Brooklyn Park is a bustling suburb located on the northwestern border of Minneapolis. With a population of over 75,000 people, Brooklyn Park has developed into a thriving community with plenty to offer residents and visitors alike. From picturesque parks and trails to shopping centers and entertainment venues, there is something for everyone in this dynamic Minneapolis suburb.
Brooklyn Park is also home to a diverse culinary scene. The city’s location near Minneapolis exposes it to a variety of culinary influences from around the Twin Cities metro, while its large international community brings flavors from around the world. Whether you’re looking for authentic ethnic cuisine, contemporary American fare, or classic bar and grill comfort foods, Brooklyn Park has no shortage of excellent dining establishments to explore.
This article explores 12 of the best and most popular restaurants that Brooklyn Park has to offer. From longstanding community staples to exciting new hotspots, these restaurants reflect the diversity and quality of Brooklyn Park’s thriving food and beverage landscape. Each entry includes key information – such as location, price range, cuisine type, and signature dishes – to help readers determine which restaurant is right for their tastes or for any dining occasion.
1. Travail Kitchen and Amusements
Located just over the border from Minneapolis in Brooklyn Park, Travail Kitchen and Amusements takes fine dining to new heights. This adventurous restaurant offers prix fixe tasting menus focused around different themes, many of which involve high-tech cooking methods and molecular gastronomy techniques that transform ingredients into avant-garde dishes unlike anything you’ve tried before.
With seating for only 36 guests per dinner service, Travail provides an intimate and exclusive dining experience in a sleek, modern setting. The restaurant’s chefs are constantly experimenting with new dishes and presentation styles, so no two visits are ever quite the same. Expect to be wowed by things like edible balloons, frozen butterscotch vapors, and entire roasted ducks magically cooked from the inside out right at your table.
Signature Dishes:
Edible Balloons, Butterscotch Vapor Cloud, Whole Rotisseried Duck
Location: 4134 Hubbard Ave N, Robbinsdale, MN 55422
2. Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge
For a completely unique and over-the-top dining experience, look no further than Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge. This kitschy Polynesian-themed restaurant and tiki bar is located on the Mississippi River waterfront and packed full of eye-catching decor. Psycho Suzi’s is best known for their strong, flavorsome cocktails often served in tiki-style vessels with colorful garnishes and umbrellas.
Their food menu features a fusion of Hawaiian, Asian, and American comfort foods like sweet and sticky pork ribs, pineapple fried rice, mac and cheese eggrolls, and more. With live music and a festive environment most nights of the week, Psycho Suzi’s is a local favorite bar and restaurant perfect for drinks, food and fun along the river.
Signature Dishes: Sticky Pork Ribs, Pineapple Fried Rice, Mac and Cheese Eggrolls
Location: 1900 Marshall St NE Minneapolis, MN 55418
3. Victory 44
For food, drinks and a side of sports, Victory 44 is a go-to neighborhood restaurant and bar in North Minneapolis near Brooklyn Park. Victory 44 offers quality modern tavern fare like wings, artisan pizzas, sandwiches, burgers and salads in a fun, laidback atmosphere with plenty of TVs for game watching.
One of Victory 44’s standout menu items is their selection of creative wood-fired pizzas, featuring combinations like the “Hot Italian” pizza with spicy sausage, garlic and Calabrian chiles or the “Minnesota” pizza with wild rice, mushrooms and white sauce.
Beyond their food, Victory 44 boasts North Minneapolis’ largest selections of local and craft beers with over 100 bottles and cans to choose from, making this the perfect spot to grab great food and a quality brew while catching the game.
Signature Dishes: Hot Italian Pizza, Minnesota Pizza, Chicken Wings
Location: 4400 Penn Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55412
4. Cherokee Tavern
A beloved neighborhood institution for nearly 50 years in Brooklyn Park, Cherokee Tavern is known as one of the best places around for comfort food classics and cold beer. This corner tavern exudes history and small town charm with wooden booths, vintage signs and restaurant memorabilia lining the walls since they first opened back in 1976.
Their extensive menu features crowd-pleasing bar fare staples like burgers, pizzas, fried chicken, ribs and wings all offered at reasonable prices. An extensive list of tap beers along with a full bar make Cherokee Tavern an easy, affordable choice any night of the week. Stop in for tasty pub grub, drinks and a taste of this Brooklyn Park establishment’s rich history.
Signature Dishes: Juicy Lucy Burger, BBQ Ribs, Tater Tots
Location: 8625 Edinburgh Centre Dr, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443
5. Gianna’s Pizza
This humble, family-owned pizzeria has been serving up quality takeout pizza and Italian fare to the Brooklyn Park community for over 35 years now. Gianna’s prepares New York style thin-crust pizzas freshly made to order with your choice of toppings or select specialty options.
But Gianna’s goes beyond just pizza, also offering classic spaghetti dinners, Italian subs, chicken parmesan, house salads and more traditional Italian-American favorites to feed the whole family affordably.
