Pub 819 *NEW*

819 Mainstreet, Hopkins • 952-933-1230 • www.pub819.com

Pull up a stool at this west-metro saloon where burgers, beer and whiskey are king. A fortress of TVs above the hopping bar make Pub 819 a prime spot to root for the home team when you would rather pay a bartender than a scalper. As the weather warms, look for the garage doors to open up onto downtown Hopkins' main drag.

Scratch Bar and Grill *NEW*

408 3rd Av. N., Mpls., Mpls. • 612-405-3092 • www.scratchbarandgrill.com

This casual American bar near Target Field could become a sneaky Twins gameday watering hole. Beat ballpark prices with Scratch's burgers and sandwiches while warming up with a drink before hitting the bleachers.

Depot Tavern

When First Avenue flung open the garage doors to its Depot side bar in 2010, it immediately became a pre-show fave. With TVs tuned to the Mainroom and 7th Street Entry stages, fans can stay seated and sipping right up till showtime. In the summer, the bar's open-air feel makes it a comfortable cool-down site after the sweatiest of shows. (17 N. 7th St., Mpls. • 612-338-1828 • www.thedepottavern.com.)

Eagle Street Grille

If somebody built a modern sports bar, without an obtrusive number of TVs, inside a brownstone mansion, it might look something like Eagle Street Grille. The pub is so close to the Xcel Energy Center you could probably hear a slap shot. (174 W. 7th St., St. Paul • 651-225-1382 • www.eaglestreetgrille.net.)

Gluek's

Gluek's has been knocked out of commission twice, once by Prohibition and once by a fire, only to come roaring back again and again. German-American fare is the theme, while the draft selection is ample enough to vindicate its rich beer-heritage vibe. (16 N. 6th St., Mpls. • 612-338-6621 • www.glueks.com.) (Spencer Doar)

Ike's Food & Cocktails

Designed in a throwback style, Ike's feels like a bar first, even though you're free to dine on prime rib or barbecue shrimp if you so choose. Belly up to the massive bar and order, say, a classic martini from a white-shirted barman. They've got you covered with their famous loaded bloodies, so hangovers be damned. (50 S. 6th St., Mpls. • 612-746-4537 • www.ilikeikes.com.) (Mecca Bos)

Kieran's Irish Pub

Kieran's is an Irish bar. That's about all you need to know. A close relationship with 2 Gingers has that brand of whiskey ever-present on bar shelves. And it's just a block from Target Field. (Block E, 601 1st Av. N., Mpls. • 612-339-4499 • www.kierans.com.) (S.D.)

The Liffey

This classic Irish pub is in good company with Minneapolis sister pubs Kieran's and the Local. Something of an adult theme park, the Liffey twists and turns with odd labyrinthine rooms, corners for swilling, booths for canoodling and a vast rooftop for sunning and swilling. (175 W. 7th St. • 651-556-1420 • www.theliffey.com.) (M.B.)

O'Donovan's

The Target Center/Target Field/First Avenue-adjacent bar's real draw is its 20-ounce taps (recommended with a sipping shot of Powers) and boisterous event-day atmosphere. (700 1st Av. N., Mpls. • 612-317-8896 • www.odonovans.com.)

Patrick McGovern's Pub

The Irish pub that feels as though it's been there since the beginning of time. The charming yet working-class West 7th is the sort of neighborhood where pubs like this belong — in perfect context. Drink to that. (225 W. 7th St., St. Paul • 651-224-5821 • www.patmcgoverns.com.) (M.B.)

Tiffany Sports Lounge

It's a Packer bar. A Jayhawks bar. A neighborhood bar. And for college kids, it's a place to pound cheap beer and dance. But somehow Tiff's myriad constituencies live in harmony. Who knew an average sports bar could be so unifying? (2051 Ford Pkwy., St. Paul • 651-690-4747 • www.tiffanysports­lounge.com.)