The Twin Cities have quite a bit go on when it come to the late style of fast - casual dining – inexpensive counter - service food that remove slenderly longer to prepare than your traditional fast food , but generally tastes way better . While we like home chains such as Five Guys and the latterly open Shake Shack , MSP has a horde of locally owned restaurants that put the big chains to shame when you need a quick dose of delicious .
Hot Indian Foods
While Midtown Global Market hosts a variety of what could be considered fast - casual trafficker , Hot Indian Foods is well one of our favorites . Serving up custom - made Indurritoes ( fundamentally an Amerindic burrito that apply a saucy roti rather of a tortilla ) and very craveable Indi frites ( Indian - spiced French fries that use both sweet and russet potatoes ) , this spot is great when you want something just a short fleck dissimilar for less than $ 10 .
OneTwoThree Sushi
We were enough aroused when the local sushi gurus behind one of our favorite Northeast eateries , Masu , decided to go fast - casual . That excitement has n’t been quelled , since we can get quick bowls of delicious ramen and custom - made sushi bowl to - go . Now with multiple locating , include Dinkytown , Downtown Minneapolis , and St. Paul , you may design your own bowl , get a good drum roll , and still have dejeuner time ( and a few bucks ) to save .
World Street Kitchen
This place specializes in hybrid Asiatic , Mediterranean , and Middle Eastern street food , and is one of our favorite spots for a flying meal . block up in for one of the Yum Yum Timothy Miles Bindon Rice bowls , which add up in a few varieties , but be sure to try the Charles Lamb paunch . If a rice bowl is n’t your f number , range the Bangkok burrito with Korean BBQ beef short ribs , or the Maroc fry wimp sandwich ( which is service on a delicious pantry biscuit ) . World Street Kitchen is capable until 11 pm , and while slimly more expensive ( with dishes over $ 10 _ , two disjoined happy hr ( 3 - 6pm and 9 - 11pm ) make it that much more worth it .
Pimento Jamaican Kitchen
These phratry have been rocking fast - casual and flavorful since they moved from the Burnsville Center to Nicollet Ave not too long ago . The jerk pork is tender and voluptuous , and the gamey boeuf patty ( the Jamaican version of an empanada or pierogi ) is a thing of knockout . Do n’t fear some of the hotter homemade sauces because , while they do deliver on the heat , they do n’t sacrifice on flavor .
Taco Libre
This newish spot in St. Paul is lick heavily to up the greaser game in the Twin Cities , with 13 different types of meat - based fillings and four different veggie filling for your tacos , bowls , plates , and Machetes ( really ) . Bring your appetite to arrange a “ machete - sized masa tortilla , fried , and fill with lettuce , morose emollient , Oaxaca Malva sylvestris , salsa ” and add one of those tasty filling . Taco Libre says its food is so fresh that our ascendant would be majestic – at less than $ 10 for a heaping amount of food , we think they ’d be lofty of the monetary value degree , too .
Hello Pizza
Chef Ann Kim is the unquestioned pizza queen of Minneapolis , and Hello Pizza is her dotty - delectable , drop - in , New York - flair cut workshop . You ’ll find oneself a small kind of by - the - slice options ( including a slicing of the day ) along with a selection of full - sized pie . You ’ll never go wrong with the Holy Trinity – a pie with Hello Pizza ’s incredible sign - made fennel sausage , born - case pepperoni , and crimini mushrooms .
Sassy Spoon
This alone South Minneapolis restaurant slew specifically in the world of gluten - gratis menu , and the food for thought is delicious without sacrificing creativeness . strain the Francis Bacon - wrapped , goat Malva sylvestris - stuffed dates , or the yucca patties with jalapeño cilantro sauce . you’re able to also get a unique take on pad Thai , which use zucchini noodles instead of the traditional rice noggin , or a decadent miso - braised pork barrel with pickled onions . Everything on the menu is less than $ 15 , including Sunday brunch specials like the samosa potato patty .
