Bulldog N.E.

I have to say, I am very much in love with Minnesota summers. The weather is beautiful and the atmosphere in Minneapolis on these warm, sunny days cannot be beat. This past Saturday evening did not disappoint. Zeb and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and do an affordable date night. In order to fully soak up the fantastic evening, we decided to bike to our destination.

Filling up the tires

I am embarrassed to say, getting our bikes prepared for our date night was a process. I quickly realized I had not ridden my bike at all this summer — my thighs reminded me of it all night. As we biked through Northeast Mpls, we debated ad nauseum where we would eat. The plus about living in Nordeast is there is never a shortage of restaurants to choose from. Although, this sometimes creates a problem for indecisive me.

Bulldog N.E.

Ultimately, we settled on The Bulldog N.E. The Bulldog is generally always bustling with people. The plus during warmer seasons is that they have a patio right next to Hennepin Ave. I am a fan of this because it gives you ample opportunity to people watch. Which I did plenty of on Saturday.

People watching

Fortunately for me, the purpose of this date was to stay fairly cheap and to be outside soaking up the perfect MN evening. So, the fact that I had ignored the menu in order to watch the activity going on did not affect my ability to make a prompt choice. I already knew I would be ordering one of the cheapest things on the menu, the reason we had chosen The Bulldog: their Chicago Dog.

Cold Beers

We settled on two beers, recommended by the waiter. He was fairly knowledgeable about their beer selection and was able to aid us in our decision. Ordering beers at a restaurant on a Saturday quickly destructs a “cheap date night” plan, but there is nothing better than ordering a cold beer on a warm summer evening. I ordered a Chicago dog and chips ($5) and Zeb ordered a Polish dog and fries ($6). For both of us, our meals were less than our beers. Ouch.

Chicago Dogs

We both loved our meal choices. In my mind, in order to make a Chicago dog stand out, it must be proportioned perfectly. The bun has to be bulging with hot dog, pickle, relish, onion, tomato and hot peppers. The seasoning of celery salt has to be enough to taste, but not enough that you are overwhelmed by salt. Finally, it must have the perfect amount of mustard drizzled on top. This Chicago Dog did not leave me disappointed. I took my first bite and had mustard on my nose and upper lip. (I faired better than Zeb. One of his hot peppers, slathered in mustard, fell out of his polish dog and onto his shorts.) This is how you eat a Chicago dog; all attempts to stay classy are thrown out the window. You just enjoy.

The Bulldog N.E. is a great place for bar food and a quick bite. The staff is very friendly, which always boosts an experience. Located in the heart of NE, The Bulldog is easy to get to. It is a great place to go for a quick date night or an after-work beer. And, if I was really into sports, I don’t think it would be that bad of a place to catch a game.

Atmosphere
Pretty standard bar atmosphere. The location and summer evening aided in the experience.

Service
Our waiter was knowledgeable when it came to the beer selection, prompt and very friendly.

Presentation
Nothing special. Just our food in a basket, but what do you expect with hot dogs?

Taste
Both Zeb and I really enjoyed our meals.

Value for Dollars
The price for our beers was a little steep ($12 for two), but that is at every Mpls bar on a Saturday night. And the food price balanced that out.