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Our Kitchen in south Minneapolis.
Justine Jones

Where to Grab Breakfast in the Twin Cities

Corn pancakes, fluffy egg sandwiches, and other morning delights

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Our Kitchen in south Minneapolis.
| Justine Jones

From classic waffles and pancakes to hearty hashes, no meal is more foundational than breakfast. This map is designed for early birds in search of a delicious start to the day — savor breakfast tacos in Northeast, sweet banana churro waffles in St. Paul, or a tender ropa vieja with plantains on a sunny south Minneapolis patio. (For other morning delights, check out local brunches, coffee shops, and bakeries.) Here’s an early riser’s guide to breakfast in the Twin Cities.

Note that these restaurants are listed geographically.

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Sammy’s Avenue Eatery

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Sammy’s Avenue Eatery is known for its turkey clubs and ham melts, but don’t overlook the breakfast sandwich menu. Egg and cheese sandwiches, with a choice of pastrami, turkey, bacon, or chicken, all clock in at under $6.

Rise Bagel Co.

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Set in the heart of the North Loop neighborhood, Rise combines an old-fashioned approach to bagel making with organic ingredients. Grab a rosemary bagel with scallion cream cheese, or try something a little more adventurous, like the Artisan, which is loaded with bacon, havarti, rosemary Butter, and apple mustard. Rise has great vegan smears, too.

Bagels in a box with a side dish of cream cheese.
A schmear box from Rise Bagel. 
Rise Bagel

Ideal Diner

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Ideal Diner, a tiny, sunshine-yellow diner on Central Avenue, has served Northeast Minneapolis since 1949. Today, it’s one of the few spots in the Cities you can get a cup of coffee for $1.75. Breakfast dishes are served all day — the Polish Man breakfast, a combo of eggs, Polish sausage, and hash browns, nods to the neighborhood’s Eastern European immigrant roots. The buttermilk short stacks are served with a generous dollop of butter.

Mexican cafe and bakery Vivir serves an excellent breakfast burrito, stuffed with tender braised beef, rice, beans, pico de gallo, and scrambled eggs. Also on the morning menu are chilaquiles verde, breakfast tacos, cemitas. To end breakfast on a sweet note, save room for chocolate mole cupcakes and conchas.

A breakfast sandwich with a gooey egg yolk on a bun is front and center, with an orange cocktail with a frothy top, and a white bowl of crispy potatoes in the background.
A breakfast sandwich from Vivir.

Marty's Deli

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 Marty’s Deli opened as a permanent sandwich shop in Northeast Minneapolis in January. The best part — besides the sunny new digs — is that owner Martha Polacek added a customizable breakfast sandwich to the menu. Served on her airy, golden focaccia, these sandwiches pair a neat egg patty with thick slices of Peterson bacon, a sausage patty, braised greens, or even hash browns. The real clincher is the combination of garlic aioli and sharp American cheese, which meld into one gooey, creamy bite. Get there before noon to grab one, and keep an eye on Instagram for specials.

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Al's Breakfast

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Known affectionately as Minneapolis’s narrowest restaurant, Al’s Breakfast, which opened in 1950, is nestled into a 10-food-wide storefront in Dinkytown. The cook might sing to the radio while he’s dolloping sour cream and strawberries on hot waffles; strangers rub elbows, literally, as they tuck into salami scrambles. In a parallel universe, Al’s could have become a tourist trap — but in this one, it’s an enduring, beloved staple of Minnesota’s diner scene.

A black and white photo of a man in a white apron standing behind the counter at Al’s breakfast. The heads and shoulders of two people are visible in the foreground.
Al’s Breakfast in Dinkytown.
Katie Cannon/Eater Twin Cities

Colossal Cafe

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Colossal Cafe serves giant caramel rolls, crumbly biscuits, and yeast-based pancakes that rise to impressive heights. Try the simple short stack with maple syrup, or the signature topping of honey-brown sugar syrup, apples, walnuts, and slices of brie cheese. Other classics like omelets, frittatas, and breakfast sandwiches are available as well.

