bars & restaurant

FMBeer has set up a Google Map of all the area Breweries, Bars & Restaurants, and Beer Stores.

The map is set up with 3 sections and initially only the Breweries are displayed. Click on the icon in the upper left to open the map menu and there you can click to display the other sections.

Breweries have red markers with those not open yet in orange.

Bars & Restaurants are blue markers with those opening soon in purple.

Beer Stores are have yellow markers.

Click here to open the map on a new page

The shape of the marker varies by location so when you look at the menu on the left, you can tell the general location.

Fargo/Moorhead area locations have upside down teardrop markers.

Bismarck/Mandan locations are marked with stars.

Grand Forks/East Grand Forks locations are marked with circles.

Other Minnesota locations are marked with diamonds.

Minot and western ND locations are marked with squares.

If you know of bar, restaurant or beer store that is not listed but you think should be added. Please let me know at dean@fmbeer.com. Any other suggestions for the map are also welcome.

The Würst Bier Hall is now open in the Cityscapes Plaza in downtown Fargo at the corner of Roberts Street and 1st Avenue.  As the name implies, this new bar and restaurant has a German/European theme with a beer hall atmosphere.  You can sit at their long communal tables that can seat 20 each and drink beers from their 36 tap lines or bottled selections.  One drinking option you will find at the Würst Bier Hall is Das Boot, a large beer glass shaped like a boot that is meant to be passed around, but don’t let the person after you finish the beer in the boot because they you have to buy the next one.  The food menu is full of sausages – keilbasa, bratwurst, currywurst, chicken apple, cajun, alligator, wild boar, rabbit and more – 15 in all.  In addition they will have other interesting eats available; bavarian pretzels, pierogis, schnitzel, spaetzel, borscht, and braised red cabbage to name a few.

They open at 11AM and are family friendly until 4pm after which you have to be 21+.

The Good Life: Mens Magazine has a nice article about Würst Bier Hall

 Würst Bier Hall
630 1st Ave N, Fargo
https://www.facebook.com/WurstBierHall

New Locations for existing bars are coming to Minot and Detroit Lakes.

JL Beers is coming to Minot.    On December 5th it was announced that Minot based ZZ Food Group would be bringing the franchise to the Magic City. They hope to be open early in 2014…and that a location isn’t set in stone yet — but they are strongly considering downtown Minot – Link

Brew Ales & Eats in Perham, MN is opening a second location in Detroit Lakes, MN at 111 Veterans Memorial Parkway – Facebook

Other places in the works and opening soon:
JL Beers South Fargo
Wurst Bier Hall in downtown Fargo
The Blarney Stone Irish Pub in West Fargo

Bottle Barn Wine & Liquors new location at 2515 University Dr S in Fargo is now open with a massivly expanded beer selection.

In the oil-rich area of western ND, the Williston Brewing Company (WBC) has opened in the El Rancho Hotel’s former dining, bar and banquet space.  The airy 11,900 square foot building will give diners an eclectic experience as it combines some big city amenities with the charm of a small town.   They are not brewing beer at this time but they to have 40 beers on tap.

A lot of planning and expertise has gone into the $5.2 million renovation.  The individuals who make up the Williston Holding Company (WHC) have been in business together for over 20 years and they already have one restaurant chain, the Kona Grille. They also own and operate J Dub’s, Gramma Sharon’s and Doc Holliday’s Roadhouse in Williston. They expect the WBC will also become a national chain headquartered in Williston and plan to open restaurants in Dickinson, Minot, Bismarck, Fargo, Minneapolis and Denver.

The center of the expansive eatery will be the bar. It will feature an artistic counter made from a giant redwood tree split down the middle.  They say this will be the largest bar in the state of North Dakota.  Another section will be called the Tap Room as 40 kegs of beer will be visible and on tap.  The Tap Room will also have the biggest TV in North Dakota and sliding doors for private dining, meetings and parties.

With ‘Brewing Company’ in their name, they are not brewing their own beer at this time.  When asked on Facebook if they plan to do any brewing in house, their answer was, “Currently we license our beer from an outside brewery – but we look forward to doing our own brewing down the road!”

