Breakfast in Minneapolis

I am heading up to Minneapolis this weekend and I am meeting friends with 3 children for breakfast on Sunday. I am looking for a good place for breakfast (not a chain)...preferably in downtown Minneapolis. If not downtown, then in Edina or Minnetonka.

Thanks.

The standard place for breakfast is Al's Breakfast (in Dinkytown, near the U) - although it is very small, and only has a counter with 14 seats. When I was in Minneapolis, Al's was the place for great old-fashioned breakfasts and a memorable, if ramshackle, environment.

Al's is a short ride from downtown.

Al's Breakfast
413 14th Ave SE
Minneapolis

612-331-9991

I wouldn't recommend Al's for this type of gathering at all. Don't get me wrong, the place is outstanding...one of my favorite breakfasts anywhere. But it is not at all appropriate for meeting friends with kids unless it's a weekday at an off-peak hour.

If you're not familiar, the whole place is LITERALLY equivalent of the inside of an 18-wheeler trailer. There is a counter with stools and a constant line of people, door-to-back-wall standing within a foot of your back while you eat. It takes an acrobatic maneuver to put on your coat while still inside (I'm not kidding -- I waited until I was outside). Lingering is not allowed. You sit, order, eat and leave. If your party is larger than two, there's a good chance they will make other diners move around during their meal to accommodate you. The food is superb, but you will literally be uncomfortable to get it.

Depending where you are, check out any of the following (owned by the same folks): Edina Grill, Highland Grill (just east of the river in St. Paul), Longfellow Grill (my recommendation...along Mississippi River in Mpls). They are very family-friendly, and the food ranges from the basic diner fare to more sophisticated and creative options (Outstanding smoked salmon benedict on sourdough and polenta special once). They'll give toy buckets to the kids, and everyone will find something they like. My kids love the giant Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes or the massive Belgian waffles. I'm always comfortable with the kids and any size party.

Thanks for the recommendations. We ended up going to Keys Cafe and Bakery at 1007 Nicollet in downtown Minneapolis. The food was great and they were very accomodating to the kids. I understand they are moving to a new location any time now...9th street??? The current place is a little small. I will keep your recommndations in mind when I head back up in July.

The pancakes were HUGE and delicious and some of their bakery items looked good but I was too full to try anything.

As a side note...another place we went to for dinner was the French Meadow Cafe and Bakery ( they are open for breakfast and lunch also)again, downtown Minneapolis...organic and VERY good! I am sometimes a little shy of organic places but this was great! I had the manchego chicken sandwich and a peanut butter brownie for dessert...both wonderful ( I have a HUGE sweet tooth and therefore HIGHLY recommend the peanut butter brownie...chocolate brownie bottom and a peanut butter mousse-like filling then topped with chocolate ganache).

www.frenchmeadow.com/cafe.htm

See you didn't need help after all! I really like Keys, but I inevitably forget about their Minneapolis location as it's the only one I haven't been to. Good no-nonsense breakfasts, consistent from location to location, and I'm glad you put it "on the map" for future readers here.

Yes, they are moving into the former "Red" and "Cafe Un Deux Trois" space in the Foshay Tower according to a blurb in the papers recently.

French Meadow.

great concept, great room, friendly staff, varied clientele, decent cup of joe. lousy LOUSY croissant...

i think a great alternative would be http://www.muddypawscheesecake.com/ on S. Hennepin area. unfortunately, they aren't open early enough for a true breakfast... this place is fun, cheesecakes aren't half bad, and the chic behind the counter was... almost as good as the turle cheesecake...

I know this is late, but for the future, the best place for breakfast in Minneapolis is Hell's Kitchen. They are located in downtown. There can be a wait on Sunday morning but they do take reservations. Their lemon ricotta pancakes, home-made peanut butter and porridge are amazing. But everything there is outstanding.

http://www.hellskitcheninc.com/

Had breakfast Sunday morning at Hell's Kitchen, and just wanted to add my praise for this place. I cannot quite explain the sausage bread - it's bison sausage with a bunch of spices, dried fruits, and pecans. I should have brought home a loaf, but it seemed dangerous to have around. I did bring home a jar of the house-made peanut butter.

And for the actual meal, it was very difficult to decide what to get, because so much looked good, and so much came recommended. I ended up with the Huevos Rancheros (nice and spicy) and my husband had the Ham and Pear Sandwich with French Fries. The house-made ketchup was really good and light and not at all syrupy, with a texture similar to the stuff that comes with the duck fries at Sweets & Savories.

