STPGuide
The Best Restaurants In St. Paul
photo credit: Moonlit Road
St. Paul is happy to play best supporting actor while Minneapolis hogs the spotlight. The state capital feels like a small town even though it’s the second largest city in Minnesota, and the dining scene reflects that humble attitude: people here prefer meals at their tried-and-true favorites instead of being sold whatever trend chefs elsewhere are chasing. Sure, there are brutal Midwestern winters, but parkas and heaters help make do. And when the sun finally defrosts the town, it’s time for gatherings out on patios and strolls down the Mississippi River.
The best meals here include slurping down a bowl of phở so big you could baptize a toddler, twirling some fantastic bucatini cacio e pepe, and laid-back lunch spots where you can feast on Ethiopian stews or finish with some legendary turtle cake. Below are the best restaurants in St. Paul (and when your friends make you meet up in Minneapolis for brunch or a juicy lucy crawl, we’ve got guides for those plans too).
THE SPOTS
If we overheard someone say Myriel was secretly run by woodland nymphs, we’d believe them. The menu changes daily but you can always expect locally-foraged produce like wild plums or juniper berries and whole-animal butchery—two unrevolutionary practices, however, this fancy spot does them better than everywhere else in town. On Wednesday there might be crispy duck breast with a delicately applied tangy sauce, and on Saturday, some spicy lamb sausage on a bed of tender white beans. The space is tight and intimate, so it’s better to come with just one other person and try getting a table near the window with dried branches creeping above. Splurge on the 10-course tasting menu that runs at $145 a head, but if you can’t snag a reservation for that, you can walk in and do the a la carte menu at the high-tops.
photo credit: Moonlit Road
The narrow dining room at Hyacinth feels like you’re spending dinner aboard a luxury passenger train with delicious pasta. Start the evening off by sharing the flatbread with the jiggly burrata add-on or fried olives stuffed with sharp provolone. If it’s available, order the bucatini cacio e pepe for textbook al dente noodles tossed with exactly the right amount of cheese and pepper—it’s so good you’ll throw a death glare at anyone asking for a bite, even your soulmate. An amaro flight makes for an excellent dessert, so sip on a couple of the Italian liqueurs before starting the journey home.
When it’s time for a casual group meal, bring everybody to Bole for pillowy pieces of injera made for scooping up different stews. The table should split the golden-fried beef sambusas before getting to work on the meat combo: spicy doro wat with tender drumsticks, sega wat that’s just as rich but made with chopped beef, and yebeg alicha that has a nice turmeric-garlic flavor on every chunk of lamb. The combo also comes with a chef’s selection of three vegetarian dishes, like yellow split peas or green beans, to balance out the proteins. An extra side of injera is a must, so you don’t harbor a grudge against the friend who ate the last piece of spongy bread.
photo credit: Moonlit Road
This laid-back counter spot has some of the best Vietnamese food—and biggest portions—in town. The 10-pound jumbo phở is essentially a cauldron filled with beef broth so soulful and aromatic, you’d think it has actual magical healing properties. Also, ask for “The Regular Sandwich” filled with red roast pork and nicely pickled vegetables on a crusty baguette slathered with pâté. You’ll always have leftovers, which is great because second lunch tastes better back home on the couch.
With high ceilings, wood-framed mirrors, and white tablecloths, Meritage is the romantic restaurant where lovebirds gaze into each others’ eyes on weekends and anniversaries. Start by cheersing with the champagne cocktail and ordering an amuse-bouche or two (definitely get the teeny tiny tuna tartare taco), because nothing is cuter than sharing dainty little snacks with your special someone. For the main course, order the half chicken, which has perfectly crisp skin and a jus that keeps the meat juicy. The terrace is great for a glass of rosé with the moules frites during the summer, and since the restaurant is only a couple blocks away from the Ordway, you can walk to a show after eating.
Handsome Hog delivers hearty Southern food when you’re inevitably over small plate dining. Juicy beef brisket with a ridiculously tender texture makes it one of the best things on the menu, and it often sells out. The sausage gravy poutine with extra squeaky cheese will remind you why you’ll never be able to give up dairy, and their sazerac made with smoked absinthe will make you feel like a fire-breathing dragon. All week (except for Tuesdays) there’s a late night Happy Hour with lots of $3 beers, plus crawfish hushpuppies topped with creole remoulade if you need a post-dinner snack.
POWERED BY
Come by Saint Dinette for a hearty brunch after squash shopping at the St. Paul Farmers’ Market. Here, you can store your just-bought gourds in their walk-in cooler, drink bourbon-spiked cold press coffee, and feast on scrambled eggs and hash browns. A lot of the menu is apparently inspired by the St. Lawrence River, but it’s easy to miss those details when the move is to get the cheeseburger. The tender patties are a triple-threat blend of brisket, sirloin, and chuck, topped with gooey american cheese and crunchy pickles. It’s the best cheeseburger in town, full stop.
photo credit: Moonlit Road
This family-run spot has some of the best Thai food in the Twin Cities and a somewhat overwhelming encyclopedia of 100-plus dishes. We like to start with the spring rolls as a vehicle for the masterfully sour/sweet/spicy peanut dipping sauce before moving on to the curries. The star of the show is the pad prik moo grop stir fry, with crispy pieces of pork belly wading in a vibrant red curry sauce. Spice is in your control with a scale that runs from none all the way to “Thai Hot Hot Hot,” which, to reiterate in case you’re speedreading, has three hots in its name and is not for the faint of heartburn.
Neighborhood hangout Cafe Latte is where you can get a little of everything when you can’t decide what to eat. The cafeteria line feels a bit like high school, but with the grown-up fun of packing a plastic tray with excellent sandwiches, salads, and soups. The spread sampler never disappoints: pick the basil and green olive poblano dips, which pack a nice fresh punch, and slather them on a mini baguette. Pastries are constantly coming out of the oven and the super-moist, chocolatey-rich turtle cake lives up to its iconic reputation—a handful of locals have been ordering one on their birthday for decades. Head up to the second floor of the dining room for a more chill dining experience, and watch everyone from well-coiffed retirees to skateboarding teens come through for a bite.
photo credit: Moonlit Road
El Burrito Mercado is our go-to for Mexican cuisine. They’ve been making spicy salsas, perfectly crisp flautas, and fluffy tamales since 1979. We’re especially thankful for not having to play favorites between green and red sauces with the burrito ahogado, which lets us enjoy both chili flavors soothed by the melted cheese hiding underneath the tortilla. There’s an adjacent grocery store in case you want to make your enchiladas at home, but don’t be surprised if you ditch those plans and end up back here in a few days—their Taco Tuesday and Happy Hour specials are some of the best in town.
