Not that there’s anything wrong with a Jucy Lucy inside-out cheeseburger at Matt’s Bar or a silver butterknife steak at Murray’s, but when we think of Minneapolis, we think of breakfast. It is one of the nation’s great breakfast cities, from the tiny old-time Dinkytown diner called Al’s to the overwhelmingly creative Hell’s Kitchen. For donuts, there’s nowhere better than Glam Doll; for the best from-scratch cafe classics, check out Johnson’s Bacon and Egg Cafe; and if you’ve got a hankering for pastrami hash (you should!), visit Be’wiched.
Al’s Breakfast
Al's serves the best imaginable diner breakfast in Minneapolis's Dinkytown. Pancakes are wonderful, with or without blueberries, nuts or sweet corn niblets.

Hell’s Kitchen
One of America's best restaurants, Minneapolis' Hell's Kitchen does everything better, from house peanut butter to Mahnomin porridge. Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

Glam Doll Donuts
Wild and wildly-named donuts are served with retro-urban panache at Minneapolis' Glam Doll, where interior decor includes mid-20th century dinette sets.

Private: Johnson’s Bacon and Egg Cafe
Minutes from downtown Minneapolis, Johnson's feels like a small town cafe. The from-scratch menu includes excellent pancakes and weekend-only corned beef hash.