Governors Fine Food & Drink

The places is what it is. A neighborhood joint. It’s not as nearly bad as some Unilocalers say, but everyone has a different tolerance level (although I didn’t use the restroom).
It’s old! It’s huge! I’m guessing it was fancy in 1960! There’s no chi-​chi host or hostess seating you or a chain restaurant buzzer. I say, Thank the Lord places like this are still around.
Anyway, best steak I’ve had for a while, an 8 oz sirloin topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions with garlic toast and a decent caesar salad. Wanted the cole slaw but they were out, although some regulars got it with their prime rib sammy who arrived after us. Fries were delish, abandoned my mashed potatoes (meh) for mooching companions’ fries. Next time trying the Italian fare. Or the steak with hash browns. I would bet the hash browns are good.
After eating (virtually no one else in the room we were in but the bar was packed) we looked around and thought this would be a cool old school place for a private party — it’s huge and has several private rooms. As we were leaving a guy at the bar said, Oh do you need to be seated? I said No were just ate and are leaving. He asked, Oh, How was it? I said It was best steak I’d had in years. He looked crestfallen and said Really, do you eat steak a lot? I said well ya. He said well I’m training a new cook, I guess he’s doing okay. Once we sorted out that I’d never been there before (he thought I had LOL and was comparing to it steaks had there in the past) then I told him all the food (angus burger, prime rib, steak) was good and we’d be back.
All said, it could use a steam clean now that smoking is no longer allowed since what? 10 years ago? Still has an aroma of cigs hanging around, and for some that’s pure nostalgia.

Hipster I am not, and neither is Governors. This place reminds me of a VFW crossed with the local Italian joint. The menu is small and the full bar is stocked with only the most common libations. There is nothing hip or happening about this place. Nothing. And while it is on the divey end of the divey spectrum, it really is one of our most favorite places here on the East Side. You cannot beat the prices or the friendly service, especially if they know your name. The bartender knows pretty much everyone and has your drink on the bar practically before you sit down.
It’s true, the bathroom scares me but in all honesty, it’s still cleaner than pretty much every port-​a-​john I have ever been in. The building is 100+ years old and whoever owns it is not doing the best job with the upkeep. I don’t think any structural fixes have gone on in the entire place for decades and I don’t think a paint brush has been seen around these parts since Nixon was in office. The apartments upstairs can’t be in any better shape.
The people that frequent this place are working class locals or retirees that have been coming here for years. And while they may appear scary to some, the only thing I have ever been afraid of in this place is a black light. I would have no problem at all coming in here on my own or with a girlfriend. I grew up going to a local bar just like this out west of the cities and have very fond memories of playing pool with my siblings while my dad sat at the bar, drank beer and BS’ed with the men. I was afraid of that carpet too! These types of places were all we had before chain restaurants and celebrity chefs became all the rage. Some of us crave that true «local vibe» that just cannot be polished or glammed into existence, but is only created by decades of not changing a damn thing.
This is not a place that many people are going to walk into and instantly fall in love. However, if you sit and talk awhile at the bar, you will find some wonderful people and some fantastic stories with the old timers. It’s not for everyone and if you don’t like it, just say so and move on. But don’t judge the quality of the people in this place by what they look like or the appearance of the walls. I have never seen any evidence of vermin in this place yet I have eaten with rats while paying top dollar. They do the best with what they have and that’s all we can ask of anyone.

I had a Reuben sandwich, which was fine. Others in my group had spaghetti, which they enjoyed. However, our beers seemed flat, although the bartender investigated and said there was nothing wrong with the taps. The dining experience was very poor. The place has a musty, unventilated odor and everything seems dirty. And there was an extended controversy between the patrons next to us and the management, where they debated over an Internet coupon. Their argument, although not loud, was very distracting.
I’ve been here before and the ambiance wasn’t any better.
I give them two stars for the food, but I won’t come back.

