A Guide to Food & Drink Along Minneapolis’s Bike Paths
Summer is when the Twin Cities bike network finally earns the love and obsession the city carries for it the other ten months of the year. By the first warm Saturday the Greenway is humming at 7 a.m. The Grand Rounds fills with strollers and clipped-in riders on the same stretch of path. Sea Salt’s line runs thirty deep before noon. It’s the perfect reminder why Minneapolis is known as a bike city, with the national rankings and awards to match.
The rankings, however, never mention the food and drink. We’re here to tell you that they should. Alongside almost every mile of that pavement sits some of the most distinctive eating and drinking in the metro: a brewery built for cyclists, a 1957 dining car shipped in from Pennsylvania, a James Beard semifinalist Hmong kitchen in a former brewery, a Lake Harriet bandshell concession that turned into a generational summer ritual. Everywhere you look there’s something different, something for everyone, that you can access by bicycle.
What follows is a guide to help you discover just what those ranking lists forget to mention. Every off-street trail (read: actual bike path, not a road with a painted-line-bike-path) in Minneapolis is here. Every food and drink stop within reach is mapped (195 of them, across 12 active trails), and the ones worth planning a ride around are written up. Some are the anchors: the place at the trailhead, the brewery with the bike racks out front, the ice cream shop, or shops if you’re like us, you hit twice on a hot day. Some are short jaunts just a few blocks off the corridor, into the surrounding neighborhoods. Some are just where the trail runs out and you are already hungry after a long bike ride.
The interactive map below plots all of it, with cycling-mode directions you can send straight to your phone. Plan your adventure with the guide, and let the map handle the turn-by-turn when you’re ready to start pedaling.
A quick note on scope: stops that sit right on the path will get top billing, but plenty earned a spot at a trail’s end or a short walk off the corridor. Where we feature a handful of picks, the rest of that trail’s stops are listed at the bottom of the section. And the four “pack-a-snack” trails are the pretty rides with no food on them, flagged so you can plan ahead. This is the Minneapolis half of the network; the Saint Paul trails get their own guide.
Summer in the Twin Cities is a beautiful yet short window. Make it count. We’ll see you out there.
Getting the Bike Out
Gas prices are doing what gas prices do, and then some. Summer 2026 is shaping up to be a season where the cost of a tank not-so-quietly factors into weekend plans, and that bike that has been hanging in the garage since the weather last cooperated is the obvious answer to a lot of that math.
If yours has been parked for a couple of summers, schedule the tune-up now, not the week you want to ride. Flat tires, sticky cables, and a chain that has not seen oil since 2023 turn a long-anticipated ride into a short, frustrating one, if you get out at all. Twin Cities shops are fantastic and are used to the spring rush, but they book up fast in the early part of the season. If you’re starting from zero with no bike at all it’s even less of an obstacle than it sounds: the metro has more solid shops than most cities its size, and most will fit you to a used or entry-level commuter for less than a tank of gas runs every other week.
One worth knowing about: Venture Bikes on the Midtown Greenway (listed below) is a coffee counter and a full mechanic at the same address, and the one shop in this guide you can reach without leaving the trail. It is the spiritual successor to the much-mourned Freewheel Bike Center. Drop the bike for a tune-up, order an espresso while you wait, and stash the address in your phone for the day a flat or a dropped chain catches you mid-ride. Most Twin Cities shops are good about walk-in fixes, but Venture is the one you can literally roll up to without rerouting.
If something goes wrong and you are nowhere near Venture, public Dero Fixit stands, with an air pump, hex tools, and the basics for a quick adjustment, sit at access points along the Midtown Greenway, and there are similar stations at trailheads across the Three Rivers Park District system. Dero, fittingly, is a Minneapolis company. Worth clocking the nearest one before you need it.
The network has spent a decade investing in itself. The Cedar Lake reopening in early 2026, which restored continuous riding from the North Loop through St. Louis Park to Hopkins after nearly seven years of Southwest LRT closures, is the one that got the attention, but new connectors, fresh surfacing, and rebuilt bridges have been arriving quietly the whole time. The infrastructure is ready, and the food and drink alongside it has never been better. Time to ride.
Midtown Greenway
5.7 miles eastโwest ยท 33 stops
Below grade, lit at night, plowed in winter, open around the clock: the Greenway is the spine of the Minneapolis bike network. The former railroad trench runs from Chowen Ave in the west (where it hands off to the Cedar Lake LRT Trail) to West River Parkway in the east, ducking under 37 bridges and threading Uptown, Lyn-Lake, Eat Street, Powderhorn, Phillips, Midtown, and Longfellow. No bike path in the country runs past more food per mile. The full list is long. These are the ones to start with. Worth noting: there is currently ongoing construction on and along parts of the Midtown Greenway, especially near the former K-Mart site near Uptown; you may encounter slight shifts in routing or abrupt turns while on the path for a while.
