Dive Night - St. Clair Broiler

Dive Night is a once monthly adventure undertaken by me and Husby, along with our friends Ruthie and Ray. Each couple alternates choosing a restaurant, one which must come under the category of "dive." Our definition of dive: a neighborhood gathering spot hiding under the radar. Casual atmosphere and good food. We're out to find the best food in the Minneapolis/St Paul area without having to pay a fortune or dress up. A sip of beer or wine doesn't hurt either.  See a list and links to the previous dive night posts here.

Back to the old neighborhood it was for me on this night of Dive hunting.  I love the old neighborhood.  The suburbs can be so drab.  I miss the old restaurants in the city like this one on the corner of St. Clair and Snelling Avenues in St. Paul, MN.  The St. Clair Broiler has been broiling up bugers and mixing up malts since 1956.

Husby and I were in the mood for something other than burgers, so we thought this would be a good place to get a variety of food.  This guy was our "maitre d'..."

Yes, that was pretty much the expression he kept on his face the whole time.  I think he's been in the business forever.  This is an example of some fun you could find inside the menu...the very large and diverse menu. 

As always we started out with some appetizers.  We ordered walleye cakes and turkey quesadillas, which were both very good.  The walleye cakes came with a delicious honey mustard drizzle and the quesadillas were packed with turkey, cheese, and salsa, served with sides of guacamole, more salsa, and sour cream.  I also got a cup of clam chowder, which was just about the best chowder I've had in a very long time.  Appetizers were a score.

For our entrees we all ordered something different.  From left to right there was all-you-can-eat fish fry with what looked like to-die-for steak fries (Ray), beef tips with garlic mashed potatoes (Ruthie), salmon burger with seasoned kettle chips (Husby), and beef stroganoff (me).  Everyone was very happy with their meals.  I had a bite of Husby's salmon burger and it was very good.  My stroganoff was really good too, although it was so rich I had to take most of it home.  (Don't forget I also had appetizers and soup.) 

Oh, and plus, I couldn't resist ordering a piece of homemade red velvet cake to go. It was scrumptious when I ate it two days later. I probably would have passed out from joy if I had eaten it fresh that day.

There were only two minuses in this dining experience. 1) I originally ordered a pork cutlette dinner, which apparently is no longer available...ever. I was pretty disappointed to hear that. 2) There are no automatic refills of pop (soda) or ice tea. Ruthie and I both ordered soft beverages and our waitress did not offer refills. However, if we had asked for some maybe they would have been provided at no cost.

The place itself is a typical old-fashioned diner.  It's clean and well-lit.  It's actually a lot bigger than it seems.  There are three rooms in which to dine.  And guess what? 

The first room even has a counter!  I want to go back again, maybe to try their breakfasts.  I also want to have a burger and malt someday too.  I'd recommend the St. Clair Broiler for some good, substantial food made by people who have been in the food business for decades.

As an aside, after our dining experience we went back to Ruthie and Ray's house for a nightcap. Husby really loves to do this because he can bond with their dog, Hoover. He must have found Hoover's g-spot because he was sprawled all over, loving Husby's scratches. This is what I got to look at for the majority of the evening. Lovely.