Readers’ Picks for Best Restaurants, 2021

Normally, our editorial team starts the discussion of Best Restaurants with their picks for the MSP50 Best Restaurants in March, and then thousands of you chime in with your own personal favorites. But this year we thought, since you, the reader, are out there championing your locals through takeout, that you should go first. These local small businesses have survived this year because we needed them to, and they have felt that love. So send a note of congrats to—or better yet, grab food from—your Readers’ Poll picks for Best Restaurants.

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Top 5 Mpls. Restaurants

  1. Spoon and Stable
  2. Young Joni
  3. Bar La Grassa
  4. Smack Shack
  5. Martina

Top 5 St. Paul Restaurants

  1. Meritage
  2. Handsome Hog
  3. Revival 
  4. The Lexington
  5. Cossetta

Best New

  1. Petite León
  2. Sooki and Mimi
  3. Billy Sushi

Best TC Legend

  1. Murray’s
  2. Christos
  3. Matt’s Bar

Bar

  1. Parlour Bar
  2. Back bar at Young Joni
  3. Psycho Suzi’s

UK/Pub

  1. Brit’s
  2. Anchor Fish and Chips
  3. George and the Dragon

Meal Kits

  1. Nixta
  2. Red Cow
  3. Travail

Soul Food

  1. Soul Bowl
  2. Mama D’s / Wendy’s House of Soul
  3. Mama Sheila’s

BBQ

  1. Animales BBQ
  2. Revival
  3. Handsome Hog

Burger

  1. Parlour Bar
  2. Matt’s Bar
  3. Red Cow

Pizza

  1. Young Joni
  2. Pizzeria Lola
  3. Boludo / Punch Pizza

Seafood

  1. Smack Shack
  2. Sea Salt 
  3. Anchor Fish and Chips

Steak

  1. Manny’s Steakhouse
  2. Murray’s 
  3. Mancini’s Char House

Sandwich Shop

  1. Cecil’s Deli
  2. Kramarczuk’s
  3. Lowry Hill Meats / Lu’s Sandwiches

Global Eats

  1. World Street Kitchen
  2. Lat14
  3. Union Hmong Kitchen

Coffee

  1. Spyhouse
  2. Five Watt
  3. Dunn Bros.

Chinese

  1. Rainbow
  2. Tea House
  3. Shuang Cheng

French

  1. Meritage
  2. St. Genevieve
  3. Barbette

Greek

  1. Christos
  2. The Naughty Greek
  3. It’s Greek to Me

Italian

  1. Broders’ Pasta Bar
  2. Cossetta
  3. ie Italian Eatery

Indian

  1. India Palace
  2. Gorkha Palace
  3. Taste of India

Japanese/ Sushi

  1. Billy Sushi
  2. Kado no Mise 
  3. Wakame 

Mex/Latino

  1. Colita
  2. Centro / Chimborazo / Hola Arepa
  3. Boca Chica

Middle Eastern

  1. Holy Land
  2. Emily’s Lebanese
  3. World Street Kitchen

Thai

  1. Lat14
  2. Sawatdee
  3. On’s Thai Kitchen

Vietnamese

  1. Hai Hai / Quang
  2. Pho 79 / Que Viet
  3. Ngon Bistro

Veg Friendly

  1. Birchwood Cafe
  2. French Meadow
  3. J. Selby’s

Breakfast/Brunch

  1. Colossal Cafe / Keys Cafe
  2. Al’s Breakfast
  3. The Buttered Tin

Bakery Café

  1. Bellecour
  2. Patisserie 46
  3. Cafe Alma

Top 5 Ghost Kitchens

  1. Broders’ Pork and Piccata
  2. Woodfire at Eastside
  3. Marty’s Deli
  4. Pollo Pollo al Carbon
  5. Lake City Sandwiches

Most Excited For:

  1. 100 percent capacity!
  2. Butcher and the Boar
  3. Owamni by The Sioux Chef

What food trend can take a hike?

  1. Fried chicken sandwich wars
  2. Avocado everything
  3. Meal kits

What kind of restaurant do we need more of in town?

  1. Seafood
  2. Hot pot
  3. Cuban / Puerto Rican

Originally published in the June 2021 issue.