St. Paul's sandwich counters run from noodle takeout to meat cases to a coffee window in a rebuilding block. This list stays inside St. Paul city limits: no Minneapolis rooms, no suburbs, just the corner shops that hold their own lunch line.
№ 01
Bangkok Thai Deli
St. Paul $$
333 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55103 · +16512244300
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Pad see ew here comes out balanced rather than sugary, which matters for anyone who finds pad Thai too sweet. Cream cheese wontons round out an order built for takeout speed, not a dining room stay. St. Paul's Thai counters are plentiful, but this one earns repeat visits from people who have worked through most of the metro's options.
What to orderpad see ewe, cream cheese wontons, pad Thai
№ 02
Cecil's
St. Paul $$
651 Cleveland Ave S, Saint Paul, MN 55116 · +16516980334
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Fresh baked bread meets the pastrami and corned beef sandwiches that anchor this deli's counter, and the staff let a table linger without pressure to turn it. It reads as the deli experience St. Paul diners reach for specifically to avoid a chain, with a mood that stays unhurried through a full lunch.
What to orderpastrami sandwich, corned beef sandwich, fresh baked bread
№ 03
Nelson Cheese & Deli
St. Paul $
1562 Como Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55108 · +16516471288
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Hot and cold sandwiches, pasta salads, and specialty hot dogs move fast at a counter that regulars return to for years running. No frills, well run, and priced for an everyday lunch rather than an occasion. Street parking nearby keeps the stop quick, which is the whole point of a place like this.
What to ordersandwiches, salads, specialty hot dogs
№ 04
Finnish Bistro Coffee & Cafe
St. Paul $$
2264 Como Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55108 · +16516459181
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The lefse scramble anchors a brunch menu served with a set atmosphere that draws people in even on a gloomy morning. Outdoor seating runs in season, though the order-inside system means picking a table takes some coordination. Kitchen pacing can slow when the room fills, worth planning around.
What to orderlefse scramble, coffee, eggs
№ 05
Day by Day Cafe
St. Paul $$
477 7th St W, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · +16512270654
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Pancakes and eggs anchor a breakfast-all-day menu inside a room big enough to spread out, with a patio that opens for St. Paul summers. Service runs attentive and unrushed, the kind of place a family returns to after years away and finds it exactly as remembered.
What to orderpancakes, eggs, coffee
№ 06
Lost Fox
St. Paul $$
213 4th St E, Saint Paul, MN 55101 · +16514934694
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The Breakfast Burger carries a garlic aioli that regulars single out by name, alongside a Brunch Poutine and a pulled pork sandwich finished with house made coleslaw and a sweet edge to the barbecue. Dogs are welcome, lattes run in fun flavors, and the room stays relaxed enough for a slow coffee.
What to orderBreakfast Burger, Brunch Poutine, Pulled Pork Sandwich
№ 07
St. Paul Meat Shop
St. Paul $$
1674 Grand Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55105 · +16516982536
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The meat sticks by the register and a house grind built with real care draw the counter traffic here, but the Shepherd's Pie is the dish worth the higher price tag. This is a meat shop that prices for the quality of the cut, and repeat customers keep finding new items worth trying.
What to ordermeat sticks, house grind, Shepherd's Pie
№ 08
St Paul Cheese Shop
St. Paul $$
1573 Grand Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55105 · +16516983391
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A cheese melt paired with tomato soup at the right consistency makes the case for this counter over a plain sandwich shop. The room runs small, so outdoor seating and easy parking nearby matter for lunch traffic. Order-ahead keeps the line moving for a St. Paul crowd that treats this as a standing lunch option.
What to ordercheese melt, tomato soup, sandwich
№ 09
Hey Bear!
St. Paul
791 Raymond Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55114
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An egg biscuit sandwich built on a light, fluffy biscuit with well seasoned sausage stands out on a short breakfast menu, alongside the SEC sandwich and a coffee program sourced with care. The shop sits inside a St. Paul block in the middle of a visible small business turnaround, and it earns its own foot traffic.
What to orderegg biscuit sandwich, SEC sandwich, coffee
Frequently asked
What is the best deli or sandwich shop near me in St. Paul?
It depends on the neighborhood, but this guide sticks to St. Paul city limits and covers a range from Thai takeout to classic delis to meat shop counters. Each entry is chosen on the strength of its Insider Score, a rating built from the public review record, not from any payment. No restaurant on this list paid for its spot.
Are these St. Paul restaurants or does the list include Minneapolis spots?
Every restaurant here sits inside St. Paul city limits. Minneapolis is a separate city with its own dining guide, and this list keeps the two apart on purpose.
How were these restaurants chosen?
Selection runs on the Insider Score, which is built from the pattern in public reviews: signature dishes mentioned repeatedly, consistency of the room, and what regulars keep ordering. No restaurant pays to appear on this list.
Which of these are good for a quick lunch versus a sit-down meal?
Nelson Cheese & Deli, St Paul Cheese Shop, and Bangkok Thai Deli run fastest for a quick counter lunch or takeout. Cecil's, Day by Day Cafe, and Lost Fox suit a slower sit-down visit. All are rated the same way, by the Insider Score pulled from the review record, with no paid placement involved.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Kou Thao
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Kou Thao is the St. Paul & Corridors Editor at Top of Minneapolis. Born in St. Paul and raised in Frogtown, he grew up working the family egg-roll stand at Hmongtown Marketplace. He covers the marketplaces, University Avenue, the East Side and West Side, and every corridor counter worth the trip across the river.
