Andy's Garage Closes

When you're done with being a gas station, what better thing to do than convert the station to a restaurant?  That's what Andy's Garage did and had a thriving business since opening in 2000.  This is the St. Paul location at Fairview and University Ave. W.  Well, this WAS the St. Paul location.  As you can see, Andy closed her/his/their St. Paul location with no attempt to sell the restaurant business.  The restaurant just up and closed the doors.  Why?  He's (Dee, one of the owners) having knee surgery and it was too much to handle along with the new Minneapolis location that opened this year.  Ultimately, it's because they could!

Andy's, however, was becoming a landmark in the Midway area.  The original gas station bathroom was still there with it's single stall and alan wrench handles on the old sink.  The cashier was where the cash register would have been back in the day.  There were old signs for car repair and for local businesses.  Both service bays were equipped with retro tables and chairs ala soda fountain days.  The kitchen was tucked in where the employee lounge might have been.  There was a juke box!  I never drove by when the parking lot was empty even in the winter.  A small stage accommodated "Doo Wop" live bands.  The veranda allowed for outside seating at plastic tables and where you could bring your dog if he was well mannered.  The waitresses wore blue jeans and t-shirts.  It truly felt like re-entering a 1950's gas station, except the grease smell was of French fries instead of car grease.  The only other difference?  The floors were painted and sparkling clean.

Andy's happened to be one block from my office so we lunched there often.  The fries were better than the fast food joints and the hamburgers came true California style.  Desserts were straight from the soda fountain.  One could still order a cherry pineapple malt and it came in the metal can with a tulip glass to drink from!  It was truly a step back in time.

The property is for sale and is in a prime location with the Department of Education retrofitting a huge warehouse across the street and the light rail slated for 2011 on the University street frontage.  The business, however, is closed.  We will miss this little piece of St. Paul as it just disappears into the night.