Williston Brewing Company
1623 2nd Ave W
Williston,  ND
https://www.facebook.com/willistonbrewingco

Business articles in the Fargo and Grand Forks newspapers on Sunday August 18th covered 2 new bars on those cities that had a definite focus on beer.

‘Wurst Bier Hall’ is coming to the Citiescapes Plaza this fall according to the Fargo Forum:

“A new German-style pub and restaurant will soon fill part of the vacant commercial space in the Cityscapes Plaza.

The Wurst Bier Hall will open on the east end of the plaza at 630 1st Ave. N. in Fargo this fall.

The German beer hall is  owned by Lisa Meyers, who along with her husband, Bert, and brother-in-law, Klaus Meyers, comprise Bier Pub LLC. The Meyers brothers currently own and operate Dempsey’s Public House on Broadway and Lisa Meyers is the founder of Bertrosa’s Café in the Black building. “

“Meyers, who is 100 percent German, said Wurst Bier Hall will carry many German brews among the 36 types of beer that will be featured alongside a supple supply of sausage flavors.”

“Outdoor seating is planned until 10 p.m. Inside, Meyers said the seating for about 80 will have an “industrial, contemporary European style” of décor.”

In addition, the Grand Forks Herald reports that Gilly’s Bar & Grill will be closing for a few days to reopen Friday as ‘Brick & Barley Bar & Grill’

“After working at Gilly’s Bar & Grill for six years and purchasing the downtown Grand Forks establishment last year, Nick and Sarah Horak are ready to make the place their own.

The husband-and-wife business owners are transforming the late-night college hotspot into a bar focusing on craft beers and eatery featuring entrees that go beyond the usual bar fare of fried food.”

“Having a craft beer bar is something the Horaks say they have wanted for some time and hope the move will expand their customer base.”

“…a large portion of wood paneling that covered the building’s interior has been taken down to reveal the original brick walls and other features constructed in 1890. The brick will be a backdrop to the establishment’s 48 beer taps and newly constructed bar.

The taps will feature products from both established and up-and-coming breweries. Patrons also will have the opportunity to take home their beer of choice in a 32-ounce, sealed growler — also known as a take-home beer bottle.”

From the Fargo Forum on 7/10/2013 – https://secure.forumcomm.com/?publisher_ID=1&article_id=405664

FARGO – The Fargo-Moorhead area’s first JL Beers was the launching point Tuesday for a major expansion of the brand.

Mike Wright, who heads a Minneapolis-based company called FABAB NE, put pen to paper and signed a franchise agreement he and the originators of JL Beers hope will be just the first of many such arrangements.

Randy Thorson, who developed JL Beers with business partners Warren Ackley and Lance Thorson, said franchising will enhance the growth of the company and potentially take it nationwide.

Wright expects the buzz will be substantial when he opens his first JL Beers in north Minneapolis this fall, with more stores expected to follow.

“Social media helped out significantly in other JL Beers areas, we’ll do that as well,” Wright said, adding: “The beauty of it is, when people come in and experience what JL Beers is, I think they’re really going to find it’s a great spot.”

Area expansion

The first JL Beers opened in November 2009 at 518 1st Ave. N. in downtown Fargo.

There now are stores in Fargo, West Fargo, Bismarck and Grand Forks in North Dakota, as well as in Moorhead and Sioux Falls, S.D.

Another Fargo location is planned for south Fargo by this fall, and another Sioux Falls store is scheduled to open early next year.

Wright, whose business interests include a number of Famous Dave’s restau-rants, said he has known Randy Thorson for about 10 years and he was on hand when the first JL Beers opened.

“I’ve followed their success as they opened several stores in multiple states, and I decided to be the first franchisee,” Wright said after signing the business papers Tuesday.

JL Beers is known for its hamburgers, fresh-cut chips and fries and the wide variety of beer kept on tap.

It’s also known for its small restaurant footprint and its slogan: “Seating for 1,000 … 47 at a time.”

With the birth of the JL Beers franchise, Ackley said the slogan might be tweaked a bit:

“Now, we’re going to franchise 1,000 franchisees, one at a time,” Ackley said.

From the Fergus Falls Daily Journal:

New Brew opens in downtown Perham

Perham residents have raised their mugs in a toast to local brewing.

