15 Minnesota Restaurants That Will Blow The Taste Buds Out Of Your Mouth

1. The Hot Plate Is Dripping In Caramel

Hot Plate
5204 Bloomington Ave
Nokomis, Minneapolis, MN
(612) 824-4794
Yelp: 4 Stars - 109 Reviews The Hot Plate in Nokomis, Minneapolis is a cute little kitschy diner with paint-by-number paintings on the wall and a knack for some of the best breakfasts in Minnesota. They all-star item on their menu is the hot, fresh, pecan caramel rolls. Best breakfast in Minnesota, hands down.

2. Juicy Burgers And Tasty Nachos Are Newt’s Thing

Newt’s Downtown
216 1st Ave SW
Rochester, MN
(507) 289-0577
Yelp: 4 Stars - 120 Reviews Newt’s in Rochester is a double-whammy winner for two specific reasons: juicy, tasty burgers and crazy good nachos. Order the award-winning nachos with spicy beef and refried beans as appetizer while you wait, and the ‘Ultimate Bloody Mary’—topped with bacon, chicken wings, a burger and a ton of other fixings that make it pretty much an entire meal unto itself.

3. Feed Your Mediterranean Craving At Shish

Shish Mediterranean Grill & Cafe
1668 Grand Ave
Mac-Groveland, Saint Paul, MN
(651) 690-2212
Yelp: 4 Stars - 191 Reviews So, you’re in Minnesota and you’re hit with a serious craving for turkish coffee, baba ganoush and moussaka. Shish Mediterranean Grill & Café in the Mac-Groveland area of Saint Paul will make all your dreams come true. Shish has incredible breakfasts where you can dine on everything from omelets to ‘Breakfast from Jerusalem’—sautéed ground beef seasoned with Mediterranean spices, tabouli, falafel, hummus, pita and all the tasty fixings.

4. Sip On Savory Soup At My Huong Kitchen

My Huong Kitchen
2718 Nicollet Ave, Ste 101B
Whittier, Minneapolis, MN
(612) 872-2323
Yelp: 4.5 Stars - 139 Reviews When nothing but Vietnamese comfort food will do (read: hot, flavorful, comforting soup), My Huong Kitchen in Minneapolis has what you’re looking for. From chicken curry noodle soup to various renditions of pho, broken rice dishes and Banh Mi sandwiches, everything here is top-notch. They serve up freshest ingredients, the coziest atmosphere and the most attentive service. Don’t forget to try their durian bubble tea and the Nutella and cream crepe for dessert.

5. You Can Eat The Art At Zeitgeist’s

Zeitgeist Arts Cafe
222 E Superior St
Duluth, MN
(218) 722-9100
Yelp: 4 Stars - 46 Reviews It’s no surprise that every dish at Zeitgeist is a work of art. This community-run art space is a movie theater, performance space, art gallery, restaurant and bar. Start off with their pommes frites or gouda stuffed dates and then move on to the duck pot pie, Lake Superior trout, or diver scallop ceviche. Zeitgeist also serves up an incredibly tasty brunch, with Croque Monsieur Benedict, Pork Belly Hash and Huevos Enchiladas. Sometimes they even have ‘Chicken in Waffles’ - chicken dipped in waffle batter and fried. Oh, yeah.

6. Enjoy A Romantic, Italian Getaway At Ciao Bella’s

Ciao Bella
3501 Minnesota Dr
Bloomington, MN
(952) 841-1000
Yelp: 4 Stars - 143 Reviews Mama Mia! Ciao Bella in Bloomington has everything you’d want in an Italian food experience. Take a seat inside to enjoy their chic decor or dine in the presence of gorgeous wisteria on their popular patio with an outside bar. Whether you decide on a plate of piping hot spaghetti and meatballs or one of their wood-fired oven pizzas or flatbreads, you’ll definitely taste the love they put into their food. Wrap it all up with a Lemonetta Bella and a shot of espresso to keep you going through the carb coma.

7. Load Up On Authentic Tacos At Andale

Andale Taqueria Y Mercado
7700 Nicollet Ave S
Richfield, MN
(612) 259-8868
Yelp: 4 Stars - 93 Reviews Not only does Andale have the best tacos in Minnesota, but it’s quite likely they will be the best tacos you’ve ever had in your life. Don’t let the location (it’s beside a gas station) fool you, everyone knows the best tacos aren’t in the fancy-smanshy restaurants—they are always in the hole-in-the-wall joints. They serve authentic street-style Mexican food and their tacos are out of this world.

