Must-see restaurants in Minnesota

  • Young Joni

    Minneapolis

    Young Joni fuses two seemingly unrelated types: pizza and Korean food. Here, you can order a wood-fired, crisp-crusted prosciutto, gruyere and ricotta pie…

  • Keg & Case

    Minnesota

    A scrumptious food hall, with stalls serving locally sourced sandwiches, pizza, ice cream and other food items in a spiffy, remodeled brewery space. In…

  • LOLO American Kitchen

    Minnesota

    A high-tone bistro with an eclectic menu of rice bowls, tacos and burgers, plus more ambitious dinner-time fare like steaks and fresh fish. There are lots…

  • Bachelor Farmer

    Minneapolis

    The dishes at this fun restaurant play on the region's Scandinavian heritage: smoked fish, meatballs and cheese-and-pickled-mushroom-topped toast make…

  • Butcher & the Boar

    Minneapolis

    The coppery, candlelit room is carnivore nirvana. Get your carving knife ready for wild boar ham with country butter, chicken-fried veal sausage and many…

  • La La Homemade Ice Cream

    Minneapolis

    This neighborhood ice cream parlor offers a range of standard and more-exotic (how about 'Good Girl' – almond milk, lavender and burnt honey?) flavors in…

  • Cook

    Minnesota

    This cute, sunny spot serves creative diner dishes (gingery French toast, curried veggie burgers, braised short-rib sandwiches), including some with a…

  • Safari

    Minneapolis

    Widely considered the city's best Somali restaurant, Safari is the place to dabble in chicken suqaar, marinated slices of meat served in a heap of spiced…

  • Lake & Irving

    Minneapolis

    The menu here has something for everyone: an appealing mix of American comfort foods, like burgers and buttermilk chicken sandwiches, paired with more…

  • My Huong

    Minneapolis

    A modest Vietnamese restaurant turning out authentic versions of banh mi, pho, rolls and lemongrass dishes to an appreciative 'Eat Street' public. The…

  • Revival

    Minneapolis

    Fried chicken, shrimp and grits, peppery mac and cheese, smokey collard greens and buttery biscuits arrive at close-packed tables. Sunlight pours in the…

  • Smack Shack

    Minneapolis

    Smack Shack started life as a food truck and a kind of menu anarchy still prevails (how about 'king crab carbonara' or 'lobster poutine?'). The emphasis…

  • Milkjam Creamery

    Minneapolis

    Soon you'll be craving flavors you never knew existed, such as pikachu (mango chili), Saigon nights (Vietnamese coffee and Hennessy) and 'Uma Thurman' (we…

  • Baarakallah Restaurant

    Minneapolis

    In the heart of Somali Minneapolis you'll find very good Somali food served in a modest setting. From the entrance, Baarakallah resembles a private club,…

  • World Street Kitchen

    Minneapolis

    This exotic fast-food joint began life as a food truck. The menu borrows a little bit from just about everywhere on the globe, from Asian-inspired rice…

  • Bryant-Lake Bowl

    Minneapolis

    A workingman's bowling alley meets epicurean food at the BLB. 'Biscuits and gravy' breakfasts, spicy Gouda mac 'n' cheese, mock duck potstickers and…

  • Hell's Kitchen

    Minneapolis

    Descend the stairs to Hell's devilish lair, where spirited waitstaff bring you uniquely Minnesotan foods, like the walleye taco, bison benedict, 'Juicy…

  • Pedal Pushers Cafe

    Minnesota

    The vintage, homey cafe is a favorite of cyclists, thanks to its beyond-the-norm comfort food. Meatballs with lingonberry sauce, chicken potpie and kimchi…

  • Mickey's Diner

    Minnesota

    Mickey's is a downtown classic, the kind of place where the friendly waitress calls you 'honey' and satisfied regulars line the bar with their coffee cups…

  • Pizza Lucé Uptown

    Minneapolis

    Excellent pizzas as well as pasta dishes and sandwiches served in a casual neighborhood setting. The menu includes several vegetarian and vegan options,…

  • Leo's Grill & Malt Shop

    Minnesota

    Classic Main St malt shop with an authentic 1950s' diner feel and an accompanying long list of deli favorites, burgers, patty melts, shakes, malts and ice…

  • Quang Restaurant

    Minneapolis

    The crowded dining room has all the ambience of a high-school cafeteria, but people don't come for the atmosphere, but rather the well-done Vietnamese…

  • Uptowner Cafe on Grand

    Minnesota

    Likable greasy spoon, serving enormous helpings of hash browns at breakfast and a classic list of lunchtime sandwiches.

  • Hmongtown Marketplace

    Minnesota

    The nation's largest enclave of Hmong immigrants lives in the Twin Cities, and this market delivers their favorite Vietnamese, Lao and Thai dishes at its…

  • Matt's Bar & Grill

    Minneapolis

    You'll have to stand in line to eat at this South Minneapolis dive bar, where legend has it the 'Jucy Lucy' was born. It's a local cheeseburger, where the…

  • Oasis Cafe

    Minnesota

    The Oasis is a greasy-spoon classic. Scoot into a turquoise booth (mind the duct tape) and fork into a haystack (aka hash browns filled with ham, cheese…

  • Glam Doll Donuts

    Minneapolis

    These tattooed ladies with bright-hued hair make seriously badass doughnuts (including many vegan ones) in their punk pink shop in the heart of 'Eat…

  • Al's Breakfast

    Minneapolis

    The ultimate hole in the wall: 14 stools at a tiny counter. Whenever a customer comes in, everyone picks up their plates and scoots down to make room for…

  • Peninsula

    Minneapolis

    Malaysian dishes – including red curry hot pot, spicy crab and fish in banana leaves – rock the palate in this contemporary restaurant in the heart of the…

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