On May 6, Britt Nelson and Alex Belquist opened Brew at its new location in the city’s busy business district. The couple previously leased a location behind the Station House, but needed to expand in response to their growing number of customers.

“The community has been awesome,” Nelson said. “It’s been so easy to make friends and work in this community.”

Nelson and Belquist met while working at a bar in Fargo and have spent their careers in the industry. When Belquist finished school at Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis, the two decided to move to a smaller community similar to where they were raised.

“We just made the decision that this is what we’re going to do,” Belquist said. “We just didn’t expect it to happen this fast.”

The couple crafted their new bar out of years of experience serving food and drinks. From the menu to the decor, they have mixed their creativity and experience to create a unique atmosphere.

The bar has 24 beers featured on tap, chosen with a focus on local selections. The list includes beers from breweries in the area and across the state, like Third Street Brewery in Cold Spring, Fargo Brewing Company, Summit and Leech Lake Brewing.

Their focus is not only on beer, however. A wide variety of creative cocktails and wines are featured as well.

The bar also utilizes Belquist’s expertise in the kitchen and offers a variety of traditional sandwiches and other unique meals and appetizers that the couple has dubbed “fresh bar food.” Buns are produced by the local D&V’s Bakery and their meats are purchased from the Perham Locker Plant. Belquist also makes their sauces from scratch.

For those in search of a late-night snack, the kitchen offers Belquist’s creations until midnight each night. Brew is open Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m.. to 2 a.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. They will soon open for summer hours seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

In addition to the busy hours, the couple said they hope to offer a variety of fun activities for the community, including a service industry night, live music and an open mic night. Despite the packed schedule, the two said they are glad their passion for service has already been so well received.

“There’s no turning back now. It’s what we signed up for,” Belquist said. “Seeing how everyone reacts, seeing the peoples’ faces, that keeps you going.”

Website: http://www.brewperham.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brewperham

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brewperham

Early Friday evening April 12th, several members of the Prairie Homebrewing Companions presented Sickies Garage with a Quality Beer Zone sign.  They local homebrewing club had these signs made up so they could show their appreciation to local businesses that they felt supported quality beer and the club.  Sickies was the most recent recipient of this sign because of their large tap list of good beers and because of the support Sickies has given the club with their Hoppy Halloween homebrewing competition and more.

The Quality Beer Zone sign being presented to Sickies manager Zack Click by PHC member Eric Sanders

If you see the Quality Beer Zone signs posted in a bar, liquor store or other business, you will know that the local homebrewers appreciate what that business has done promoting quality beer in the community.  More information about the sign can be found at the PHC website.  A full list of businesses that have revived the Quality Beer Zone sign are:

99 Bottles, Moorhead, MN
Atomic Coffee Moorhead, MN
Bernie‘s Wines & Liquors South University, Fargo, ND
Bridgeview Liquor Moorhead, MN
Country Cannery (homebrewing supplies) Moorhead, MN
Fargo Billiards & Gastropub, Fargo, ND
Happy Harry’s Bottle Shop 45th Street, Fargo, ND
Monk’s Pub @ Usher’s House Moorhead, MN
Old Chicago Fargo, ND
Sickies Garage Fargo, ND
Sidestreet Pub Fargo, ND
Summit Brewing St. Paul, MN
Zorbaz Detroit Lakes, MN

On March 21st, ND Governor Dalrymple signed SB 2284, the Brewer Taproom License bill, into law.  Breweries with this license producing up to 25,000 barrels of beer a year can have a taproom and sell their beer for on-site consumption, distribute their beer with their own equipment throughout the state if they want and not use a distributor, and they can sell the beers they make off-sale at the brewery for people to take home and drink at home.

Some sources predict a large boom in breweries starting up with this bill.  We will have to see what happens.  These changes should certainly help start up breweries so they can avoid middlemen like distributors when they are small and then use those extra dollars to survive until they are established enough to naturally need the help of distributors and middlemen as they expand.

SB 2284, the Brewer Taproom License bill, was passed by the ND House of Representatives on March 14th with a 92-0 vote in favor.  Thanks to everyone who supported this bill and contacted their Representative for this bill.

It is now off to the Governor’s desk for him to sign the bill which he should due to the overwhelming support this bill has gotten in both the Senate and the House.