Alary’s Bar in downtown St. Paul has decided to bring kitchen operations in-house after hosting an outside barbecue operation for a year.

Owner Bill Collins said the bar worked with chef Steve Hesse (Pajarito, Yankee Tavern, Lucky’s 13 and more) to help develop the menu, which leans into the establishment’s Chicago roots (it’s a Chicago Bears bar). Chef Javier Alcantara, formerly of Crave, Stellas and Grackle in Maple Grove, is heading up the kitchen.

The new menu includes Chicago favorites like Chicago Beef and a Chicago Dog, as well as Polish sausage. Other fun bar foods like tachos, buffalo chicken dip, wings and a few burgers round things out.

The switchover happened almost immediately after chef Mik German and his 328 Grill popped up in the space during the 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

“We plan to slowly tweak the menu; I am guessing it will be a month or so before we dial it in,” Collins said.

Alary’s Bar: 139 E. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-224-7717; alarys.com

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