As much as I enjoy fine-dining, I'm a sucker for a night out at a dive bar with a good burger and a pitcher of beer. Sandy's Tavern in Richfield, MN has been on my list of places to try, especially after getting voted as Best Burger in City's Best Burgers. Along with a handful of friends, we decided to check it out. It certainly lived up to our expectations.
When we arrived, we were greeted outside by our waiter who was outside for a smoke break:) He was very pleasant, opened the door for us, and assured us he would be "right in." He was very attentive and friendly throughout the night.
The interior is classic neighborhood small town tavern. . . old chairs and tables, booths, beer lighting decor, pool-table, and video games. Most of the patrons appeared to be from around the neighborhood.
We started off with a few pitchers of beer, Grain Belt Premium and Blue Moon for the MN and WI folks. . .served in ice cold mugs.
The menu is classic bar food, served in baskets. No silverware is needed. This is finger food. We ordered a basket of onion rings, cheese curds, and fries to share.
My favorite of the 3 was the onion rings. Unlike most Minnesotans, I'm not the biggest fan of cheese curds. But I tried one: pretty good. Fries were ok. Crinkle cut isn't my favorite, and they were a little underdone.
I had the Olive Burger pictured above (with cheese and sliced green olives, no sour cream). It was served with pickles. The bun was soft, small, and squishy; just the way I like it. The burger was delicious and not overly greasy. A cheeseburger with olives. What a brilliant idea. I"m stealing it.
Trycia, who's not a big fan of of ground beef, had the fish sandwich. . .she claimed it was similar to the fast food restaurant that claims a clown as it's mascot.
Everyone else had variations of cheeseburgers, and we all seemed to empty our baskets.
Tip: Bring cash. . .no credit cards (although they do have an ATM).
If you're looking for a good burger bar with friendly wait staff, a local crowd, and affordable prices, then Sandy's Tavern is your place. We'll be back:)
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