Arbeiter Brewing Co. ยท 3038 Minnehaha Ave
Just north of the Greenway’s Minnehaha Avenue exit sits the brewery the corridor had been missing. Industry vets opened it in December 2020 and have kept it sharp on crisp lagers and Pilsners ever since. The garage doors open and the patio fills with cyclist regulars from May through October, and the bike racks are right out front, close enough to watch your ride while you drink. A 4.8 on Google puts it among the highest-rated breweries in the city. Food trucks regularly rotate throughout the week, and there’s even a book shop next door should you be in search of your next read while enjoying their great beers. https://www.arbeiterbrewing.com/
Midtown Global Market ยท 920 E Lake St
A food hall inside the Midtown Exchange, the city’s enormous renovated Sears tower at Lake and Chicago. Andy’s Garage for burgers. Rollin Nolen’s for barbecue. Manny’s Tortas for tortas. Momo Dosa for dosas and momos. Irie Jamaican Express for jerk. Mapps for the coffee on your way out. For a group that cannot agree on dinner, it is the easiest stop on the trail, and the fastest way to eat your way around the world without leaving the corridor. There’s even small shops throughout to venture around and check out. Just don’t miss walking by the produce stand or the spice shop on the way out. https://midtownglobalmarket.org
Bryant-Lake Bowl & Theater ยท 810 W Lake St
Same building, same idea since 1936: eight bowling lanes, a cabaret theater, a long bar, and a fan-favorite menu that runs brunch all day. Order the chilaquiles and the bacon-cheddar burger, and enjoy a show with your meal. https://www.bryantlakebowl.com
Uptown VFW (James Ballentine Post 246) ยท 2916 Lyndale Ave S
A VFW that has turned up on Esquire’s Best Bars in America, which is not a sentence you write often. Three bars, a 70-seat patio, live bands most nights, karaoke Wednesday through Sunday. The drinks are cheap, the room is filled with the entire neighborhood, and the kitchen turns out tasty food that you can snack on while listening to the karaoke singers do their thing. Pull off the Lyndale ramp and you are a block away. https://uptownvfw.org/
Lito’s Burritos ยท 901 W Lake St
The cult Chicano burrito operation that finally landed a permanent storefront at Lake and Bryant in November 2025, after years running as a pop-up inside the family’s Richfield restaurant, El Tejaban. House-made chorizo, salsas that hit, a line that moves. The burritos are built to wrap and travel, and they hold up fine in a pannier or basket on the ride home, if they make it that far. Get the Lito’s burrito and you will understand why people chased it for years. Give yourself the challenge of seeing if you can wait until you’re actually at your destination before you demolish your burrito. We sure can’t. https://www.litos-burritos.com/
Isles Bun & Coffee ยท 1424 W 28th St
One block off the Greenway via the Hennepin ramp, one block from Lake of the Isles, and the morning trailhead for the lake-loop crowd going back decades. Get the Puppy Dog Tail, a long, twisted, frosted cinnamon spiral, or the nationally celebrated cinnamon roll before they sell out. Really, though, anything you get will be worth the stop. Just get there early. https://islesbun.com/
Volstead’s Emporium ยท 711 W Lake St (alley entrance)
If you’re like us, you will walk past it three times before you figure out what it is and where it is. An unmarked alley door with a red light bulb off Lake Street opens onto a Prohibition-era speakeasy: serious craft cocktails, live jazz, comedy nights, the occasional burlesque show. The room keeps the feeling of a secret that you’re in on, even years in. Save it for the back half of a ride, after the sun is down, and let yourself forget which era you’re in for a bit. https://www.volsteads.com/
Also along the Midtown Greenway
A sampling of what else is within a short ride: Barbette ยท Moona Moono ยท Nightingale ยท The Bulldog Uptown ยท Papรก Chuy’s ยท Las Delicias de Frida ยท Jade Dynasty ยท Wrecktangle Pizza LynLake ยท Eat Street Crossing ยท Quang Restaurant ยท FIKA Cafรฉ (American Swedish Institute) ยท Venture Bikes ยท Cafรฉ Racer Kitchen ยท Darling ยท Sonora Grill ยท Urban Forage Winery & Cider House ยท Merlin’s Rest Pub ยท Francis Burger Joint ยท Boludo ยท Abi’s ยท Uncommon Grounds Coffeehouse
West River Parkway Trail
~9 miles northโsouth ยท 17 stops
The west bank of the Mississippi from Ole Olson Park down to Minnehaha Regional Park, by way of the North Loop, the Stone Arch Bridge, the Mill District, Longfellow, and finally the Falls. It is the most scenic ride in the city. The food along it has gone from sparse to inspired in the last handful of years.
Sea Salt Eatery ยท 4825 Minnehaha Ave (Minnehaha Park)
The quintessential Minneapolis bike-trail stop. Sea Salt works out of the Minnehaha Park pavilion April through early October, slinging Cajun seafood fare: po’boys, fried-fish baskets, crab cakes, beer-battered fries, raw oysters. The shareable Oil Pan is the photo everyone takes and the right call for a group, or you can grab one of their iconic sandwiches like the Nate P. Lines can stretch for twenty-plus minutes on a warm Saturday, but that’s just the toll sometimes for parking yourself at the busiest and most scenic (did we mention that you can catch the waterfall from Sea Salt’s patio?) cycling endpoint in the metro. Dozens of bike racks ring the pavilion. When the wait gets long, the Sandwich Room next door is Sea Salt’s grab-and-go counter, with a shorter line and a sandwich you can pack back onto the trail. For those interested, as an added bonus Sea Salt also serves alcoholic beverages, including some beers you can only find there. https://www.seasaltmpls.com/
Arch and River ยท 425 W River Pkwy (Water Works Pavilion)
Stepping into the Water Works space Owamni vacated, opening summer 2026. French bistronomie with an Afro-Caribbean turn from Diane Moukouri and chef Fritz Ebanda of B’beri Desserts. Coffee and pastry in the morning, brunch and lunch midday, a dinner-and-dessert bar at night. The riverfront patio is the one Owamni made famous. The menu is an open question still, but hopes are high. http://archandriver.com/
Pryes Brewing Co. ยท 1401 W River Rd N
Overlooking the riverfront just north of the Mill District. Their longtime flagship, Miraculum IPA, is what most are familiar with, but don’t sleep on their wild sour program or their imperial stouts and light beers. Then there is the wood-fired pizza kitchen, the feather bowling lane (one of only a handful in the country), and a riverside patio that elevates a summer evening as well as any in town, while the indoor space is beautiful enough to handle the rest of the year. https://www.pryesbrewing.com/
Town Hall Brewery ยท 1430 Washington Ave S
One of the city’s original brewpubs, and one of the most awarded in the state, holding down Seven Corners on the West Bank since 1997 and a short pedal up from the river crossings. Masala Mama IPA is the beer that made its name and certainly still worth ordering, but you truthfully can’t go wrong with any of their beers at this point. The kitchen holds its own too, sending out burgers and pub plates built for a long ride’s appetite. The room is dim and wood-lined, a welcome break from a bright afternoon along the water, and an easy place to settle in for one more pint than you planned. https://townhallbrewery.com/
Mill City Farmers Market ยท 750 S 2nd St
Saturdays, May through October, on the plaza next to the Guthrie. A hundred-plus farmers and food makers, the freshest produce in town, prepared-food vendors, and live music. This stretch of the trail is where a lot of rides begin, and there are few better ways to start a long one than 9 a.m. here on a June Saturday, coffee in hand, before the crowds find it. https://www.millcityfarmersmarket.org/
Longfellow Grill ยท 2990 W River Pkwy
Parked right where the Midtown Greenway meets West River Parkway, putting the eastern Greenway terminus and the southern Mill District corridor on one block. Blue Plate Restaurants runs it, sibling to Highland Grill in St. Paul, working the same farm-to-table comfort menu. Grab a seat on the river-view patio and let the trail traffic roll by, or cozy up at the bar inside or one of the comfy booths. Either way, you can’t go wrong. https://www.longfellowgrill.com/
The Longfellow south end: Hi-Lo Diner and Blue Door Pub
Where the parkway runs through Longfellow, two more are worth the detour a few blocks east. Hi-Lo Diner (4020 E Lake St) works out of a 1957 dining car shipped all the way in from Pennsylvania and parked at Lake and 40th: all-day diner classics, a serious biscuit-and-gravy game, hot-honey chicken, and a dessert program that overdelivers for the format. Did we mention boozy shakes and donut sandwiches?! Every city should have one of these, and Minneapolis has the actual dining car. A few blocks farther, Blue Door Pub (3448 42nd Ave S) is the Longfellow home of the local Jucy Lucy specialists, where the stuffed burgers run a couple dozen variations including changing daily specials. https://thebdp.com/ & https://www.hi-lo-diner.com/
Aster Cafe ยท 125 SE Main St (St. Anthony Main)
Cross the Stone Arch Bridge and Aster is waiting on the east bank with what might be the best downtown patio view in the city. Coffee, brunch, an all-day menu, and live music most nights. The patio is small and packed by 11 a.m. on weekends, so come early or roll up at dusk after a long ride and let the skyline do its thing. A few blocks up from the bridge landing, Cafe Alma (528 University Ave SE) is the casual cafe side of the acclaimed Alma: espresso and morning pastry, a short all-day menu including walk up sandwiches, and a calmer room for when Aster’s patio is slammed, which is often. https://astercafe.com/
Also along West River Parkway
A few more within reach of the corridor: Indรญgena by Owamni (Sean Sherman’s James Beard Award winning Indigenous restaurant, relocated into the Guthrie and roughly doubled in size for 2026) ยท Spoon and Stable ยท Smack Shack ยท FRGMNT Coffee ยท Loons Coffee ยท Mother Dough Bakery ยท Farmers Kitchen + Bar ยท C.R.E.A.M Cafe ยท In The Loop Coffee Co. ยท The Cabana Club
Mississippi East Bank Trail
~2 miles ยท 27 stops
This trail is short and stacked. From Boom Island Park north along Marshall Street NE, the East Bank Trail runs past the Hamm’s-era buildings and the Marshall Street strip, with the dense Northeast brewery district a few blocks east. Almost everything here is a quick cross-street pedal off the trail proper, which makes this one of the best two miles of eating in the metro.
