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Next level Pastrami at this old school skyway deli
The Brothers Deli/Website

11 Enticing Minneapolis Skyway Restaurants

Because it is too damn cold to go outside

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Next level Pastrami at this old school skyway deli
| The Brothers Deli/Website

With miles of twists and turns and businesses above ground, it can be difficult to separate the dining stops worth finding and those that are best skipped. From doughnuts to salads, burgers to soup, here are the best eats in the Minneapolis skyway.

Did we miss a favorite skyway eatery? Take to the comments and let us know!

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Cardigan Donuts

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With a cozy fireplace and inventive flavors, Cardigan Donuts offers a sweet escape from office drudgery.  Try the crunchy old-fashioned donut made with Greek yogurt or an airy French cruller.  Premium fried dough offerings include a cinnamon sugar-dusted churro roll and a cake donut flavored with Black Eye Roasting Co. coffee; check the website for limited-edition “inspired” flavors.  There’s also a selection of Greek yogurt and oatmeal bowls, from wholesome baked apple to dessert-inspired chocolate sundae.  

Be an office hero
Cardigan Donuts/Facebook

Cafe Patteen

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Café Patteen is a rare find: an independent coffee shop in a landscape dominated by chains.  Coffee beans are locally roasted and the tea is loose leaf, but the food is really what puts Café Patteen ahead of the competition.  There’s a rotating menu of tasty soups, and the giant cookies and other baked goods are made on-site from scratch.

Best quiche in downtown Minneapolis in this tiny coffee shop
Cafe Patteen/Facebook

The Brothers Deli

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The Brothers Deli is a classic New York-style deli with an extensive sandwich menu. Start with something including the corned beef or pastrami that’s seasoned and roasted right in the open kitchen. The Brothers Reuben or the Pepe (pastrami with melted pepper cheese) have rabid fans.  There’s also a selection of salads that pair perfectly with the generously-sized popovers. Don’t forget to swing by the salad bar for a scoop of potato salad, coleslaw, pickled herring, bread pudding, or three-bean salad.

Corned beef worth craving
The Brothers Deli/Website

Sushi Takatsu

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The daily lines at Sushi Takatsu are the first hint that it’s something special.  The menu includes oshizushi (a pressed sushi tricky to track down in the Twin Cities), a wide range of sushi rolls, and a tasty veggie tempura udon.  Be sure to try the bargain-priced sushi bowl: a bowl of rice topped with fish (spicy tuna, salmon, and yellowtail), avocado, spicy mayo, eel sauce, and tempura flakes, served with a side of miso soup.  Located in the Baker Center.

Curry Udon at the wee Sushi Takatsu
Sushi Takatsu/Facebook

Green And The Grain

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Green + The Grain makes eating a healthy lunch satisfying, with a lineup of filling salads and wraps.  Pick what you like salad ingredients include the restaurant’s namesake greens (baby spinach, kale, spring mix, or romaine) and grains (quinoa, farro, or wheat berries), plus a slew of toppings, and dressings.  Salads include the familiar, like a Caesar with ciabatta croutons, as well as more unique creations like a Thai beef tenderloin salad with rice noodles and a spicy peanut dressing.  

A serene space in the skyway
Green + the Grain / Website

O'Cheeze

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Food truck turned skyway level grilled cheese spot. Sandwiches stuffed with the gooey good are perfect for frigid winter days.

O’Cheeze/Facebook

Vellee Deli

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The brick-and-mortar iteration of the popular food truck, Vellee Deli offers an innovative fusion of Mexican and Asian flavors.  Try a Korean BBQ burrito filled with beef short ribs, kimchi, and salsa roja, or opt for the BBQ pork tacos topped with do chua, a housemade Vietnamese pickle.  Sides choices include crispy pork egg rolls with sweet and sour sauce or fresh tortilla chips with guacamole.  Located in the Baker Center.

Running the skyways in an entertaining game called: Find the Taco
Vellee Deli/Facebook

Simpls is different sort of skyway convenience store: there are better-for-you snacks like energy bars, nut butters, and fresh salads and sandwiches.  Many products are sourced locally, like Kakookies, Barsy’s Almonds, and K’ul Chocolate.   A rotating lineup of soups includes options like grass-fed beef chili and Jamaican jerk chicken, and Prohibition kombucha is served on tap.  

Better than average grab and go eating
Simpls/Facebook

Allie's Deli & Catering

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Allie’s Deli offers something for everyone, with an efficient queuing system that runs like a well-oiled machine.  Line A serves specialty sandwiches, including a chicken salad on multigrain and “Allie’s Dip”, a hot corned beef and roast beef sandwich served with au jus.  Opt for line B for scratch soups like chicken wild rice, tomato dill, and beef chili.  Line C is for wraps and the popular create-your-own-salad.  Don’t forget dessert: giant cookies, Rice Krispie treats, and bars, all made from scratch.  Located in the Rand Tower.

Clubby
Yelp

Bep Eatery

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Bếp Eatery offers a Vietnamese spin on the familiar fast-casual formula.  First, pick the format: a vermicelli bowl, pho, spring rolls, or bánh mì. Then select a protein (chicken, pork, steak, tofu, or shrimp), add some fillings, and top with Vietnamese vinaigrette, citrus soy, or peanut chili sauce.  Tasty beverage options include fresh pressed sugarcane juice, Vietnamese coffee, and coconut water.

Springroll city
Bep Eatery / Facebook

Good to Go

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Specializing in gourmet Mediterranean cuisine, Good to Go’s signature is their kabob wraps and bowls.  Choose from chicken, sirloin, or lamb, carefully seasoned and fire-roasted over a 1200-degree grill, and then add in rice, vegetable, beans, and a flavorful sumac aioli.  Other menu items include build-your-own salads (be sure to add some kabob meat) and focaccia sandwiches.