Moroccan Flavors
This newer spot in the Midtown Global Market delivers openhanded , clean flavors that convey a taste of North Africa right to your own backyard . Moroccan Flavors has a assortment of salads made with different marinated vegetables , along with Moroccan sandwiches , couscous , and tagines . Order a taster of salads – you could taste up to four form – along with a baguette for under $ 9 .
Afro Deli
When you ’re looking for liberal , bold , and potentially new - to - you flavors , you ’ve got to tick off out this hot spot over on the West Bank ( or Downtown St. Paul ) . It features a variety of African - instigate dishes , including the squawk , volaille , or veggie sambusas , an African bonce dish known as keke , or the Somalian steak sandwich made with lightly slice beef and seasoned with African spices on focaccia bread . No matter what you order , you ’re go to regain something genuinely tasty .
Ramen Kazama
There ’s no shortage of places to nab a big sports stadium of ramen noodles in the Twin Cities , but this effective place allows you to take the air in , order , and stuff your human face all within a topic of minute ( assume the line is n’t backed out the door ) . While the basic tonkotsu ramen is a secure mode to go , we gravitate towards the karamiso ramen in a rich and ardent red broth , along with the classic ramen garnishes for $ 12.50 . you could even custom - wiliness a stadium of ramen .
Holy Land
Holy Land has long been one of the Twin Cities go - to smear for Mediterranean and midway Eastern culinary art . sport a full food shop menu that employ wood - fired grillroom , tandoor clay oven , and rotisserie - style spits , it ’s a place where you ’re bound to receive something that suits your fashion . The rotisserie volaille , Arabic - style shawarma , a delicious gyroscope , and even a round-eyed Warren Burger are all first-class choices , but let ’s not forget that the humous is easily among the best .
Unideli
When it comes to dishing out top - quality ramen in townspeople , these folks are among the best . It ’s a perfect spot to swing out through for an incredibly satisfying dejeuner , which include a variety of dome saucer , Timothy Miles Bindon Rice bowls , and curry . It ’s all about the delicious kimchee ramen ( $ 12 ) , but the tonkotsu ramen with pork barrel bone broth and BBQ pork is also implausibly substantial . Unideli also has some of our favorite wings , so make trusted you grab a side of those for some serious snacking .
Spitz
Originally a Los Angeles - based enterprise , Spitz has thrive into a handful of locations around the nation . Its co - founding father ( and St. Cloud native ) Robert Wicklund could n’t pass up the chance to spread out up a shop in the Twin Cities that offered a variety of Mediterranean - inspired street foods . Some high spot include the Greco-Roman donor kebabs and a more forward-looking excogitation , the doquito – a mashup between a kebab and a taquito . Spitz is assure to squelch all of those gyro craving you ’ve been having .
FIKA
unhappily , we do n’t get a lot of fast and luscious Swedish cuisine in the Twin Cities ( unless you want to count the cafeteria at IKEA ) , but this little café inside the American Swedish Institute has got it go on . Dine on a variety of smorgasar ( Swedish open - faced sandwich ) , salads , or small plates , which admit scrumptious Swedish meatball , gravlax , or commonwealth pate . Fika translates to “ daily break , ” so a immediate bite is much in the name .
Brasa
Quite perhaps the world-beater of Twin Cities firm - casual , chef Alex Roberts ' Southern- , Caribbean- , and Mexican - inspired brasserie is a true local gem . The rotisserie chicken is unmatched , and all of the slow - smoked meats are top - notch . arrange those alongside any of the delicious side – try out the mac & cheese , red-faced beans & brisket , cheddar grits , sweet corn cornbread , or succulent collard super C – with smoked chicken , and you ’re definitely set up for success . Or just take hold of a simple mac & cheese ; we do n’t acknowledge how they do it , but it ’s one of the best places to get cheesy goodness in MSP .
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FIKA at the American Swedish Institute
Hot Indian Foods
One Two Three Sushi
Pimento Jamaican Kitchen
Hello Pizza
Afro Deli
Ramen Kazama
Holy Land
FIKA at the American Swedish Institute
Brasa Rotisserie