Billy’s On Grand
857 Grand Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55105
Billy’s On Grand Menu
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Address :
857 Grand Ave
Saint Paul, MN, 55105 - Phone (651) 292-1316
- Website https://www.billysongrand.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Late Night
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Music : Background
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Fri, Sat, Sun
Coat Check : No
Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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RJ P.
Hot chicks and overpriced shots. Any questions?
(2)Brit B.
Good food and good service, decent prices. Billy's is a great place to go if you want to watch the game with friends. Some of the food is hit and miss but I've always had good luck with the burgers/sandwiches. Appetizers are all decent as well. Drinks aren't too pricy but some of the food is overpriced for what you get. Fairly typical sports bar but friendly people and a great atmosphere on game night!
(3)Brian A.
Billy's on Grand...the only bar I've ever thrown up in.
(2)Sean M.
This place is probably the trashiest restaurant on Grand Ave. I would never eat at this place because I would be frightened to see the kitchen. During the summer, they have a patio that seems to be pretty popular, but be prepared to go home smelling like an ashtray with cigarette burns in your clothing. Good luck getting a drink- the waitstaff seems to ignore paying customers and are more caught up in their side conversations with other employees.
(1)Lauren D.
Billy's has a nice outdoor seating area that is great in the summer. I met up with some friends and we took over a few tables. The patio tables don't move, so we couldn't scoot them closer together. The seating also seemed strange. The server was okay with getting our drinks in a timely manner, but was very slow to give and pick up the check. We could barely hear the music. It was crowded around 8pm, but got dead around 9pm.
(3)Dan B.
We went here after Axel's told us they were on a 30 min wait. We were hungry, so we walked across the street and bellied up to the patio bar. We ordered the brie app, which was actually good... simple and good portioned. We ordered the steak and the grilled chicken burger, and both were good. The steak was definitely an A-1 candidate, but it was cooked well and had good taste for the price. The chicken and waffle fries were actually very good. We didn't encounter any smoking on the patio, and the heaters out there made it very nice to sit and watch the twins game on the big screen while we ate. Service was good, food was good, overall not a bad place at all. I would go back.
(3)Roman S.
Hadn't been to Billy's in a long time, and my experience reminded me why. First, it took forever to be acknowledged, and then our server got the order wrong. Our server apologized for entering the order wrong, but didn't offer to correct the problem and walked away. My son's Coke glass sat empty, because the server disappeared until we were done eating, showing up just to give us the check. I ordered the Walleye Fillet dinner, which was filled with bones. The menu advertised "hand-cut" fries, which I ordered, but showed up looking and tasting like fast food fries (clearly not hand-cut). One might suggest a bit if false advertising here? Plenty of better places on Grand Ave. Next time I'll just drive on past Billy's.
(2)William D.
I keep coming here due to location, today is the last time I EVER order food here, it's that bad! Come for beers and to watch a game, that's it. Not even half way decent pub fa
(1)Katie G.
I have to say there's nothing extremely special about Billy's. It's a common college hangout/sports bar type of place. In the summertime the patio is quite nice. The food is average bar food, pretty average drink prices and specials, like I said, nothing too special. It's pretty dimly lit and usually pretty packed, especially on weekends. I usually have fun here, mainly because I'm with a large group of friends. So if you're just looking for the average night out with your friends, Billy's will provide everything you're looking for.
(2)Chanstay Y.
I like going here for drinks, mostly because it's an easy place to meet friends but also because the bartenders are friendly. I am not big on the crowd but I do enjoy people watching so it can be really fun. I especially like the patio on warm nights. I ate here twice now, once a burger which was dry and over cooked and served with supper plain chips, I shared an order of hot wing and they were pretty good. The last time I had a ruben which was ok, but again served with those awful chips. I agree with what some others have said about the crowd, lots of "d-bag" types but that's what you get at a college spots bar. I always have fun. Drinks are reasonable and there are multiple bar, oh and for the ladies, a big bathroom which can be important on a night of drinking.
(3)Creighton E.
This is your classic university cports bar. The food is terrible, the atmosphere is lacking and the service is ho-hum. If what you are after is sheer head-count, then this is the bra for you. Easily the bussiest on Grand most nights, but not the most interesting. Spend your money nearby at Sweeney's or Muddy Pig and you will not regret it.
(2)Tony K.
I was out celebrating a friends bachelor party on Grand avenue last Friday night and we started at Axels and had a good dinner and drinks then wandered here with the group after a few hours at Bonfire. Being as I don't make it to Grand Avenue much anymore because I live in Maplewood I haven't hit all the bars of Grand avenue much the last 5 plus years but did on a semi regular basis back in my 20s (I'm 34 now). My memories of these bars from my 20s were mainly of Wild Onion and Billys and they were fun places to hang out and socialize with regulars. My experience of last Friday night didn't match my memories of my 20s. For one the waitress asked everyone else in the group what they wanted for booze and then left without asking me. Another is it was completlely dead in comparison to what it used to be so the atmospher was really lacking. There was maybe 1/3 of the normal amount of people in the bar from what there used to be. Now granted there was a little snow last Friday night but not much, I've never seen winter quiet down billys. Also before we went to Billys while I was still over at Axels out front smoking a drunk guy told me he and many others just got thrown out of Billys for what he said was no reason. Now this guy I talked to seemed pretty tanked so maybe He deserved to be thrown out but I get the feeling Billys population was so low for the night because mr. Bouncer was on a power trip. Billys wasn't the same as it used to be so I'm not saying I won't ever step into Billys again but I don't see myself rushing over to the opposite end of town to go their anytime soon just for the sake of going to Billys, it will probably only happen when I'm convieniently drinking at other establishments on Grand already which is once in a blue moon.
(3)Elizabeth T.
I decided it was time to sign up for yelp to warn others about how god awful this place is. The food was horrendous and the service was worse. I have no idea how this place survives with so many better places on Grand. The experience was baffling and confusing, on the whole. My husband had a disappointing fish and chips. I decided to try the french dip sandwich since it was featured on the menu, so I thought it should be a safe bet. Not so. It consisted of dry roast beef on a dry bun. Which you dipped in extremely salty canned beef broth. Which made me incredibly thirsty. But the server did not see the need to re-fill my water glass even when she came by to ask how the food was. And then walked by the table repeatedly without even glancing at us. When she finally brought water, we had finished our meal, but she did not bring over the check. Instead she decided to slowly bus tables on the other side of the restaurant. For 15 minutes. Finally, we gave up on her and left enough cash to cover the meal on the table and just left. And don't plan on going back. For $10 you can get a much better meal elsewhere with better service and a nicer atmosphere.
(1)Rhonda G.
Reservations had been made, confirmed two days before for the green room, between30-40 people. What could go wrong? The day shift never wrote it down or tell the eve. shift we were coming. Since I run early, I arrived at 6:30, got a perfect parking spot across the street, and we pitched in and started putting tables together. The waitress, Jet, was as professional as they come, and she's only about 22. The way she handled this scene was great, taking drink orders, as people drifted in. Dinner worked out for the best, considering we weren't expected. The orders were paced, so not everyone was eating at once. She got some help, and a third person brought out the food. Still, she was always there for refills and to check on us. You don't get this attention when your out at some of the trendy places. A few of us got the BILLY THE KID, a baconburger, bacon had been precooked and looked it, very stiff and curled up. Tasted good in spite of this. Broccoli cheese soup was a winner. She was kind enough to divide the bill by tables. Kept her cool the whole time. It was a great room for a casual group gathering. The bathrooms are interesting. Very clean, plenty of stalls, but only two usable ones. Unless you like practically squatting and being up against the paper holder. Only a dick designed this. Still four stars for how accomodating the staff was. I am not into the jock scene, and often forget it's part of my neighborhood, until summer, when I read in the paper about the neighbors pitching a bitch about the noise. Oh, and if you walk home drunk as the weather gets better, stay on Grand, in groups if possible, so you don't get mugged. NO JOKE.
(4)Motor P.
The food , drinks, service, and night crowd have never been good in my opinion, but I kept trying to give Billy's a shot because I live in the area and often got dragged there by friends. No more. After my purse was stolen from Billy's just over a year ago, I will not be going back. One of the bartenders told me that purse theft had been very common there, and apparently one of their employees even had her purse stolen. To make matters worse, there was a cop present who did absolutely nothing, even though he was given a license plate number from an employee who had been on a smoke break and saw a woman run into a car with multiple purses and speed off. Oh, and I've also had a friend get drugged while at Billy's too. So if you decide to go there, be sure to watch your drinks and your valuables closely.
(1)Mark S.
I wouldn't go to billy's and sit inside... it is too dark, but outside is a nice festive type of atmosphere. Food is pretty decent, and just sitting out and enjoying the weather is a big plus for this place... and then a dessert and latte across the street at cafe latte fills out the eve.
(3)Emily U.
I'm not in St. Paul much, but when if I do hit up a bar on Grand, I somehow end up at Billy's. It's very mediocre. The food is your average bar food. They have a nice, smaller patio outside but that's about all it has going for it. At night, it's packed with UST and other St. Paul college kids, usually too drunk to talk. Service is ok and drink specials are alright. Wouldn't be sad if I never went back there.
(2)Bethany D.
For Grand Ave (the hub of St. Paul nightlife), there's better out there.
(3)Terri W.
Went to Billys and would have to agree with most of what is said here. although we were plesenty suprised by the service we got. Better than usual. We came there years ago and thought the staff pretty much only liked to wait on men probably looking for the good tip. Food was ok and we had a coupon which is what made us try it again after all these years. They have been there forever so they must be doing something ok. But they are pretty much eat on the cheap happy hour bar and they do have a patio in the summer. My friend complained of her soda being flat and was given a "oh really" and the beverage was taken away but no price adjustment was made or alternative beverage offered. Be careful not to order ranch or BBQ sauce if it doesnt come on your sandwich. It will wind up costing you an extra .75. Not that we are cheap but that is a little ridiculous. Wonder if we could have traded in the tomatoes?
(2)Lacey P.
Ewww. The food is not good. The atmosphere is not good. I gave it a star because it has a patio, but so what, we're in MN, it's not like we're dying for green space.
(1)Rosie F.
This was one of my fave hangouts in college. The Grand Ave area is beautiful and this is a fun neighborhood bar. The crowd can be unpredictable but I always went with a group and had a great time. This place is what the midwest is all about.
(4)Chervianne Z.
Overrated on almost all accounts except for the cozy outdoor patio on a nice summer day and the people watching that accompanies it. You can't help but get to know your neighbor you're sitting so close.
(3)Joe R.
Another Selby/Grand classic for summer boozing. Huge outdoor patio in a lively part of town. A great place to put back a few, with or without a burger in hand.
(4)Benjamin C.
the patio is kinda fun. =/
(1)Sarah D.
Great for outdoor dining/cocktails on the few midwestern nights that allow for such madness. The food is nothing too special...bar food classics nachos, buffalo chicken wrap, rueben...yada yada...but the beer is cold and the crowd is friendly. Grand Ave is one of my favorite areas in the twin cities...love it!
(3)MM R.
Fun but a pseudo meat market. Hasn't changed in years.
(3)Scott M.
Nice looking place. Clean with plenty of seating. Waitresses are all very polite. I ordered a burger and beer not looking at the menu. Was very impressed with the results! I'm 6'3" with an appetite and the burger filled me up. This place is on GPS for sure.
(5)Ericka A.
Billy's On Grand... where to start? It's usually full of douches who have to prove that they can drink the most. The only reason I ever go here is because someone else thought it was a good idea. Actually, it's not too bad in the afternoon, when the weather is nice and you can sit outside instead of being shoved into the dark abyss that is Billy's. There have just been too many times that we have been charged for drinks that we did not order. Yes, I've had 5 drinks. No, I can still tell you that we did not order these 3 drinks that have mysteriously appeared on our bill. Nice try. And thanks for usually taking forever to serve us. *** Since my first post I have returned, again because of the choices made by someone else. This time it wasn't too bad. Service was still slow, but the waitress was much improved from previous times. The food was rather good and they spared no alcohol on the expense. One more star for being better.
(2)David P.
A group of 10 of us went here after dinner for a few drinks and the patio. It was very busy up front since it was a nice night out. The bar does have tons of room if you explore the back game areas and bars. This was my first time here so I'm not too sure how packed it does get inside. Anyways, the experience was alright, nothing I'm going to go out of my way to head back to. But nothing to complain about either. Service was good, the bar was mostly clean for a busy night at a bar. We didn't order any food so I can't comment on that.
(2)Cortney G.
Billy's can be really hit or miss. For anyone that went to school in the area, you're pretty much guaranteed to run into people you know. Bartenders are nice, drink prices are comparable to other sports bars in the area. But the food service is another story. My roommate and I stopped there last night for a quick dinner before snowboarding. And we had one of the worst servers I've ever had. Anywhere. Brought us regular cokes instead of diet, screwed up both of our orders, disappeared and we had to go get our own soda refills. Food was kind of meh, not a spot I'll seek out again for dinner. Took twenty minutes after we finished eating to get our bill. Definitely not a quick dinner spot like we had anticipated. Stopping for a drink every once in a while with friends has always been a relatively good experience. Good people watching, good patio. Just not a great dinner joint.