I got a swift kick in the ass by fellow Unilocaler Jenny A for not having planned an All-​You-​Can-​Eat Friday Night Fish Fry in a while. Thanks Jenny. I need that. With our summer pretty busy, I had to look a few Friday’s ahead & came up with July 25^th as a meet up date. I planned for everyone to meet at the new Flat Earth Brewery for some tastings & growler fills. Then head around the corner to Governor’s for supper. Everyone bit at the invite. So, after a wonderful time trying Flat Earth’s beers & enjoying the location they are in now, we all pile into our respected vehicles & make the drive down Arcade. I haven’t been to Governor’s before & only knew of the Friday Fish Fry because of the sign they hang out front proclaiming this. Pulling up, you’ll find street parking available. Watch the signs on Arcade so you don’t park in the wrong/​illegal spot!
Governor’s has two doors. One leads into the bar. The other into the dining room. We made the right choice & picked the one into the dining room. It’s not large. Old booths line the walls. Maybe 6 total? A couple of tables fill the void. We chose one that would fit our party of 6 ½. There is a chalkboard on the wall with all the daily specials listed. Besides the AYCE Friday Night Fish Fry, they offered up 1 & 2 piece dinners. A Cajun burger & a Rosemary Chicken Sandwich rounded out the specials. Clam Chowder was the Soup of the Day. While waiting for a server to stop by, I peeked into the bar area to see about tap beers. I had noticed a beer list on the wall next to the chalkboard, but thought maybe something wasn’t mentioned. I saw a sign advertising the new beer from Flat Earth, Ovni Ale. They were out of this at the brewery we just visited so I thought this would be a nice choice. So we waited. And waited. And waited some more. We chatted. We chit chatted. And we chit chatted about waiting. I think there was only one server for the whole place. A long wait. Just for drinks. In fact, when we did get drinks delivered, Sam W didn’t get his requested H2O. Dita went up to grab it herself from the bar. About 2 minutes after that, his water came from the server. So, 20 minutes of waiting for a water, he gets 2 in two minutes. When it rains…
We were given an opportunity to order food when the server stopped by to ask. Which wasn’t often. Alyssa & I both ordered the All-​You-​Can-​Eat Friday Night Fish Fry. It came with a choice of potato. Fries, Hash Browns, Chips, Au Gratin, or Potato Salad. Alyssa did French Fries. I ordered Au Gratin. It comes standard with Beer Battered Cod, Garlic Bread, & Coleslaw. If we thought the wait for drinks was long. Boy oh boy. Were we in for something. A good 45 minutes for our suppers to arrive. Grant it. Dita did order an appetizer of Garlic Cheese Bread. That came out after 20 minutes or so. The server was nice enough to bring us an extra order of it, too. She said she thought the two orders Dita ordered weren’t large enough. Very Nice!
Our group devoured the Garlic Cheese Bread. Ooey Gooey Goodness. Then we proceeded to wait. And wait. And wait some more for our suppers. In waiting for the suppers, we talked about waiting for our suppers. Pheona wasn’t into the waiting thing, so we got up & walked around. The bar has a jukebox, which has a touch screen. That kept her busy till I couldn’t hold her up anymore. We then made our way back to the pull-​tab booth where there is the Crane Game. The stuffed animals got her interested for a good spell. Once that interest weaned, we moseyed on back to our table. And guess what? Everyone was waiting for their suppers still!
At some point in the night, we got our suppers delivered. The Cod looked surprisingly good. Two huge cuts, lightly Beer Battered the perfect golden brown. The large plastic ramekin of coleslaw was colorful with purples & oranges. A large plastic ramekin of tartar sauce was included on the plate. Next to that was a wedge of lemon. The small bowl of Au Gratin looked dismal. Grayish in color. They tasted old & were terrible. The coleslaw, while looking good, was warm. Room temperature warm. That’s scary. The Cod was slightly overcooked, but tasted good. The batter was crunchy & held up to the lemon squeeze. A dip in the tartar made for an average bite. The tartar sauce was straight out of the tub. More creamy than chunky.
When all the food was delivered & we were checked up on, I asked for 4 more pieces of Cod. I was worried they might take a long time to arrive. It wasn’t anymore than 5 minutes for them to be delivered. I had to ask for lemon to be brought with the reorder. The reorder pieces were cooked just about right. The filet flaked away at the cut of the fork. A pinch of lemon made this an enjoyable bite of Cod.
Even though our server asked how we wanted the bill separated, she still managed to get it wrong. Alyssa & I’s portion was separated correctly, but the other 4 weren’t. Dita & John were now a couple, and Jenny and Sam separate. Our bill? $ 28. Cheap.

