As he and his bandmates worked the small room between sets talking to each and every audience member, Gary Raynor raised a question likely voiced by a lot of musicians who play Fingal’s Cave.
“How did you guys know we were playing down here tonight?” the bassist in the classic jazz trio Stablemates asked.
Located beneath MetroNOME Brewery in St. Paul’s Lowertown — a taproom created by musicians to raise money for music education — Fingal’s Cave is not an easy place to find. Yours truly had been to the brewery twice without realizing there was a music room down the darkened staircase from the main bar area.
What a find. Same with Volstead’s Emporium, another basement-level music bar in Minneapolis’ Lyn-Lake hub with hidden appeal. The operators there actually intended to keep the place semi-secret, playing it up as a throwback to a Prohibition-era speakeasy.
Volstead’s did not even advertise or use social media for promotion throughout its first five years in business.
“People like to feel like they’re in on a cool, well-kept secret,” said Volstead’s owner John Braun, offering this conclusion: “Word of mouth can still be a powerful tool.”
At the risk of spoiling some cool secrets, here’s a roundup of these and two other musical watering holes around the Twin Cities that feel like hidden hideaways — small, intimate, tucked-away rooms with warm vibes suitable for winter.

Anoka Hardware Store Speakeasy
The scene: Even when you locate the nondescript door under a red light in an alley off Anoka’s Main Street, you still might not know you’re entering a bar. The front foyer looks like an old-school hardware shop, with tools on the wall and a store counter. Behind a “secret” door, though — sometimes requiring a pass code (given via reservation) — the host will lead you into what looks like a full-blown, low-lit faux speakeasy from the 1920s, with hardwood floors, tin ceiling tiles and vintage-styled furniture.