One Minnesota hot dog joint in St. Paul has been slinging Coney Islands to its hungry customers since the 1930s. And plenty of people will tell you that the venerable Gopher Bar, a beloved dive on the edge of St. Paul’s Lowertown neighborhood, still serves up the best coneys in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Andy Kappas opened Gopher Bar on St. Paul's West 7th Street in 1935.
Jeffrey Reuter/Google Reviews
He met his future wife, Phyllis, when she started working as a server at the eatery.
The Gopher moved to its present location on East 7th at Wacouta in 1955.
Michael Hicks/Flickr
The venerable watering hole has seen a lot of buildings, businesses, and customers come and go over the decades.
Patrick Wagner/Google Reviews

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During its run, customers have returned again and again for cold beer and Gopher Bar's now-famous Coney Island hot dogs.
NikkiA179/TripAdvisor
The "original" is a snappy hot dog bathed in mustard, meat sauce, and diced onions, cradled in a buttered, grilled bun.
Fred A/TripAdvisor
But order it with "everything," which gets you shredded cheese on top.
Scott Murray/Google Reviews
The combination is hot dog perfection, and in one bite, you'll understand why this coney joint on the corner is still here when some of the city's best chefs have had to bail from the neighborhood.
By the way, no matter how you like your Coney Islands, they're almost always better with cold beer and hot, crispy fries.
Barb Wilhelm/Google Reviews

Although not what it used to be since the 2022 death of the bar’s longtime, irascible, and occasionally foul-mouthed patriarch, George Kappas (Andy and Phyllis’ son) a visit to the Gopher requires a sense of humor and, sometimes, a thick skin. (You could try and don some Gopher apparel to blend in…) So be prepared. And also bring cash. It’s all the bar will take, and you really don’t want to ask if your credit card is accepted.

Have you visited Gopher Bar and had a Coney Island? Tell us about your experience in the comments!

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Gopher Bar, 7th Street East, Saint Paul, MN, USA