We did have to wait more than an hour for a table, but they have a pager system so we were able to wander about a little, and it was prime time on a Sunday (10 a.m.). On the plus side, I did have a chance to spy a very happy Al Franken eating his Hell's Kitchen breakfast.

This was my first visit to Minnesota (though I have lots of family there) and I will definitely be back. I think this is certainly a food town.

girlmoxie wrote:This was my first visit to Minnesota (though I have lots of family there) and I will definitely be back. I think this is certainly a food town.

Yes it is!

I mentioned this fact on another food board, and was mocked (mocked) by the sophisticates back east that I could think such a thing.

I have many recent pictures of meals in Minneapolis I need to upload (if I can only break my addiction to computer poker).

Besides three meals (well 2.5, one was just a pecan roll) at Hell's Kitchen on our January visit, my wife and I visited Al's Gary mentioned above. This is a truly great place too, filled with atmosphere, I mean atmosphere you can pretty much literally scrape off the walls, and food that was a lot better than I expected (or the place needed).

Girlmoxie and VI,

Thanks for the updates (and the props for MSP!). There's enough good food to survive around here. VI, I always love to see photo reviews -- set down those cards and get to work.

Hell's Kitchen is indeed a good breakfast spot. Sticking with the original post (from a couple of years ago), I'm not sure the Sunday morning crowds/parking are ideal for families with three kids, and the prices can be a bit high for families on a budget. But if you're reading this thread just for the title "Breakfast in Minneapolis", Hell's Kitchen is among the top options.

I would also throw in recs for a couple other places, only listing ones in Minneapolis proper, for breakfasts sans family criteria:

My-T-Fine Cafe on Bryant Avenue and 43rd in South Minneapolis. Small place, good for lounging, great neighborhood spot flying under the radar.

Birchwood Cafe on E 21st St -- www.birchwoodcafe.com Organic/vegetarian/vegan/local tilt but also good for meat-and-potatoes folks. A must visit if you're into cycling at all -- they sponsor a serious racing team.

Colossal Cafe on 42nd at Cedar Ave in South Mpls. Dinky little hole-in-the-wall with about 10 seats.

Hot Plate on Bloomington Ave and 52nd.

Our Kitchen at 36th and Bryant if you're a contractor, truck driver or auto assembler or dream of being one. I have a soft spot for little greasy spoon diners -- this is the quintessential one in MSP. Think eggs, hashbrowns, pancakes and a daily lunch special like hot open-faced turkey sandwich or meatloaf. I challenge you to find anyone else who's said this much about this place. I happened on it because I was WALKING up the street -- you'd likely miss it from your car (same goes for Colossal Cafe).

Maria's on Franklin Ave. www.mariascafe.com The crown jewel there are the "Cachapas Venezolanas" (corn pancakes). I'm also a sucker for refried beans and salsa in my omelet.

Cupcake at 3338 University Ave. My favorite danish and croissants in town and a few good breakfast specials. I like this place so much I think I've kind of crossed into honorary shill status. If you're into home restoration and/or salvaged hardware, doors, fixtures, etc. you absolutely can not miss the place next to Cupcake called Art & Architecture. It's like the Smithsonian of early American home fixtures and decor. www.artandarch.com (web site doesn't do justice)

Hey girlmoxie, looks like we missed you and Al Franken by a day!

My wife and I tried out HK on Monday and thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, it is a little pricey but quite good, and the quality is superb. I'll second what you say about the sausage bread... definitely not a typical sausage taste and, in fact, on the sweet side. Very good.

I had the lemon-ricotta hotcakes, which were served with berries on top, and they were sublime. Nice and present lemon taste with a smooth texture. My wife had the Mahnomin porridge - a total knockout. Probably a little too rich to have all the time, but delicious nonetheless. The bowl size was overwhelming.

I had my meal with a cup of coffee which was easily the best cup of coffee I'd had on our trip and, perhaps, the best I'd had in a non-coffee shop restaurant ever. Hearty, flavorful stuff served in a big mug - The Way It Should Be. And, the homemade peanut butter was also impressive. Chunky, tasty.

The only disappointment was the bison sausage. We're fans of buffalo; we usually have it in place of beef at home. But this... meh. Quality was good, yes, but it was far too spicy hot for our tastes. I have a modestly high tolerance for spicy foods, but this was a miss. There was nothing on the menu to indicate that it would be pretty darned spicy so, beware!

We did take-out from HK the next day (a good sign.) We opted for the more 'traditional' breakfasts and they did not disappoint. Did I mention the coffee was good? Because it really, really was.

Overall, HK is excellent. If you can get past spending ~$30 for breakfast for two, you'll be treated just fine. Nice decor, too.