50 Best American Restaurants in Minneapolis

“It's Taco Tuesday and I was craving Mexican food, but I didn't just wanna go to the type of place you think of when "Mexican" is brought up... I'm fancy, so I wanted something a bit more upscale. I did a little bit of research and wouldn't you know it... Colita came up. So here's how it went! Atmosphere/Appearance: Set south of downtown and a bit west of The Mall of America on Penn Avenue is this gem. There is no private parking lot, but plenty of street parking to leave your fly ride. But once you walk up to the restaurant you can immediately understand the message they're trying to send. Everything looks so modern, straightforward with straight lines, grey colors and light woods. There is a small outdoor section where you can dine if you get lucky enough to land a spot there. Inside carries a very similar style with a little nod to the pueblos and architecture of the southwest. The decor is minimalistic and the "loudest" thing in the room is the live plant wall seated directly behind the bar, which was super cool. Service: I can't remember who took care of us, but we had no issues whatsoever. Food/Drink: I was able to try so many different dishes and drinks here and the list is below... 🍹: Xochitl In Love 🍸: La Clandestina 🐟: Tuna Tostada 🌮: Chicken Tinga Tostada 🦪: Seared Scallops 🫓: Tlayuda 🥃: Colita Old Fashioned 🥩: Lamb Barbacoa Tacos 🫔: Duck Tamal However, my favorite things were the Lamb Barbacoa Tacos, Duck Tamal and Seared Scallops, in that order. The food here is phenomenal, the drinks are excellently crafted and things are served tapas style so you don't get too full off of just one thing! Order a whole bunch of stuff and share with the table! Value: As I mentioned earlier, I wanted upscale and the priced dddooo reflect that. Lol. This is a nice place so be prepared to spend... Like you're downtown somewhere. In conclusion, I loved this place and I will come back over and over. Check this place out the next time you're in the area!“

“We held our company Christmas Party at their beautiful restaurant and had such a great time! The staff were so attentive and wonderful to interact with throughout the whole evening! We ordered an array of food and our employees couldn’t stop talking about how fantastic the prime rib and KFC (Korean fried cauliflower) were! The talk around the shop about this event and the delicious food went on for days! We all had such a great experience from start to finish. They made it so easy to plan, set up, host and tear down. We would highly recommend anyone looking to host a party to come here! Now if you are just looking for a bite to eat for a date night or family night out, they also have you covered. No matter what plans you have this is the spot to be! A huge thanks to Lake and Irving for all they did for us and a massive thank you to Chris the chef! That meal was better than we could have ever expected!“

“The Jucy Lucy really is what it's cracked up to be. It's a little small, if you're a big eater, order two. The whole basket of fries was enough for 3 hungry people but I left a bit hungry still. The food takes a while (Jucy Lucys take longer than normal burgers) so I chose not to order a second due to the wait. The fries are very close to what you would get at McDonalds - in a good way.

Honestly, I kind of love the vibe of the place. They won't seat you until everyone in your party is there, which makes sense since it is such a small establishment. As long as you know this ahead of time it isn't an issue, but when it's sub-zero outside be sure to find a warm place to wait if you don't have everyone with you. Don't make the mistake we made by sitting in the booth near the door. Even with the second interior door it gets cold sitting there in the winter.

Overall this is one that anyone who loves burgers has to try at least once. Parking is a bit of a nightmare, but it's worth it.“

“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.“

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

“Wonderful stick to your ribs food at one of the best "hole in the wall" diners in the metro area. Great diner atmosphere, exceptional and attentive staff. You're gonna have a great meal here.“

“food was amazing, I reccomend the prime rib dip. drink were perfectly proportionate. bartenders jackson and jake went above and beyond, drink never went empty and my food came before my girl does.“

“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.“

“Excellent food! Great wine!♥️“

“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.“

“Best food ever. A place to come if you want inspired, ever changing, non pretentious, and genuinely incredibly impressive breakfast and lunch!“

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

“Super fun vibe, FANTASTIC people/staff, great food and fun times.“

“My boyfriend and my kids along with the dog came here. We made reservations for the covered outdoor area and showed up a couple minutes early and they were still able to seat us right away which was excellent. It was surprisingly a really nice area as this was our first time visiting the restaurant before we went over to the falls. Everyone enjoyed their food and the portions were large. Our waiter was very attentive, they treated our dog well and the dog menu is super cute!!!The only odd thing from the whole experience was I asked for a tequila and sparkling water and she asked if I meant a skinny margarita??? Idk how that correlates at all I thought it was funny though. Either way I would definitely come back with our dog it was a nice relaxing atmosphere to enjoy dinner with family and a few drinks.“

“Kind of a hiding in plain sight gem! We loved the sliders and the sides! We will 💯 be going back! 😊“

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

“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!“

“Lovely place and owners. Had a Bauru, an outstanding steak sandwich, named after my hometown in Brazil. The brigadeiro cake was delicious, perfectly balanced with a scoop of raspberry sorbet. Thank you, Kalinka and team. It was a beautiful taste of home.“

“Always enjoy coming to this neighborhood spot to enjoy fantastic food and drinks and relax“

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

“Cannot recommend this place enough. From the welcoming and warm staff to the amazing food and drinks- this place made our entire night. We will absolutely be coming back during our next trip to Minneapolis!“

