Thrifty Hipster

It's a bathroom idiot, bathrooms get nasty, people pee and poop in them....I bet you think your sh*t doesn't stink either?

-- shut up gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 22:16 09.01.10

NASTY!!! I live in the neighborhood and go into the Independent from time to time. It's not my favorite but has been a place I visit regularly. However, not any more. I went in with friends for food and drinks. Food was ok at best--soggy french fries and an overdone burger. Beer was fine. The worst, absolute worst I've ever seen was the bathrooms!! I went into the shared mens'/women's room which are typically dirty anyway and went into the ladies' stall to find the seat covered with pee and toilet paper EVERYWHERE. I immediately left the bathroom and politely asked the waitress where the public Calhoun Square bathrooms were. She gave me directions and I let her know (again, politely) the bar's bathrooms weren't clean (a polite way to put it), she simply shrugged her shoulders as if to say, "oh well." The bathrooms were so disgustingly dirty, I'd hate to see what the kitchen looks like. Visitors--beware!!! I will NEVER frequent the Independent again. NASTY!!!!

-- JillyBean gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 00:50 07.03.10

BRUNCH. Oh my god. The Independent regularly saves my life on Sundays, after spending Sat night either working or parting too hard. $12 buffet complete with breakfast burritos, fresh fruit, wings, pancakes, oh and a sous chef making you the perfect omelette with fresh ingredients of your choice. (please tip him!) During the week they have great specials, and good staff. Because of the crowd of hipsters, and the lack of non-cheesy 21 year old hangouts in uptown, the weekend nights can be a bit dicey. just deal with the fact you're going to be hit on by guys that think they are too cool, and you're going to have to wait for a spot to sit. BUT they have awesome bartenders and they aren't Bar Abeline or Cowboy Slims. The bathrooms, are usually dirty, and because they are unisex, I'm blaming the smell and the urine on the seat on the male half of the guests. Any woman who hasn't figured out how to hover pee at this point in her life, probably shouldn't be at a bar. Interesting drinks, good location, good bar staff, good brunch.

-- sarahj gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 20:03 04.18.10

If I ever get executed, I want my final two meals to be here- Sunday brunch (got a latte this past sunday for the first time there and it came with biscotti that should be illegal. that good.) and happy hour appetizers....best margarita pizza that I didn't make myself. Also, the chicken lettuce wraps are efin' awesome. They aren't on the happy hour special price list, but who cares. They are worth it.

-- joel gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 16:57 03.25.10

Good Happy Hour Drinks ~n~ App.'s... Interesting bathrooms.

-- N8 gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 16:58 01.23.10

The happy hour is good. I would never go to the Indy to meet people though; the crowd is full of suburbanite yuppies and middle-aged creeps (including some of the bartenders.) It's a decent place to have a HH drink with a friend and eat some cheap appetizers before heading elsewhere.

-- B gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 15:44 01.18.10

Wow somebody has a grudge and is clearly posting a buncha nonsense. Sure there are pretentious hipsters but it is in uptown, that happens everywhere. Indy has a good atmosphere and comfortable booths what more do you want

-- testington gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 19:51 11.18.09

Everytime im at that bar the bartenders are super sleazy and care WAY more about getting a phone number instead of getting you another drink! This place is extremely over-rated and loaded with obvious sex-offenders. Dont waste your money or your time, there are plenty of other bars in the 2 block radius where you can get a beer without feeling completely violated by all the staff.

-- uptown gal gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 17:54 10.08.09

My friends and I have been to the Indy a couple dozen times and have never had an issue with the service or the food. The one time we had a busy bartender accidentally forget to grab our food he made it up to us by paying for it. The Indy is great!

-- Skelly gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 00:00 08.27.09

The food is nasty and everyone is trying to get laid. The crowd is fresh out of the mall and tanning salon, complete with highlights. Ick.

-- KJ gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 17:47 07.22.09

I have been going to The Independent since it first opened. It has always been a unique and trusty spot for dinner, appetizers, cocktails, and superb people watching. The staff is usually on top of everything and seem to anticipate needs before they arise. Sure the place has changed since day one, but even my mom's meatloaf sucks after eating it three weeks in a row. Change is welcomed and expected, especially during these times. I love you Independent! Keep up the amazing job you all do.

