Chatterbox Pub, Minneapolis

The bustle of patrons and the action of vintage video games fill Original Chatterbox Pub & Speakeasy, echoing against walls checkered with vintage paintings. Customers nestled atop overstuffed couches train their eyes on flickering screens filled with Atari, Nintendo, and Sega Genesis video game characters or board game pieces from Yahtzee or Connect Four.

Based on this casual, laid-back atmosphere, it might surprise guests to open the menu, which lists neither standard greasy pub fare nor a detailed treasure map to a VHS copy of The Road to El Dorado. Instead, its pages boast a wide range of artisanal pizzas, gourmet sandwiches, and the famous Build Your Own Mac & Cheese, along with homemade desserts. Meals pair with pints of the pub’s own microbrewed draft beers, a well-curated craft beer menu, wines, and a wide range of specialty cocktails that wet whistles during music trivia, karaoke, open mics, and bingo competitions held throughout the week. It's no wonder that readers of City Pages voted Chatterbox Pub the Best Restaurant for a First Date.