Tavern on Germain

Bar, Eatery

510 W Saint Germain St
Saint Cloud, Minnesota, 56301-3613
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.77
Reviews:
3
Ratings:
3
pDev:
9.28%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of opwog
Reviewed by opwog from Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -3.2%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
This is a place that has a huge potential, if they figure out what they want to be. It looks as if this was a failing college dive that was overwhelmed by more defined bars in the area. They have good taps and even some good bottles, but you can tell that still 98% of who visits here must be friends of the employees and/or people looking for average college beers.

I have had to do a couple of weeks in St. Cloud and can tell that this city is waiting anxiously for that one great beer bar. I actually think that the Tav may become that place. There isn't much competition, so that may be why there is a lack of real focus here, but they definitely have the best selection around right now. The problem is that it can't shake off the attraction of underdressed drunk chicks to become a more respectable beer bar. On the night that I was in there, it took a little while but as soon as the bartender knew that I was there to really have decent beer, he was great. But I could tell that I was probably the only person in there for that reason on that night.

This place has a lot of potential for St. Cloud and it seems as if the employees (or at least the bartender that I met) cares, but it needs a lot more commitment from the owners at this point.
May 07, 2010
Photo of mdwalsh
Reviewed by mdwalsh from Iowa

4.25/5  rDev +12.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
This is our standard after work hangout. Not that I'm employed, but my friends were. I lived in St. Cloud a few years before I discovered it, and it was an oasis. My scores are slightly skewed to reflect that. The atmosphere is good, usually a decent number of professionals, students and rugby players, not one interested in causing trouble, all interested in a good time. The quality is great. I've had only one or two off beers there, and they were usually when it was obviously the end or top of a keg, or a new beer to them.

The selection is great for a bar in St. Cloud, great taps with more to come and pretty good bottles as well. It's sort of two bars in one, but they keep all the imitation craft, i.e. shocktop, on the other side at the Rox. The staff is just awesome. They remember names and preferences after only a few visits, are happy to provide samples, and always overly apologetic if something goes wrong.

Prices are pretty good, better for happy hour, including for food. There's also a mug club with personalized mugs that are a considerable discount off a double sized beer. Basically get two pints and leave no tip.
Aug 04, 2009
Photo of RunawayJim
Reviewed by RunawayJim from Rhode Island

3.41/5  rDev -9.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3
I spent a lot of time at the Tav (as the locals seem to call it) on a recent trip to MN. It's a small bar attached to a larger clubbish type bar. The atmosphere isn't really anything special. There's a couple TV's above the small bar a bunch of tables, a video game, and a jukebox. The jukebox has some great random stuff on it (and you can get more by paying more and downloading them from the internet). The quality isn't great, but it's not horrible. I had a Surly Bender there that tasted way off, but I had several other beers that tasted fine. The glasses are not frosted or chilled, which is nice. The selection is nothing special, but they had 2 Surly taps, a Schell's tap, a Summit tap, a couple standard American macros, Guinness, and a whole bunch of stuff in bottles, including New Belgium, more Schell's, more Summit, and some other craft beers that I can't remember.

What sets this place apart is the service. The bartenders and the waitress that we had were all phenomenal. They were super nice, knew what the beer selection was, and extremely friendly and prompt. In fact, the waitress did a shot with us at the end of the night.

The place is also cheap. The most expensive beer is $5 for a pint and the pints come filled to the brim.

Is it worth a stop? It depends on what you're looking for. During the week it was pretty chill until later on. On the weekends, it was a bit crazier. I did enjoy my visits to the Tav and do recommend it even if the selection isn't the best and they aren't really all that into beer.
Jul 10, 2009
Tavern on Germain in Saint Cloud, MN
Place rating: 3.77 out of 5 with 3 ratings