Wild rice soup is metro comfort food, and Bloomington's sit-down rooms treat it as a menu constant rather than a special. None of these five build a reputation on the soup alone, but the diners, brunch spots, and neighborhood bars below are where it shows up alongside the dishes that actually draw the crowd.
№ 01
Hazelwood Food and Drink
Bloomington $$
8150 26th Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55425 · +19522224000
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Hazelwood works as the meeting point for groups split across the metro, with a bright, plant-filled room that stays loud without feeling packed. The burger and sandwich line covers the table easily, and wild rice soup fits the brunch rotation as the cold-weather order. Service holds up under a full room, which matters more here than the menu's range.
What to orderburger, salad, sandwich
№ 02
Ike's Food & Cocktails
Bloomington $$
4400 West 78th St, Ste 150, Bloomington, MN 55435 · +19528314537
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The caramel roll arrives first and oversized, which sets the tone for a brunch menu built on volume. Wild rice soup is the savory counterweight to that sweetness, ordered by anyone pacing themselves before the entrees land. This Bloomington location runs on the same format as the downtown original, though the record on consistency across locations is mixed.
What to ordercaramel roll, brunch entrees, cocktails
№ 03
Cadillac Ranch
Bloomington $$
352 South Ave, Bloomington, MN 55425 · +19528541004
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Pork chops and pasta lead the kitchen at this Bloomington bar, but the wild rice soup earns its place as a starter before the entrees most tables actually came for. Live music and a full bar keep the room moving on weekend nights, and service gets called out by name often enough to suggest a consistent floor staff rather than a rotating one.
What to orderpork chops, pasta, burgers
№ 04
Scramblin' Egg
Bloomington
7828 Portland Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55420 · +19523148138
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A breakfast sandwich with sauces on the side and a side of tots is the order regulars repeat, and the veggie scramble has its own following. Wild rice soup shows up on the lunch side of the menu, a solid warm-up before or after the counter line. The takeout format, born from a Stillwater food truck, keeps this quick and casual rather than sit-down.
What to orderbreakfast sandwich, tots, veggie scramble
№ 05
Ze's Diner Bloomington
Bloomington $$
8405 Lyndale Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55420 · +17632646136
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Country fried chicken is the dish worth waiting for here, along with meatloaf and mashed potatoes that anchor the diner's family-dinner reputation. Wild rice soup rounds out a menu built for reasonable per-plate pricing on a table of seven or more. Service has held steady from the room's earliest days, which matters for a diner leaning on repeat family traffic.
What to ordercountry fried chicken, meatloaf, mashed potatoes
Frequently asked
What is the best wild rice soup near me in Bloomington?
Based on the Insider Score, which weighs the full public review record rather than any paid placement, Hazelwood Food and Drink and Cadillac Ranch stand out among Bloomington rooms that keep wild rice soup on the regular menu. No restaurant on this list paid for its spot.
Is wild rice soup a Minnesota specialty?
Yes. Creamy chicken and wild rice soup is a staple across the Twin Cities metro, and manoomin, the wild rice itself, is tied to Ojibwe food culture. It shows up on menus from diners to bars as a standing item rather than a seasonal special.
Are these restaurants in Minneapolis or Bloomington?
All five are in Bloomington, a separate suburban city south of Minneapolis, not neighborhoods within Minneapolis itself. Bloomington has its own restaurant scene distinct from both Minneapolis and St. Paul.
How is the Insider Score calculated for these picks?
The Insider Score is built from the public review record for each restaurant, covering consistency, volume, and what diners actually order. No restaurant pays to be included or ranked higher 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 →
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.
