St. Paul Breweries With Food: Kitchens and Trucks

St. Paul breweries with food come in three kinds: a historic German brewery with a sausage kitchen, brewpubs with full menus or wood-fired pizza, and taprooms that rely on visiting food trucks. Four places show the range, and in each the meal is the point of the visit, with the beer as a side.

Each is described by two independent sources. The notes below say what the kitchen is known for.

Which St. Paul breweries with food have a real kitchen?

One brewery is the clearest example. Visit Saint Paul calls it one of the only breweries in town with a full kitchen, Explore Minnesota says it has a full food menu, and Mpls.St.Paul Magazine's brewery guide praised a Friday fish fry. Check the current menu and the fish fry day before you go.

A brewery kitchen should be judged like any other. Order a main dish, not only a snack.

What are brewery sausages, and who serves them?

A German brewery and wurstery in downtown St. Paul is a restored 1850s-style beer hall. Mpls.St.Paul Magazine reported its opening with freshly made sausages and dumplings, plus lagers, and later praised a real sausage program. Visit Saint Paul describes it as a wurstery.

Go with a group and share. Sausages, pretzels and sides suit a long table, and the building itself is part of the visit.

Is there brewery pizza in St. Paul?

Yes. One craft brewery serves wood-fired pizzas, according to Explore Minnesota, which lists it among the city's best craft breweries. Visit Saint Paul and Mpls.St.Paul Magazine also list it.

Pizza is a simple test of a kitchen: the crust and the heat of the oven tell you most of what you need to know.

Share one pie among friends and add a salad or a side if the kitchen offers it. A wood-fired oven works fast, so pizza is also a sensible order when a group is hungry and the doors close soon. Ask whether the kitchen keeps different hours from the taproom bar.

How do taprooms with food trucks work?

A taproom on West 7th Street is a place where food trucks visit regularly, and guests can bring their own food, according to Explore Minnesota. Visit Saint Paul says its patio has grown, and it appears on the list of places with a free shuttle on Wild game days. The Wild game dinner guide has the neighborhood around it.

Check the truck schedule on the brewery's own page or social account before you go. A truck can cancel in bad weather, so keep a backup.

What is a brewpub, and how is it different from a taproom?

A brewpub is a brewery with a restaurant kitchen. A taproom is a tasting room that may have limited food, a rotating truck or a bring-your-own policy. Look for the sign or the brewery's page, and decide your plan before you arrive.

If you are hungry, choose the kitchen. If you are meeting friends for a snack, a truck is enough.

Who is a brewery meal for?

Families, groups and visitors. Many St. Paul breweries welcome children in the afternoon and early evening, and long tables suit groups. A meal at a brewery is also an easy way to try local food with friends. Ask what is on the kitchen menu and whether non-alcoholic options are available.

Late afternoon or early evening on a weekday is calm, with kitchens at full strength and tables easy to find. Friday and Saturday evenings are busy, and a fish fry day can have a line. Check the kitchen hours before you go, since a brewery bar can stay open after the kitchen has closed.

Plan your ride home before you sit down, and put the meal first.

What should you order at a St. Paul brewery with a kitchen?

Order what the kitchen is known for and share. The sources point to sausages and dumplings at the German brewery, a Friday fish fry at the brewery with a full kitchen and wood-fired pizza at a downtown craft brewery. A short, focused menu is a good sign, and the dish a server recommends first is usually the one the cooks make best.

If you are with children or a mixed group, ask about non-alcoholic drinks for anyone driving. The food should carry the visit on its own.

How do you rate the meal and the room?

Rate the dish, not the beer list. A sausage plate, a pizza and a fish fry deserve their own scores, and a note on seating, noise and children is useful. Taproom or Brewpub is a tag raters use, and Food Truck, Group Dining and Family Friendly add context.

Tags earn badges and help people find a place. They are a rater's note, never a guarantee, so confirm kitchen hours before you go.

How do you plan a brewery meal around other stops?

Pair it with a walk, a game or a market morning. The farmers market and food halls guide suggests a Saturday start, and the Minneapolis breweries with food guide covers the other side of the river. Put the stops in a list and share it.

More in the US food guides, and across the state in the Minnesota guides.

Before you head out, open the Mosey app, add the brewery kitchens you want to try to a list and share it with whoever is meeting you.