The main store unfortunately burned down in March, but there is another location in Robbinsdale! This is possibly our most favorite spot in all of Minneapolis. The tacos here are incredibly tasty and come in all the traditional meats you love including barbacoa, carne asada, carnitas, al pastor (Dan’s favorite) and tinga (Liz’s favorite.) You can get any Mexican standby here; chimichangas, burritos, tortas, tamales, empanadas, chilaquiles and nachos. If you are especially hungry or with a buddy you can try their foot long burrito for $16—Dan could eat it himself but we often split one. Pro Tip: get a few tacos here and grab some crowlers from nearby Wicked Wort.
This brewery is home to one of our favorite places for Trivia. This is also one of our favorite breweries for dog petting. They have a good selection (usually including one sour) and a lovely patio. The guy who owns the brewery works the bar and he’s super cool.
Hands-down the best Happy Hour and late night specials in the Minneapolis area. The wings are delicious!
Vivacious themed trivia with some pretty wacky hosts! If you love beer this is a must-visit!
Middle-eastern comfort food. Huge portions, perfect spices. Get the Marhaba Platter for 6!
This is an Elizabeth Steele favorite. She spent a few afternoons this summer drinking beer and reading about triathlon training. It has a small patio that flows out into a shared parking lot with an autobody for imports. As a bonus you can sometimes spot some cool cars. Bent has a variety of brews including one or two unexpected finds like a mead or a hard seltzer. The location is unassuming—It’s behind a strip mall in an industrial park, but I think it really adds to the charm. Its mere minutes from where Liz grew up and often has a food truck.
This is a Minnesota restaurant with three locations—they have a fairly extensive beer list, plus handcrafted wurst. You can make any wurst a combo (with fries and a select beer) for $5. Pro Tip: Make your wurst a chili dog! This is also home to a very good giant Bavarian pretzel ($15.)
This is a Minnesota chain with several locations. They have some inventive pies as well as pizza by the slice. Dan used to subsist for an entire weekend on one of their large pizzas and a peanut butter brownie.
Although Rusty Taco is a national chain it makes the list for having economically priced tacos including breakfast tacos served all day. The breakfast tacos are excellent and the queso is good. Bonus: You can buy beer and drinks here.
Brasa puts out some tasty rotisserie meats inspired by Caribbean and Mexican flavors. You can buy meat by the pound or enjoy their tasty plates and bowls. Notable sides include the sweet-corn cornbread, the spicy corn masa cake, the rustic grits, crispy yucca and black beans.
There are two locations in Minneapolis and they serve inventive donuts. An unexpected favorite is “the girl next door” --muenster/Havarti filled donut with a spicy curry/peanut topping. The “dark angel” (vanilla bean filling with chocolate icing) is also excellent. Liz’s favorite is “the it girl” (passion fruit curd and toasted coconut) while Dan likes “the starlet” (cake donut with chocolate and sprinkles.) Bonus: If you go near closing they sometimes sell donuts at a discount. You can get coffee and beer at this location as well.
This is one of the few places in Minneapolis to procure Eastern European specialties. This spot has a cafeteria style restaurant offering delicious pierogis and some bottled Eastern European beers Liz and Amy enjoyed during their year teaching abroad. It also has a deli with an extensive variety of fresh meats and bakery items as well as select imported grocery items hard to find anywhere else.
Surdyk’s is a wine and cheese emporium. If you have the desire to put together a charcuterie plate or find some unexpected things for a picnic, Surdyk’s is a fun stop. They also offer beer and liquor.
Dan loves fish and chips. This spot serves traditional British pub fair but the fish and chips are by far the most popular item on the menu. The fish batter is really light and crispy and it’s the perfect meal after enjoying some of the nearby breweries.
In our opinion, the best place to get cider in the city. We love to play board games here and they have a nice patio. There have many different flavored ciders and a few different beers. It’s the only place we have ever seen crabapple cider!
The beers here are more traditional, but they always have an interesting and unique infusion. This spot has a large outdoor space with many picnic tables. Its high ceilings make it lovely, but it can be a little loud inside. It is perfect for board games in the afternoon and has a large parking lot. It a great pick if you would like to sit outside with a large group.
612 brew has traditional, but tasty beers. The charm of this place is definitely its smaller format. It’s perfect if you are looking for a quieter place to relax and enjoy some brews. They have a small outdoor patio shared with some other businesses, but it is beautifully landscaped and good for pictures! There is a parking lot here but it tends to fill quickly. Some street parking is okay, but look closely for signs and beware parking in front of any fences, you will get a ticket!
Of our favorite breweries, this has, by far, the most extensive tap list. They usually have about 30 beers of all types. The Roselle is a hibiscus kettle sour is definitely one of Liz’s top favorite cbeers of all times.
The Boar is mere blocks from our house and has some of the best happy hours deals in town. They are also home to Dan’s favorite fish and chips in the city! FISH FRIYAY! (A huge serving of fish and fries is only $12 on Fridays.) They have opened both front and back patios.
It takes all of five minutes for us to stroll to this brewery and we head here often to pick up crowlers. LTD references their limited releases. They brew in small batches so they have some really inventive stuff. If it’s still available, their OPPC (orange peel patio crusher) is our pick for summer beer. It’s perfect for warm Minnesota summers outside. Their watermelon sour tastes exactly like jolly ranchers and has a mixed opinion in our house. We also love Muffin Top, which tastes exactly like Little Debbie blueberry muffins and their Great Ape-Ricot Hefeweizen.
Wooden Hill has a charming patio replete with umbrellas and twinkle lights. It’s a bit hidden in an industrial park with ample parking. The food here is excellent and available for takeout. It’s difficult to keep yourself from snatching garlic parmesan fries from strangers if you opt for beer only.