I will go here on any given Saturday night for $2 domestics and karaoke. I will, however, not have food again. We went a couple of weekends ago and got $7 cheese curds that came out of a bag from Cub and into a microwave from the taste of them. The worst cheese curds I have ever ordered in a bar. I was hesitant to get food since it doesn't look like a culinary paradise so I tried to order a safe bet. BAD BAD BAD. But, go sing, dance with a local, have a $10 tab at the end of the night.
Review Source:Yes, Shantytown has great burgers and cheese curds. Yes, the wait staff is a little overwhelmed. Yes, there's about six parking spaces out front (not joking). Yes, you still have to come try it out.
I wouldn't get too creative with the order - stick to what they do best. Any burgers, tots (props for good seasoned sour cream), and cheese curds. Try anything else at your own risk.
I was extremely disappointed with my visit and 90% of it was service. Â After reading these glowing reviews and a friend recommending it to me I was anxious to go. Â 8 of us went for lunch and were immediately greeted with "You guys should have come here earlier. Â You're better off coming before 11 or after 1." Â It was lunch time...noon... and I couldn't believe that how 8 patrons in professional garb were greeted at the door by the waitress. Â We brushed it off and took our chances, because the friend of mine insisted the food and prices were worth it. Â
Going out in a group we don't always expect to be seated at the same table and so we were separated into two booths relatively near each other. Â We sat down at the same time, but my booth (luckily) ordered first. Â The second booth didn't get their order down until after we had already received our food 35 minutes later. Â She didn't come anywhere near our area before then.
I asked for a refill 4 different times and never received one. Â When we asked for our bill she said semi-jokingly, "what? Â Do you think that's my job?" Â The other booth which got their order late received their check. Â After I asked a second time for the check she brought it... 10 minutes later. Â This excursion lasted 2 hours... for a lunch. Â It was unbelievable. Â The price and food wasn't worth the terrible service. Â I can definitely say that none of the 8 of us including my friend who raved about the place will be going back.
Tucked away between residential & industrial bloomington, with a cabin bar in the woods feel, and a full parking lot-I thought this would be a great place for a bite.
We started off with cheesecurds, they were $7. They were served in a spiral cone, similar to those that green mill uses for their appetizers. I wouldn't call them cheesecurds, more like mini cheese sticks. I could buy better quality from the grocery store.
Their sandwiches only come with chips, if you want fries or onion rings its additional $1.50+, and they aren't cheap to begin with, as you might suspect from the looks of this place. By the way there were only stick fries, flavorless cardboard stalks  (steak fries were not an option)
The buns on the burgers were exactly the kind you get for a buck at the store, and served cold. I had the chili burger, topped with chili, the burger was hot, but the chili was cold...yum cold beans-yeah disgusting! The chicken club had more lettuce than chicken.
This place was less than desirable, since the food is worse than what you can get in a cafeteria. And service would rather keep in the conversation at the bar than be attentive to their tables.
Yikes this place was bad!
Bland burgers put on a flat top does not equal deliciousness. The fries were similar to those you'd get at McDonald's. And oh yeah, have you ever had a server turn their back and walk away from you WHILE you're asking for something...more than once in an hour? I have! It doesn't make for a very pleasant evening. To add insult to injury, I was walking by the kitchen to use the restroom and heard her talking shit about our table to the cook. There were five us, we all work or have worked in the restaurant industry and just wanted some beer and burgers. I read the reviews on this site and thought my friends and I would give it a try...our kind of joint. Low key, good food, easy going service. I can put up with lacking or even horrible service for good food. But with this place there was no trade off. Everything sucked. Too bad, I really wanted to like this place.
If you are trying to hide from the suburbs while you are in the suburbs, shantytown is the place to do it! Started up to serve hungry factory workers, this oasis will fill your tummy with delicious fried goodness, beer and whiskey. Jukebox, wooden boothes and servers who remember you.
Highly rated.
A few weeks ago I was on a hamburg hunt, and read about here. It was a solid burger, and it seemed thicker than most. A group came in after me and someone mentioned the french dip is very good. They do have a nice variety of sandwiches, etc, so they may be worth trying. I like how one side is very close to the kitchen window. I did pay attention to the rootbeer reviews, and it's a smart move to order it if you don't drink. Not only is the glass frosty, but you get pieces of frost while you're drinking it. Sometimes you may be in the mood for an out of the way neighborhood place like this.
Review Source:This is my kind of place - small, unassuming bar in an unassuming location with some tasty burgers. Â They have a surprising array of options, including one burger that features cactus. Â The tater tots are not special - just plain old tater tots. Â The cheese curds are really more like deep fried cheddar cheese balls served with ranch dressing. Â This is worth the trip for local flavor - also I was pleasantly surprised to see Newcastle on tap.
Review Source:Just a small local neighborhood bar with great Bergers & sandwiches.
Okay, getting the right wait staff is very important. if you can get to the place before 5 PM there is a good chance to get a parking spot, otherwise pick a street spot to park (very small & tight park lot).
Lots of booths and large tables for groups of people.