(2)Jessica D.
Its definitely a sports bar! It reminded me a lot of college - but in a fun way. Lots of people there on a Saturday night playing darts, pool, flirting etc etc. We played darts for roughly 2 hours (time flies when your drinking!) and had a great time. The drinks aren't too pricey either.
(3)John D.
LAME! First clearly the patio gets all the staff attention, a nice day the staff clearly wanted to hang outside too. Club sandwich had one piece of bacon. Coleslaw 1.45 was straight out of a bulk food supplier can. Why don't you people actually learn how to make coleslaw? if you did make it, (which I doubt) get back to culinary school. So many better places on Grand. Bye Billy's never again.
(1)Brianna W.
Stopped over to grab a quick lunch and had a pretty crappy experience. First we had one waiter take our order and tell us he was leaving soon and someone else would be taking over, which is not a problem but then we didn't see anyone or receive our food for 30 minutes. We ordered a salad and a sandwich, that does not take that long. We were sitting there wondering if he forgot to tell anyone about us before he left. We then got our food finally, which is the first time our second waitress introduced herself after 30 minutes. I had ordered the shrimp salad. ..yuck. The shrimp was cold and fishy tasting, the lettuce was brown and the lime vinaigrette had no flavor. I am not a picky eater but I couldn't eat it. My boyfriend said his Italian sandwich was ok but pretty bland. Will not be back.
(1)Andrew C.
Great place to watch college football on Saturday's. They have a great selection of tap beer. We had a pizza and a burger. Both were pretty good. If you like watching sporting events at a bar, this is a good place to do so.
(4)John M.
Good local bar. Been here a billion times. In the summer they've got an outdoor bar on the patio. Bloody Mary bar on Sunday's. Pool, popcorn and big buck hunter so there isn't much more that a man can ask for. It's a good place to go to watch a game, have lunch or just grab a drink and party. Right on Grand Ave so it's tough to beat that.
(5)Lauren M.
Came here with a couple of lesbians last night to watch the women's soccer game and had a blast! Service was phenomenal. Our server Maureen kept up with all of our demands and was very accommodating. Then it came time to order food. I had already seen other reviews so I knew ahead of time not to get my hopes up because there wouldn't be any bugs, but then when I ordered my sandwich our server asked if I wanted regular flies or waffle flies. This really got me excited because 1. I didn't even think they carried insects and 2. I've never even heard of waffle flies! So of course, being the adventurous gal I am, I ordered the waffle flies. To my dismay when my meal arrived it did not contain flies at all, but fries. I realize this is my own fault for mishearing, but unfortunately I still need to deduct a star for trickery (and lack of bugs).
(4)Eric H.
This place is awful. Food is horrible, servers are even worse than the food. If you have any respect for yourself and want to have a good time, do not go here. There are a lot of better selections on Grand Ave than this place. There are also a lot of underage kids that get in there on the weekends.
(1)Lindsay R.
I went there with a group of friends yesterday for the Seahawks versus Packers game. We got there early to make sure that we got a table. Since this is a Packers bar, we figured that they would be prepared for the amount of people that are going to show up for such a big game! This was not the case! Our server was rude, checked on us once every 45 minutes, and completely screwed up our tabs. With a party of eight she gave us a long list and told us that she had lost track of separating it. If the service wasn't enough my friend ordered a medium well burger and was served a burger that was very rare. When we talk to the server about it she blew it off as if it wasn't a big deal and did not fix the mistake. I'm a regular visitor to Billy's but I think this will be my last time. Horrible.
(1)Christina G.
Crappiest food, Crappy Service. Sorry. But overpriced, dry food during a Viking game special? we ordered a hot dog and nachos, two near beers and bill was $30, $35 with a tip! Not cool. The bun was dry and felt like i was eating on a campground. Took FOREVER to get any service even though there were about 12 employees gathered by the bar chatting it up the whole time. Again- This was during a happy hour viking special thing- you'd think the food would be fresh and cheaper. Lame. We will stick to the happy hour at bonfire across the street.
(1)Adam B.
Much like a fine wine, Billy's is getting better with age. It's a St. Paul institution and one of the great family owned businesses on Grand. There isn't a better place to get good food for a good value. They've increased their taps over the years and when I went back recently they were running the All Day IPA from Founders so that's what gets them the 5th star. Sure it's subjective but you're the one reading a Yelp review.
(5)Steve J.
Best bar and grille I've ever been to. Fridays and Saturday nights get very busy and popular. Foods delicious, and friendly people. As a guy , you can just sit at a table and girls will come up sometimes one after the other keeping you company. Music's upbeat, lots of TVs, drinks are reasonable priced and strong, owners are awesome!
(5)Tim B.
Went with some friends for the first time to watch some Football on Sunday and had a great time. Good food and beer specials during the games & a nice selection of tap beer's also. We asked to watch a different game and the TV was changed with no problem. If you are a Packer fan this is the place to watch the games. Will be back for sure.
(4)Liz D.
This is your typical bro-y, frat boy sports bar. None of their food is really top notch, but the fish sandwich is quite tasty, and sitting outside on their patio during the summer is lively and comfortable. The service is however lackluster.
(2)J D.
You could say this was my own fault for ordering a salad in a bar but it was not so great. Rotten tomatoes and wilted lettuce. They sincerely shouldn't have served it. Ranch dressing was watered down - maybe they were low? It just wasn't great. Again, a bar but don't put something on your menu if you don't know how to make it or don't have the fresh ingredients for it. There never seem to be ANYONE in there during meal times. Bar times but not meal times.
(2)Rich M.
I've given this place a "last chance" 1,000 times. The only good thing about this bar is it's patio and beer selection... This last trip, it took four of us over an hour to get our food (nachos, a quesadilla and two wraps). Everything came out cold and dry. Even if every menu item was half the price, it wouldn't be worth it.
(1)Emily O.
Wouldn't be my usual type of restaurant to select, but my attendance at the occasional meet-up with former work colleagues or other such similar events has mandated occasional trips to this watering hole. A recent lunch didn't change my opinion. The servers were impersonal. The one plus of the place is the large patio so we sat outside. Some of the waitstaff were taking shots. It was 1pm. I actually worked in the restaurant industry "back in the day" so I'm by no means naive but it just seemed sad to me. Anyway, food. I wasn't expecting anything more than middle-of-the-road bar food. I knew it would be heavy and since I was hungry, I was in danger of scarfing down some really grease-laden schtuff so I asked the server for a recommendation that would be light yet still satisfying. Seems benign enough. Maybe this was my first mistake. She advised me that the southwest chicken sandwich was her fave. My companions had already ordered so I said great, just bring me that, thanks for the recommendation. Bad decision. You could tell the chicken was frozen and had been heated up by who knows what means. Perhaps even thawed and refrozen more than once. Yuck. It seriously tasted like cardboard. I was so hungry and the waitress' visits to our table so sparse, I actually ate part of it. I ended up munching on more of the fries than I wanted because I had nothing else to eat (I know, sounds like a personal problem - hey, I'm working on it!). Besides, I was really hungry and still wasn't sure the sandwich was not actually a piece of styrofoam in disguise. Finally she came back to give us the check and asked me how it was. I was honest. She feigned surprise. It was the kind of "we all know what's going on here" exchange I've come to expect from this frat house bar. Too bad the patio is apparently so appealing. Anyway, she did take the cost of the sandwich off the bill which I appreciated. 1-star may be harsh but it's just been after so many repeated experiences of the same. I'm sure I'll be cajoled into going back yet again. Unfortunately, I don't expect my review will change much.
(1)Tammy L.
Go a couple blocks West to Salut or a couple blocks East to Saji-Ya/Dixies if you're looking for a place to dine at. Come here if you want a crowded weekend bar, a place to watch sports games, and/or decent bar food (fries, chicken fingers, nachos, etc). It's a sports bar, and it's exactly that.
(3)David B.
Billy's On Grand appears to be a nice neighborhood hangout spot to grab a beer and watch the game. They have a nice outdoor patio that comes alive when the weather is nice, and the kitchen offers all the typical bar food offerings. I went with the Cajun wings and washed it down with some cold draft beer. Service was slow, but that's probably to be expected during a packed football-playoff game day. There was one waitress working the entire 50+ person patio, and she was doing a great job, but the restaurant was obviously short staffed for the big game and the waits were piling up. A decent place, and I wouldn't be opposed to coming back and watching a game or hanging out.
(3)Homer I.
Went to Billy's again last week after not being there for several months. One of Billy's sons is now managing the place and they have changed the food menu significantlly all for the BAD!! The prices were raised signifantly and portions sizes have shrunk. In addition, food quality has also dropped off significantly. 1. Tthe wings used to be 8 wings, now just 6 and only 1 drummy instead of 3 or 4. And they changed the sauce and its not that good and barely put any on the wings. Two of the peices of celery were dirty and had not been properly cleaned. All those bad changes and to top things off, they are now more expensive. 2. The chicken nachos used to be delcious, but now are terrible. They used to be loaded abd layered with nice tender chunks of chicken and were served hot with lots of real melted cheese. Now, about 1/2 the chicken and it was cold and tough to chew. About 1/3 of the real cheese, only on top. Instead, some crappy, cold runny cheese sauce poured throughout. YUK! We sent them back once, then only ate about 1/3 of them. This used to be our favorite thing to eat on the patio. 3. The toasted club sandwhich used to be delicious. now its GONE! Along with some of the other favorite sandwhiches. They do now have a turkey avacodo club, but sorry, not the same. 4. Talked with other people at table next to us, they also said the new menu sucks and their favorite items GONE as well. The food they had ordered now was expensive and low quality. I think the new chef thinks adding the word Thai a couple times makes the menu new and modern. Not! This is bar food, just keep it simple, high quality, affordable, and delicious. 5. Happy hour 1/2 priced appetizers appear to be gone. BIG bummer! But the have a bigger pizza section on menu. REALLY? If I want pizza, i'll just go down the street to Punch, its 10 times better than anything Billy's has to offer. This used to be my favorite Friday afternoon hangout. Now, I won't be back and my favorite things are gone. And by the looks of it, others are now feelying the same way. It was a nice Friday evening and patio was only about 2/3 full. Its usually packed. So Billy, PLEASE demote your son. Take control back of the restuarant and make things good again!! I'm not sure your restuarant can survive with the new crappy, overpriced menu.
(2)Tim C.
Went in for happy hour with some friends from work and it was alright. We mostly drank and the beer was ok. There was a good selection of craft beer; both local and national. I had a Rogue stout that was pretty good. We ordered a couple appetizers and there were your average American sports bar fare...waffle fries, nachos. They were ok. Service was spotty and but if you went to the bar you got served right away. Only reason I would be going back is if guys from work wanted to go back.
(3)Jason K.
I had heard different takes on Billy's from being a frat bar, to a cool neighborhood bar. I was pleasantly surprised. It seemed like a large neighborhood bar with locals and a big open patio. It was chilly, so it was all closed up, but it looked like a nice summertime hang out. My wife and I entered the bar with our Groupon for $20, so I decided to get no beer, since that eats up the dough pretty quick, but there were lots of good taps if you wanted that. Our server came by and dropped off a great menu with lots of options. I perused and chose the Cobb salad and a Diet Coke and my wife got a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup and a Diet Coke. Our Cokes were refilled often, which was awesome and our server was great. The Cobb salad was huge with lots of chicken chunks and blue cheese crumbles. It was really great. My wife also loved her soup, I tried a bite and I agreed whole heartedly. It tasted very homemade. We left with a bill of 21 bucks and with tip it was $25, not too bad for a great lunch. Overall, a great Sunday afternoon hangout in a local bar. Good times.
(4)Chris M.
Billy's is just fine for what it is - a neighborhood sports bar with a pretty big college crowd on the weekends. At any time you're likely to find a group out on the patio enjoying happy hour and/or drunken college kids playing Buck Hunter in the back bar, and everything in between. The patio and open-air front of the house are enjoyable on comfortable evenings, and the rest of the bar is pretty sizable for when mother nature is less accommodating. The food is pretty typical bar food, though they do have a fairly extensive menu that should appease most diners just looking for a basic nosh. Service has always been friendly enough, and given the number of TV's and so-so tap selection I'll keep popping in every once in awhile to take in the game or hit up happy hour.
(3)Chris W.
