Minnetonka's dining scene runs on suburban fundamentals: a wedge salad that outshines the steak, a pizza crust that holds up to takeout, a malt shop menu unchanged since your childhood. None of it needs the lake views to sell itself, and the six rooms below cover business lunches, date nights, and Friday happy hour without pretense.
№ 01
BLVD Kitchen & Bar
Minnetonka $$
11544 Wayzata Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55305 · +17633983200
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The wedge salad has more going on than the steak, according to the people who order both, which makes it the smarter pick for a business lunch table split between salad eaters and carnivores. The cocktail list holds its own too. BLVD reads as a reliable meeting spot rather than a destination, and that is exactly its job in Minnetonka.
What to orderwedge salad, steak, cocktails
№ 02
Station Pizzeria
Minnetonka $$
13008 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55305 · +19524263273
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The pub style pizza carries a crisp crust and generous sausage, the kind of crunch that holds up whether it is eaten at the table or hauled home in a box. Two pizzas split a group without complaint. Station runs as a takeout-forward operation with a counter-service pace, and the premium pizza is worth the extra toppings.
What to orderPub style pizza, Premium pizza, Sausage pizza
№ 03
Bacio
Minnetonka $$$
1571 Plymouth Rd, Minnetonka, MN 55305 · +19525447000
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Bacio opens its bread service with enough care that it becomes the meal's first argument for staying through dessert. The turkey burger is an unexpected standout on an otherwise classic Italian menu built for slow dinners. Happy hour runs 3 to 6 daily, a rare window for a room built around romantic pacing rather than turning tables.
What to orderbread service, turkey burger, classic Italian pasta
№ 04
Snuffy's Malt Shop
Minnetonka $
17519 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55345 · +19524751850
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Snuffy's keeps its menu tight: a burger, a hot dog, a malt in chocolate or raspberry, all served the way a 1950s counter would have run it. The malts are the consistent win. Fried sides and soup are hit or miss depending on the day, but the format itself, family size fries included, is built for takeout.
What to orderburger, malt, hot dog
№ 05
Scoreboard Bar and Grill
Minnetonka $$
5765 Sanibel Dr, Minnetonka, MN 55343 · +19529356537
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The atomic inferno burger earns its name and its following, paired well with a Schell's Firebrick from the tap list. Pizza and pork belly appetizers move fast during happy hour pricing. Scoreboard fills up for holidays and group outings alike, a sports bar built to handle a crowd without losing the room's happy hour identity.
What to orderatomic inferno burger, pizza, pork belly appetizers
№ 06
Gold Nugget Tavern & Grille
Minnetonka $$
14401 Excelsior Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55345 · +19529353600
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Gold Nugget has operated in the Glen Lake area long enough to outlast its own smaller original footprint, and the patio is the room's clearest draw now. Burgers, steaks, and salads keep the menu straightforward. Service reads attentive across visits, and the patio dining format makes it Minnetonka's clearest local-institution pick.
What to orderburger, steak, salad
Frequently asked
What is the best restaurant near me in Minnetonka for a business lunch?
BLVD Kitchen & Bar is built for it: full service, a menu that splits easily between salad and steak orders, and a pace suited to a meeting rather than a rushed counter order. Its Insider Score reflects consistent food and drink across visits, and no restaurant on this list paid to be included.
Where can I get a Juicy Lucy or classic burger in Minnetonka?
Minnetonka is not home to the original Jucy Lucy bars, those are on Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis at Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club. For a local burger fix, Snuffy's Malt Shop and Scoreboard Bar and Grill both carry strong burger programs, with Scoreboard's atomic inferno burger as the more adventurous order.
Which Minnetonka restaurant is best for a romantic dinner?
Bacio is the clear pick, with a bread service and happy hour built around slower pacing rather than volume. Its Insider Score is based on the restaurant's actual performance in the review record, not on any payment or promotional arrangement.
Is Gold Nugget Tavern & Grille a good spot for outdoor dining?
Yes. The patio is consistently named as the highlight of the room, and Gold Nugget's long run in the Glen Lake area backs up its local-institution status. Its Insider Score and every other score on this guide are earned, not purchased.
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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.
