Sunday Brunch with the Jensens – Liquor Lyle’s – Minneapolis, MN

I’ve driven by Liquor Lyle’s hundreds of times, but just thought it was a dive bar – which it is, but it’s a fun dive bar that serves food as well. The regular brunch crowd decided to go to Liquor Lyle’s, and when I got there I figured out why – two-for-one specials.

Since I slept too late to go to pre-drinking at the VFW, I got to Liquor Lyle’s before everyone else. So I sidled up to the bar and prepared to get caught up with the others before they got there. I didn’t realize how quickly I’d be getting caught up until I saw the bar tender was making me two drinks. Two really strong, like 75%-liquor-strong, drinks. When he charged me for just the one, I caught on why this place was chosen for brunch.

I overheard someone ask about a table for the Jensens and spun around to see people I knew. I followed them to our large group of tables in back and grabbed a spot on the red vinyl bench. Red vinyl seems like a brilliant idea, until your back sticks to it from the sweat accumulating from lack of air circulation. Then you realize, your sweat is mingling with other people’s sweat from before you and you need a stiff drink to help you forget. Luckily, Liquor Lyle’s has plenty of that.

We needed to get food when everyone showed up, so menus got passed. The menu was much larger than I expected it to be – they had actual good breakfast food on it, including a “messy bennnie” – eggs benedict chopped up and served like a big slop pile. Go LLs! I went with a bacon, sausage, and pepperjack omelet with some tater tots. Low and behold, the breakfast specials come with a free drink!!! This place may be my working its way to the top of my breakfast place list. Some people didn’t realize the included drink or the two-for-ones, so when their food came out with three drinks, they were kind of scared a little. Light-weights.

The omelet was good, and the sausage was not breakfast sausage, so it had a unique (but awesome) quality to it. Add in the pepperjack for a little zing, and you’ve got the makings of a quality breakfast. The tots just added to the ensemble, and even though there were some tot-thieves at my table, I managed to eat most of them myself.

I’ll definitely go back to this place. I’m sorry I didn’t go try the restroom for photos though. Bar restrooms generally make for great photo ops. I ate for cheap and had a couple of free drinks. What’s not to like about this place (except the mingling back-sweat of course)?

Top 5 things about Liquor Lyle’s
1. Two-for-ones
2. Free drink with meal
3. Sausage, bacon, and pepperjack omelet
4. Hilarious conversations about drinking games
5. Lots of red vinyl and mirrors

Bottom 5 things
1. Gerd would have loved this place – she liked weird ambiance combined with good food
2. Parking lot has 10 spaces (you shouldn’t be driving anyway)
3. Weird front door/door back thing (TWSS) and the bouncer jumps up to card people who use the non-standard entrance
4. Red vinyl seems like a good idea, but I don’t like sticking to it
5. Really eclectic mix of jukebox songs on random