Vinai ยท 1300 2nd St NE
Chef Yia Vang’s Hmong restaurant, open since 2024 in the former Dangerous Man Brewing building: family-style menus built for the table, an 88-seat dining room, and a back patio. James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist, Condรฉ Nast 2025 Hot List. Vang has spent years making the case that Hmong food is a fully realized regional American cuisine, and Vinai is where he makes it. https://www.vinaimn.com/
Diane’s Place ยท 117 14th Ave NE (in the Food Building)
Diane Moua’s Hmong-American restaurant, Food & Wine’s 2025 Restaurant of the Year, a two-star review from the New York Times and most recently placed on the list of World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for North America (the only spot on the list from Minnesota). Moua came up as a pastry chef at Spoon and Stable, and it shows in both the baking and a sharp dinner program. It has expanded its size recently with two private dining rooms, a 100-seat patio, and a grab-and-go cafe, so the easiest pre-ride pastry stop in the city is about to get even easier. https://dianesplacemn.com/
Hai Hai ยท 2121 University Ave NE
Southeast Asian street food from Christina Nguyen, who won the 2024 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest, four blocks east of the brewery cluster. The cauliflower, the banana blossom salad, the pork ribs, and the mรฌ quแบฃng are the spine of the menu. If the liver pรขtรฉ wontons appear on the menu again, order multiples. The tropics-inspired patio is its own little getaway; a warm night out here is like a vacation, no airfare or luggage-wrangling needed. https://www.haihaimpls.com/
Dangerous Man Brewing ยท 861 E Hennepin Ave
One of the most-mourned closures in recent Northeast memory is on its way back. Dangerous Man, dark since 2023, is reopening in the former HeadFlyer Brewing space under new owner Jeremy Kuhns, with founder Rob Miller back as head brewer. As of publication the taproom has not opened yet, but their grand opening is officially planned for June 13, 2026. Expect 9 taps to start with more on the way, including some fan favorite options from their history. https://dangerousmanbrewing.com/
Aki’s BreadHaus / Wunder Bar ยท 1712 Marshall St NE
A German-style bakery by day (pretzels, sourdough, hearty rye, and about the best place in the city to load up on bread for a picnic) that flips at 4 p.m. into the Wunder Bar, a wine-and-small-plates evening with a German-leaning list. Same room, same building as Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative, which makes it one of the most flexible single addresses on the East Bank trail. https://akisbreadhaus.com/
Earl Giles Distillery ยท 1325 Quincy St NE Suite 100
Eighteen thousand square feet of distillery, restaurant, and event space in the Quincy/Tyler cluster. Hand-tossed pizzas, a botanical-leaning bar program, and the cocktail-as-destination ambition the Twin Cities has been growing into. Grab a spot at the bar, or snag a comfy spot amongst the many live plants throughout and forget what time it is. Don’t miss the Duritos to snack on while you sip your drinks or one of the iconic pizzas that they’re slinging. It can get busy, so planning ahead with a reservation may be worth it. https://earlgiles.com/
Bina’s ยท 1404 Quincy St NE
The dive bar Quincy St didn’t know it needed, sitting right next to its older sibling Centro. Jami Olson, who built Centro into a neighborhood taco favorite, opened this one in 2024 and named it for her grandparents, whose portraits look down from above the back bar. The food is scratch-made and cheap in the best way: a Wagyu smash burger, an Oklahoma-style double, deviled eggs you should not skip, mozzarella sticks with tomato soup for dunking, and “Nordeast sushi” that turns out to be pickle roll-ups; you know the ones. The room does the rest, crammed with thrifted treasures, a mural, a pool table, and an NBA Jam machine in the corner. Nearly everything lands under $15, which makes it an easy place to post up after a Northeast brewery loop. https://binasbar.com/
Bauhaus Brew Labs ยท 1315 Tyler St NE
Closing the weekend of June 26โ28, 2026, after 12 years. The brewery threw one last Liquid Zoo during Art-A-Whirl back in May; the late-June weekend is the real goodbye. If you are reading this in June, go say it. Since 2014, Bauhaus has run the biggest patio in the NE brewery cluster and one of the most reliably good German-Czech beer programs in the city. See it while it is still there. https://www.bauhausbrewlabs.com/
MN Nice Cream ยท 807 Broadway St NE
Soft serve in playful flavors, vegan oat-milk options, and a cone you order on the walk back to your bike. Summer is the window; winter hours scale way back. A clean finish to a Northeast brewery loop. https://www.mnnicecream.com/
All Saints ยท 222 E Hennepin Ave
A wood-fired New American room that puts vegetables at the center of the plate and treats them as seriously as anything with a pulse. Two Esker Grove veterans, chef Denny Leaf-Smith and Kim Tong, took over the old Bardo space and built the kitchen around a wood-burning grill. The fried mushrooms with scallion-ginger sauce are the thing everyone talks about, and the salt-and-pepper version runs a close second. Order wide from there: harissa-honey fried chicken, charred cucumber with whipped ricotta, handmade pappardelle, a cheeseburger on a Grandma’s Bakery bun. The cocktails from industry vet Scott Weller are inventive and sharp, and the zero-proof list is one of the better ones in town. The big patio, a holdover from the Bobino days, fills fast on a warm evening, so come early or plan to wait with a drink in hand. https://allsaintsmpls.com/
Also along Mississippi East Bank
More within a short cross-street pedal: Sample Room ยท Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative ยท Sociable Cider Werks ยท Padraigs Brewing ยท Spyhouse Coffee Northeast ยท The 1029 Bar ยท Brasa Premium Rotisserie Northeast ยท Punch Pizza Northeast ยท Element Wood Fire Pizza ยท The Anchor Fish & Chips ยท Jax Cafรฉ ยท Grumpy’s Northeast ยท Centro Northeast ยท Dogwood Coffee Northeast ยท SIP Coffeebar
Chain of Lakes / Grand Rounds
Grand Rounds core ยท 22 stops
The crown jewel: Lake Harriet, Bde Maka Ska, Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake, Brownie Lake, roughly 13 miles of connected paved bike-and-walk path if you ride the whole network. The food clusters in three spots: the Bde Maka Ska east shore, Lake Harriet’s east shore by the Pavilion, and the Linden Hills knot at 43rd and Upton.
