A good neighborhood intersection is magical. It’s like oasis in the desert or finding $5 on a sidewalk. There are spots throughout Minneapolis where you can shop at a hardware store, peruse vintage threads, pick up some weed gummies for later, and end with a beer at a cozy cafe—all on the same block. This list is an ode to the unsung heroes of our ‘hoods, those crossings where you know you’re hanging with your neighbors.
No Lyndale & Lake, no Hennepin & University, no Washington & Fifth. These are all fine, but most people already know about them. These are front-facing draws to our neighborhoods. We’re only talking about the deeper cuts here.
And did we rank the best intersections in St. Paul, too? You better believe it.
Bryant Avenue & 36th Street
Food and drink: Gigi’s Cafe, Our Kitchen, Bogart’s Doughnut Co.
Other things: Bryant Hardware, Flipside, Hubert Humphrey’s Grave at Lakewood Cemetery
I used to say this intersection was up and coming. Now I’d say it has arrived. Gigi’s Cafe has been here for decades, serving up sandwiches, baked goods (with gluten-free and vegan options), coffee in every form, and beer and wine. Our Kitchen across the street has been around even longer (82 years!) and with its tiny space is known for big breakfasts. On the southwest corner is Flipside, which sells all kinds of THC and CBD products, as well as $5 vinyl in their cozy listening lounge. One of the best donut shops in town, Bogart’s Doughnut Co., is right across the street (very convenient for stoners!), selling fresh treats everyday until they’re gone, and they also often have soft serve in the summer (try their chocolate and brown butter swirl). There’s also Kyle’s Market, a neat little bodega with street signage right out of the 1960s.
West 43rd Street & Upton Avenue South
Food and drink: Tilia, Martina, Rosalia, Great Harvest, Sebastian Joe’s, Picnic
Other things: Wild Rumpus, Pinwheels and Play Toys
This is probably ground zero for neighborhood intersections that outsiders know and love, so I won't dwell on it too long. But this is the heart of Linden Hills, one of the most self-contained neighborhoods of Minneapolis neighborhoods. You have a slew of amazing restaurants here, including the brand-new Picnic, plus Tilia, Martina, and Rosalia. There's Wild Rumpus, one of the best children’s bookstores in town. Great Harvest Bread Co. is here, and Sebastian Joe’s is about half a block away. It’s just a big chef’s kiss of an intersection, even if you can't afford to live within a mile of it.
Cedar Avenue South & East 38th Street
Food and drink: Lucy’s Market and Carry-Out, Duck Duck Coffee, Everett’s Foods
Other things: Vintage Music Company
There’s a lot to love at this intersection. We’ve got Duck Duck Coffee for caffeine, the Candy Jar for sweets, and Everett’s Foods for your butcher shop and grocery needs (don't sleep on the house jerky). Lucy’s Market and Carry-Out serves up tasty Ethiopian eats, including vegan entrees and those epic platters where you can try a little bit of everything. (Try the sambusas!) Appropriately creaky Vintage Music Company has tons of old 78s and rarely seen turntables and other equipment.
Johnson Street Northeast & 29th Avenue Northeast
Food and drink: Parkway Pizza, Hazel’s, The Coffee Shop NE, Sarah Jane's Bakery
Other things: Rewind Vintage, Knit & Bolt, Audubon Park, Nail Ninja
What an intersection! We’ve got Parkway Pizza Northeast (Parkway-heads will tell you this is the location) and diner eats at Hazel’s Northeast or at The Coffee Shop Northeast. Shop vintage at A Bag Lady and the always stacked Rewind Vintage. Also on this block: Knit & Bolt for you crafty DIY types, a funeral home (it’s always fun to walk by the tiny fountain on their lawn), and a nail salon. Also, I got a tip from a reader that this is a hotspot for Northeast turkey sightings.
South 34th Avenue & East 50th Street
Food and drink: Town Hall Lanes, Asa’s Bakery, Dominguez Family Restaurant, Fusion Pancake House, Oxendales Market
Other things: Bitcoin and artisan pickles at the liquor store, Nokomis Tattoo
Every neighborhood needs a good bread shop, and Nokomis has Asa’s Bakery, one of the few places you can get bialys, a Polish bread that's kinda like a bagel crossed with a bun, usually with a little divot in the center for toppings. Asa’s also has regular bread, bagels, and all kinds of special stuff throughout the week. You can also choose between savory and sweet carbs at Fusion Pancake House (they have crepes, waffles, omelets, and a dinner menu). And if you’re in the mood for some craft beer and bowling, Town Hall Lanes is right there. Nokomis Tattoo takes appointments and walk-ins, Oxendales is a cute, throwback grocery market, and, if you feel like doing some really bad financial investing, I once saw a Bitcoin ATM at McDonald’s Liquor & Wine, but more importantly, you can buy CJ’s Pickles here.
