50 Best American Restaurants near Mendota Heights

“just we had a bad experience yesterday. my husband ordered the el pastor with corn tortillas the waitress comes back with our food and said they ran out of tortillas and they had to make some, and does he still want them of course he does after about 5 mins we stopped her and she says the cooks don't want to listen to her. so about 8 mins later she comes back with 3 tore up looking tortillas. we go to pay the bill mind you I left a 6 dollar tip even tho she took ten mins to greet us and ask if we needed drinks. my bill was 51.52 I gave her a60.00 she asked if I needed change. I said yes she then pulls a paper and try to subtract 51.52 from 60.00 she gave me 4 dollars back I was already home when I counted the change she gave me back“

“My friend and I had an incredible time at Owamni. My compliments to the chef. Truly one of a kind experience. The food was outstanding from start to finish ( presentation, flavor profile, texture, all natural and full of character). There’s not a place that’s more unique than Owamni in Minnesota, in my opinion . I highly recommend this establishment, and I wish you prosperity and success.“

“So good! Excellent customer service and the food is to die for! 100% recommend this restaurant to all my friends and family!“

“We were here for dinner over the weekend and everything about this place was phenomenal we tried multiple things off of the to share or not portion of the menu and loved every bit of it. The whole grilled fish our waitress mentioned rotates depending on what is available fresh and it was cooked to Perfection and probably our favorite thing all weekend. The cocktail menu is unique and everything that we had the opportunity to try was delicious I highly recommend doing the cocktail flight to anybody who doesn't have a favorite spirit. Staff was incredibly friendly and knew what they were talking about if you had questions. To those looking at going here reservations are a must!!!! Great atmosphere as well“

“Great food! Great service! Exceptional kitchen management!“

“We had a fantastic date night at Joan’s! Highly recommend! The food was incredible. Perfect pacing, portions, wine pairings, and the flavors have you closing your eyes to experience each bite. One of the best meals we have ever had. Our server was thoughtful and friendly. Great dining atmosphere. We will be back!“

“Myself and four friends were in Minneapolis for a few days on a visit from Ireland and had breakfast here a few times. Food was delicious. Great choice on the menu. Service was brilliant. Staff friendly and efficient.“

“We went for the first time yesterday and we loved it! The food was delicious and we really enjoyed the atmosphere. Great service. We will be back soon!“

“I finally made it to Matt’s bar to check out the “Original” Jucy Lucy. Hamburger was great, as expected. Fries were shoestring and were perfect and delicious. Service was great. I went on a Monday afternoon and we sat down right away and were eating in about 20 minutes.

This really is more of a restaurant now. Because of the food, there is a LOT of turnover and it’s mostly food tourists. Even on a Monday. IDK if the kitchen closes, but maybe it turns more into a bar after that. The signs posted everywhere basically say “Others are waiting to be seated”. While there wasn’t a line when we were there, I’m sure there is when it’s weekend busy.

Good prices. They could be charging much more based on demand.

Lastly, cash only. There is an ATM on site with a $2 charge if you forget.

Great food served fast and great service. Thanks!“

“These folks have known how to do fine dining for decades. One of my favorites growing up and now I take my own kids.“

“came to eat dinner with friends. it was a 10/10, it was a wonderful experience. the staff was friendly and the food was delicious.“

“Amazing! We stopped here for our first time for pre-event drinks with our friends. We anticipated having one cocktail and being on our way, but were instead treated to something more akin to an experience! The GM greeted us and took our order and made sure we got to try more than just our drinks. A whole story about finding someone to re-tie my husband’s bow tie turned into a hilarious challenge for most of the staff. Even to the point that the assistant GM was going to drive to Von Maur while we finished our drinks (we declined..but wow). What kind of place does this!? Our cocktails were amazing, the charcuterie plate was delicious (the jam, honey, and cheese…just wow). But most of all, the staff made everything so memorable. We’ve never experienced anything like this! We will be back soon for a full dinner. Thank you for making our night so enjoyable!“

“Classic diner comfort with a modern update on the menu. Lots of great cocktail and beer options, but not so many that it’s not kid friendly. Have been here twice now, and both times food and service has been excellent.“

