It’s the end of 2025, and you know what that means for your favorite local indie website… [to the beat of Father’s “Look at Wrist”]: list, list, list, list, list, list.
This specific list highlights my favorite new restaurants of 2025. And to paraphrase the preamble from previous year-end wrap-ups, these are my favorites. This dining rundown isn’t a “best of” guide to new restaurants because Racket just doesn’t emphasize fine-dining coverage as much as other publications in town, nor do we manage to hit all of the buzzy new spots that open in a given year. We’re more likely to frequent places on the more approachable end of the spectrum, where you probably won’t need a reservation and can pop in more or less on a whim. That I’m a one-person food and drink department spending either my hard-earned money or your hard-earned subscription dollars helps guide that ethos.
The list below highlights one or two ~finer~ establishments, but for the most part you’ll see sandwich shops, counter-service joints, bakeries, and coffee shops. Think of it as a complement to the other “best new restaurants” lists out there, one you can turn to on a weeknight, or over lunch, with minimal planning.
As always, tell me your new favorites in the comments. I’ve got a lot of eating left to do in this life.
Las Delicias De Frida
Las Delicias De Frida has been serving an array of excellent Mexican street food since its grand opening in January, but it’s the Dorilocos and Tostilocos—my fellow whites might heathenishly call them “walking tacos”—that keep me coming back. What can I say? To me, heaven is a bag of Spicy Nacho Doritos that’s been sliced open and filled with a mix of pork, cheese, pico, chamoy, jicama, peanuts, jalapeño, corn, and carrots. East Lake Street has long been home to some of the city’s best Mexican food, and I’m happy to see this stretch near Lyn-Lake getting more great spots for burritos, tacos, and yes, bags of chips full of cheese and meats. Speaking of which… 2904 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis; lasdeliciasdefrida.com.
Lito’s on Lake
Just around the corner from LDDF, the first standalone location of Lito’s Burritos opened its doors in mid-November, joining the little spot that’s been popping up in Richfield’s El Tejaban for the last few years. Miguel Hernandez’s Chicano burrito operation is as good as we’ve come to expect at this new address; the housemade chorizo is a particular standout, as are the salsas. (No, I have not made it back for the Chopped Torta yet, but multiple people have sent me photos of theirs… it might be the very first thing I eat in 2026.) 901 W. Lake St., Minneapolis; instagram.com/litosonlake.
Cafe Yoto
If steaming bowls full of bouncy, chubby udon noodles are what you’re after, Cafe Yoto is the place to go. After honing his skills at Sanjusan and Kado No Mise, chef Yo Hasegawa has opened a Japanese fast-casual spot that features some of the best noodle bowls in town. If you prefer, there’s also donburi and tamaki on the menu, but I’ve rarely been able to pry myself away from the udon, which is made fresh with a big assist from Cafe Yoto’s fancy noodle machine. (You can watch as it chugs away behind the counter.) Although you should definitely order the karaage—if not in your udon bowl, then definitely on the side. It’s almost enough to make me wish I lived in the North Loop. 548 N. Washington Ave. Suite #105, Minneapolis; cafeyoto.com.
Kinsley’s Smokehouse Deli
“How much would you pay for the best Reuben in town?” we asked after visiting Kinsley’s for the first time back in May. And look, I get it, 21 bucks can be an eye-popping price tag for a sandwich… I simply think that the ones from Kinsley’s are worth it. At his stall in the Market at Malcolm Yards, chef James Adams is doing truly tremendous things with pastrami, where slightly smoky, pleasantly fatty, thinly sliced cuts are piled high atop buttery slices of New York deli rye from Breadsmith. The gooey swiss, the crunchy kraut—it all adds up to make a sandwich so memorable I’ve gone back for it more than once. 501 30th Ave. SE, Minneapolis; instagram.com/kinsleys_deli.
Moonflower Pizza
In the evenings, Cathedral Hill’s French Hen Cafe blossoms into Moonflower Pizza. It all started as a pandemic pop-up, explains general manager Madeline Rivard, and required years of planning (and the complicated process of getting a 3,000-pound pizza oven into a 100-year-old building and figuring out how to ventilate it). Now, each Thursday through Saturday, Moonflower serves up fresh, seasonal pies like the Sgt. Pepp, with briny pickled red peppers, crispy circles of Lowry Hill pepperoni, and Cry Baby Craig’s cane syrup. Oh, and they made a Calabrian chile crunch you’re going to want to put on everything. 518 Selby Ave., St. Paul; frenchhencafe.com/moonflower-pizza.
Albi Kitchen
Colorful, joyful, and full of happy surprises—that’s how I described Albi Kitchen after visiting several times in short succession earlier this year. It’s the kind of spot that’ll keep you coming back, and not just because Fardowsa Ali’s recipes are a delight. At Albi, delicious, sugary Somali Qahwa (coffee) arrives in a carafe with a gold-etched glass cup and saucer, and plates of sambusas are served with the palm-sized, crispy stuffed treats arranged thoughtfully alongside a salad and dipping sauce. Everything feels elevated in a way counter-service spots typically don’t; it’ll ruin you for all other fast-casual lunches. And don’t even get us started on the dessert case… 1411 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis; albikitchen.com.
