50 Best American Restaurants near New Brighton

“Wonderful combo of traditional fare and things you've probably never heard of. Friendly people and beautiful, tasty food.“

“We had yet another fantastic dining experience at The Exchange, and this visit truly exceeded all expectations! From the moment we walked in, the ambiance was vibrant and inviting, setting the perfect tone for a memorable evening. Our server, Angela, was an absolute gem, her enthusiasm for the menu and her attentive service made all the difference.

She went above and beyond, sharing her favorites and suggesting delightful pairings that enhanced our meal. Angela’s warm personality and genuine care made us feel like we were the most important guests in the restaurant.

We decided to try the Cuban sandwich, and it was nothing short of spectacular! The combination of flavors was harmonious, with perfectly grilled bread and succulent fillings that danced on our taste buds.

As we dined, the atmosphere buzzed with laughter and the clinking of glasses, adding to the excitement of the evening. Each bite of food felt like a celebration, and we savored every moment.

Overall, it was an amazing dinner that transcended our expectations, and we can’t wait to return for another culinary adventure at The Exchange!“

“I love the Steak and eggs!!!!“

“Very impressed with my server, Harrison. He was so polite and attentive to every person in his section. The food was great and came out quickly. I dined in (Chicken Tender Melt) and took a second order to go because I need those buttermilk pancakes in my life (BOGO Wednesdays - if you don't know about it, find out).
Thank you, Harrison! Keep up the good work and you'll go far. Be blessed!“

“Understaffed since Covid and can't really seem to get their footing back. This means service is pretty meh. Food is iffy, sometimes good, sometimes meh. Never bad, thankfully. Can be kind of expensive, esp if you get drinks outside of happy hour.“

“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“

“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!“

“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!“

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

“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!“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Great staff. Plenty of menu selections with weekly specials. We've become regulars. Going back tonight.“

“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!“

“If you love old world supper clubs. The "Lex" is for you. Sadly I can not give it 4 stars until they up their game and get an espresso machine. Imagine a beautiful brass Espresso machine sitting behind the bar! Anyone who remembers the old Williams Cafe in Uptown knows what I am talking about. I can't think of another restaurant in their price range that does NOT offer Espresso in the Mpls-St. Paul area.“

“I recently went in to eat here, and it was surely an amazing experience. It was my first time going to this spot and I was really impressed. The whole place was very clean and I was greeted by a cashier there named Nabeela, she was very kind, friendly, and amazing to talk to. She even recommended me the most popular meals and I got to try a few with my friends. I felt so welcomed by her and the seating area was very comfortable and nicely decorated. I’ll definitely be coming in again and making this my new spot to eat with friends and family! 10/10 recommend.“

“We went here 6 years ago and enjoyed the food. Came back in February 2025, right before it was scheduled to close, and the food was pretty bad. Not sure if the quality digressed or our personal standards increased. Either way, sad it’s gone but the food wasn’t anything that will be missed.“

“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!“

“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.“

“Always a positive experience. Always good food. This restaurant and its sister restaurants do a great job and are neighborhood gems. The Howe has a patio out front a large porch with TVs and fireplace that is dog friendly, and comfortable tables and high tops inside. Great cocktails, great beer menu and high quality food.“

“The best breakfast and coffee in town..“

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

“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 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 !!!!“

“New menu coming in March!“

“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!“

“Excellent food! Great wine!♥️“

“Love the small town atmosphere and the great food and the waitress always remembers my honey for my coffee when I come in“

“This place is legit top restaurants in msp, why??? Because they have talent and imagination. Any one can buy great ingredients and high end products, but can you make sidewalk grass , spruce pine , lingcod , wildrice and strawberry taste good ?(Not a real dish just something off top of my head) That's talented and worth talking about , the folks here have talent. And if your looking for adventure of the palette look no further.“

“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“

“enjoyed the food and the service was great!“

“Had steak and shrimp $25.99 special. Everything was great except the steak. I unfortunately had to send back a tough gristle filled steak for a better, but tough steak.
The service was excellent, and they did their best to satisfy us. There are many delicious items on their menu, and we will be back... but steak will not be chosen again.“

“I love the interior design, service, and food here. I also appreciate the interesting menu selections, which offer more variety than other spots in St Louis Park. This is a great place for a date, a girls' brunch, or even a corporate meeting. My mom use to order the duck sandwich, which unfortunately is not on the menu anymore. She tried the Kimchi bowl instead and enjoyed it. My favorite is the chicken Mediterranean wrap—the chicken is such great quality, and they're really generous with the portion size! I also recommend the ratatouille, chicken wings, chicken apple sandwich, fresh espresso martini, and hummus platter.“

“it was super nice setting. comfortable, friendly service. clean well serviced. food was excellent! prices where perfect with food portion.“

“Amazing food, good service, lovely patio“

“Place has potential. Food is definitely solid. Not going to blow you away but it’s good. Smash burger could use more seasoning but loved the onions and meat skirt. Dry rub wings were lacking in flavor, needed a lot more seasoning. My friend got the Buffalo wings and loved the sauce on those. No home made ranch which is disappointing. Cheese curds are a small portion and are just frozen not hand breaded. Drinks are pretty spendy if you are not there for happy hour. Great spot before a wild game or other Xcel events but parking isn’t ideal and food isn’t good enough to seek out any other night. Place was dead on a Friday night.“

“We come here frequently with a large group of 10-15 people. On multiple occasions we’ve had Lexi as a server and I can’t say enough good things about her. She is so incredibly kind and does an absolutely fantastic job taking care of our group. Her personality is bubbly and vibrant. She has the service down to a science. Our drinks stay full. Our food is out all together, hot, and delivered in a timely manner. She gets all our bills taken care of smoothly. We’ve taken our group to other restaurants in the area and they seem visibly and audibly annoyed by us being there. I get it, we’re a big group at the end of the night. It can’t be easy. But Lexi makes us feel so welcome. She is an incredible asset to the team at The Lowry. We’ll definitely be back. Thank you to The Lowry and a huge thank you to Lexi!“

“The best restaurant in MN“

“We sat outside on their wonderful back patio. Food and service were excellent! Will be back again!“

“Everything is always awesome here! Highly recommend!“

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

“The custard was amazing, I wish I had bought more.😅 I got a grilled chicken sandwich, which was amazing, and Chili, although there chilly was cold and only beans, no meat like a lot of other changes iv been to. Which is unfortunate since I do really love their Chili. The place was a bit dirty too and a lot of the emopees were just chatting with each other. I'm the front.“

“This is one of the best gluten free and healthy restaurants in the five state area. The food tastes homemade and the dining area has a lot of natural light with big windows and a view of Bde Maka Ska (Lake Calhoun).
My personal favorites are their egg sandwiches on delicious focaccia bread. All the bowls are great too. Their business continues to grow and I’m looking forward to their new Edina store.
The manager, Kyle, is very personal, professional, and greets me by my name. I’m a regular. I come weekly. As a celiac, it’s the safest restaurant around.“

“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.“

“So many fresh-baked delicious treats! Local ice cream! Comfortable spot, and chess boards! My new local!“