Stanley's Northeast Bar Room

After an unsuccesful attempt to hit up a favorite spot in northeast Mpls, we were reluctantly heading back home when we drove past Stanley's. We had never heard or been here before, so being the dedicated foodies that we are, we swung back around and were promptly seated.

We were immediately surprised by the welcoming, festive, yet relaxed atmosphere of Stanley's. It has a very mellow vibe, with a slightly craft beer/pub/old-school bar feel to it. They have a diverse drink menu with lots of craft beer options, as well as unique mixed drinks. It was also the kick-off for Octoberfest, so they had a lot of good hefe's on tap too. We started with an order of the jalapeno poppers (whole beer battered and deep fried jalapenos filled with cream cheese and bacon served with roasted red pepper coulis) and a couple drinks.

We also ordered a cup of Guinness chili and a fresh mixed salad. The salad was very fresh, and the chili was excellent.

We ended our food-blogger work night with the big kid's mac and cheese (made-to-order three cheese beer sauce with cavatappi pasta and Sentryz' hot dogs, plus crostini) and the Stanley burger (half-pound beef patty topped with our signature smoked brisket, sauted onions and gouda). Mac and cheese was super cheesy and very good. The burger was perfect. Cooked perfect. Perfect toppings. Perfect brisket. Super juicy. I think it rivals the recent burger tests conducted at the Bulldog NE. Guess we have a competition.