Restaurant Spotlight: J.D. Hoyt’s Supper Club
Friday, June 21, 2024 at 6:10AMArticle by Becky Fillinger, photos provided
Pat Montague
A Discussion with Pat Montague, Co-owner/Operator
J.D. Hoyt’s Supper Club is a fixture for great meals in Minneapolis. Their website claims that they serve ‘athletic-sized’ portions of steak and I can attest that the portions are large, the food is tasty and the ambiance is relaxed and fun. We talked to Pat Montague about the history of J.D. Hoyt’s, his favorite items on the menu and why "no change" has been a great policy for the restaurant.
Q: J.D. Hoyt’s has been a restaurant in the North Loop for over 39 years. Congratulations! Can you share the story behind the founding of J.D. Hoyts? What inspired its creation?
A: Yes, J.D. Hoyt’s has been here a long time. My partners Mike Andrews and John White started at a place called Ichabods, then they opened Sgt. Preston’s and then The Loon Café. All great spots, but they wanted a place they could bring their fathers to for a steak instead of sandwiches and appetizers. So, a gentleman by the name of Eddie Irwin owned this business - The 301 Bar - for many years, and he sold it to Wally Senters of NE Minneapolis. Eddie Irwin bought it back a year later because Wally couldn’t make a go of it. Eddie Irwin sold it to Mike and John in 1983. They kept it as The 301 Bar until the fall of 1984 when they reopened it as J.D. Hoyt’s Supperclub.
I was hired a week before we opened to be a prep cook - after a year I was asked to be the head chef. I did have a background in the cook chef program at Anoka Ramsey Community College. After a few years, Mike and John went to St. Paul and opened Dixie’s on Grand and Saji-Ya Sushi, and of course both were very successful. John came back to Minneapolis to open the Pickled Parrot, which I thought was a tremendous place, and Mike opened Dixie’s Calhoun and also purchased Liquor Lyle’s.
Then Mike and his partner Steve Goldberg opened a place in Encinitas, CA called the Paradise Grill and a sister restaurant in Vail, Colorado. Anyways, they left us here on our own for a while.
In 1991 we built on the main dining room – we were just the bar side prior to that addition. In 2020 we rebuilt the bar side from the ground up.
We used to be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner for quite a while until our neighborhood changed from blue collar workers to empty buildings. Then the birth of the North Loop happened – suddenly there were living spaces in old warehouses. Now of course every surface parking spot we rented for valet parking has slowly transformed into condos. It has truly been amazing to watch J.D. Hoyt’s grow over time.
Q: I’ve read an interview in which you state your whole job is to “not change anything.” Will you talk to us about this notion?
A: What I mean is that we try to give a great product with great service and an easy-going atmosphere. It works for us to try not to change too much. We do listen to our customers and try to accommodate everyone we can with their ideas on what would work better for us, but in the end some of the best compliments we get are when a customer hasn’t been in a long time tells us it’s just as great as they remember. When you go out to celebrate - whatever it is, you are making memories - so it’s awesome to be included in a lot of great customer memories. We hear, “Wow, it’s even better than the last time!” - that means a lot to the servers, bartenders, cooks and to me. My whole job now is to make sure we can give customers a lasting memory of the Hoyt’s experience. Neighborhood support is everything to us!
Charles Barkley visited J.D. Hoyt's in May while in town for a Wolves game.
Q: What are some recent successes that J.D. Hoyt’s is particularly proud of?
A: We serve a lot of teams here and cater to all of sports, but I think I’m most proud of the staff that can always handle whatever I put in front of them. Whether it’s a 54 top coming in from Boston College during the Frozen Four, or adding in a catering order for the Dodgers at the last minute, our team responds with pride and courage.
Q: For someone new to J.D. Hoyt's, how would you describe the atmosphere or ambiance you aim to create for your guests?
A: We have carved out a unique spot in the Twin Cities dining world. We try to make everyone feel welcomed whether you just got off the lake, going to a sporting event or the theater, or celebrating an anniversary. A little tag line I like to use quite often is "make the kings feel like regular people and the regular people feel like kings." It seems to work.
Above, the Buddy Bowl, and below, the Cajun pork chop.
Q: What’s your favorite menu item?
A: Well, there’s more than one. Of course, the Cajun pork chops are a favorite of mine, but the Buddy Bowl is great too - dirty rice, red beans and homemade Creole sauce topped with cheese and baked, then topped with grilled catfish and shrimp and scallops – trust me, it is unbelievable! My favorite steak is the grilled prime rib – simply tremendous. Check out this menu and then get yourself to 301 N Washington Avenue in the North Loop.
Q: How may we follow J.D. Hoyt's news?
A: You can follow us by signing up to our weekly newsletter and see when we have special events happening and also what’s going on in town. There’s nothing like coming into Minneapolis and doing dinner and a show. We have so much to offer in our little Minneapolis - great theaters, sports, music and of course many different dining options for everyone.
