The Island Plaza Bar was located on Highway 10 (back then), in St. Paul Park.  It was on the east side of the Mississippi River, just across from Inver Grove Heights.  A junk yard was located just behind it.

The building had gone through a number of names, according to my informant, Buzz Bauman:

It was originally a gun club.

Then in the late 1950s and early ’60s it was a roadhouse called Park Plaza that had country music – rumor has it Johnny Cash played there before he hit it big.

Then it was Kelly’s Park Plaza (which was supposedly busted for having strippers!).

Bud and Igor’s

After that was the Three Stooges Lounge, but they defaulted and it went back to being Bud and Igor’s, who tried to run it as a polka bar.

Finally it was the Island Plaza, owned by Dana Isaacs from the fall of 1975 to August 1977.  The name was chosen because the property was partially located in Grey Cloud Island township.

Image courtesy Buzz Bauman

It was a rowdy, backwoods bar that hosted bands such as:

• Lamont Cranston Cranston
• Willie & the Bees
• Skogie & the Flaming Pachucos (their favorite band)
  
• Berlin
• Magnum
• Trick
• Chameleon
• Mojo Buford
• Visage
• Bush Lake Road
• Stone Broke
• Jet Jackson
• Obsession
• Free Ticket

Photo courtesy Buzz Bauman

Last anyone knew, the parking lot was filled with junk cars, and carburetors were piled high on the bar.