Sept. 15, 2021

A sports bar with a full liquor license will fill the former ‘O’ So Good Restaurant space in Garretson.

“We’re catering to all ages, from 6 all the way up to 85,” said The Combine owner Leroy Austin of Garretson, who also owns Vinnie’s Dang Fine Dine in Luverne, Minnesota.

The Combine name is a nod to Garretson’s agricultural roots and the NFL event that showcases draft prospects.

The bar will have 15 large televisions, said Austin, a self-described “big sports fan,” who follows “all the Minnesota teams.”

The menu will feature signature burgers, “everything from a Cajun ranch to a bacon cheeseburger to the Zing with jalapenos, sweet chili sauce and Asian noodles on top.”

Everything will be made from scratch, he said.

“We hand-dip all of our onion rings. Our chicken strips are all hand-breaded. … We’ll have homemade soup every day, one for sure, and during the winter, we’ll have two.”

Many of the recipes will come from Vinnie’s, which he bought in 2019.

“I didn’t change anything there,” he said. “It had a really good following in the Luverne area.”

That restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, and The Combine will be open for dinner on weekday evenings beginning at 4 p.m. and all day on the weekend. He said it’s only 18 miles between the two towns, so he’ll be working at both.

The Combine will serve breakfast starting at 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, and for lunch, the full dinner menu will be available.

The breakfast menu will include traditional egg and bacon offerings, vanilla French toast, homemade pancakes and “really good kitchen sink omelets.” There will be specials every weekend.

With a full liquor license, Austin is adding an Island Oasis machine to make blended daiquiris, margaritas and other drinks.

He started renovations to the space last week and hopes to be open in mid-October. The open kitchen in the main dining room will remain, and the front part of the building will become a party room for gatherings of 30 to 50 people, Austin said.

He’s adding four dart boards to the bar and plans to start a league.

“In Garretson, I think one of the things we lack is something for adults to do. Most just go watch their kids play sports.”