"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 asked us to move inside. We were disappointed to cut our outdoor time short, but totally understood. Once the situation was handled and the person was taken away, we were able to return outside. Through it all, the staff handled everything with professionalism. Our server mentioned that incidents like that do happen occasionally, but that the “weird vibes” that night were probably due to the unusually warm weather. The appetizer we had was tasty, and the food we ordered to go was also great. Despite the unexpected interruption, we enjoyed our night here."

"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!"

"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."

"I've eaten at a lot of places. Some places serve unique menu items, others have interesting methods of take out. This place had neither of those and was just absurdly and utterly noise-deafening. Now, I came here as I was in town for a concert with my girlfriend and chose this place since it was close to the venue. She was shivering like there was no tomorrow, teeth rattling and all, so we found it very relieving when we stepped inside. However, that's as far as we got, as we were met with a cheap little gold sign that told us to wait to be served by a bartender or waiter. Fools gold never looked more hideous. I made eye contact with the bartender several times only for her to completely ignore me. After a solid 7 minutes and 29 seconds of waiting, a waiter, with a slick-backed and greasy ponytail, came over and apologized for the wait before seating us at a table in the exact center of the bar. My girlfriend and I were seated across from each other but we could barely hear one another due to all the rowdy middle-aged men there to watch the Wild game. Huge mistake for the average person to go there when there's a hockey game going on. I had to speak several decibels higher than I normally do to speak to her. After 9 minutes and 31 seconds of waiting, we were serviced, and then received our meals another 8 minutes and 27 seconds later. You may ask yourself "That seems awfully quick to receive your food after ordering" and you'd be right. The fries were fine, though the little metal cup they were served in could brand you if you accidentally held it for too long, but the chicken...oh boy the chicken. My girlfriend ordered the chicken tender platter which came with four humongous tenders, and I got the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. As we ate, it became obviously clear to us that they'd been rushed out. Two of my girlfriends tenders were pinker than the most Dutch tulip in the middle, causing her to slightly lose her appetite (more for me 😋). She had also ordered ranch to dip them in, which ended up having the consistency of an algae-filled marsh. It was rather soggy. My sandwich was no better. The seasoning was pretty much all on one side and, though mine was not pink, was very rough and hard to bite through on the edges, much like the dinner from Christmas Vacation. The spice that was on it didn't give off Nashville either. It was closer to being from Memphis. The coleslaw on top was also sparser than water in the desert and stringier than beans. However, I will say our waitress was really nice...that was until she gave me a look when the tip screen came up while I was paying. I was very scared. 2/5, it was an okay time."

"Pillbox Tavern is a solid spot if you’re in the area and looking for a late-night bite or a drink. It’s open late, which is a big plus, and the atmosphere is relaxed and casual. The staff was okay — nothing over the top, but service was decent. The food was fine as well — nothing mind-blowing, but it gets the job done if you’re just looking to grab a quick bite or hang out with friends for a bit. Overall, it’s an okay place to have in the neighborhood for a casual stop."