Maria's Cafe

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Maria’s Cafe, a beloved fixture of Minneapolis’s Seward neighborhood, pairs American breakfast fare with Columbian dishes like arepas rellenas, calentao con huevos, and paisa bowls (layered with beef, Colombian chorizo, and chicharron). Maria’s serves every pancake you could dream of, from chocolate chip to plantain, but the most famous are the chachapas Venezolanas, or corn pancakes, which are crispy around the edges, dusted with cotija cheese, and studded with sunshine-yellow kernels of corn.

Corn pancakes dusted with cotija cheese on a white plate.
Corn pancakes from Maria’s.
Justine Jones

Laune Bread

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Laune Bread is known for its earthy, nutty breads, naturally leavened with a sourdough culture and made with 60 percent or more whole grain flour. But don’t zip past the pastry case on the hunt for a loaf. Mandarin-spiced morning buns, twice-baked croissants, and cheddar biscuits are a great option for a quick, light breakfast on Lake Street.

May Day Cafe

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May Day is a quirky Powderhorn cafe and bakery with great vegan options. The menu changes frequently: Expect dill pickle cheese scones and cranberry bread on Friday and raspberry pistachio doughnuts on Saturday. (Keep an eye on May Day’s Instagram for the timeliest updates.) There’s also a breakfast menu of hearty dishes like quiche, breakfast sandwiches, and burritos. Take the breakfast haul over to nearby Powderhorn Park for a picnic.

Our Kitchen

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Our Kitchen, a tiny diner on West 36th Street, looks more like a country cottage than a bustling breakfast spot. But step inside for one of the best diner breakfasts you can find in Minneapolis. The pancakes are rough-hewn and studded with chocolate chips; the hash browns have a golden, crispy lid. Fair warning, you may have to wait to snag one of the bar stools.

A small blue building with tables on the patio and people waiting outside.
Our Kitchen on 36th.
Justine Jones

Victor's 1959 Cafe

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This classic south Minneapolis restaurant has been serving Cuban favorites and classics for more than 20 years. Order the Basque stew — eggs with a Creole stew of Spanish chorizo, ham, and vegetables — or the slow-cooked ropa vieja with eggs and plantains. Victor’s has a great coffee menu, too: Try grab a creamy cafe con leche from the little sliding glass window out front. The tropical-themed patio is a great spot for sunny weekend mornings.

Cafe Ceres

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Pastry chef Shawn McKenzie, who has run some of the Twin Cities’ finest pastry programs, recently garnered a James Beard nomination for her work at Café Cerés. McKenzie’s pistachio croissants strike a perfect balance of airiness and nuttiness; and her pillowy Turkish bagels — a.k.a. simit — are lovely with a cool smear of labneh and za’atar. The lunch menu complements the pastry selection with Muffulettas, falafel bowls, and Turkish egg tartines drizzled with chili oil.

A braided bagel coated in sesame seeds on a plate with za’atar, lox, tomatoes, and labneh.
The Turkish bagel, coated in sesame seeds.
Tim Evans/Eater Twin Cities

Alma Provisions

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Alma Provisions, a tiny cafe by the Alma team, is southwest Minneapolis’s newest buzzing morning spot. The menu is a slightly abbreviated version of the original Cafe Alma’s: coffee, tea, pastries, smoothies, oatmeal, egg strata, deli sandwiches, salads, and more. Keep an eye out for bakery items like kimchi and cheddar puff pastry tarts, pimento cheese breakfast sandwiches, and fresh cinnamon rolls drizzled with icing. Alma Provisions’ cafe space is standing-room-only, but there’s a takeout window, and apothecary items stocked inside.

The exterior of a brick building with a white sign that says “Alma Provisions.”
Alma’s south Minneapolis outpost.
Alma Provisions

Sun Street Breads

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Sun Street Breads serves stellar baked goods from award-winning baker Solveig Tofte in Minneapolis’s Tangletown neighborhood. The atmosphere is casual and, of course, sunny: Light pours in from floor-to-ceiling windows, and a sidewalk patio is open in the warmer months. For a heartier breakfast, pair a delicate cardamom bun with a biscuit egg-and-bacon sandwich, or poutine.