-- Fly on the wall gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 21:06 07.03.09

Warning! My friend had someone steal her wallet right out of her purse while we ate. The GM said it is a "common occurance," that they "can do nothing about." Sketchy atmosphere, loud bar filled with pretentious peeps. Avoid the greasy apps and find another dive.

-- Nikki gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 14:32 07.01.09

Blah. This place could be cool. The patio is a really cool setting, but for some reason is awkward... why is it so closed off from the rest of the bar? The service was pathetic, and the "flaming mai tai" looks huge and amazing, but in reality was not that strong and like 95% ice.

-- Elle gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 13:56 06.19.09

A year ago, I might have given this five stars. How things have changed. First of all, they quit their Crab Night Sundays. Which wouldn't be so bad IF THEY DIDN'T STILL ADVERTISE ON THE WEBSITE! I tried the ahi tuna appetizer, and it was absolutely disgusting, five measly and tasteless pieces of tuna on top of this vile chili relish, with a soggy pile of rice. On top of that, the dingbat waitress then charges me for a burger and a beer I didn't even order! There is officially no longer any reason to go to Uptown anymore.

-- Disappointed gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 19:18 06.14.09

The most boring crowd I have ever seen in my entire life. Id rather go to the nursing hope to visit my grandma. Seriously I think all the debbie downers and all the davie downers had a discussion on which place they would bring dow and they decided on the The Independent.

-- Blah gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 20:14 04.14.09

Good happy hour, good shots, great food!!!! Alex kicks ass on the omelet table, TIP HIM!

-- GG gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 19:04 03.30.09

Please review cost of Sunday brunch - I believe it is 11.50 now. Last update on this page was almost a year ago.

-- Tori gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 11:16 02.22.09

Well, it says tequila shots are $2.00 on Tuesday...They are $3.00 FYI. The people/bartenders here are too uppity for my taste.

-- Me gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 14:26 01.13.09

Went for brunch. It was dirty, slow service and the waitress over charged us and it took forever to get the bill straightened out.

-- aaa gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 11:55 12.26.08

This place is cool! Although I would avoid it on the weekends. There is nothing hipster or unique about uptown on the weekends. That's when all the college kids and country bumpkins come out to invade the city. If you want that uptown charm... go during the week. This rule applies for all places in Uptown.

-- Uptown Lover gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 07:53 11.25.08

Wednesday's are great as the happy hour is extended until 9pm. Bartenders friendly. Good service and good app's. Had duck dumplings and chicken satay.

-- Happy Hour Queen gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 14:09 10.31.08

I went here for happy hour with 2 girlfriends and asked for the happy hour menu. It said that the appetizers are 5 dollars. So we ordered drinks and the bartender never came back to take our food order, so then finally another bartender came to take our food order and when our bill came our bill was sky high!! they charged us 80. 00$ for 2 drinks each and I had 2 appetizers and my friends had 2 so I dont understand what happened. We were wating a long time for someone to come talk to us about the bill but we had to go and we will never go back again.

-- banana gave this bar a 2 out of 5 at 18:55 09.26.08

Love the strong and unique cocktails. Almost always busy, a good bet for uptown!

-- Mike D gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 14:09 08.01.08

if you are looking for weak drinks and shitty, slow service, and nasty bathrooms. look no further. the only redeeming quality is the happy hour, and you can find as good or much better all over this city. don't waste your time.

-- alice gave this bar a 2 out of 5 at 14:57 07.19.08

I've been to the Independent about 5 times and usually it's been pretty average. Their drink specials are pretty good, but their food specials aren't very good. Tonight, however, I had the worst chicken sandwich of my life there. The fries tasted like the fryer hadn't been cleaned in a month. On top of that I got charged for ranch dressing which I desperately needed in order to choke the food down. My 2 stars are actually 1.5.

-- Ryan gave this bar a 2 out of 5 at 17:36 06.12.08

I really enjoy this bar on the weeknights for their HH specials. Weeknights can bring in the d-bags, but what place doesnt on the weekends? I really cannot get enough of The Independent's Happy Hour!