Sebastian Joe’s Linden Hills ยท 4321 Upton Ave S
Sebastian Joe’s has been a family operation since 1984, and this Linden Hills shop, open since 1987, is the Chain-of-Lakes cool-down. Nicollet Avenue Pothole is the signature, but their flavors rotate regularly so you have plenty of reason to return (the rotating daily flavor is almost always worth the gamble). There is usually a line out front on a summer afternoon, which tells you everything you need to know. https://sebastianjoesicecream.com/
Bread & Pickle ยท 4135 W Lake Harriet Pkwy
Lake Harriet’s bandshell concession, open seasonally spring through fall: sandwiches, scones, burgers, cheese curds, ice cream. Sit along the water and watch the sailboats float by with bandshell music drifting over to you on summer evenings. If you have ridden the Harriet loop, you have stopped here. It is a generational Minneapolis ritual, and we would not have it any other way. https://www.breadandpickle.com/
Pimento on the Lake ยท 3000 E Bde Maka Ska Pkwy
The Bde Maka Ska Pavilion’s seasonal Jamaican concession brought to you by the same folks behind the long-celebrated Eat Street staple is open for the summer on the lake’s east shore. Jerk chicken bowls, braised oxtail, mac and cheese bites, beer and wine. On a Bde Maka Ska loop it is the obvious stop, and the food tastes even better at a picnic table with the lake right there, or if you’re brave a stroll along the lake is always a good choice. https://pimento.com/
Asher’s Bar & Grill ยท 2730 W Lake St
Opened April 2026 at the Beach Club Residences on Bde Maka Ska’s north end, in the former Chilango space. A sports bar with a cheffed-up kitchen, a serious cocktail list, and the best lakeside view of any restaurant on the Chain. Brunch is promised later in 2026. https://ashersbar.com/
Wooden Ship Brewing ยท 3300 W 44th St
Linden Hills’ neighborhood brewery: a small, intimate taproom with a garage door that opens onto a generous patio, and rotating food trucks daily. The sometimes wild beer holds up against anyone in the city. The patio fills with neighborhood regulars and lake riders who detoured west of Harriet, and once you have a pint in hand you will see why they bothered. They’ve recently expanded, adding an entire second room to their seating, so for those days when you aren’t able to sit on the patio you now have more space inside. https://www.woodenshipbrewing.com/
France 44 Wines & Spirits ยท 4351 France Ave S
Three blocks west of Sebastian Joe’s, a three-generation neighborhood wine-and-spirits institution with a cheese counter, a scratch deli, a butcher, and a back bar pouring beer and wine by the glass. For a day on the bike, the deli will build you a sandwich and the cheese counter will round out a picnic that rides home fine in a basket. https://www.france44.com/
Punch Pizza Lake Street ยท 3226 W Lake St
The newest Punch in the Minneapolis network, three blocks west of Bde Maka Ska’s east shore. Neapolitan pies out of a 900-degree wood-burning oven that cooks each in about 60 seconds, with bufala mozzarella flown in weekly from Italy. The Margherita and the Romana are the go-to orders here, but in our opinion starting with their Punch Salad or Gorgonzola Salad is a must. https://www.pizzaluce.com
Also along the Chain of Lakes
The neighborhoods around the water hide plenty more: Jones Coffee (Linden Hills) ยท Tilia ยท Martina ยท Rosalia Pizza ยท Naviya’s Thai Kitchen ยท Harriet Brasserie ยท Le Burger 4304 ยท Picnic Linden Hills ยท Great Harvest Bread Co. Linden Hills ยท Khรขluna ยท Broders’ Pasta Bar ยท The Kenwood ยท Waterbury ยท Alma Provisions
Cedar Lake Regional Trail
~4.3 miles ยท 36 stops
As of early 2026, the trail is open in full again after nearly seven years of closures tied to Southwest LRT construction. You can ride the continuous path from the North Loop trailhead through Bryn Mawr and Cedar Lake into St. Louis Park and on to Hopkins. The food sits at the two ends: the North Loop Green development at the east terminus, Hopkins at the west.
Animales Barbeque Co. ยท 241 Fremont Ave N
The unofficial barbecue of Minnesota’s brewery scene finally has a permanent house, a 13,000-square-foot space in the Harrison neighborhood with a full bar, a live-music stage, and the kitchen Jon Wipfli has been chasing for years. Cult brisket, ribs, sausage, sides. The patio was built for cycling-group crowds, with custom bike parking that showed up right alongside the brewery-hopping traffic. La Doรฑa Cervecerรญa, the Latin-inspired brewery sharing the building, pours the beer to go with it. https://animalesbbq.com/
La Doรฑa Cervecerรญa ยท 241 Fremont Ave N
The Latin-inspired brewery sharing Animales’ building, with colorful murals and a soccer-loving crowd. The beer leans bright and sessionable, the patio fills with neighborhood regulars and the small soccer pitch hosts league play for everyone to enjoy. The pairing with the barbecue next door is the whole reason to point a ride at this address. Year-round, and closed Mondays. https://dameladona.com/
Berlin ยท 204 N 1st St
A European-inspired jazz and experimental music club at the east end of the trail. Cocktails are all $12, wines all under $20 by the glass, and the food is shareable plates, from sourdough with bacon butter to a Vesper board. The room could have been airlifted in from a bigger city, and it is the best landing on the east end of the trail for an evening that runs late. Some shows are ticketed, however, and seats fill fast so plan ahead. https://www.berlinmpls.com/
Bassett Hound ยท 350 N 5th St (North Loop Green)
The dog-friendly east-end trailhead of the Cedar Lake Trail: a roomy patio with green space, ciders and beers, and a snack-forward menu. No one blinks if you roll up with a dog leashed to your handlebars. Named for Bassett Creek, which runs underneath the property. https://www.bassetthoundnlg.com/
Modist Brewing ยท 505 N 3rd St
A mash-filter brewery, one of only a handful in the country, doing defiantly experimental beer in a stylish warehouse taproom with a dog-friendly patio. It runs the most interesting beer program in the Target Field cluster, and on a given visit you do not know what you will find on tap. Our advice: seek out one of their thick imperial stouts or their very drinkable lagers. https://modistbrewing.com/
The Depot Coffee House ยท 9451 Excelsior Blvd, Hopkins
The west-terminus reward: a restored Milwaukee Road train depot where Excelsior Boulevard, Hwy 169, and the Cedar Lake Trail all converge. It reopened in 2024 under the Hopkins Center for the Arts, with the rebranded Freight Room music venue attached. Card-only, light food, strong coffee. After a full-length ride from the North Loop, this is the building you will be looking for. https://www.facebook.com/thedepotcoffeehouse
Pizza Lucรฉ Hopkins ยท 210 Blake Rd N
A trail-adjacent patio in Hopkins between Hwy 7 and Excelsior Blvd, and the most reliable food on the western end. Pizza Lucรฉ has been a local institution since 1993, and the vegan and gluten-free pies are as good as the regular ones. The Athena and the Baked Potato are the gateway pies. https://www.pizzaluce.com
Haggard Barrel Brewing ยท 6413 Cambridge St, St. Louis Park
A tiny nano-brewery dreamed up and run by Karl Eicher, an alum of Blackstack, Lift Bridge, and The Lost Abbey, in St. Louis Park’s Skunk Hollow, the little industrial pocket that has quietly become a Libation District alongside a couple of distilleries. The taproom is about the size of a living room: a six-seat bar, a chalkboard beer list, Tony Hawk running on a PS2 over a wall of Thrasher covers. The beer is quickly gaining acclaim including awards in its short tenure, and for good reason. Glonky, a smoothie-style fruited sour, took gold at the U.S. Open Beer Championships, and the lagers hold up the rest of the list, from the Schlapp’s American lager to expertly-crafted hazy IPAs. They’re in the process of expanding their space and adding additional seating. It sits a few blocks off the trail, which runs just north along the Hwy 7 corridor. https://haggardbarrel.com/
Copperwing Distillery ยท 6409 Cambridge St, St. Louis Park
One door down from Haggard in the same Skunk Hollow cluster, Copperwing was St. Louis Park’s first distillery cocktail room when it opened in 2017, and it has the shelf of medals to prove it. The signature is Vodskey, a clear spirit distilled from a bourbon mash that drinks with far more character than vodka usually bothers with; the strawberry-infused Fresas gin is the other one to check out, and it took gold at a national spirits competition. The cocktail room is small and industrial, glass walls looking onto the still while the bartenders put on a show. There is Heggies pizza if you need something to eat. Same short hop off the trail as its neighbors. https://www.copperwingdistillery.com/
The Dampfwerk Distillery ยท 6311 Cambridge St, St. Louis Park
The most unique cocktail room in the metro. A German-born distiller and his wife opened Dampfwerk in 2016 to make the things most American distilleries skip: European-style fruit brandies, aquavit, and bitter herbal liqueurs, run off hand-hammered copper stills shipped over from the Black Forest. Order something built on the pear brandy or the aquavit and you will taste why people make the trip out here. The room is dark and elegant with a fireplace and long communal tables. There’s a patio out back warmed by fire pits when the night turns cool. Cheese and charcuterie, tinned fish, and chocolates cover the food side. It sits in Skunk Hollow, right across the driveway from Haggard Barrel Brewing and Copperwing Distillery. https://www.thedampfwerk.com/
Also along Cedar Lake
More to either side of the corridor: Cuppa Java (Bryn Mawr) ยท Graze Food Hall by Travail ยท LTD Brewing Co. (Hopkins) ยท Bear Cave Brewing Co. ยท Fulton Taproom ยท Inbound BrewCo ยท Bricksworth Beer Co. ยท StormKing Brewpub & Barbecue ยท Freehouse ยท Parlour Bar ยท Bunker’s ยท La Mesa ยท Bryn Mawr Pizza & Deli ยท Ullsperger Brewing ยท Bar La Grassa ยท St. Pierre Steak & Seafood ยท Pink Ivy Kitchen & Bar ยท Pub 819 ยท Munkabeans Coffeehouse ยท Cream & Amber ยท Angel Food Bakery & Donut Bar ยท Hendrix & Siena ยท A to Z Creamery ยท Steel Toe Brewing
Luce Line Regional Trail (East)
~2 miles ยท 6 stops
Through northwest Minneapolis along the Bassett Creek corridor, linking Theodore Wirth Park to the Cedar Lake Trail at its east end and continuing west into Plymouth on the state-trail extension.
Utepils Brewing ยท 225 Thomas Ave N
The best bike-accessible taproom in the western Minneapolis network, and the trail junction is why it works: Luce Line meets Theodore Wirth and Cedar Lake right here, with extensive bike parking on the creek and trailhead side. European-style lagers, an expansive taproom, a creekside beer garden, and weekend food trucks. Call it the unofficial cyclist meetup of the west metro. Get their new Radler, which is perhaps our favorite new beer this summer so far. https://www.utepilsbrewing.com/
Kitchen and Rail ยท 525 Winnetka Ave N, Golden Valley
Opened February 23, 2026 in the long-vacant Mort’s Deli space, and leaning into that history with a half-pound house-smoked New York style pastrami on caraway rye you’ll plan a ride around. It anchors the Luce Line at the Winnetka Avenue crossing, a from-scratch craft eatery on a stretch that rarely gets one. https://kitchenandrail.com/
Also along the Luce Line
Farther out the trail: Luce Line Brewing Co. (Plymouth, with a weekend cafรฉ) ยท Doolittles Woodfire Grill (550 Winnetka) ยท Under Pressure Brewing
Minnehaha Parkway Trail
~5.5 miles eastโwest ยท 30 stops
Following Minnehaha Creek from Lake Harriet east to Minnehaha Falls, through 50th and Chicago, Lake Nokomis, and the Nokomis Avenue residential corridor. The mid-trail block at 48th and Chicago is one of the densest food clusters in south Minneapolis. The Nokomis cluster on Cedar Avenue is the secondary hub. The Falls terminus drops you at the doorstep of Sea Salt and a small, stacked Hiawatha cluster.
