More Maps

The Best Restaurants in Northeast Minneapolis

The 11 Best Steakhouses in the Twin Cities

The Best Speakeasy-Style Bars in the Twin Cities

More in Twin Cities See more maps

A close-up photo of a burger sitting on a plate with a green salad.

The 15 Best Lunch Restaurants in Minneapolis

Midday picks for jackfruit nachos, steaming silken tofu stews, and more

by Justine Jones, Stacy Brooks, and Eater Staff Updated Sep 23, 2024, 9:56am CDT

View as Map

by Justine Jones, Stacy Brooks, and Eater Staff Updated Sep 23, 2024, 9:56am CDT

Wise Acre Eatery

Lunch is a tricky meal. It’s practical, by nature, and often quick — rarely do we have time to linger at our tables the way we might for a weekend brunch or a Friday night dinner. But don’t overlook the opportunity lunch provides: the chance to add a tasty culinary pit stop to an otherwise ordinary day. For chicken tinga tacos, kimchi grilled cheeses, and more, here are 15 places worth breaking up the daytime grind for, listed geographically (not ranked) as always.

Read More

Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Wise Acre Eatery

Wise Acre Eatery has a farm-fresh vibe — much of the menu is sourced directly from the restaurant’s own farm in Plato, Minnesota. Pair a cup of carrot ginger soup with a kimchi grilled cheese, or a smoky pepper chicken sando. Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; brunch is available from 8 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the weekends.

5401 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55419

Also featured in:

Heather's

For a midday French toast craving, Heather’s is the spot — breakfast dishes are served until 2 p.m. Otherwise, lunch options like summer stone fruit salad or blackened salmon BLTs do the trick. Digest with a stroll around nearby Lake Nokomis, and grab a noodle salad from the little deli counter on the way out.

5201 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55417

Also featured in:

Boludo

Grab a couple of empanadas or a diamond-shaped pizza for a lunch straight from the streets of Buenos Aires. Boludo’s ham and mozzarella-stuffed empanadas are perfect portable bites for a meal on the go, and the pepperoni pizza, some of the best in the city, is topped with generous globs of mozzarella and perfectly cupped pepperonis. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are available too. Keep in mind that Boludo opens at 11 a.m. every day except Monday, when it opens at 5 p.m.

8 W 38th St, Minneapolis, MN 55409

Also featured in:

Reverie Cafe + Bar

Reverie Cafe and Bar is the ultimate spot for a hearty vegan lunch. Dishes like jackfruit nachos, coconut achiote beans with coconut rice, and lemongrass tofu tacos are filling and fresh. Don’t skip Reverie’s desserts — the dark chocolate beignets, roughly the size of softballs, suffer nothing for their lack of butter.

1517 E 35th St, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Also featured in:

Taqueria y birrieria las cuatro milpas

Satiate a quesabirria craving at Las Cuatro Milpas. Stop in for lamb, goat, and beef birria tacos, served with rich consomé, or pizzabirria, loaded with cheese and served in an aluminum tin. Extra salsa, please.

1526 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Also featured in:

World Street Kitchen

Every meal at World Street Kitchen should start with an order of velvety hummus, topped with caramelized paprika butter, za’atar, and crispy chickpeas served. Rice bowls, burritos, and sandwiches make this a great quick stop for a filling lunch. Stop by Milkjam Creamery, the Wadi brothers’ next-door ice cream shop, for dessert.

2743 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408

Also featured in:

Lulu EthioVegan Cuisine

Chef T.G Feyisa serves exclusively vegan Ethiopian dishes at Lulu Ethiovegan: Traditional beef tibs are reimagined with tender rosemary mushrooms and peppers; doro wot is subbed out for crispy chickpea shimbra asa. The snug Franklin Avenue location has a cozy space for sipping a cup of ginger tea or telba (a creamy Ethiopian flaxseed drink) on weekday afternoons.

12 East Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404

Also featured in:

Kimchi Tofu House

Just across the street from the University of Minnesota, this tiny eatery specializes in silken tofu stews, grilled meats, and bibimbap topped with meat, vegetables, and an egg. Warm up with Korean-style ramen, which is spicier than its Japanese counterpart. (A vegetarian-broth version is available, too). Kimchi Tofu House is a choose-your-own-spice-level adventure, from “zero spice” to the eye-watering “very, very spicy”. Note that it’s closed on Sundays.

307 SE Oak St, Minneapolis, MN 55414

Also featured in:

Farmers Kitchen + Bar

From the creamy wild rice soup to the grilled cheeses smeared with tomato jam, everything on Farmers Kitchen + Bar’s menu highlights the ingredients from local farmers and producers. The salads are especially tasty — add roast chicken or grass-fed strip steak for a heartier meal. After lunch, swing by the adjacent coffee shop for a cookie. Note that Farmers is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

750 S 2nd St Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Also featured in:

The Twin Cities’ Best Friday Fish Fries for Lent

Uncle Franky's

Grab a Chicago dog “dragged through the garden,” as they say, (read: topped with everything) or a half-pound, thinly sliced Italian beef from Uncle Franky’s in Northeast. This lineup also features Coney Island chili dogs, an extra-juicy Juicy Lucy, Philly cheesesteaks, and even double hot dogs. Don’t forget to order a side of onion rings.

728 Broadway St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Also featured in:

The Briar

This new(ish) neighborhood cafe — located in a thoughtfully renovated former art gallery in Northeast Minneapolis — is a sweet spot for lunch. Muffulettas and other sandwiches pair well with dishes like avocado salad and sweet potato chowder, not to mention bread pudding drizzled with lemon creme anglaise. Note that it’s closed on Tuesdays.

1231 Washington St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

MOMO Sushi

This Northeast restaurant has stellar lunch specials, including specialty rolls, sushi and sashimi platters, and hibachi lunches. For vegetarians, there’s a selection of over a dozen interesting vegetable rolls — and, living up to its name, Momo Sushi also serves excellent Tibetan momos, with beef, tofu, or vegetable options all served with a fiery chili sauce.

1839 NE Central Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55418

Also featured in:

El Taco Riendo

El Taco’s colossal chimichangas, crispy flautas, tacos dorados, and caldo de res, a red Mexican beef soup are hard to beat for a quick, filling lunch. But the real star of the menu is the chicken tinga tacos. This marinade doesn’t overload on heat — it balances the tomatoes’ tang with the chipotle peppers’ smoke, rounding it all out on a slightly sweet note. Grab a glass of horchata or tamarind water to pair with the meal.

2412 NE Central Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55418

Also featured in:

heal mpls (herbs, eats, all love)

Heal Mpls, which opened on N. Lyndale Avenue last summer, has a bevy of vegan dishes and smoothies available for lunch. The menu rotates, so keep an eye on Instagram or Facebook for updates, but expect fruit and veggie-rich dishes like creamy jerk chickpea chili, sweet potato hash, and banana chia seed pudding. Note that it’s closed on Sundays.

4171 N Lyndale Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55412

WENDY'S HOUSE OF SOUL, INC.

Wendy’s has a new home at North Market in Camden. Puckett’s popular soul rolls are a great lunch option, and easy to take on the go — they’re stuffed with greens, fried chicken, and mac and cheese, and more, then rolled into an egg roll wrapper and fried. (One favorite is the Trell, made with French fries, gravy, and jalapeño.) Don’t miss Wendy’s stellar wings, either, and note that the restaurant is closed on Saturday and Sunday.

4414 N Humboldt Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55412

© 2024 Vox Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Link copied to the clipboard.

Wise Acre Eatery

5401 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55419

Wise Acre Eatery has a farm-fresh vibe — much of the menu is sourced directly from the restaurant’s own farm in Plato, Minnesota. Pair a cup of carrot ginger soup with a kimchi grilled cheese, or a smoky pepper chicken sando. Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; brunch is available from 8 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the weekends.

5401 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55419

Visit Website

Heather's

5201 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55417

For a midday French toast craving, Heather’s is the spot — breakfast dishes are served until 2 p.m. Otherwise, lunch options like summer stone fruit salad or blackened salmon BLTs do the trick. Digest with a stroll around nearby Lake Nokomis, and grab a noodle salad from the little deli counter on the way out.

5201 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55417

Visit Website

Boludo

8 W 38th St, Minneapolis, MN 55409

Grab a couple of empanadas or a diamond-shaped pizza for a lunch straight from the streets of Buenos Aires. Boludo’s ham and mozzarella-stuffed empanadas are perfect portable bites for a meal on the go, and the pepperoni pizza, some of the best in the city, is topped with generous globs of mozzarella and perfectly cupped pepperonis. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are available too. Keep in mind that Boludo opens at 11 a.m. every day except Monday, when it opens at 5 p.m.

Open in Google Maps

8 W 38th St, Minneapolis, MN 55409

Visit Website

Reverie Cafe + Bar

1517 E 35th St, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Reverie Cafe and Bar is the ultimate spot for a hearty vegan lunch. Dishes like jackfruit nachos, coconut achiote beans with coconut rice, and lemongrass tofu tacos are filling and fresh. Don’t skip Reverie’s desserts — the dark chocolate beignets, roughly the size of softballs, suffer nothing for their lack of butter.

Open in Google Maps

1517 E 35th St, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Visit Website

Taqueria y birrieria las cuatro milpas

1526 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Satiate a quesabirria craving at Las Cuatro Milpas. Stop in for lamb, goat, and beef birria tacos, served with rich consomé, or pizzabirria, loaded with cheese and served in an aluminum tin. Extra salsa, please.

