St. Paul selection.

Nice intimate venue and great food! I went with the seared pit ham with gouda broodjes. The broodjes are the size of sliders so order accordingly. The Amsterdam frites where amazing, the best fries I’ve ever had. That’s saying a lot considering I sample fries everywhere. They had this spice that made them heavenly. I should be bigger.
Traveling alone for work I tend to sit at the bar for drink and food. The bar service was good and there is a quite an eclectic beer list, some I’ve seen before, some I haven’t; I elected to go for the local brews. Also good. I should be bigger.
Amsterdam, how I wish I’d go to you. Not the restaurant. Though the pot brownie on the dessert menu intrigues me (is pot legal here?).

We stopped here during the St. Paul winter carnival. It was busy so we ended up sitting in the back which was ok. It was very dimly lit, a great selection of beers and cocktails (Danish and more). The food was unique and fun, loved the mussels and little burgers. Will return!

I came back to Amsterdam to kill some time before an event at the Science Museum a few weeks ago and happened to make it during Happy Hour. The website had described it in what seemed straightforward, but our server confused us when she explained it (and then further confused us throughout our time there… there were wooden coins and 2 for $ 5 mix and match things but I still don’t fully understand it). Regardless, some cheap light beers and frites + they had a few other affordable food options including mussels at a discount ($ 5 or $ 6, I believe). We tried those and they weren’t bad, but definitely nothing special. The chunk of bread they were served with was smothered in… a flavored mayo, I believe? Whatever it was, there was way too much of it considering any at all would be overkill. The bread is for dipping in the juices that cooked the mussels! The mayo just made the bread prematurely soggy.
We also had some frites with a few sauces («sauzen») but they just didn’t do it for me like the «oorlog» had last time. However, the price was right and we both filled up on cheap beer, some snacks, and still had a manageable tab when it was time to leave — so I can’t complain too much!
I still want to check this place out for their brunch — but might try another spot next time I’m looking for happy hour in the area.

The Amsterdam Bar & Hall is my favorite casual dining, drinking, and entertainment destination in downtown St Paul. There is always something to see, do, or listen to. The bar ranks among Top 10 in the cities for seeing live music. They also host MOTH storytelling nights each month and THE COMMONS contemporary Christian events on many Sundays.
They have a great selection of international beers and the best selection of Gins. A gin tasting flight includes a collection of three gins and runs you less than purchasing the same number of individual drinks.
The food is comforting. A wide array of exotic slider sandwiches and fries with exotic sauces are featured on the menu. Many vegetarian options. Casual outdoor dining/​drinking area provided.

There are a lot of great things about the bar.
— Staff is friendly, easy going, knows the difference between the regulars and the plebs, but doesn’t make a big deal about it.
— I adore the owner. Such a nice man.
— The music is varied and well curated. It was how I came to find the Jack Brass Band. Totally worth seeking them out and they play there regularly.
— Having an event space in downtown Saint Paul is so great. The Moth does stuff there all the time and last week I went to the I Am Saint Paul event which was packed with a bunch of people from Minneapolis.
— It’s been a tradition for my partner and I to go to Amsterdam each Thanksgiving for the last three years. It’s been super fun to see how many more people are going there each year. The first year I think it was just the two of us and a server from Faces (a probably soon-​to-​be-​dead bar in the area).
But, what I’d like to talk about (and what made me finally write a review of one of my favorite places) is a sandwich I had during the I AM Saint Paul event. Ho. Ly. Shit. I can’t stop thinking about it. I want one now, but it’s 10 AM on a Sunday and I can’t. So, I’ll write about it instead.
It’s called a bamihap and it can be found in the Broojdes section. Just hidden away in the middle of all the other sandwiches minding it’s own business. Essentially, bamihap is a deep fried ball of noodles on bread. But that is like saying sex is the act of procreation. It’s *basically* right, but misses the point. It has a drizzle of spicy sauce that elevates the flavor of everything around it. On top of all that, it has shredded carrots and jalapeño. I’ve been fantasizing about all the ways I’m going to eat this sandwich the next time I’m there. It’s spicy and hot and crunchy and fresh all mixed in together. It’s the best new sandwich I’ve had this year. Hands down.
I’m not messing around here. Everyone needs to try this sandwich. Plus, it’s vegetarian! Yes, it’s fried carbs in carbs on carbs, but vegetarian is healthy, right?

