Remembering St. Cloud’s Historic Hangouts And Their Stories

Bars, music venues, hangouts and sometime restaurants.  These were places many St. Cloud area residents spent time at after work, or on weekends.  This is the 2nd installment of this series on "joints".  St. Cloud area historians and long time residents Mark Bragelman and Jim Grabinski joined me on WJON to reflect on some of these establishments.  Bragelman says many of the patrons of these joints worked hard and were looking for a place to go after work.

Hombre De-Mundo:

Hombre De-Mundo was located on Highway 23 east of St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids.  Rollie's Rednecks and Longnecks is located there now.  Hombre De-Mundo was owned by Dick Yeager who also owned the Ace Bar and Bob's Big Boy (later became the Copper Lantern).  Hombre was known for live music and big crowds.  After many years in the 70s as Hombre De-Mundo it then became the Hitchin' Post.  Bragelman says a part of the Hombre is now Rollie's.

Domino Club:

The Domino Club was located just east of St. Cloud on Highway 23 just outside of the city limits.  It was kiddy corner from where the Kwik Trip is now on Highway 23 and Highway 10.  Grabinski says the Domino Club was owned by Jim Haaf and his wife for more than 30 years starting in the early 1960s.  Grabinski says the place was for a younger crowd and included booze, music, dancing and fights.  He says toward the end of their run they had mud wrestling.  Grabinski says Jim Haaf had numerous feuds with the Benton County Sheriff and Benton County Attorney.

Bricky's:

Bricky's was a bar and speakeasy in the 1920s and 30s.  Part of Bricky's is now Anton's Supper Club.  Bragelman recalls a stretch of road between Bricky's and St. Joseph called the "Quarter Mile" where people would drag race cars in the 1960s.  He says when Sauk River flooded, Bricky's would often flood.  That's a problem Anton's has dealt with for years.

Wagon Wheel:

The Wagon Wheel was located in Waite Park approximately where the Ultimate Sports Bar is now located.  It was known as a Supper Club and place to get a drink.

Speakeasies:

St. Cloud had a few of these.  Bragelman recalls one located on north Cooper Avenue near the old train depot.  He says every city along the railroad had at least of these. Grabinski says the Grey Goose was a speakeasy.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Mark Bragelman and Jim Grabinski, click below.