Best Reubens in St. Paul (2026)

The name still confuses people who remember the Burger King that stood here, but the pad see ew and cream cheese wontons are the actual draw, not a corned beef press. Worth a mention on any St. Paul takeout list for the noodle dishes alone: the pad Thai runs sweet, the pad see ew stays savory, and the kitchen has kept both consistent for years.

Cecil's is the closest thing on this list to an actual deli case, with a pastrami sandwich and a corned beef sandwich built on bread baked on site. The room moves at its own pace, staff included, and the smell of fresh bread on entry is part of the pitch. This is the St. Paul stop for anyone who wants deli done the old way, not a chain's version of it.

Nelson Cheese & Deli runs a counter-service operation built on hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and specialty hot dogs, no frills attached. Regulars treat it as their default lunch stop in the metro, and the sandwiches read as consistently fresh rather than assembled in bulk. Street parking nearby makes it an easy add to a St. Paul lunch run even without a reuben on the board.

The lefse scramble puts Finnish Bistro Coffee & Cafe in Scandinavian heritage territory rather than deli territory, and the patio seating draws people in on slow mornings. Ordering happens inside even for outdoor tables, and the kitchen's pace has drawn complaints on busier days. Coffee and eggs are the safer order here if a scramble heavy on onion isn't the goal.

Day by Day Cafe serves breakfast all day, a genuine rarity, with pancakes and eggs anchoring a menu built for repeat visits. The interior is large enough to absorb a crowd, and the patio adds summer seating St. Paul brunch regulars have relied on for years. Service reads as patient rather than rushed, which matters on a menu meant to be lingered over.

Lost Fox pairs a coffee counter with a kitchen turning out a Breakfast Burger built around garlic aioli, a Brunch Poutine, and a pulled pork sandwich finished with house made coleslaw and a sweet edge to the barbecue sauce. Dogs are welcome inside, which fits the relaxed room. This is a St. Paul stop for brunch with friends, not a formal sit down.

St. Paul Meat Shop earns its prices with a house grind and meat sticks that regulars call out by name, plus a Shepherd's Pie built on the shop's own cuts. It runs as a counter operation for quality product rather than volume, and repeat customers report finding cuts here they can't find elsewhere in the metro. Worth the detour for anyone assembling a real charcuterie board.

The cheese melt at St Paul Cheese Shop comes with a tomato soup regulars single out as the better half of the pairing, smooth in consistency and built to complement rather than compete. The sandwiches themselves read as solid rather than showy. Easy parking and outdoor seating make it a repeat lunch stop for St. Paul regulars despite the small interior.

Hey Bear! runs on an egg biscuit sandwich built around a light, fluffy biscuit and good sausage, with the SEC sandwich as a second order worth flagging. The coffee program sources beans locally, and the shop reads as part of a broader rebuilding of small business along its stretch of St. Paul. A quick, friendly stop for a morning bite rather than a sit down meal.