The tap house is pretty good. Good beers on tap and good food. I tried a lot of food. Do not get the chocolate shake. Super plain- think Hershey syrup. Get the peanut butter banana- delicious. Do not get the boneless wings- they are tiny itty bitty. Get the bone in which are huge and delicious. The bourbon peach and jack Daniels wing sauce is boss. The burgers are all good. Save some cheese curds to smash into your burger. The sweet potato fries are great and enough to share around the table.
(4)
Dylan R.
Wow! I have never had a better steak sandwich. The bun is warm, fresh, and the mozzarella cheese on it makes it beyond delicious. Service was alright, but not great. Slow to get to us and quick to get us out (it was around 6 so they had a line waiting). Only one round of beers for us. Overall, I recommend the Steak Sandwich. Absolutely great. My friend who had the wings was not as satisfied.
(4)
Stacie C.
I pretty much just wanted to stop here for a beer since they have a great selection of beers on tap (including some local brews). I went with the Mudman Chocolate Porter from Lake Monster Brewing. Probably not the best choice for a hot summer day, but I enjoyed it. My friend insisted on also getting the cheese curds as a light snack because reviews had recommended them. We obviously had no idea what we were in for as she asked for the large order that we just couldn't finish. Through our Minnesota adventures I've discovered that no two cheese curds are alike. These were the most unique that we found as they were presented as large squares. Not at all what we expected. But not in a bad way. Service could have been a bit more attentive. Seems like your basic sports bar with a good craft beer selection. I don't know that I'd go back just for a beer, but it might be a fun place to sit at the bar and watch a game for a few hours.
(3)
Karen T.
Went for the first time today, we had the steak lettuce wraps, the cheese curds, the crispy chicken wrap but they added steak to it at my request, the loaded baked potato soup, the black bean chili, and the steak tacos. The food was very good, the 5 of us had some of everything. Our server was very attentive and did his best to ensure our visit was enjoyable. He helped us decide on drink choices according to the flavors we wanted. He definitely helped to make this a great experience. I left so full I'm skipping supper.
(5)
Paul L.
Not much to say about this place. Second time I have been here and come to the same conclusion. Just okay burgers. Your basic bar food. Great place for beer and sports with multiple tv's throughout.
(2)
Chuck S.
Service was good but the meal was nothing to speak of. Burger was ok but fries seemed like they were sitting under a warmer for a day.
(2)
Tom D.
Service has always been great, atmosphere, beer selection and game viewing experience are too notch. Quality food as well, get my vote as best sports bar in mankato. Please, do yourself a favor and order the jalapeño cheddar wontons. You won't be disappointed. Only issue I've had is that there's always been a wait. Never more than a half hour but I've probably waited 5-10 times in a row. Even at odd times! Just goes to show you how good it is though, and people are always willing to wait for a quality product. I know I am!
(4)
Hiroko W.
This is my favorite place to eat! We always get good service, great food and wide selection of beers. My favorite food is Chicken wing with Boulder's sauce and burgers. We tried several kinds of burger here, we enjoyed them all.
(5)
Becky Z.
What a find!!! Visiting my kids in school here, came to watch the football game. The cheese curds are to die for! And our waitress Chelsea was amazing. This will be our new place in Mankato for at least the next 4 years.
(5)
Kim D.
I've been to Boulder Tap House at least five or six times since it opened. I was apprehensive at first, because in my opinion the last thing Mankato needs is another sports bar chain (whether local or not). However, if it's bar food you're into, you won't be disappointed. They have the best beer selection in Mankato, which is fun if you're into trying microbrews. They have excellent sweet potato fries (get them with the chipotle ranch dressing). We also are fans of the Parmesan fries. You can create your own burger based on their available ingredients. Our kids love the Fried Egg and Cheddar burger. Service is hit-or-miss, and sometimes it can be really loud in the restaurant. I do wish their menu was a bit more varied, but still a good choice for bar food in Mankato.
(3)
Dan Q.
My friends seem to love this place - I didn't think it was so great. My friend and I got seated at a dirty table which was really nice. He really loves to try new beers so I thought this would be a good place to take him since they serve over 30 microbrews. So we start looking through the beer menu and ask a few simple questions and it quickly becomes obvious that our waitress knows nothing about beer. I wouldn't mind so much at other restaurants, but if you're going to promote yourself has having all these beers to try at least educate your workers a bit. All the beers are $5 which I think is a bit steep, but w/e I can get over it. Ordered some jalapeno appetizers that were really greasy and had almost nothing to them except fried dough. We both got burgers and they were VERY greasy and soggy. My Black and Blue burger had no blue cheese on it, what? This is the first time I can remember where I didn't even finish the burger i was given. Fries were not good. As someone else said, don't get the boneless wings. They're super dry and literally about the size of marbles. If I come back here it will definitely not be for the food.
