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VenezuelanEat Street
Hola Arepa in Minneapolis runs the city's defining Venezuelan kitchen on Nicollet, with stuffed arepas, plantain bowls and tropical cocktails.
OrderPabellon arepa with shredded beef, black beans and plantain.
Why locals goChristina Nguyen and Birk Grudem's South Minneapolis arepa room sits well off the downtown circuit, three miles south of Loring Park.
TipBrunch lands Saturday and Sunday from 10:00; tropical rum punch is the order with the arepa plate. Book a Resy for Friday night.
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American BBQNorth Loop
Animales Barbeque Co. runs the smoker that defines Minneapolis barbecue, with brisket and ribs from a 12,500 square foot Harrison music hall on Fremont Ave N.
OrderThe brisket plate by the pound with white bread, pickles and onions.
Why locals goAfter a decade as a Bauhaus parking-lot pop-up, the smoker moved into a 12,500 square foot Harrison room with a live music stage in 2025.
TipWednesday to Sunday only; meats sell out by 8pm on busy weekends. Order at the counter, grab a booth, listen for the band.
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BurgersUptown
Bebe Zito on West 22nd Street is Minneapolis's chef-driven ice cream and smash burger counter, with a flamed creme brulee scoop as its calling card.
OrderThe smash burger paired with a creme brulee ice cream, flamed at the counter.
Why locals goOn a quiet Uptown side street off Lyndale, the original Bebe Zito flies under the radar of the Lake Street crowd ten blocks south.
TipOpen daily 11am to 10pm. The Malcolm Yards stall at 501 30th Ave SE is the easier sit; Uptown is the original.
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MediterraneanLowry Hill
Cardamom in Minneapolis runs Daniel del Prado's Aegean Mediterranean kitchen inside the Walker Art Center, with grilled fish and meze plates.
OrderThe whole grilled branzino with lemon and Aegean greens.
Why locals goHidden inside the Walker Art Center, Daniel del Prado's Aegean room reads as a museum cafe at first glance, then sends out grilled octopus and koji-aged lamb.
TipClosed Monday and Tuesday. Brunch from 11:00 Wednesday to Sunday; the Walker sculpture garden is the post-meal walk.
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Detroit-style PizzaNorth Loop
Wrecktangle Pizza in Minneapolis runs the canonical Detroit-style pan pie inside Graze Food Hall, with crispy-cheese edges and the signature Bimbo pie.
OrderThe Bimbo: red sauce, banana peppers, crumbled sausage and ricotta.
Why locals goTucked inside the Travail-run Graze Food Hall since late 2025, the city's defining Detroit-style pan pizza sits past three other counters from the door.
TipSlice-plus-Caesar lunch special weekdays. The hall opens 11am to 9pm Sunday through Thursday, 11am to 10pm Friday and Saturday.
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New AmericanSaint Paul
Tongue in Cheek in Saint Paul runs Chef Leonard Anderson's casual fine-dining kitchen on Payne Avenue, with humanely raised proteins and craft cocktails.
OrderThe pork belly with parsnips three ways and the seasonal small-plates flight from Chef Anderson's counter.
Why locals goTwo miles east of downtown Saint Paul on Payne Avenue, Leonard Anderson's casual fine-dining room sits in a Payne-Phalen storefront most visitors never see.
TipClosed Monday and Tuesday. Reserve through their site for Friday and Saturday; the bar's craft cocktail program keeps walk-up seats interesting.
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ItalianSaint Paul
Mucci's Italian in Saint Paul runs Tim Niver's house-pasta and montanara kitchen on Randolph Avenue, a 2025 James Beard hospitality nominee.
OrderThe pizza montanara, deep-fried then baked, with house-made mozzarella.
Why locals goOn Randolph Avenue a mile west of West Seventh, Tim Niver and Chris Uhrich's house-pasta room reads as a corner cafe, then earns 2025 James Beard hospitality nominations.
TipTuesday through Sunday, dinner only. Reserve via Tock; the 90 to 110 minute table cap means second-seating opens after 8pm.
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MexicanLinden Hills
Colita in Minneapolis runs Daniel del Prado's Tex-Oaxacan kitchen on Penn Avenue with smoked barbacoa, mole negro and a deep mezcal program.
OrderThe lamb barbacoa tacos with handmade tortillas and the mole negro.
Why locals goDaniel del Prado's Tex-Oaxacan room sits at the Armatage edge of Linden Hills, six miles south of downtown, with the cocina sending out smoked lamb barbacoa and mole negro.
TipDinner only, 4pm or 5pm start depending on day. The bar pours mezcal flights and is the easiest walk-in seat.
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American BarbecueLongfellow Powderhorn
Northbound Smokehouse in Minneapolis runs a Longfellow brewpub on East 38th Street with house-smoked wings, American barbecue and beers brewed.
OrderSmoked wings with house barbecue and a pint of the Honey Wheat.
Why locals goOff the East 38th Street corridor in Longfellow, the smokehouse paired with an in-house brewery rarely shows up on downtown lists yet pours its own beer with smoked wings nightly.
TipKitchen runs to 9:30 weekdays and 10:30 Friday and Saturday. Walk-up tables open after 8pm on weekday evenings.
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BakerySaint Paul
Hot Hands Pie and Biscuit in Saint Paul bakes scratch pies and buttermilk biscuits on Snelling Avenue, a small Macalester-Groveland counter run from a tight.
OrderChicken pot pie and a side of the buttermilk biscuit with jam.
Why locals goA small Macalester-Groveland counter on Snelling that bakes pies and biscuits from scratch, open only Tuesday to Sunday with savory pot pies often gone by 1pm.
TipTuesday to Saturday 8am to 3pm, Sunday 9am to 2pm, closed Monday. The biscuit sandwiches are the morning pick.
