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The exterior of Broders’ Cucina Italiana: A black awning with white writing and a brick storefront with windows, against a blue sky.
Broders’ in south Minneapolis.
Broders’ Cucina Italiana

10 Classic Italian Red-Sauce Restaurants in the Twin Cities

Where to find old-school spaghetti and meatballs, stromboli, and handmade tortellini

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Broders’ in south Minneapolis.
| Broders’ Cucina Italiana

The Twin Cities are home to a host of great Italian restaurants, including upscale and fusion spots in the North Loop and wine-focused restaurants in south Minneapolis. But the true heart of the Cities’ Italian cuisine lies in St. Paul, where Italian immigrants built a thriving Little Italy on the Upper Levee in the early 19th century. Flooding forced families out of the area in the 1950s, but many long-held family businesses and restaurants still persist today. Here’s where to find a plate of meatballs drowned in a tangy marinara sauce, a hearty slice of lasagna, or a thin-crust pizza topped with a bubbly, gooey blanket of mozzarella.

Note that these restaurants are listed geographically.

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Little Oven

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A breakfast spot, pizza place, and red sauce restaurant all rolled into one, The Little Oven is a neighborhood institution. Try the Pavarotti sandwich, heaped with ground beef and Italian sausage patties, pepperoni, gooey mozzarella, and marinara.

A white dish of spaghetti and red sauce.
Spaghetti from Little Oven.
Little Oven

Yarusso Bros Italian Restaurant

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This cozy Italian spot has been an Eastside mainstay since 1947, when Francesco Yarusso and his sons took over the business. The fist-sized meatballs always come with plenty of sauce and a hearty layer of mozzarella.

A cozy restaurant interior with warm lighting, tables and chairs, and lots of photos on the walls.
Yarusso’s is like a time capsule.
Yarusso Bros

Mama's Pizza

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From the old-school, thin-crust pizza to the meatballs swimming in a rich marinara sauce, Mama’s keeps it simple, just as it has since 1964. Don’t skip an order of the flavor-dense ravioli, and stick around for the free miniature soft-serve cone at the end of the meal.

Cossetta’s

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Cossetta’s has grown tremendously since its early days as a small Italian grocery store, but at its heart, it’s still a humble family-owned joint. There’s something magical about Cossetta’s combination of mostaccioli, tangy red sauce, and ricotta. Fill up a bag of sweet venchi, canoli, and macarons to go.

DeGidio's Restaurant & Bar

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DeGidio’s, a mainstay of St. Paul’s West Seventh neighborhood, is the legacy of Joe “Kid Bullets” DeGidio, a prolific bootlegger of the 1920s and ‘30s. DeGidio’s was once a favorite haunt of notable gangsters of the era. These days, the restaurant is a go-to for classic Italian fare like tortellini bolognese made with Italian sausage and a plum tomato sauce. It’s still owned and run by Kid Bullets’ grandchildren.

A cozy dining room with booths filled with people. This photo was taken last year.
DeGidio’s on West Seventh Street.
DeGidio’s

Mucci’s Italian

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This little restaurant is a relative newcomer compared to others on this map, but the menu of Italian comfort foods is cooked and served straight from the heart. Try the lasagna, or as it’s billed on the menu: layers of love.

A piece of lasagna on a white plate.
Mucci’s is a St. Paul favorite.
Mucci’s

Carmelo's Spaghetti Room

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Carmelo’s, packed with cozy booths, is a great neighborhood spot for celebrations of all kinds — often packed on the weekend, so a reservation may be a wise move. Share a plate of bruschetta caprese before tucking into the house-made cacio e pepe or sausage ravioli.

A white plate of spaghetti and meatballs on a white background.
Spaghetti and meatballs from Carmelo’s.
Carmelo’s Spaghetti Room

Caffe Biaggio

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A sweet little neighborhood spot with deep Italian family roots, Caffe Biaggio opened in 2002. Look for the painting of co-owner John D’Agostino’s mother, Mama D by Tony Bennett. Order the bolognese over parpadelle or soft polenta.

Jakeeno's Pizza & Pasta

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The Jakeeno family has been in the sauce business since 1975 — its tangy tomato gravy is so good that the restaurant sells it by the jar. Jakeeno’s other trademark is the layer of gooey broiled cheese that blankets most of the dishes: the thin-crust pizza, the hearty lasagna, even the fluffy, golden slices of bread.

