The positive here is that the owners of Mayslack’s clearly value the historical “guts” of the physical and spiritual place that the dive bar represents. Though the surfaces have certainly been given new paint, new fixtures, new lighting, etc., those features have been updated it seems in an effort to highlight the historical beauty of the space. Outside, little has changed. The Budweiser sign above the door may not be original, but the red awning attached to the double storied brick building conjures the same visual appeal Mayslack’s has held for decades.
A corner plot across the street from fellow dive bar stronghold Knight Cap, there is no mistaking that Mayslack’s is indeed a Minneapolis dive bar. Inside, there is certainly a pay off to that assumption, albeit with a fresh coat of paint here, new bar signs there and, sadly, freshly cleaned surfaces throughout. That’s sarcastic of course, we don’t generally root for mold, but the connotation here is more that a little grime and dust can go a long way in selling the authenticity and unflinching nature of a classic dive bar.
With those few caveats out of the way, Mayslack’s is a beautiful interior space, the roof perhaps the most striking visual element, a painted black stamped variety arched to make the bar feel airy and open. Split into two long rooms, the main area is divided between the main bar running the length of the space and a series of wooden booths that look as original as anything in the building. They provide a great example of the balance Mayslack’s strikes between old and new, fresh lighting here illuminating carved up, beaten up old wood booths barely large enough for three people. They are beautiful and probably the best feature inside the dive bar.