Pumphouse Creamery ยท 4754 Chicago Ave
The cyclist’s cool-down cone. Small-batch ice cream from local dairy, flavors that change weekly, and a line out the door most summer afternoons. Sweet corn, maple bacon, Vietnamese coffee, raspberry sorbet. You will want two scoops. Or eight. https://www.pumphouse-creamery.com/
Heather’s ยท 5201 Chicago Ave
A daytime-into-evening neighborhood spot at 52nd and Chicago, women-owned, friendly, unfussy, and one of our favorites. A jukebox, a hearty breakfast, weekday lunch, dinner plates, and a large patio under the tent for when the seating is limited inside of their beautiful space. For the days when you’re on the go they also have a well-stocked counter, and even a window serving ice cream to the sidewalk masses. Stop in and see why this is one of the neighborhood’s favorite stops. https://www.heathersmpls.com/
Town Hall Tap ยท 4810 Chicago Ave S
Town Hall Brewery’s other south Minneapolis outpost: a robust lineup on draft, the full scratch-comfort menu, and a room that has been a neighborhood fixture for two decades. Next door, The Sidecar at the Tap, Town Hall’s swankier sibling, opened in October 2021 in the former Adrian’s Tavern space, with a vintage feel and a cocktail program that anyone who has not been is underrating. During the warmer months their outdoor patio out back is a hidden oasis worth checking out. Need a snack to go with some of the state’s best beer? Check out their cream cheese filled fried pickles. https://townhalltap.com/
Dream Creamery Nokomis ยท 4728 Cedar Ave S
The Travail Collective’s ice cream and smash-burger shop, sharing a wall with ie by Travail. Twenty-two rotating ice cream flavors, beer and wine, and the Dream Smash Burger that the critics keep circling back to. Ice cream by day, burger-and-beer by night, and no wrong time for either. https://www.dreamcreamerymn.com/
Grand Ole Creamery ยท 4737 Cedar Ave S
The Nokomis sibling of the legendary St. Paul flagship (established 1984): three hundred-plus rotating flavors and hand-rolled malted waffle cones with a whopper sealed in the bottom. The summer-afternoon line is real, and worth it. Located across the street from Dream Creamery, it’s the perfect one-two option to satiate even the biggest ice cream cravings you may have. https://grandolecreamery.com/
Carbone’s Pizza & Pub ยท 4705 Cedar Ave S
Thin-crust pies under the Carbone’s name, the St. Paul pizza brand that dates to 1954, plus a long beer list and one of the biggest neighborhood patios in south Minneapolis, with live local music on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This Nokomis location has been pulling in neighborhood families for decades. https://www.carbones.com/
The Lake Hiawatha Cluster ยท 28th Ave S & E 42nd St
Three stops within a block of one another at the northwest corner of Lake Hiawatha, the cluster to plan around if a chain drops on the way to Nokomis. Buster’s on 28th (4204 28th Ave S) is the gastropub: burgers, fried chicken, one of the city’s beer lists, a dog-friendly patio, and a Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives appearance framed on the wall. Northern Coffeeworks (4208 28th Ave S) is the standalone roaster literally next door, pouring espresso and pour-over alongside pastries worth a sit-down. Angry Catfish Bicycle Shop (2900 E 42nd St) is around the corner. From the same owners as Northern Coffeeworks, Angry Catfish is an inviting and friendly full-service mechanic and bike shop that also happens to sell coffee beans. https://www.busterson28th.com/ & https://www.northerncoffeeworks.com/ & https://www.abakerswifespastryshop.com/ & https://www.angrycatfishbicycle.com/
The Painted Turtle ยท 4955 W Lake Nokomis Pkwy
The reason to ride the Nokomis loop on a hot afternoon. The Painted Turtle took over the Lake Nokomis Main Beach concession in 2023, in the spot the much-missed Sandcastle held down for years, and it has become a destination of its own. Scratch-made Minnesota lakeside fare is the draw: fish and chips, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, tacos and big salads, plus a full ice cream window serving Dairy Lab ice cream and local beer and wine on tap. The covered three-season seating sits right at the water, so you can eat with the beach in front of you and your bike a few steps away. Seasonal, roughly mid-May through early October. https://www.paintedturtlempls.com/
Bull’s Horn Food and Drink ยท 4563 34th Ave S
What do you get when you have one of the country’s foremost experts on avant garde cooking leave his fine-dining institution and buy a neighborhood dive bar? Bull’s Horn. Doug Flicker, the chef behind the acclaimed Piccolo and the old Sandcastle at Lake Nokomis, runs Bull’s Horn in the Ericsson neighborhood and points the kitchen at exactly what a great neighborhood bar should serve: dill pickle fried chicken, burgers with housemade American cheese that lands on best-of lists, and fried chicken gizzards with French onion dip that even the pickiest eater will love. The room is all vintage dive, dim and easy, with a patio for warm nights. It is about six blocks south of the parkway down 34th Avenue, a short detour for some of the best bar food in Minneapolis. https://www.bullshornfoodanddrink.com/
The Tipsy Steer ยท 5000 Hiawatha Ave
Across from Minnehaha Falls, doing locally sourced comfort food (burgers, tacos, pizza) on a dog-friendly patio steps from the water. A fitting finish to a south Minneapolis day, since the parkway and the Hiawatha LRT trail both end right here. https://tipsysteer.com/
ARYA Cafe ยท 4603 Minnehaha Ave
A community-rooted cafe near the Falls: handcrafted espresso, pastries, and a banana bread that has quietly built a cult following. The room is warm and slow, built for sitting a while after a ride.
Also along Minnehaha Parkway
The creek corridor and Nokomis fill out fast; more to either side: ie by Travail ยท Venn Brewing Company (featured on the Hiawatha LRT) ยท George & the Dragon ยท Wise Acre Eatery ยท Hot Plate ยท Fat Lorenzo’s ยท Red Wagon Pizza Co. ยท Town Hall Lanes ยท Creekside Supper Club & Lounge ยท Sovereign Grounds ยท Nokomis Beach Coffee ยท Turtle Bread (Chicago Ave) ยท Mel-O-Glaze Bakery
Hiawatha LRT Trail
4.7 miles northโsouth ยท 31 stops
Shadowing the Metro Blue Line from Downtown East to Minnehaha Park at the southern terminus. For its southern third the trail runs a block west of Minnehaha Avenue, which puts a long roster of Minnehaha businesses (the East Lake Ethiopian cluster, the All Square and Wildflyer corridor) a short cross-street pedal east.
Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub ยท 2716 E 38th St
The Longfellow anchor: smoked meats, barbecue-leaning plates, house beers, and a room that has been a neighborhood fixture for over a decade. This Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives-featured location sits two blocks east of the 38th Street LRT station, and is right on the cycling route. Did we mention that their beers are some of the best in the state, and they have the awards to prove it? Get the cheesesteak sandwich, the wild rice burger, or the chicken wings with Alabama white barbecue sauce and thank us later. https://www.northboundbrewpub.com/
Venn Brewing Company ยท 3550 E 46th St Suite 140
A small lager-focused brewery with a coffee shop in the same space helmed by an industry vet and slinging some of the best coffee in the area, which makes Venn the best morning-or-evening stop in south Minneapolis. Pour-over and espresso at 8 a.m., lagers, sours, and saisons at 4 p.m. The 46th Street terminus of the LRT trail is two blocks away. This dog-friendly brewery is a hub of the neighborhood and for very good reason. https://vennbrewing.com
Ted Cook’s 19th Hole BBQ ยท 2814 E 38th St
Ted Cook’s has been smoking ribs over cherry and hickory on East 38th since long before anyone in town called barbecue a scene. It’s Black-owned, takeout-only, and proudly without frills: you order at the counter, you wait in a line that starts early on weekends, and you leave with spareribs, chicken, or rib tips under a sweet-hot glaze people have argued is the city’s best for forty years. There’s nowhere to sit, which is fine. Strap the box to your rack and ride it down to Minnehaha Park to eat by the falls. https://www.tedcooks19thholebbq.com/
The East Lake Ethiopian Cluster ยท 38th & 39th on Hiawatha/Minnehaha
Three Ethiopian kitchens share a single block here, which might be the densest stretch of injera in the state. Mesob (3915 Hiawatha Ave S) leans on big combination platters and a deep vegetarian spread. Selam (3860 Minnehaha Ave), family-run and Ethiopian-Eritrean, turns out an awaze tibs worth crossing town for. Meseret (3867 Minnehaha Ave) sits directly across Minnehaha from Selam and pours a serious bunna. Pick one this time and let the other two pull you back.
Coastal Seafoods ยท 2007 E 24th St
Coastal has been the Twin Cities’ serious fish counter since 1981, and the little cafe inside cuts sushi from the same case the city’s restaurants buy from. Grab a poke bowl for the patio, or fill a cooler bag with whatever looks best and go cook it yourself tonight. Either way you are eating fish that was swimming a lot more recently than most. https://www.coastalseafoods.com/
All Square ยท 4047 Minnehaha Ave
A grilled-cheese shop with a second job. All Square is a nonprofit that hires, pays a real wage to, and invests in people coming home from prison, running them through a business fellowship while they work the line. The sandwiches carry their weight too: gooey, overbuilt, inventive, with soup, chips, and beer or wine to round it out. You leave feeling full and a little better about the world. https://www.allsquarempls.com/
Dilla’s Ethiopian Restaurant ยท 1813 Riverside Ave
Up at the Cedar-Riverside crossing, the northernmost stop on the line, Beko Tufa cooks the West Bank’s defining Ethiopian table. Build your own combination or hand the decision to the Yechala combo; either way the vegetarian platters land among the best in the city. Come hungry and bring people, because this is food meant to be torn into together. https://dillasethiopianrestaurant.com/
Also along Hiawatha LRT
The corridor and the Minnehaha Avenue businesses just east of it run deep: Acadia ยท The Joint ยท Ono Hawaiian Plates Central ยท Howe Daily Kitchen & Bar ยท Wildflyer Coffee ยท Parkway Pizza Longfellow ยท Okome House ยท Cardinal Tavern ยท Midtown Global Market ยท Buster’s on 28th ยท Northern Coffeeworks ยท Angry Catfish Bicycle Shop + Coffee Bar ยท Sea Salt Eatery ยท Falls Coffee ยท ie by Travail
Theodore Wirth Parkway Trail
~4 miles ยท 11 stops
Through Theodore Wirth Regional Park, the largest park in Minneapolis, heavily wooded, with the Loppet trail center as the southern hub. The trail connects to Victory Memorial Parkway at the north end and to Cedar Lake and the Luce Line at the south.
The Trailhead Cafe powered by Aki’s BreadHaus ยท 1221 Theodore Wirth Pkwy
New as of May 2026. When the Loppet Foundation went looking for someone to run the cafe inside its trail center, it landed on Aki’s BreadHaus, the Marshall Street bakery, which means German pretzels, sourdough, and rye now sit on the counter next to coffee and cold drinks built for people who just got off the trail. The grand-opening weekend ran May 29 to 31, and it keeps daily hours, 8 to 8. A brand-new stop that’s already dialed in.
Pair of Dice Pizza ยท 2715 W Broadway
Thin-crust pizza and scratch comfort food, served to a North Side dining room that stays full on a Tuesday night. Counter service, portions that send you home with leftovers, and a regular crowd of locals, which on the Broadway end of the park is the only review that counts. https://pairofdicepizza.com/
Also near Theodore Wirth
The park itself has little food beyond the Trailhead. Two cross-refs sit at the south end: Utepils Brewing (on the Luce Line, where it meets Wirth) and the Animales Barbeque and La Doรฑa Cervecerรญa pairing in Harrison, both covered under Cedar Lake. East into North Minneapolis, a half mile or so off the parkway: Sammy’s Avenue Eatery ยท House of Sambus ยท TAP IN Kitchen & Cocktails ยท Milda’s Cafe ยท The Lowry Cafe ยท The Camden Social
Victory Memorial Pkwy Trail, Shingle Creek Pkwy Trail, NokomisโMinnesota River Trail, and Columbia Pkwy Trail
Four pretty rides with nothing to eat on or right beside the path, so pack a snack. Plan to start or end at a stop on a connecting trail. The Camden and Lyndale N corridor at the Victory Memorial end has options if you flex off the parkway, and the Stinson Pkwy NE brewery district sits just past the Columbia and St. Anthony connection.
St. Anthony Parkway Trail
~3 miles ยท 12 stops (including cross-listed)
Across Northeast Minneapolis from the Camden Bridge to Stinson Parkway, crossing high above the rail yard with skyline views. Think of it as a bridge to the NE brewery district at the Stinson end: Indeed, Bauhaus, the Quincy/Tyler cluster, and Brother Justus.
