Planning a trip to Minneapolis anytime soon? If not, why aren’t you? I have all the deets on what to eat and do in Minneapolis. If this doesn’t convince you to visit this area, then I don’t know what will.
When I started planning my trip to Minneapolis, for some reason I had it in my brain that I was going to Milwaukee. Weird, right? Once I put Minneapolis firmly in my mind, I started researching what to eat and do in Minneapolis. And by researching I mean looking at hashtags on Instagram and making a list.
Aside from attending the Pinch of Yum Food Photography Workshop, there was so much I wanted to see and do. I went on this trip alone which in some aspects is great but then others, not so great. Being able to run around and hit all the spots I wanted to see on my timeline was great. But I’ve come to realize I don’t like eating alone for dinner out. Breakfast or lunch are fine but dinner just seems so sad when you are alone.
Trying to find a place to stay that wouldn’t break the bank was hard. Then I found this cute room in a condo through Airbnb close to the airport that wasn’t expensive at all so I swooped it up. It was perfect for my time in Minneapolis. The hosts, Ruben and Camille were sweet and unobtrusive. I literally saw them three times briefly throughout my trip.
Ok on to the food. I ate so much on this trip that I still haven’t recovered. Some of it was great and some not so much. Ruben sent me a list of places to eat at and I should have just stuck with his list instead of venturing out and trying Instagram worthy places.
What to Eat in Minneapolis
Matt’s Bar
3500 Cedar Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55407
The thing I heard I had to try in Minneapolis was a Jucy Lucy. And the place to try it is a small bar that is known for this burger. The Jucy Lucy is a burger stuffed with melted cheese inside. I know, right! This little burger was everything I expected but the buns weren’t warm enough for my liking. I like my buns toasted with butter. With that being my only complaint, it was a good burger.
Dough Dough Minneapolis
www.doughdoughmn.com
@doughdoughmn
Cookie dough is my favorite thing right now. So when I saw there was a food truck of just cookie dough, I went searching for it. Downtown Minneapolis has so many different foods trucks to try that it made me love the area instantly. I got a double shot of Peanut Buuuuuter and Cookievour. Oh em gee this was good.
Sea Salt – Minnehaha Falls
4825 Minnehaha Falls
Minneapolis, MN 55417
My coworker Tami told me I had to have the fish at the seafood restaurant at the Falls. That was all she gave me. I had no clue what to expect at the Falls so I wasn’t sure how I would find this random seafood place. As it turns out, the Falls are tiny and you literally can’t miss seeing this restaurant as it sits on the grounds and you walk right past it (or through it in some cases) to reach the Falls. I had the fish tacos and had I not been full already, I could have eaten them all. They had a nice crispy texture to them.
Copper Hen Cakery & Kitchen
2515 Nicollet Avenue
Minneapolis,MN 55404
So this is one of those places I found on Instagram. What sold me was the boozy cupcakes that were all over my Instagram search. But then I saw a chicken pot pie picture so I knew to had to have that because who am I to pass up chicken pot pie? Instagram you failed me. While the pot pie was adorable in its cast iron skillet, there really wasn’t any flavor to it and I left most of it in the skillet. Now the boozy cupcake was worth the trip and I was excited with the selection. This will be recreated soon on the blog so look out for that.
Glam Doll Donuts
2605 Nicollet Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55408
This was another Instagram find and with donuts looking like this, I had to try it. This was a type of mermaid cupcake and when I shared the pic with my niece back home, she asked for one to be brought to her so that’s a win in my book. I’m just not a heavy donut type of person – I like mine light and fluffy (unless it’s a cake donut) like the ones I grew up with via Round Rock Donuts so these weren’t my favorite. But they were photo worthy.
Margaritaville
344 E. Broadway
Bloomington, MN 55425
On vacation, I don’t usually got to a chai restaurant but this is one I’ve never been to before. And I needed a rest in the Mall of America plus it was Happy Hour. And of course I had to try something. It would be rude not to. This crab spinach artichoke dip was ah-mazing. Perfect for a quick bite to eat and people watching.
Butcher and the Boar
121 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403
This was one placemy house host recommended. He said it was his favorite restaurant so off I went to give it a try. It was very crowded so I snagged a seat at the bar and ordered my food. The menu is pricey for my wallet so I had already made my selection before arriving. You know I had to try the Texas Link and Brussel Sprouts. While I liked both, I would have rather had the spicy sauce on the side of the fried Brussel Sprouts. The sauce kind of wilted the Sprouts and I prefer mine crispy, crispy. Both dishes pack quite a punch but the heat was ok for this wimp.
Parlour Bar
730 N. Washington Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55401
The other item my host said I had to try was the Parlour Burger. It’s made of ground sirloin, ribeye and brisket. Hello! By this time i had finished the Pinch of Yum Food Photography class, had gone shopping and I was exhausted so I called in my order and went to pick it up. I really wasn’t expecting much even after one of the workshop attendees had told me she and her husband had it two nights in a row. Woah. I liked it so much, I ate the entire thing. In my room by myself. This was one of the juiciest and tastiest burgers I’ve had in a while and the flavors of all three meats just packed it full of flavor. I’d definitely recommend this place.
Colossal Cafe
2403 E. 38th St.
Minneapolis, MN
Another recommendation from my host for breakfast was this small cafe close to the condo. Being a lazy Saturday morning I went to the cafe and loved the atmosphere, the staff and the food. It was a traditional breakfast with everything cooked to perfection. The Cherry jam was the icing on the cake as I had never had it before but loved it.
What to do in Minneapolis
Now on to everything I did while in Minneapolis. There are so many activities and places to see and I barely scratched the surface. My niece and I are already planning a trip back here soon.
Sculpture Garden
726 Vineland Place
Minneapolis, MN 55403
This park full of sculptures was one of my favorite stops. I love art in all forms and this little park was the perfect place to look around, take pictures and just contemplate life while looking at beauty around.
Stone Arch Bridge
(Guthrie Theatre
818 South 2nd Street
Minneapolis, MN 55415)
I knew I wanted to see this beautiful bridge but I didn’t want to go across it. So I found the next best thing. The Guthrie Theatre provides the best place to take photos of the Bridge and water. It was perfect for picture taking and plenty of parking too.
Minnehaha Falls
4801 S. Minnehaha Dr.
Minneapolis, MN 55417
This well-known Falls is a not to be missed attraction. It’s a lot smaller than I anticipated but it provided a peaceful place to just sit around and watch the falls and enjoy it’s grandeur. You can walk to the bottoms of the falls for a different view too.
Mall of America
60 E. Broadway
Bloomington, MN 55425
I’m not much of a shopper and was going to bypass this mall but my house host said you need to see it. So off I went and I am glad I did. I was overwhelmed with the size of the mall, but in a good way. I FaceTimed with my niece to share with her all that there was to see and she now wants to visit Minneapolis too. The amusement park in the middle of the mall is awesome. I wish the kids would have been with me because they would have loved it. There was such a variety of things to see and do there and I’m so glad I went.
Mill City Farmers Market
704 S. 2nd Street
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Honestly I don’t know why I went to the Farmers Market because I knew I couldn’t take anything back with me. But I went and tortured myself because I wanted to buy so much! This was the cutest Farmers Market right off the Guthrie Theatre. There were stalls aplenty selling everything from veggies to flowers to candles to rugs. I would definitely be there every weekend if I lived here. Such a great selection of fruits and veggies.
Como Park Zoo
1225 Estabrook Dr.
St. Paul, MN 55103
If there is a zoo around, I will find it. I loved this one because there wasn’t a ticket price but a suggested donation of $3. The zoo itself is small in size with an attached conservatory and small amusement park. The day I went was an overcast and light rain kind of day which contributed to the animals not being out. There weren’t a whole lot of animals to see regardless but my favorite animal is always the giraffe. And this zoo had a one-month old baby giraffe! Adorable! I could sit all day and watch zoo animals.
Minnesota State Fair
1265 Snelling Avenue N.
St. Paul, MN 55108
When I found out the state fair was in town, I knew I had to go. I’ve never been to a state fair. Ever. Since the fair was down the street from the zoo I tackled both in the same afternoon. The rain contributed to the short lines for food so I was thankful for this too. I tried a few different dishes and loved everything. So much so I went back to my room and fell into a deep nap for four hours. Is that still considered a nap?
This chocolate waffle topped with bacon and maple syrup was tasty. But it did need a little bit more maple syrup in my opinion.
I can see why these tiny donuts are a must for fairs. They were delicious!
I will probably get hate comments for this but I didn’t see the appeal of these cookies. They were just plain chocolate chip cookies. Nothing spectacular. They actually tasted like toll house cookies to me.
Now these loaded tater tots were sublime. Probably my favorite eats of the fair.
This was my first taste of cheese curds and let me tell you, I am a fan. So good!
Thank you Minneapolis for being a great place to visit. This town reminded me a lot of Austin. There is ample parking here and so, so many highways and roads. I was blown away by the low speed limits on the highways but also noticed how the traffic moves along and there’s no logjams. I also only saw one wreck the entire time I was there and that was a single vehicle wreck. Maybe y’all are on to something here. With only 20-30 minutes to get all over the area, I like the closeness of everything. Well done, Minneapolis. Keep on with your beautiful skyline until we meet again.
I’ll leave you with this cute fence made out of doors that I found on the way back to my condo.