North Washington Avenue & West Broadway
Food and drink: Bar Brava, Meteor, Pappy's, Cliff N Norm's Bar
Other things: About a block away you'll find a gym, Northside Barbell, and Dame Errant Clay, a really cute art studio that hosts classes, open clay sessions, and workshops.
Folks, what we have here is the makings of an excellent bar crawl. Start with a fancy meal at Bar Brava, which doesn't stick to one menu, but rather hosts a variety of pop-ups throughout the year. At Meteor around the corner you'll feel at home whether you opt for a pretty cocktail or a Grain Belt and a bump. Cliff N Norm's is an old dive through and through, which means it's gonna be a fun time. End the night eating wings, Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beefs, and fries at Pappy's and call it a (good) night.
Bryant Avenue South & West 50th Street
Food and drink: The Malt Shop, George & the Dragon
Other things: E-bike and sauna rentals, Patina
Bryant Avenue offers many excellent intersections, and there's a lot to root for here at 50th. There’s George & the Dragon, an English pub serving up burgers, salads, and beefy eats. A neighborhood institution, Malt Shop also has burgers, plus boozy milkshakes, fancy cocktails, beer, and wine. Tangletown Bike Shop is a great cycling store, and they have e-bikes you can rent for a trip or the afternoon. Little Ember Co. is also here, if you want to look into renting a mobile sauna.
Northeast Second Street & 13th Avenue Northeast
Food and drink: Oro by Nixta, Young Joni, and soon, Vinai
Other things: Free music at the 331 Club is mere a few blocks away
Holy crap, there are a lot of prestigious restaurants here or very close nearby. You’ve got Young Joni, Ann Kim’s James Beard Award-winning hot spot, serving up Korean eats, world fusion dishes, and wood fired pizzas. They also have a tiny secret bar serving craft bevvies (head to the alley and if the red light is on they’re open). Oro by Nixta, currently on the James Beard shortlist for this year’s awards, is here, serving up amazing corn-centric Indigenous dishes. You’re also within walking distance of Anchor Fish & Chips, and one more block away you have 331 Club (free music!) and Theatre Latte Da. And soon, in the old Dangerous Man space, we’re getting Vinai, rockstar chef Yia Vang’s highly anticipated Hmong fine-dining restaurant.
East 42nd Street & South 28th Avenue
Food and drink: A Baker’s Wife, Busters, Bill’s Chinese, Chicago’s Taste Authority, Northern Coffeeworks
Other things: Dabbler Depot, Angry Catfish Bicycle Shop, Mend Provisions
This Standish Minneapolis intersection is deep in the residential zone, and has killer stuff for all. A Baker’s Wife sells delicious, dense, cake-style donuts for cheap (though I have a soft spot for the palmiers when they have ‘em). Northern Coffeeworks is right next door if you want to wash it down with some solid Joe. Busters on 28th is basically a mandatory stop for anyone who loves craft beer, wings, and killer cheese curds, and while I’ve never been to Bill’s Garden Chinese Gourmet, Racket readers seem to love it, and there's a lot to like about that name—Gardens! Chinese food! A dude named Bill! If you’re in the mood for a hot dog, Chicago’s Taste Authority (formerly billed as Chris and Rob's) has been slingin' authentic Chicago-style grub for decades. Angry Catfish Bicycle Shop, which used to sit right next to Buster's but is now down the block, remains a favorite of spandex-clad road racers and gravel-crushers alike. Weed shop the Dabbler Depot THC is also right here.
38th Street West & Grand Avenue South
Food and drink: Victor’s 1959, Rincón 38, Good Times Pizza
Other things: Kinoko Kids, Tandem Vintage, The Record Spot, The Fitting Room
While Grand Avenue is a pretty big deal in St. Paul, Minneapolis’s Grand has always had more private porches than Pottery Barns. But at 38th, you can legit spend hours here enjoying the offerings of the intersection. For breakfast or lunch, Victor’s 1959 Cafe is your guy. The Cuban diner has been serving up huevos rancheros and sammies since 1999, and has one of the most colorful patios in the Twin Cities. Or stop by the freshly relocated Clancey’s Meats and choose your own protein adventure. Grand & 38th is also a great place for shopping (take that, Mall of America!). It’s easy to kill an hour sifting through the racks at Tandem Vintage (bonus: there’s an alterations shop next door), or go on a vinyl hunt at The Record Spot. The Fitting Room has new pieces from local designers, Belle Weather is a mix of consignment and Patina-esque giftables, and Kinoko Kids toy store is so cute I always stop and stare at the window when passing by. In the evenings, you can go fancy with small plates at Rincón 38 (ask them to rec things!) or lowkey throwback parlor Good Times Pizza. Oh, and there’s also a florist nearby that hosts a freakin’ Christmas tree lot in the wintertime. What more could you possibly want?