In my younger days, Billy's was one of my usual hangouts. Hadn't been there in a while and we happened to find ourselves on Grand Ave looking for dinner. Unfortunately, we we underwhelmed. We started off with a Mojito and a Vodka Lemonade. The Mojito was terrible. No mint taste, well no taste at all other than alcohol. I get it, that this bar skews younger and a freshly turned 21 year old would probably have appreciated that - but not us on a Sunday night dinner. Had to send the drink back. It was undrinkable, even if you poured half of it out and put something else in it to balance it out. So zero stars for the Mojito. The Vodka lemonade was tolerable but not tasty. They must not use real lemonade but something out of a fountain made out of crystal light or something. It really had that artificial sweetener taste to it. I drank it, but we both switched to just water for our drinks. We ordered jerk wings and a steak w/salad. The salad wasn't half bad, and was actually quite large. They didn't provide near enough dressing for it. We had to send the waitress back for two more little tubs of French. When the entrees arrived, we were really dissapointed in the wings. They came without sauce (it was in a little condiment tub on the side - again not enough to cover all of the meal). The wings were actually charred and tough. Really tough. Really burned too. Terrible. Just plain terrible. How hard are wings to make? The steak was just ok. I always take a bite as-is, without sauce or additional seasoning just to see how it tastes as the chef made it. It was very plain and flavorless. I don't think they use a rub or marinade or anything. Just slapping meat on the grill. A1 sauce helped some, but it was not one of my favorite meals. The service was slow, which was odd considering inside there were maybe 6 or 7 tables going, split amongst two waitresses. The server also seemed irritated that we didn't like the drink and sent it back, and asked for more salad dressing. Billy's may still be a fun night spot, It's been a long time so I don't know - but a place for food.... I don't think so.
(2)Lorraine N.
I'm giving them three stars because the food has always been decent. I get forced to go here a couple times a year because it appeals to my husband for some reason. My college daughter likes it too as it is a happening place and draws a large crowd. They have patio seating outside and a couple different sides to the restaurant bar. I don't care much for this atmosphere---noisy and a ton of hustle bustle. But the food is better than average compared to other sports bars....
(3)Qaiser B.
When you think the chilly winds are seeping into your bones, try a fresh out of the oven chicken pot pie. And Billys may have one of the best around Grand Ave at least. It will warm you up like nothing else. The servers were prompt and pleasant. Though I dislike the parking situation around Grand ave, its always a bit of a hassle so be prepared for that.
(3)Mariel L.
I don't think I've ever been to a sports bar this big. It was hopping and loud in the patio when we arrived for a quick bite and drinks at 9:30 PM on a Monday. Granted, the weather was gorgeous so everyone and their mom were outside to chat, watch the game, and have a drink. It was late night happy hour when we arrived, so beers were $5, and appetizers were half off. The nachos was unfortunately dry and the cheese was kind of clumping, so let's just get that out of the way. I did enjoy my brie burger very much, with a side of freshly cooked waffle fries. I loved the garlic sauce that came with my burger, and it was done perfectly medium rare. It's a good place to just chill out with your friends.
(3)C N.
The servers in the back bar are pretty rude. Maybe that's why it was empty. Nice bathrooms.
(1)Josh R.
This was our first evening in the Twin Cities stop. Not our atmosphere, great if you want a sport bar though. What made this place great was the bartender. He gave great service and introduced us to Suummit beer as well as giving us tips on local spots for the rest of our stay. We felt comfortable and happy at Billy's especially after driving fore 10 hours. :)
(4)Alexandra H.
Billy's is not my cup of tea, but for large groups and cheap(ish) drinks in St. Paul, it's an option. The atmosphere is not really distinguishable from most sports bars and the lighting is relatively darker. Depending upon the weekend, Billy's can easily become a packed house, but I've heard the crowd is much more manageable compared to the Wild Onion.
(2)Danielle G.
Great patio providing its not blazing hot outside and you don't have an umbrella. Food is decent and prices are fair. Wait staff has always been friendly.
(3)Katie O.
Maybe I had really low expectations for this place because of it's not so great ranking here on yelp, but I thought Billy's on Grand wasn't half bad. Sure, I'm only giving it half a more star than average on here . . . but that's really just because I do not plan on frequenting Billy's, so I wouldn't call myself a fan. My husband, myself and three other friends went to Billy's last night because they were hosting viewing for Red Bull's Crashed Ice that was taking place at the Cathedral. We didn't want to bundle up and try to fight the crowds at the actual event, so we went here. This was everyone's first time coming here and I think we were all hesitant, but it turned out well. Billy's was PACKED due to the Crashed Ice event, and our poor waitress was the only one in a rather large area. So I will say, they didn't exactly think through their staffing for the evening. The girl was visibly distressed and overworked feeling, towards the end of our stay she was even shaking. Nevertheless, she treated us wonderfully and did a great job given the circumstances. I think she was probably so great with us because we weren't like all the other people her area that were rushing her and complaining about not getting drinks or food fast enough. Seriously people - look around. Are you all blind? It's CRAZY in here, put some perspective on your douche-bag ways. I had the Rueben sandwich and waffle-fries - it was pretty good. Not the best Rueben I've ever had, but not horrible at the same time. The thousand island came on the side, which was nice and not all at the same time. I had to dismantle my sandwich to get in on and then it made the whole thing even messier and slippery than usual. The waffle fries were definitely good though - crispy and salty. My husband had the walleye sandwich and regular fries, he seemed to like it and ate everything (a sometimes rare event for him). Two of our friends had a burgers and enjoyed them, and the other had a kroutless Rueben. Everyone seemed happy the taste and quality of their food, which seems to be a frequent gripe among yelpers, so I was pleasantly surprised. I would definitely go back to Billy's if they were hosting a viewing event for something else or if I happened to be on grand and craving some bar food, but it's not a place I'll be rushing back to because honestly, there are good places that I already frequent and have as favorites. But there is room in my heart for Billy's if the occasion calls for it - I would definitely go here over the Wild Onion any day of the week.
(3)Jason Y.
Big place and plenty of great TVs here. Good place to watch a game. Restrooms are good sized and orderly. They even have pinball. The food and the service are really bad though. The menu is low end bar food at best. We ate several items from the menu of which none turned out to be worthy of a return for more. I would not go back ever unless it was the last place on earth to get a drink. There's too many other good places around here to spend my hard earned dough at. If you are on the fence about going here, you'd have to have very limited selection to pick from. Game:Yes.....Food: NO.
(1)Andy B.
We visited on a weekday afternoon for lunch. Food was better than average, and the service was average. Felt outdated and dark inside, won't be going back anytime soon. I've had a lot more fun on the patio in the summer.
(3)Dan S.
Billy's is an overrated spot. They have a large patio and and the bar is massive as well. On a Friday or Saturday night, it is wall-to-wall with posers, a-holes, and d-bags. They have the best men's room in metro, if that is important to you. There has to be at least 20 urinals, nicely spaced with wall barriers. This is why it gets two stars. It's also not bad on a lazy summer afternoon.
(2)Sarah S.
Billy's is what it is. Summer time, the patio is great and it's a fun atmosphere. Having been a college student and then a law student in St. Paul, I have spent my fair share of afternoons and evenings at Billy's. The staff hates the law students for the most part by the way, and it's tough to blame them... Service sucks. Except at the bar. But if you're sitting at a table, expect the server to be either rude or apathetic. Good prices, especially compared to Axel's.
(2)Dawn F.
This is a hard review to write, as Billy's on Grand isn't my kind of place to hang out. Yet, when one is toting a large bachelorette party around St. Paul on a busy Saturday night, sometimes Billy's is a good stop. Lots of seating and lots of drink options for the gals to choose from. My only complaint in this particular instance was that it took a long while to get a waitress. When she did finally show up, her friendliness at least made up for the long wait. Other issues, the bathroom is seriously off the beaten path - especially for such a large establishment.
(2)Joshua W.
We went in then went out on St. Patricks Day, because there wasn't enough seating on the patio. Actually no, not correct...walked around the patio and found an empty table, no chairs...saw about 5 chairs with 2 people at another smaller table, and when they saw us coming towards them acted like children stacking the chairs up and sitting on them..if that is the sort of crowd that hangs out in this establishment I gladly will never come back. Management nor any staff did anything about it either.
(1)Zachary S.
Blank page blank page blank page Who sits in a dark bar with a beer Alone with a blank page? Fuck you that's who. What I really would like to know Is who sits in a bar with a Beer alone sitting before a flashing screen Of men chasing balls down a field Over and over again, the only change Is a color of uniform. It isn't so much the same ball being tossed Over and over again as it is broadcast on multiple screens, all within eyeshot. To clarify, one screen is of biking and motor cross And BMX--things with wheels going round And round on the track, kicking up dust and dirt Peppered with the occasional bone splitting crash. In the distance, by the window, four dirty blondes grasp hands across the table as if in prayer when in reality, one just applied too much lotion
(2)Matt H.
What can I say? I am a fan of Billy's. Drinks are reasonably priced I think. If you like RBV's, they give you the can of redbull so the next time around you just need to purchase the vodka. I enjoy bars with jukeboxes. Billy's has one. And when you can get to it to stop younger girls from playing Katie Perry or Brittany Spears, you can usually get some good tunes going. Pretty decent patio. Haven't always had the best of service from the staff. Though some are better than others. Several bar games to choose from. Darts, golden tee, bags and such.
(4)Justin S.
First off I do love the Grand area and am probably partially bias, nevertheless I think the only way to go here is during the summer (during the week) and sit outside. I try to stay clear of this area on weekends it gets a little overcrowded. During football and baseball season they have a 50' outside which is kinda fun. Food is ok beer.....is beer i guess.
(5)Tim C.
Went in for happy hour with some friends from work and it was alright. We mostly drank and the beer was ok. There was a good selection of craft beer; both local and national. I had a Rogue stout that was pretty good. We ordered a couple appetizers and there were your average American sports bar fare...waffle fries, nachos. They were ok. Service was spotty and but if you went to the bar you got served right away. Only reason I would be going back is if guys from work wanted to go back.
(3)Scott M.
Nice looking place. Clean with plenty of seating. Waitresses are all very polite. I ordered a burger and beer not looking at the menu. Was very impressed with the results! I'm 6'3" with an appetite and the burger filled me up. This place is on GPS for sure.
(5)Homer I.
Went to Billy's again last week after not being there for several months. One of Billy's sons is now managing the place and they have changed the food menu significantlly all for the BAD!! The prices were raised signifantly and portions sizes have shrunk. In addition, food quality has also dropped off significantly. 1. Tthe wings used to be 8 wings, now just 6 and only 1 drummy instead of 3 or 4. And they changed the sauce and its not that good and barely put any on the wings. Two of the peices of celery were dirty and had not been properly cleaned. All those bad changes and to top things off, they are now more expensive. 2. The chicken nachos used to be delcious, but now are terrible. They used to be loaded abd layered with nice tender chunks of chicken and were served hot with lots of real melted cheese. Now, about 1/2 the chicken and it was cold and tough to chew. About 1/3 of the real cheese, only on top. Instead, some crappy, cold runny cheese sauce poured throughout. YUK! We sent them back once, then only ate about 1/3 of them. This used to be our favorite thing to eat on the patio. 3. The toasted club sandwhich used to be delicious. now its GONE! Along with some of the other favorite sandwhiches. They do now have a turkey avacodo club, but sorry, not the same. 4. Talked with other people at table next to us, they also said the new menu sucks and their favorite items GONE as well. The food they had ordered now was expensive and low quality. I think the new chef thinks adding the word Thai a couple times makes the menu new and modern. Not! This is bar food, just keep it simple, high quality, affordable, and delicious. 5. Happy hour 1/2 priced appetizers appear to be gone. BIG bummer! But the have a bigger pizza section on menu. REALLY? If I want pizza, i'll just go down the street to Punch, its 10 times better than anything Billy's has to offer. This used to be my favorite Friday afternoon hangout. Now, I won't be back and my favorite things are gone. And by the looks of it, others are now feelying the same way. It was a nice Friday evening and patio was only about 2/3 full. Its usually packed. So Billy, PLEASE demote your son. Take control back of the restuarant and make things good again!! I'm not sure your restuarant can survive with the new crappy, overpriced menu.
(2)Adam B.
Much like a fine wine, Billy's is getting better with age. It's a St. Paul institution and one of the great family owned businesses on Grand. There isn't a better place to get good food for a good value. They've increased their taps over the years and when I went back recently they were running the All Day IPA from Founders so that's what gets them the 5th star. Sure it's subjective but you're the one reading a Yelp review.
(5)Steve J.
Best bar and grille I've ever been to. Fridays and Saturday nights get very busy and popular. Foods delicious, and friendly people. As a guy , you can just sit at a table and girls will come up sometimes one after the other keeping you company. Music's upbeat, lots of TVs, drinks are reasonable priced and strong, owners are awesome!
(5)Tim B.
Went with some friends for the first time to watch some Football on Sunday and had a great time. Good food and beer specials during the games & a nice selection of tap beer's also. We asked to watch a different game and the TV was changed with no problem. If you are a Packer fan this is the place to watch the games. Will be back for sure.
(4)Liz D.
This is your typical bro-y, frat boy sports bar. None of their food is really top notch, but the fish sandwich is quite tasty, and sitting outside on their patio during the summer is lively and comfortable. The service is however lackluster.
(2)J D.
You could say this was my own fault for ordering a salad in a bar but it was not so great. Rotten tomatoes and wilted lettuce. They sincerely shouldn't have served it. Ranch dressing was watered down - maybe they were low? It just wasn't great. Again, a bar but don't put something on your menu if you don't know how to make it or don't have the fresh ingredients for it. There never seem to be ANYONE in there during meal times. Bar times but not meal times.
(2)Rich M.