“When we made a reservation, it said they only had room on the heated patio. We actually got to eat inside though. The patio looked nice. There were TVs, festive decorations, and lots of people. I can't speak to how warm it was, but it looked like it had a firplace too. If we'd had a dog, that would've been amazing. Our server spoke quickly and did everything quickly. The portions were very large. We were so stuffed. We had the Thanksgiving meal and it has potatoes with gravy, corn, Turkey, green bean casserole, roll and butter, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie for $29. A big full plate of food. The restaurant was packed, but not ridiculously loud. They showed football inside as well. I only gave the food 4 stars because it wasn't amazing, but everything was solid and impressive. You could order from the regular menu as well. MSP Mag had a list of places to eat on Thanksgiving and they were the most affordable and the most generous with what they provided. We also got an even better deal because we bought discount gift cards at Costco and were part of the rewards program. Highly recommend!!“

“We celebrated with dinner at the Lexington and it was a perfect spot to try! Our waitress, Grace, was phenomenal and so attentive to us. She helped us celebrate with a surprise photo and ice cream sweet:) She went above to help our experience be wonderful! We loved the valet option and enjoyed our first time at the Lexington! 🥰“

“awesome food, service and atmosphere. thanks for making our lunch awesome Sara.“

“If anyone would like a good restaurant to eat at I would suggest going to the North Pole restaurant in Newport Minnesota. The staff are nice and when you ask them for something they will get it for you right away.“

“The best breakfast and coffee in town..“

“Excellent food! Great wine!♥️“

“We celebrated with dinner at the Lexington and it was a perfect spot to try! Our waitress, Grace, was phenomenal and so attentive to us. She helped us celebrate with a surprise photo and ice cream sweet:) She went above to help our experience be wonderful! We loved the valet option and enjoyed our first time at the Lexington! 🥰“

“The food is amazing. The jumbo cinnamon roll is a must try. Great food good service we will be back.“

“The Mason Jar is great! I live out of state now, but always try to make an effort to get brunch here. The tater tot hot dish can't be beat. Plus their lattes are fun and big.
Make a reservation if you're planning on going to brunch on the weekend.“

“Always a fabulous meal - thank you!!“

“So happy to see Dark Horse open and vibrant again! We couldn’t choose what to get, so we ordered an extra entree so we didn’t miss out. The chicken sandwich is a must, the mushroom burger was the perfect comfort food, and the meatballs/pasta was the perfect entree to make sure we had leftovers. If you like a creamy Caesar dressing, you’re going to LOVE that as well.

Congrats Sarah & Shane for the wonderful menu and atmosphere!!“

“Excellent quality, found it to be very impressive.“

“We ended up having 3+ extra hours to kill when we had to change our connecting flight due to mechanical issues on the plane. Stopped in here and was AMAZED to see they offer 34+ beers and a menu with a large variety of dishes. (( The walleye sandwich and wild rice soup were 10/10 👌🏻)). Mara is THE BEST WAITRESS in the Twin Cities and makes for such a great time. Can’t wait to come back to MNPLS again and make this a staple.“

“Lost my comment. Try again. On May 19th a group of family members went to the Bloomington Culvers. We were celebrating my grandsons grade school concert. I was unable to go up front to order and my son asked if someone could help me. Jose (spelling) I believe was the night manager. He came back to my table and took my order. He was so gracious and kind. I so appreciated his help. I didn't have the right walker and it would have been difficult without help to go up front. I can't thank him enough. It is so nice to go to a restaurant and know everyone is so friendly and willing to make your experience a good one. Thank you Don and Misty for such a wonderful crew. Now if you only had your fried chicken back on the menu, my favorite. See you soon“

“Every time we are in south Minneapolis, we try to eat at Wise acres. A few years ago I had a special of the day. It was a BELT sandwich. This is a BLT with an egg. This was the best sandwich I have every had in my life. Never found it again. But, I'll keep looking for it.“

“Amazing food, good service, lovely patio“

“Excellent service! Abbi W was our server and she made the dinner so much better! Good food doesn’t matter without good service. We will definitely be back and ask for Abbi!“