The exterior of a restaurant with a sign that says Jakeeno’s and a green and white-striped awning.
Jakeeno’s on Chicago Avenue.
Jakeeno’s

Broders' Cucina Italiana

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This restaurant and deli — the first of the Broder family’s slate of Italian restaurants, which now includes Broders’ Pasta Bar and Terzo — first opened in 1982. Grab a loaf of house-baked focaccia and an Italian meatball sub to go, or come for a sit-down meal of fettuccine bolognese.

Three stromboli filled with cheese, meat, and veggies stacked on top of each other and topped with red sauce.
Stacks of stromboli from Broders’.
Broders’ Cucina Italiana

Little Oven

A breakfast spot, pizza place, and red sauce restaurant all rolled into one, The Little Oven is a neighborhood institution. Try the Pavarotti sandwich, heaped with ground beef and Italian sausage patties, pepperoni, gooey mozzarella, and marinara.

A white dish of spaghetti and red sauce.
Spaghetti from Little Oven.
Little Oven

Yarusso Bros Italian Restaurant

This cozy Italian spot has been an Eastside mainstay since 1947, when Francesco Yarusso and his sons took over the business. The fist-sized meatballs always come with plenty of sauce and a hearty layer of mozzarella.

A cozy restaurant interior with warm lighting, tables and chairs, and lots of photos on the walls.
Yarusso’s is like a time capsule.
Yarusso Bros

Mama's Pizza

From the old-school, thin-crust pizza to the meatballs swimming in a rich marinara sauce, Mama’s keeps it simple, just as it has since 1964. Don’t skip an order of the flavor-dense ravioli, and stick around for the free miniature soft-serve cone at the end of the meal.

Cossetta’s

Cossetta’s has grown tremendously since its early days as a small Italian grocery store, but at its heart, it’s still a humble family-owned joint. There’s something magical about Cossetta’s combination of mostaccioli, tangy red sauce, and ricotta. Fill up a bag of sweet venchi, canoli, and macarons to go.

DeGidio's Restaurant & Bar

DeGidio’s, a mainstay of St. Paul’s West Seventh neighborhood, is the legacy of Joe “Kid Bullets” DeGidio, a prolific bootlegger of the 1920s and ‘30s. DeGidio’s was once a favorite haunt of notable gangsters of the era. These days, the restaurant is a go-to for classic Italian fare like tortellini bolognese made with Italian sausage and a plum tomato sauce. It’s still owned and run by Kid Bullets’ grandchildren.

A cozy dining room with booths filled with people. This photo was taken last year.
DeGidio’s on West Seventh Street.
DeGidio’s

Mucci’s Italian

This little restaurant is a relative newcomer compared to others on this map, but the menu of Italian comfort foods is cooked and served straight from the heart. Try the lasagna, or as it’s billed on the menu: layers of love.

A piece of lasagna on a white plate.
Mucci’s is a St. Paul favorite.
Mucci’s

Carmelo's Spaghetti Room

Carmelo’s, packed with cozy booths, is a great neighborhood spot for celebrations of all kinds — often packed on the weekend, so a reservation may be a wise move. Share a plate of bruschetta caprese before tucking into the house-made cacio e pepe or sausage ravioli.

A white plate of spaghetti and meatballs on a white background.
Spaghetti and meatballs from Carmelo’s.
Carmelo’s Spaghetti Room

Caffe Biaggio

A sweet little neighborhood spot with deep Italian family roots, Caffe Biaggio opened in 2002. Look for the painting of co-owner John D’Agostino’s mother, Mama D by Tony Bennett. Order the bolognese over parpadelle or soft polenta.

Jakeeno's Pizza & Pasta

The Jakeeno family has been in the sauce business since 1975 — its tangy tomato gravy is so good that the restaurant sells it by the jar. Jakeeno’s other trademark is the layer of gooey broiled cheese that blankets most of the dishes: the thin-crust pizza, the hearty lasagna, even the fluffy, golden slices of bread.

The exterior of a restaurant with a sign that says Jakeeno’s and a green and white-striped awning.
Jakeeno’s on Chicago Avenue.
Jakeeno’s

Broders' Cucina Italiana

This restaurant and deli — the first of the Broder family’s slate of Italian restaurants, which now includes Broders’ Pasta Bar and Terzo — first opened in 1982. Grab a loaf of house-baked focaccia and an Italian meatball sub to go, or come for a sit-down meal of fettuccine bolognese.

Three stromboli filled with cheese, meat, and veggies stacked on top of each other and topped with red sauce.
Stacks of stromboli from Broders’.
Broders’ Cucina Italiana

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