Your Restaurant Guide for the Super Bowl // Local Favorites

So, you’re attending the Super Bowl in Minneapolis? Hi! Welcome to my city! I hope you enjoy your stay. As someone who drives by the Stadium on an almost-daily basis, traffic was fun yesterday. Thank you for that. 😉 It looks like we’re bringing back some cold weather for you. You’re welcome. Maybe the prayers of disappointed Vikings fans came true. Don’t worry, I’m not one of them, I’m not going to spit in your food while you’re here. But speaking of food! Let’s talk about some of the best places to get food, drinks, and coffee while you’re in Minneapolis!

Minneapolis is an underrated destination; I think because of the cold. While it’ll be cold this weekend, it’s not cold year-round, and we have a vibrant, beautiful city with a lot to offer. I could do a post like this for different things: arts events, indie bookstores, music events… the list could go on. Another thing we have to offer: food. There are a lot of restaurants in the Twin Cities area (Twin Cities = Minneapolis and St. Paul). I recently went out to lunch with a friend and she mentioned that with the number of restaurants that we have and the fact that some close and we get new ones all the time, you don’t need to eat at the same restaurant twice. I tend to frequent the same places, so I reached out to a group of friends who are cooler than me and, therefore, know some of the cooler places to eat, to find out where you need to go get food, drinks, and coffee.

[Tweet “Going to the Super Bowl? Here are the best places for food, coffee, and drinks, hand-picked by locals.”]

A quick guide to the post: some of these restaurants will be close to the stadium, but not all of them are. I linked to their websites so that you can take a look at their address as well as their menu. They’re all easily drivable or Uber-able.

To show if they’re in Minneapolis or St. Paul I used our airport code: MSP. If the M is bold, it’s in Minneapolis. If the SP is bolded, it’s in St. Paul. If all three letters are in bold, it’s in both.

If a restaurant is close to the stadium it’ll be designated by quote formatting.

So, let’s jump right in, shall we?

// Coffee

Misfit Coffee // MSP // AKA my favorite coffee truck. I love tracking them during spring and summer and sent them a message on Insta to see if they’d be anywhere for the Super Bowl. You’ll be able to find them inside Periscope on Washington Ave. on February 2, 3, & 4. So basically, they’ll be right by the stadium and their coffee is delicious. I’m partial to their cold brew with a shot of vanilla.

Northern Coffee Works // MSP // It was a sad day for Minneapolis when a long-standing comic bookstore decided to close up shop. The space was eventually turned into a coffee shop and they have a delicious Orange Lavender Mocha. This is another plays to grab some coffee and stay close to the stadium.

Boiler Room Coffee // MSP // The last time I was there they had a great selection of chai.

Quixotic Coffee // MSP // I’m a fan of their cold brew specialty drinks. I haven’t had a chance to try the Marko Polo yet, so tell me how it is?

Spyhouse Coffee // MSP // Want that perfect coffee shot for the ‘gram? Spyhouse is the place for you! Each location I’ve been in is beautiful.

Dunn Bros. Coffee // MSP // Out of all the chain coffee shops, Dunn Bros. is my favorite, although some say it’s a little strong. I love their vanilla iced nirvana, which is a cold brew with vanilla flavoring and cream. They don’t have as many locations as Starbucks and Caribou, but they’re worth a stop if you see one.

// Food

Glam Doll Donuts // MSP – various // Donuts! Need I say more? 😂 Seriously, though, they have fun donuts and it’s always a fun place to visit.

Berry Sweet Kitchen // MSP // Everything at Berry Sweet Kitchen. It looks like a great place to pick up breakfast and it’s probably a great family restaurant as well. The friend who recommended it has a big family.

Town Hall Lanes // MSP // Go bowling and grab some food in South  Minneapolis. If you’re not into bowling, their menu looks like it’s worth a trip anyway!

Old Spaghetti Factory // Pasta! I love their decor and if you’d like to get pasta and stay close to the stadium, this is a great spot. It used to be my oldest nephew’s favorite restaurant in Minneapolis.

Lu’s Sandwiches // MSP // Banh mi sandwiches, rice bowls, and noodle bowls. My niece and I ate here once and we both loved it.

Holy Land // MSP – various // Visit their original location in NE Minneapolis, or go to Global Market and grab a bite there. I’ve eaten at this restaurant for years, so it has a special place in my heart. I still remember when the restaurant and the grocery store were in the same space. The music was so loud you couldn’t hear them call out your order number, but they’d dance over and turn it up anyway. Now, they have two locations, their original location has tripled in size, they have a separate facility where they prepare some of the food items they ship to grocery stores all over (like their hummus, which is the BEST).

Crescent Moon/Football Pizza // MSP – various // Get a football pizza on football weekend! This is an Afghani restaurant that serves pizza and it has their own little spin on it. This is one of my favorite places to get pizza.

