Walkin’ Around Checkin’ Stuff Out. #20
Going to do something a little different and focus this weeks post on what we did one afternoon last weekend.
PNA Lodge.
Pam found out about a PNA (Polish National Alliance) Lodge in South St. Paul that seemed too good to be true and damn near impossible that we’d never heard of it before.
Tucked back in a South St. Paul neighborhood is a house…and in the basement of that house is the PNA Lodge. This isn’t some bar that looks like a house on a main drag of a busy street. This is literally a house with other houses on either side and neighbors across the street. It’s not a place you would ever accidentally drive by…you have to know about it.
PNA Lodge. South St. Paul, MN
As much as we like an adventure, I’m not gonna lie…we were a little nervous to hit this place up. Thinking it would be full of hard drinking regulars that would throw their necks out turning to look when we walked in…and who knows how they’d feel about new people finding their spot?
His and Hers smoking section.
Nothing could be further from the truth…well, actually it’s all true. Hard drinking regulars throwing their necks out when we walked in…yes. But people couldn’t have been friendlier and seemed genuinely happy (and a bit surprised) we found their secret spot.
“ATTENTION: Please be patient with the bartender, even a toilet can serve only one asshole at a time.”
It’s not to say they didn’t have attitude at the PNA Lodge, they had plenty of attitude as evidenced by the sign above the bar. But beers were $3.00 and ice cold and the regulars were friendly and talkative.
One of the regulars proudly showing off his t-shirt.
We got the history of the lodge and stories about the neighborhood and tips of where to go next. The Croatian Hall was only a block away and not to be missed. It’s not in a house…they have an actual building, but the bar is in a basement through an unmarked door. I guess it’s ok to have a bar in South St. Paul, just don’t tell anyone about it.
Since they don’t serve food at the PNA Lodge we got a tip to go to Al’s Corral Bar for a burger.
Let me stop right here and say I live for this kind of stuff. Finding hidden gems. Gems that are a little rough. The kind of gems you might be a little nervous going into…but end up meeting great people and seeing cool things and all if it has a ton of soul. No hipsters, no influencers, no trendy scene. Just regular people hanging out doin’ their thing.
Al’s Corral Bar.
I know we’ve seen Al’s before. We drove by and probably thought the place was closed down. Even if we knew it was open we might not have gone in…let’s just say Al’s looks a little rough from the outside.
Al’s Corral Bar. South St. Paul, MN
The second we walked into Al’s we felt like we were home (once we got past the stare-downs from the regulars). The interior is warm and inviting and very much worn-in. Al hasn’t updated the decor or changed the bar stools, or modernized in any way…think lots of warm knotty pine, with some tv’s, sports memorabilia and a tiny little grill in the corner of the bar.
Bartender firing up the grill.
We ordered a burger and coney dog and the bartender (also the cook), got to work. The burger was fantastic and the coney dog as good as any in town.
Like any good bar they have Touch Tunes…but unlike many bars, they have a kick ass sound system hooked up to Touch Tunes and they aren’t afraid to give it some volume.
Someone with great taste loaded the machine up with Replacements and Soul Asylum tunes so I volleyed back a couple more Replacements tunes and we got to talkin’ to the guy about music. a couple other regulars chimed in as well and I thought Pam was going to follow them out to the parking lot to share a smoke.
Pam was into it: “These are my people!”
Yes, and no. I mean, we’re all people, we can all get along…we just have to get outside our bubbles from time to time.
The way politics is going these days and the way social media boxes us into groups that are exactly like us with each group hating on the next, we need to get out and talk to other people that aren’t like us more often. We all have more in common than we think. Of course we’re going to have differences, but that’s what makes us human. In spite of the differences we can all get along. It just might take a beer, some Touch Tunes and a decent burger.
My Touch Tunes Top 10:
Cherry Bomb - The Runaways
Mary Jane’s Last Dance - Tom Petty
I’m On Fire - Dwight Twilley
Surrender - Cheap Trick
Switchin’ To Glide - The Kings
Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy
Miss Judy’s Farm - Faces
Dirty Sexy Money - The Struts
Rock ‘N’ Roll Star - Oasis
Lovely Day - Bill Withers
So much to love here!
The idea of returning to some mythical 'good old days' is problematic for so many reasons, but I do wonder about the sense of community during the era of small neighborhood shops, offices and bars every few blocks. Glad to see this still in existence in some form.
Switchin’ To Glide - The Kings! Thank you for prompting me to dig deep into the ipod for that track.
Don't forget to mention the "Mayor of SOUTH St Paul"...all suited up in a jacket and tie. I think if they hadn't known him, he would have turned more heads than we did.