Minneapolis has never had one Italian identity. The city runs a red-sauce neighborhood tier alongside a pasta-bar tier that draws lines without taking reservations, plus a wood-fired pizza lane that keeps expanding block by block. This list sorts the standing rooms by what they actually do well, not by what they claim to be.
№ 01
Broders' Cucina Italiana
$$
2308 W 50th St, Minneapolis, MN 55410 · +16129253113
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The Linden Hills market and kitchen counter has supplied south Minneapolis with fresh pasta, sauces, and prepared Italian plates for decades, running as much a specialty grocer as a sit-down room. It works best as a stop for take-home dinner rather than a full evening out, and the pasta quality is the reason regulars keep coming back to the same shelves.
№ 02
Red Rabbit Minneapolis
$$
201 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401 · +16127678855
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The cavatelli is the order regulars protect, and the garlic bread cheese curds function as the house's calling card for anyone new to the table. Red Rabbit runs as a dependable neighborhood Italian room built for repeat visits rather than discovery, with a weekend girl-dinner special that has become its own small tradition among groups.
What to ordercavatelli, garlic bread cheese curds, girl dinner
800 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis, MN, 55401 · +16123333837
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Isaac Becker's North Loop pasta bar remains a no-reservations room where the gnocchi and rotating pasta list carry the night, even when the wait runs long and service gets stretched at peak hours. It rewards patience: a short hold at the door is normal on weekends, and the kitchen's pasta work is consistently the reason people return.
What to ordergnocchi, pasta, risotto
the Cedar Avenue Burger Mile $$
5600 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, 55417 · +16128222040
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The wood-fired pizza carries a distinctive crust with a generous hand on sauce and cheese, backed by a cocktail list that pulls in a dinner-and-drinks crowd near downtown. The sandwiches and gelato round out a menu built for a full sit-down meal rather than a quick slice, at prices that run higher than the neighborhood-Italian norm.
What to orderpizza, sandwich, gelato
№ 05
ie - Italian Eatery
$$
4724 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 · +16122008397
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This is a group-dinner room first: interactive service and a comfortable dining room have kept regulars returning across years, with the carbonara and risotto as the anchors of a menu built for sharing plates around a table. Tiramisu closes the meal. It plays as a reliable local Italian option rather than a special-occasion destination.
What to orderpasta carbonara, risotto, tiramisu
№ 06
Zelo
$$$
831 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55402 · +16123337000
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The pesto crusted sea bass is the dish diners single out, served alongside risotto and pasta in a downtown room built for date night and reservations. Bar service draws praise on its own, though portion size and pricing have drawn complaints relative to the plate in front of the diner. It occupies the upscale end of the city's Italian tier.
What to orderpesto crusted sea bass, risotto, pasta
5000 Penn Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, 55419 · +16129259202
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The Fulton neighborhood room built its reputation on the Lemon Risotto, a simple Arborio preparation that regulars name as the standout, paired with pasta and salad in a patio setting locals seek out specifically for outdoor seating. Its own parking lot helps on a corridor where street parking fills fast, and the kitchen keeps the format straightforward by design.
What to orderLemon Risotto, pasta, salad
№ 08
Element Wood Fire Pizza
$$
96 Broadway St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 · +16123793028
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Counter service and a wood-lined room built around inventive, seasonal wood-fired pizza make this one of the city's stronger casual pizza stops. The feta dip draws its own following, served cold as a starter, and the kitchen moves quickly, turning out pizzas without a long wait even when the room fills.
What to orderWood-fired pizza, feta dip, inventive seasonal pizza
№ 09
Carbone's Pizza & Pub Minneapolis
$$
4705 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 · +16127240063
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The happy hour slice deal, three dollars a piece, has made this a regular lunch and after-work stop, with pepperoni and cheese pizza as the straightforward draw. Patio seating extends its appeal on warm days, and the room runs as a low-key neighborhood pizza pub rather than a special-occasion Italian destination.
What to orderpizza slice, pepperoni pizza, cheese pizza
2115 W 21st St, Minneapolis, MN, 55405 · +16123773695
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Brunch reservations move fast at this Kenwood neighborhood room near the Chain of Lakes, where the baloney sandwich has become the dish servers steer newcomers toward. Outdoor seating suits a stop after a ride around the lakes, and the appetizer list and a nonalcoholic beverage selection make it a workable stop for a drink and small plates too.
What to orderbaloney sandwich, brunch entrees, appetizers
№ 11
Jakeeno's Pizza & Pasta
$$
3555 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407 · +16128256827
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Garlic cheese bread made from real dough, not the frozen slices common elsewhere, sets the tone at this family-run neighborhood spot near George Floyd Square. Pizza and pasta round out a menu built for family dinners rather than date night, and the room has built loyalty among nearby residents who treat it as their default order.
What to ordergarlic cheese bread, pizza, pasta
№ 12
Rinata Restaurant
$$
2451 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55405 · +16123748998
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Risotto, pasta, and tiramisu anchor the menu at this Uptown neighborhood room, where walk-ins are seated quickly and servers get credit for friendly, conversational service. Quality has been inconsistent by report, with strong nights alongside complaints about stale bread and underwhelming plates, making it a reasonable rather than guaranteed choice for casual Italian in the neighborhood.
What to orderrisotto, pasta, tiramisu
Frequently asked
What is the best Italian restaurant near me in Minneapolis?
It depends on the neighborhood. Linden Hills and Fulton have Broders' two rooms, the North Loop has Bar La Grassa, Uptown has Rinata, and Kenwood has its own American-Italian crossover room. Each entry above lists the Insider Score, price, and neighborhood so you can match distance to what you actually want to eat. No restaurant on this list paid for placement.
Which Minneapolis Italian restaurants take reservations?
Zelo and The Kenwood run on reservations, and ie - Italian Eatery and Rinata generally seat groups with advance notice. Bar La Grassa and Broders' Pasta Bar are walk-in rooms by design, so expect a wait at peak hours. Carbone's and Element Wood Fire Pizza are counter or casual service and do not require booking ahead.
Where can I find a Juicy Lucy in this guide?
Nowhere. This list covers Italian and pizza kitchens specifically; the Juicy Lucy belongs to Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club, both south Minneapolis burger institutions with their own spelling and their own rivalry, and neither serves Italian food.
Is the Insider Score on this list based on paid placement?
No restaurant pays to appear here or to receive a higher Insider Score. Each score reflects the underlying review record for that restaurant, weighed against its price tier and category, and the write-ups above are built from that same record rather than from any advertising relationship.
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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 →
Marit Solheim
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Marit Solheim is the Food Editor at Top of Minneapolis. Born and raised in the Longfellow neighborhood of south Minneapolis, she spent six years on the line in downtown kitchens before she started writing. She covers the institutions and the chef tier in both downtowns and holds the desk to one standard: know which city you are standing in.