-- Cara gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 09:17 06.11.08

What the heck is up with all these low ratings? The Independent has a kick ass happy hour that is unbeatable in price anywhere around. Even during happy hour, you get top shelf liquor at happy hour prices - how many bars do that? We've never had an issue with the service. Sure it can be slow but let us all remember that this is a popular, in-city bar that isn't serving just us; there are plenty of other people around. The bartenders and waitstaff have always been friendly and I recommend this place to anyone looking for cheap drinks, a chill atmosphere and a good time.

-- Tommy A gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 04:58 06.01.08

I like this bar before about 8 o'clock on weekdays. After that and on weekends, the douchebags begin to pour in. Happy hour specials are phenomenal, staff is pleasant, and the atmosphere is okay -- but get this: My friends and I got yelled at for dancing to the DJ they had! Okay, if you're going to be a "no dancing" bar, then fine. Don't have a DJ! Seems really stuffy and misleading to me.

-- North Loop Dweller gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 14:08 05.22.08

super hit or miss...more often than not it's a miss. inconsistent food and drinks. there are a few good servers. the bar manager is an ass. the specials are pretty good, but not worth the trouble, in my opinion. the crowd is very uptown/looking to get laid...not my scene.

-- roxanne gave this bar a 2 out of 5 at 15:26 05.13.08

I kind of think this place sucks, but the food IS good for what it is, and they sometimes have a good late night crowd and vibe. The drinks are weak and not cheap, the service is often very slow. It reminds me of a place a suburban 50-something dad thinks the younger generation would like.

-- g3 gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 14:08 05.01.08

Love the HH specs, great drink & app selection. Comfy booths/sofas & friendly table service. I finally tried dinner here after 2 yrs of the occasional HH, and everyone in my group liked their dishes! (rare in a picky group.) Not dining? Get the humongo sundae to share with 3 of your friends.

-- solange gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 00:07 02.05.08

This place has one of the most discusting bathrooms I have ever seen. I have never had an easy time getting served food or drinks no matter how busy the place is. If the service was better this place would be great.

-- STILT gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 16:25 01.25.08

Hot people! Good specials! Terrific Sunday Brunch! Plus I had sex in the bathroom on a Saturday night!

-- yeah boyeee gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 01:50 12.30.07

Independent offers good specials and has a clean and trendy atmosphere. The array of eclectic personalities is great and service is usually decent depending on the employee.

-- CDP gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 19:58 11.27.07

Great happy hour! The drinks are cheap and good the service has been good and the atmosphere is trendy urban.

-- Rumple gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 23:47 11.13.07

Fantastic happy hour and cheerful, competent waitresses, though really loud and often frequented by what another poster called the annoyingly trendy. They've got this lovely little red room tucked in the back, however, perfect for pre-club tete-a-tetes with the one you love.

-- m gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 11:06 11.08.07

I love Independant! There food is amazing and service has always been good for me. Try there Dim Sum, really even if it's something you don't normally eat, it is fabulous! The only thing is here on the website it is advertized as smoker friendly, which they haven't been in a long time so you might want to update the add. They quit being smoker friendly even before the new ban. I got kicked off the patio!

-- Brittney gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 15:23 10.04.07

Hmm, I sense Katie is an Independent employee...? There is nothing independent about this place. Terrible music, mediocre food, hit-or-miss staff, typical Cal Square atmosphere. Good place to go if you're too alt for Williams.

-- Suburban Heaven gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 09:34 09.18.07

Independent is great for drinks and happy hour. I would suggest that the people who think they got terrible service pull their head out of their butt and realize that if you don't ask for something (ie check) that a server cannot and will not read your mind. You need to speak up. Don't expect that a check will be divided for you. You're an adult now, figure it out. p.s. service staff knows the regulars that tip well...if you've gone back 5 times and gotten shitty service, it's probably for a reason. Cheers!

-- Katie gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 16:36 09.14.07

The food and drinks are great, but the past few times I've been, the service has been poor. Servers have been negligent (or they are understaffed), bills have come divided incorrectly, and it has taken up to 40 minutes simply to get the check. I've had better luck sitting in the bar, so if you can nab a table near the windows overooking Hennepin/Lake, go for it.