I was pretty impressed by Amsterdam after my first experience. As previous reviews indicate, they host lots of shows. Often that means music, but I was here for The Moth storytelling event. The physical space of the venue was perfect, and the service was great.
The beer selection was pretty impressive, ranging from $ 5-​$ 8. They do have a happy hour (weekdays 2 – 6) that gets you Amstel and Heineken at 2 for $ 5. Beers on tap include a great selection of Belgian style and local craft brews. My one complaint is that the menu doesn’t indicate what type/​size glass various beers are served in, so be sure to ask your bartender so that you don’t accidentally get a snifter when you want a pint.
I can’t speak to the quality of food, but I can say if you’re looking to take in a live event and drink good beer, this is a good place to do it. I’m a fan.

Update time.
Been here for a few shows. Been here a few times just to hang.
Again, if you like gin, this place is for you. Sit at the bar and chat it up with the bartenders. They’ll generally have some good suggestions for you and will often mix you up some experiments. I’ve discovered numerous brands/​bottles that I’m a big fan of now that I had previously never seen or heard of.
Food is pretty tasty. Small portions. Sandwiches are slider sized, don’t let anyone fool on that. But they’re good and there’s an interesting variety. The egg rolls are really good.
Service has generally been good. It has been nice to hang on the patio to change things up, take advantage of summer.

Amsterdam has a lot going for it. The booths are really comfy and inviting (and huge)! The atmosphere is dark but warm. And the staff generally is decent. Food-​wise, we loved the frites, which came with various dipping sauces. We also loved the tiny sandwiches — bigger than a slider but smaller than a traditional sandwich. The ham and gouda was delicious with a hit of delicious mustard to round out the flavor. Beer-​wise, the selection is solid. The only complaint I have really is that even though we were there at happy hour, when frites are BOGO and beers are supposedly discounted, we somehow managed to spend $ 70 for a double round of frites, two sandwiches and six drinks between us. So a bit pricey, but a fun departure.

Swung in here for a beverage and a light bite around happy hour.
+ Super friendly server — very helpful and took great care of us
+ We found a great corner seat in a «split booth» set-​up
+ Great beer selection — local micros, imports — you name it, there’s something for you
+ Reasonable prices
+ Great menu; very sandwich heavy — everything looked and sounded great
+ Wonderful small salad
+ Yummy frites
— Everything comes in paper «boats»
— Shows are pricey; we thought about staying for the Roller Derby burlesque, but at $ 18/​ticket, it didn’t seem worth it
+ Server was very open and straightforward about the need to have to eventually pay a cover charge if we wanted to stay longer
I’d return in a second.

Swooped by Amsterdam for some munchies with some follow Unilocalers following Unilocal’s Taste of Kincaid’s earlier this week.
Stepping in, this bar was like none other I’d encountered. Purely black walls, but not in a gothic way; more like an artsy, romantic way… albeit a dark, tortured romance. Not a fru fru cocktail bar nor a skeevey dive bar. Inviting enough, despite being enveloped in darkness, with nook-​like booths and high table tops. After some time, a vocalist strummed away on his guitar. [Supposedly Amsterdam is a hot spot for local music.]
The menu was chock full of cheap eats, the majority of which originated from the deep fryer. I question the Dutch authenticity of these menu items… poutine-​style fries, eggrolls, chicken & gravy balls…
I was drawn to the wide variety of Broodjes (small sandwiches on a pillow-​y square of bread, big enough to hit the spot) as an alternative to oil-​saturated snacks. I got the grilled veggie, which was suruprisingly very good, and just $ 4. Other fun Broodjes included coconut curry beef, smoked gouda, marinated octopus, and more funky combos that, again, just didn’t scream «Dutch» to me in the same way that tulips, windmills, and clogs do.
Can’t speak to the drink menu, as I was solely on a mission to fill my belly. And, while that mission was successful, I wasn’t in love with the atmosphere. Some would find charm in Amsterdam, but I just felt like I was trapped in a dungeon, enough to put a damper on my day!