Awesome Food in the Twin Cities
Are you looking to find some good food in the Twin Cities? I have lived in the Minneapolis-St Paul area for almost two months now. In my time here, I have been introduced to quite a few restaurants, pubs, and bars in the area, mainly through my boyfriend, Will’s family. Now I’m sharing them with you for your next trip to the Twin Cities!
The first weekend I was in town, I went to Iron Ranger. Their porketta is very popular, but they are known to be more of a burger and wings restaurant. Think pub food for the most part.
They have great patio seating, and that is definitely the place to be on a nice summer afternoon. Their patio also allows people walking their dogs to bring their pets with them for lunch (I don’t recommend this unless your pet can be calm in more crowded areas).
A friend who works full-time in the Twin Cities brought me to a bar-style restaurant on the shore of White Bear Lake. Tally’s had live music, great food, and the weather was perfect. We got to hang out for a little while, and their system for ordering was super easy. You could open a tab under your name for any food or drinks you got there. It was a great way to spend the evening. After eating, we walked down the beach a bit and across one of the public docks.
My college roommates joined me in Minnesota for a weekend, and during our time in the Twin Cities, they found a fun brunch spot for a quick lunch.
We made the mistake of going to Egg and I at noon the Sunday morning after one of the Taylor Swift concerts, so it was pretty busy. We only had to wait about 20 minutes, but their menu was posted outside the door, so we had our order figured out before being seated.
They have great omelets, sandwiches, pancakes, massive cinnamon rolls, and more.
Pictures from Egg and I: Left, Denver Omelet, Center, Signature Pancakes, Right, Denver Omelet and Belgian Waffle
I have been there twice now, and the second time I went, there was no wait at all, so Will and I were seated immediately.
My first time there, I had the Denver Omelet with lemonade while my roommates had the signature pancakes. My second time, Will had the same omelet and added mushrooms, while I had a fantastic Belgian waffle topped with blueberries, chocolate chips, and bananas. The waitress even added whipped cream, and I loved every bite.
In the past two weeks, I have been exposed to 5 amazing restaurants, and it’s all thanks to Will and his family, who have a lot of experience with food in the Twin Cities. Right off the bat, we met at Maynard’s, which was a much larger version of Tally’s. I had a very filling burger and a few cheese curds as appetizers. I nearly slept on the drive home from a total food coma, and thankfully Will was driving.
We also went to another similar restaurant to Tally’s and Maynard’s, called Lord Fletcher’s. While there, we just sat and had a couple of drinks to relax before the evening. There were tons of boats docked nearby that were fully decked out in 4th of July decor. When we were done at our table, we walked up and down the dock to check them all out.
We went to Crave at The Shops at West End on the fourth. It was quiet as most people were probably at the parades for the holiday, and very few stores nearby were open, but we were more than happy to have a good quiet meal.
They had many food options, from flatbreads to salads, to kinds of pasta, to shrimp, and even sushi. They had nearly every type of food you could ask for. I had a Margherita flatbread and devoured the whole thing, while Will ordered sushi with popcorn firecracker shrimp. One of his brothers had a baked Mac and Cheese dish and devoured every bit.
At the time, I thought it was one of the best meals I had ever had. However, I was blown away when we went to D’Amico & Sons later that week. This was Italian cuisine, and it lived up to it. Will had a roasted turkey avocado sandwich, his brother had an Alfredo pasta, and I had the Spaghetti Napolitana. I am in love with that dish and would drive back down just for that meal again. I believe they do DoorDash, too, so that might be a good idea. There is more than one location in the Twin Cities area, so one might be closer to where you're staying. I highly recommend going if you have the chance.
Left image from D'Amico and Sons: Spaghetti Napolitana. Right image from The Local: Mac and Cheese with Chicken
To wrap up the two weeks of the new food with the family, we went to The Local, just around the corner from Crave. The food was of a similar theme. I had the mac and cheese with chicken, which came out piping hot and was very filling. Most other family members had burgers, salads, flatbreads, and sandwiches.
Since I have mentioned so many great places, I have put together a ranking of my top 5 favorite places to find food in the Twin Cities so you can prioritize your next visit!
- D’Amico and Sons
- Crave
- Egg and I
- Maynards
- The Local
These were all great spots, and every meal I had left me feeling very satisfied. I would return to any and all of these in the future, and I recommend them to anyone and everyone living in or visiting the Twin Cities! Enjoy your next trip!