1526 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Visit Website

World Street Kitchen

2743 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408

Every meal at World Street Kitchen should start with an order of velvety hummus, topped with caramelized paprika butter, za’atar, and crispy chickpeas served. Rice bowls, burritos, and sandwiches make this a great quick stop for a filling lunch. Stop by Milkjam Creamery, the Wadi brothers’ next-door ice cream shop, for dessert.

2743 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408

Visit Website

Lulu EthioVegan Cuisine

12 East Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404

Chef T.G Feyisa serves exclusively vegan Ethiopian dishes at Lulu Ethiovegan: Traditional beef tibs are reimagined with tender rosemary mushrooms and peppers; doro wot is subbed out for crispy chickpea shimbra asa. The snug Franklin Avenue location has a cozy space for sipping a cup of ginger tea or telba (a creamy Ethiopian flaxseed drink) on weekday afternoons.

Open in Google Maps

12 East Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404

Visit Website

Kimchi Tofu House

307 SE Oak St, Minneapolis, MN 55414

Just across the street from the University of Minnesota, this tiny eatery specializes in silken tofu stews, grilled meats, and bibimbap topped with meat, vegetables, and an egg. Warm up with Korean-style ramen, which is spicier than its Japanese counterpart. (A vegetarian-broth version is available, too). Kimchi Tofu House is a choose-your-own-spice-level adventure, from “zero spice” to the eye-watering “very, very spicy”. Note that it’s closed on Sundays.

307 SE Oak St, Minneapolis, MN 55414

Visit Website

Farmers Kitchen + Bar

750 S 2nd St Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55401

From the creamy wild rice soup to the grilled cheeses smeared with tomato jam, everything on Farmers Kitchen + Bar’s menu highlights the ingredients from local farmers and producers. The salads are especially tasty — add roast chicken or grass-fed strip steak for a heartier meal. After lunch, swing by the adjacent coffee shop for a cookie. Note that Farmers is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

750 S 2nd St Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Visit Website

Uncle Franky's

728 Broadway St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Grab a Chicago dog “dragged through the garden,” as they say, (read: topped with everything) or a half-pound, thinly sliced Italian beef from Uncle Franky’s in Northeast. This lineup also features Coney Island chili dogs, an extra-juicy Juicy Lucy, Philly cheesesteaks, and even double hot dogs. Don’t forget to order a side of onion rings.

728 Broadway St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Visit Website

The Briar

1231 Washington St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

This new(ish) neighborhood cafe — located in a thoughtfully renovated former art gallery in Northeast Minneapolis — is a sweet spot for lunch. Muffulettas and other sandwiches pair well with dishes like avocado salad and sweet potato chowder, not to mention bread pudding drizzled with lemon creme anglaise. Note that it’s closed on Tuesdays.

1231 Washington St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Visit Website

MOMO Sushi

1839 NE Central Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55418

This Northeast restaurant has stellar lunch specials, including specialty rolls, sushi and sashimi platters, and hibachi lunches. For vegetarians, there’s a selection of over a dozen interesting vegetable rolls — and, living up to its name, Momo Sushi also serves excellent Tibetan momos, with beef, tofu, or vegetable options all served with a fiery chili sauce.

Open in Google Maps

1839 NE Central Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55418

Visit Website

El Taco Riendo

2412 NE Central Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55418

El Taco’s colossal chimichangas, crispy flautas, tacos dorados, and caldo de res, a red Mexican beef soup are hard to beat for a quick, filling lunch. But the real star of the menu is the chicken tinga tacos. This marinade doesn’t overload on heat — it balances the tomatoes’ tang with the chipotle peppers’ smoke, rounding it all out on a slightly sweet note. Grab a glass of horchata or tamarind water to pair with the meal.

2412 NE Central Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55418

Visit Website

heal mpls (herbs, eats, all love)

4171 N Lyndale Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55412

Heal Mpls, which opened on N. Lyndale Avenue last summer, has a bevy of vegan dishes and smoothies available for lunch. The menu rotates, so keep an eye on Instagram or Facebook for updates, but expect fruit and veggie-rich dishes like creamy jerk chickpea chili, sweet potato hash, and banana chia seed pudding. Note that it’s closed on Sundays.

Open in Google Maps

4171 N Lyndale Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55412

Visit Website

WENDY'S HOUSE OF SOUL, INC.

4414 N Humboldt Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55412

Wendy’s has a new home at North Market in Camden. Puckett’s popular soul rolls are a great lunch option, and easy to take on the go — they’re stuffed with greens, fried chicken, and mac and cheese, and more, then rolled into an egg roll wrapper and fried. (One favorite is the Trell, made with French fries, gravy, and jalapeño.) Don’t miss Wendy’s stellar wings, either, and note that the restaurant is closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Open in Google Maps

4414 N Humboldt Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55412

Visit Website

Related Maps