Al's Breakfast in Dinkytown (Minneapolis MN)

Al's Breakfast, in the Dinkytown neighborhood near UM, is the smallest restaurant in Minneapolis (and, yes, that is a Mini parked in front).





It seems even smaller inside—a counter with 14 stools and a griddle by the window, that's pretty much it.

From what I'd heard I expected a fairly frenetic and maybe slightly rude diner atmosphere. At least on the morning I was there it was very low key and friendly with attentive and caring service. When I asked about the corned beef hash I got a clear explanation of the style (like hashbrowns seasoned with small bits of corned beef) followed by, "It doesn't look so good but it's tasty. Go ahead and order it. If you don't like it we'll make you something else. We want you to be happy." I went with hash, one poached egg and a single blueberry-buttermilk pancake.



Her description was dead on and there were no thoughts of returning my hash. It's an odd version to be sure but tasty. The pancake was the clear star of the meal and the waffles next to me looked even better (it seems common knowledge that these are the things to get at Al's). The grillman has a knack for cooking things to well-done without burning, a style I like a lot. It's a shame Al's coffee is so lousy. Still, a great little place.

Al's Breakfast
413 14th Av SE
Minneapolis MN
612-331-9991
Closes at 1pm

Al’s Breakfast was featured on the first year of “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” in the “American Cookin’” episode. It covers what was an alley between two buildings and it looks like the counter space at Frank’s Diner, in Kenosha, without the booths or the back room. As small as it is, Al’s won a James Beard Award in Y2004 for the food.

According to the DDD video, they make their CBH in-house, with corned beef, potatoes. onions, garlic, parsley, green peppers and “a touch of horseradish”.

(edited once to correct a typo)

Rene G wrote:From what I'd heard I expected a fairly frenetic and maybe slightly rude diner atmosphere. At least on the morning I was there it was very low key and friendly with attentive and caring service. When I asked about the corned beef hash I got a clear explanation of the style (like hashbrowns seasoned with small bits of corned beef) followed by, "It doesn't look so good but it's tasty. Go ahead and order it. If you don't like it we'll make you something else. We want you to be happy." I went with hash, one poached egg and a single blueberry-buttermilk pancake.

Rene, this may sound like caring service to you as a longtime Chicagoan, but if Al's were really a typical Minnesota place, they would have apologized to you for the very tiny size of the restaurant, and if you had visited in winter, for the weather. (I'm sorry to be so blunt. . .)

Did you taste the horseradish in the hash?

jimwdavis wrote:Al’s Breakfast was featured on the first year of “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” in the “American Cookin’” episode. It covers what was an alley between two buildings and it looks like the counter space at Frank’s Diner, in Kenosha, without the booths or the back room. As small as it is, Al’s won a James Beard Award in Y2004 for the food.

I haven't watched Diners, Drive-ins & Dives but from what I understand the building that became Al's was built by Simms Hardware as a storage shed in the alley next to the store.



You can still see the old sign on the side wall of Espresso Royale. Here is Al Bergstrom's obituary with some history of the restaurant.

jimwdavis wrote:According to the DDD video, they make their CBH in-house, with corned beef, potatoes. onions, garlic, parsley, green peppers and “a touch of horseradish”.

That makes sense. There were flavors other than corned beef, potato and onion but everything was minced so finely it was difficult to pick out individual tastes or to see the components.



It wasn't my idea of perfect CBH but it was an interesting version that I enjoyed quite a bit. If you can only visit Al's once, I'd recommend the pancakes (maybe a stack of Wally Blues) or waffles (try the ones that contain whole strips of bacon).

Josephine wrote:Rene, this may sound like caring service to you as a longtime Chicagoan, but if Al's were really a typical Minnesota place, they would have apologized to you for the very tiny size of the restaurant, and if you had visited in winter, for the weather. (I'm sorry to be so blunt. . .)

They're still young, with plenty of time to learn how to be proper Minnesotans. Everyone working at Al's appeared to be in their twenties.

People are awfully polite in the Twin Cities. A couple times when trying to cross the street in the middle of a block (something only an uncivilized visitor would do) drivers stopped and waved me across.

Josephine wrote:Did you taste the horseradish in the hash?

Not really, it was pretty subtle but I believe it was there. It's a good idea and one I might try next time I make CBH (happens once or twice a decade).

jimwdavis wrote:As small as it is, Al’s won a James Beard Award in Y2004 for the food.

I love Al's, but to ensure full disclosure: It was actually a James Beard "America's Classics Restaurant" award which many would argue has little to do with the food.

On a side note, anyone who likes Al's would likely also love The Wienery over on the West Bank.

MSPD wrote:

jimwdavis wrote:As small as it is, Al’s won a James Beard Award in Y2004 for the food.

I love Al's, but to ensure full disclosure: It was actually a James Beard "America's Classics Restaurant" award which many would argue has little to do with the food.

On a side note, anyone who likes Al's would likely also love The Wienery over on the West Bank.

My brother got married in Minnesota last October. We tried to go to Al's, but it was packed and we had no chance to eat there. He's going back there tomorrow, maybe he'll have better luck.

Oh. Hell. Yes. Al's Breakfast. Now that I live in Minneapolis I'm there about once a month, sometimes more during the school year. The Jose is fresh and wonderful and always enticing, as is the Israeli Special, but my usual order is short blues, scramble two with pepper cheese, ham and onions, and rye toast. I'd say, in some sense, you can make a comparison to Hot Doug's: small size, long lines even in the dead of winter, friendly people, and a guy named Doug shouting orders to the staff with his own idiosyncratic delivery (compare "POLISH. 2 CHAR DOGS. DUCK FRIES." to "I NEED TWO EGGS ON A ROUND WITH RYE AND A SHORT SHORT CORNS!") One of my favorite Al's experiences is when a party of two comes in and the only two empty seats are on opposite ends of the counter and the entire patronage of the restaurant has to shift one seat over.

Oh, and if you like Al's and the Wienery, you'll also love Matt's Bar, a South Minneapolis institution known for its Jucy Lucy (a hamburger stuffed with molten cheddar cheese).

Evan B. Druce wrote:One of my favorite Al's experiences is when a party of two comes in and the only two empty seats are on opposite ends of the counter and the entire patronage of the restaurant has to shift one seat over.

Now that's what I call an example of proper Minnesota behavior! Do you see that happening in New York, Chicago or L.A.? On a cold day in hell. (Oh, sorry, proper Minnesotans don't say "hell," dontcha know.)

Oh that's hilarious Josephine! Yawn.

My personal record at Al's is ending breakfast 5 seats down from where I started it.

Sorry to say Evan, I hate Matt's Bar.

Matt's bar is fantastic and a must go (along with Kramarczyks) everytime we go back home to visit my folks. Juicy Lucy, skinny crispy fries and and fresh Summit Pale Ale on tap followed by some Sebastian Joes Raspberry Chocolate Chip ice cream is my perfect MN lunch.
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