Pagoda. Photo by Chandra AkkariPagoda
- Asian
- $
This inviting Dinkytown place offers a broad sampling of Asian cuisine. The 22-page menu has so many items -- 336 and counting -- that a diner could take the better part of year to eat their way across its broad culinary swipes through Korea, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan. One lunch might be something as tame as moo goo gai pan or General Tso's Chicken; the following dinner could mean a whole baked tilapia, pan-fried noodles with succulent duck and tart pickled vegetables, a zesty fried rice with mustard greens and dried shrimp or a clam congee. --Rick Nelson
Acadia. Photo by Jeff WheelerAcadia Cafe
- American
- $
How can you not respect a place with the bar motto of "No crap on tap" and the band motto of "No covers allowed"? If you are visiting the University of Minnesota and need a great selection of beers and half-priced appetizers that can double as dinner, than this is the right choice. As a beer lover who travels frequently and wants to try regional beer as I go, as well as eat solid food on a budget, this is the kind of place I would be happy to find. If you need a TV for sports you'll have to go to the nearby Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery on the West Bank or Stub & Herbs on the East Bank. --nordeastMONKEY
- Thai
- $$
Above average Thai food (ie. not over-sugared Pad Thai for Americans) in a tastefully decorated and intimate venue just steps away from the Cedar Cultural Center. Love the trek through the kitchen to the super-clean bathroom. Service is attentive, the curries well balanced, and they don't charge corkage if you are brave enough to match a wine with Thai. As with everything close to the U, parking is a challenge. --nordeastMONKEY
- Korean
- $
This place is as teeny tiny as it gets, so arrive before noon to get a lunchtime seat. Sundubu is the name of the game here -- hot and spicy Korean stew featuring silken tofu and your choice of additional ingredients. Bonus: You get your very own raw egg on the side, to personally drop into your boiling jacuzzi of flavors. Super multi-ball bonus: The banchan, or small dishes of niblets that are traditionally served with Korean cuisine -- tangy pickled white radishes, boiled bean sprouts and of course, the pure fermented love known as kimchi. --katvonkluegel
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Obento-ya. Photo by Steve Rice
- Al's Breakfast: American/Breakfast. A Minnesota dining icon and Dinkytown institution. And the main course? Pancakes. You can't find better ones anywhere, particularly the slightly tangy buttermilks. Al's griddlemasters also craft the best waffles in the state.
- Annie's Parlour: American. This second-story Dinkytown hangout does three things exceedingly well: burgers, fries and malts. In fact, if diners don't order a cheddar cheeseburger, a half-basket of hand-cut, skin-on fries and a gigantic malt, then frankly, there's something wrong with them.
- Bun Mi: Vietnamese. Fast food shop featuring the signature Vietnamese bunh mi sandwiches.
- Cupcake: Bakery. The focus is on simple and lavish versions of its namesake. Also features other sweets as well as soups and sandwiches, served in a fun, eclectic environment.
- Hard Times Cafe: Vegetarian. Vegan items and coffee in gritty surroundings.
- Korea Restaurant: Korean. Dinner entrees come with four different side dishes of marinated radishes and kimchee.
- Mesa Pizza: Pizza. It's not quite "gourmet," but the Dinkytown pizzeria's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink twist on toppings is exhaustively novel: There's mac and cheese, penne marinara, "guacamole burrito," "kalamata mozzarella," and on and on, all for $3.25 a slice. Why wasn't cheap campus food this good when we went to the U? --Simon Peter Groebner
- Obento-Ya Japanese Bistro: Japanese. Robata is a mostly unknown style of eating in the United States, and that's a shame -- the little charcoal-grilled skewers of meat and/or veggies are healthy and absolutely scrumptious. Obento-Ya also has a healthy selection of Japanese tavern food and sushi, making it an ideal destination for health-conscious eaters and Nipponphiles alike. --James Norton
- Shuang Cheng: Chinese. Very popular with local Chinese students; specialties include live lobster and inexpensive rice plates.
- Stub & Herb's Restaurant & Bar: American. Classic campus sports bar with burgers, grilled sandwiches and plenty of beer. Head bartender and beer geek Jon Landers has transformed the once ramshackle Stadium Village place into a great beer bar. In order to stick out, Landers keeps the draft selection all-American.
- Village Wok: Chinese. Not a lot of ambience, but the inexpensive Chinese food is some of the most authentic in the Twin Cities. Many vegetarian items.
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- Jewel of India: Indian. Full Indian menu plus lunch buffet. Vegetarian dishes.
- Kafe 421: European/Greek/Middle Eastern. A modest storefront setting and a potpourri of imaginative, multi-ethnic cuisine: Greek spanakopita, Russian borscht, and Latin/Caribbean influenced dishes.
- Loring Pasta Bar: Italian. Pasta dishes in ornate surroundings in Dinktyown.
- Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery: American/brewpub. Beer geeks and students looking for a standout brewpub have one right under their noses.
- Pracna on Main: American. Built in 1890, it is the oldest restaurant on the oldest street in town. Featuring a sidewalk cafe overlooking the Mississippi River with an American menu of steaks, pasta, fish, specialty sandwiches and 20 beers on draft.
- Signature Cafe: American. Intimate little neighborhood bistro.
- Vic's Dining & Cocktails: American/seafood. Fresh seafood, steak, chops, salads and pasta dishes, overlooking the Minneapolis riverfront and city skyline.
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Restaurant Alma. Photo by Steve Rice
- Restaurant Alma: American. Chef/owner Alex Robert's confident, attention-to-detail cooking focuses on bringing out the best in organic, locally raised ingredients. The menu changes frequently and is structured for create-your-own three-course fixed-price dinners.
