Cedar-Riverside and the West Bank pack a lot of eating into a few blocks: Ethiopian dining rooms doing full platters, a hot dog counter that has run since the 1980s, and a Vietnamese kitchen quietly making some of the better bites in Minneapolis. This stretch does not need a detour from downtown to justify it. It is its own destination.
№ 01
Hard Times Cafe
$
1821 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454
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Vegan and vegetarian plates anchor this Cedar-Riverside cafe, with a dessert case deep enough to build a whole meal around. The coffee holds up on its own, and the kitchen tracks allergies carefully when asked. Seating runs generous and the room stays warm, sometimes literally, but the pace is unhurried. Prices sit higher than the counter-service norm nearby, which is worth knowing going in.
What to ordervegan desserts, coffee, vegan food
№ 02
The Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant
$$
320 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454 · +16123331644
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Doro wat and chicken tibs come out over injera in portions built for sharing, and the combination platter with a side of rolls covers a table fast. The Minneapolis dining room has patio seating and a back bar, a step up from the neighborhood's usual counter setups. Service moves at a friendly clip, and it is a solid entry point for anyone new to Ethiopian food.
What to orderchicken tibs, doro wat, injera
№ 03
Pizza Lucé Seward
$$
2200 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404 · +16123322535
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The tuna melt on well-toasted bread is the sleeper order at this Minneapolis institution, though the pizza is why generations of neighborhood kids and their parents keep coming back. Pizza Lucé has built its reputation on community ties, school fundraisers included, as much as the menu. Service can be inconsistent when the room fills, so weeknights are the safer bet.
What to orderpizza, tuna melt, focaccia
№ 04
Wienery
$
414 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55467 · +16123335798
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A hot dog counter running since the 1980s, Wienery keeps the menu simple: the chili dog and the Chicago dog cover most of what regulars order. One person often runs the whole operation, so a lunch rush can mean a real wait, but the prices stay low and the food holds up. This is a stool-and-counter room, not a sit-down dinner.
What to orderhot dog, chili dog, Chicago dog
№ 05
Maxwell's American Pub
$$
1201 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415 · +16123547085
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Burgers and pub fries anchor the menu at this Minneapolis neighborhood bar, built for a weeknight happy hour before heading to a show nearby. Wings round out the order for groups. The vibe stays low-key and the service holds up even when the bar fills, making it a reliable stop rather than a special occasion room.
What to orderburgers, pub fries, wings
№ 06
Dilla Ethiopian restaurant
$$
1813 Riverside Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55454 · +16123322898
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Doro wat and misir wat come layered over injera in portions generous enough to send first-timers home full, and the kitchen will build a mixed veggie-and-meat combination on request. The room is small, the servers are attentive, and the spicing is confident rather than softened for newcomers. Many in the Twin Cities point here first when someone asks where to try Ethiopian food.
What to orderinjera, doro wat, misir wat
№ 07
Oasis Mediterranean Grill
1939 S 5th St, Minneapolis, MN 55454 · +16123547666
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Gyro, hummus, and falafel move fast at this counter-service Minneapolis spot, where online ordering keeps pickup lines short even at lunch rush. Seating is limited to a countertop indoors, with more room outside in summer. The value holds up: generous portions, quick turnaround, and prices that make it an easy repeat lunch rather than an occasion.
What to ordergyro, hummus, falafel
№ 08
Nader Persian Restaurant
414 1- 2 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55459 · +15154431932
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Tahdig and kebab koobideh headline a small, family-run menu at this Cedar-Riverside room, with Persian tea poured alongside. The space is modest and the plating is more careful than the surroundings suggest. Portions and prices favor the diner, and the menu's short length reads as focus rather than limitation. A dependable lunch stop for anyone craving Persian food in Minneapolis.
What to orderPersian tea, tahdig, kebab koobideh
№ 09
Lucky Dragon Restaurant
$
1827 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454 · +16123751690
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Vegan cream cheese wontons put this Cedar-Riverside kitchen on people's radar, but the pho and banh mi are the steadier reasons to return. Lucky Dragon runs Vietnamese and Chinese dishes side by side in a quiet Minneapolis room easy to walk past without noticing. Vegan diners in particular have found a rare full meal here, not just a modified side dish.
What to ordervegan cream cheese wontons, pho, banh mi
Frequently asked
What are the best restaurants near me in Cedar-Riverside and the West Bank?
This guide covers the strongest options in Cedar-Riverside and the surrounding West Bank in Minneapolis, from Ethiopian dining rooms to a longtime hot dog counter. Each entry reflects an Insider Score built from the public review record, not a paid placement. No restaurant on this list paid to be here.
Is Cedar-Riverside a good neighborhood for Ethiopian food?
Yes. The Red Sea and Dilla both run full-service Ethiopian dining rooms in Cedar-Riverside with injera-based platters built for sharing. Both are strong entry points for first-time diners and score well in the review record.
Where can vegans eat well in Cedar-Riverside?
Hard Times Cafe runs a full vegan and vegetarian menu with a strong dessert case, and Lucky Dragon has drawn attention for its vegan cream cheese wontons alongside its regular Vietnamese and Chinese menu. Both show up well in the Insider Score rankings for this guide.
What is the cheapest place to eat in Cedar-Riverside?
Wienery is the budget pick, a hot dog counter running since the 1980s with low prices and a simple menu. Oasis Mediterranean Grill is a close second for a fast, inexpensive lunch. Neither restaurant paid for its placement here; the ranking comes from the Insider Score.
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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.
