Diners' Choice: Hot spot restaurants in Twin Cities / Minneapolis

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that are the best hot spots in Twin Cities / Minneapolis? 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!

Oceanaire Seafood Room - Minneapolis

4.8

4.8 (6788)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Downtown / North Loop

About the restaurant

The Oceanaire provides the perfect setting to enjoy the freshest seafood flown in daily from around the world. Our knowledgeable staff will delight you with exceptional service — guiding you through the wide variety of items on our menu and helping you select the perfect wine to complement your meal. You'll find out why The Oceanaire has been voted one of the best seafood restaurants in the country.

Top review

Terry

Dined 1 day ago

great service & food. We had a wonderful time celebrating our anniversary!

Bagu Sushi & Thai

4.8

4.8 (304)

$31 to $50

Sushi

South Minneapolis

About the restaurant

Neighborhood restaurant serves fresh and clean Japanese & Thai food in a friendly atmosphere.

Top review

Ronvip

Dined 6 days ago

A reservation puts you in the front room with visibility of the front windows and the sushi bar. This restaurant has a small footprint, so I recommend a reservation. The food? We went entirely with sushi, and it was the best sushi I've had since pre-covid. For an appetizer, try the JBB. We loved it. All glasses of wine were $9 or less. We plan to go back! (This was our first visit.)

Dan’s Bar and Grill

4.8

4.8 (613)

$30 and under

Burgers

Red Wing

About the restaurant

CLASSIC FOOD with a TWIST is the fare at Dan’s Bar and Grill! The menu features country favoites with a little taste of the city! You’ll always find good food, well prepared and something for everyone! Our menu changes quarterly, so make sure you stop back often!

Top review

Troyvip

Dined 6 days ago

Great selection of seasonal cocktails and cocktails and a great selection of comfort food.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ - Minneapolis, MN | Lyndale & Lake (Lyn-Lake)

4.8

4.8 (296)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Uptown

About the restaurant

Founded in Tokyo in 1996, Gyu-Kaku has become the world’s #1 Japanese BBQ brand! Thanks to our devoted fans we have reached over 700 locations worldwide. Each day, hundreds of thousands of people gather around the table-top smokeless grill, a centerpiece of our dining concept, enjoying selections of premium meats, just off the grill, and other freshly prepared foods from our kitchens, inspiring laughter, conversation, and a magical dining experience.

Our authentic yakiniku (grilled barbeque) dining experience crowns you the chef. Share a variety of delicious appetizers and premium cooked meats over a flaming grill, paired with Japanese sake, frosty cold beers, or other alcoholic and non-alcoholic options of your choice. We're the perfect spot to enjoy time with friends and family, organize an office party, or to spend quality time with your significant other!

Before you go, don't forget to taste our best-seller Harami Skirt Steak or Prime Kalbi Short Rib among other must-try dishes!

Top review

Beatrix

Dined 4 days ago

All I can say is food is great and we enjoyed our dinner! The hosts were pleasant and our server was great! We were a party of 6 and we ordered the Gyu Kaku feast for 6 people and we were more than satisfied with the amount of food!

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Experience

Prix-Fixe Yakiniku Courses for Everyone!

The Block

4.8

4.8 (183)

$30 and under

American

St. Louis Park

About the restaurant

The Block Food + Drink is located just off Louisiana Ave. S on Walker Street for lunch or dinner daily and brunch on weekends. The Block serves up hot broasted chicken, elevated bar food, sandwiches and burgers, rice bowls, vegan items, and more. We offer both indoor and outdoor seating with a year-round patio for your enjoyment.

Top review

Mikevip

Dined 3 days ago

We had a wonderful time as our group continues to grow! The Pub Burger is outstanding - huge shoutout to the folks in the back! Thank you! Alexas was a delight to work with, as always. Very kind, fun, helpful, and attentive. Thank you to everyone for providing such a welcoming, fun, and relaxing environment!

Hazelwood Bloomington

4.7

4.7 (6054)

$30 and under

American

Bloomington

About the restaurant

Welcome to Hazelwood Food and Drink in Bloomington.
A modern New American restaurant serving modern comfort food with a family feel in a bright and contemporary interior with a scratch kitchen that offers wonderful dishes from our rotisserie and wood burning pizza oven, everyone is sure to find a new favorite!
We are open 7 days a week with our signature brunch offered on Saturday and Sunday. Hazelwood is the perfect spot for your work meeting, date night, or family outing!

We would love to take care of you.

On the go, call us at 952.222.4000 for take-out or curbside.

Online reservations and take-out orders available at hazelwoodfoodanddrink.com

Top review

Meg

Dined 2 days ago

Had the sausage mushroom pizza and the steak salad. Everything was tasty and well proportioned. A bit loud for us old folks, both jnsjde and out, but the food and service keeps bringing us back!

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4.6

4.6 (1084)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Downtown / North Loop

About the restaurant

**Please note all reservations are for Nolo's Kitchen, the rooftop is first come, first serve. For cabana rentals please visit https://www.rooftopbarmpls.com/cabanas**

Located at the historic Gardner Hardware Building at 515 Washington Avenue North in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis, the Nolo's team consists of Marty Collins, Brett Johnson and Peter Hoff, each native Minnesotans with extensive industry experience. Marty owns McCoy’s Public House and several restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri. Brett and his family have owned and operated The Hilltop Restaurant for the past 40 years. Pete, the head chef, brings his most recent culinary experience and creativity from California to NOLO’s and The Basement Bar. His culinary vision and passion for local ingredients will help create the new modern comfort food.
The team shares a passion for the restaurant and bar industry and sees an opportunity to fill gaps in the market in the North Loop.

Top review

Davidvip

Dined 6 days ago

Great service. Good atmosphere. Awesome for a pre game drink and dinner.

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Hell's Kitchen Minneapolis

4.5

4.5 (5572)

$30 and under

American

Downtown / North Loop

About the restaurant

Comfort food with an upscale twist...

In the heart of downtown Minneapolis, appropriately located in a beautiful underground space, you'll discover Hell's Kitchen, an employee-owned restaurant known for its damn good food. Join us for breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks 7 days a week, and enjoy REAL comfort food made by chefs who care, described by food writers as "unique but not fancy; interesting but not fussy". Almost everything is made from scratch, from our award-winning peanut butter to our unique dips and dressings, winning us over 67 "best" awards as well as accolades in Gourmet Magazine, Conde Nast Traveler, Midwest Living, and other national magazines. And bring the kids along... you should see the cheeky notes they write to us!

"Rather than rave on, let us just say if you're in Minnesota and want to wow your tastebuds, go to Hell's Kitchen. It is inspired and inspiring." (Jane & Michael Stern, NPR)

Top review

JOHN

Dined today

Thoroughly enjoyable and casual atmosphere. Great choices for the gluten intolerant !

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Popular dish

Lemon Ricotta Hotcake Batter (1 Quart)

The Smack Shack Bloomington

4.4

4.4 (953)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Bloomington

About the restaurant

Casual, coastal restaurant in Bloomington. Reservations are taken for the dining room only, patio seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please check in with hosts upon arrival for patio seating.

Although named for the boats used to catch lobster, Smack Shack was launched as a food truck in 2010 serving lobster rolls from a land-locked downtown Minneapolis parking lot. Owner Josh Thoma had a great recipe and a belief that the appetite for fresh lobster in the Twin Cities was as strong as in any coastal city.

Smack Shack is committed to serving sustainable seafood and is a partner in the Minnesota Zoo’s Fish Smart program. Sustainable seafood is wild-caught or farm-raised seafood that has established practices to ensure the long-term growth and thriving populations of seafood with limited harm to the environment.

Group reservations and private dining available.

One of MSP's top 50 restaurants in 2022! Featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

Top review

Larry

Dined 4 days ago

We had a wonderful experience at the Bloomington Smack Shack. Excellent variety of food and drink options and super customer service. We would love to return!

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4.2

4.2 (3289)

$30 and under

American

Downtown / North Loop

About the restaurant

A word from UNION Rooftop

Experience the Union of talent, creativity, art, food, and design.

Kaskaid Hospitality has been credited with bringing dining in the Twin Cities to new heights, and UNION Rooftop is the crown jewel in its latest unveiling of unique hospitality concepts. Painstaking attention was paid to every detail, from restoring the building’s original architectural treasures to installing the one-of-a-kind retractable rooftop. UNION has engaged a talented culinary team that holds themselves to the highest standards, ensuring every dish is special, surprising, and cohesive. We have created a menu that can be experienced in just the right proportions, from an elegant snack before the theater, to a celebratory private dining tasting menu featuring ingredients that change daily.

Valet Parking Available Nightly

Top review

Taylor

Dined on Aug 16, 2024

The service was great. Our waters were regularly topped off. The server was friendly and prompt. We didn’t wait very long for our food. And both entrees were great quality. The ambience was really warm!

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Popular dish

Chicken Cordon Bleu

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