“I wanted to take a moment to shout out an amazing restuarant located in minneapolis called Nolos Kitchen & Bar! As most of you know by now my girls and I had planned to fly out to california for my bachelorette party and winded up with a cancelled flight first thing in the morning at 4am thanks to microsoft. after we arrived to the airport and stood in line for 4 hours we were told that the next flight wasn’t available for another 24hours at 6 am the next day. We decided to go get breakfast while we figured out our next move and what we were supposed to do for the next 24 hours. We arrived to Nolos in pretty low spirits but that was quickly turned around when we met our waitress. Not only was the food PHENOMENAL, but they went as far as to make us my favorite cocktail (which wasn’t even on the menu!) As we sat and enjoyed our breakfast we talked about where we should go/what we should do/ and about how tired we were because we were only running on a couple of hours of sleep. We were at the point of even contemplating piling back into the car to take a nap when our sweetheart of a waitress approached us and informed us that they had a basement bar that didn’t open until 5 pm that night. She proceeded to tell us that since the basement bar didn’t open till later the owner offered us their full basement as a safe haven for the day for us to get some sleep/ hang out in until we were ready for our next move. The basement had a lounge room for all my girls to pile in and get a few hours of sleep as well as whenever we wanted a drink or snack we could go right up stairs and order as needed. AS WELL as it was fully stocked with arcade games and a photo booth to keep us occupied.Ontop of everything they even covered 50% of our food and drink tabs😭 Nolo’s genuinely saved us that day- and i could never be more thankful that we walked into that restaurant that morning. We were met with nothing but kindess and generosity. If you want to go somewhere with kind people , AMAZING food, fun cocktails , and overall an amazing atmosphere I would HIGHLY reccomend Nolos Kitchen & Bar in minneapolis. I promise you won’t be dissapointed ! Thank you NOLO's Kitchen staff for going above and beyond !!!!“

“I visited the Bayshore location in Glendale, Wisconsin for lunch. I used the coupon for $5 off & it was absolutely outstanding. I will be back for sure.“

“The best restaurant in MN“

“New menu coming in March!“

“I miss your sandwiches and wraps so much. I hope you're doing well through this.“

“Friendly staff. Fast service. Food was very good. I recently moved to Saint Paul and will definitely return to this establishment. 😁“

“They always have delicious food. Sloppy hot dago, chef salad, and daily specials are always my favorites.“

“The best breakfast and coffee in town..“

“enjoyed the food and the service was great!“

“Everything is always awesome here! Highly recommend!“

“A cozy, wood and window bar and grill that is so welcoming, I am charging my power wheel chair in here welcomed to do it by a beautiful and happy waitress. Not a drinker, but bet I get food here in the near future! On corner across from Mears Park who failed my electric access w pad locks! lol. Life is an adventure and its businesses like this that make a crisis, not one. Makes it a warm visit instead. Home town Saint Paul is represented here. Thank you Bulldog!“

“Cheerful and professional service from Sydney. Great artichoke dip and nice smooth lattes. The hibiscus orange tart has great flavor, but a little odd in texture for me. A wonderful option within walking distance of the XCel and Science Museum.“

“Had brunch recently ~ was visiting from out of town, and local friends suggested Hazel's as a "can't miss" location to visit... the atmosphere & food were amazing, bested only by the service ~ Kinsey was absolutely amazing! A total 5 🌟 experience!!!“

“Very welcoming atmosphere, lovely staff. my lettuce wraps were probably the best I've had and my daughter's ice cream Sunday was huge! We went for bingo and enjoyed our time there, definitely will return! Nice bathrooms, very handicapped accessible.“

“The food is absolutely amazing! This is our go to place for a delicious breakfast! Everything is so delicious and servings are huge! Staff is always so friendly and very accommodating. Service is always top notch!“

“I got the Bison Back Ribs served over polenta with a gastrique (that was a new one to me). Surprising to me, the polenta and gastrique stole the spotlight. I also got to try my friend's Ribeye Bolognese. It was hard to say which was better“

“I really enjoyed the atmosphere here. It was slow so I would think that more attention would be placed on the customers that did come into this place but nope. It's kinda like a self service restaurant where the only interaction with the staff is when they bring out your food and drinks.
Why would I even tip in such a place but AI did anywho. Next time I'll just order to go . The wings were good and extra sauce to add ..it lacks a bit“

“The staff are incredible and the food is outstanding I've never had anything like it, not to mention the bar is so gorgeous I could look at it forever. My husband and I have been here three times and we will be back again, soon I hope! This is the perfect spot wether you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary, or just want to try incredible food some place new! I will be back soon with my mom just because I think it's so magical everyone must experience it. Bûcheron is a must!“

“great food! wonderful friendly service, loved the atmosphere and clean restrooms are a definite plus!“

“Wow! We just had breakfast at the Uptowner; this place is our new favorite for many reasons! Everything we ordered: pancakes, omelets, eggs benne and hash browns were some of the best we’ve ever had served to us. Our server was also so genuinely kind and attentive! We hope to make it back soon… I have my eye on that Ruben.“