Indeed Brewing ยท 711 NE 15th Ave
One of Northeast’s anchor taprooms, with the flagships that put it on the map, Mexican Honey and Day Tripper among them, food trucks parked outside, and a big room that welcomes kids and dogs in equal measure. When the weather turns, everyone migrates to the patio, and you should too. WIth their newly announced outdoor concert space and patio expansion you’re sure to find yourself forgetting what time it is while you soak up the sun, pizza and music while sipping on some beers. https://indeedbrewing.com/
Insight Brewing & Taproom ยท 2821 E Hennepin Ave
A roomy, easygoing taproom near the Stinson end of the trail, with one of the area’s only outdoor bars complete with taps, rotating food trucks, a real non-alcoholic list, and a calendar packed with live music and trivia. If you’re looping the Northeast breweries from the east, this is a fine place to start or finish. https://www.insightbrewing.com/
Brother Justus Whiskey Company ยท 3300 5th St NE
An American single malt distillery with a quiet, lounge-like cocktail room, a deliberate change of pace from the breweries around it. They smoke the Cold-Peated whiskey with Minnesota peat instead of Scottish, which is the whole idea, but order off the cocktail list and let the house-made liqueurs do the talking. Good for an unhurried hour between brewery stops. https://brotherjustus.com
Bauhaus Brew Labs ยท 1315 Tyler St NE
Covered up in the Mississippi East Bank section, but worth saying twice: it closes for good the weekend of June 26 to 28. If you’ve never had to say goodbye to a brewery, here’s your chance. https://www.bauhausbrewlabs.com/
Dinkytown Greenway
~1 mile ยท 6 stops
A short connector through a former rail trench that dumps cyclists into Dinkytown, the U of M’s neighborhood, thick with college-town quick bites and a couple of institutions worth making the trip for on their own.
Al’s Breakfast ยท 413 14th Ave SE
Fourteen stools jammed into a storefront ten feet wide, serving breakfast since 1950. You wait on the sidewalk, you eat elbow to elbow with strangers, and you get the walleye hash or whatever poached-egg special is chalked up that morning. Hit it early and the rest of the ride is gravy. https://www.alsbreakfastmpls.com/
Wally’s Falafel and Hummus ยท 417 14th Ave SE
Falafel, big hummus plates, shawarma, and scratch baking, fast and consistent, which is all you can ask of a Dinkytown counter. Cheap and good enough that students keep it in permanent rotation. https://www.wallysfalafelandhummus.com/
Pizza Karma ยท 409 14th Ave SE
Pizza fired in a tandoor, Indian flavors poured into Italian shapes: chicken tikka, coconut shrimp, masala fries on the side. It runs until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, which makes it about the only place near a bike trail you can hit at two in the morning. https://www.pizzakarma.com/
U of M Transitway / Prospect Park Connector
Bonus cluster ยท 7 stops
Not officially part of the off-street network, but the Transitway funnels riders into the densest knot of breweries, distilleries, and food halls on the city’s east side. From the Greenway it’s an easy Sabo Bridge to Hiawatha LRT to Malcolm Ave connection.
Surly Brewing Co. ยท 520 Malcolm Ave SE
If you have time for exactly one brewery and you’re new to town, make it Surly. The beer hall is enormous, indoors and out, with a summer lawn, a kitchen running pizza and smoked meats and sandwiches, and a beer program that has set the tone for Minnesota craft since 2006. The bike parking was built for the packs that roll up by the dozen on a Saturday. https://surlybrewing.com/
The Market at Malcolm Yards ยท 501 30th Ave SE
Nine-ish kitchens under one roof, right on the Transitway, with a full bar and a self-pour wall to keep the table moving. Bebe Zito for ice cream, World Street Kitchen for rice bowls, Saturday Dumpling Co. for pan-fried dumplings, Kinsley’s for an East Coast deli sandwich, Wrecktangle for Detroit pizza. Bring the group that can never agree on dinner; this is where the argument ends. https://malcolmyards.market/
O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co. ยท 600 Malcolm Ave SE
An Irish-whiskey distillery in a building that looks like it was designed to be photographed on a date, all brick and warm light and high ceilings. There’s a real cocktail program and a full kitchen behind it, and happy hour runs Tuesday through Friday, 4 to 6. Come for a drink and end up staying for dinner. https://osdistilling.com/
Tea House (Stadium Village) ยท 2425 University Ave SE
Szechuan cooking that’s been feeding students and faculty since 2002, big plates, real heat, and a tab that barely dents a budget. Reliable in a way campus lunch rarely is, and worth ordering no matter where you are. One of our favorites. https://teahouseumn.com/
Stadium Village and out Como Ave
A few quick stops round out the corridor. Kinzล Udon (802 Washington Ave SE) pulls fresh sanuki udon to order in the old Punch Pizza space, in and out before your seminar starts. Afro Deli (720 Washington Ave SE) does East African sambusas, sandwiches, and rice bowls a block away. And out on Como, between Dinkytown and Prospect Park, Boludo Como (1519 Como Ave SE) is the east-side branch of the Argentinian empanada-and-pizza shop.
Use the Interactive Map
Every stop in this guide is plotted on the master map up top, along with the Saint Paul trails and several dozen more. Filter it by trail (toggle individual trails on or off), by category (breweries only, restaurants only, coffee only), or by flag (anchor stops, seasonal stops, new openings).
The best part lives on every pin: a one-tap Google Maps and Apple Maps button, both pre-set to bicycling mode. Tap it from your phone and the route opens in your default app, ready to go from wherever you’re standing. The same buttons sit in the per-trail maps throughout the article, so every stop is one tap from a real cycling route to your handlebars.
Use the master map to plan a multi-trail day. Use the per-trail maps when you’re already out and just need the nearest place to refuel. Both run on the same data, so everything is tied together.
One Last Thing
Twin Cities summer is short: six warm months if we’re lucky, four if we’re honest. The bike network is one of this city’s real claims to greatness, and the food and drink alongside it is some of the most distinctive we’ve got. Don’t save the long ride for a perfect Saturday. Don’t put off the Sea Salt trip until later in the summer. Don’t assume Bauhaus will still be there next year, because it won’t be.
Pick a trail. Ride it. Eat something that surprises you. Have a beer in the place that built its patio for cyclists. Carry sandwiches from France 44 home in the basket. Order the cardamom bun. Find the route that becomes the one you do every Saturday, or make it an adventure to pick a new one every time you go out.
The trails are here. The food is here. So is the summer. Saint Paul has its own set, across the river, for when you are ready. Find that article here.
We’ll see you out there.
The interactive map and per-trail maps are updated continuously with new openings, closures, and corrections. Spotted something missing or wrong? Email us at hello@thetastingnotes.co.
This article was reported using primary-source verification on every stop (operating status, address, hours) as of June 2026. Where we knew of specific upcoming changes (Bauhaus’s closure, Indรญgena’s June opening, Arch and River’s summer debut, Dangerous Man’s pending return), they’re flagged inline. Coordinates and trail polylines come from OpenStreetMap, refreshed for this guide. The Tasting Notes is independently owned and edited
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