This list has almost nothing to do with reubens and everything to do with how Minneapolis actually eats a sandwich: a deli counter, a hot dog cart, a diner booth. None of these rooms are chasing a corned beef trophy, but they show where the city's sandwich culture actually lives, from Nordeast bar food to a Lebanese deli that has run for three decades.
№ 01
Uncle Franky's
$
728 Broadway St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 · +16124552181
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The Chicago dog and brat are the draw at this no-frills counter, where the menu runs deep into wings and burgers alongside the classics. It reads as a grab-and-go spot for a fast, greasy meal rather than a sit-down occasion, the kind of place regulars default to without much deliberation. Order at the counter, expect paper plates, and expect the brat to be the safer bet than the fries.
What to orderChicago dog, brat, burger
№ 02
Heather's
$$
5201 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55417 · +16124458822
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The salmon dinner and tuna melt anchor a Sunday brunch crowd that comes for the patio as much as the plate. Service reads attentive even when the tables outside fill up on a nice morning. It sits in a residential pocket of Minneapolis, more neighborhood lunch counter than destination, and the tuna melt in particular gets called out as the better order over the standard egg plates.
What to orderSalmon dinner, Tuna melt, Espresso
№ 03
Wise Acre Eatery
$$
5401 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419 · +16123542577
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Eggs benedict and pancakes come out of a farm-table kitchen that also runs a small market up front, selling produce and meat alongside the counter-service breakfast line. The open kitchen means diners can watch plates assemble a few feet away. Weekend crowds run heavy, and service can slip under the volume, but the ingredients read fresher than the typical brunch counter.
What to ordereggs benedict, pancakes, breakfast sandwich
№ 04
Emily's Lebanese Deli
$$
641 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 · +16123794069
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Tabouli is the dish people specifically return for, made in a small storefront that has run for decades as a family operation. Hummus and shawarma round out a short menu built for two or three people at a table rather than a group. The room is tight by design, better suited to a quick lunch than a party, and the tabouli alone justifies the trip.
What to ordertabouli, hummus, shawarma
№ 05
Mayslack's
$$
1428 4th St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418 · +16127899862
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The roast beef sandwich built this Northeast bar's reputation, though the wings, especially on the 75 cent Wednesday deal, get just as much attention now. It runs as a straightforward sports bar: beer, a television, bar food, no pretense. The roast beef divides opinion on tenderness, but the wing night has become the more reliable order.
What to orderwings, roast beef sandwich, beer
№ 06
Marty's Deli
$$
400 NE Lowry Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55418 · +1612-886-3952
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The egg and cheese sandwich with hashbrowns is the order locals line up for before opening, and the line itself is part of the operation, a fixture of the neighborhood rather than an inconvenience. It runs counter service only, cash-and-carry energy, with a regular crowd that treats the place as a community stop as much as a breakfast counter.
What to orderegg and cheese sandwich, hashbrowns, classic deli sandwich
№ 07
Caffrey's Deli & Subs
$
3008 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408 · +16128225551
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The meatball sub pulls people from well outside the neighborhood, and the potato salad gets singled out as worth ordering on its own. It is a quick-service counter built for takeout, no dining room theater involved, just a short menu executed consistently. Prices run higher than the setting suggests, but the sub is the reason regulars keep making the trip.
What to ordermeatball sub, Adult Club, potato salad
№ 08
O'Donovan's Irish Pub
$$
700 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403 · +16122278463
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Fish and chips and colcannon anchor a menu built for groups before a Lynx game or a ticketed brunch event, with a patio that handles overflow crowds well. Service reads friendly and organized even at volume, and the room functions best as a pre-game or group gathering spot rather than a quiet dinner destination in Minneapolis.
What to ordercolcannon, fish and chips, soda bread
№ 09
Luna & The Bear - Kitchen & Libation House
18 W 26th St, Minneapolis, MN 55404 · +16128863081
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Burrata and jam arrives in generous portions on a patio built for a relaxed, dog-friendly evening. The roasted chicken and seasonal vegetables round out a short, seasonal menu inside a converted older building with detailed interior work. It reads as a casual dinner spot that leans on its patio and its room as much as the plate.
What to orderburrata and jam, roasted chicken, seasonal vegetables
№ 10
The Lowry Cafe
$$
2207 Lowry Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411 · +16126772233
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Pancakes and hash browns define a classic diner room with plenty of natural light, though the kitchen's execution reads inconsistent, with undercooked pancakes noted alongside otherwise solid plates. Service gets praised even when the food wavers. Its operating status has been unstable, so calling ahead before making the trip is the practical move.
What to orderpancakes, eggs, hash browns
№ 11
Marino's Deli
$
1946 Johnson St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418 · +16127810970
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Spaghetti and meatballs, served with two slices of house-baked bread, is the unexpected order at what reads primarily as a sandwich counter. Cannolis sell out fast enough that a return trip is sometimes necessary. It runs as a neighborhood counter-service spot, casual and quick, with a menu deeper than the deli case suggests.
What to orderspaghetti and meatball, sandwich, cannoli
№ 12
Egg on a Roll
201 N 5th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401 · +1612-223-5529
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The goat cheese breakfast sandwich draws direct comparisons to the kind of soft egg sandwich the North Loop lost when the Bachelor Farmer closed. It runs strictly counter service with no real seating, built for a fast handoff before work. The bread reads as ordinary, but the fillings are consistently called out as fresh and flavorful.
What to orderbreakfast sandwich, goat cheese sandwich, egg sandwich
Frequently asked
What is the best Juicy Lucy or sandwich spot near me in Minneapolis?
It depends on the neighborhood. This guide covers delis, diners, and bar food across Minneapolis rather than a single corridor, and each entry names its actual location so readers can find the closest match. The Insider Score reflects the review record for each spot, and no restaurant pays to be listed.
Are any of these restaurants in St. Paul or the suburbs?
No. Every restaurant in this guide is located within the city of Minneapolis. St. Paul and suburban cities like Edina or Bloomington have their own distinct dining scenes and are covered separately.
Does the Insider Score mean a restaurant paid for placement?
No restaurant pays to appear on this list or to receive a particular score. The Insider Score is generated from the volume and content of the public review record for each restaurant, not from advertising or sponsorship.
Why isn't this guide just about reubens?
Minneapolis does not have a deep reuben tradition the way it has a Juicy Lucy or deli-sandwich culture. This guide covers the sandwich and casual-food spots that best represent how the city actually eats, drawing on delis, diners, and neighborhood counters with strong review records.
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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 →
Marit Solheim
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Marit Solheim is the Food Editor at Top of Minneapolis. Born and raised in the Longfellow neighborhood of south Minneapolis, she spent six years on the line in downtown kitchens before she started writing. She covers the institutions and the chef tier in both downtowns and holds the desk to one standard: know which city you are standing in.