Nomad World Pub

Oh Nomad. Your yuppified, white-​bread beerhole just doesn’t belong on Cedar. Your drinks are weak and more expensive than Palmer’s just across the street. Your bocce court is pretentious. You do occasionally host decent DJs/​bands, but the space is not good for dancing and the acoustics are atrocious.
You’re also a bad neighbor. Why on earth did you erect a giant fence where Dania Hall used to be? Thanks a lot for making my elderly neighbors have to walk all the way around the block just to get to the clinic. You also never shovel the snow in front of your place, which is often dangerously icy.
Do us all a favor and move your crap business out to the suburbs where it belongs.

A fun place to go grab a drink and play bocce! My only request would be more food options.

I’m not a big soccer fan but when you’re at the Nomad and a game is on, you become a fan. I’ve been here a couple of times to watch soccer games, recently for the US women’s semi final World Cup game, and thoroughly enjoyed the crowd, the bartenders (who were rockstars even though it was so busy), the drink specials, and the patio area. This is a great spot to grab a beer with a friend or catch a soccer game.

I can’t speak highly enough of this bar, so I’ll make a numerical list.
1. The Monday-​Thursday bocce leagues are amazing. It’s dirt cheap to field a team and twice a season they throw all day tournaments/​parties with free food, a DJ, etc
2. Two patios on each side of the bar. Each has its own character and there is frequently a fire going when it’s cold. Dogs are also welcome on the patios
3. The crowd. One day you might walk in and see the Dark Clouds cheering on MN United or waiting for the shuttle. Another time, it might be a mix of young professionals, weirdos, and artists. In other words, it’s usually a diverse group of people and easy to have a random conversation with a stranger.
4. The staff.
5. Always good beer on tap and they rotate a lot of interesting taps if you want to try something beyond a typical IPA.
6. Good mix of music acts, including hip hop, Hot Pants DJs, and the shows are free on Thursday when a band takes residency for the month.
7. It’s in the West Bank which is one of the last fun places in Minneapolis to drink that hasn’t been gentrified. Palmers is across the street and the Cedar is half a block away.

It’s a fun funky place with a great mix of people. Every time I go it has a different mix and feel to it. Like the atmosphere and the West Bank location. Great beer selection. Summer outside experience is s plus!
World Cup makes the place very busy!!!

So fun! The DJ was awesome and the drinks were inexpensive. Great for dancing!

Great place to grab a craft beer and enjoy the local music scene or you favorite soccer match! Parking is a bit difficult but you can find some spots.

Yes. Love this neighborhood dive! Maybe not a super dive, but definitely not as trendy as the places we went to uptown.
Large outdoor space with bocce and tailgating (before Minnesota United games) on one side, and nice, secluded patio on the other side with chairs and tables, and a captivating mural.
Outside food is welcome, which is great because we were starving. (See my review for the Hard Times Café).
There was a cover, which was a tiny bit annoying because I had absolutely no interest in the band (not that they were bad, but we were there to sit outside and chill), but they do have an ATM at the door.
The drink selection was good. Minus one star because my second drink was made by a different bartender and was really bad. Like, if I had received that first, I wouldn’t have ordered it again. Anyway, whatever.
If I lived in the area, this bar would be my jam.

I honestly think this is the best place to watch the World Cup. Brit’s Pub is a close #2. I came here on a beautiful sunny afternoon to watch Brazil trounce all over Germany and have some good brew with friends. The latter happened. The former was a dismal failure. The Brazilian sitting next to me just flat out said «We can’t win them all.» True dat. Then I told them him that they were going to use the new stadiums built for this event as kindling during the impending uprising. He didn’t disagree.
They have an outdoor area with a Bocce ball court and beer garden. Extensive seating and during the World Cup, they’ll bring in a food truck. They also have a large jumbotron, not as large as Brit’s, but good enough. They also have prizes and contests during half time. The Nomad is situated among a large immigrant community near Cedar and Riverside, so watching futbol is truly a community event here. People who live in the area crowded the sidewalk, cheering or jeering their favorite team.
They serve a large selection of choice beers and drinks. I didn’t get a chance to eat here, so can’t say much about the food. If they work this hard to please soccer fans, then I bet being a regular here would be sweet! I’m sold.

We went on a Monday night and it wasn’t crowded. The vibe is very cool, and there were a lot of fun things to do like Auto Tune Karaōke and giant jenga. The bartender was friendly and chatted with us for a while. Go here if you wanna chill night with good people.

I’m over this place. And I’m not going back to Girl Scout until the venue changes. It takes an hour to get a beer. There aren’t any prices and a couple of the bartenders are rude assholes every time. The place is too small and the staff make it so that I wouldn’t come back even on a regular day.
Edit: I DID come back to September Girl Scout… After I paid to get in I bought my girlfriend and I each a beer. Her beer was bottled and TOTALLY SKUNKED! I took it back to the bartender and he was a total dick about it! He didn’t apologize and asked if I wanted another beer. I asked for my money back. He walked away, came back and put it on the counter and then walked away again. I’m sorry that after paying around $ 10 to get in and $ 10 for two beers that we don’t want to drink old skunky beer. Fuck this place.

It is true that they don’t serve a full menu, but they do serve pizza and offer a date night special. They have a large array of imports, and the list of Belgians is quite delightful. Helpful tip, park in the $ 5 lot if you can’t find a meter.