Guavas Cuban Cafe

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Guava’s is known for its Cuban brunch fare, but it opens at 8 a.m. daily, making it an equally great option for a quick, hearty weekday breakfast. The menu leans savory, catering to meat lovers with chimichurri steak and eggs and vaca frita braised beef hash. But the egg dishes — like the Havana breakfast, which pairs eggs with moro rice and a warming picadillo — are just as satisfying. Guava’s also serves Cuban-style coffee drinks.

Hot Plate

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This Nokomis diner is filled to bursting with knick-knacks and kitsch, and has plenty of cozy booths for curling up with a steaming mug of coffee. Tuck into a plate of the Grand Marais scramble — rich and smoky with trout, cream cheese, and asparagus — or a short stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes (some of the best in the Cities) topped with tart lingonberry butter.

Pancakes topped with pink butter on a white plate.
Buttermilk pancakes topped with tart lingonberry butter.
Justine Jones

Asa's Bakery

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Artist-turned-baker Asa Diebolt opened his cozy bakery in 2019 after running as a farmer’s market stand for several years; he moved into a bigger space in the Nokomis neighborhood in 2022. Morning customers from across the Twin Cities flock to Asa’s for fresh New York-style bagels or bialys — the bagel’s roasted, onion-filled cousin — with a whole selection of smears and toppings, from whitefish to cream cheese mixed with chive blossoms and radishes.

Highland Grill

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Modern comfort foods are the theme of Highland Grill’s vast menu. The classics are done so well here — a simple stack of the fluffy pancakes is a great bet, as is the blueberry French toast, served with whipped cream cheese. Or try the sweet potato hash, made with spicy hunks of Italian sausage, kale, and zippy peppers.

Two fluffy pancakes with golden crust are topped with a scoop of butter, melting. On the side is a small silver pitcher.
Pancake classics at Highland Grill.
Highland Grill

Hot Hands Pie & Biscuit

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It’s all in the crust at Hot Hands. For breakfast, choose from the savory pot pie selections, or sweet pies like caramelized vanilla with an oatmeal cookie crust, raspberry hazelnut, or banana cream, topped with a mascarpone that looks like fluffy ski moguls. Also on the menu are a variety of biscuit pairings, a breakfast sausage roll, and other pastries.

Big E - Grand Ave

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Chef Justin Sutherland’s egg sandwich shop Big E, named for rapper Biggie Smalls, has nine hefty egg sandwiches on its menu — everything from a reliable shaved ham and dijon to a surprising combination of steak, American cheese, and Welch’s grape jelly, layered with a fried egg and served on an Oyatsupan milk bun. All of the sandwich names reference Sutherland’s favorite musicians — the “When Doves Cry” sandwich is an edible homage to Prince. Be prepared to pay about $15 for a sandwich.

The French Hen Cafe

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The French Hen Cafe serves a French and Creole-influenced breakfast menu daily in Cathedral Hill. Anyone with a sweet tooth should try the coconut lime French toast — on the savory side, there’s a mushroom vegetable crepe and a Creole market hash. Split the difference with the massive, salty-sweet pancake, which is loaded with bacon, cheddar, and chives, and served with sides of maple syrup and honey butter. 

Hope Breakfast Bar - St. Paul

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Hope Breakfast Bar specializes in over-the-top breakfast food like banana churro waffles, German chocolate pancakes, and biscuits smothered with chili and topped with eggs. There’s also an impressive lineup of creative espresso drinks and breakfast cocktails: Favorites include banana milk coffee, peach and rose punch, and espresso martinis. (A note for suburbanites: Hope Breakfast Bar also has a second location in St. Louis Park, and more to come around the metro.)