Chimborazo // MSP // I’ve only been here once, but I sent a friend a text telling her I found a new restaurant. For an app, get the empanada con queso. My niece had empanada envy when she saw mine and had to order one. I’m also looking forward to trying the yuca frita app soon.

Pizza Lucé // MSP – various // Can’t go wrong with pizza, and you definitely can’t go wrong with Pizza Lucé! Everything I’ve tried has been fantastic.

Brasa Premium Rotisserie // MSP // Recommended by multiple people. A friend says: casual. I say: get a side of crispy yuca.

Matt’s Bar // MSP // One of the two restaurants that claims to be the home of the original Juicy Lucy. For those not in the know, the Juicy Lucy is a hamburger with cheese baked into the middle of it. It’s a Minnesota-specialty. I’m not the biggest fan of Matt’s Bar, so if you eat here, get the Lucy. It’s the best thing on the menu.

5-8 Club // MSP // The other restaurant that claims to be the home of the original Juicy Lucy. Out of the two, this is my personal favorite because 1) it used to be a speakeasy and 2) the speakeasy burger is delicious. I may or may not be influenced by the fact that it has speakeasy in the title. I actually haven’t had the Juicy Lucy here, so I can’t tell you which one is better.

If you’re interested in trying a Juicy Lucy, you don’t need to go to one of these restaurants. There are a lot of restaurants that have Lucy’s and you’ll see different cheeses/foods stuffed into the Lucy.

Bonfire // MSP – various // Apparently they have make your own mimosas on the weekends so… I’m going soon!

Grumpy’s // MSP – various // This is a bar and grill and when I’ve been there the food has been great! They have various locations, but one is right by the stadium.

Wakame // MSP // For the sushi lovers.

Stella’s Fish Café // MSP // For the seafood lovers. My best friend is a seafood connoisseur, so recommendations from her are always good.

Amazing Thailand // MSP // And if you’re in the mood for some Thai, head Uptown for Amazing Thailand. Magers & Quinn is right a storefront away, so get a book while you’re over there!

Hola Arepa // MSP // For the gluten-free.

Cafe Lurcat // MSP // This is a bit pricier, but it comes highly recommended. You’ll find fish, steaks… that kind of food here!

Betty Dangers Country Club // MSP // I haven’t been here yet, and I don’t know why. It has character. The Danger runs year-round, so take a ride on their ferris wheel. it will be chilly, so dress warm!

The Bad Waitress // MSP – various // Their menu isn’t up on their website yet, but I remember last time I looked, it looked good!

Wise Acre Eatery // MSP // They’re a “farm to fork” cafe and have a variety of different sides and sandwiches.

Longfellow Grill // MSP // Everything is made from scratch. Breakfast, burgers, sandwiches.

The Blue Door // MSP – various // Pub food. Home of the Blucy.

The Nook // MSP // My friend says: super casual. Burgers, sandwiches, salads.

Cafe Latte // MSP // This is a fun place to visit. Coffee, tea, wine, pizza, sandwiches, desserts. They also have afternoon tea.

Hi-Lo Diner // MSP // My friend says: hipster casual. Also according to my friend, it’s technically in Minneapolis, but is just two blocks from the river. As the name would suggest, you’ll find diner food, here.

Foxy Falafel // MSP // You can get falafel in a variety of different ways, here.

 

// Food/Drinks

Day Block Brewing Co. // MSP // Their pizzas are fantastic. Apps to take note of: they have a bacon flight and a pickle flight. I’ve had their pickle flight twice and both times they included pickled cucumber slices, however the rest of the pickled items were different. The one I remember most was pickled grapes–wasn’t a fan of those. In my experience, the items on it can be hit or miss. This is a place I frequently think about going to.

Crooked Pint Ale House  // MSP – Various // I haven’t been here for years, but a friend recommended it and it looks fantastic! They have a variety of Lucy’s.

Freehouse // MSP // The restaurant in the photos of my recent Lunch Date post. They have awesome make your own flights, essentially. Tip: they have a free valet service out front if parking is an issue (it was for me), but they don’t have an ATM or a way to give you cash in the restaurant, so make sure you bring some for a tip.

Costa Blanca // MSP // Tapas, wine and beer are served here.

Red Cow // MSP // Burgers, drinks.

// Drinks

Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge // MSP // Get your tiki drink here!

Norseman’s Distillery // MSP // A small group of us go here for girl’s night and it’s a cute, fun place to hang out. Drinks are good. Food is good. Decor is adorable.

Tin Whiskers Brewing Co. // MSP // Minnesota has some great breweries. A friend and I were talking about creating a separate post all about breweries and distilleries one day. When I asked her for recommendations, she sent this one over pretty quickly because they’re also advertising Super Bowl Events all week long.

[Tweet “Visiting Minneapolis for the Super Bowl? Here’s a guide to food + drinks, handpicked by locals! #SuperBowl #SuperBowl52”]

Are you a Minneapolis/St. Paul local? Chime in with places we missed in the comments!