Bikers, Hamms, and frogs at NEUMANN’S
If you read the previous post on the Largest Ball of Twine, then I am sure you have already started your travel plans to this amazing destination in Minnesota. But, do not miss out on the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Less than 90 minutes from the largest twine ball, you can travel to North St. Paul, Minnesota, location of Neumanns Bar & Grill established in 1887…the oldest bar in MN.
The best part of the oldest bar quest is not knowing what you are getting into until you walk in the door. In this case, all the Harleys parked in front of the bar gave me some indication of the nature of the bar we were about to visit. And yes, there was definitely the biker bar element to this place, but it was still a welcoming place. Neumann’s seem to have a strong neighborhood presence in the North St Paul community. The bikers seemed like the generally friendly sorts. Just order a Hamm’s beer and you will be fine.
While my loyalty to PBR is well documented…Hamm’s is a brand of beer that I can give a nod too as well. The Hamm’s brewery was originally located in St Paul and predates the establishment of Neumann’s. The brewery (now closed since 1997) was instrumental in establishing this bar back in 1887. The bar has a great history. As is very common with many oldest bars, Neumanns has all the prohibition/speak easy legends. According to bar lore, during prohibition there was a legitimate business on the street level…and a speak easy in the upper level. They will show you the stairs up to the speak easy and the door with the peep hole that controlled entry. Fun stuff
What about the frogs? Yep, the bar has frogs. Just following the repeal of prohibition, the owner had a little frog pond in the bar. Feeding the frogs used to be part of the fun of the place. Now, there is just a couple frogs in an aquarium as token salute to the frog history.
All in all…it was a great bar. You do not have to drink just Hamms. They have plenty of craft beers from the many craft breweries in the local area. It looked like very good and affordable bar food…although we did not grab a meal. Neumann’s Bar & Grill is a righteous neighborhood bar with all the right elements to warrant an endorsement from Traveling with PugsleyTonks. Stop by if you get close…even if you do not have a Harley Davidson. PT
