50 Best American Restaurants near South Saint Paul

“Kudos to the restaurant team for a very respectful and quick resolution to an incorrect order. Food was great.“

“Fantastic Place!! Roger and Candy do a Great job. Quick, Delicious, and Affordable. Takey Outy or Eaty Innee.“

“burger was really good and the pasta was tasty. wings are insanely overpriced.“

“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!“

“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! 🥰“

“Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — and honestly, I’d give it six if the people-watching counted as a side dish. Baldamar in Roseville just gets it. The ambiance? Beautiful. The service? Beautiful. The food? Consistently hits the spot every single time. It’s one of those places where you know exactly what you’re going to get—and it never disappoints. Now let’s talk about the real hidden gem: the weekday lunch crowd. If I were single and in the market for a finance daddy… this would be my hunting ground 😂. We’re talking tables full of businessmen, power lunches, suits everywhere—it’s like a live-action LinkedIn feed, and I’m here for it. Dinner is a whole different vibe. I’ve only been once, but wow, low lighting, a little moody, very date-night energy. Whether it’s a first date or you’ve been together forever, it just works. It’s cozy, a little sexy, and feels intentional without trying too hard. Service is always on point, you’ll even catch the manager making rounds, which says a lot. And the food? My go-to is the lobster roll (don’t overthink it, just order it). Also… prepare yourself for the desserts. When they say “to share,” they mean with your entire table… and possibly the table next to you. These things are massive. Cocktails are another win. I’m loyal to the Godfather,Scotch whiskey with amaretto, and I get it up instead of on ice. Smooth, strong, and exactly what I want every time. Bottom line: whether you’re there for lunch, a date, or just some elite-level people-watching, Baldamar delivers.“

“Love the atmosphere and food, and we love sitting in Lauren S’s section. Always happy and helpful!!“

“Just tried for the first time staff was friendly. Food was decent would return back.“

“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.“

“Always a fabulous meal - thank you!!“

“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.“

“Food is always great and the service is super friendly. Big menu for a diner so there is something for everyone. My husband loves the hand crafted malts and I go for the homemade soups. Breakfast is unbeatable!“

“Great good and service. Went there with some friends from work for lunch today and we loved it. Everyone was so friendly“

“The best breakfast and coffee in town..“

“Everything is always awesome here! Highly recommend!“

“Really good experience at the Culver’s in Woodbury Minnesota. Doing curbside and a shake tipped over in my car and the guy who brought it out was nice enough to go get towels and a new shake. Definitely did not have to do that. It was completely my fault, but he went above and beyond For customer that is a rare thing to find“

“The Bulldog has the best food and drinks, and Melissa is the best server in town.“

“Carissa was our waitress/bartender for lunch 2-3pm. Her friendliness, service and attention to detail is commendable. The food (Shrimp Fahitas) was delicious and the beer was cold. Defiantly will return to this establishment!“

“Delicious appetizers huge portions . Drinks are good aswell !“

“I needed to kill some time before going to the the iihf World juniors hockey tournament and stopped in. I ended up spending most of my time before and after the game there. The food was excellent and Melissa the bartender made the experience wonderful. Very friendly atmosphere and the drinks are poured well and come out fast. Highly recommend to anyone going to anyone looking for a place to go before the game.“

“Good food, realy liked the hash browns and bacon. Great with our kids, they let us split a kids plate which was super nice. Also, someone Secret Santaed us and covered out bill. to whoever that was thank you so very much and bless you!“

“I haven't had much time to frequent this place much lately, but every time I do I have the time of my life. The staff is amazing, the food is incredible and the community is tight knit and welcoming. I couldn't have picked a better city to live in than St. Paul, and Pillbox is a major reason for it.“

“Great food, atmosphere, service and drinks. Reasonably priced, hometown bar feel, favorite place for happy hour or a meal any day of the week.“

“Went at 9pm for date night.
This place restores the soul. Beauty abounds. Crisp Nightcap rocks.
Thoughtful NA options.

3 deviled eggs, not 4? Boohoo. Burger is worth at most, $15, not $21.
Bar food is telling me: "You should just eat in the restaurant, you fool!" Not at all bad, not at all great.“

“I just came here to say these were the best bang bang skrimp wraps I've ever had. crunch, on point! sauce, on point! even the slaw which I'm usually not a huge fan of by itself, on point! perfect portion, cherry coke on tap was great too! My friend had the nachos and they were huge, although they were served in a large bowl, I would find it easier for cheese distribution if served on a platter of some sort but that's about it, still recommending!“

“Great food, nice bar, reminded us of home“

“Our great Neighbors of Applebee's really to good care of us for lunch. The food was awesome and the manager and staff where so helpful. We had a big lunch order for our office and they did just awesome taking care of us. We will be back. Thanks, Blockadvisors team.“

“Good service and food. We were there right before closing. Great job“

“There are many choices in the area for casual dining, but most often we choose THIS clean, well-maintained Perkins restaurant. Our favorite 5-star server is Laurie, who remembers us, greets us with a smile and thanks us whenever we show up. The chefs behind the scenes are consistent in every way: quality, preparation, portion, flavors, timing, and accuracy. Staff members work hard to keep the restaurant and bakery clean, well-stocked, and spiffy. You can't go wrong here!“

“Great Happy Hour! Food is always good.“

“Great view, food and beer selection. Great service team…“

“Update! Back again in 2024 and it was a hit once again. Great spot for the family in an old-school fair tradition. Everyone was happy with the breakfast sandwich, French toast, pancakes, and Swedish egg coffee. We'll be back in 2025...

