Many students are tired of the same restaurants around Stillwater. Students want an affordable and an artistic place to go hang out or eat. A centerpiece of Saint Paul and the Lowertown neighborhood, the Black Dog is a cozy yet chic trending cafe among the teenage population.  

The Black Dog is located near the heart of St. Paul overlooking the Mississippi River. It  provides a diverse menu for a great quality and price. The cafe is known for some of the best live music in the Twin Cities.

According to the Black Dog website, they have a wide diversity of quality local artists from Blues to Bluegrass, Hip Hop to Old Time Roots, International to ethnic genres.

Sophomore Arieanna Junghans said, “I love the atmosphere of this cafe. It provides a cozy and urban setting to eat great food. This cafe is also a cute place to go on dates or just to catch up with friends.”  

Black Dog has a wide range of food options. They serve sandwiches, salads, pizza, appetizers, breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. They also provide a gluten-free option for those who do not want to eat gluten.

Trevor Devine who is an employee at Black Dog said, “Everyone loves our cheese curds! They are the most often ordered here. We get our cheese curds from different local breweries every week and everyone raves about them.”

The Black Dog Cafe is a huge supporter of local businesses and gets all of their food from local grocery stores. The St. Paul Farmers Market is the biggest contributors to the cafe since they are only one block away.

Devine said, “We are all about supporting local business which provides us with the freshest ingredients. We get most of our ingredients from local breweries, bakeries, and markets where they are then prepared in our kitchen.”  

The Black Dog is a two block walk from the Union Depot Green Line Station which could take you anywhere in the city. The cafe is also a block away from the CHS field, home of the Saint Paul Saints baseball. The Black Dog is a short walk from Mears Park, the Mississippi River and the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary.

Junghans said, “When I went with my friends we walked around after and saw the Mississippi River and took really cool pictures of the city.”

Black Dog is also a great place for parties or event rentals. People have used the Cafe to host parties, fundraisers, birthdays and before the game events. They have a back room that can be changed based on the person’s idea to fit the event.

Devine said, “We have music events every night but Saturdays we have the most popular events among the community. I think that this is such an intimate venue where many people have created such great memories.”

Junghans said, “I would highly recommend Black Dog to everyone! Black Dog is all around a cool place to go eat and listen to diverse music while creating special memories.”