I've given this place a "last chance" 1,000 times. The only good thing about this bar is it's patio and beer selection... This last trip, it took four of us over an hour to get our food (nachos, a quesadilla and two wraps). Everything came out cold and dry. Even if every menu item was half the price, it wouldn't be worth it.
(1)Brianna W.
Stopped over to grab a quick lunch and had a pretty crappy experience. First we had one waiter take our order and tell us he was leaving soon and someone else would be taking over, which is not a problem but then we didn't see anyone or receive our food for 30 minutes. We ordered a salad and a sandwich, that does not take that long. We were sitting there wondering if he forgot to tell anyone about us before he left. We then got our food finally, which is the first time our second waitress introduced herself after 30 minutes. I had ordered the shrimp salad. ..yuck. The shrimp was cold and fishy tasting, the lettuce was brown and the lime vinaigrette had no flavor. I am not a picky eater but I couldn't eat it. My boyfriend said his Italian sandwich was ok but pretty bland. Will not be back.
(1)Andrew C.
Great place to watch college football on Saturday's. They have a great selection of tap beer. We had a pizza and a burger. Both were pretty good. If you like watching sporting events at a bar, this is a good place to do so.
(4)David B.
Billy's On Grand appears to be a nice neighborhood hangout spot to grab a beer and watch the game. They have a nice outdoor patio that comes alive when the weather is nice, and the kitchen offers all the typical bar food offerings. I went with the Cajun wings and washed it down with some cold draft beer. Service was slow, but that's probably to be expected during a packed football-playoff game day. There was one waitress working the entire 50+ person patio, and she was doing a great job, but the restaurant was obviously short staffed for the big game and the waits were piling up. A decent place, and I wouldn't be opposed to coming back and watching a game or hanging out.
(3)Lindsay R.
I went there with a group of friends yesterday for the Seahawks versus Packers game. We got there early to make sure that we got a table. Since this is a Packers bar, we figured that they would be prepared for the amount of people that are going to show up for such a big game! This was not the case! Our server was rude, checked on us once every 45 minutes, and completely screwed up our tabs. With a party of eight she gave us a long list and told us that she had lost track of separating it. If the service wasn't enough my friend ordered a medium well burger and was served a burger that was very rare. When we talk to the server about it she blew it off as if it wasn't a big deal and did not fix the mistake. I'm a regular visitor to Billy's but I think this will be my last time. Horrible.
(1)Christina G.
Crappiest food, Crappy Service. Sorry. But overpriced, dry food during a Viking game special? we ordered a hot dog and nachos, two near beers and bill was $30, $35 with a tip! Not cool. The bun was dry and felt like i was eating on a campground. Took FOREVER to get any service even though there were about 12 employees gathered by the bar chatting it up the whole time. Again- This was during a happy hour viking special thing- you'd think the food would be fresh and cheaper. Lame. We will stick to the happy hour at bonfire across the street.
(1)John M.
Good local bar. Been here a billion times. In the summer they've got an outdoor bar on the patio. Bloody Mary bar on Sunday's. Pool, popcorn and big buck hunter so there isn't much more that a man can ask for. It's a good place to go to watch a game, have lunch or just grab a drink and party. Right on Grand Ave so it's tough to beat that.
(5)Lauren M.
Came here with a couple of lesbians last night to watch the women's soccer game and had a blast! Service was phenomenal. Our server Maureen kept up with all of our demands and was very accommodating. Then it came time to order food. I had already seen other reviews so I knew ahead of time not to get my hopes up because there wouldn't be any bugs, but then when I ordered my sandwich our server asked if I wanted regular flies or waffle flies. This really got me excited because 1. I didn't even think they carried insects and 2. I've never even heard of waffle flies! So of course, being the adventurous gal I am, I ordered the waffle flies. To my dismay when my meal arrived it did not contain flies at all, but fries. I realize this is my own fault for mishearing, but unfortunately I still need to deduct a star for trickery (and lack of bugs).
(4)Eric H.
This place is awful. Food is horrible, servers are even worse than the food. If you have any respect for yourself and want to have a good time, do not go here. There are a lot of better selections on Grand Ave than this place. There are also a lot of underage kids that get in there on the weekends.
(1)Rhonda G.
Reservations had been made, confirmed two days before for the green room, between30-40 people. What could go wrong? The day shift never wrote it down or tell the eve. shift we were coming. Since I run early, I arrived at 6:30, got a perfect parking spot across the street, and we pitched in and started putting tables together. The waitress, Jet, was as professional as they come, and she's only about 22. The way she handled this scene was great, taking drink orders, as people drifted in. Dinner worked out for the best, considering we weren't expected. The orders were paced, so not everyone was eating at once. She got some help, and a third person brought out the food. Still, she was always there for refills and to check on us. You don't get this attention when your out at some of the trendy places. A few of us got the BILLY THE KID, a baconburger, bacon had been precooked and looked it, very stiff and curled up. Tasted good in spite of this. Broccoli cheese soup was a winner. She was kind enough to divide the bill by tables. Kept her cool the whole time. It was a great room for a casual group gathering. The bathrooms are interesting. Very clean, plenty of stalls, but only two usable ones. Unless you like practically squatting and being up against the paper holder. Only a dick designed this. Still four stars for how accomodating the staff was. I am not into the jock scene, and often forget it's part of my neighborhood, until summer, when I read in the paper about the neighbors pitching a bitch about the noise. Oh, and if you walk home drunk as the weather gets better, stay on Grand, in groups if possible, so you don't get mugged. NO JOKE.
(4)Motor P.
The food , drinks, service, and night crowd have never been good in my opinion, but I kept trying to give Billy's a shot because I live in the area and often got dragged there by friends. No more. After my purse was stolen from Billy's just over a year ago, I will not be going back. One of the bartenders told me that purse theft had been very common there, and apparently one of their employees even had her purse stolen. To make matters worse, there was a cop present who did absolutely nothing, even though he was given a license plate number from an employee who had been on a smoke break and saw a woman run into a car with multiple purses and speed off. Oh, and I've also had a friend get drugged while at Billy's too. So if you decide to go there, be sure to watch your drinks and your valuables closely.
(1)Chris M.
Billy's is just fine for what it is - a neighborhood sports bar with a pretty big college crowd on the weekends. At any time you're likely to find a group out on the patio enjoying happy hour and/or drunken college kids playing Buck Hunter in the back bar, and everything in between. The patio and open-air front of the house are enjoyable on comfortable evenings, and the rest of the bar is pretty sizable for when mother nature is less accommodating. The food is pretty typical bar food, though they do have a fairly extensive menu that should appease most diners just looking for a basic nosh. Service has always been friendly enough, and given the number of TV's and so-so tap selection I'll keep popping in every once in awhile to take in the game or hit up happy hour.
(3)Alexandra H.
Billy's is not my cup of tea, but for large groups and cheap(ish) drinks in St. Paul, it's an option. The atmosphere is not really distinguishable from most sports bars and the lighting is relatively darker. Depending upon the weekend, Billy's can easily become a packed house, but I've heard the crowd is much more manageable compared to the Wild Onion.
(2)Emily O.
Wouldn't be my usual type of restaurant to select, but my attendance at the occasional meet-up with former work colleagues or other such similar events has mandated occasional trips to this watering hole. A recent lunch didn't change my opinion. The servers were impersonal. The one plus of the place is the large patio so we sat outside. Some of the waitstaff were taking shots. It was 1pm. I actually worked in the restaurant industry "back in the day" so I'm by no means naive but it just seemed sad to me. Anyway, food. I wasn't expecting anything more than middle-of-the-road bar food. I knew it would be heavy and since I was hungry, I was in danger of scarfing down some really grease-laden schtuff so I asked the server for a recommendation that would be light yet still satisfying. Seems benign enough. Maybe this was my first mistake. She advised me that the southwest chicken sandwich was her fave. My companions had already ordered so I said great, just bring me that, thanks for the recommendation. Bad decision. You could tell the chicken was frozen and had been heated up by who knows what means. Perhaps even thawed and refrozen more than once. Yuck. It seriously tasted like cardboard. I was so hungry and the waitress' visits to our table so sparse, I actually ate part of it. I ended up munching on more of the fries than I wanted because I had nothing else to eat (I know, sounds like a personal problem - hey, I'm working on it!). Besides, I was really hungry and still wasn't sure the sandwich was not actually a piece of styrofoam in disguise. Finally she came back to give us the check and asked me how it was. I was honest. She feigned surprise. It was the kind of "we all know what's going on here" exchange I've come to expect from this frat house bar. Too bad the patio is apparently so appealing. Anyway, she did take the cost of the sandwich off the bill which I appreciated. 1-star may be harsh but it's just been after so many repeated experiences of the same. I'm sure I'll be cajoled into going back yet again. Unfortunately, I don't expect my review will change much.
(1)Tammy L.
Go a couple blocks West to Salut or a couple blocks East to Saji-Ya/Dixies if you're looking for a place to dine at. Come here if you want a crowded weekend bar, a place to watch sports games, and/or decent bar food (fries, chicken fingers, nachos, etc). It's a sports bar, and it's exactly that.
(3)Brit B.
Good food and good service, decent prices. Billy's is a great place to go if you want to watch the game with friends. Some of the food is hit and miss but I've always had good luck with the burgers/sandwiches. Appetizers are all decent as well. Drinks aren't too pricy but some of the food is overpriced for what you get. Fairly typical sports bar but friendly people and a great atmosphere on game night!
(3)Brian A.
Billy's on Grand...the only bar I've ever thrown up in.
(2)Chris W.
In my younger days, Billy's was one of my usual hangouts. Hadn't been there in a while and we happened to find ourselves on Grand Ave looking for dinner. Unfortunately, we we underwhelmed. We started off with a Mojito and a Vodka Lemonade. The Mojito was terrible. No mint taste, well no taste at all other than alcohol. I get it, that this bar skews younger and a freshly turned 21 year old would probably have appreciated that - but not us on a Sunday night dinner. Had to send the drink back. It was undrinkable, even if you poured half of it out and put something else in it to balance it out. So zero stars for the Mojito. The Vodka lemonade was tolerable but not tasty. They must not use real lemonade but something out of a fountain made out of crystal light or something. It really had that artificial sweetener taste to it. I drank it, but we both switched to just water for our drinks. We ordered jerk wings and a steak w/salad. The salad wasn't half bad, and was actually quite large. They didn't provide near enough dressing for it. We had to send the waitress back for two more little tubs of French. When the entrees arrived, we were really dissapointed in the wings. They came without sauce (it was in a little condiment tub on the side - again not enough to cover all of the meal). The wings were actually charred and tough. Really tough. Really burned too. Terrible. Just plain terrible. How hard are wings to make? The steak was just ok. I always take a bite as-is, without sauce or additional seasoning just to see how it tastes as the chef made it. It was very plain and flavorless. I don't think they use a rub or marinade or anything. Just slapping meat on the grill. A1 sauce helped some, but it was not one of my favorite meals. The service was slow, which was odd considering inside there were maybe 6 or 7 tables going, split amongst two waitresses. The server also seemed irritated that we didn't like the drink and sent it back, and asked for more salad dressing. Billy's may still be a fun night spot, It's been a long time so I don't know - but a place for food.... I don't think so.
(2)Lorraine N.
I'm giving them three stars because the food has always been decent. I get forced to go here a couple times a year because it appeals to my husband for some reason. My college daughter likes it too as it is a happening place and draws a large crowd. They have patio seating outside and a couple different sides to the restaurant bar. I don't care much for this atmosphere---noisy and a ton of hustle bustle. But the food is better than average compared to other sports bars....
(3)Qaiser B.
When you think the chilly winds are seeping into your bones, try a fresh out of the oven chicken pot pie. And Billys may have one of the best around Grand Ave at least. It will warm you up like nothing else. The servers were prompt and pleasant. Though I dislike the parking situation around Grand ave, its always a bit of a hassle so be prepared for that.
(3)Jason K.
I had heard different takes on Billy's from being a frat bar, to a cool neighborhood bar. I was pleasantly surprised. It seemed like a large neighborhood bar with locals and a big open patio. It was chilly, so it was all closed up, but it looked like a nice summertime hang out. My wife and I entered the bar with our Groupon for $20, so I decided to get no beer, since that eats up the dough pretty quick, but there were lots of good taps if you wanted that. Our server came by and dropped off a great menu with lots of options. I perused and chose the Cobb salad and a Diet Coke and my wife got a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup and a Diet Coke. Our Cokes were refilled often, which was awesome and our server was great. The Cobb salad was huge with lots of chicken chunks and blue cheese crumbles. It was really great. My wife also loved her soup, I tried a bite and I agreed whole heartedly. It tasted very homemade. We left with a bill of 21 bucks and with tip it was $25, not too bad for a great lunch. Overall, a great Sunday afternoon hangout in a local bar. Good times.
(4)Danielle G.
Great patio providing its not blazing hot outside and you don't have an umbrella. Food is decent and prices are fair. Wait staff has always been friendly.
(3)Mariel L.