The Buttered Tin

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The second its doors opened in St. Paul’s Lowertown, the Buttered Tin became a local breakfast favorite. Here, old-school breakfast favorites are given new life: Try a Benedict made with Lake Superior walleye, banana foster French Toast, or a smothered breakfast burrito. The Buttered Tin also serves boozy breakfast drinks, like Irish cream cold press, mimosas, and a sparkling rose.

A restaurant’s interior with white walls, a counter to the left, and diners seated at tables to the right.
Inside the Buttered Tin.
Katie Cannon

Sammy’s Avenue Eatery

Sammy’s Avenue Eatery is known for its turkey clubs and ham melts, but don’t overlook the breakfast sandwich menu. Egg and cheese sandwiches, with a choice of pastrami, turkey, bacon, or chicken, all clock in at under $6.

Rise Bagel Co.

Set in the heart of the North Loop neighborhood, Rise combines an old-fashioned approach to bagel making with organic ingredients. Grab a rosemary bagel with scallion cream cheese, or try something a little more adventurous, like the Artisan, which is loaded with bacon, havarti, rosemary Butter, and apple mustard. Rise has great vegan smears, too.

Bagels in a box with a side dish of cream cheese.
A schmear box from Rise Bagel. 
Rise Bagel

Ideal Diner

Ideal Diner, a tiny, sunshine-yellow diner on Central Avenue, has served Northeast Minneapolis since 1949. Today, it’s one of the few spots in the Cities you can get a cup of coffee for $1.75. Breakfast dishes are served all day — the Polish Man breakfast, a combo of eggs, Polish sausage, and hash browns, nods to the neighborhood’s Eastern European immigrant roots. The buttermilk short stacks are served with a generous dollop of butter.

ViV!R

Mexican cafe and bakery Vivir serves an excellent breakfast burrito, stuffed with tender braised beef, rice, beans, pico de gallo, and scrambled eggs. Also on the morning menu are chilaquiles verde, breakfast tacos, cemitas. To end breakfast on a sweet note, save room for chocolate mole cupcakes and conchas.

A breakfast sandwich with a gooey egg yolk on a bun is front and center, with an orange cocktail with a frothy top, and a white bowl of crispy potatoes in the background.
A breakfast sandwich from Vivir.

Marty's Deli

 Marty’s Deli opened as a permanent sandwich shop in Northeast Minneapolis in January. The best part — besides the sunny new digs — is that owner Martha Polacek added a customizable breakfast sandwich to the menu. Served on her airy, golden focaccia, these sandwiches pair a neat egg patty with thick slices of Peterson bacon, a sausage patty, braised greens, or even hash browns. The real clincher is the combination of garlic aioli and sharp American cheese, which meld into one gooey, creamy bite. Get there before noon to grab one, and keep an eye on Instagram for specials.

Vox Media

Al's Breakfast

Known affectionately as Minneapolis’s narrowest restaurant, Al’s Breakfast, which opened in 1950, is nestled into a 10-food-wide storefront in Dinkytown. The cook might sing to the radio while he’s dolloping sour cream and strawberries on hot waffles; strangers rub elbows, literally, as they tuck into salami scrambles. In a parallel universe, Al’s could have become a tourist trap — but in this one, it’s an enduring, beloved staple of Minnesota’s diner scene.

A black and white photo of a man in a white apron standing behind the counter at Al’s breakfast. The heads and shoulders of two people are visible in the foreground.
Al’s Breakfast in Dinkytown.
Katie Cannon/Eater Twin Cities

Colossal Cafe

Colossal Cafe serves giant caramel rolls, crumbly biscuits, and yeast-based pancakes that rise to impressive heights. Try the simple short stack with maple syrup, or the signature topping of honey-brown sugar syrup, apples, walnuts, and slices of brie cheese. Other classics like omelets, frittatas, and breakfast sandwiches are available as well.

Maria's Cafe

Maria’s Cafe, a beloved fixture of Minneapolis’s Seward neighborhood, pairs American breakfast fare with Columbian dishes like arepas rellenas, calentao con huevos, and paisa bowls (layered with beef, Colombian chorizo, and chicharron). Maria’s serves every pancake you could dream of, from chocolate chip to plantain, but the most famous are the chachapas Venezolanas, or corn pancakes, which are crispy around the edges, dusted with cotija cheese, and studded with sunshine-yellow kernels of corn.

