StormKing Brewpub And BBQ Is Now Open
Even though they’ve been trying to quietly get their footing in the North Loop this week with a low-key opening, it’s hard to miss the sweet smell of Texas barbecue wafting from the new StormKing Brewpub and Barbecue at 618 North 5th Street.
The owners of Black Sheep Pizza, Jordan Smith and spouse Colleen Doran, are bringing back their StormKing barbecue concept which drew rave reviews during their brief run in south Minneapolis. That location at 26th and Nicollet, though, suffered from a lack of space (just 800 square feet) and closed in 2018. This time, they have a much bigger space and they’re collaborating with Rapids Brewing Company, a craft brewer out of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
“We already have six beers on tap which we’re super excited about,” said Doran. “Rapids Brewing is amazing. We think it’s great beer and, of course, we love barbecue so it’s perfect.”
StormKing also offers cocktails and wine.
“The North Loop is an amazing place,” Doran said. “Especially during the pandemic what I thought was amazing was that the North Loop sort of came back first.”
StormKing has more patio seating than the previous brewpub in that space, ONE Fermentary. Guests order from their phones and get the food and drinks delivered to their table. You can check out the menu here.
By Mike Binkley, North Loop volunteer