Great selection of bergers, some are very orginal!
Of course the beer is always cold in the bottle or draft.
I've had much better......
Shantytown is very over rated, and has allot of nerve putting 'gourmet burgers' on the front of this restaurant. Â There was NO TASTE in my burger and the buns lacked flavor as well. Â The 'tots' were ok...again nothing great. Â This shanty is not worth a return visit. Â Service was great and helpful!!!
Shantytown has my 2nd favorite hamburger in the Twin Cities, just after the  5-8 Club, and is a great summer heat escape, one of the few places with adequte air conditioning anymore, you can also order beverages in frosty mugs which is very refreshing. This place makes feel like I'm on a weekend getaway to the North Shore. Shantytown is one of the nicest neighborhood bars I've yet seen in the South Metro, I highly recommend coming here
Review Source:A friend of mine brought me to this place talking about their burgers and tots. When I walked in a was a little surprised how packed the place was and that the kitchen is in the middle of the restaurant with windows on both sides so you can see what and how they are cooking you food. So we got some cheese curds which were awesome and came with ranch dressing which really was a nice touch. So I ordered the California burger and tots and it was cooked just like I ordered it and the tots were pretty amazing! Since then I have brought a few co-workers there, family and friends and they all say that they enjoy it and wish they would have known about this place before.
Also their were a finalist at the Bloomington Diamond Service Awards this year, so I think the work is really starting to get out about this place. Darn it now it's going to be even more hard to get a table, oh well glad to help out a local business owner :)
If I lived in the neighborhood I'm sure I would enjoy this place, but it's definitely not worth going out of your way to find. Â Same bar food that you can find anywhere. Â Burgers are supposed to be there thing, but I agree with Tom L. that the burger was barely average. Â The tots were good, but not good enough to improve the rating of this place.
Review Source:Stopped in last week for dinner with the family for the first time. Â Heard about this place from Bloomington friends and was described as a hidden gem. Â It's hidden, yes, but I wouldn't exactly call it a "gem". Â However, 3 stars to me means it's a place I would return to and I will describe why. Â
First, the food was just OK. Â 3 of us ordered three different burgers with the infamous tater tots. Â The burger itself was barely average. Â Meat was unimpressive and the bun was white wonderbread-ish. Â The tater tots were good but not great. Â My other son ordered the chicken fingers and fries. Â Both were good as bar food goes. Â
Sounds like a 2 star review huh? Â Well, the service was great. Â A very engaging, helpful and attentive waitress. Â And the happy hour value was a bonus (two dollar domestics and rails). Â Not overpriced cold ones and the great service add a star. Â That is why I would return. Â The menu has a large choice of chicken sandwiches. Â Will try one of those next time (with a cold one, of course).
This place is KNOWN for thier fantastic Tater tots! They should also be known for their burgers, the Shanty burger is one of my personal faves, also they have wonderful soups, sandwiches, and Bloody's. Their Beer is cold, and the service is great every time we're there! I'm sure the normal passer-byes would not even know this place is right in the heart of the industrial area of Bloomington, but There it is screaming for you to enjoy a burger and a beer with TATER-TOTS that are super crispy, and not greasy. The chili is awesome too! Play the jukebox, and be astonished by the food!
Review Source:A hidden gem! Â Burgers are de-lish, if you're a tater tot fan (if you're from Minnesota who isn't...Tater Tot Hotdish anyone?), you'll enjoy them here instead of the usual french fries. Â The Shanty Town burger is my favorite...hey, Â I have a thing for guacamole! Â Service here has been hit or miss for me, depends on the server. Â Parking lot is very small, watch where you park on the street! Â It can get crowded during lunch time.
Review Source:Went here for the first time on a Wednesday night post-softball with a bunch of regulars. $2 bottles and really good bar food in a really casual atmosphere. The bartender made good drinks and was fast, plus she was funny and made good conversation with all the patrons (aka talked shit with them - they had it coming! - and then took some shots with them). The jukebox was solid, with a good mix of 70s and 80s rock/hair metal and some country, along with a bunch of random discs of music you'd expect to hear. If I lived back in the area again or went to softball more often, I'm pretty sure I would become a regular as well, its just too inviting, tasty, and affordable to say no.
One tip - don't park on the street, you'll probably get a ticket or a tow. There is parking in a bunch of lots in front of all the neighboring businesses that seemed to be legit.
Admittedly I haven't eaten here in 7 years, but Shanty Town (unless things have changed dramatically) was the best burger I ever had in the Twin Cities. Â As a bonus I used to live just a few miles away. Â It's hidden away by the railroad tracks on a quiet street with small businesses on one side and residences on the other. Â It's dark inside, I've never seen it crowded, and has a very dive-y vibe - but the burgers! Â Oh, the burgers! Â They have pages and pages of different varieties but they're all exquisite. Â Plus they have all your favorite sides, sodas, malts, shakes, etc. Â There are some games to keep the kids occupied and they do serve beer... Â I hope to return to Bloomington to feast again at the Shantytown Grill.
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