-- liv gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 15:39 08.27.07

I was at The Independent last night and they advertise that their happy hour goes to 7, but they are apparently on "bar time" and they cut the happy hour off at 6:40. I chose to go to this bar because of the later happy hour and they didn't even honor their advertised special.

-- Jake gave this bar a 2 out of 5 at 11:30 07.13.07

The atmosphere is pretty decent. The music a touch too loud. The crowd way too hipster. But the tap beer? Absolutely terrible. Have they not cleaned their taps since 1982? Gross. Its terrible. The Honeyweiss tastes like a dirty sweat sock soaked in stale Budlight with a lemon on top. I wish the Uptown Bar didnt have covers every friday.

-- Angie gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 11:29 07.07.07

I used to frequent this bar often, but stopped because the staff/service is horrible. It takes 30 mins at least to get drinks and the bartenders are rude. The 2 stars go towards the good looking crowd and unique drink menu.

-- Kate gave this bar a 2 out of 5 at 21:48 03.24.07

They had great food and drinks but bad service. Our waitress was very rude when she messed up our tabs and had to re-run our cards. For that reason we will never go back.

-- Heather&Danielle gave this bar a 2 out of 5 at 15:22 03.03.07

The food is good, the martinis are even better! Great prices and good atmosphere. However, if you want to go somewhere you can actually hold a conversation, this is not the place. It is SO LOUD you have to scream even if the person is sitting right next to you.

-- Stina gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 14:46 01.26.07

The Independent is one of the top ran bar and restaurants that I have ever seen. Great food and daily specials and VERY experienced staff.

-- Brewers of Jordan gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 12:58 01.11.07

This bar is so much fun... I went there on a Wednesday night and it was packed... I would definitely recommend it!!!

-- Sara gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 19:17 01.04.07

Great place. Somewhere different and fun to have parties at in the "Red" room...

-- MplsLvr gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 16:14 11.08.06

Staff is awful, even manager was rude. This place used to be sooo cool now it is the worst bar in Minneapolis.

-- Indysux gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 16:11 10.26.06

the happy hour appetizers are marvelous. the crowd can get slightly toolish (especially on the weekends), but otherwise the independent has a nice vibe.

-- citycalmdown gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 18:39 07.31.06

Even without happy hour they still have good prices… beers start at $3.50 - not bad for Uptown. When they say 2-4-1 cocktails at happy hour, they do mean ALL cocktails! It’s the best happy hour in Uptown by far! I have always had good service and it’s always fun.

-- Love it gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 12:58 07.14.06

This place has fantastic specials, great staff, pretty good food and is laid back and cool. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah- the smoking lounge is worthy of praise as well.

-- blondie gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 21:42 07.07.06

This place is a meat market.

-- bitch bag gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 20:41 06.02.06

great butter tits

-- Dakota gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 20:16 06.02.06

great atmos good looking people, deliciously sassy service, good gay bi crowd lots of funky metros

-- dakota gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 20:15 06.02.06

I like it here- not love- but I defiantly recommend it. They have a great happy hour and the food is awesome and not over-priced like so many other places. I always have a good time- the music is hit or miss- but it’s all good just the same. Check it out & if ya don’t like it- there are tones of other places right in that area to fall back on.

-- -*K*- gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 12:45 05.26.06

The staff are all a little freaky and gothic, but they're usually nice. The Margherita Pizza is the best appetizer in Uptown. I love the 2-4-1's during the early happy hour, but I don't like listening to the men taking a dump in the unisex bathroom. Why does every great Uptown bar have shared bathrooms these days?!?!

-- Cher gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 14:38 05.13.06

I frequent the independant. the happy hour is great! where else can i get a humos platter and 4 gin tonics for under 15$ thats what im talkin about!!

-- jr gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 15:01 05.10.06

This place is great. I've never had a bad time here. Good food good drinks, and beautiful people. Just like me...

-- yeah gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 13:42 05.05.06

Very cool crowd with quick service. The food is good and the drinks are cheap, what more could you want?