I don't think I've ever been to a sports bar this big. It was hopping and loud in the patio when we arrived for a quick bite and drinks at 9:30 PM on a Monday. Granted, the weather was gorgeous so everyone and their mom were outside to chat, watch the game, and have a drink. It was late night happy hour when we arrived, so beers were $5, and appetizers were half off. The nachos was unfortunately dry and the cheese was kind of clumping, so let's just get that out of the way. I did enjoy my brie burger very much, with a side of freshly cooked waffle fries. I loved the garlic sauce that came with my burger, and it was done perfectly medium rare. It's a good place to just chill out with your friends.
(3)C N.
The servers in the back bar are pretty rude. Maybe that's why it was empty. Nice bathrooms.
(1)Josh R.
This was our first evening in the Twin Cities stop. Not our atmosphere, great if you want a sport bar though. What made this place great was the bartender. He gave great service and introduced us to Suummit beer as well as giving us tips on local spots for the rest of our stay. We felt comfortable and happy at Billy's especially after driving fore 10 hours. :)
(4)Dan S.
Billy's is an overrated spot. They have a large patio and and the bar is massive as well. On a Friday or Saturday night, it is wall-to-wall with posers, a-holes, and d-bags. They have the best men's room in metro, if that is important to you. There has to be at least 20 urinals, nicely spaced with wall barriers. This is why it gets two stars. It's also not bad on a lazy summer afternoon.
(2)Katie O.
Maybe I had really low expectations for this place because of it's not so great ranking here on yelp, but I thought Billy's on Grand wasn't half bad. Sure, I'm only giving it half a more star than average on here . . . but that's really just because I do not plan on frequenting Billy's, so I wouldn't call myself a fan. My husband, myself and three other friends went to Billy's last night because they were hosting viewing for Red Bull's Crashed Ice that was taking place at the Cathedral. We didn't want to bundle up and try to fight the crowds at the actual event, so we went here. This was everyone's first time coming here and I think we were all hesitant, but it turned out well. Billy's was PACKED due to the Crashed Ice event, and our poor waitress was the only one in a rather large area. So I will say, they didn't exactly think through their staffing for the evening. The girl was visibly distressed and overworked feeling, towards the end of our stay she was even shaking. Nevertheless, she treated us wonderfully and did a great job given the circumstances. I think she was probably so great with us because we weren't like all the other people her area that were rushing her and complaining about not getting drinks or food fast enough. Seriously people - look around. Are you all blind? It's CRAZY in here, put some perspective on your douche-bag ways. I had the Rueben sandwich and waffle-fries - it was pretty good. Not the best Rueben I've ever had, but not horrible at the same time. The thousand island came on the side, which was nice and not all at the same time. I had to dismantle my sandwich to get in on and then it made the whole thing even messier and slippery than usual. The waffle fries were definitely good though - crispy and salty. My husband had the walleye sandwich and regular fries, he seemed to like it and ate everything (a sometimes rare event for him). Two of our friends had a burgers and enjoyed them, and the other had a kroutless Rueben. Everyone seemed happy the taste and quality of their food, which seems to be a frequent gripe among yelpers, so I was pleasantly surprised. I would definitely go back to Billy's if they were hosting a viewing event for something else or if I happened to be on grand and craving some bar food, but it's not a place I'll be rushing back to because honestly, there are good places that I already frequent and have as favorites. But there is room in my heart for Billy's if the occasion calls for it - I would definitely go here over the Wild Onion any day of the week.
(3)Jason Y.
Big place and plenty of great TVs here. Good place to watch a game. Restrooms are good sized and orderly. They even have pinball. The food and the service are really bad though. The menu is low end bar food at best. We ate several items from the menu of which none turned out to be worthy of a return for more. I would not go back ever unless it was the last place on earth to get a drink. There's too many other good places around here to spend my hard earned dough at. If you are on the fence about going here, you'd have to have very limited selection to pick from. Game:Yes.....Food: NO.
(1)Andy B.
We visited on a weekday afternoon for lunch. Food was better than average, and the service was average. Felt outdated and dark inside, won't be going back anytime soon. I've had a lot more fun on the patio in the summer.
(3)Sarah S.
Billy's is what it is. Summer time, the patio is great and it's a fun atmosphere. Having been a college student and then a law student in St. Paul, I have spent my fair share of afternoons and evenings at Billy's. The staff hates the law students for the most part by the way, and it's tough to blame them... Service sucks. Except at the bar. But if you're sitting at a table, expect the server to be either rude or apathetic. Good prices, especially compared to Axel's.
(2)Dawn F.
This is a hard review to write, as Billy's on Grand isn't my kind of place to hang out. Yet, when one is toting a large bachelorette party around St. Paul on a busy Saturday night, sometimes Billy's is a good stop. Lots of seating and lots of drink options for the gals to choose from. My only complaint in this particular instance was that it took a long while to get a waitress. When she did finally show up, her friendliness at least made up for the long wait. Other issues, the bathroom is seriously off the beaten path - especially for such a large establishment.
(2)Joshua W.
We went in then went out on St. Patricks Day, because there wasn't enough seating on the patio. Actually no, not correct...walked around the patio and found an empty table, no chairs...saw about 5 chairs with 2 people at another smaller table, and when they saw us coming towards them acted like children stacking the chairs up and sitting on them..if that is the sort of crowd that hangs out in this establishment I gladly will never come back. Management nor any staff did anything about it either.
(1)Lauren D.
Billy's has a nice outdoor seating area that is great in the summer. I met up with some friends and we took over a few tables. The patio tables don't move, so we couldn't scoot them closer together. The seating also seemed strange. The server was okay with getting our drinks in a timely manner, but was very slow to give and pick up the check. We could barely hear the music. It was crowded around 8pm, but got dead around 9pm.
(3)Dan B.
We went here after Axel's told us they were on a 30 min wait. We were hungry, so we walked across the street and bellied up to the patio bar. We ordered the brie app, which was actually good... simple and good portioned. We ordered the steak and the grilled chicken burger, and both were good. The steak was definitely an A-1 candidate, but it was cooked well and had good taste for the price. The chicken and waffle fries were actually very good. We didn't encounter any smoking on the patio, and the heaters out there made it very nice to sit and watch the twins game on the big screen while we ate. Service was good, food was good, overall not a bad place at all. I would go back.
(3)Roman S.
Hadn't been to Billy's in a long time, and my experience reminded me why. First, it took forever to be acknowledged, and then our server got the order wrong. Our server apologized for entering the order wrong, but didn't offer to correct the problem and walked away. My son's Coke glass sat empty, because the server disappeared until we were done eating, showing up just to give us the check. I ordered the Walleye Fillet dinner, which was filled with bones. The menu advertised "hand-cut" fries, which I ordered, but showed up looking and tasting like fast food fries (clearly not hand-cut). One might suggest a bit if false advertising here? Plenty of better places on Grand Ave. Next time I'll just drive on past Billy's.
(2)William D.
I keep coming here due to location, today is the last time I EVER order food here, it's that bad! Come for beers and to watch a game, that's it. Not even half way decent pub fa
(1)Ericka A.
Billy's On Grand... where to start? It's usually full of douches who have to prove that they can drink the most. The only reason I ever go here is because someone else thought it was a good idea. Actually, it's not too bad in the afternoon, when the weather is nice and you can sit outside instead of being shoved into the dark abyss that is Billy's. There have just been too many times that we have been charged for drinks that we did not order. Yes, I've had 5 drinks. No, I can still tell you that we did not order these 3 drinks that have mysteriously appeared on our bill. Nice try. And thanks for usually taking forever to serve us. *** Since my first post I have returned, again because of the choices made by someone else. This time it wasn't too bad. Service was still slow, but the waitress was much improved from previous times. The food was rather good and they spared no alcohol on the expense. One more star for being better.
(2)David P.
A group of 10 of us went here after dinner for a few drinks and the patio. It was very busy up front since it was a nice night out. The bar does have tons of room if you explore the back game areas and bars. This was my first time here so I'm not too sure how packed it does get inside. Anyways, the experience was alright, nothing I'm going to go out of my way to head back to. But nothing to complain about either. Service was good, the bar was mostly clean for a busy night at a bar. We didn't order any food so I can't comment on that.
(2)Cortney G.
Billy's can be really hit or miss. For anyone that went to school in the area, you're pretty much guaranteed to run into people you know. Bartenders are nice, drink prices are comparable to other sports bars in the area. But the food service is another story. My roommate and I stopped there last night for a quick dinner before snowboarding. And we had one of the worst servers I've ever had. Anywhere. Brought us regular cokes instead of diet, screwed up both of our orders, disappeared and we had to go get our own soda refills. Food was kind of meh, not a spot I'll seek out again for dinner. Took twenty minutes after we finished eating to get our bill. Definitely not a quick dinner spot like we had anticipated. Stopping for a drink every once in a while with friends has always been a relatively good experience. Good people watching, good patio. Just not a great dinner joint.
(2)Jessica D.
Its definitely a sports bar! It reminded me a lot of college - but in a fun way. Lots of people there on a Saturday night playing darts, pool, flirting etc etc. We played darts for roughly 2 hours (time flies when your drinking!) and had a great time. The drinks aren't too pricey either.
(3)Katie G.
I have to say there's nothing extremely special about Billy's. It's a common college hangout/sports bar type of place. In the summertime the patio is quite nice. The food is average bar food, pretty average drink prices and specials, like I said, nothing too special. It's pretty dimly lit and usually pretty packed, especially on weekends. I usually have fun here, mainly because I'm with a large group of friends. So if you're just looking for the average night out with your friends, Billy's will provide everything you're looking for.
(2)John D.
LAME! First clearly the patio gets all the staff attention, a nice day the staff clearly wanted to hang outside too. Club sandwich had one piece of bacon. Coleslaw 1.45 was straight out of a bulk food supplier can. Why don't you people actually learn how to make coleslaw? if you did make it, (which I doubt) get back to culinary school. So many better places on Grand. Bye Billy's never again.
(1)Chanstay Y.
I like going here for drinks, mostly because it's an easy place to meet friends but also because the bartenders are friendly. I am not big on the crowd but I do enjoy people watching so it can be really fun. I especially like the patio on warm nights. I ate here twice now, once a burger which was dry and over cooked and served with supper plain chips, I shared an order of hot wing and they were pretty good. The last time I had a ruben which was ok, but again served with those awful chips. I agree with what some others have said about the crowd, lots of "d-bag" types but that's what you get at a college spots bar. I always have fun. Drinks are reasonable and there are multiple bar, oh and for the ladies, a big bathroom which can be important on a night of drinking.
(3)RJ P.
Hot chicks and overpriced shots. Any questions?
(2)Justin S.
First off I do love the Grand area and am probably partially bias, nevertheless I think the only way to go here is during the summer (during the week) and sit outside. I try to stay clear of this area on weekends it gets a little overcrowded. During football and baseball season they have a 50' outside which is kinda fun. Food is ok beer.....is beer i guess.
(5)Sean M.
This place is probably the trashiest restaurant on Grand Ave. I would never eat at this place because I would be frightened to see the kitchen. During the summer, they have a patio that seems to be pretty popular, but be prepared to go home smelling like an ashtray with cigarette burns in your clothing. Good luck getting a drink- the waitstaff seems to ignore paying customers and are more caught up in their side conversations with other employees.
(1)Zachary S.
Blank page blank page blank page Who sits in a dark bar with a beer Alone with a blank page? Fuck you that's who. What I really would like to know Is who sits in a bar with a Beer alone sitting before a flashing screen Of men chasing balls down a field Over and over again, the only change Is a color of uniform. It isn't so much the same ball being tossed Over and over again as it is broadcast on multiple screens, all within eyeshot. To clarify, one screen is of biking and motor cross And BMX--things with wheels going round And round on the track, kicking up dust and dirt Peppered with the occasional bone splitting crash. In the distance, by the window, four dirty blondes grasp hands across the table as if in prayer when in reality, one just applied too much lotion
(2)Creighton E.
This is your classic university cports bar. The food is terrible, the atmosphere is lacking and the service is ho-hum. If what you are after is sheer head-count, then this is the bra for you. Easily the bussiest on Grand most nights, but not the most interesting. Spend your money nearby at Sweeney's or Muddy Pig and you will not regret it.
(2)Tony K.
I was out celebrating a friends bachelor party on Grand avenue last Friday night and we started at Axels and had a good dinner and drinks then wandered here with the group after a few hours at Bonfire. Being as I don't make it to Grand Avenue much anymore because I live in Maplewood I haven't hit all the bars of Grand avenue much the last 5 plus years but did on a semi regular basis back in my 20s (I'm 34 now). My memories of these bars from my 20s were mainly of Wild Onion and Billys and they were fun places to hang out and socialize with regulars. My experience of last Friday night didn't match my memories of my 20s. For one the waitress asked everyone else in the group what they wanted for booze and then left without asking me. Another is it was completlely dead in comparison to what it used to be so the atmospher was really lacking. There was maybe 1/3 of the normal amount of people in the bar from what there used to be. Now granted there was a little snow last Friday night but not much, I've never seen winter quiet down billys. Also before we went to Billys while I was still over at Axels out front smoking a drunk guy told me he and many others just got thrown out of Billys for what he said was no reason. Now this guy I talked to seemed pretty tanked so maybe He deserved to be thrown out but I get the feeling Billys population was so low for the night because mr. Bouncer was on a power trip. Billys wasn't the same as it used to be so I'm not saying I won't ever step into Billys again but I don't see myself rushing over to the opposite end of town to go their anytime soon just for the sake of going to Billys, it will probably only happen when I'm convieniently drinking at other establishments on Grand already which is once in a blue moon.
