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Minnesota Recs! (from a local)
30
items I don’t leave home often, but when I do? 🫣 | click 📍 to see map version!
This list contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you 🫶🏼
Map
Sections
8
Cafés ☕️
Art 🎨
Nerdy Shops 👾
Sightseeing 📸
Restaurants 🍽️
Sweet Treats 🍬
Cafés ☕️
I love cafés in the cities!
Cute woman owned cafe! Lots of table space, nice to work at, local art and goodies, plus good books, coffee, food, and beer! I really like their miel with a pump of lavender syrup 😋🪻☕️
Cream & Amber | ☕️📚🍻
I’ve only been to their uptown location before they had to move, but I had the miel there and it became my go to drink 🫣🫶🏼 All their cats are adoptable + they always have cool events going on!
The Cafe Meow | ☕️
Came here on my birthday this year (2025)! It’s really spacious and cute. We didn’t get to try their food or drinks, but they looked good. They also have a lot of cute merch! 🫶🏼
Wired Whisker | ☕️
Art 🎨
A black woman owned embroidery business based in Blaine, MN! Alexis has customs and plus sizes available + she’s literally the sweetest! She goes to a lot of markets through out the cities during the year, but has an Etsy too 🫶🏼
CreativeMezzo | 🎨
My go to free museum! I love their pop up exhibitions like the At Home with Monsters: Guillermo Del Toro exhibit. Always some kind of event going on and a really nice third space!
Minneapolis Institute of Art | 🎨
Nerdy Shops 👾
They have other locations, but THIS one is my gf’s childhood local game shop! The staff are nice and they have a lot of inventory. We don’t usually go, but there are always events/tournaments going on! A really nice third space 👌🏼
Dreamers Vault Games | 👾
Sightseeing 📸
I love zoos and aquariums so this has to make the list! TBH it’s a little pricey since you have to pay for parking too, but the zoo is huge and there’s lots of stuff to see. I love the new red panda enclosure 🥺🫶🏼
Minnesota Zoo | 📸
Restaurants 🍽️
picky eater approved 🫣😮💨
This place is so cute and yummy! My mom likes their Lao style papaya salad and I like their pad see-yew. I like how they have sinh fabric as their table clothes and they have a bunch of orchids!
Basil Cafe | 🍽️
My gf’s favorite Indian restaurant! The staff are always nice, food is so good, and they have good deals for dine in too. Her fav thing to get is the lamb curry, Indian hot 🥵🫶🏼
Best of India | 🍽️
Good food, staff are nice, and connected to Casablanca Market! Punch card rewards 🙌🏼
Casa Deli | 🍽️
Once again a bestie’s brunch recommendation! Their food is so good and affordable with big portions. The staff are really sweet so you better tip 😤 P.S the parking lot is really small so it’s street parking or luck
Coffee Cup | 🍽️
I fucking love brunch so I’m always down to find a new spot, but my best friend Alexis brought me here and it was so good that we keep coming back 😮💨
Hen House Eatery | 🍽️
I’ve been coming here since in utero and I swear they have the best bún bò huế ever + I always get the chicken wings and viet coffee! My favorite comfort food spot, I fear 🫣🫶🏼
Hoa Bien | 🍽️
Cute little old school diner! Seat yourself and it gets busy for breakfast/lunch rushes, but they close at 2:30 pm which makes sense. Senior hang out kind of restaurant, but if you’re like me and you like reasonably priced breakfast this place is goo...
Hoagie's Family Restaurant | 🍽️
My Asian besties and I have been to this place a few times by now and I really like their food! I always seem to judge places on their chicken wings, but they are good lol. According to my friend Sunny, their curries are yummy too! 🫶🏼
Khun Nai Thai Cuisine | 🍽️
My gf and I started going here when they first opened this location! Their quesobirria is sooooo good. We also tried their birria egg rolls and birria ramen. We liked the egg rolls a little more, but the ramen wasn’t too bad either. Staff are also re...
La Bodega Taco Bar | 🍽️
If you’re up north, PLEASE stop here! We got a to go order and drove to Silver Bay for lunch. It was so cold and windy, but the food was so good we ate until we got too cold 😭
OMC Smokehouse | 🍽️
My go to lunch spot when I was at Hamline! It’s literally a few blocks away from campus so I could go there for lunch and make it back in time for class 🫣🙏🏼
Pho Pasteur | 🍽️
Good food for pretty good prices! Always get deals in my inbox. Only dined in once with some coworkers and there weren’t many POC so I usually get take out + a sport’s bar and I’m not a sports girlie 🫣
Scoreboard Bar and Grill | 🍽️
Another I’ve been to since the womb, but they’re kinda gentrifying it to attract a certain crowd and the prices have gone up 🫣
HOWEVER, their pho broth is my absolute favorite restaurant pho I’ve had in my 25 years of living, but I’m probably bias...
Quang Restaurant | 🍽️
My Asian besties and I decided to check this place out last week and we loved it! Their wings are really good and their lad nah looked delicious so I’ll def come back and try that. The ovaltine drink is sooo yummy and tastes and has the texture of a ...
Hot Grainz - Thai Street Food | 🍽️
My bestie introduced me to this place, “It’s like chipotle, but local and cheaper”. Their food is reaaaally good and the service is great! Much better prices than chipotle, plus they have a bigger menu (with desserts). My gf got fries on her burrito!...
Los Cactus | 🍽️
Sweet Treats 🍬
is it time for a sweet treat yet? 🫣🫶🏼
Yummy ice cream, staff are nice, and family owned! I’ve only had their doughnuts once, but they were good too 🍩🍦 Hours are kinda weird, good to call beforehand! 🫣🫶🏼
Bella's Ice Cream | 🍬
I’ve only been to their St. Paul location, but everything is so good! You’re able to get half gallons of some of their drinks, ice cream shakes, cereal based drinks, and boba. If you’re looking for a little treat, you should come here 🫣🫶🏼
Treats: Cereal Bar & Boba | 🍬
Doughnuts and ice cream are always fiiiireee + cash app reward system and discounts. Staff are always nice and I got asked for feedback on the chocolate scoop I got since they’d just tweaked their recipe for it 🫣🫶🏼🍩🍦
YoYo Donuts | 🍬
Plant Stores 🪴
green thumb heaven 🍀👍🏼
My local plant shop! Their new suite is so big and filled with everything you need. I like to refill my soil bags here because we love sustainability and a discount too 🫶🏼
Lost in the Forrest | 🪴
I’ve only been to the smaller mpls location, but it was packed with plants, merch, and planty care items! I really like their tropical soil. I’ve also heard that they do sound baths and other events at the larger location. P.S. If you collect matchbo...
Mother Co. Plants | 🪴
Their Longfellow location has the cutest cats! 🥺🫶🏼 Their selection goes crazy and they have houseplants and outdoor plants. They also have plant merch and cat toys inside + the staff are always so nice! Street parking, but there’s a lot. 🙌🏼
Mother Earth Gardens | 🪴
Book Shops 📚
Cute woman owned cafe! Lots of table space, nice to work at, local art and goodies, plus good books, coffee, food, and beer! I really like their miel with a pump of lavender syrup 😋🪻☕️
Cream & Amber | ☕️📚🍻
I love this place! The creatures are so cute and there are teen + adult books sections. Don’t forget to bring a tote bag for your new books 📚
Wild Rumpus Books | 📚