Joe Black’s Bar and Grill located at 118 N 3rd Street. Photo by Serianna Henkel/The Dakota Student.

Contrary to popular belief, Joe Black’s is open before one a.m. each day.

The downtown bar has earned quite the reputation for its nightlife. What many may not realize is what more Joe Black’s has more to offer than a place to end a Friday night on a sloppy note.

Offering a surprisingly extensive menu, Joe Black’s has many options for those looking to dine out for lunch or dinner.

Burgers, wings, pizza, wraps and sandwiches are all available as main courses, and the appetizer menu offers a good variety of starters.

Additionally, Joe Black’s has a full bar with plenty of beers on tap.

Upon arriving at the prime time for a Saturday dinner — 7 p.m., right before the puck drops on a hockey night — it was a bit of a struggle to find a table.

The numerous big screens that Joe Black’s houses make the bar an ideal place for those without hockey tickets to catch the game in a social atmosphere.

For my inaugural Joe Black’s meal, I went with the Eye Opener — a burger with American cheese, bacon and a fried egg. At $7.95, it sits at an average price, though that is before the extra dollar it costs to have fries instead of potato chips.

A half hour of waiting passed by anxiously, but the food was presented nicely and in generous portions. The server was friendly and attentive, despite how busy he was.

The meal itself was good. It’s hard to go wrong with a standard burger.

However, it didn’t stand out among the many places to get burgers in Grand Forks.

What did stand out was the atmosphere. The bar was packed with students and older hockey fans alike, and the crowd erupted as soon as a UND goal was scored.

The way that hockey can bring this community together is remarkable, and Joe Black’s provides a great facility to celebrate. There’s no doubt a few hours following my visit would bring in a new crowd of jersey-clad fans for a post-game night out.

After recent remodeling, Joe Black’s has upped its game by adding a second bar area for those busy weekend nights.

Though there is a lot to choose from in terms of food, it is important to remember that Joe Black’s functions mainly as a bar.

For a meal to remember, it is probably not the place, but for a night out with friends over some drinks and munchies, the menu has a little something for everyone.

For this reason, I give Joe Black’s a 3 out of 5 stars.

Serianna Henkel is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected].