Belly Up to the Banks
While it opened as Red River Kitchen in a restored grain elevator, this quiet riverside spot just down from Raspberry Island has become, simply, City House. It’s easy eating with street tacos, nachos, and Cuban and pork sandwiches along with beer, wine, and cocktail options. Plan an afternoon of barge watching while you sip on a cucumber-basil gin and tonic or a raspberry-lime mojito. Located along the Sam Morgan Regional Trail. 258 Mill St.
Dine in at Buon Giorno Italia deli, a third-generation Italian market and eatery in Lilydale, and you’ll be twirling a forkful of fettuccine with a view of the water. Better still, you can stop in before you launch your best summer day and grab all the meats, cheeses, and picnic fixings (do not skip the huge, spicy Calabrese hoagie). Also don’t forget that Sunfish Cellars is next door with all the wine and libations your cooler craves. 981 Sibley Memorial Hwy.
Acapulco awaits at Las Islas. This cute family-owned eatery sees your lake fish and raises you with octopus, shrimp, calamari, red snapper, and langoustine. Carnitas and chicken will keep the landlubbers happy, but no one can resist the house piña colada. On weekdays, all margaritas are $4 at this waterside spot in South St. Paul. 600 N. Concord St.
The Mill City Farmers Market in the Minneapolis Mill District has vendors both under the sheds and spilling out onto the plaza that adjoins the Guthrie and West River Parkway. On Saturdays May through October, you can load up on local organic produce (or grab some Double Dog Kombucha and a slice of Northern Fires Pizza), then sit on the stairs overlooking the river. Take in a cooking demo, listen to live music, or just people-watch as the city rolls by. 750 S. 2nd St.
Low-key boat rats love Mississippi Pub, a waterside joint that is all windows with a patio in eyesight of the Rock Island Swing Bridge. An award-winning pineapple-and-pork burger is legend on this part of the river, but so are the crispy fish tacos and the crab cakes. Pro tip: There’s a gas pump in the attached River Heights Marina. 4455 E. 66th St., Inver Grove Heights
The only boutique hotel on an island in the river, Nicollet Island Inn has a great old-school bar with a nice whiskey list. Get a room, book a dinner, or just water your whistle at the Minneapolis landmark that has stood strong through fire and time since 1893. Or go big and impress your mate with a twilight river cruise and dinner package that serves your first course of snacks and champagne on the Minneapolis Water Taxi before you settle into the historic inn for an elegant dinner. 95 Merriam St.
It may be hard to get a reservation for the dining room at Owamni, the first Indigenous restaurant in the city, but Sean Sherman’s foods are within reach. Both the upper patio lawn and the lower sidewalk café tables that are a part of Water Works at Mill Ruins Park (21) are first come, first served and feature a casual menu of snacks and wraps made with all Indigenous ingredients. 420 S. 1st St.
See the River by Helicopter
Forget Google Maps. You can view the Twin Cities and rivers from literally above. Several packages and options are available, including a dinner-and-flight combo via Minnesota Helicopters at Holman Field. Start with dinner at airport-adjacent Holman’s Table, then fold yourselves into a helicopter for an in-air tour of the Twin Cities, the Mississippi, and the St. Croix River. minnesotashelicopters.com
The self-proclaimed “Poor Man’s Paradise,” Psycho Suzi’s is a pizza palace and retro tiki bar overlooking the river. Perched above, its Polynesian patio has all the thatched roof and bamboo kitsch you desire while delivering strong mai tai and Siren’s Call cocktails alongside worthy pupu platters, brimming with duck wontons or pickle roll-ups if you so choose. 1900 NE Marshall St., Mpls.
Pryes Brewing, the North Loop–ish riverside beer garden, is one of the best, with picnic tables and QR code ordering so you never have to get up. The River Rats water ski docks (42) are a few feet away, so this is your spot to pregame. Great beer plus in-house food (get meatballs and any of the wood-fired pizzas) and an open time of 11 am make this a full-day hang. 1401 West River Rd. N.
Classic old saloons should stay saloons, just like The Sample Room. This historic spot in Nordeast began as a bar where they sampled kegs rolled over from the nearby Gluek Brewery in 1893. Now it’s all about sampling creative takes on tavern fare, from local pheasant to the signature neighborhood Bottineau Burger. The extended patio runs toward the river in the back, meaning you can walk off that beer and burger following the flow of water. 2124 NE Marshall St.
Arrive by car, bike, scooter, or foot via the Stone Arch Bridge to discover the good things happening on St. Anthony Main, a stretch of block with unbeatable views of downtown Minneapolis. Known as the historic first Main Street for a booming flour town, the cobblestone streets and brick warehouses have lived to see the arrival of lofts, art centers, and a new type of Minneapolitan: one whose interest in milled grains usually focuses on a frosty mug. Jefe Urban Cocina has all the margaritas you need, while Hideaway Cabin Bar is great for a beer and some beef. Catch some live music on Aster Cafe’s iconic patio, or just stop for a coffee and pastry at Wilde Café (but be prepared to be wooed with all-day brunch). SE Main St. at Hennepin Ave.