(2)
Tom R.
Tasting oxidation on multiple taps. Gotta keep the lines clean guys. Multiple beers on tap but light on the best craft beers available. Food OK. Good sports on TV.
(2)
Amos T.
I didn't mind the place so much. Living in Denver I am used to paying $5/pint of good quality craft beer. It has room for improvement but for Mankato it's nice to have a place to go that, although this is part of the Grizzly's chain, is not a national chain. I also found it funny one review scoffed at beer in a can. If he/she knew anything about craft beer then they would know many craft breweries are putting beer in a can for good reason: it creates a better seal than a bottle cap and does not let any light in which will cause skunking of the beer. Plus, out here we can't bring bottles to the wilderness so they pack in and pack out a lot easier than glass. Thanks for serving good beers for when I visit my friends and family.
(3)
Evan S.
This place is for the beer lover who doesn't like to spend a lot of money. I have been there 4 times now and have had everything from wings to a make my own sandwich. I do have to say the first time I was there their regular fries were kind of a let down and a bit soggy but for the upgrade the other times I got cajun fries... totally worth it. Oh and the boulder sauce was to die for. The burger was good just a bit overdone but not a frozen patty which I hate. The buffalo chicken sandwich was just down right amazing. The only let down on the food at all was the wontons... they hardly had anything in them. I also really like they served beers in their proper glassware and not just in a pint glass no matter what. As being a server I am usually picky about who serves me... that being said the only slow waitress we had was the very first time where it took her 5 mins to just get us waters when it wasn't busy at all. The other servers we had knew what they were talking about and were super friendly. I will for sure go back.
(4)
Elizabeth B.
My husband and I have spent 5 evenings at The Boulder Tap House, each time we sat at the bar, sampled beer and eat dinner. Here's my assessment: PROS: Excellent selection of American microbrews on tap with nice beer list to read up on about each selection. Tip: the higher the alcohol content the lower the volume you get, the glasses get smaller but the price is the same. Not sure how I feel about that but doesn't bother me enough to list as a con, but they don't explain that to you unless you ask. Highly recommend the fish tacos - BEST I've eaten in my life, consistently delicious. Fresh cod that is NOT deep fried with some ah-maze-ing sauce, fresh squeeze of lime and you're good to go. Shrimp tacos are also to die for. Inviting lively atmosphere, there are TV's but this does not have the atmosphere of a sports bar. Saw a comment about the waitresses not knowing anything about beer, this is unfortunate but the bar tenders know it all, suggest sitting at the bar which is very nice, clean and well waited upon! Huge private lot so parking is NO problem. CONS: generally limited supply of foreign brews on tap, this I consistently find disappointing. Would love to see more European brews! How about some from Central and South America? Can be loud at times. Wait times for a seat are long by 6, go after 8 to get right in. Wine selection is limited, wine glasses suck but hey - this is a beer place! :) Overall highly recommend.
(4)
Cengizhan O.
Don't understand the appeal. Sure they have a nice selection of subpar microbrews. The apps were actually pretty decent, but the rest of the food was awful. Burger was overcooked meatloaf that didn't even fit the bun. It was thin like a white castle burger with a monstrous bun so all you taste is bread. Service was just as bad and ignored the table for most the night. Will not be back. Rather go to BWW across the street.
(2)
Ryan S.
Very solid burger selection with an excellent tap selection of beers, and a few good ciders too! Had the Brown Sugar Bacon Burger with sweet potato fries, which was excellent even if it was a bit of a wait because of how busy the restaurant was this evening. I would love to come back here sometime and try something else!
(4)
Crystal D.
