Where to brunch in Minneapolis: morning rooms worth the queue.
Where to brunch in Minneapolis. the morning rooms worth the queue, and the kitchens still doing it right at noon.
Hen House Eatery in Minneapolis runs downtown's defining all-day breakfast counter on 8th Street, with scratch biscuits and a 30-cocktail Bloody Mary list.
Order: Babe's Eggs Benedict with carnitas on jalapeno cheddar cornbread.
Tip: Arrive before 9am on weekends or join the waitlist on the loudspeaker; the bakery counter sells out the maple bacon cinnamon roll by 11.
Lake and Irving in Minneapolis serves Uptown's reliable Hawaiian-American brunch on West Lake Street, with loco moco, spam musubi and weekend cocktails.
Order: Hawaiian loco moco with kalua pork and a sunny egg.
Tip: Patio seats face Lake Street; the kitchen runs a Hawaiian-Regional Cuisine angle on Sunday brunch with spam musubi and saimin.
Victor's 1959 Cafe in Minneapolis runs the city's Cuban breakfast room on Grand Avenue South, with arroz a la cubana, mango pancakes and a tight dining room.
Order: Arroz a la cubana with two eggs, sweet plantains and yuca frita.
Tip: The dining room is the size of a living room; expect a 30 minute wait on Saturday after 10am. The Cubano sandwich is the takeaway order.
Brunson's Pub in Saint Paul runs East Side weekend brunch on Payne Avenue, with scratch biscuits, Lovejoy's Bloody Marys and a tight 19-tap beer list.
Order: Lovejoy's Bloody Mary alongside the scratch biscuits and gravy.
Tip: The Payne Avenue patio is the spring through autumn pick; the full pub menu runs alongside brunch and the kitchen serves until 10pm weekdays.
Cafe Latte in Saint Paul runs the Grand Avenue cafeteria-and-bakery hybrid since 1985, with scratch soups, salads, the turtle cake and a wine bar upstairs.
Order: The turtle cake plus the daily soup-and-salad combo from the line.
Tip: The wine bar upstairs opens late afternoon and seats walk-ins; bakery counter is the pre-noon pick for a turtle cake or a scone.
Moto-i in Minneapolis runs the country's first sake brewpub at Lyn-Lake, with weekend izakaya brunch, ramen and the rooftop garden in summer.
Order: The Tokyo straight ramen plus the breakfast buns with cured pork belly.
Tip: Open until midnight every night, so brunch rolls into late-afternoon ramen. The rooftop garden seats 24 in summer; first come first served.
Egg and I in Saint Paul runs the University Avenue classic-breakfast counter since 1991, with eggs Florentine, scratch hash browns and biscuits with gravy.
Order: The Eggs Florentine with hash browns and a side of biscuits and gravy.
Tip: Saturday before 9am is the only time you walk in without a wait; closes daily at 2pm sharp with no dinner service.
Animales Barbeque in Minneapolis runs the Harrison weekend brunch on Fremont with brisket hash, smoked-meat tacos and a 12,500 square foot music room.
Order: The brisket hash with poached eggs and pickled jalapenos.
Tip: The Harrison room runs barbecue brunch only on the weekend; the live music stage gets going around 6pm on Saturday evening.
Peak food season in Minneapolis is year-round.
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Minneapolis rewards trust.