Inspired by the flavors and culinary traditions he found while traveling along the southern coast of Europe, chef Jason Hansen marries Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian comfort foods with a few Minnesotan inflections at Estelle. The restaurant’s signature cheeseburger features beef from Osceola, Wisconsin, and is served with Spanish patatas bravas. On the dessert menu, a Portuguese pasteis de nata sits alongside a rich chocolate budino inspired by the “snack pack” puddings that dominated American middle school cafeterias in the early aughts.

Fried chicken spot Nashville Coop has a thriving fanbase among college students in the area. The streamlined menu offers three meal basket options — chicken tenders, a chicken sandwich, or chicken served with Texas Toast — and five sauces with heat levels ranging from MN Nice (no heat) to the Cluckin’ Hot, which promises “24-hour pain.” Order a side of the house mac and cheese to temper the heat.

Pastry chef Tara Coleman first opened Hot Hands in 2019, and has since built a devoted neighborhood following. Though the menu changes with the seasons, there are a few reliable hits: a classic apple pie with a crunchy lid of brown-butter streusel, a maple fried chicken sandwich topped with honey butter and a massive slice of bacon, and a chicken pot pie that’s an ideal dinner for one. In the spirit of community, Hot Hands pays it forward: Add $6 to your bill to pre-pay for a slice of pie for a neighbor who needs it.

A favorite for students and staff of Macalester College, Pad Thai Restaurant is a bustling, family-run spot on the west side of campus. The lunch specials are where Pad Thai Restaurant shines: Take your pick from 16 dishes, including the eponymous pad thai and a sour-spicy tom yum, made bright with lemongrass and makrut lime leaves.

Shish is the place to go if you’re hungry and under-caffeinated in Mac-Groveland. A starter platter, which runs at about $12, comes with a few spreads, fresh falafel, thick slices of feta, tabbouleh, olives, and pita. Coffee aficionados should order the Turkish coffee, which is so strong it could revive you with its scent alone. Those seeking a lighter caffeine boost should try the Arabic tea, a sweet black brew served with fresh mint leaves.

38 years into its tenure at Grand Avenue and Snelling Avenue, Khyber Pass Cafe remains the place to go for comfort food in Mac-Groveland. At this Afghan restaurant, you’ll find impossibly creamy hummus, tender kabobs, and spiced curries served with fragrant basmati rice. Regulars know that no order is complete without one — or many — of the rainbow of chutneys on offer, from tart cherry to cilantro and walnut.

A breakfast favorite among neighborhood residents, the Grand Avenue location of Colossal Cafe is always bustling on weekend mornings. Though there’s usually a crowd during peak brunch hours, lines move quickly and take you past the bakery case, where a rotating selection of scones and croissants provide plenty of ordering inspiration. The biscuits alone — golden, tender-crumbed, and served with a choice of seasonal house-made jam — are more than worth the wait.

The newest restaurant to join the Mac-Groveland stretch of Grand Avenue, Em Que Viet is a sister location to Que Viet, a Northeast Minneapolis institution — co-owners Maria Nguyen, Brianna Le, and Lauren Le describe Em Que Viet as the “younger, trendy, sassy version” of its older sibling. Here, you’ll find Que Viet’s famous egg rolls and an assortment of “Em specials”: a bright shrimp and pork banana flower salad, pineapple-cured beef carpaccio, jet-black squid ink fried rice topped with wisps of shaved bonito, and more.

Marked by a simple red awning, the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it exterior of Everest on Grand belies a spacious and sunny dining room inside. Here, Nepalese, Tibetan, and North Indian classics share space on the menu, and tomato-based curries feature heavily. Momos are a must-order, served steaming hot with a range of condiments, from the fiery potato achaar to cooling raita (made with house-blended yogurt). With many vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free options, Everest is also a great place for groups with mixed dining needs.