To kick off The Five Days of Meat with a meaty bang, we present 11 of the Twin Cities' most iconic meat dishes, mapped in roughly geographic order. From new classics gaining icon status to bona fide favorites that have been around for 70+ years and from upscale restaurants with white linen tablecloths to dive bars serving up dishes with a side of surliness, we've got all your meat needs covered.
Is your favorite iconic meat dish missing from the list? Head to the comments to discuss, debate, and disagree.
The Kingfield neighborhood spot's ever changing farm-to-table menu typically features crispy pork belly. The current iteration of this modern classic is confit crispy belly on a bed of sweet and spicy pickled cabbage with chicharrón and pepita oil.
Ranked as one of the top steakhouses in the nation, Manny's serves up high-quality, dry-aged beef steak. If it is your first time dining at the iconic restaurant, don't miss the famous meat cart, which shows off all of Manny's cuts including the Bludgeon of Beef, 50 ounces of bone-in rib eye.
This family-run steakhouse has been a Minneapolis institution for more than 70 years. Murray's signature steak is the award-winning Silver Butter Knife Steak for Two, which is 28 ounces of strip sirloin carved table-side.
Another new classic has returned for the summer at Landon Schoenfeld's North Loop restaurant. The Picnic Salad is the epitome of elevated Midwest comfort food. The dish features barbecue-glazed pork belly atop potato salad, maple butter beans, and housemade pickles.
Over the past year, Parlour's burger has gained attention and is becoming as iconic as head bartender Jesse Held's cocktails. The crispy, toasted bun holds two beef patties and super melty white cheese, and there's a side of housemade pickles.
This favorite North Loop sandwich spot is best known for its housemade pastrami sandwich, served on rye bread with pickled cabbage and coarse mustard. Go "New York style" for $4 more and get twice the pastrami goodness.
This beloved Northeast bar (established in 1952) is known as the Home of the Dago. A dago is essentially a hamburger but with the patty made of Italian sausage instead of beef. Get it plain, with an egg, cheese, or whatever you want. Just get it.
Rich with history, Jax Cafe is a classic steakhouse in Northeast. The iconic bone-in steer tenderloin is a 14-ounce cut of meat and combines the flavor of the bone with the tenderness of the filet mignon. It's topped with a giant mushroom cap.
Since 1954, Matt's Bar is said to be the original home of the jucy lucy (and don't even think about spelling "jucy" any other way). The classic, cheese-stuffed burger is also said to be "better than sex and twice as messy."
The family-run steakhouse has been a St. Paul tradition since 1948. Sidle up in the red leather booths and dig into buttery grilled bread and pickle plate while ordering the iconic New York signature strip steak: 13 ounces of center-cut aged strip steak, grilled on Mancini's open-hearth charcoal pits.
The seasonally changing menu at the Dayton's Bluff hot spot always features the New York strip steak. The plate comes with ten ounces of Thousand Hills Cattle Company grass-fed beef served with grilled lemon and duck fat poached carrots.
The Kingfield neighborhood spot's ever changing farm-to-table menu typically features crispy pork belly. The current iteration of this modern classic is confit crispy belly on a bed of sweet and spicy pickled cabbage with chicharrón and pepita oil.
Ranked as one of the top steakhouses in the nation, Manny's serves up high-quality, dry-aged beef steak. If it is your first time dining at the iconic restaurant, don't miss the famous meat cart, which shows off all of Manny's cuts including the Bludgeon of Beef, 50 ounces of bone-in rib eye.
This family-run steakhouse has been a Minneapolis institution for more than 70 years. Murray's signature steak is the award-winning Silver Butter Knife Steak for Two, which is 28 ounces of strip sirloin carved table-side.
Another new classic has returned for the summer at Landon Schoenfeld's North Loop restaurant. The Picnic Salad is the epitome of elevated Midwest comfort food. The dish features barbecue-glazed pork belly atop potato salad, maple butter beans, and housemade pickles.
Over the past year, Parlour's burger has gained attention and is becoming as iconic as head bartender Jesse Held's cocktails. The crispy, toasted bun holds two beef patties and super melty white cheese, and there's a side of housemade pickles.
This favorite North Loop sandwich spot is best known for its housemade pastrami sandwich, served on rye bread with pickled cabbage and coarse mustard. Go "New York style" for $4 more and get twice the pastrami goodness.
This beloved Northeast bar (established in 1952) is known as the Home of the Dago. A dago is essentially a hamburger but with the patty made of Italian sausage instead of beef. Get it plain, with an egg, cheese, or whatever you want. Just get it.
Rich with history, Jax Cafe is a classic steakhouse in Northeast. The iconic bone-in steer tenderloin is a 14-ounce cut of meat and combines the flavor of the bone with the tenderness of the filet mignon. It's topped with a giant mushroom cap.
Since 1954, Matt's Bar is said to be the original home of the jucy lucy (and don't even think about spelling "jucy" any other way). The classic, cheese-stuffed burger is also said to be "better than sex and twice as messy."
The family-run steakhouse has been a St. Paul tradition since 1948. Sidle up in the red leather booths and dig into buttery grilled bread and pickle plate while ordering the iconic New York signature strip steak: 13 ounces of center-cut aged strip steak, grilled on Mancini's open-hearth charcoal pits.
The seasonally changing menu at the Dayton's Bluff hot spot always features the New York strip steak. The plate comes with ten ounces of Thousand Hills Cattle Company grass-fed beef served with grilled lemon and duck fat poached carrots.
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