Corn pancakes dusted with cotija cheese on a white plate.
Corn pancakes from Maria’s.
Justine Jones

Laune Bread

Laune Bread is known for its earthy, nutty breads, naturally leavened with a sourdough culture and made with 60 percent or more whole grain flour. But don’t zip past the pastry case on the hunt for a loaf. Mandarin-spiced morning buns, twice-baked croissants, and cheddar biscuits are a great option for a quick, light breakfast on Lake Street.

May Day Cafe

May Day is a quirky Powderhorn cafe and bakery with great vegan options. The menu changes frequently: Expect dill pickle cheese scones and cranberry bread on Friday and raspberry pistachio doughnuts on Saturday. (Keep an eye on May Day’s Instagram for the timeliest updates.) There’s also a breakfast menu of hearty dishes like quiche, breakfast sandwiches, and burritos. Take the breakfast haul over to nearby Powderhorn Park for a picnic.

Our Kitchen

Our Kitchen, a tiny diner on West 36th Street, looks more like a country cottage than a bustling breakfast spot. But step inside for one of the best diner breakfasts you can find in Minneapolis. The pancakes are rough-hewn and studded with chocolate chips; the hash browns have a golden, crispy lid. Fair warning, you may have to wait to snag one of the bar stools.

A small blue building with tables on the patio and people waiting outside.
Our Kitchen on 36th.
Justine Jones

Victor's 1959 Cafe

This classic south Minneapolis restaurant has been serving Cuban favorites and classics for more than 20 years. Order the Basque stew — eggs with a Creole stew of Spanish chorizo, ham, and vegetables — or the slow-cooked ropa vieja with eggs and plantains. Victor’s has a great coffee menu, too: Try grab a creamy cafe con leche from the little sliding glass window out front. The tropical-themed patio is a great spot for sunny weekend mornings.

Cafe Ceres

Pastry chef Shawn McKenzie, who has run some of the Twin Cities’ finest pastry programs, recently garnered a James Beard nomination for her work at Café Cerés. McKenzie’s pistachio croissants strike a perfect balance of airiness and nuttiness; and her pillowy Turkish bagels — a.k.a. simit — are lovely with a cool smear of labneh and za’atar. The lunch menu complements the pastry selection with Muffulettas, falafel bowls, and Turkish egg tartines drizzled with chili oil.

A braided bagel coated in sesame seeds on a plate with za’atar, lox, tomatoes, and labneh.
The Turkish bagel, coated in sesame seeds.
Tim Evans/Eater Twin Cities

Alma Provisions

Alma Provisions, a tiny cafe by the Alma team, is southwest Minneapolis’s newest buzzing morning spot. The menu is a slightly abbreviated version of the original Cafe Alma’s: coffee, tea, pastries, smoothies, oatmeal, egg strata, deli sandwiches, salads, and more. Keep an eye out for bakery items like kimchi and cheddar puff pastry tarts, pimento cheese breakfast sandwiches, and fresh cinnamon rolls drizzled with icing. Alma Provisions’ cafe space is standing-room-only, but there’s a takeout window, and apothecary items stocked inside.

The exterior of a brick building with a white sign that says “Alma Provisions.”
Alma’s south Minneapolis outpost.
Alma Provisions

Sun Street Breads

Sun Street Breads serves stellar baked goods from award-winning baker Solveig Tofte in Minneapolis’s Tangletown neighborhood. The atmosphere is casual and, of course, sunny: Light pours in from floor-to-ceiling windows, and a sidewalk patio is open in the warmer months. For a heartier breakfast, pair a delicate cardamom bun with a biscuit egg-and-bacon sandwich, or poutine.

