Dangerous Man Brewing Company occupies a converted warehouse on the edge of the Northeast Minneapolis arts district, and it has been doing so since 2013 without much fuss about being a pioneer of anything.
The taproom is a single large room with exposed brick, communal tables, and a short chalkboard list of whatever’s currently on draft. There is no kitchen. A rotating cast of food trucks parks outside most evenings and on weekends, and the understanding is that patrons order food from the truck, bring it inside, and stay a while. It works because the space is comfortable rather than designed — the kind of place where groups rearrange chairs without asking permission.
The beer list typically runs eight to twelve taps, skewing toward darker and more unusual styles. Dangerous Man built its early reputation on a peanut butter porter that became something of a local institution, and it still appears seasonally. On any given visit, expect at least one stout, a sour or two, and something experimental — a collaboration with another Minnesota brewery, or a small-batch release that won’t be around next month. The staff can tell you which ones are worth the extra attention and which are better suited to a sampler tray. The sampler trays are worth getting.
Prices are honest. A pint runs $5 to $7 depending on style and ABV, and a flight of four four-ounce pours lands around $10. Cash is accepted, but so are cards. There is no minimum, no table service, and no pressure to order quickly. Patrons order at the bar, find a seat, and return when ready for another round.
Weekend afternoons draw a mixed crowd — people who live in the neighborhood, cyclists who’ve come off the nearby trails, older regulars who’ve been coming since the early days. Weekend evenings get louder and younger. Weekday visits, especially Tuesday through Thursday around 5 or 6 p.m., offer a quieter window when the taproom is half full and the staff has more time to talk through what’s on tap.
Dogs are welcome on the outdoor patio, which opens up considerably in warmer months. The patio faces 13th Avenue NE and catches afternoon sun, making it a reliable stop after a walk through the nearby neighborhood or a visit to one of the galleries on the arts district’s main corridor.
The address is 1300 NE 2nd Street, Minneapolis, easily reachable by bike from the Central or Northeast Minneapolis neighborhoods. Street parking is available and rarely difficult. Hours run roughly noon to 10 p.m. most days, with later closings on Friday and Saturday, though the taproom’s own website and social channels are the most reliable source for current hours and food truck schedules.
What makes Dangerous Man worth the trip isn’t any single beer or any design decision. It’s that the place has stayed consistent while the neighborhood changed around it — still unpretentious, still focused on what’s in the glass, still happy to have people linger over a pint longer than is strictly profitable.
