Posted on July 25, 2022
Better Than Your Average Arcade
Oxcart is so much more than just a rooftop bar. With an adult arcade, restaurant, and bar all in one building, who could ask for a better place to spend a Saturday night? With hundreds of arcade games and amazing food and drink Oxcart is the place to be on the weekends for those visiting Saint Paul Minnesota and its residents. The food menu is similar to what you’d see in a pub or family friendly restaurant, but has a larger adult beverage list then a typical restaurant because of its fully stocked rooftop bar.
The view from the rooftop cannot be beat, with fireworks being seen perfectly on the evenings the CHS stadium hosts its baseball season. The rooftop is perfect for overlooking the small city and watching the CHS baseball stadium games from across the street. You’d better get there early on game days though as tables fill up fast. Closed during the pandemic it has now completely reopened its doors.
Not into baseball? Don’t worry Oxcart has a full arcade inside with new and classic games. Perfect for the avid gamer or a fan of the past; the arcade games include bowling, foosball, crane games, and rows of pinball machines that are movie themed. There is also a lounge area for sipping martinis and throwing back a beer or two.
Saint Paul resident Brett W. wrote, “Ox Cart provides a great pub atmosphere perfect for an evening out with the spouse or friends. The menu has something for everyone. My wife and I haven’t tried everything yet due to being so enamored with the first few items we did try. Their mussels will convert anyone into a lover of the dish and the fried chicken sandwich will replace whatever your current image of a perfect chicken sandwich might be. From what we have witnessed of the staff and management, it is apparent that they take pride in their craft and are devoted to achieving the top standard. With the addition of the rooftop bar this Spring/Summer, this is the St. Paul/Lowertown venue to experience.”
Brett summed up the experience you’d have at Oxcart Arcade and Rooftop.
This bar, restaurant, and arcade is open Wednesday through Sunday from four in the evening until eleven at night. Oxcart is a great place for a night out. Leave the kids at home and ladies grab your girls for a girls night out and men grab your guys for a boys night. It’s a great place for spending time with friends and can be a fun date destination. If you’re visiting Saint Paul Minnesota don’t miss out on a night you won’t wanna forget at Oxcart Arcade and Rooftop.
Posted on June 28, 2021
What’s On the Menu at Oxcart
The concept behind the food selection on the first floor was to create a handheld food tailored menu, delicacies that you can enjoy with one hand while using the other hand with a joystick. Every dish is made for one-handed eating: a toaster strudel/Pop-Tart, a muffin/pizza roll hybrid, pretzels with cheese, and hot dogs.
Justin also wanted the dishes to create a nostalgic effect.
Pizza poppers, recreated as pull-apart bread with pizza ingredient stuffings, a fluffy pretzel with homemade cheese sauce, cheese on a stick, dressed up Vienna beef hot dogs like the famous Chicago dog, among other selections, all accomplish that objective.
Justin wanted to take nostalgic food, State Fair food, food you would get frozen and heat up and make it from scratch, make it better.
Some of arcade menu favorites include the Minnesota sushi, a pickle all rolled up on corned beef and ice cream cheese, just as you would expect at Grandma’s holiday picnic; the homemade Pop-Tart, a crisp light version coated with a bright icing and rocking berry jam stuffing; and the crave-worthy and perfectly executed homemade corndog.
The drink selection is full of ingredients from the nineties era such as Malibu rum, Tang, and curacao. You might also enjoy the boozy snow cones along with delicious blueberry basil, if only as a rejuvenating dessert option for a hot day. However, if you much prefer the taste of whiskey, this list might utterly be disappointing.
Upstairs, on the sprawling, ever-popular rooftop bar, are more games including a giant Jenga and Connect Four, but the aesthetic theme remains consistent with other floors in the establishment.
The menu has undergone a full transformation, continuing the playful theme that starts downstairs. A few entrees, tacos, salads, hot dogs, burgers, and several shareable appetizers are perfect options to enjoy in the sun.
The drink menu is also continuous, bringing in shareable drinks served in fishbowls, with the addition of the sweet delights served upstairs. While on the rooftop you will see some guests order the drinks, eager to indulge their palate.
Ox Cart Arcade and Rooftop has entered the burger scene in Minnesota with its own cheesy, double-pattied-for-extra-flavor-and-crisp version that’s good enough to land in anyone’s top ten selection. The simple California selection is quite delightful, featuring an irresistible combination of special sauce, tomato, and lettuce. The French version is also quite lovely and comes with some brie cheese to create a creamy lusciousness and oven-dried tomato toppings for extra sweetness.
The classic double burger goes for $12 and features your choice of cheese, bacon bits, onion, tomato, lettuce, and fancy sauce. The pulled pork sandwich costs $12 and features a barbecue and creamy coleslaw. The chicken Caesar wrap is also an excellent option. This selection goes for $12 and features caesar dressing, tomato, croutons, Parmesan cheese, and Romaine. The grilled chicken wrap goes for $12 and features Greek dressing, feta, cucumber, tomato, red onions, Kalamata olives, and mixed greens. The buffalo chicken wrap also goes for $12 and features buffalo sauce, tomato, celery, blue cheese, and Romaine.
Posted on June 24, 2021
Getting Your Drink On At Oxcart!
One of the most exciting menu selections on the rooftop is a remake of the popular Asian salad with ramen noodles. This selection goes by the name Asian Cobb at Ox Cart Arcade and Rooftop and incorporates fancy Korean dressing. But make no mistake, this is one of the most delicious potluck salads crafted better and with bacon.
Another lovely surprise that awaits you at the rooftop is the delicious grilled oysters, topped with a changing selection of compound butter. For a lighter option on a warm afternoon, try the scampi with juicy pink shrimp, featuring capers and plenty of garlic.
Pretzel with cheese goes for $5 and features cheese fondue, salt, and house-made garlic butter. Waffle fries are available for $5 and feature seasoned sour cream. Pork-fried rice is an excellent option. This selection goes for $7 and features cilantro, egg, ginger, garlic, peas, and jasmine rice. Ellsworth cheese curds are available for $10 and are served with ketchup and ranch.
For a finger-licking experience, try their $10 chicken wings. This wonderful selection comes with a choice of either dry rub, honey barbecue, or buffalo sauce. The veggie wrap goes for $9 and features chips, a daily selection of fresh veggies, ranch dressing, and 4 tortillas. The establishment also offers a 12-inch pizza for $14 and fried rice with basmati rice, cilantro, ginger, garlic, and peas.
Some of the sweets offered include the classic snow cone with a choice of either blueberry, cherry, or banana; homemade Pop-Tarts featuring royale icing and mixed berry filling; cotton candy; and mini doughnuts.
Tap drinks include Strongbow Cider, Coors Light, Blue Moon, New Belgium Voodoo Ranger IPA, Deschutes fresh squeezed IPA, Summit Slugfest, Summit IPA, Leinenkugel’s summer shandy, Miller Light, Grain Belt Blu, Kona Big Wave, Lift Bridge Mango Blonde, Bent Paddle classic cream ale, Bauhaus WonderStuff, Surly Grapefruit Supreme, and Surly Furious. Canned drinks include High Noon, White Claw, Pacifico, Hazy Little Thing, Wild State Pear Cider, Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue IPA, Sally Extra, Sally Hell, Corona, Coors Light, Mich Ultra, Bud Light, Bud, and Mich Golden Light.
Bottles include Corona, Angry Orchard Rose, Bud Light, Heineken, Modelo, Michelob Golden Draft Light, Coors Light, PBR, and Miller Lite. Tallboys include Colt, Highlife, Pryes Raspberry Sour, Angry Orchard Rose, Hamms, PBR, Coors, Miller Lite, Modelo, Heineken, Surly Extra Pale Ale, Surly Warp Zone Pilsner, Lift Bridge Mango Blonde, Sociable Cider Werks Freewheeler, Bent Paddle Hop and Bauhaus Sky 5 IPA.
Ox Cart Arcade and Rooftop also offer an exciting selection of mixies. Reptar is one of the most popular items in the mixies selection. It is very spicy and features Luxardo, green chartreuse, habanero simple syrup, lime juice, and Tres Agaves tequila. Jaws go for $9 and feature grenadine, Sprite, pineapple juice, curacao, lime juice, and Captain Morgan coconut rum. Mojito goes for $7 and features lime mint simple syrup and Captain Morgan white rum. The apple cinnamon goes for $7 and features apple cider simple syrup and Bulleit bourbon. Blueberry basil features blueberry basil simple syrup and blueberry Stoli vodka. That purple stuff goes for $9 and features Tito’s vodka, purple, water, and sugar. Wu-Tang also goes for $9 and features soda water, lemon, tang, and Tres Agaves tequila. The Woo Woo selection features ginger beer, Pama liqueur, Saint-Germain lime, and Stoli vodka. Other mixies include the mystery shot and Brown Bag Drunk.
All in all, Ox Cart Arcade and Rooftop is your go-to place for the best arcade bar experience in St Paul, Minnesota. There are plenty of games to play including a giant Jenga and Connect Four. You will scarcely run out of activities to do at the bar. The delightful food selection at the establishment is the perfect treat before indulging in a drink or playing a game. Ox Cart’s extensive selection of drinks gives you a variety of options to choose from. You will be hard-pressed not to find a drink that fits your preferences and helps you keep your mind off of your work or personal problems (anyone with an elderly parent who requires long term care knows just what I mean). The dishes and beverages served at the establishment are quite reasonably priced, giving you the best value for money. Ox Cart Arcade and Rooftop has excellent hospitality and boasts one of the best customer services in the area. A great adventure awaits you on your next visit to this beautiful arcade bar!
Posted on June 24, 2021
Welcome to Oxcart Arcade and Rooftop!
As a longtime resident of Lowertown, Justin Sutherland saw an opportunity.
Lowertown was developing very quickly, but outside drinking and eating, there were not many activities to do in the area.
So when Justin became in charge of Madison Restaurant Group’s culinary operations, he determined that Ox Cart, which had recently been shut down due to unfavorable business conditions, would make an ideal location for a retro arcade, the kind of spot where you hang out with your friends.
Justin wanted to offer guests an exciting place where they could connect while playing together.
So far, the gamble — incorporating a “living area” with a few contemporary arcades, retro console games, old-school cabinet games, and pinball machines — seems to have paid off. A younger generation is hanging out, playing games, and meeting friends, just like Justin intended. Ox Cart’s new decor includes murals by Annika Leiknes and a VHS wall and mirror. Ox Cart also features photoshopped Tiger Beats magazines with portraits from Justin’s senior high school years combined with teen heartthrobs.
The establishment was previously called Ox Cart Alehouse, and the bar was best known as a getaway to a beautiful patio on its short-seasoned rooftop. However, Ox Cart’s rebirth has changed what the joint is known for, and is now characterized by a Sega/Nintendo corner, pinball machines, four-way air hockey, and a menu featuring dishes suited for a powerful munchie fit.
The large bar on the ground floor is filled with arcade games and is serving drinks that are borderline outrageous on the fun scale: 40s, Old Fashioneds on tap, snowcones, spiked Tang, a blue cocktail garnished with a squirt of grenadine, and a shark gummy, and plenty of beer.