-- robinthehood gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 16:54 04.29.06

I've recently come around on this place. The happy hour specials and appetizers are excellent. However the clientele are a bit bourgeois. Don't come here to meet people, come here to have a good time with friends you have.

-- Nigel Tufnel gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 19:56 04.12.06

Service is awful. Creative martini menu. If you're hungry don't go here - you'll be waiting forever for your food.

-- A gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 11:34 04.06.06

Will never come back because of the shitty bartenders. Fire them, and we'll be back. Pricks.

-- Bob gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 00:56 04.02.06

Food was awesome, I loved the crab cakes and calamari,but service was very slow. Environment was o.k. watsup with unisex bathroom, not good.

-- chocolate gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 11:51 04.01.06

this bar sucks! Only one ok excuse for going is the drinks and if you live in uptown you can always walk home or crawl depending on your lenghth of stay.

-- ohboy gave this bar a 2 out of 5 at 14:16 03.23.06

Very "L.A." In other words, this place blows. The only reason I ended up there was for a decent drink special. I'd rather stop drinking than go back.

-- Shaquille O' Handgrenade gave this bar a 1 out of 5 at 09:03 03.01.06

Some friends and I went last Sunday evening for dinner and drinks. The food was okay. But the bathroom was HORRIBLY disgusting! I'm talking like it had not been cleaned all weekend. There was broken glass in one toilet, piss all over the other one and huge shit in the other. Thank goodness the handicap one was decent. The drinks were excellent though.

-- Amy gave this bar a 2 out of 5 at 15:41 02.28.06

Mysterious smells, bum house scrawls, spring break Daytona. Truly a wreck.

-- toilet trouble gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 23:57 02.27.06

Some of the best and most creative drinks in the city! $5 Appetizers kick ass at 1:30am to feed the late night munchies (best quesadillas in the city! & phenomenal nachos)

-- Matt gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 15:04 02.20.06

Great martinis. The view out the window by the little tables (barside) was nice, but the bar crowd spilled over into the table area - it's annoying to have ppl standing next to your low table, bumping into your chair all the time when you're eating! Staff was friendly but service was slow & spotty the last 2 times i visited. $5 app specials @ late happy hour is a good reason to go.

-- mc gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 17:22 02.03.06

Chill place to get a drink or a beer. If you are hungry head elsewhere... the food is horrible.

-- Alice gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 20:16 02.02.06

Smiling Moose by any other name... i hate the food. the environment- soso. drinks are the only reason i go.

-- whitey gave this bar a 3 out of 5 at 02:35 01.30.06

Good environment, drinks, food, etc. Only drawback is that it can be busy at times (Can't complain about success though). One of the better bars in Uptown.

-- Sex Panther gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 15:24 01.24.06

Probably some of the best drinks in Uptown... Try the "Georgia", its the best martini in the world, and the ladies love it!

-- Nate gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 17:07 01.06.06

Good food, better drinks, Patio looking on to Lake and Henn. Sucks that sometimes theres a line but atleast that way you dont have to fight to get a drink.

-- ArjaY gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 15:45 01.05.06

Hands town the best place in uptown. People just seems a bit more relaxed in here, and thats all I ask for!

-- Rosemary gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 12:47 01.03.06

Relaxing lounge atmosphere, good specials, quiet during happy hour so you can get the prime seat and hang out there.

-- BigRob gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 15:08 12.06.05

Great place to hang out and gulp a few drinks. Good ambience and music. Waitresses can be more polite though.

-- Chakra gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 11:02 12.03.05

FINALLY! A bar that goes by the fire code. Not too packed and a great atmosphere. Outdoor seating is great in the summer. I enjoy going to this place

-- T-Roy gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 17:26 10.27.05

Has every cheezball bought themselves some turntables? Fuck. Actually, though, their beer list is pretty damn good. Word.

-- Mark gave this bar a 4 out of 5 at 23:36 10.24.05

yummy appetizers and a fabulous martini! all our drinks were excellent. the place was casual & had a comfortable, cool atmosphere without being annoyingly trendy. it's nice that it isn't a chain. (great logo, too!)

-- marathon chick gave this bar a 5 out of 5 at 22:54 10.13.05