Blaine sits well north of Minneapolis, and its restaurant strip runs on strip malls and standalone counters rather than any downtown corridor. This list covers the burritos, wings, and sushi that make the drive from the rest of the metro worth it, plus a few rooms locals lean on every week.
№ 01
Giliberto's Mexican Taco
Blaine $
2331 108th Ln NE, Ste 150, Blaine, MN 55449 · +17637628741
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The burrito is the reason regulars from across the metro keep coming back to this counter, with carne asada and chile relleno rounding out a menu built for quick, reliable turnaround. Portions run generous and the kitchen keeps a consistent hand on seasoning, though at least one longtime customer has noted recent visits fell short of the usual standard.
What to orderburrito, carne asada, chile relleno
№ 02
Wing Joint
Blaine $
10603 University Ave NE, Blaine, MN 55434 · +17637553735
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Seasoned wings here run heavy handed, salt forward in a way that fans treat as a selling point rather than a flaw. Smoked ribs and pulled pound round out a short, focused menu built for takeout. This is a counter worth the drive from outside Blaine for wings alone, not a room to expect much beyond the fryer and the smoker.
What to orderseasoned wings, smoked ribs, pulled pork
№ 03
Jawad Grill
Blaine
641 125th Ave NE, Blaine, MN 55434 · +17632050185
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Cheese fries and a gyro plate with rice on the side define the order here, and portions run large enough to challenge a lunch break. The souvlaki holds its own too. A change in ownership has drawn complaints about meat quality slipping and phone service feeling less professional, worth knowing before counting on consistency.
What to ordergyro plate, cheese fries, souvlaki
№ 04
Baba Saj Mediterranean Restaurant
Blaine
8685 Central Ave NE, Blaine, MN 55434 · +17632858399
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A chicken shawarma bowl sized to share and a hummus bowl that reads as generous both anchor the menu at this Mediterranean counter. Service moves fast and the room presents clean and welcoming. The sandwich list drew a mixed first impression from at least one visitor, so the bowls remain the safer order.
What to orderchicken shawarma bowl, hummus bowl, falafel
№ 05
Song Tea & Poke
Blaine $$
10400 Baltimore St NE, Ste 160, Blaine, MN 55449 · +17633474899
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Customizable poke bowls and a build-your-own order form make this counter quick even at a rush, while the milk teas and slushes hold up across the whole drink menu. Peach and mango green tea, dialed to half sugar, get called out most often. Staff move orders along fast and the room stays clean.
What to orderpeach green tea, mango green tea, poke bowl
№ 06
La Michoacana Popsicle World
Blaine
11749 Ulysses St NE, Blaine, MN 55434 · +17634580550
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Carne asada tacos and a banana split are the pull at this Mexican counter and ice cream shop combined, with neon lighting and an arcade set dressing that gives the room its own character. Wait times stay short on repeat visits, though the online menu sometimes runs behind what is actually in stock that day.
What to ordercarne asada tacos, banana split, elote
№ 07
The Fun Lab
Blaine
10650 Baltimore St NE, Ste 300, Blaine, MN 55449 · +17633924522
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This is a family entertainment center built for birthday parties, school field trips, and token redemption prizes rather than a kitchen destination, arcade games filling most of the floor. It draws families from well outside Blaine since options like it are limited elsewhere in the northern metro, and Sunday visits tend to run quiet.
What to orderarcade games, token redemption prizes, birthday party packages
№ 08
Palmar Mexican Restaurant & Seafood
Blaine
10565 University Ave NE, Blaine, MN 55434 · +17633402001
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Street tacos hold their heat and crunch even through a delivery order, and the ceviche and margaritas round out a small room that turns tables fast at lunch. The flavors read as true to the format for those who eat a lot of Mexican food around the metro, and the margaritas come in generous pours even at the smaller size.
What to orderstreet tacos, margaritas, ceviche
№ 09
Carol's
Blaine $$
11888 Aberdeen St NE, Blaine, MN 55449 · +17637579700
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A French toast sandwich paired with cheese curds anchors the breakfast and lunch menu at this Blaine standard, and regulars point to consistency in both food and service as the reason they keep returning. Seating can run behind if a party arrives split up, so plan for a short wait on busier mornings.
What to orderFrench toast sandwich, cheese curds, eggs
№ 10
Hajime
Blaine $$
10950 Club W Pkwy, Ste 220, Blaine, MN 55449 · +17637807944
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Specialty rolls and sashimi have kept regulars coming back for close to a decade, with lunch and happy hour pricing doing a lot of the work here. Takoyaki is the move among the appetizers. Service can run thin during busy stretches, and not every specialty roll lands, so stick with the classics.
What to ordertakoyaki, specialty rolls, sashimi
№ 11
Ole Piper Inn
Blaine $$
1416 93rd Ln NE, Blaine, MN 55449 · +17637807100
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Pizza and drummies anchor a bar menu built for groups, with karaoke drawing crowds on weekend nights. The fried wings come well coated and generously portioned. Quality has been inconsistent enough that one repeat visitor needed a second try after a rough first one before the kitchen won them back over.
What to orderpizza, wings, drummies
№ 12
Rocky's Asian Bistro and BBQ
Blaine $$
2330 Cloud Dr NE, Blaine, MN 55449 · +17634326659
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Papaya salad and drunken noodle lead a Hmong, Thai, and Laotian menu that fills a real gap in the northeast metro's Asian food options. The room sits next to a gas station with easy parking, and the kitchen moves fast enough to make takeout the practical way to order here.
What to orderpapaya salad, drunken noodle, larb
Frequently asked
What is the best restaurant in Blaine right now?
Based on the Insider Score, Giliberto's Mexican Taco and Hajime rank at the top for their consistency across a large volume of visits, but this is a ranked list, not a single-restaurant verdict. No restaurant on this list paid for placement.
Where can I find good Mexican restaurants near me in Blaine?
Blaine has three distinct Mexican kitchens on this list: Giliberto's Mexican Taco for burritos and tacos, Palmar Mexican Restaurant & Seafood for street tacos and ceviche, and La Michoacana Popsicle World for tacos paired with ice cream. All three rank well on the Insider Score, which reflects the volume and consistency of customer feedback, not payment for a listing.
Is Blaine part of Minneapolis?
No. Blaine is its own city in the northern Twin Cities suburban ring, separate from both Minneapolis and St. Paul. Every restaurant on this list operates within Blaine city limits.
What is the Insider Score and does it cost restaurants money to be ranked?
The Insider Score is a rating built from the volume and consistency of customer feedback for each restaurant. No restaurant pays to appear on this list or to rank higher on it.
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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.