(3)Elizabeth T.
I decided it was time to sign up for yelp to warn others about how god awful this place is. The food was horrendous and the service was worse. I have no idea how this place survives with so many better places on Grand. The experience was baffling and confusing, on the whole. My husband had a disappointing fish and chips. I decided to try the french dip sandwich since it was featured on the menu, so I thought it should be a safe bet. Not so. It consisted of dry roast beef on a dry bun. Which you dipped in extremely salty canned beef broth. Which made me incredibly thirsty. But the server did not see the need to re-fill my water glass even when she came by to ask how the food was. And then walked by the table repeatedly without even glancing at us. When she finally brought water, we had finished our meal, but she did not bring over the check. Instead she decided to slowly bus tables on the other side of the restaurant. For 15 minutes. Finally, we gave up on her and left enough cash to cover the meal on the table and just left. And don't plan on going back. For $10 you can get a much better meal elsewhere with better service and a nicer atmosphere.
(1)Mark S.
I wouldn't go to billy's and sit inside... it is too dark, but outside is a nice festive type of atmosphere. Food is pretty decent, and just sitting out and enjoying the weather is a big plus for this place... and then a dessert and latte across the street at cafe latte fills out the eve.
(3)MM R.
Fun but a pseudo meat market. Hasn't changed in years.
(3)Sarah D.
Great for outdoor dining/cocktails on the few midwestern nights that allow for such madness. The food is nothing too special...bar food classics nachos, buffalo chicken wrap, rueben...yada yada...but the beer is cold and the crowd is friendly. Grand Ave is one of my favorite areas in the twin cities...love it!
(3)Matt H.
What can I say? I am a fan of Billy's. Drinks are reasonably priced I think. If you like RBV's, they give you the can of redbull so the next time around you just need to purchase the vodka. I enjoy bars with jukeboxes. Billy's has one. And when you can get to it to stop younger girls from playing Katie Perry or Brittany Spears, you can usually get some good tunes going. Pretty decent patio. Haven't always had the best of service from the staff. Though some are better than others. Several bar games to choose from. Darts, golden tee, bags and such.
(4)Emily U.
I'm not in St. Paul much, but when if I do hit up a bar on Grand, I somehow end up at Billy's. It's very mediocre. The food is your average bar food. They have a nice, smaller patio outside but that's about all it has going for it. At night, it's packed with UST and other St. Paul college kids, usually too drunk to talk. Service is ok and drink specials are alright. Wouldn't be sad if I never went back there.
(2)Bethany D.
For Grand Ave (the hub of St. Paul nightlife), there's better out there.
(3)Terri W.
Went to Billys and would have to agree with most of what is said here. although we were plesenty suprised by the service we got. Better than usual. We came there years ago and thought the staff pretty much only liked to wait on men probably looking for the good tip. Food was ok and we had a coupon which is what made us try it again after all these years. They have been there forever so they must be doing something ok. But they are pretty much eat on the cheap happy hour bar and they do have a patio in the summer. My friend complained of her soda being flat and was given a "oh really" and the beverage was taken away but no price adjustment was made or alternative beverage offered. Be careful not to order ranch or BBQ sauce if it doesnt come on your sandwich. It will wind up costing you an extra .75. Not that we are cheap but that is a little ridiculous. Wonder if we could have traded in the tomatoes?
(2)Lacey P.
Ewww. The food is not good. The atmosphere is not good. I gave it a star because it has a patio, but so what, we're in MN, it's not like we're dying for green space.
(1)Rosie F.
This was one of my fave hangouts in college. The Grand Ave area is beautiful and this is a fun neighborhood bar. The crowd can be unpredictable but I always went with a group and had a great time. This place is what the midwest is all about.
(4)Chervianne Z.
Overrated on almost all accounts except for the cozy outdoor patio on a nice summer day and the people watching that accompanies it. You can't help but get to know your neighbor you're sitting so close.
(3)Joe R.
Another Selby/Grand classic for summer boozing. Huge outdoor patio in a lively part of town. A great place to put back a few, with or without a burger in hand.
(4)Benjamin C.
the patio is kinda fun. =/
(1)Homer I.
Went to Billy's again last week after not being there for several months. One of Billy's sons is now managing the place and they have changed the food menu significantlly all for the BAD!! The prices were raised signifantly and portions sizes have shrunk. In addition, food quality has also dropped off significantly. 1. Tthe wings used to be 8 wings, now just 6 and only 1 drummy instead of 3 or 4. And they changed the sauce and its not that good and barely put any on the wings. Two of the peices of celery were dirty and had not been properly cleaned. All those bad changes and to top things off, they are now more expensive. 2. The chicken nachos used to be delcious, but now are terrible. They used to be loaded abd layered with nice tender chunks of chicken and were served hot with lots of real melted cheese. Now, about 1/2 the chicken and it was cold and tough to chew. About 1/3 of the real cheese, only on top. Instead, some crappy, cold runny cheese sauce poured throughout. YUK! We sent them back once, then only ate about 1/3 of them. This used to be our favorite thing to eat on the patio. 3. The toasted club sandwhich used to be delicious. now its GONE! Along with some of the other favorite sandwhiches. They do now have a turkey avacodo club, but sorry, not the same. 4. Talked with other people at table next to us, they also said the new menu sucks and their favorite items GONE as well. The food they had ordered now was expensive and low quality. I think the new chef thinks adding the word Thai a couple times makes the menu new and modern. Not! This is bar food, just keep it simple, high quality, affordable, and delicious. 5. Happy hour 1/2 priced appetizers appear to be gone. BIG bummer! But the have a bigger pizza section on menu. REALLY? If I want pizza, i'll just go down the street to Punch, its 10 times better than anything Billy's has to offer. This used to be my favorite Friday afternoon hangout. Now, I won't be back and my favorite things are gone. And by the looks of it, others are now feelying the same way. It was a nice Friday evening and patio was only about 2/3 full. Its usually packed. So Billy, PLEASE demote your son. Take control back of the restuarant and make things good again!! I'm not sure your restuarant can survive with the new crappy, overpriced menu.
(2)Tim C.
Went in for happy hour with some friends from work and it was alright. We mostly drank and the beer was ok. There was a good selection of craft beer; both local and national. I had a Rogue stout that was pretty good. We ordered a couple appetizers and there were your average American sports bar fare...waffle fries, nachos. They were ok. Service was spotty and but if you went to the bar you got served right away. Only reason I would be going back is if guys from work wanted to go back.
(3)Cortney G.
Billy's can be really hit or miss. For anyone that went to school in the area, you're pretty much guaranteed to run into people you know. Bartenders are nice, drink prices are comparable to other sports bars in the area. But the food service is another story. My roommate and I stopped there last night for a quick dinner before snowboarding. And we had one of the worst servers I've ever had. Anywhere. Brought us regular cokes instead of diet, screwed up both of our orders, disappeared and we had to go get our own soda refills. Food was kind of meh, not a spot I'll seek out again for dinner. Took twenty minutes after we finished eating to get our bill. Definitely not a quick dinner spot like we had anticipated. Stopping for a drink every once in a while with friends has always been a relatively good experience. Good people watching, good patio. Just not a great dinner joint.
(2)Jessica D.
Its definitely a sports bar! It reminded me a lot of college - but in a fun way. Lots of people there on a Saturday night playing darts, pool, flirting etc etc. We played darts for roughly 2 hours (time flies when your drinking!) and had a great time. The drinks aren't too pricey either.
(3)John D.
LAME! First clearly the patio gets all the staff attention, a nice day the staff clearly wanted to hang outside too. Club sandwich had one piece of bacon. Coleslaw 1.45 was straight out of a bulk food supplier can. Why don't you people actually learn how to make coleslaw? if you did make it, (which I doubt) get back to culinary school. So many better places on Grand. Bye Billy's never again.
(1)Katie G.
I have to say there's nothing extremely special about Billy's. It's a common college hangout/sports bar type of place. In the summertime the patio is quite nice. The food is average bar food, pretty average drink prices and specials, like I said, nothing too special. It's pretty dimly lit and usually pretty packed, especially on weekends. I usually have fun here, mainly because I'm with a large group of friends. So if you're just looking for the average night out with your friends, Billy's will provide everything you're looking for.
(2)Chanstay Y.
I like going here for drinks, mostly because it's an easy place to meet friends but also because the bartenders are friendly. I am not big on the crowd but I do enjoy people watching so it can be really fun. I especially like the patio on warm nights. I ate here twice now, once a burger which was dry and over cooked and served with supper plain chips, I shared an order of hot wing and they were pretty good. The last time I had a ruben which was ok, but again served with those awful chips. I agree with what some others have said about the crowd, lots of "d-bag" types but that's what you get at a college spots bar. I always have fun. Drinks are reasonable and there are multiple bar, oh and for the ladies, a big bathroom which can be important on a night of drinking.
(3)RJ P.
Hot chicks and overpriced shots. Any questions?
(2)Matt H.
What can I say? I am a fan of Billy's. Drinks are reasonably priced I think. If you like RBV's, they give you the can of redbull so the next time around you just need to purchase the vodka. I enjoy bars with jukeboxes. Billy's has one. And when you can get to it to stop younger girls from playing Katie Perry or Brittany Spears, you can usually get some good tunes going. Pretty decent patio. Haven't always had the best of service from the staff. Though some are better than others. Several bar games to choose from. Darts, golden tee, bags and such.
(4)Justin S.
First off I do love the Grand area and am probably partially bias, nevertheless I think the only way to go here is during the summer (during the week) and sit outside. I try to stay clear of this area on weekends it gets a little overcrowded. During football and baseball season they have a 50' outside which is kinda fun. Food is ok beer.....is beer i guess.
(5)Sean M.
This place is probably the trashiest restaurant on Grand Ave. I would never eat at this place because I would be frightened to see the kitchen. During the summer, they have a patio that seems to be pretty popular, but be prepared to go home smelling like an ashtray with cigarette burns in your clothing. Good luck getting a drink- the waitstaff seems to ignore paying customers and are more caught up in their side conversations with other employees.
(1)Zachary S.
Blank page blank page blank page Who sits in a dark bar with a beer Alone with a blank page? Fuck you that's who. What I really would like to know Is who sits in a bar with a Beer alone sitting before a flashing screen Of men chasing balls down a field Over and over again, the only change Is a color of uniform. It isn't so much the same ball being tossed Over and over again as it is broadcast on multiple screens, all within eyeshot. To clarify, one screen is of biking and motor cross And BMX--things with wheels going round And round on the track, kicking up dust and dirt Peppered with the occasional bone splitting crash. In the distance, by the window, four dirty blondes grasp hands across the table as if in prayer when in reality, one just applied too much lotion
(2)Creighton E.
This is your classic university cports bar. The food is terrible, the atmosphere is lacking and the service is ho-hum. If what you are after is sheer head-count, then this is the bra for you. Easily the bussiest on Grand most nights, but not the most interesting. Spend your money nearby at Sweeney's or Muddy Pig and you will not regret it.
(2)Brianna W.
Stopped over to grab a quick lunch and had a pretty crappy experience. First we had one waiter take our order and tell us he was leaving soon and someone else would be taking over, which is not a problem but then we didn't see anyone or receive our food for 30 minutes. We ordered a salad and a sandwich, that does not take that long. We were sitting there wondering if he forgot to tell anyone about us before he left. We then got our food finally, which is the first time our second waitress introduced herself after 30 minutes. I had ordered the shrimp salad. ..yuck. The shrimp was cold and fishy tasting, the lettuce was brown and the lime vinaigrette had no flavor. I am not a picky eater but I couldn't eat it. My boyfriend said his Italian sandwich was ok but pretty bland. Will not be back.
(1)Andrew C.
Great place to watch college football on Saturday's. They have a great selection of tap beer. We had a pizza and a burger. Both were pretty good. If you like watching sporting events at a bar, this is a good place to do so.
(4)John M.
Good local bar. Been here a billion times. In the summer they've got an outdoor bar on the patio. Bloody Mary bar on Sunday's. Pool, popcorn and big buck hunter so there isn't much more that a man can ask for. It's a good place to go to watch a game, have lunch or just grab a drink and party. Right on Grand Ave so it's tough to beat that.
(5)Lauren M.
Came here with a couple of lesbians last night to watch the women's soccer game and had a blast! Service was phenomenal. Our server Maureen kept up with all of our demands and was very accommodating. Then it came time to order food. I had already seen other reviews so I knew ahead of time not to get my hopes up because there wouldn't be any bugs, but then when I ordered my sandwich our server asked if I wanted regular flies or waffle flies. This really got me excited because 1. I didn't even think they carried insects and 2. I've never even heard of waffle flies! So of course, being the adventurous gal I am, I ordered the waffle flies. To my dismay when my meal arrived it did not contain flies at all, but fries. I realize this is my own fault for mishearing, but unfortunately I still need to deduct a star for trickery (and lack of bugs).
(4)Eric H.
This place is awful. Food is horrible, servers are even worse than the food. If you have any respect for yourself and want to have a good time, do not go here. There are a lot of better selections on Grand Ave than this place. There are also a lot of underage kids that get in there on the weekends.
(1)Rich M.
I've given this place a "last chance" 1,000 times. The only good thing about this bar is it's patio and beer selection... This last trip, it took four of us over an hour to get our food (nachos, a quesadilla and two wraps). Everything came out cold and dry. Even if every menu item was half the price, it wouldn't be worth it.
(1)Lindsay R.
I went there with a group of friends yesterday for the Seahawks versus Packers game. We got there early to make sure that we got a table. Since this is a Packers bar, we figured that they would be prepared for the amount of people that are going to show up for such a big game! This was not the case! Our server was rude, checked on us once every 45 minutes, and completely screwed up our tabs. With a party of eight she gave us a long list and told us that she had lost track of separating it. If the service wasn't enough my friend ordered a medium well burger and was served a burger that was very rare. When we talk to the server about it she blew it off as if it wasn't a big deal and did not fix the mistake. I'm a regular visitor to Billy's but I think this will be my last time. Horrible.
(1)Christina G.
Crappiest food, Crappy Service. Sorry. But overpriced, dry food during a Viking game special? we ordered a hot dog and nachos, two near beers and bill was $30, $35 with a tip! Not cool. The bun was dry and felt like i was eating on a campground. Took FOREVER to get any service even though there were about 12 employees gathered by the bar chatting it up the whole time. Again- This was during a happy hour viking special thing- you'd think the food would be fresh and cheaper. Lame. We will stick to the happy hour at bonfire across the street.
(1)Adam B.
Much like a fine wine, Billy's is getting better with age. It's a St. Paul institution and one of the great family owned businesses on Grand. There isn't a better place to get good food for a good value. They've increased their taps over the years and when I went back recently they were running the All Day IPA from Founders so that's what gets them the 5th star. Sure it's subjective but you're the one reading a Yelp review.
(5)Steve J.
Best bar and grille I've ever been to. Fridays and Saturday nights get very busy and popular. Foods delicious, and friendly people. As a guy , you can just sit at a table and girls will come up sometimes one after the other keeping you company. Music's upbeat, lots of TVs, drinks are reasonable priced and strong, owners are awesome!
(5)Tim B.
Went with some friends for the first time to watch some Football on Sunday and had a great time. Good food and beer specials during the games & a nice selection of tap beer's also. We asked to watch a different game and the TV was changed with no problem. If you are a Packer fan this is the place to watch the games. Will be back for sure.
(4)Liz D.
This is your typical bro-y, frat boy sports bar. None of their food is really top notch, but the fish sandwich is quite tasty, and sitting outside on their patio during the summer is lively and comfortable. The service is however lackluster.
(2)J D.
You could say this was my own fault for ordering a salad in a bar but it was not so great. Rotten tomatoes and wilted lettuce. They sincerely shouldn't have served it. Ranch dressing was watered down - maybe they were low? It just wasn't great. Again, a bar but don't put something on your menu if you don't know how to make it or don't have the fresh ingredients for it. There never seem to be ANYONE in there during meal times. Bar times but not meal times.
(2)Qaiser B.
When you think the chilly winds are seeping into your bones, try a fresh out of the oven chicken pot pie. And Billys may have one of the best around Grand Ave at least. It will warm you up like nothing else. The servers were prompt and pleasant. Though I dislike the parking situation around Grand ave, its always a bit of a hassle so be prepared for that.
(3)Emily O.
Wouldn't be my usual type of restaurant to select, but my attendance at the occasional meet-up with former work colleagues or other such similar events has mandated occasional trips to this watering hole. A recent lunch didn't change my opinion. The servers were impersonal. The one plus of the place is the large patio so we sat outside. Some of the waitstaff were taking shots. It was 1pm. I actually worked in the restaurant industry "back in the day" so I'm by no means naive but it just seemed sad to me. Anyway, food. I wasn't expecting anything more than middle-of-the-road bar food. I knew it would be heavy and since I was hungry, I was in danger of scarfing down some really grease-laden schtuff so I asked the server for a recommendation that would be light yet still satisfying. Seems benign enough. Maybe this was my first mistake. She advised me that the southwest chicken sandwich was her fave. My companions had already ordered so I said great, just bring me that, thanks for the recommendation. Bad decision. You could tell the chicken was frozen and had been heated up by who knows what means. Perhaps even thawed and refrozen more than once. Yuck. It seriously tasted like cardboard. I was so hungry and the waitress' visits to our table so sparse, I actually ate part of it. I ended up munching on more of the fries than I wanted because I had nothing else to eat (I know, sounds like a personal problem - hey, I'm working on it!). Besides, I was really hungry and still wasn't sure the sandwich was not actually a piece of styrofoam in disguise. Finally she came back to give us the check and asked me how it was. I was honest. She feigned surprise. It was the kind of "we all know what's going on here" exchange I've come to expect from this frat house bar. Too bad the patio is apparently so appealing. Anyway, she did take the cost of the sandwich off the bill which I appreciated. 1-star may be harsh but it's just been after so many repeated experiences of the same. I'm sure I'll be cajoled into going back yet again. Unfortunately, I don't expect my review will change much.
(1)Tammy L.
Go a couple blocks West to Salut or a couple blocks East to Saji-Ya/Dixies if you're looking for a place to dine at. Come here if you want a crowded weekend bar, a place to watch sports games, and/or decent bar food (fries, chicken fingers, nachos, etc). It's a sports bar, and it's exactly that.
(3)Brit B.
Good food and good service, decent prices. Billy's is a great place to go if you want to watch the game with friends. Some of the food is hit and miss but I've always had good luck with the burgers/sandwiches. Appetizers are all decent as well. Drinks aren't too pricy but some of the food is overpriced for what you get. Fairly typical sports bar but friendly people and a great atmosphere on game night!
(3)Brian A.
Billy's on Grand...the only bar I've ever thrown up in.
(2)Chris M.
Billy's is just fine for what it is - a neighborhood sports bar with a pretty big college crowd on the weekends. At any time you're likely to find a group out on the patio enjoying happy hour and/or drunken college kids playing Buck Hunter in the back bar, and everything in between. The patio and open-air front of the house are enjoyable on comfortable evenings, and the rest of the bar is pretty sizable for when mother nature is less accommodating. The food is pretty typical bar food, though they do have a fairly extensive menu that should appease most diners just looking for a basic nosh. Service has always been friendly enough, and given the number of TV's and so-so tap selection I'll keep popping in every once in awhile to take in the game or hit up happy hour.
(3)Chris W.
In my younger days, Billy's was one of my usual hangouts. Hadn't been there in a while and we happened to find ourselves on Grand Ave looking for dinner. Unfortunately, we we underwhelmed. We started off with a Mojito and a Vodka Lemonade. The Mojito was terrible. No mint taste, well no taste at all other than alcohol. I get it, that this bar skews younger and a freshly turned 21 year old would probably have appreciated that - but not us on a Sunday night dinner. Had to send the drink back. It was undrinkable, even if you poured half of it out and put something else in it to balance it out. So zero stars for the Mojito. The Vodka lemonade was tolerable but not tasty. They must not use real lemonade but something out of a fountain made out of crystal light or something. It really had that artificial sweetener taste to it. I drank it, but we both switched to just water for our drinks. We ordered jerk wings and a steak w/salad. The salad wasn't half bad, and was actually quite large. They didn't provide near enough dressing for it. We had to send the waitress back for two more little tubs of French. When the entrees arrived, we were really dissapointed in the wings. They came without sauce (it was in a little condiment tub on the side - again not enough to cover all of the meal). The wings were actually charred and tough. Really tough. Really burned too. Terrible. Just plain terrible. How hard are wings to make? The steak was just ok. I always take a bite as-is, without sauce or additional seasoning just to see how it tastes as the chef made it. It was very plain and flavorless. I don't think they use a rub or marinade or anything. Just slapping meat on the grill. A1 sauce helped some, but it was not one of my favorite meals. The service was slow, which was odd considering inside there were maybe 6 or 7 tables going, split amongst two waitresses. The server also seemed irritated that we didn't like the drink and sent it back, and asked for more salad dressing. Billy's may still be a fun night spot, It's been a long time so I don't know - but a place for food.... I don't think so.
(2)Lorraine N.
I'm giving them three stars because the food has always been decent. I get forced to go here a couple times a year because it appeals to my husband for some reason. My college daughter likes it too as it is a happening place and draws a large crowd. They have patio seating outside and a couple different sides to the restaurant bar. I don't care much for this atmosphere---noisy and a ton of hustle bustle. But the food is better than average compared to other sports bars....
(3)Alexandra H.
Billy's is not my cup of tea, but for large groups and cheap(ish) drinks in St. Paul, it's an option. The atmosphere is not really distinguishable from most sports bars and the lighting is relatively darker. Depending upon the weekend, Billy's can easily become a packed house, but I've heard the crowd is much more manageable compared to the Wild Onion.
(2)Jason K.
I had heard different takes on Billy's from being a frat bar, to a cool neighborhood bar. I was pleasantly surprised. It seemed like a large neighborhood bar with locals and a big open patio. It was chilly, so it was all closed up, but it looked like a nice summertime hang out. My wife and I entered the bar with our Groupon for $20, so I decided to get no beer, since that eats up the dough pretty quick, but there were lots of good taps if you wanted that. Our server came by and dropped off a great menu with lots of options. I perused and chose the Cobb salad and a Diet Coke and my wife got a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup and a Diet Coke. Our Cokes were refilled often, which was awesome and our server was great. The Cobb salad was huge with lots of chicken chunks and blue cheese crumbles. It was really great. My wife also loved her soup, I tried a bite and I agreed whole heartedly. It tasted very homemade. We left with a bill of 21 bucks and with tip it was $25, not too bad for a great lunch. Overall, a great Sunday afternoon hangout in a local bar. Good times.
(4)Danielle G.
Great patio providing its not blazing hot outside and you don't have an umbrella. Food is decent and prices are fair. Wait staff has always been friendly.
(3)Mariel L.
I don't think I've ever been to a sports bar this big. It was hopping and loud in the patio when we arrived for a quick bite and drinks at 9:30 PM on a Monday. Granted, the weather was gorgeous so everyone and their mom were outside to chat, watch the game, and have a drink. It was late night happy hour when we arrived, so beers were $5, and appetizers were half off. The nachos was unfortunately dry and the cheese was kind of clumping, so let's just get that out of the way. I did enjoy my brie burger very much, with a side of freshly cooked waffle fries. I loved the garlic sauce that came with my burger, and it was done perfectly medium rare. It's a good place to just chill out with your friends.
(3)C N.
The servers in the back bar are pretty rude. Maybe that's why it was empty. Nice bathrooms.
(1)Josh R.
This was our first evening in the Twin Cities stop. Not our atmosphere, great if you want a sport bar though. What made this place great was the bartender. He gave great service and introduced us to Suummit beer as well as giving us tips on local spots for the rest of our stay. We felt comfortable and happy at Billy's especially after driving fore 10 hours. :)
(4)Katie O.
Maybe I had really low expectations for this place because of it's not so great ranking here on yelp, but I thought Billy's on Grand wasn't half bad. Sure, I'm only giving it half a more star than average on here . . . but that's really just because I do not plan on frequenting Billy's, so I wouldn't call myself a fan. My husband, myself and three other friends went to Billy's last night because they were hosting viewing for Red Bull's Crashed Ice that was taking place at the Cathedral. We didn't want to bundle up and try to fight the crowds at the actual event, so we went here. This was everyone's first time coming here and I think we were all hesitant, but it turned out well. Billy's was PACKED due to the Crashed Ice event, and our poor waitress was the only one in a rather large area. So I will say, they didn't exactly think through their staffing for the evening. The girl was visibly distressed and overworked feeling, towards the end of our stay she was even shaking. Nevertheless, she treated us wonderfully and did a great job given the circumstances. I think she was probably so great with us because we weren't like all the other people her area that were rushing her and complaining about not getting drinks or food fast enough. Seriously people - look around. Are you all blind? It's CRAZY in here, put some perspective on your douche-bag ways. I had the Rueben sandwich and waffle-fries - it was pretty good. Not the best Rueben I've ever had, but not horrible at the same time. The thousand island came on the side, which was nice and not all at the same time. I had to dismantle my sandwich to get in on and then it made the whole thing even messier and slippery than usual. The waffle fries were definitely good though - crispy and salty. My husband had the walleye sandwich and regular fries, he seemed to like it and ate everything (a sometimes rare event for him). Two of our friends had a burgers and enjoyed them, and the other had a kroutless Rueben. Everyone seemed happy the taste and quality of their food, which seems to be a frequent gripe among yelpers, so I was pleasantly surprised. I would definitely go back to Billy's if they were hosting a viewing event for something else or if I happened to be on grand and craving some bar food, but it's not a place I'll be rushing back to because honestly, there are good places that I already frequent and have as favorites. But there is room in my heart for Billy's if the occasion calls for it - I would definitely go here over the Wild Onion any day of the week.
