Pillbox Tavern

Our daughter was at a concert at The Palace with a friend, so we decided to stop by Pillbox for an appetizer and a drink while we waited. We originally saw this place while walking back from dropping our daughter off, but discovered we could get there from this whole hidden network of “inner workings” in downtown St. Paul and thankfully so! You can actually walk for blocks indoors, completely avoiding the outdoors, which after seeing parts of the surrounding neighborhood, we appreciated. We started the evening on the patio, hoping to enjoy the nice weather. Our server was wonderful — kind, attentive, and quick. Unfortunately, a belligerent person nearby began shouting profanities, some of which were directed at customers. Security stepped in and called the police, and in the meantime aske

To start with, we will come back to try more things. Pros: Nearly all our food and drinks were solid. Lots of seating. Friendly staff. Cons: Jalapeno Mac and Cheese was oddly runny in the sauce department. Live music is loud, no matter where you sit. Would not recommend for having drinks, food and a conversation if there is live anything.

We ate dinner here on a Monday evening in July 2025. We arrived at 5pm and people were just starting to arrive so there was plenty of seating. We elected to sit on the patio because it was a really nice day. We started with a cocktail and they were delivered quickly and were made just right. The Pillbox tavern has a twist on the Minnesota classic “juicy lucy” which is a hamburger stuffed with cheese and cooked. The jalapeño popper juicy Lucy is stuffed with pepper jack cheese and jalapeño peppers and then dipped in batter and deep fried, placed in a bun and topped with cream cheese and apricot jam. I loved it! It was sweet, savory and crunchy all at the same time. Can’t wait to try this again. The service was great and the waitstaff was friendly. This was a great dining experience!

We came at 5pm on a Tuesday and it was very chill, which we enjoyed. The food taste and portions were great (we got the cheese curds burger and fall harvest bowl - I appreciated the cauliflower rice!). The waitress was very helpful and accommodating. Food came out quick.

I would not recommend Pillbox if you have food allergies, or avoid certain ingredients for personal or religious reasons. I ordered the Jalapeño Corn Mac & Cheese without bacon - as I got to the last third of my plate I realized there was bacon underneath the noodles. Not sure what to think, whether this was intentional or carelessness, but it isn’t acceptable. Other than that it was surprisingly lacking in spice for something that has jalapeño in the name.