Welcome back to Five Things, Racket’s recurring rundown of new, new-to-us, or otherwise notable Twin Cities restaurants.
Today we’re taking you inside Bill’s Bait Shop, a buzzy new bar/restaurant on 42nd Street in south Minneapolis. Open since August 7 at the old Chris & Rob’s Chicago’s Taste Authority address, Bill’s is the latest to join the Centro Restaurant Group family, and the vibe here is heavy on the Northwoods nostalgia. Here are five things to know before you go.
1. Meet Bill.
Bill’s Bait Shop is the latest endeavor from Jami Olson, whose restaurant group is also behind Bina’s, Hippo Pockets, and Centro, the last of which now has four locations throughout the metro. The restaurant is named for Olson’s grandfather; she tells MSP Mag that Bill was a farmer born and raised in Karlstad, Minnesota (population 710). Bill loved fishing and ate breakfast at the same diner every morning. He kept a dirt cellar stocked with canned veggies. He also once saw a UFO.
Bill sounds cool as hell.
2. There’s an Emphasis on Kitsch…
As you might expect from the Centro group, the decor here is exceedingly oh fer cute. A yellow canoe dangles from the ceiling over the bar; a colorful trout mural is the backdrop for a vibrant “Bill’s Bait Shop” neon sign. Fishing poles and a Coleman lantern frame the window separating the dining room and bar area, and paintings of loons and deer and fish and ducks abound, as do old light-up signs for various yellow beer brands. One dining room wall is lined with a vampire-unfriendly wall of mirrors. And check out this bathroom art:
You can buy Bill’s-branded merch by the entrance before settling in at a two-top, or one of the green vinyl booths, or a seat at the bar. Or, you might want to sit outside, where a wide patio and several lawn chairs await.
3. …And Maybe Not Quite Enough on the Kitch.
The Racket staff got lunch at Bill’s last week and had a pretty pleasant experience overall. We started with the Tackle Box ($19), which was a cute idea—Midwest families have been making some variation of this cold meat/cheese/relish tray at home for decades—and a fun way to eat our way through most of the menu’s appetizers. It could, however, be a bit higher-end on execution considering the price. Also: Put it in a real (reel?) tackle box, sanitary issues be damned!
The Bill’s smoked burger ($20), with pork belly and black pepper rub, was fine, though with skimpy pork and an iffy bun, we again didn’t find it quite worthy of its eye-popping price point. Our token vegetarian staffer enjoyed the heirloom tomato sandwich ($15), which was like a caprese without the mozzarella… and yet, again, at $15, shouldn’t it have mozzarella on it?
But these were near misses, mostly satisfying and easily fixed by adding a few ingredients or subtracting a few dollars. Other folks in my friend group haven’t been so lucky. I was bowled over by the photo of the $14 trout dip one sent to the group chat:
I mean, you’d laugh, if you weren’t so mad about being robbed.
4. Still, There's a Lot to Like on the Menu.
My double cheeseburger ($16) was excellent, piled with caramelized onions and oozing white American cheese. The grilled Polish sausage sandwich ($16) was comfortably loaded with toppings and a hefty hunk of sausage, and while the bread was sturdy and substantial, there was enough mayo and spicy mustard to keep it from being dry. A sprinkling of chips on top added just the right amount of crunch. Like all of Bill’s sandwiches, they were served alongside beef tallow fries, which look and taste like the absolute best order of McDonald’s fries you’ve ever ordered.
And the walleye fish ‘n’ chips ($24) was a standout—its fish the size of a freaking baby’s leg, the crispy battered shell giving way to hunks of pearl-white, juicy fish filet. One colleague called it an immediate contender for the best fried walleye in town, and it arrived with an appropriately sized tub of smooth, dill-forward tartar sauce.
5. Physically and Spiritually, Bill’s Is Located Somewhere Between Buster’s, Bull’s Horn, and Cardinal Bar.
If you like bars like Bill’s, you have a couple of options in the neighborhood already. Its location, in the old Chicago's Taste Authority space, is just a few blocks from Buster’s on 28th (one of my favorite bars in the area) and a three-minute bike ride from Bull’s Horn (one of my favorite bars anywhere). Buster’s and Bull’s Horn both do really good bar food, really well. Cardinal Bar is a bit grittier, but it’s also much more affordable, and just a three-minute bike ride in the other direction. All three bars have a built-in clientele; all three bars fall into that “reliable neighborhood staple” category.
Enter Bill’s, with its collection of vintage wall art and thoughtfully branded merch. Visually, Bill’s stands out. But if it’s going to stick around, they’re going to need to tighten things up in the kitchen or bring the prices down a little (and probably both). It’s been open 10 days; I’m confident they’ll get it dialed in. Things are more expensive everywhere anymore—it’s almost $17 for a burger and fries at Buster’s these days, too.
Bill’s Bait Shop
Address: 3101 E. 42nd St., Minneapolis
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday
