White Bear Lake's downtown runs on a walkable grid a few blocks off the lake, and the range here goes from a 1948 supper-club spirit at the steak-and-salad rooms to a strip mall counter turning out short ribs and bibimbap. Price and polish vary block to block, but the town does not need a big city zip code to feed people well.
№ 01
Rudy's Redeye Grill
White Bear Lake $$
4940 Hwy 61 N, White Bear Lake, MN 55110 · +16516536718
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The soup and salad combo is the safe lunch order, served in a room built for lingering rather than turning tables fast. The rooftop patio is the draw on a nice evening, though the grilled chicken has landed overcooked on at least one visit. Go for the setting and the steak, and stick to simple orders.
What to ordersoup and salad combo, grilled chicken, steak
№ 02
Washington Square Bar & Grill
White Bear Lake $$
4736 Washington Sq, White Bear Lake, MN 55110 · +16514077162
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Weekday breakfast has been the steady draw for years, with a full bar and a beer list backing up the chile relleno and carne asada at dinner. Service swings between attentive and slow depending on the shift, and the morning crowd has thinned lately. Best treated as a reliable lunch and breakfast stop rather than a special occasion.
What to orderchile relleno, enchiladas, carne asada
№ 03
Pizzeria Pezzo
White Bear Lake $$
2143 4th St, White Bear Lake, MN 55110 · +16517887844
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The pizza draws the strongest praise in town, alongside a salad worth ordering on repeat and cheese dip that holds up as a starter. The room gets loud when full, which tracks with how busy it runs. Skip the deep dish Chicago style; the standard pies are the safer call.
What to orderpizza, salad, cheese dip
№ 04
Brickhouse Food and Drink
White Bear Lake $$$
4746 Washington Sq, White Bear Lake, MN 55110 · +16515286958
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Wagyu and seasonal fish anchor the menu in a room built around exposed brick and hardwood, with the rooftop patio the best seat on a warm night. Prices sit at the higher end of downtown's range, and the printed menu has not always matched what is posted online. Worth booking for the patio, not for a quick bite.
What to orderWagyu, grilled vegetables, seasonal fish
№ 05
Manitou Bar & Kitchen
White Bear Lake
2171 4th St, White Bear Lake, MN 55110 · +16514262300
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The burger gets the char and juice right and is the safer order over the banh mi, which has come out with chicken dried past the point of holding its vegetables crisp. Service can lag when the room fills. It is also one of the few kitchens open late in downtown White Bear Lake, useful for anyone staying nearby.
What to orderburger, banh mi, chicken
№ 06
Don Julio
White Bear Lake $$
4660 Hwy 61 N, White Bear Lake, MN 55110 · +16514072888
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The Grande Burro anchors the menu, a beef-stuffed order big enough to share, backed by a choriqueso plate worth ordering as a starter every time. The room sits close to the lake and the shops downtown, and service has stayed quick and consistent across repeat visits. A dependable neighborhood Mexican kitchen, not a special-occasion room.
What to orderGrande Burro, choriqueso, chips
№ 07
Bear Town Bar and Grill
White Bear Lake $$
4875 Hwy 61 N, St Paul, MN 55110 · +16514264225
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Whole breaded wings are the reason to walk in, served large enough that eating them clean is not really an option. Burgers and other bar apps round out the menu, though quality has swung from excellent to merely fine on back-to-back visits. A sports-bar room built for wings and beer, not quiet conversation.
What to orderchicken wings, burgers, appetizers
№ 08
Eat at Banning and Fifth
White Bear Lake $
2202 5th St, White Bear Lake, MN 55110 · +16516531225
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Sandwiches and daily soups run the counter at this lunch spot, where the same staff greeting regulars by name is part of the draw for locals. Portions have come up small on off visits, and front counter service can turn brusque. Best for a quick weekday lunch with a neighborhood feel rather than a leisurely sit-down.
What to ordersandwiches, soups, daily specials
№ 09
Young's
White Bear Lake
2125 4th St, White Bear Lake, MN 55110 · +16514171336
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Short ribs come with a generous meat-to-fat ratio and the bibimbap holds its own against the burnt ends, all served in a strip mall storefront that outperforms its address. Portions run large for the price, which explains the repeat visits. A dependable Korean kitchen worth the parking lot, not a special-occasion room.
What to ordershort ribs, bibimbap, burnt ends
№ 10
Cobblestone Cafe
White Bear Lake $
4760 Washington Sq, Saint Paul, MN 55110 · +16514296793
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The omelet with hash browns and toast is the standing order at this small breakfast room, where the kitchen runs on one cook and one server most mornings. The drive from other parts of town is the main complaint, and the food has stayed solid through it. A classic small town breakfast counter, plain and consistent.
What to orderomelet, hash browns, toast
Frequently asked
What is the best restaurant for dinner in downtown White Bear Lake?
Brickhouse Food and Drink is the top pick for a sit-down dinner, especially for the rooftop patio and the Wagyu and seasonal fish on the menu. It carries the highest Insider Score among the dinner-focused rooms on this list. No restaurant pays to be listed here or to rank higher; the score comes from the review record alone.
Where can I find good Mexican food near me in White Bear Lake?
Don Julio and Washington Square Bar & Grill both serve Mexican food downtown, with Don Julio's Grande Burro and choriqueso getting the strongest and most consistent marks. Washington Square is the better call for breakfast. Insider Scores for both are listed above and are not paid placements.
What is the best casual lunch spot downtown?
Eat at Banning and Fifth and Cobblestone Cafe are the two neighborhood lunch and breakfast counters on this list, both scored on their Insider Score from the public review record. Pizzeria Pezzo is the better call if the group wants pizza and salad instead of sandwiches.
Is Young's in White Bear Lake worth visiting even though it's in a strip mall?
Yes. Young's sits in a strip mall storefront but posts one of the stronger Insider Scores on this list, built on large portions of short ribs and bibimbap at a fair price. The address does not factor into the score; only the review record does, and no restaurant pays for placement.
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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.