When you walk into a mom and pop restaurant, the atmosphere is homey, the aromas are inviting, and you just feel… comfortable. Eating at a local favorite—breakfast, lunch, or dinner—is an experience that often evokes nostalgia and feelings of contentment. Here are our favorite places to find those feelings—and a delicious meal—in Minnesota.
The Whistle Stop Café is a cozy little, wood-paneled restaurant that serves all-day breakfast and that hallmark of mom and pop perfection: House-made pies. Biscuits and gravy? Hot beef sandwiches? Yes and yes. While it’s fairly youthful in the realm of small-town, family dining, the Whistle Stop has made an impression on the folks of Hinckley.
South of the Border Café is a fixture on the local breakfast and lunch scene in Grand Marais. In addition to hearty breakfasts like herring and eggs, they serve up tasty burgers, house-made soups, and a great cup of coffee. If you’re an early riser, they open at 5 a.m.
Joseph’s Restaurant has been a Stillwater institution for more than four decades. Perhaps best known for its pies, Joseph’s draws folks all day long, from breakfast to dinner. Whether you go in for an omelet or the broasted chicken, you will certainly leave full and happy.
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A husband and wife team, HO(rtencia) and MI(guel), opened Homi Restaurant in 2010 with a goal of bringing the flavors and home-style cooking they missed from their native Mexico to St. Paul. Using recipes from each of their families, the owners ensure that all food is made to order, from scratch. They also have pozole every day of the week.
If you’re looking for a home-style meal in Southeast Minnesota, Winona Family Restaurant will feed you and make you feel at home. Tasty breakfasts, quick lunches, and hearty dinners—steak and mashed potatoes, for instance—will fill you up. The family atmosphere will warm your heart. The owners have even invited customers to join them for a free Thanksgiving meal at the restaurant.
Bev’s Café is the oldest restaurant in one of Minnesota’s oldest cities. Needless to say, it’s a local mainstay. The have hot coffee ready to go at 5 a.m. on weekdays and a fish fry every Friday night. And, of course, they make all their pies in house. But bring cash or a checkbook—they don’t accept plastic.
Weggy’s on Campus is a Mankato favorite with perhaps the best breakfast in town. From country fried steak to a club sandwich and burgers, you’ll find something to fill you up no matter what time of day you visit. They also happen to have a full bar.