The beet salad at Vivo in Apple Valley. The stylish upscale restaurant, seven minutes from the zoo, was revamped last year and has a large patio. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Minnesota Zoo is one of the best places in the Twin Cities area to see a concert. But if you're not from south of the Minnesota River, you might wonder where to eat and drink before a zoo show.

One lesson we've learned: Don't be afraid of dining in strip malls. Hey, it's suburbia. Here is a dining guide, whether you're going for the music or the animals:

Mason Jar

Details: 1565 Cliff Rd., Eagan, 651-340-7809, www.themasonjar.us

Vibe: Casual but not informal, with Mason jars as lighting fixtures, window coverings and, of course, drinking glasses. There's a nice enclosed outdoor patio next to a strip-mall driveway.

Food: Gourmet comfort food, from pot pie and pizza to blackened tilapia tacos and almond-crusted walleye. The desserts are by bakery extraordinaire Cupcake.

Pro tip: Get a dessert (or two) to go.

Post-concert: No.

Drive time to zoo: Five minutes.

Bonfire

Details: 1555 Cliff Rd., Eagan, 651-452-0200, bonfirewoodfirecooking.com

Vibe: Sports bar meets family dining, with an outdoor fireplace that seems superfluous in the summer.

Food: There are plenty of mesquite-grilled entrees as well as salads, flatbreads, burgers and Southwestern items.

Pro tip: If you're in a hurry, eat in the bar.

Post-concert: Till midnight.

Drive time to zoo: Five minutes.

Vivo

Details: 15435 Founders Lane, Apple Valley, 952-891-8808, vivomn.com

Vibe: Revamped last year, this stylish, sprawling restaurant has lots of windows, stone and wood. The patio is extensive, too, with a view of lots of big apartment and condo complexes.

Food: If you've been to Zelo in downtown Minneapolis or Bacio in Minnetonka, you'll find this upscale menu familiar. Steaks, fish and lots of pasta and salad options.

Pro tip: Make reservations.

Post-concert: Open till 11 p.m. on weekdays, midnight Friday and Saturday.

Drive time to zoo: Seven minutes.

Casper's CHEROKEE

Details: 4625 Nicols Rd., Eagan, 651-454-6744, casperscherokee.com

Vibe: This super-casual place feels like a 1970s supper club with an adjacent bar in a barnlike structure that is vibrant and loud, with sports on TV and karaoke at night. The large enclosed patio is popular.

Food: The classics are the 24-ounce bone-in rib-eye, the walleye and "steak of the millennium," a 16-ounce sirloin. Casper's offers plenty of sandwiches, too.

Pro tip: The boisterous barn is for after the concert, not before.

Post-concert: Till 2 a.m.

Drive time to zoo: Seven minutes.

Doolittle's Woodfire Grill

Details: 2140 Cliff Rd., Eagan, 651-452-6627, doolittles.com

Vibe: Handsome and unpretentious, Doolittle's works for a business dinner, date night or family outing.

Food: The menu is deep and wide with an emphasis on woodfire options (chicken, ribs, steaks) and fish selections.

Pro tip: Make reservations; it can get crowded at dinner time.

Post-concert: 11 p.m. weekdays, midnight Friday and Saturday.

Drive time to zoo: Seven minutes.

Twitter: @JonBream • 612-673-1719

Glass jars are part of the decor at Mason Jar in Eagan, from light fixtures to beverage containers. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

about the writer

Jon Bream

Critic / Reporter

Jon Bream has been a music critic at the Star Tribune since 1975, making him the longest tenured pop critic at a U.S. daily newspaper. He has attended more than 8,000 concerts and written four books (on Prince, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan). Thus far, he has ignored readers’ suggestions that he take a music-appreciation class.