Golden Thyme
Last year, I loved Du Nord Cocktail Room + Lagniappe, a pair of New Orleans-inspired restaurants—one more luxurious, one more laid back—that opened on Lake Street. I can’t help but see similarities between those spots and Golden Thyme. There’s the fact that they’re a pair: Golden Thyme Restaurant & Bar at 934 Selby Ave. in St. Paul and Golden Thyme Cafe a block away at 856 Selby Ave. There’s the Nawlins theme at Golden Thyme Restaurant & Bar, which serves a killer catfish po’boy and tater tot gumbo. And there’s the fact that they’re run by Black restaurateurs who want to do more than just serve good food. Du Nord’s Chris Montana wanted to bring energy to a stretch of Lake Street that was damaged in 2020, and Golden Thyme was purchased by the Rondo Community Land Trust, which works to revitalize the historically Black Selby Avenue corridor in Rondo. Unfortunately, Du Nord and Lagniappe closed in less than a year, but I have high hopes for Golden Thyme. I mean, have you had their fried chicken sandwich? 934 Selby Ave. and 856 Selby Ave., St. Paul; goldenthymeco.com.
Jade Dynasty Restaurant & Bar
This might be my single favorite restaurant opening of 2025. Everything about Jade Dynasty just works; I fell in love the first time I paged through the over 60-page menu. They’ve got dim sum, killer hot pot, and they’ve got that Wanderer’s Punch you all loved during the Nankin days. Plus, the space is massive and has a kind of retrofuturist feel that really works. I don’t know if it’s intentional, but I feel more like a character in a movie eating here than I do at almost any other Twin Cities restaurant, and apparently I like that. If you haven’t been, just go. Right now. Why are you still here?? 600 W. Lake St., Minneapolis; jadedynastympls.com.
Razava Bread Co.
Razava would be really dangerous if I lived within walking distance. The bakery specializes in “old-world” sourdough bread, and as I wrote in January, that bread isn’t just a vessel here: “It’s more the other way around, with the cafe menu functioning as a showcase for the bread.” It’s a bread-lover’s paradise, in other words. The house loaf multigrain sourdough serves as the base of open-face toasts, while a piping-hot bowl of shakshuka arrives with triangles of pain de mie, a spongy sandwich loaf ideal for dunking the thick sauce. And if you’re not dining in, grab a bag of Razava’s Jerusalem bagels and house-made schmear—you’ll be set, carb-wise, for days to come. 685 Grand Ave., St. Paul; razavabread.co.
Italian Eatery
Yes, i.e. has been around for a while, but its resurrection earlier this year gives me a chance to write about one of the best possible ways a person can spend an evening in south Minneapolis. First you’re gonna hop on your bike. Then you’re gonna ride around for a while, eventually ending up on the section of the Grand Rounds that winds along Minnehaha Creek. When you’ve worked up enough of an appetite, you’re gonna exit the bikeway at Cedar Avenue, lock up in front of Italian Eatery, and see if there are any seats at the bar. (Usually if you’re looking for one or two seats you’ll get lucky, even on a weekend.) You’re gonna get the mushroom cappelletti, which is always perfect, and eat too much of the casa ricotta and grilled bread. Then you’re gonna get back on your bike and have another drink or two at Cedar Inn before heading home. Buona notte! 4724 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis; italianeaterymsp.com.
Meet Up Noodle
They don’t want you to know this, but it’s actually not illegal to take your scallion pancake and swipe it through the spicy, brick-red broth that makes up the base of a bowl of Chongqing spicy noodles at Meet Up Noodle. In fact, you should do it! The hand-pulled noodle joint that opened up on Eat Street this year brings Northwest Chinese food to Minneapolis, and as the name suggests, it’s a great place to meet up—this is a spot to split a bunch of stuff with friends, using the accompanying pair of noodle scissors to slice up the long strands when they get too unwieldy to plop in your own bowl. Plus, Meet Up Noodle takes a fun page from the Din Tai Fung playbook: A window into the kitchen lets you watch the cooks pulling the noods. 2 E. 26th St., Minneapolis; meetupnoodle.com.
Moona Moono
A lot of great new coffee shops opened up this year, but the one I’ve been visiting most is Moona Moono, which landed in the old Paper Source spot at Hennepin and 31st in Uptown this April. More than just a great place to get a coffee (though it’s also that, the black sesame latte is especially tasty), it’s become a go-to for gift buying (both for others and myself—my aunt’s getting a cute panda-shaped lotion jar for Christmas, while I have been loving my new Fortune Fish trinket dish). Moona Moono is the perfect place to peck away at your laptop or to spend frivolously, and those are my two favorite activities. 3048 Hennepin Ave S., Minneapolis; moonamoono.com.