This review is all about lists, bitches. Let’s do this.
The good:
— Dirt-​cheap prices and generous (to a fault) quantities.
— *cricket*
— *cricket, cricket*
— *tumbleweedmotherfucker*
— *wind noises and shit*
The really shitty:
— Serious risk of a grease fire since the air/​carpets/​handles/​doors/​tables/​chairs are loaded with it.
— A bathroom that smells like shoving your head into the anal cavity of a deceased-​while-​still-​menstruating lady. That died of dysentery. That consumed a steady diet of vodka, meatloaf, squeeze cheese and diet soda.
— Poor and slow service. I wanted a glass of water with no ice and waited over twenty minutes (after everyone else had gotten their beers/​mixed drinks) before Dita was the one that actually said ‘fuck this shit’ and went up to the bar to get one.
— The batter on the cod had a decent flavor but the fish itself was overcooked. The coleslaw and tartar sauce were both warm – I’m thinking there’s a good deal of mishandling of foodstuffs in the back – and I ended up avoiding them entirely as a result. The fries were completely unseasoned and in various states of preparation: Some were burnt, some were perfect, some were crispy potato raw. I think if things just get left in the fryer, it’s tough shit until the next order when it gets dropped again.
— It took for-​fucking-​ever to get our very basic meals. I believe 45 minutes was the general number being thrown around at the table, and the place wasn’t crowded. It was funny, though, because when the two people that ordered the AYCE fish fry at the table requested additional filets, they came out within five minutes. Say whaaa?
— The neighborhood. I could live the rest of my life without ever going to that neighborhood again and, with any luck, I will. Part of me is glad I did, I guess, because I now have a new perspective on other areas I previously thought were shitty.
The prices here are great and all, but I’d rather happily shell out three times the amount we did for less food, better service, better location and cleaner practices.
Call me not old fashioned, I guess.
The highlights of the night were definitely the brewery and the awesome bonfire at Brian and Alyssa’s house afterwards.

It is not that bad
Just not a place that Unilocalers
Tend to Unilocal about
Governor’s has been around for a long, long time. Think I was there once before when I was 12 years old or thereabouts. It is the kind of place that my grandmother loved to go to. Type of place where you will find meat raffles and pull tabs. 10 years ago it definitely would have been thick with cigarette smoke. It’s a blue collar type place. Think It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
The food is really cheap, and for my tastes, completely adequate. The Spaghetti and Meatballs is $ 4.95, the Friday AYCE fish fry is $ 9.95, I got the Hot Dago for $ 7.95. It was gigantic and not bad, at all. As good a Dago as at Yarusso’s or DeGidio’s, if not better. They also had the local Flat Earth beer on tap. Two thumbs up for that.
As to the cleanliness, I am probably less observant than some of my female Unilocal friends. If I’m not eating off the carpet, I don’t really bother to look at it all that much. The men’s restroom was fine. Didn’t bother me in the least.

I failed to make Valentine’s Day reservations and happened to drive past this place on my way home. It looked rather nice and since I couldn’t get in at any of our regular spots I called to see if my husband and I could get in. I was ecstatic when they said they had an opening. We got dressed up and went to try this place out. All I can say is that it was a joke. It’s more or less a bar with a banquet area and a hand full of tables. The servers were not dressed in uniform. One server had on a Victoria secret sweatshirt. We were walked by at least 10 times before anyone even spoke to us. Once we were handed menus it probably took another 15 minutes for the servers to come back near us. Then they stood beside our table and argued over who got the two top (us) or the four top next to us. After they hashed out which table they were taking the server went in another room instead of taking our drink orders. We ordered their special (prime rib) our salads and food came out the same time and once we drank our drinks we were never offered refills. We sat with empty glasses and empty plates for a good 10 minutes before the server came back. Needless to say she got a 10% tip. While the prime rib was cheap and tasted ok… I’d rather spend double and have a better experience. Don’t waste your time going here! If I could leave less than one star I would!