We went out with friends last night to the Boulder Tap House. It was very crowded and the atmosphere was really alive and welcoming. We tried the deep fried pickles and the cheese wontons, they were both very good. The pickles were nice and had a good kick to them, the batter was really great and the chipotle ranch dipping sauce is very good. I had a burger with a side of french onion steak soup. The soup tasted a little watery, but the burger was great. The funniest part of the evening- my husband and I registered on Touch Tunes to play the jukebox. He played me my favorite Led Zeppelin song, Kashmir, so I logged in and played him Whole Lotta Love for Valentine's Day. One of the managers came over right after my song started and with a remote changed the song. I asked the waitress why he did that, and he came over to apologize, said that someone at the bar complained about the music, and since it is usually just playing random songs he just went to change the song and didn't realize someone had played it. He gave me $5 for changing my song, so that was wickedly nice of him! So basically, I would just beware that some of the crowd there is not into Zeppelin... :) Also, Touch Tunes is tricky- no one sees you go up to the jukebox to put money in, so I guess no one realizes people are paying for songs. But hey, that's another thing I thought- if you are somewhere with a jukebox and you don't like the songs that are playing, the thing is that _you_ can put your own money in and listen to what you like. That is what a jukebox is for...
(4)
Mike H.
Excellent beer AND food! There is a huge selection of beers on tap with unique seasonal selections. The burgers are very good and they have many menu options that all look good.
(5)
Dani T.
I recently ate at Boulder Tap House and overall was not real impressed. The Cheese curds were amazing but that was about all that was. The Chicken tacos were somewhat bland. I had to add a side of Ranch in order to give it some flavor. They also did not come with a side of salsa or pico unless I wanted to pay additional for it. This definitely should be included with the tacos. The Turkey Club melt my friend ordered was also plain and she needed to add a lot of salt. The nachos were a reasonable size but there again they charged extra for more salsa. They also charged an additional $1 to change the burgers to a chicken burger which is ridiculous. My 9 year old daughter ordered a meal from the adult menu but received a child's size drink. I expected to pay the price for a child's drink. The server told me the child's drink came free with a kids meal but she had to pay since she ordered off the adult menu. So I pay more for her meal and still get charged for the drink. The beer selection was mediocre as well. I also found the seating to be too open, especially the table that was located near the door. The customers sitting at that table had people who were waiting for a table standing right behind them and the draft was horrible. So overall an ok place to dine but expect to be nickled and dimed and don't expect much from the food.
(2)
Miles H.
Stopped in here a few times on my recent visit to Mankato. More beers on tap than any place that I can think of in Mankato (something that was badly needed). The burgers were alright, nothing special. In a place like Mankato where most restaurants tend to offer the same things and blur together, the beer selection sets the Boulder Tap apart from the norm.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Coat Check : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Amanda B.
The tap house is pretty good. Good beers on tap and good food. I tried a lot of food. Do not get the chocolate shake. Super plain- think Hershey syrup. Get the peanut butter banana- delicious. Do not get the boneless wings- they are tiny itty bitty. Get the bone in which are huge and delicious. The bourbon peach and jack Daniels wing sauce is boss. The burgers are all good. Save some cheese curds to smash into your burger. The sweet potato fries are great and enough to share around the table.
(4)Dylan R.
Wow! I have never had a better steak sandwich. The bun is warm, fresh, and the mozzarella cheese on it makes it beyond delicious. Service was alright, but not great. Slow to get to us and quick to get us out (it was around 6 so they had a line waiting). Only one round of beers for us. Overall, I recommend the Steak Sandwich. Absolutely great. My friend who had the wings was not as satisfied.
(4)Stacie C.
I pretty much just wanted to stop here for a beer since they have a great selection of beers on tap (including some local brews). I went with the Mudman Chocolate Porter from Lake Monster Brewing. Probably not the best choice for a hot summer day, but I enjoyed it. My friend insisted on also getting the cheese curds as a light snack because reviews had recommended them. We obviously had no idea what we were in for as she asked for the large order that we just couldn't finish. Through our Minnesota adventures I've discovered that no two cheese curds are alike. These were the most unique that we found as they were presented as large squares. Not at all what we expected. But not in a bad way. Service could have been a bit more attentive. Seems like your basic sports bar with a good craft beer selection. I don't know that I'd go back just for a beer, but it might be a fun place to sit at the bar and watch a game for a few hours.
(3)Karen T.
Went for the first time today, we had the steak lettuce wraps, the cheese curds, the crispy chicken wrap but they added steak to it at my request, the loaded baked potato soup, the black bean chili, and the steak tacos. The food was very good, the 5 of us had some of everything. Our server was very attentive and did his best to ensure our visit was enjoyable. He helped us decide on drink choices according to the flavors we wanted. He definitely helped to make this a great experience. I left so full I'm skipping supper.
(5)Paul L.
Not much to say about this place. Second time I have been here and come to the same conclusion. Just okay burgers. Your basic bar food. Great place for beer and sports with multiple tv's throughout.
