Some classic signage on the edge of the building (“Troy & Scott’s 1029 Bar Nordeast”) helps funnel traffic to the front door on the street-facing front edge of the building, an entrance that affords the ability to see the full stretch of the space upon entering. This is a long space, broken up in places, but a true shotgun style bar that on a busy Meat Raffle evening packs people into every corner. This reviewer was lucky enough to visit on Bingo night, a wildly popular weekly occurrence ($1000 prize, twice a week). Every seat was filled, every table packed with beer and, interestingly enough, lobster rolls.
Local mini-chain Smack Shack operates the kitchen within 1029 Bar, specializing in all things lobster. Options run from the classic (lobster rolls, of course) to the extravagant (fancy a seafood tower during your Bingo night?). The upscale menu offerings offer a fun contrast to the weekly meat raffle, a Minneapolis dive bar tradition that operates exactly as it sounds. Buy a ticket, win some meat. What better complement to some light drinking to end of the week (meat raffles run every Friday at 5:30 PM). And if all of that gambling wasn’t enough to sate your appetite for vice, a tri-wheel (think quasi-roulette) is available, spun nearly nightly for those interesting in wagering.