Wrap it up
Good to Go / Facebook

Cardigan Donuts

With a cozy fireplace and inventive flavors, Cardigan Donuts offers a sweet escape from office drudgery.  Try the crunchy old-fashioned donut made with Greek yogurt or an airy French cruller.  Premium fried dough offerings include a cinnamon sugar-dusted churro roll and a cake donut flavored with Black Eye Roasting Co. coffee; check the website for limited-edition “inspired” flavors.  There’s also a selection of Greek yogurt and oatmeal bowls, from wholesome baked apple to dessert-inspired chocolate sundae.  

Be an office hero
Cardigan Donuts/Facebook

Cafe Patteen

Café Patteen is a rare find: an independent coffee shop in a landscape dominated by chains.  Coffee beans are locally roasted and the tea is loose leaf, but the food is really what puts Café Patteen ahead of the competition.  There’s a rotating menu of tasty soups, and the giant cookies and other baked goods are made on-site from scratch.

Best quiche in downtown Minneapolis in this tiny coffee shop
Cafe Patteen/Facebook

The Brothers Deli

The Brothers Deli is a classic New York-style deli with an extensive sandwich menu. Start with something including the corned beef or pastrami that’s seasoned and roasted right in the open kitchen. The Brothers Reuben or the Pepe (pastrami with melted pepper cheese) have rabid fans.  There’s also a selection of salads that pair perfectly with the generously-sized popovers. Don’t forget to swing by the salad bar for a scoop of potato salad, coleslaw, pickled herring, bread pudding, or three-bean salad.

Corned beef worth craving
The Brothers Deli/Website

Sushi Takatsu

The daily lines at Sushi Takatsu are the first hint that it’s something special.  The menu includes oshizushi (a pressed sushi tricky to track down in the Twin Cities), a wide range of sushi rolls, and a tasty veggie tempura udon.  Be sure to try the bargain-priced sushi bowl: a bowl of rice topped with fish (spicy tuna, salmon, and yellowtail), avocado, spicy mayo, eel sauce, and tempura flakes, served with a side of miso soup.  Located in the Baker Center.

Curry Udon at the wee Sushi Takatsu
Sushi Takatsu/Facebook

Green And The Grain

Green + The Grain makes eating a healthy lunch satisfying, with a lineup of filling salads and wraps.  Pick what you like salad ingredients include the restaurant’s namesake greens (baby spinach, kale, spring mix, or romaine) and grains (quinoa, farro, or wheat berries), plus a slew of toppings, and dressings.  Salads include the familiar, like a Caesar with ciabatta croutons, as well as more unique creations like a Thai beef tenderloin salad with rice noodles and a spicy peanut dressing.  

A serene space in the skyway
Green + the Grain / Website

O'Cheeze

Food truck turned skyway level grilled cheese spot. Sandwiches stuffed with the gooey good are perfect for frigid winter days.

O’Cheeze/Facebook

Vellee Deli

The brick-and-mortar iteration of the popular food truck, Vellee Deli offers an innovative fusion of Mexican and Asian flavors.  Try a Korean BBQ burrito filled with beef short ribs, kimchi, and salsa roja, or opt for the BBQ pork tacos topped with do chua, a housemade Vietnamese pickle.  Sides choices include crispy pork egg rolls with sweet and sour sauce or fresh tortilla chips with guacamole.  Located in the Baker Center.

Running the skyways in an entertaining game called: Find the Taco
Vellee Deli/Facebook

SIMPLS

Simpls is different sort of skyway convenience store: there are better-for-you snacks like energy bars, nut butters, and fresh salads and sandwiches.  Many products are sourced locally, like Kakookies, Barsy’s Almonds, and K’ul Chocolate.   A rotating lineup of soups includes options like grass-fed beef chili and Jamaican jerk chicken, and Prohibition kombucha is served on tap.  

Better than average grab and go eating
Simpls/Facebook

Allie's Deli & Catering

Allie’s Deli offers something for everyone, with an efficient queuing system that runs like a well-oiled machine.  Line A serves specialty sandwiches, including a chicken salad on multigrain and “Allie’s Dip”, a hot corned beef and roast beef sandwich served with au jus.  Opt for line B for scratch soups like chicken wild rice, tomato dill, and beef chili.  Line C is for wraps and the popular create-your-own-salad.  Don’t forget dessert: giant cookies, Rice Krispie treats, and bars, all made from scratch.  Located in the Rand Tower.

Clubby
Yelp

Bep Eatery

Bếp Eatery offers a Vietnamese spin on the familiar fast-casual formula.  First, pick the format: a vermicelli bowl, pho, spring rolls, or bánh mì. Then select a protein (chicken, pork, steak, tofu, or shrimp), add some fillings, and top with Vietnamese vinaigrette, citrus soy, or peanut chili sauce.  Tasty beverage options include fresh pressed sugarcane juice, Vietnamese coffee, and coconut water.

Springroll city
Bep Eatery / Facebook

Good to Go

Specializing in gourmet Mediterranean cuisine, Good to Go’s signature is their kabob wraps and bowls.  Choose from chicken, sirloin, or lamb, carefully seasoned and fire-roasted over a 1200-degree grill, and then add in rice, vegetable, beans, and a flavorful sumac aioli.  Other menu items include build-your-own salads (be sure to add some kabob meat) and focaccia sandwiches.

Wrap it up
Good to Go / Facebook

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