Related Maps

Guavas Cuban Cafe

Guava’s is known for its Cuban brunch fare, but it opens at 8 a.m. daily, making it an equally great option for a quick, hearty weekday breakfast. The menu leans savory, catering to meat lovers with chimichurri steak and eggs and vaca frita braised beef hash. But the egg dishes — like the Havana breakfast, which pairs eggs with moro rice and a warming picadillo — are just as satisfying. Guava’s also serves Cuban-style coffee drinks.

Hot Plate

This Nokomis diner is filled to bursting with knick-knacks and kitsch, and has plenty of cozy booths for curling up with a steaming mug of coffee. Tuck into a plate of the Grand Marais scramble — rich and smoky with trout, cream cheese, and asparagus — or a short stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes (some of the best in the Cities) topped with tart lingonberry butter.

Pancakes topped with pink butter on a white plate.
Buttermilk pancakes topped with tart lingonberry butter.
Justine Jones

Asa's Bakery

Artist-turned-baker Asa Diebolt opened his cozy bakery in 2019 after running as a farmer’s market stand for several years; he moved into a bigger space in the Nokomis neighborhood in 2022. Morning customers from across the Twin Cities flock to Asa’s for fresh New York-style bagels or bialys — the bagel’s roasted, onion-filled cousin — with a whole selection of smears and toppings, from whitefish to cream cheese mixed with chive blossoms and radishes.

Highland Grill

Modern comfort foods are the theme of Highland Grill’s vast menu. The classics are done so well here — a simple stack of the fluffy pancakes is a great bet, as is the blueberry French toast, served with whipped cream cheese. Or try the sweet potato hash, made with spicy hunks of Italian sausage, kale, and zippy peppers.

Two fluffy pancakes with golden crust are topped with a scoop of butter, melting. On the side is a small silver pitcher.
Pancake classics at Highland Grill.
Highland Grill

Hot Hands Pie & Biscuit

It’s all in the crust at Hot Hands. For breakfast, choose from the savory pot pie selections, or sweet pies like caramelized vanilla with an oatmeal cookie crust, raspberry hazelnut, or banana cream, topped with a mascarpone that looks like fluffy ski moguls. Also on the menu are a variety of biscuit pairings, a breakfast sausage roll, and other pastries.

Big E - Grand Ave

Chef Justin Sutherland’s egg sandwich shop Big E, named for rapper Biggie Smalls, has nine hefty egg sandwiches on its menu — everything from a reliable shaved ham and dijon to a surprising combination of steak, American cheese, and Welch’s grape jelly, layered with a fried egg and served on an Oyatsupan milk bun. All of the sandwich names reference Sutherland’s favorite musicians — the “When Doves Cry” sandwich is an edible homage to Prince. Be prepared to pay about $15 for a sandwich.

The French Hen Cafe

The French Hen Cafe serves a French and Creole-influenced breakfast menu daily in Cathedral Hill. Anyone with a sweet tooth should try the coconut lime French toast — on the savory side, there’s a mushroom vegetable crepe and a Creole market hash. Split the difference with the massive, salty-sweet pancake, which is loaded with bacon, cheddar, and chives, and served with sides of maple syrup and honey butter. 

Hope Breakfast Bar - St. Paul

Hope Breakfast Bar specializes in over-the-top breakfast food like banana churro waffles, German chocolate pancakes, and biscuits smothered with chili and topped with eggs. There’s also an impressive lineup of creative espresso drinks and breakfast cocktails: Favorites include banana milk coffee, peach and rose punch, and espresso martinis. (A note for suburbanites: Hope Breakfast Bar also has a second location in St. Louis Park, and more to come around the metro.)

The Buttered Tin

The second its doors opened in St. Paul’s Lowertown, the Buttered Tin became a local breakfast favorite. Here, old-school breakfast favorites are given new life: Try a Benedict made with Lake Superior walleye, banana foster French Toast, or a smothered breakfast burrito. The Buttered Tin also serves boozy breakfast drinks, like Irish cream cold press, mimosas, and a sparkling rose.

A restaurant’s interior with white walls, a counter to the left, and diners seated at tables to the right.
Inside the Buttered Tin.
Katie Cannon

Related Maps