Downtown Eats: 501 Club

Fans of the NE Mpls. music and drinking establishment 331 Club rejoice. The very same folks bring the NE Side to the DT area in the form of the 501 Club. A live music, cheap eats joint, located in the former Matty B's spot on Washington Ave.
501 is in their third week of existence, and according to our lovely server O'Calla, the place is still honing its menu. That being said, WHAT a menu. Seriously. Seriously cool. Vegan, Vegetarian, Carnivore, whateves ... the slew of choices is only outdone by the jaw-droppingly low prices. Hamburgers (All sandies and burgers come with choice of fries, sweet potato fries, or fruit -- no upcharge!) run a super low $7. Not a Burger-Buddies sized burger, either - as ample as any you'll find in town. My Black Bean & Brown Rice burger was delicious, and freaked me out being only $6. The fruit cup alone would run $4 at Byerly's a la carte lunch.
My next trip will be for Made-to-order guacamole with chips $3.75 and Chili (vegan or meat) $3.75/cup, $5.50/bowl. Barely an item on the menu breaks the $7.50 mark, and there isn't one choice over $10. Not one. You hearing me Harry's? You and your shitty $11 burgers and morbid service can suck on it.
Drink specials also impress, with cool Tallboy nights - 2 for $5, and whiskey/Coke nights - $3 (among others). Drinks would go nicely with 501's already gaudy line-up of local bands -- Night in the Box, Como Avenue Jug Band, and Retribution Gospel Choir are just a few lined up for the coming week.
Trivia also takes over on Wednesday nights, joining a long list of spots doing it on the same night of the week. If I had to guess, 501's will be a hit.

To put it mildly, I LOVED the 501. It's two doors down from my workplace, and River Road ride from home. Excited? Yes I am. Damn good DT food for under $10, and never-a-cover charge entertainment ... My bet is this overtakes Grumpy's as the hip spot for the art-heavy warehouse side of the downtown area.

501 Club