Welcome back to Five Things, Racket’s recurring rundown of new, new-to-us, or otherwise notable Twin Cities restaurants.
Today we’re taking you inside the former pop-up darling Dahlia, which opened inside a shared northeast Minneapolis space with MN Nice Cream last month in one of the most anticipated openings of 2026. I caught up with co-owners Alex Althoff, Nat Moser, and Sarah Julson to talk all things brick ‘n’ mortar. Here are five things to know before you go.
1. The Treats Are BIG
If you’ve ever been to Dahlia, which is located across Broadway Street from Uncle Franky's, you've probably noticed the croissants are massive—twice the size of an average croissant. “I really tried to make smaller croissants and rein it in," Althoff says. "I’d ask Sarah if something was too small and she’d say, ‘No,’ but I felt like they were. It’s in my bones.” It’s in Althoff's blood to make big treats. She laughs when she tells me that, while growing up in an Iowan German-Catholic family, a 9-by-13-inch chocolate cake was “six pieces if my dad cut it.” Her ideal way for you to experience Dahlia? “Bring a few friends, cut up your croissants, and share them,” she says. It’s my ideal way to experience Dahlia, too.
2. No Tipping
“Nat and I were lifelong back-of-house workers,” Althoff says. “We saw the difference and tensions that it causes in restaurants for some workers to receive tips. We wanted to move forward with everyone being compensated fairly.” Thus, prices at Dahlia are built around the actual cost of ingredients and labor. “It felt like a natural time to tell people the real cost of what goes into making the food,” Julson says. Each Dahlia co-owner stressed to me multiple times that if a customer reads the menu and feels like prices are a little high, just know it’s because that 20% tip is baked in (pun very much intended).
3. It’s All Electric
Dahlia's new building presents major restrictions for a bakery trying to offer savory food. “Everything is electric,” Moser explains. “We don’t have a hood system, so we’re really limited in what we can cook; we had to build a savory menu that fit into the space we had.” A regular customer already asked the fried potatoes, a favorite of the pop-up era, didn't make the cut. “It’s because we don’t have a deep fryer, so we turned those potatoes into a really good potato salad," Moser says, adding that the grab 'n' go deli item ($8.50) is his favorite thing they offer. Other restrictions include no cooking meat. “Doing pop-ups for years meant we had to work with whatever kitchen we were in,” Moser says, with Althoff chiming in: “We understand that there are restrictions, but we’re really proud of the menu we have.” On my visit, I ordered over half the savory menu, and it rocks. The breakout star? The soup of the day ($10). I ordered it to go, intending to just briefly taste it, and I and ended up drinking the entire thing like a latte. Because soup offerings rotate, the root vegetable soup I had might not be on the menu next time, but you bet I’m ordering whatever Moser cooks up next.
4. The Classics Aren’t Phoned In
I’m such a fan of Dahlia's “basic” English muffins that, as I recently recovered from surgery, five people brought me four packs ($16.50) during opening weekend. I’ve been living off reheated English muffins for two weeks and let me tell you, it’s a delightful way to live. Althoff's favorite menu item is something of a surprise. "A plain croissant," she says when pressed. "I love the fun flavors we make but I feel a lot of pride and love for the regular sourdough croissant that we make in its purest form.” These classics serve as the bases for the menu's hot breakfast sandwiches ($13). “Getting to enjoy that warm buttery flaky flavor is incredible,” Julson says.
5. Dahlia Gives Back
Each week, Dahlia chooses a latte ($6.75) on the menu and donates the proceeds to a local organization. “We’re under occupation as we opened,” Althoff says. "We all felt a little helpless and this was a tangible way to give back.” It’s a fun way for you to give back, too, because every week the charitable drink rotates. Past partners include Monarca and direct rent relief through the Pillsbury Elementary PTA; the week I went I tried a raspberry dolce latte, which benefitted a Phillips neighborhood rent fund. Other flavors include a black sesame earl gray latte, brown butter chocolate chip cookie mocha (my personal pick), and iced matcha strawberry yuzu latte. They're creative takes on fun classics—just like those massive croissants.
Dahlia
Address: 807 Broadway St. NE #102, Minneapolis
Hours: Thu.-Sun., 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
