Twin Cities For Adults (No, not that kind of Adult.)

May 23, 2013 11:25 AM

I'm meeting a friend in Minneapolis to help celebrate his birthday. Neither of us are familiar with the area. Help me find some places that he would he like.

It's mostly going to be several days of old friends catching up, so I'm looking for places (restaurants, bars, coffee shops) where we can relax and enjoy conversation. Not looking for places to have a big party. Places he would like are generally the kind of place that has regulars. More specifically:

- Social but not crowded.
- Quality food and drink.
- Professional service.
- People watching a plus.
- Either formal or casual, cheap or pricey.
- No chains.

We're staying in central Minneapolis, and have a car, but would prefer not to drive to the suburbs. (Or at all, frankly.)

posted by Ookseer to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

Merlin's Rest. It's a British Isles pub that's run by ACTUAL PEOPLE FROM THE BRITISH ISLES. Great fish fry.
posted by Madamina at 11:28 AM on May 23, 2013

Here's a previous AskMe that might help. Most of the places mentioned meet your criteria.
posted by loveyallaround at 11:41 AM on May 23, 2013

I like Town Hall Tap. Common Roots Cafe is another good one.
posted by cabingirl at 12:08 PM on May 23, 2013

I always suggest Bar La Grassa.
posted by sanka at 12:11 PM on May 23, 2013

King's at 46th and Grand is the cadillac of pleasant Mpls neighborhood bars where grownups can hang out.
posted by COBRA! at 12:24 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]

Chino Latino. Amazing Asian/Latin fusion food. Great atmosphere. And uptown is a fun place to explore before/after.
posted by erstwhile at 12:29 PM on May 23, 2013

Bryant Lake Bowl!
posted by vecchio at 2:16 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]

Seward Cafe? That you've listed 'professional service' as a criterion gives me pause because it makes me think you might want waiters and to not bus your own table. In any case, it is on the list of places I go when I want to actually talk to the people I'm with. (Free coffee refills! Now with liquor license and open past 4!) Tends to be crowded and a bit slow on weekends.

Actually, it is in no way a restaurant, but the Seward Co-op has an awesome salad bar. That might be worth knowing if you wanted to contemplate a picnic or something. I wouldn't go out of your way to eat there, but I do bike there from campus for lunch sometimes.
posted by hoyland at 3:52 PM on May 23, 2013

It's finally warm here, so my vote is tin fish on lake Calhoun.

I'd also recommend eat street social.
posted by nanhey at 7:13 PM on May 23, 2013

Minnehaha Falls -- there's a waterfall, a couple of good restaurants, every kind of outdoor activity. You can rent a quadricycle or hike about 2 miles down to the river. It's got a light rail stop. The people watching is amazing.

My favorite coffee shop is Angry Catfish. It's a good spot to hang around and chat for hours.

Chatterbox Pub is another place I seem to go to a lot, you can borrow board games and vintage video games with your meal. Last time I had blitzes, beer brewed in-house, and played Dr Mario until like midnight.
posted by miyabo at 8:42 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]