(2)Chuck S.
Service was good but the meal was nothing to speak of. Burger was ok but fries seemed like they were sitting under a warmer for a day.
(2)Tom D.
Service has always been great, atmosphere, beer selection and game viewing experience are too notch. Quality food as well, get my vote as best sports bar in mankato. Please, do yourself a favor and order the jalapeño cheddar wontons. You won't be disappointed. Only issue I've had is that there's always been a wait. Never more than a half hour but I've probably waited 5-10 times in a row. Even at odd times! Just goes to show you how good it is though, and people are always willing to wait for a quality product. I know I am!
(4)Hiroko W.
This is my favorite place to eat! We always get good service, great food and wide selection of beers. My favorite food is Chicken wing with Boulder's sauce and burgers. We tried several kinds of burger here, we enjoyed them all.
(5)Becky Z.
What a find!!! Visiting my kids in school here, came to watch the football game. The cheese curds are to die for! And our waitress Chelsea was amazing. This will be our new place in Mankato for at least the next 4 years.
(5)Kim D.
I've been to Boulder Tap House at least five or six times since it opened. I was apprehensive at first, because in my opinion the last thing Mankato needs is another sports bar chain (whether local or not). However, if it's bar food you're into, you won't be disappointed. They have the best beer selection in Mankato, which is fun if you're into trying microbrews. They have excellent sweet potato fries (get them with the chipotle ranch dressing). We also are fans of the Parmesan fries. You can create your own burger based on their available ingredients. Our kids love the Fried Egg and Cheddar burger. Service is hit-or-miss, and sometimes it can be really loud in the restaurant. I do wish their menu was a bit more varied, but still a good choice for bar food in Mankato.
(3)Dan Q.
My friends seem to love this place - I didn't think it was so great. My friend and I got seated at a dirty table which was really nice. He really loves to try new beers so I thought this would be a good place to take him since they serve over 30 microbrews. So we start looking through the beer menu and ask a few simple questions and it quickly becomes obvious that our waitress knows nothing about beer. I wouldn't mind so much at other restaurants, but if you're going to promote yourself has having all these beers to try at least educate your workers a bit. All the beers are $5 which I think is a bit steep, but w/e I can get over it. Ordered some jalapeno appetizers that were really greasy and had almost nothing to them except fried dough. We both got burgers and they were VERY greasy and soggy. My Black and Blue burger had no blue cheese on it, what? This is the first time I can remember where I didn't even finish the burger i was given. Fries were not good. As someone else said, don't get the boneless wings. They're super dry and literally about the size of marbles. If I come back here it will definitely not be for the food.
(2)Tom R.
Tasting oxidation on multiple taps. Gotta keep the lines clean guys. Multiple beers on tap but light on the best craft beers available. Food OK. Good sports on TV.
(2)Amos T.
I didn't mind the place so much. Living in Denver I am used to paying $5/pint of good quality craft beer. It has room for improvement but for Mankato it's nice to have a place to go that, although this is part of the Grizzly's chain, is not a national chain. I also found it funny one review scoffed at beer in a can. If he/she knew anything about craft beer then they would know many craft breweries are putting beer in a can for good reason: it creates a better seal than a bottle cap and does not let any light in which will cause skunking of the beer. Plus, out here we can't bring bottles to the wilderness so they pack in and pack out a lot easier than glass. Thanks for serving good beers for when I visit my friends and family.
(3)Evan S.
This place is for the beer lover who doesn't like to spend a lot of money. I have been there 4 times now and have had everything from wings to a make my own sandwich. I do have to say the first time I was there their regular fries were kind of a let down and a bit soggy but for the upgrade the other times I got cajun fries... totally worth it. Oh and the boulder sauce was to die for. The burger was good just a bit overdone but not a frozen patty which I hate. The buffalo chicken sandwich was just down right amazing. The only let down on the food at all was the wontons... they hardly had anything in them. I also really like they served beers in their proper glassware and not just in a pint glass no matter what. As being a server I am usually picky about who serves me... that being said the only slow waitress we had was the very first time where it took her 5 mins to just get us waters when it wasn't busy at all. The other servers we had knew what they were talking about and were super friendly. I will for sure go back.
(4)Elizabeth B.
