Walleye is Minnesota's state fish and the Twin Cities' default white-fleshed entree. The fillet is mild, sweet and firm, pan-fried with a flour-cornmeal crust or grilled on cedar.

Walleye anchors Minnesota dining the way lobster does coastal Maine. The fish has been the centerpiece of shore lunches across the state's 10,000-plus lakes for more than a century, and the Department of Natural Resources stocks more than 200 million walleye fry annually. In Minneapolis-Saint Paul kitchens, walleye landed on resort menus first then onto downtown plates after WWII. Today Owamni serves it cedar-planked over wild rice as part of Sean Sherman's Indigenous program, Restaurant Alma plates a seasonal preparation, and Sea Salt Eatery does a beer-battered version that gets a line down the path at Minnehaha Falls every summer.

3 editor picks for Walleye in Minneapolis, ranked by editorial score. All Minneapolis signature dishes · Walleye across every city.