Bloomington gets treated as a mall exit, not a place to eat, and that undersells it. This list runs from an all-you-can-eat churrasco counter in an older strip mall to a self-served ramen room and a lunch buffet with a dozen dishes done right, no restaurant on it needs a detour excuse or a Mall of America stop to justify the drive.
№ 01
Hazelwood Food and Drink
Bloomington $$
8150 26th Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55425 · +19522224000
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The burger and the sandwich board anchor a brunch room built for splitting a table between friends who live on opposite ends of the metro. The plants and lighting keep the dining room from feeling packed even when it is, and the kitchen holds up its end on a weekend crowd. Order the salad if the group wants something lighter next to the burger.
What to orderburger, salad, sandwich
№ 02
Ciao Bella
Bloomington $$
3501 Minnesota Dr, Bloomington, MN 55435 · +19528411000
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Pasta and risotto carry the room, with a vegetarian lineup deep enough that a mixed table does not have to negotiate. The tiramisu closes the meal the way it should. The dining room reads formal enough for a date and loose enough for kids in tow, though patio requests should be confirmed at the door rather than assumed from the reservation notes.
What to orderpasta, risotto, tiramisu
№ 03
Gyropolis
Bloomington $
2320 W 90th St, Bloomington, MN 55431 · +19527462091
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The gyro plate with fries is the order, and the baklava makes a fair case for dessert on the way out. The building has been updated from its earlier strip mall days, the counter service moves fast, and parking is not a fight. It runs pricier than a typical quick gyro stop, which is worth knowing going in.
What to ordergyro, baklava, french fries
№ 04
Luna Di Luna
Bloomington $$
8820 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55420 · +19523034111
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The bolognese is the dish people come back for, and the olive oil served with bread is worth asking about if it is not already on the table. Luna Di Luna does not take reservations, but a 6:30 Friday table has come without a wait. The menu stays tight rather than sprawling, which is the point: fewer dishes, done with care.
What to orderbolognese, risotto, tiramisu
№ 05
Cantina Laredo
Bloomington $$
300 W Market, Level 3, Bloomington, MN 55425 · +19524068311
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Carne asada and chile relleno lead a menu built for a fast, attentive lunch between mall stops. The dining room has been renovated since its early days and reads sharper for it, air conditioning included on a hot afternoon. Enchiladas verdes round out the order for anyone splitting plates with a group headed back to shopping.
What to ordercarne asada, chile relleno, enchiladas verdes
№ 06
Woolley's Kitchen & Bar
Bloomington $$
7901 34th Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55425 · +19528541010
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Crab cakes are the appetizer to start with, and the Asian salad is worth ordering exactly as it is meant to arrive, since substitutions have not always landed clean. Set inside the Embassy Suites, the room handles large groups well, servers included, and the steak holds its own against the seafood starters on a night built for a celebration.
What to ordercrab cakes, Asian salad, steak
№ 07
Itton Ramen
Bloomington $$
2137 W 80th 1/2 St, Ste D, Bloomington, MN 55431 · +19526886566
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Pork ramen is close to the only ramen on offer, so diners avoiding pork should plan on the udon instead. The counter service model keeps the line moving, and the room itself has drawn comparisons to smaller family-run ramen shops in Japan. It is a straightforward, self-served bowl shop, not a sit-down izakaya, and that is exactly the appeal.
What to orderramen, udon, pork ramen
№ 08
Hunan Restaurant
Bloomington $$
8066 Morgan Cir S, Bloomington, MN 55431 · +19528812280
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Mapo tofu and kung pao chicken anchor a small dining room that runs a weekday lunch buffet from 11 to 2, Monday through Friday, with about a dozen dishes done at a level most buffets do not bother with. The decor stays plain, the portions do not. Dinner prices run higher than the room's size might suggest.
What to ordermapo tofu, kung pao chicken, chow mein
№ 09
Cadillac Ranch
Bloomington $$
352 South Ave, Bloomington, MN 55425 · +19528541004
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Pork chops and pasta are the dishes worth flagging on a menu built around a casual night out with live music. Service comes up reliably attentive, with servers checking tables at a reasonable clip rather than disappearing between courses. Burgers round out the order for anyone who wants something simpler alongside the specials of the night.
What to orderpork chops, pasta, burgers
№ 10
Chevys Fresh Mex
Bloomington $$
2251 Killebrew Dr, Bloomington, MN 55425 · +19528149555
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The smothered steak fajita burrito, loaded with pinto beans and rice, is the dish to order first. Fajitas and quesadillas back it up for a table split between cravings. The room stays clean and the service moves fast, useful for anyone stopping in after a day at the mall, and takeout holds up even if it arrives less than piping hot.
What to ordersmothered steak fajita burrito, fajitas, quesadilla
№ 11
Scramblin' Egg
Bloomington
7828 Portland Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55420 · +19523148138
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The veggie scramble and the breakfast sandwich, ordered with both sauces on the side, are the two dishes that keep people coming back within a day of their first visit. Tots round out the order. Scramblin' Egg started as a food truck out of Stillwater before opening this brick-and-mortar, and it remains takeout-focused rather than a sit-down room.
What to orderbreakfast sandwich, tots, veggie scramble
№ 12
Bullvino's Churrascaria Bloomington
Bloomington
5121 W 98th St, Bloomington, MN 55437 · +19528562412
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Churrasco and picanha arrive in continuous rounds, the format built for a table that wants meat after meat rather than a single plated entree. The restaurant sits in an older strip mall, a detail the food does not apologize for. Many diners first tried the kitchen at a regional food and wine festival before finding their way to the churrascaria itself.
What to orderchurrasco, grilled beef skewers, picanha
Frequently asked
What is the Insider Score on these Bloomington listings?
The Insider Score is a rating built from the review record for each restaurant, shown next to the name on the listing page. It is not paid placement. No restaurant on this list or any Top of Minneapolis guide pays to be included or to rank higher.
Are there hidden gem restaurants near me in Bloomington?
This guide covers Bloomington specifically, from a strip mall churrascaria to a lunch buffet with a deep bench of Chinese dishes. If you are searching restaurants near me and land here, these twelve rooms are the Bloomington answer rather than a Minneapolis or St. Paul substitute, since Bloomington is its own city in the ring around the two downtowns.
Do any of these Bloomington restaurants take reservations?
It varies by room. Ciao Bella and Woolley's Kitchen & Bar handle reservations for groups, while Luna Di Luna does not take them at all, so a Friday table there is first come, first seated. Confirm directly with the restaurant before planning around a specific time.
Which of these restaurants are good for a group?
Woolley's Kitchen & Bar, Cadillac Ranch, and Bullvino's Churrascaria Bloomington are built for larger tables, the last one especially since its continuous meat service is designed around groups. Hazelwood Food and Drink also handles a mixed group well for brunch.
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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 →
Hodan Abdi
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Hodan Abdi is a Staff Writer at Top of Minneapolis. Raised in Cedar-Riverside two floors above the Somali mall her aunt worked in, she now lives in Eagan and covers the whole metro ring. She writes the guides, sweeps the suburbs, and covers the Somali and East African tables as the beat she knows best.