My husband and I have spent 5 evenings at The Boulder Tap House, each time we sat at the bar, sampled beer and eat dinner. Here's my assessment: PROS: Excellent selection of American microbrews on tap with nice beer list to read up on about each selection. Tip: the higher the alcohol content the lower the volume you get, the glasses get smaller but the price is the same. Not sure how I feel about that but doesn't bother me enough to list as a con, but they don't explain that to you unless you ask. Highly recommend the fish tacos - BEST I've eaten in my life, consistently delicious. Fresh cod that is NOT deep fried with some ah-maze-ing sauce, fresh squeeze of lime and you're good to go. Shrimp tacos are also to die for. Inviting lively atmosphere, there are TV's but this does not have the atmosphere of a sports bar. Saw a comment about the waitresses not knowing anything about beer, this is unfortunate but the bar tenders know it all, suggest sitting at the bar which is very nice, clean and well waited upon! Huge private lot so parking is NO problem. CONS: generally limited supply of foreign brews on tap, this I consistently find disappointing. Would love to see more European brews! How about some from Central and South America? Can be loud at times. Wait times for a seat are long by 6, go after 8 to get right in. Wine selection is limited, wine glasses suck but hey - this is a beer place! :) Overall highly recommend.
(4)Cengizhan O.
Don't understand the appeal. Sure they have a nice selection of subpar microbrews. The apps were actually pretty decent, but the rest of the food was awful. Burger was overcooked meatloaf that didn't even fit the bun. It was thin like a white castle burger with a monstrous bun so all you taste is bread. Service was just as bad and ignored the table for most the night. Will not be back. Rather go to BWW across the street.
(2)Ryan S.
Very solid burger selection with an excellent tap selection of beers, and a few good ciders too! Had the Brown Sugar Bacon Burger with sweet potato fries, which was excellent even if it was a bit of a wait because of how busy the restaurant was this evening. I would love to come back here sometime and try something else!
(4)Crystal D.
We went out with friends last night to the Boulder Tap House. It was very crowded and the atmosphere was really alive and welcoming. We tried the deep fried pickles and the cheese wontons, they were both very good. The pickles were nice and had a good kick to them, the batter was really great and the chipotle ranch dipping sauce is very good. I had a burger with a side of french onion steak soup. The soup tasted a little watery, but the burger was great. The funniest part of the evening- my husband and I registered on Touch Tunes to play the jukebox. He played me my favorite Led Zeppelin song, Kashmir, so I logged in and played him Whole Lotta Love for Valentine's Day. One of the managers came over right after my song started and with a remote changed the song. I asked the waitress why he did that, and he came over to apologize, said that someone at the bar complained about the music, and since it is usually just playing random songs he just went to change the song and didn't realize someone had played it. He gave me $5 for changing my song, so that was wickedly nice of him! So basically, I would just beware that some of the crowd there is not into Zeppelin... :) Also, Touch Tunes is tricky- no one sees you go up to the jukebox to put money in, so I guess no one realizes people are paying for songs. But hey, that's another thing I thought- if you are somewhere with a jukebox and you don't like the songs that are playing, the thing is that _you_ can put your own money in and listen to what you like. That is what a jukebox is for...
(4)Mike H.
Excellent beer AND food! There is a huge selection of beers on tap with unique seasonal selections. The burgers are very good and they have many menu options that all look good.
(5)Dani T.
I recently ate at Boulder Tap House and overall was not real impressed. The Cheese curds were amazing but that was about all that was. The Chicken tacos were somewhat bland. I had to add a side of Ranch in order to give it some flavor. They also did not come with a side of salsa or pico unless I wanted to pay additional for it. This definitely should be included with the tacos. The Turkey Club melt my friend ordered was also plain and she needed to add a lot of salt. The nachos were a reasonable size but there again they charged extra for more salsa. They also charged an additional $1 to change the burgers to a chicken burger which is ridiculous. My 9 year old daughter ordered a meal from the adult menu but received a child's size drink. I expected to pay the price for a child's drink. The server told me the child's drink came free with a kids meal but she had to pay since she ordered off the adult menu. So I pay more for her meal and still get charged for the drink. The beer selection was mediocre as well. I also found the seating to be too open, especially the table that was located near the door. The customers sitting at that table had people who were waiting for a table standing right behind them and the draft was horrible. So overall an ok place to dine but expect to be nickled and dimed and don't expect much from the food.
(2)Miles H.
Stopped in here a few times on my recent visit to Mankato. More beers on tap than any place that I can think of in Mankato (something that was badly needed). The burgers were alright, nothing special. In a place like Mankato where most restaurants tend to offer the same things and blur together, the beer selection sets the Boulder Tap apart from the norm.
(4)