The building that houses the BLB was built in 1926 when Lake Street was the edge of town. It was originally a Ford garage and serviced Model Ts at the time. It was converted to a bowling alley in 1936, and in 1959 was bought by Minnesota Bowling Hall of Famer Bill Drouches, who installed the automatic pinsetters that year–the ones we use today.
The BLB was restored as closely as possible to its original splendor, and the video/pool hall was turned into a 90-seat cabaret theater in 1993 by Kim Bartmann. Shows almost every day of the week and sometimes twice a night! Our shows cover a broad spectrum of interests: comedy, musical, drama, dance, music and more.  The establishment quickly became both a busy neighborhood hang out as well as a destination for travelers and celebrations of all sorts.
In 2018 longtime employee Erica Gilbert purchased the restaurant . Although 26 years old, BLB maintains its reigning champion status as a humble neighborhood hotspot. We continue to use sustainable and local ingredients.