Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Twin Cities / Northern Suburbs

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Twin Cities / Northern Suburbs? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Buona Sera

4.8

4.8 (2335)

$30 and under

Italian

Champlin

About the restaurant

Buona Sera is a cozy neighborhood restaurant and wine bar featuring the wonderful and authentic Italian recipes of renowned chef, Raffaele Virgillo. When you walk in the door you're treated like family. Enjoy good food, good wine, good company and of course, a Good Night.

Top review

RandyVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Great meal! My slices of veal in a cream sauce were delicious, as was my wife's shrimp scampi. The shrimp could have been larger, however. Lots of interesting items on the menu. Have not been disappointed with other food choices in the past. Homemade salty caramel gelato was unique and very good. Our server was good. The overall service from different people was outstanding: one waitress overheard me suggesting regular butter to my wife and she immediately brought some. Empty plates were promptly cleared. All servers were attentive, even if not assigned to wait on your table. We will definitely go back.

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Popular dish

Manicotti

Maynards - Rogers

4.7

4.7 (500)

$30 and under

American

Rogers

About the restaurant

Maynard’s in Rogers opened in 2004 with a mission to provide amazing food as well as impeccable service. We proudly aim to be the place the locals are proud to call home, but also a place for a great pit stop on your hwy 94 commute!

Maynard’s is locally owned and operated and is proud to give back to the communities it serves. We truly enjoy contributing in any way we can –from donating a percentage of sales to our local food shelf and sports teams, to grilling burgers at the Rogers high school football games.

Top review

Gladys

Dined 5 days ago

Great food, almost similar to Malone's in MG! Great food and great service

Porterhouse Steak and Seafood - Little Canada

4.7

4.7 (7322)

$50 and over

Steak

Little Canada

About the restaurant

Porterhouse Steak and Seafood offers casual-fine dining with a Supper Club atmosphere. The menu consists of premium steaks aged a minimum of twenty eight days, fresh fish & seafood. All entrees are served with a choice of House, Caesar or Spinach salad, bread and choice of Potato or Vegetable.

Top review

LaurieVIP

Dined 7 days ago

We were celebrating a birthday last night and had a DELIGHTFUL evening! Our wine and cocktails were fabulous! All of our meals- 1 New York Strip, 1 Petite Filet and 1 Crab Stuffed Salmon, were all scrumptious and cooked to perfection! Our server, Sara, was OUTSTANDING!!! She was so sweet and friendly and attentive! She brought us a complimentary birthday cake, complete with a candle, which truly made the evening even more special!

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Chianti Grill - Roseville

4.7

4.7 (6869)

$30 and under

Italian

Roseville

About the restaurant

Nestled near Rosedale Center and Snelling Avenue, Chianti Grill is a celebrated culinary gem, proudly recognized as an OpenTable All-Around Best Restaurant winner. We delight your palate with a vibrant fusion of authentic and contemporary Italian cuisine, alongside aged Angus steaks and seafood. Our dishes are expertly paired with an impressive wine list featuring exquisite selections from California, Italy, and beyond. Experience our welcoming atmosphere and exceptional service ensuring every visit to Chianti Grill is simply the best!

Top review

Edward

Dined 2 days ago

We enjoyed everything about our evening dining experience. Thanks.

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4.6

4.6 (1192)

$30 and under

American

Roseville

About the restaurant

CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar was built out of a passion to create a dining experience unlike any other. We combine quality-sourced ingredients, chic ambiance, outstanding service, and diverse menu choices to create an unforgettable dining experience. The energy of the restaurant is all encompassing – the buzz of guests and staff, the warm and open design, the modern sushi bar, the fresh spin on American cuisine, and the sense of discovery around every corner. A CRAVE guest will leave knowing they experienced just the right mix of great food, entertainment, and service in what can only be defined as The CRAVE Experience.

Top review

Joe

Dined 4 days ago

We ate outside so the noise level was better. Music was obnoxious. Service great, allowed time between courses for conversation. Delicious food, perfect amounts. Overall a great meal.

The Block- Rogers

4.6

4.6 (48)

$30 and under

American

Rogers

About the restaurant

The Block Food + Drink has two locations-St. Louis Park and Rogers, MN-serving up hot broasted chicken, elevated bar food, sandwiches, burgers, rice bowls, vegan options, and more. Both locations offer lunch and dinner daily, plus weekend brunch. Enjoy your meal indoors or on our dog-friendly pawtios®, including a year-round heated pergola perfect for Minnesota seasons.

Top review

Kent

Dined on Jun 24, 2025

This is my first time here the food was outstanding. The service was great nice ambience.

CRAVE - Maple Grove

4.5

4.5 (2053)

$31 to $50

American

Maple Grove

About the restaurant

***Rooftop Seating cannot be reserved, Walk-Ins Welcome!
CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar was built out of a passion to create a dining experience unlike any other. We combine quality-sourced ingredients, chic ambiance, outstanding service, and diverse menu choices to create an unforgettable dining experience. The energy of the restaurant is all encompassing – the buzz of guests and staff, the warm and open design, the modern sushi bar, the fresh spin on American cuisine, and the sense of discovery around every corner. A CRAVE guest will leave knowing they experienced just the right mix of great food, entertainment, and service in what can only be defined as The CRAVE Experience.

Top review

Becky

Dined on Jun 25, 2025

Awesome food! Met old friends and had a great lunch. Waitress was excellent, very friendly and very attentive! Can’t wait to go back!

Granite City Food & Brewery - Maple Grove

4.4

4.4 (2409)

$30 and under

American

Maple Grove

About the restaurant

With its warm, inviting, and modern design, Granite City Food & Brewery’s expansive interior features a spacious and comfortable dining room, four-sided modern, full-service bar, as well as an outdoor patio. The on-site brewery, with award-winning hand-crafted micro-brews, is visible from the main dining and bar areas. The restaurant also showcases an open kitchen featuring chef developed, handcrafted made-from-scratch cuisine, including innovative signature entrees, flatbreads and more.

Granite City Food & Brewery’s signature brews, which are made on-site, include The Duke (Pale Ale), The Bennie (Bock), The Northern (American Style Light Lager) and The Stout. Seasonal brews are featured throughout the year.

Top review

Peter

Dined 1 day ago

Always good food. Not many people so they sat us in the bar area which was not desirable

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Experience

Lawless Brunch Buffet

Pub 42

4.4

4.4 (193)

$30 and under

American

New Hope

About the restaurant

We promise one thing at Pub 42; there will be a culinary culture both from a food and beverage perspective. And we want you — as a guest — to be part of it!

We’re community-connected, food-driven, and are going to raise the bar. And we’re going to do this together.

Top review

BarbaraVIP

Dined on Jun 19, 2025

We had excellent service and delicious food at Pub 42. Special things to our waitperson Jennifer for being patient with all our special requests. Pub 42 does not disappoint.

Axel's - Roseville

4.3

4.3 (912)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Roseville

About the restaurant

Axels Charhouse is located in the northern suburb of Roseville and is attached to the DoubleTree By Hilton Roseville Hotel. The restaurant features classic American cuisine. Having the availability of various private meeting rooms makes Axels Charhouse the perfect spot for special events. Fine dining enthusiasts have found that the Charhouse is the perfect dining location to return to. Axels, “where traditions and memories are made.”

Top review

Bill

Dined 3 days ago

Wonderful experience and excellent service from waiter Tim.

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