“Amazing food, good service, lovely patio“

“New menu coming in March!“

“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 !!!!“

“One of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to. The food is DELICIOUS! This is one of the only restaurants I go to for the actual flavor of the food instead of convenience. I’m gluten free and eat mostly organic and other restaurants have a hard time comparing to my cooking. The gf focaccia is to die for and I’ve never had anything I didn’t like!“

“Great cocktails and brunch in a fun, comfortable atmosphere. Our bartender was friendly and they have a nice, dog friendly patio. Will definitely go back!“

“Food was nicely presented and tasty. The dessert was fantastic. Didn't have any non-alcoholic options to pair with dinner.
Biggest negative was how loud it was in the dining room. We felt like our servers were yelling to present the dish. It was uncomfortable how loud the room was with only 20 or so people in there. I felt it really made the dining experience rather chaotic. My companions and I were unable to have an awesome experience due to the noise.“

“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!!!“

“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“

“The staff are the highlight, great bartenders and great drinks!“

“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!“

“I’ve come here to work during the day and for dinner. Every time I’ve had excellent food and drinks, making me want to come back and try more of the menu. I highly recommend the Dutch baby with berries and cream and the meatloaf is out of this world! It’s amazing how the atmosphere shifts from modern neighborhood cafe during the day to casual but fine dining at night - all with an undercurrent of high quality ingredients and exciting flavor combos like earl gray crème brûlée.“

“Mini Pac Grill has a unique flavor. The Rice Dinners are filled with meat and vegetables on top of a bed of white rice cooked in butter.“

“A group of us used to come here for lunch several times a month but we haven't been here in years since none of us work in the area anymore. Stopped by to reminisce and the food and service are just as great as I remember. ❤️❤️“

“This our first time in MN for appointments at Mayo Clinic. The staff were so welcoming and the food was delicious. 😋“

“Such an amazing neighborhood restaurant! Friendly staff and the food is FABULOUS!! Brussel sprouts with bacon and honey is an absolutely legendary combo for an appetizer! The salmon bowl was exquisite! Great ingredients, super tasty, and beautiful presentation. Highly recommend stopping by whether you’re coming from nearby or from across town!“

“It was just 2 of us dining in a lil cozy cabin. The food was amazing! Fresh, healthy and quite a feast! We ended up taking dessert to go! We ordered the top experience level and it did not disappoint. Will look into visiting again next season!“

“Delightful brunch patio on the river. Their music creates a perfect ambiance. We ordered eggs Benedict and the strawberry salad, both were outstanding. Servers were great.

Bloody mix has a nice balance of smoke & spice.

Great for groups.“

“Absolutely loved this place! I tried their Turkish cardamom milk coffee along with the Lingonberry Almond Torte, and both were honestly amazing. The coffee had such a rich, smooth flavor with the perfect touch of cardamom — warm, comforting, and unique compared to regular coffee spots. You can really taste the quality and care in every sip.

The Lingonberry Almond Torte was just as impressive. The balance between the sweet almond flavor and the slight tartness from the lingonberry was perfect, and the dessert itself was fresh, soft, and beautifully presented. It paired incredibly well with the coffee.

The atmosphere was cozy and relaxing, with a warm vibe that makes you want to stay longer and enjoy your time. Staff were friendly and welcoming, and the whole experience felt thoughtful from start to finish. Definitely a great spot for coffee and dessert lovers. I’ll absolutely be coming back again! ☕🍰✨“

“Great concert venue. Plus. Their food is 5 star quality.“

“Food was great very reasonable price. Gave 4 stars total and on service because I had to use the bathroom and wasn't told there was a code to enter. When I tried to flag down the waitress she was assisting the table nezt to us and did not return for 10 minutes. Otherwise very friendly and did not interrupt our dinner at all.“

“Had a quick date night at Kizzo and the service was excellent. It was really cozy and perfect for a freezing January night. Had the vegan burger and my husband had the cooper burger. Both were SO good, as were the garlic fries. Highly recommend any restaurant by Kamal Mohamed!“

“Fantastic food - every bite was amazing!“

“Delicious, beautiful, great service.“

“First time dining here. Overall it was pretty good and we would go back! Would not get the mussels again because it was borderline too salty and just kinda boring. The cocktails were amazing and the cheese curds were one of the best! The prime rib sandwich was good too.“

“I was staying in the University of Minnesota and this place was a life saver when I did not want to eat in the dining hall. Their falafel sandwich was genuinely some of the best falafel I have ever had and their fries were undoubtedly the best fries I have ever had. The service was super quick and we got our food in under 10 minutes consistently. The staff was super friendly and the restaurant had a great atmosphere to it. Would strongly recommend if you are in the area!“

“Very expensive for us but it was a fun experience. The food was good and my son who's in a mission to order French fries at every fine dining restaurant was very pleased with his $15 fries! I wasn't blown away by the drink I got, for the price I was hoping for something that went down a little smoother.“

“The tacos were bomb! Everything was seasoned amazingly.“

“We work closely with Fabulous every single day to bring their amazing food to our clients — and it never disappoints. The flavors are always fresh, portions are generous, and the presentation is beautiful. Our clients rave about the meals, and we couldn’t be happier to partner with a place that takes such pride in every dish.“