Finding this wonderful gem of a bar across from Palmers, the Stacks, and down the street from that wack college bar was like coming across a diamond ring in a heap of dung. I love just about everything about this place — the booths, the dual outdoor sections, the exhaustive beer list, the personable bartenders… but what sealed the deal for me was JAMESON ON TAP. Say whaaaaaaaaat? I felt like Barney on The Simpsons when he found out his prize for winning the film festival was a lifetime supply of Duff: «just hook it to my veins.»
The reason Nomad gets 4 stars instead of 5 is unfairly beyond its control. I simply can’t stand this area — whenever I’m over here, I end up in the middle of or defusing a confrontation. And it has never had anything to do with The Stacks, but rather the legion of drunks and nogoodniks roaming the area. Is it just me? Am I simply having bad luck when I venture out into this area?

I like this place. The energy is good. And drinks are cheap. They get a variety of bands and djs on different nights. I really don’t think they ever have mire than a $ 5.00 to $ 10 cover @ this joint.
its fun and not cliquey relaxed and variety of mysic on different nights.
highly recommend checking this place out!

I came here for trivia on a Monday night; a first visit for me to the Nomad even though I spent four years studying only a few blocks away. I should have stopped by more often.
The place feels like a big hostel-​turned-​bar. Travel books line the walls and TVs blast out the most recent EPL game. Taps are aplenty and the atmosphere gives off that perfect «is this place dangerous or just really cool?» West Bank vibe.
Since it was Monday, the fine folks of Trivia Mafia hosted a 6 round quiz. Trivia Mafia is the best in town and the event proved to be a nice distraction. Don’t expect questions like «Who has bigger boobz, Lindsey Lohan or Keisha?» on trivia night — references to Tom Waits and Georgia O’Keeffe might be more common.
Anyways back to the beer. Prices were a little spendy but I did notice that the Nomad did offer an excellent combo of a PBR tallboy, shot of Jamo, and a Camel Light for $ 5. That is the working man’s bargain.
Food is not served here but they did let my girlfriend bring in her gyro and cheese curds from the nearby Ethiopian store. How West Bank of them.

My coworker assembled a team of rag tag kids to join the Nomad’s Tuesday night bocce league. We call ourselves The Sandy Sacs, and we aren’t very good. The bocce leagues are insanely fun, however. I relish my weekly game!
I also relish the frequency of which I now get to go to the Nomad. I’m a BIG fan of the $ 6 22oz Tiger Beer, the beer chandelier in the entrance, and their extensive beer selections. If I was a smoker or a shot taker, I’d love the prix fixe menu. Such a clever idea.
As for food, you’re kind of SOL, but they do have Heggies pizza available, as well as a very close location to some of the great West Bank gyro joints, so your walk home will be well lubricated.
All in all, the Nomad is one of my favorite West Bank bars. Bocce and beer is a perfect combination.

«Hey young lady, what can I get you?»
«Hey there handsome man … I’ll take a Strongbow.» and a[n]
literary death match
jazz night
game of bocce ball
mistakable night of 241’s
unforgettable hip-​hop show
conversation with an anxiety ridden kid at a sold-​out even by the fireplace on the patio
the service is always excellent. the crowd somehow always friendly regardless of the event. the conversations happening between stalls in the women’s restroom always enticing and welcome to open participation from those standing in line.

How have I not reviewed this place — it’s one of my faves!
The Nomad has whiskey on tap, bocce (I was able to reserve the court and play in sub zero temps last year for my birthday! And they also built me an igloo ;))
They have various trivia and music almost every night of the week, the best beer on tap at the best prices in town!
In the summer /​fall there is an outdoor patio w/​a fireplace as well!
No food here, but you can always bring in food from another restaurant in the area.

Damn cool bar.
The concept is straight forward — affordable drinks, good craft beer selection on draught, live music, a comfortable patio, bocce and limited pretense.
If you’re hungry I recommend the prix fixe menu — $ 5 gets you a PBR tall boy, a rail shot and a loosey cigarette. Don’t lead a train-​wreck lifestyle and want actual food? You can order a Heggie’s pizza and they occasionally sell slices of Pizza Luce.
You can find live music most nights (hopefully without a cover charge — if there is one you’ll probably have success if you’re a good negotiator). Sometimes the music is quite good, other times it’s not at all, but you’ll still have fun.

Only three new reviews since 2009… Hath ye forsaken The Nomad, Unilocalers?
I hathn’t.
When I’ve been turned away to sold out Triple Rock shows, The Nomad has had room at their inn (or their patio). When I’ve been on the West Bank and craving something other than PBR Tallboys, The Nomad has beered me with one of the best beer selections in Minneapolis. When I’ve been hungry, well… they haven’t helped me there. They don’t serve food. In fact, their prix fixe menu includes a shot of whiskey, pint of beer and a cigarette… but I can go next door to the Mediterranean deli and get a gyro or some cheese curds if my belly is growlin’.
When I wanted to watch the World Cup, The Nomad was there… showing games all day and throwing some wild-​n-​out block parties. And, as soon as I have the hankering to play bocce ball, I know they will be there to provide the lawn. Hasn’t happened yet, but they’ll be there.
This year, I’ve thoroughly been enjoying the 2−4−1 happy hour that runs 4 – 7 p.m. and the larger-​than-​life shark overlooking the Nomad patio (it’s a Broken Cow mural).
I also love that they host live music, but that’s sort of a double-​edged sword for me. I love live music, but it’s frustrating when there is a cover charge for a band that you don’t care to see. I’ve walked up to that door a few times at night and walked away because I just wanted a beer. That tends to happen at all of the West Bank bars because they all feature live music. And I’d rather have more live music than less, so bring it on!