35th Street & Nicollet Avenue
Food and drink: Hola Arepa, Pat’s Tap
Other things: Marigold, B-Squared, Honeycomb, bad driving
Nicollet is kind of a no-brainer when it comes to good intersections, but once you get past 29th (after, you know, you go around the razed Kmart and get back on Nicollet) you’re off Eat Street and in more neighborhoody territory. With apologies to 38th & Nicollet, which makes a strong-ass case, we're going with 35th. Judging by the groups of people standing around in Hola Arepa’s parking lot, everyone knows about them. But they are a undeniable destination for eats and gorgeous cocktails (and they take reservations—skip the asphalt). B-Squad vintage clothing store is pretty amazing, and I feel like the neighborhood is sleeping on them. They have racks of T-shirts from long-gone businesses, dresses from the '60 and '70s, and stacks of old JCPenny’s. They have buttons from long-lost political campaigns, Yo! MTV Raps trading cards, postcards from the '40s, and they have a creepy basement I rarely venture into. Honeycomb is a solid spot for a haircut, but owner Erin Flavin is really building an empire next door with Marigold, a drink shop featuring NA cocktails, mixers, and THC drinks that already has a second location in St. Paul. Also, on this block/intersection is Pat’s Tap, which I admit is a little spendy for a beer bar, but the pool table and Skee-Ball lanes offer entertainment if you can get a game in. There’s also the most stressful Super America in town right here. Sit on Pat’s patio to watch people cut through the gas station instead of waiting to turn red at the light. What fun!
Chicago Avenue & East 48th Street
Food and drink: Creekside, Pizza Biga, Bagu, Pumphouse Creamery, Town Hall Tap, Pizza Hut, Herbie's Butcher's, Sovereign Grounds, Turtle Bread
Other things: The Parkway, Stirling Castle Vintage, Ken & Norm's, CannaJoy, Lost City Tattoo, Afternoon Printing (printer of Racket merch!)
This intersection is always full of bangers, but these days I think it qualifies as a mini Eat Street all by itself. You’ve got Creekside, which will transport you to a small-town Wisconsin supper club with no-fuss but still elevated eats and cocktails. You could easily do a bar crawl at this intersection, with Town Hall Tap and Sidecar nearby. There’s a Pizza Hut too, but I recommend patronizing Pizza Biga instead, and stop by Pumphouse Creamery for dessert. Or head to Bagu for a supreme sushi boat on date night. The Parkway is one of the busiest neighborhood theaters, with all kinds of movie screenings, standup comedians, touring music acts, and other entertaining oddities onstage each month. There’s also a weed store (CannaJoy), a vegan fried chicken shop (Herbie Butcher’s), a coffee shop (Sovereign Grounds), a vintage shop (Stirling Castle), and a bakery (Turtle Bread). The small-but-mighty Ken & Norm’s Liquor is also right here. Not here: Urban Wok, which promises it will be opening soon, but that seems less and less likely as the years go by.
50th Street & Xerxes Avenue
Food and drink: Taqueria El Patron and Jones Coffee, Broder’s and Terzo are a few blocks away, and Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks is coming soon
Other things: This is a shoppin’ corner, with Hunt & Gather, Queenie & Pearl, and A Rare Bird
Don’t let that giant Michelin tires spot freak you out, there’s vintage and antique shopping to be had here. Hunt & Gather is a delightful mix of chaos and culture, where you might find just about anything on any given day. Some things I have found there: old framed City Pages covers (right by the pictures of Jesus), old pint glasses, matchbooks from long-gone businesses, ‘90s flannels, and creepy dolls (lots and lots of creepy dolls). Kasey Musgraves even stopped by a few years ago and purchased a giant head for her pool area. Meanwhile, A Rare Bird offers more cultured antique oddities, while Loft Antiques has multiple floors of items for you to explore. Finally, Queenie & Pearl is ideal for vintage lovers who look for a more rock ‘n’ roll vibe—think old Coors tank tops, lacy corsets, and modded hoodies. Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks is planning on opening any day now in the loooong-vacant Michelangelo's Masterpizzas space. (Click here to read Em's profile on the growing Tono footprint.)