Original review from 2023: Long-time gems like this make the fair unique. Very friendly people and typically a much shorter line than the Hamline dining hall. The croissant on the breakfast sandwich was extremely fluffy. Everyone at our table was incredibly friendly, as were the workers, from the host to the checkout clerk. A nice relaxed respite from the chaos the rest of the fairgrounds can be.“

“Really good food.. Service was pretty fast for how busy they were“

“Some of the best food that side of the Pecos. Been there twice in the last couple weeks it's amazing. highly recommended

Vegetarian options: There is a chef working there I'm sure he can accommodate any type of special order

Dietary restrictions: I had a diabetes-friendly option

Parking: I didn't count them but I bet there's parking 400

Kid-friendliness: It is a bar and restaurant but I've seen kids playing outside that live in the marina. They played with my puppy dog.

Wheelchair accessibility: Parking lots on the same level as the restaurant it's a quick roll“

“The food here is always excellent! Quick, hot, and pretty reasonable on the price! We always get extra fries because they’re so dang delicious! My boyfriend always gets the Philly cheesesteak.

My favorites are the tenders and the fried fish! Only thing that hasn’t been as good as I’d are the shrimp, they’re sometimes a little on the soggier side, but I think that’s on me for not getting to it fast enough.

Overall a great place!“

“Over all best experience I have had. Thank you so much and I’ll be coming here more often. I am just starting my vegan journey and this place makes great food! The staff is super friendly too“

“Skinner's did an amazing job catering our U of M Employee Appreciation event...EVERYONE was Happy. Thank you!“

“The drinks were poured strong and the burger had amazing flavor. However, the bartender was overwhelmed and you could tell the kitchen was running short staffed. When I placed my ordered for my burger I requested no onion and no garlic aioli. I watched the new waitress write that specifically. My burger came out with onions on it, no biggie I just took them off. I got half way through my burger and took a bite and there was special sauce on it. I spit it out, began gagging and it took everything in my power to not throw up all over. The new waitress came up and asked if I was okay. I begged her to take my plate away, and she got me a new water. My appetite was ruined. We were pushing time for our concert shuttle so we quickly paid our bill and left without complaint but we were surprised my meal wasn’t comped. I was super bummed I couldn’t finish the burger as it was SO good!! Attention to detail is important and I’m just glad I wasn’t allergic to something in the sauce!“

“I went to Cottage Grove Culver's with a friend yesterday and was inspired to write a review because the service was well above average. My friend got the flavor of the day frozen custard, which was a devil's food cake chocolate flavor. It looked delicious and I said that out loud. One of the employees there, Brayden, overheard me say that and brought me a free sample. That was so thoughtful and the kind of service one might expect from a sit-down restaurant with servers. It makes me so happy when someone takes pride in their job and exceeds expectations. Besides the excellent service, I have always been impressed with the quality of Culver's food from burgers to salads to custard.“

“Desiree was great, very friendly and polite and actually knows waiter etiquette of
Not reaching over ppl or their food, that’s a lost art so it was refreshing hearing her say she “doesn’t want to reach over can I hand her the empty plate” 10 stars!!!“

“The vibes and food are immaculate.“

“I ran into the owners today! Super friendly! Food was fresh and done quick. Will be back …great job!“

“Excellent food and staff!!“

“Fantastic food - the menu looks fairly standard for American bar/restaurant food however the dishes are definitely elevated when it comes to flavor and higher quality than your typical restaurant with similar menu options. I was blown away at how tasty everything was. We ordered buffalo wing., nachos, a burger and a salad and everything was excellent. Our server was also very good, stopping by frequently to check in on us. I'll definitely be a return customer.“

“Excellent food! Great staff.“

“Good food, great service, reasonable prices.“

“when we called in and ask about pizza special. They didnt tell both of them. I would have ordered the other special. Then it wasnt ready on time. The topper was I had to break a 20.00 for .3 cents. I know I am only one customer. I came in there at least once a week. Because of the .3 cents not because of the other two problems. I will not be back.“

“Great service, really good food, and the drinks were my favorite part!“

“Maybe another startup with great coffee ! 🙂😊“

“As someone who is born and raised in St. Paul. I can’t say enough nice things on Herbies. Just had Valentine’s Day dinner. Got a nice fire side table. Everybody from the front of the house to the back is always professional. Food is always great always accommodating if something isn’t right. Cece rocks!!!“