Eat Street runs Nicollet from the mid-twenties into the low thirties, and this stretch has always held more than one cuisine at a time. This list moves counter to counter across Vietnamese, Greek, Japanese, Jamaican and Latin American kitchens that share the same corridor without sharing a single style.
№ 01
Hola Arepa | Latin American
$$
3501 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408 · +16123455583
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The arepa here is the anchor, corn cake split and stuffed, with pupusa and empanada rounding out a Latin American menu built for groups. The Prickly Paloma draws its own following. Outdoor seats fill fast even in poor weather, and the vegetarian options run deeper than most Latin spots on this stretch of Nicollet.
What to orderarepa, pupusa, empanada
2719 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, 55408 · +16128704739
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Quang has run this stretch of Nicollet long enough to earn the title of the neighborhood's original Vietnamese kitchen. Pho and banh mi anchor a spacious, family-friendly room built for groups. Regulars who grew up eating Vietnamese food at home still bring their families back, which says more than any menu description could.
What to orderpho, banh mi, spring rolls
№ 03
Christos Greek Restaurant
$$
2632 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408 · +16128712111
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Saganaki and moussaka have kept Christos in business on Nicollet for decades, and the kitchen still runs Greek-American comfort food without chasing trends. Souvlaki rounds out a menu built on consistency rather than reinvention. The staff gets singled out as much as the food, a rare pairing in a room this dependable.
What to ordersaganaki, moussaka, souvlaki
№ 04
Icehouse
$$
2528 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404 · +16122766523
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Icehouse pairs a live music calendar with a kitchen serious enough to hold its own, fries and a burger leading a New American menu built for date nights. Seasonal vegetable dishes round out the plates between sets. The room stays intimate whether the crowd came for the band or for dinner.
What to orderfries, burger, seasonal vegetable dish
№ 05
Lu's Sandwiches
$
2624 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408 · +16128700350
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The banh mi with headcheese is the order that gets people talking, house-made cold cuts on a sandwich that costs less than ten dollars. Lu's runs counter service near Eat Street proper, with a parking lot that makes the quick lunch even easier. Pho rounds out a menu built for speed, not fuss.
What to orderbanh mi with headcheese, banh mi, pho
№ 06
Pimento Jamaican Kitchen & Rum Bar
$$
2524 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404 · +16123455637
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Jerk chicken, curry goat and oxtail carry Pimento's Jamaican menu, with the One Love special bundling slow-roasted jerk into a single plate. The spicing draws consistent praise even from diners with no baseline for the cuisine. Consistency swings a bit visit to visit, but the flavor profile stays distinct on this corridor.
What to orderjerk chicken, curry goat, oxtail
№ 07
My Huong Kitchen | Vietnamese
$$
2718 Nicollet Ave, Ste 101B, Minneapolis, MN 55408 · +16127022922
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Chè đậu trắng, the coconut cream mung bean dessert, pulls at diners with family memories attached to it, while phở and bánh mì cover the savory side. The room is small and easy to seat even on a Sunday afternoon. Service runs friendly and quick, and the beef noodle soup gets ordered as often as the pho.
What to orderphở, chè đậu trắng, bánh mì
№ 08
Ramen Kazama
$$
3400 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408 · +16123536160
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Tonkatsu ramen leads the menu, broth on the lighter side with noodles that hold their bounce and pork that reads fresh. Miso and shoyu ramen round out a counter-service room built to warm up a cold night. Regulars compare the shop vibe directly to ramen counters in Japan, which is a high bar to set.
What to orderTonkatsu Ramen, Miso Ramen, Shoyu Ramen
№ 09
Boludo
$$
8 W 38th St, Minneapolis, MN 55409 · +16123535574
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Empanadas share the menu with a pizza line that has become the real draw, pepperoni and margherita both holding up unusually well through delivery. Boludo runs outdoor seating along with counter service, and the takeout quality gets called out specifically as better than the format usually allows on this corridor.
What to orderpepperoni pizza, margarita pizza, empanadas
№ 10
Hibachi Buffet
$$
111 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55408 · +16128253099
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Hibachi Buffet has run since 2010 on a Chinese and Japanese buffet format built around yakitori, tempura and gyoza, with families returning across years rather than visits. The owners get named as often as the food. Fried and greasy items dominate some trips more than others, so the hot bar rewards picking carefully.
What to orderyakitori, tempura, gyoza
№ 11
Kyatchi
$$
3758 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409 · +16122364429
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Yakitori and gyoza anchor Kyatchi's menu, but the happy hour is the real engine, running late into the night from nine to eleven. Edamame rounds out a menu built for grazing over drinks. Parking runs tight along this stretch, though the staff's easygoing energy gets mentioned as often as the food does.
What to orderyakitori, edamame, gyoza
Frequently asked
What is the best restaurant near me on Eat Street or Nicollet Avenue?
It depends on which block. Quang and My Huong Kitchen anchor the Vietnamese end near the mid-twenties, while Christos and Icehouse sit further south. Each restaurant here carries its own Insider Score based on the review record, and nobody paid to be included in this guide.
Is Eat Street in Minneapolis or St. Paul?
Eat Street is entirely within Minneapolis, running along Nicollet Avenue roughly from 26th to 29th streets. Every restaurant in this guide sits inside Minneapolis city limits, not St. Paul or a suburb.
Which restaurant on this list is best for a quick, cheap lunch?
Lu's Sandwiches holds the price advantage, with a banh mi that regularly comes in under ten dollars. Boludo and My Huong Kitchen also work for a fast, inexpensive meal without a wait.
How is the Insider Score determined for these restaurants?
The Insider Score comes from analysis of the public review record for each restaurant, weighing consistency and volume of feedback over time. No restaurant pays for placement or for a higher score on this list.
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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 →
Kou Thao
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Kou Thao is the St. Paul & Corridors Editor at Top of Minneapolis. Born in St. Paul and raised in Frogtown, he grew up working the family egg-roll stand at Hmongtown Marketplace. He covers the marketplaces, University Avenue, the East Side and West Side, and every corridor counter worth the trip across the river.