I wanted to love Governors.
We used to live near there in the combat zone, so we trekked back to the old ‘hood and went on in.
Walked into the dining room and thought the food must be good, because this place is a dump. Not an endearing dump, but a genuine dump. Paisley carpeting so filthy I wouldn’t walk barefoot on it. Metal a-​framed chairs with vinyl covers that looked like they came from a restaurant closeout sale. Fake wood tables seemingly scattered with no order.
There was only a couple of tables occupied and the waitress hollered from across the room «be over soon». We sat and sat.
Our waiting was made pleasant by the two men behind us emitting noises that were straight out of a comedy.
The old dude was snorting like my labrador when she rolls on the floor. It was like he had something stuck in a nostril and was trying to blow it out. I looked at my wife and she started to get the giggles. Another minute passed and the guy starts loudly smacking his lips. Between each smack, he let out a series of sonorous belches. I glanced at my wife as the chorus of rolling belches became a a steady tune. She is red faced and giggling. She says «wanna go?»
Yesss!
We never got to eat, the food’s probably great, but we’ll never know. Sounded like they were having a ball in the bar, laughing and joking.
We went over to Obb’s and had great fried fish, ribs, augratins and no bodily sounds to entertain us.
I love Obb’s.

tried it again st patricks day. i stand by my original review. they even gave my kids a pitcher of shirley temples and to go cups when we left! god i could live on their patty melts. im always the only person at the table who doesn’t have leftovers to take home.

I feel a little like a traitor because I went to Harding and this place is in the heart of Johnson territory and shares the name of Johnson’s mascot, but I still like this place.
I stopped in a couple of weeks ago to watch a football game and won the jackpot in the meat raffle. My $ 1 ticket bought me 4 T-​Bone steaks from Big Steer meats, down the street.
Also, they serve tall glasses of Summit for $ 2.25. This is their regular price. Try finding that anywhere west of Downtown St. Paul.
The food here is also good stuff. I got an 8 oz. steak dinner with a potato and salad for $ 8. Nothing great, but not too shabby either.
I’ve only been here during the day time. The place is usually pretty busy during day time hours. The crowd seems to be mostly people in their 40’s-50’s who grew up in the neighborhood, but moved out to Oakdale or Little Canada 20 years ago. It’s impossible to come here and not have a conversation with someone across the bar.

My grandpa used to take me here as a little girl, almost 20 years ago. I used to always get a shirley temple and spaghetti. I had been dying to go back to see if it was as good as I remembered.
Governors did not disapoint. I took my husband and two boys to lunch. We ordered 2 shirley temples, one son ordered a burger and the other tacos. My husband and I ordered the chicken melt and the fish sandwich to split. They were wonderful… especially the fish sandwich. YUM! Their coleslaw is fantastic and I usually hate coleslaw…
The kids really enjoyed eating at Governors and are ready to go back. The atmosphere was nice. It was fairly quiet. They had all the white Christmas lights up and some nice décor. We enjoyed watching the snow fall as we ate. Our waitstaff was very friendly and accomodating. The prices were great– $ 4.95 for a plate full of food on many of the menu items. I think the most expensive thing I saw on the menu was the shirp/​rib combo at $ 12. Great place to bring a family.

Wow I am absolutely amazed by the great service and home-​like environment! This restaurant is classic– an 80 plus year old grandma makes all the soups from scratch. Plus, the manager Lou is known by everyone. He makes sure everything is going great and keeps the place at tip top shape.
This is a MUST TRY for anyone looking for a great eating experience!