Dive Night ~ Meister's, Stillwater

Husby and I are teaming up with our friends Ruthie and Ray for a gourmet adventure based on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Each month one couple will choose a dive at which we will dine, and if provided, imbibe in adult libations.

The first dive was chosen by Ruthie and Ray. Rules of the game are the hosting couple keeps the dive a secret until we arrive. Ray did an excellent job of driving the back roads so Husby and I had no idea where we were headed. At the end of the road was Jim Meister’s Bar and Grill.

Meister’s is literally a corner bar. A tiny one at that. The crowd inside made me feel confident Ruthie and Ray had picked a good one. We were able to be seated right away, tucked away in a far corner so we could look around at the entire place.
Husby, Ray, and Ruthie all ordered a beer to start. I don’t drink beer anymore and couldn’t decide what to have. Husby suggested a cosmo. “I can’t have a cosmo in a place like this.” I think the waitress was a little offended, as she quickly responded “we make cosmos here.” It didn’t seem right, but I ordered one anyway. So here we all sit in the little hole-in-the-wall bar, everyone drinking beer and I’ve got my hoity-toity martini glass in front of me. But I have to admit, it was a good cosmo. In fact, I had two.

The food was definitely bar food. I ordered a Meister Burger because it reminded me of the bad guy in the holiday show Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Burgermeister Meisterburger. Ruthie and Ray ordered two plain hamburgers and two chili dogs for $5. Husby ordered two hamburgers for $3. We also shared orders of fries, onion rings, and deep fried mushrooms. The appetizers/sides were especially good. (Mushrooms had a yummy dipping sauce.) My fancy Meister burger came with cheese, bacon, onion, and cheese. The fun part about that was the bacon. Crumbled on the buger instead of strips. I thought that was a great idea.



The décor was dark and glowed red with bar signs. There was a recurring theme of black and red carpet on the walls of the bar and in the bathroom. Yikes. Our waitress knew we weren’t local, what with the cosmo and the camera, but tried her best to be patient. The other waitress was no less than 80 years old, thin as a rail, but very peppy and cheerful. Apparently, however, she can’t remember anything and gets all the orders wrong. Nice of the burgermeister to keep her on the staff. Maybe it’s his mother.

So the next time you’re in Stillwater, Minnesota, stop by Jim Meister’s Bar and Grill. You’ll get a decent burger, really good appetizers and, if you’re not feeling too self-conscious, a cosmo that will make you talk loud. Doesn’t get much better than that. Or so we shall see. Next month Husby and I get to pick the place. Will it be more burgers? Chinese? Italian? Doesn’t matter as long as we keep within our pre-set guidelines of “dive.” Stay tuned for the next installment.