The 10 best food and drinks in downtown Anoka’s social district

It was a gloriously sunny day in downtown Anoka, lending an ideal backdrop to a restaurant and bar hop, checking out shops along the way.

If local businesses have their way, crowds will head to the area in the coming months to do just that, as the season for downtown Anoka’s social district, which started May 1 and runs through early October, gets underway.

In 2023, Anoka became the first Minnesota city to create an open-container drinking district in a designated zone (with Stillwater and Shakopee planning to follow suit this year) as municipalities find ways to boost local businesses amid economic challenges. As social district season starts, we checked out the 10 participating restaurants and bars in downtown Anoka in search of the best things to order as you tow drinks between participating establishments and inside shops.

In a district that has Midwestern-like poutine at the ready, a decadent chicken sandwich and fried ice cream that’s worth leaving room for dessert, the food is worth as much as the sipping scene.

(Note: These are the restaurants currently participating at the time of publication; more could join the fun.)

The broken-in Irish pub with tin ceilings and dark wood serving up “American fare with an Irish flair” is a place that tempts you to sink into a chair or booth and stay a while. So it’s best to stay on task if you want to spend a day hopping the social district.

To help focus, let us save you time by insisting on the Guinness cheese fries ($10) that share space with dishes like Reuben rolls. The skinny fries are reminiscent of ones beloved at a certain fast-food burger chain with golden arches, with battered edges allowing a Guinness cheese sauce to sit over the top without getting absorbed. And because everything tastes better with bacon, bits are sprinkled on top for an added salty kick. Pub poutine for the win.

2016 1st Av.,Anoka, MaGillyCuddysofAnoka

We love a menu that under-promises and overdelivers. The spinach artichoke chicken sandwich ($15) sounds like something Mom would want us to order, but the reality is a decadent bite that takes the best spinach artichoke dip, smothers it all over a juicy chicken breast, then covers the whole thing in gooey provolone. It’s all piled onto a pretzel bun that holds up to all that creamy goodness with gusto. Cut it in half and watch the cheese pull do its magic. We recommend upgrading to the waffle fries with seasoned sour cream as a side. It’s more than worth the nominal upcharge.

Pair with: Lift Bridge Mango Blonde ($7), a juicy summertime beauty with just enough fruit to feel festive, but a crisp finish to stand up to all that flavor.

201 Jackson St., Anoka, 201tavern.com

This vaguely tropical dive bar, set in the shadow of the county courthouse amid bail-bond outfits, is full of surprises: 1) The secret doughnut special that starts each day until sold out and, according to our server, outdoes Krispy Kreme. 2) The “best ever” marinated steak bites (again, our server), with a house-made Caesar-type dip, that really does put all others to shame ($13). Get them with the Baby Bakers, mini baked potatoes, to make it a meal ($10). And 3) the Tuesday $3 hamburger, a hand-formed ⅓-pound patty, has to be among the best deals in the metro. That the food comes from a tiny flat top in a bump-out behind the bar is even more of a marvel.

227 E. Main St., Anoka, totaldannos.us

A rotating sign reading “Minn-Mex” is a marker of the type of menu offered at this bright, colorful downtown hangout with beach vibes. On a recent afternoon, the lunch buffet was the popular order. But we couldn’t resist ordering a la carte to try the restaurant’s top seller, the quesadilla ($12), stacked more than an inch high with mesquite-grilled chicken, bacon and avocado ranch dressing that tasted like a riff on a chicken ranch wrap.

It also left us room for dessert, which worked in our favor, since the fried ice cream ($7) was the crowd favorite. Vanilla ice cream gets rolled in cinnamon sugar and cornflake crumbs before getting deep-fried. It’s on a fried tortilla bed for added crunch and topped with chocolate, honey and whipped cream for living the sweet life.

Pair with: The house ($7) or mango ($8) margarita, or the four-sample margarita flight ($25).

201 Jackson St., Anoka, casariorestaurants.com

Pair with: Serum’s Spicy Water ($6), the signature cocktail, is a blueberry twist on a vodka-lemonade.

213 Jackson St., Anoka, serumsanoka.com

Downtown Anoka’s craft brewery is an open room and bar with a wide selection of brew types. Rather than trying to winnow it down to just one flavor, order a build-your-own flight ($10.50). We opted to wind through the varying types with a summery Raspberry Lemon Bar sour, German pils, hefty dopplebock and a Foggy Morning for those oddball hazy IPA lovers in the group.

Pair with: The opening-soon Babe’s Kitchen hadn’t yet rolled out on our visit, but it should be serving Neapolitan-style pizzas, wings and more by the time the social district is in full swing.

2005 2nd Av., Anoka, 10kbrew.com

Pair with: Be bold and go with the $13 Iceberg Wine-tini, a lemon sorbet-spiked glass of sauvignon blanc (you might giggle while ordering it, but trust us).

2015 2nd Av., Anoka, ambiwinebar.com

This speakeasy-style bar leans into its theme hard. After arriving through an unmarked alley door, all manner of tools and hardware greet you. Your password to get in will involve some kind of household necessity (you get the password when you make a reservation). But once welcomed through a clanging metal door, you’ll find a swank lounge dripping in throwback decor. The cocktail menu is long and detailed, and in addition to a solid Old Fashioned special ($6 on Wednesdays), there are loads of creative options. We loved the lavender-hued Purple Symbol (Prince’s printed icon, $13), and the Red Light ($15), a fruity vodka drink served in a lightbulb-shaped glass you can take home.

Pair with: Cracker Jack ($6). The food menu here is short and mostly packaged, but a big bag of nostalgic caramel corn and peanuts does the trick. And the bar provides its own hardware-themed knickknacks as a prize.

201 Jackson St., #10, Anoka (entrance through the alley behind the building), anokahardwarestore.com

While sometimes the most Instagrammable drink isn’t the most digestible, that’s not the case here. The frou-frou-looking So Berry Into You ($14) — raspberry vodka, black raspberry liqueur, lime juice and simple syrup that’s shaken — was a surprisingly smooth-tasting, frothy delight. The other top seller, Death by Gin ($16), was also an original and on the boozier side. Nucky’s can be found on the basement level, while its sibling restaurant, Club 300, is upstairs on the main floor of the charming Old Post Office building, making the speakeasy a great before- or after-dinner stop.

Pair with: A smaller version of the Club 300 menu is available, and the amped-up deviled eggs (two for $5) with a lemony, Eggs Benedict-like tang is a delightful snack.

300 E. Main St., Anoka, nuckysspeakeasy.com

With a philosophy that “Club 300 is meant for those who aren’t in a hurry, and looking to make an evening out of their outing,” this charming linen restaurant is an ideal way to end the day. Especially when ordering dishes such as the well-composed rib-eye ($49) with roasted red pepper butter swirled on top like a cinnamon roll and then served with a side of rosemary potatoes cooked three ways (boiled, pan-seared, then deep-fried to order), rendering the ultimate crisp.

Pair with: A martini ($11) — a classic cocktail for a classic space.