Home > Twin Cities Bars & Clubs > Bar Review > Inside: Nye's Polonaise

Upon the first glance, you may not fully understand why Esquire Magazine named Nye’s Polonaise the best bar in America just a little over a year ago. It doesn’t have an exclusive red carpet entrance with ultra-chic celebrity clientele, nor does it have LED screens and pulsating laser lights pumping to the beat of house music.

What is does offer is far better. Located just past the Hennepin Avenue Bridge in NE Minneapolis, it’s hard to miss the bright neon sign beckoning you to give it a try.

Open the front door and step back to the past, a place untouched by modern times. Sparkly gold booths, red pleather, plastic lights and flower carpet.  Polish specialties like Bigos, Golabki, Pierogi, sausage and sauerkraut. A decent drink menu, and even the "World’s Most Dangerous Polka Band."

But, a great bar is not about the décor, drinks, or dinner menu. It’s not even about the music. A great bar is marked by the people you share it with, and at Nye’s that’s what it is all about…the defining factor in what truly makes it one of the best bars in America.

Regulars from the neighborhood both young and old. Hipsters looking to try something new. Out of towners seeking solace in something they can call their home-away-from-home. Sweet Lou, Evie, Fran, Joe, Ruth, Ollie, Dan, Dean, Chicago Mike, Phil, Dan, Corky and the rest of the family behind the bar you’ll come to know and love.

But best of all? Mike “The Pianoman” Maresh whose passionate piano playing will soon have you singing along and sharing stories about life. He had me at hello, and I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything better.  

INSIDE:  Two-adjoining rooms with a 40's feel, featuring polka-dancing, live music, karaoke lounge, piano bar, ample booth seating and full bar.

FOOD: Don’t expect your average bar food here. At Nye’s Polonaise the specialty is anything and everything Polish, so that means cabbage, sauerkraut, sausage and potatoes. Classic polish entrees within the dinner menu on the average set you back anywhere from $16 to $25, but the taste is well worth the price. They’ve also got standard American fare like chicken wings, turkey melts, cheeseburgers and salads at a standard price, around $10 a plate.  

DRINKS: A full bar offering an extensive list of beer, wine, whiskey, tequila, scotch and cognac. They’ve probably got the best selection of vodka around, and you’ll definitely want to taste the traditional Tsiki polish beer. (Happy Hour: M-F 11-6 p.m.; $2.50 domestics $2.50 rails, $3.50 imports)

CROWD: You’ll find a mix of both young and old. Everyone from ball cap wearing college kids to funky hipsters to young professionals to fun senior citizens who can party like the rest of us. Seriously.

SERVICE: Relax at the piano bar and ask Mike to play some of your favorites, because he knows them all. If you’re lucky he’ll share with you the first song he ever played, a tune his grandmother taught him when he was just five years old. Add that to hearing fun stories about his life as a one-man band traveling the country, and you’ll find yourself wanting to stay past closing time. Combined with the rest of the family, Nye’s has a reputation for the good people behind it, a place where everyone really does know your name.

BOTTOM LINE: Next time you pass by the neon sign, be sure to stop in and give Nye’s a chance. You’ll be glad you did.

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