I know we all live in our own little curated digital bubbles, but my bubble typically includes food and drink news, Twin Cities news, and Twin Cities food and drink news. So I need an explanation for how it is that last week, after scrolling upon an Instagram profile with a little crowned fish as its avatar, I was left thinking, โHmm, Chipโs Clubhouse? Now what do we have here?โ
Chipโs, I learned after a little searching, has been hiding in plain sight. Since opening early last year, which might explain some of my ignorance (I hardly ate in any restaurants during the time I was unvaccinated), its team has been racking up accolades. General manager Tara Coleman (whoโs behind Hot Hands Pie & Biscuit) was one of the Star Tribuneโs โunstoppable chefsโ of 2021; she runs the spot in St. Paulโs Tangletown neighborhood with chef Gina Mangiameli (who moved from Chicago to take the gig) and bar manager Tim Leary (Strip Club Meat & Fish, Hai Hai). It was one of Minnesota Monthlyโs best new restaurants last year.
Soโฆ I guess thatโs on me, then. Time to check it out.
The menu is a barflyโs dream, full of pub favorites with a modern twist. Youโve got classicsโChipโs Pot Roast, Spaghetti and Meatballsโand decidedly less traditionally pubby options like Cheesy Chicken Floutas and a Vegan Bacon Cheeseburger.
In that way, Chipโs reminded me a bit of Bullโs Horn, one of the best bars in Minneapolis, where the standouts are also the staples. Both boast a top-tier, reasonably priced smash burger ($10.95 at Chipโs, $9.75 at Bullโs Horn) and both offer a mushroom patty melt, which for my money is a perfect sandwich. Like Bullโs Horn, which pivoted to take-home ramen kits during the pandemic, Chipโs offers Pork Belly Ramen ($17.95). Itโs a little unexpected next to fish and chips and creamed spinach, but it also makes senseโfew stews are heartier than glazed pork belly swimming in spicy tonkotsu broth.
We snagged one of the half-dozen high tops in the bar area on the left and settled in with some cocktailsโa velvety little bourbon number called The Falcon and a sharp, tart Cardinal, a fizzy blend of vodka, raspberry, and cava (both $12.95). It was a quiet weeknight, with just a few other people sharing drinks as soul songs fuzzed out of the speakers.

I was delighted to see an appetizer listed here that hadnโt appeared online: Buffalo Chicken Dip ($12.95) served with House Doritos. (House! Doritos!) Of course we ordered it, and of course it was great, served warm with crumbles of blue cheese alongside the โDoritos,โ which tasted like a less aggressively seasoned version of the stuff youโd find in a Frito-Lay bag, the herbs pulverized a few degrees short of their trademarked counterpart.
We switched to the cheap stuffโHammโs and High Life are both among the brewskis Chipโs offersโand ordered some sandwiches. The burger felt like a requisite at a spot like this, and we got the pub-appropriate Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich as well.
The tenderloin was incredible and comically huge; โsandwichโ here is used loosely. The skinny, schnitzel-like piece of meat takes up nearly the entire plate on which itโs served. Its bun looks like a silly little hat hiding a small pile of slaw, and a drizzle of mustardy aioli zigzags across the whole thing. Youโll need a knife and fork to tackle it, but wow is it ever worth it.

The burger is a pretty big boy too, simply dressed with garlic aioli and American cheese and snappy onions and long, skinny pickles. Itโs savory and perfect in the way a classic cheeseburger should be, nestled in a squishy, buttery bun. Would recommend.
If the photos Iโve shared here look a little orange, thatโs not because Iโm bad at editing photos. (OK fine, itโs not just because Iโm bad at editing photos.) Chipโs is dimly lit, and everything is washed under warm orange lighting that adds to the cozy feeling. Itโs comfortable, with deep green and ochre walls that make the space feel intimate and brick accents behind the bar that give you the sense that itโs been here forever, even if it did only open last year.
The space is small and unassumingโwe literally drove past the place and had to circle back to find it under its small green awningโwhich makes it feel all the more intimate. (Look for the signage for Colemanโs Hot Hands Pie & Biscuit next door if you miss it.)
Welcome to my bubble, Chipโs. Weโll be back.
Chipโs Clubhouse
272 Snelling Ave. S., St. Paul
Wednesday โ Saturday: 5-9 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; 5-8 p.m.