(3)Jason Y.
Big place and plenty of great TVs here. Good place to watch a game. Restrooms are good sized and orderly. They even have pinball. The food and the service are really bad though. The menu is low end bar food at best. We ate several items from the menu of which none turned out to be worthy of a return for more. I would not go back ever unless it was the last place on earth to get a drink. There's too many other good places around here to spend my hard earned dough at. If you are on the fence about going here, you'd have to have very limited selection to pick from. Game:Yes.....Food: NO.
(1)Andy B.
We visited on a weekday afternoon for lunch. Food was better than average, and the service was average. Felt outdated and dark inside, won't be going back anytime soon. I've had a lot more fun on the patio in the summer.
(3)Dan S.
Billy's is an overrated spot. They have a large patio and and the bar is massive as well. On a Friday or Saturday night, it is wall-to-wall with posers, a-holes, and d-bags. They have the best men's room in metro, if that is important to you. There has to be at least 20 urinals, nicely spaced with wall barriers. This is why it gets two stars. It's also not bad on a lazy summer afternoon.
(2)Sarah S.
Billy's is what it is. Summer time, the patio is great and it's a fun atmosphere. Having been a college student and then a law student in St. Paul, I have spent my fair share of afternoons and evenings at Billy's. The staff hates the law students for the most part by the way, and it's tough to blame them... Service sucks. Except at the bar. But if you're sitting at a table, expect the server to be either rude or apathetic. Good prices, especially compared to Axel's.
(2)Dawn F.
This is a hard review to write, as Billy's on Grand isn't my kind of place to hang out. Yet, when one is toting a large bachelorette party around St. Paul on a busy Saturday night, sometimes Billy's is a good stop. Lots of seating and lots of drink options for the gals to choose from. My only complaint in this particular instance was that it took a long while to get a waitress. When she did finally show up, her friendliness at least made up for the long wait. Other issues, the bathroom is seriously off the beaten path - especially for such a large establishment.
(2)Joshua W.
We went in then went out on St. Patricks Day, because there wasn't enough seating on the patio. Actually no, not correct...walked around the patio and found an empty table, no chairs...saw about 5 chairs with 2 people at another smaller table, and when they saw us coming towards them acted like children stacking the chairs up and sitting on them..if that is the sort of crowd that hangs out in this establishment I gladly will never come back. Management nor any staff did anything about it either.
(1)Lauren D.
Billy's has a nice outdoor seating area that is great in the summer. I met up with some friends and we took over a few tables. The patio tables don't move, so we couldn't scoot them closer together. The seating also seemed strange. The server was okay with getting our drinks in a timely manner, but was very slow to give and pick up the check. We could barely hear the music. It was crowded around 8pm, but got dead around 9pm.
(3)Dan B.
We went here after Axel's told us they were on a 30 min wait. We were hungry, so we walked across the street and bellied up to the patio bar. We ordered the brie app, which was actually good... simple and good portioned. We ordered the steak and the grilled chicken burger, and both were good. The steak was definitely an A-1 candidate, but it was cooked well and had good taste for the price. The chicken and waffle fries were actually very good. We didn't encounter any smoking on the patio, and the heaters out there made it very nice to sit and watch the twins game on the big screen while we ate. Service was good, food was good, overall not a bad place at all. I would go back.
(3)Roman S.
Hadn't been to Billy's in a long time, and my experience reminded me why. First, it took forever to be acknowledged, and then our server got the order wrong. Our server apologized for entering the order wrong, but didn't offer to correct the problem and walked away. My son's Coke glass sat empty, because the server disappeared until we were done eating, showing up just to give us the check. I ordered the Walleye Fillet dinner, which was filled with bones. The menu advertised "hand-cut" fries, which I ordered, but showed up looking and tasting like fast food fries (clearly not hand-cut). One might suggest a bit if false advertising here? Plenty of better places on Grand Ave. Next time I'll just drive on past Billy's.
(2)William D.
I keep coming here due to location, today is the last time I EVER order food here, it's that bad! Come for beers and to watch a game, that's it. Not even half way decent pub fa
(1)Ericka A.
Billy's On Grand... where to start? It's usually full of douches who have to prove that they can drink the most. The only reason I ever go here is because someone else thought it was a good idea. Actually, it's not too bad in the afternoon, when the weather is nice and you can sit outside instead of being shoved into the dark abyss that is Billy's. There have just been too many times that we have been charged for drinks that we did not order. Yes, I've had 5 drinks. No, I can still tell you that we did not order these 3 drinks that have mysteriously appeared on our bill. Nice try. And thanks for usually taking forever to serve us. *** Since my first post I have returned, again because of the choices made by someone else. This time it wasn't too bad. Service was still slow, but the waitress was much improved from previous times. The food was rather good and they spared no alcohol on the expense. One more star for being better.
(2)David P.
A group of 10 of us went here after dinner for a few drinks and the patio. It was very busy up front since it was a nice night out. The bar does have tons of room if you explore the back game areas and bars. This was my first time here so I'm not too sure how packed it does get inside. Anyways, the experience was alright, nothing I'm going to go out of my way to head back to. But nothing to complain about either. Service was good, the bar was mostly clean for a busy night at a bar. We didn't order any food so I can't comment on that.
(2)Tony K.
I was out celebrating a friends bachelor party on Grand avenue last Friday night and we started at Axels and had a good dinner and drinks then wandered here with the group after a few hours at Bonfire. Being as I don't make it to Grand Avenue much anymore because I live in Maplewood I haven't hit all the bars of Grand avenue much the last 5 plus years but did on a semi regular basis back in my 20s (I'm 34 now). My memories of these bars from my 20s were mainly of Wild Onion and Billys and they were fun places to hang out and socialize with regulars. My experience of last Friday night didn't match my memories of my 20s. For one the waitress asked everyone else in the group what they wanted for booze and then left without asking me. Another is it was completlely dead in comparison to what it used to be so the atmospher was really lacking. There was maybe 1/3 of the normal amount of people in the bar from what there used to be. Now granted there was a little snow last Friday night but not much, I've never seen winter quiet down billys. Also before we went to Billys while I was still over at Axels out front smoking a drunk guy told me he and many others just got thrown out of Billys for what he said was no reason. Now this guy I talked to seemed pretty tanked so maybe He deserved to be thrown out but I get the feeling Billys population was so low for the night because mr. Bouncer was on a power trip. Billys wasn't the same as it used to be so I'm not saying I won't ever step into Billys again but I don't see myself rushing over to the opposite end of town to go their anytime soon just for the sake of going to Billys, it will probably only happen when I'm convieniently drinking at other establishments on Grand already which is once in a blue moon.
(3)Elizabeth T.
I decided it was time to sign up for yelp to warn others about how god awful this place is. The food was horrendous and the service was worse. I have no idea how this place survives with so many better places on Grand. The experience was baffling and confusing, on the whole. My husband had a disappointing fish and chips. I decided to try the french dip sandwich since it was featured on the menu, so I thought it should be a safe bet. Not so. It consisted of dry roast beef on a dry bun. Which you dipped in extremely salty canned beef broth. Which made me incredibly thirsty. But the server did not see the need to re-fill my water glass even when she came by to ask how the food was. And then walked by the table repeatedly without even glancing at us. When she finally brought water, we had finished our meal, but she did not bring over the check. Instead she decided to slowly bus tables on the other side of the restaurant. For 15 minutes. Finally, we gave up on her and left enough cash to cover the meal on the table and just left. And don't plan on going back. For $10 you can get a much better meal elsewhere with better service and a nicer atmosphere.
(1)Rhonda G.
Reservations had been made, confirmed two days before for the green room, between30-40 people. What could go wrong? The day shift never wrote it down or tell the eve. shift we were coming. Since I run early, I arrived at 6:30, got a perfect parking spot across the street, and we pitched in and started putting tables together. The waitress, Jet, was as professional as they come, and she's only about 22. The way she handled this scene was great, taking drink orders, as people drifted in. Dinner worked out for the best, considering we weren't expected. The orders were paced, so not everyone was eating at once. She got some help, and a third person brought out the food. Still, she was always there for refills and to check on us. You don't get this attention when your out at some of the trendy places. A few of us got the BILLY THE KID, a baconburger, bacon had been precooked and looked it, very stiff and curled up. Tasted good in spite of this. Broccoli cheese soup was a winner. She was kind enough to divide the bill by tables. Kept her cool the whole time. It was a great room for a casual group gathering. The bathrooms are interesting. Very clean, plenty of stalls, but only two usable ones. Unless you like practically squatting and being up against the paper holder. Only a dick designed this. Still four stars for how accomodating the staff was. I am not into the jock scene, and often forget it's part of my neighborhood, until summer, when I read in the paper about the neighbors pitching a bitch about the noise. Oh, and if you walk home drunk as the weather gets better, stay on Grand, in groups if possible, so you don't get mugged. NO JOKE.
(4)Motor P.
The food , drinks, service, and night crowd have never been good in my opinion, but I kept trying to give Billy's a shot because I live in the area and often got dragged there by friends. No more. After my purse was stolen from Billy's just over a year ago, I will not be going back. One of the bartenders told me that purse theft had been very common there, and apparently one of their employees even had her purse stolen. To make matters worse, there was a cop present who did absolutely nothing, even though he was given a license plate number from an employee who had been on a smoke break and saw a woman run into a car with multiple purses and speed off. Oh, and I've also had a friend get drugged while at Billy's too. So if you decide to go there, be sure to watch your drinks and your valuables closely.
(1)Mark S.
I wouldn't go to billy's and sit inside... it is too dark, but outside is a nice festive type of atmosphere. Food is pretty decent, and just sitting out and enjoying the weather is a big plus for this place... and then a dessert and latte across the street at cafe latte fills out the eve.
(3)Emily U.
I'm not in St. Paul much, but when if I do hit up a bar on Grand, I somehow end up at Billy's. It's very mediocre. The food is your average bar food. They have a nice, smaller patio outside but that's about all it has going for it. At night, it's packed with UST and other St. Paul college kids, usually too drunk to talk. Service is ok and drink specials are alright. Wouldn't be sad if I never went back there.
(2)Bethany D.
For Grand Ave (the hub of St. Paul nightlife), there's better out there.
(3)Terri W.
Went to Billys and would have to agree with most of what is said here. although we were plesenty suprised by the service we got. Better than usual. We came there years ago and thought the staff pretty much only liked to wait on men probably looking for the good tip. Food was ok and we had a coupon which is what made us try it again after all these years. They have been there forever so they must be doing something ok. But they are pretty much eat on the cheap happy hour bar and they do have a patio in the summer. My friend complained of her soda being flat and was given a "oh really" and the beverage was taken away but no price adjustment was made or alternative beverage offered. Be careful not to order ranch or BBQ sauce if it doesnt come on your sandwich. It will wind up costing you an extra .75. Not that we are cheap but that is a little ridiculous. Wonder if we could have traded in the tomatoes?
(2)Lacey P.
Ewww. The food is not good. The atmosphere is not good. I gave it a star because it has a patio, but so what, we're in MN, it's not like we're dying for green space.
(1)Rosie F.
This was one of my fave hangouts in college. The Grand Ave area is beautiful and this is a fun neighborhood bar. The crowd can be unpredictable but I always went with a group and had a great time. This place is what the midwest is all about.
(4)Chervianne Z.
Overrated on almost all accounts except for the cozy outdoor patio on a nice summer day and the people watching that accompanies it. You can't help but get to know your neighbor you're sitting so close.
(3)Joe R.
Another Selby/Grand classic for summer boozing. Huge outdoor patio in a lively part of town. A great place to put back a few, with or without a burger in hand.
(4)Benjamin C.
the patio is kinda fun. =/
(1)Sarah D.
Great for outdoor dining/cocktails on the few midwestern nights that allow for such madness. The food is nothing too special...bar food classics nachos, buffalo chicken wrap, rueben...yada yada...but the beer is cold and the crowd is friendly. Grand Ave is one of my favorite areas in the twin cities...love it!
(3)MM R.
Fun but a pseudo meat market. Hasn't changed in years.
(3)David B.
Billy's On Grand appears to be a nice neighborhood hangout spot to grab a beer and watch the game. They have a nice outdoor patio that comes alive when the weather is nice, and the kitchen offers all the typical bar food offerings. I went with the Cajun wings and washed it down with some cold draft beer. Service was slow, but that's probably to be expected during a packed football-playoff game day. There was one waitress working the entire 50+ person patio, and she was doing a great job, but the restaurant was obviously short staffed for the big game and the waits were piling up. A decent place, and I wouldn't be opposed to coming back and watching a game or hanging out.
(3)Scott M.
Nice looking place. Clean with plenty of seating. Waitresses are all very polite. I ordered a burger and beer not looking at the menu. Was very impressed with the results! I'm 6'3" with an appetite and the burger filled me up. This place is on GPS for sure.
(5)