Marge's Bar

"Marge's Bar is in the space that used to be Stumbeano's Coffee, and I had always thought it would be a really cool place for a speakeasy-type establishment. When they vacated their lease, we knew we wanted to do something with it," Dan said. "The idea behind Marge's Bar is the product of several cocktails with some really great friends. The original intent was to turn it into a 'waiting area' for The Boiler Room where you could grab a drink while you waited for a table. Eventually, it became a homage to tacky Midwest decor, and we decided it needed its own name. It sort of took on a life of its own from there."

A common recommendation from almost any local, Marge's Bar is the not-so-secret, secret nighttime hotspot in downtown Fargo.

Complete with low ceilings, a piano in the corner about half the size of the bar rail, a variety of vintage-esque games at the few tables, a perfectly sunken-in red couch, and nearly no inch of empty wall space—save the brick wall sporting a bright neon sign reading "Marge's."

A large part of what makes Marge's Bar, Marge's Bar is the kitschy midwestern-like decor scattered around the small space. A collection of vintage spoons in a display case, a light-up yard display of Santa Clause, a wall next to the bar covered in notes about friends, memories, love, celebration, or even just a doodle.

The final piece to the puzzle in understanding the ambiance in Marge's Bar is the lighting. Strung above you are a variety of colorful Christmas lights. The bar rail has a few hanging lamps above and a bit more light in the bar area, but the main source of light comes from the warm mini bulbs hanging overhead.

Marge's, in the most comforting way, is reminiscent of going into your Midwestern grandmother's storage closet and hunting for an old scrapbook for the family to mull over.

And as if Fargo couldn't lean more into that, its counterpart is just a few doors above.