The best bars & nightlife in Mankato

8 bars & nightlife we’ve checked and stand behind — with the story on each one. Not a ranking; a record.

Browse another shelf: all of Mankato’s best · Restaurants · Shopping · Beauty · Entertainment · Home & Garden · Bakeries & Sweets · Arts & Culture · Hobbies, Books, & Crafts · Pets · Health & Wellness · Antiques, Thrift, & Vintage · Parks & Outdoors

Pinned in Mankato today

This spot is open today.

Two pinned places a day in Mankato — $10 here, $25 adds the newsletter. List your business →

Paid placements are always marked.

Nightlife · 8 places · showing the latest additions first

Blue Bricks

Nightlife

Blue Bricks brings the weeknight win with specialty pizzas, burgers, and other American favorites from an updated menu, served in that…

424 S Front St

Blue Bricks brings the weeknight win with specialty pizzas, burgers, and other American favorites from an updated menu, served in that relaxed, familiar vibe locals love. Meet a friend, split a pie, and pretend your calendar isn’t already full of grown-up stuff.

From the Mankato newsletter, September 18, 2026

Website ↗

Flask

Nightlife

Flask is the casual spot where cocktails are crisp, beer is cold, and bar food is the kind you dream about later. Think tacos, fried…

100 E Walnut St

Flask is the casual spot where cocktails are crisp, beer is cold, and bar food is the kind you dream about later.

From the Mankato newsletter, September 14, 2026

Website ↗

Watch NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL or root for MSU with a pint while Rounders Sports Bar & Grill has big screens, 12 taps, and a patio that still…

414 S Front St

Watch NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL or root for MSU with a pint while Rounders Sports Bar & Grill has big screens, 12 taps, and a patio that still feels like summer. Burgers, wings, and sandwiches keep you going, plus pull tabs supporting Mankato Youth Hockey.

From the Mankato newsletter, August 17, 2026

Website ↗

When your week needs a reset, Social House Bar brings the barcade energy with classic cabinets, pinball and a laid-back hang you can…

509 S Front St

When your week needs a reset, Social House Bar brings the barcade energy with classic cabinets, pinball and a laid-back hang you can actually hear your friends in. Grab a drink, chase a high score, consider it therapy with extra lives.

From the Mankato newsletter, August 12, 2026

Website ↗
Run a Mankato business? Two pinned spots a day — $10 here, $25 adds the newsletter. Advertise →

Whether your playlist is 90s twang or new country, Mully's On Madison is Mankato's only true country bar, pouring cold beer, slinging good…

1030 E, 1030 Madison Ave

Whether your playlist is 90s twang or new country, Mully's On Madison is Mankato's only true country bar, pouring cold beer, slinging good bar food, and hosting live bands, karaoke, pulltabs, and two pool tables. Round up the crew, boot scoot a little, and call it a night well spent.

From the Mankato newsletter, September 2, 2026

Website ↗

Jonny B's

Nightlife

When your day calls for something solid, Jonny B's serves 11-hour slow roasted beef, hand sliced to order with au jus or horseradish, plus…

1600 Warren St

When your day calls for something solid, Jonny B's serves 11-hour slow roasted beef, hand sliced to order with au jus or horseradish, plus classic apps, all-beef hot dogs, soups and salads. This week, grab a beer or a cocktail and post up with friends.

From the Mankato newsletter, September 1, 2026

Website ↗

Whether you remember it from back in the day or just want a laid-back hang, Oleander Saloon nails the sweet spot, newly remodeled with a…

701 N Riverfront Dr

Whether you remember it from back in the day or just want a laid-back hang, Oleander Saloon nails the sweet spot, newly remodeled with a Cambria-topped bar and custom woodwork, still that brick-and-old-timey vibe, with pool tables, karaoke, live music at The What's Up Lounge, and Heggies Pizza.

From the Mankato newsletter, September 10, 2026

Website ↗

Tav on the Ave has been slinging Mankato’s original buffalo wings since 1988, plus signature burgers, sandwiches and roll-ups that taste…

1120 Madison Ave

Tav on the Ave has been slinging Mankato’s original buffalo wings since 1988, plus signature burgers, sandwiches and roll-ups that taste way better than typical bar food ever should.

From the Mankato newsletter, August 23, 2026

Website ↗

Listed here?

You’ve earned the mark — get the BaseLocal’s Best badge for your site →. Want in? List your business →