8. Scarf Down Fresh Fish Flavor Bombs At Sushi Fix

Sushi Fix
862 E Lake St
Wayzata, MN
(952) 473-1364
Yelp: 4.5 Stars - 35 Reviews There’s a reason Sushi Fix is consistently named on so many lists for the best restaurant, the best sushi and the best street eats (they have an amazing sushi truck, too), and that reason is because they have the freshest, most luscious cuts of raw fish and over-the-top creative and tasty sushi rolls in all of Minnesota. Everything is exquisitely presented and bursting with flavor. Don’t forget to try some of their premium sakes.

9. Demolish The Dim Sum At Yangtze

Yangtze
5625 Wayzata Blvd
St. Louis Park, MN
(952) 541-9469
Yelp: 3.5 Stars - 89 Reviews When you’re ready to pig out on delicious dim sum, Yangtze’s is the place to go. For starters, grab one of their exotic island drinks. The Yangtze Special with fresh peach cream and rum is the perfect accompaniment for what’s about to go down. Proceed to stuff your face with shrimp dumplings, pork shu mai, chicken feet, har gow and if you really want to get fancy, order the Shanghai juicy dumplings. They’re not on the menu, but you can get them by special order.

10. Nelson’s Is A Sweet Cream Heaven

Nelson’s Drive Inn Dairy Store
920 Olive St W
Stillwater, MN
(651) 439-3598
Yelp: 4.5 Stars - 46 Reviews Delicious ice cream can be found all over Minnesota, but when you want the “crème de la crème” if you will, stop by Nelson’s. They have two locations, the original location in Stillwater Drive Inn Dairy Store and a second location in St. Paul. Go to the one in Stillwater, because the original is always best. Tackle “The Lumberjack”--five huge scoops in your choice of flavors and toppings--and your picture will go on their Wall of Fame.

11. Scarf Down Spicy Pad Thai At Spice

Spice Thai Cuisine
3989 CR 42 W
Savage, MN
(952) 882-9272
Yelp: 4 Stars - 43 Reviews At Spice Thai Cuisine, everything curry and noodle soup is perfectly spiced. The obvious winner on the menu, though, is the Pad Thai. Definitely start out with their version of the crab rangoon, called ‘cheese puff,’ if you want to do things right.

12. Brasa Rotisserie

Brasa Rotisserie
777 Grand Ave
Summit Hill, Saint Paul, MN
(651) 224-1302
Yelp: 4 Stars - 208 Reviews Brasa Rotisserie serves up slow cooked, local meats and homemade comfort Creole- and Caribbean-inspired food. The dishes are served ‘family-style’ with small (serves 1), medium (serves 1-2) and large (serves 3-4) servings to choose from, making it a really fun place for sharing with groups, or being really hungry and sharing with no one. The pulled pork, smoked beef and roasted chicken with gravy will make your mouth water for hours after.

13. Treat Yo’ Self To Dinner At Duluth Grill

Duluth Grill
118 S 27th Ave W
Duluth, MN
(218) 726-1150
Yelp: 4.5 Stars - 215 Reviews Duluth Grill is known for their incredible breakfasts and brunches, but I’m here to tell you about their dinners. How does a braised lamb shank slow roasted in duck fat and nestled in fire-roasted tomato and curry stew sound? I implore you to come here for dinner. You deserve it.

14. Bring Your Ravenous Appetite To The Blue Door Pub

The Blue Door Pub
1811 Selby Ave
Merriam Park, Saint Paul, MN
(651) 493-1865
Yelp: 4 Stars - 461 Reviews The Blue Door Pub is not for the faint of heart. You’re going to want to try so many of the amazing things here, so it’s best to show up nigh-starving. For starters, they have eleven different flavors of wings that range from maple bacon to mango habanero. You’re also going to want to try their spam bites, cheese curds and “totchos” (nachos, but over tater tots = life-changing). I mean it—don’t skip those. In some alternative universe where you actually have room for dessert you have to try their ‘Scrumdidilyumptous Bites’: a candy bar cheesecake rolled in an Oreo cookie crust and drizzled with cayenne vanilla creme.

15. Brunch It Up At Birchwood

Birchwood Cafe
3311 E 25th St
Seward, Minneapolis, MN
(612) 722-4474
Yelp: 4 Stars - 251 Reviews This family-run restaurant is dedicated to organic, GMO-free food from local, sustainable farmsand it will be some of the best, cleanest, freshest food you’ve ever put in your mouth. Without a doubt, you should get the Savory Waffle. It’s a millet, gruyere and pumpkin waffle topped with a sunny-side up egg, bacon lardons, apple cinnamon butter and cranberry pear chutney. You can even get it gluten free. Pair it with a gluten free pear mimosa and just accept that ‘hipster’ is a just a word for ‘those who love amazing food and drink’.
What’s your go-to for great grub in Minneapolis? Tell us in the comments below!