Best Afterhours Restaurants In Minnesota
Minnesota might not be known for its 24-hour aesthetic. This isn't Las Vegas. But we also know that it doesn't need to be to have great food options late into the night. We know good food here, and we know that not everyone wants to eat at the "usual" times. Whether you're getting off work or out of a show late, or need something to quell those drunken munchies, these local eateries will fill you up while the rest of the city sleeps.
For a few other options, check out this past article from CBS Minnesota: Best Places Open After Midnight In Minneapolis
Serving Late:
Bar La Grassa
800 Washington Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 333-3837
www.barlagrassa.com
Sister restaurant to the 112 Eatery, the Warehouse District staple serves food until 1:00 a.m. and midnight on weekends. La Grassa's North Loop location makes it perfect for a late, late evening in Minneapolis. Whether it's after enjoying drinks at one of the nearby lounges, like Parlour next door, dancing at nearby Club Jager or the Loop, or catching a show at Bunker's across the street, the spectacular Italian food is waiting to send you home full and happy.
Dark Horse Bar And Eatery
250 7th St E
St Paul MN 55101
(651) 313-7960
www.darkhorsebarandeatery.com
Located in the Lowertown district in St. Paul, which is fast proving to be one of the hottest entertainment and dining neighborhoods for locals, you can sneak in here for a bite after a show at nearby Bedlam Theater, Golden's or Black Dog, or after hanging out one of the neighborhood's many other fine drinking establishments, until 1:30 a.m. Look for one one of the best Cubano sandwiches you can find at any time of day, seriously spicy wings, add-your-own-topping pizzas and truly awesome Chinese dumplings known as baozi.
Constantine
1115 2nd Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 886-1297
www.constantinempls.com
1 a.m. is the cutoff for these creative small bites. The late-night menu includes awesome $5 burgers, house-made pop tarts, blue-cheese stuffed wings and other nibbles that are at once fun and tasty, and the perfect complement to an expertly-crafted cocktail. It might be the very best alternative to that stop through a fast-food drive-through on the way home. You'll be just as full, and you won't feel like crap in the morning.
Amsterdam Bar And Hall
6 6th St W
St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 285-3112
www.amsterdambarandhall.com
You can get delectable broodjes (mini Dutch sandwiches) filled with everything from fried veggies to shaved ham and Gouda to octopus, some of the best fries in Minnesota with addictive, delicious side sauces, and more. The nightclub, credited with injecting life back into St. Paul's staid downtown, always has fantastic music and shows to accompany those late-night bites as well.
Serving Really, Really Late
Looking for places open after the bars are closed? Well we got you covered there as well.
Pizza Luce
119 4th St N
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 333-7359
www.pizzaluce.com
All of the metro locations of this local chain serve until after midnight, and they deliver crazy late as well, but you want to walk in for a slice after drinking and dancing in Minneapolis' Warehouse District, and this location is the best (or at least most convenient) place you can do that. Open until 2:30 a.m., it's the after-hours pizza joint that serves giant, doughy pizza that seems like slices of heaven after a night on the town.
Mickey's Diner
36 W 7th St
St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 222-5633
www.mickeysdiningcar.com
The 24/7 diner that has stood in downtown St. Paul since the 1930s is more than just a popular after-bar destination. Mickey's is a Minnesota institution. Not far from St. Paul's Rice Park entertainment district, the famous dining car offers some of the best hash browns anywhere, along with enormous pillow-soft pancakes, burgers, chili, grilled-cheese sandwiches, their famous Potatoes O'Brien and milkshakes. You can smell fifty years of old-school cooking baked into the walls. Belly up to the counter and watch your food sizzle on the flat top, knowing there might not be a better place to end up after bars close.
Flameburger
2534 Rice St
St Paul, MN 55113
(651) 483-8444
www.theflameburger.com
Head down Rice Street, keep going, and going, and going until you hit this 24-hour diner that serves awesome burgers (obviously), and breakfast classics in a throwback setting that reminds of American Graffiti. The good old days are alive and kicking, and don't have a closing time at this Little Canada restaurant. A location in Colombia Heights as well means the west metro is well-served as well.
Related: Best Restaurants In Minnesota That Opened In 2015
Adrian Schramm is a resident Saint Paul writer with a passion for all things local. Through his work with Saint Paul Almanac and Minneapolis Examiner at Examiner.com, as well as in the kitchens of bars and restaurants around town, he has discovered what truly makes the Twin Cities tick.