Popular menu picks include their classic cheese or pepperoni pizzas along with the Gianna’s Special with stuffed pizza crust, Italian sausage, hamburger and Canadian bacon. Call ahead for convenient takeout or limited eat-in at Gianna’s Pizza, the quintessential pizzeria serving Brooklyn Park for generations.
Signature Dishes: New York Style Pizza, Stuffed Crust Pizza, Spaghetti with Meatballs
Location: 7957 Brooklyn Blvd, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443
6. Martinez Bakery
For authentic Mexican sweet breads and pastries in the Twin Cities area, Martinez Bakery in Brooklyn Park is a local favorite destination. This Mexican bakery offers a huge variety of freshly baked conchas, cuernos, galletas and much more imported directly from recipes of their original Mexico City bakery.
Beyond baked goods, Martinez Bakery also supplies Mexican grocery products perfect for whipping up your favorite homemade dishes. Their Brooklyn Park location even includes a small restaurant counter to order quick lunch items like tortas, tacos, tamales and burritos along with Mexican coffee and juices.
With affordably priced baked goods by the dozen, family packs and special orders catering available, be sure to stop by Martinez Bakery in Brooklyn Park for all your Mexican grocery and sweets needs.
Signature Dishes: Conchas, Cuernos, Tamales, Coffee and Juices
Location: 627 85th Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55444
7. Matsu Fusion Sushi
For high quality and creative sushi creations in Brooklyn Park, check out Matsu Fusion Sushi. This stylish, modern sushi restaurant offers an array of specialty sushi rolls along with other Japanese fare like rice bowls, noodles, teriyaki and tempura. Signature dishes not to miss are Matsu’s rainbow roll with shrimp tempura and avocado wrapped in vibrantly colored sushi rice and thinly sliced sashimi.
More adventurous diners will enjoy their Japanese-Latin inspired Nikkei sushi rolls featuring ingredients like mango, cilantro and shrimp. Beyond sushi, Matsu impresses with authentic starters like gyoza pot stickers and miso soup, hibachi and udon noodle entrees andcomplementary matcha tea ice cream to finish your meal on a sweet note,.
Signature Dishes: Rainbow Roll, Nikkei-Style Sushi, Miso Soup, Matcha Ice Cream
Location: 7957 Brooklyn Blvd Suite 2100, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443
8. Grand Szechuan
Housed in a modest strip mall in Brooklyn Park, Grand Szechuan offers some of the most bold, authentic and flavorful Chinese cuisine in the Twin Cities metro. Grand Szechuan specializes in Szechuan-style Chinese food, noted for its numbing spice and chili pepper heat.
Popular dishes include the flamboyantly red mala hot pot packed with meat, vegetables and tofu or the ma la chicken with its tongue tingling chili kick. Beyond the spice, Grand Szechuan executes traditional Chinese fare flawlessly with dishes like pillowy soup dumplings, crispy scallion pancakes and perfectly fried rice.
The expansive menu also offers milder options along with classic American-Chinese takeout favorites to satisfy any preference or craving.
Signature Dishes: Mala Hot Pot, Ma La Chicken, Soup Dumplings
Location: 5640 West Broadway Ave, Crystal, MN 55429
9. Rasoi Indian Kitchen
Brooklyn Park’s number one destination for outstanding traditional Indian cuisine is Rasoi Indian Kitchen. Rasoi prepares aromatic curries, flavorful biryanis and other specialties hailing from all over India with intricate seasoning blending the perfect medley of spices in each dish.
Classics like butter chicken, palak paneer and lamb vindaloo are executed masterfully, while fusion options like tandoori pizza and “Indi-chines” dishes add the chef’s creative flair.
The extensive menu also incorporates more uncommon regional Indian fare to be adventurous. With quality ingredients, scratch preparation and flavorful execution, Rasoi serves some of the most crave-worthy Indian food found within the Twin Cities community.
Signature Dishes: Butter Chicken, Lamb Vindaloo, Indo-Chinese Selections
Location: 8056 Brooklyn Blvd, Brooklyn Park, MN 55444
10. Pho Mai
In Brooklyn Park’s Asia Town district, Pho Mai serves steaming bowls of savory pho noddles and classic Vietnamese fare affordably. This casual restaurant with simple decor lets the soul-warming broths and fresh, seasonal ingredients shine fully in popular Vietnamese staples.
Beloved dishes like pho noodle soups, banh mi sandwiches, and vermicelli bowls with grilled pork or lemongrass chicken are executed consistently delicious at budget-friendly prices to keep loyal regulars returning over their 10+ years in business.
Beyond classics, Pho Mai also offers quality egg rolls, stir fried rice plates and boba milk teas to complement your Vietnamese comfort food cravings. For fast casual Vietnamese eats in a no frills environment, come to Pho Mai in Brooklyn Park’s Asia Town for all your pho, banh mi and rice bowl needs.
Signature Dishes: Pho Noodle Soup, Banh Mi Sandwiches, Vermicelli Bowls
Location: 8150 Brooklyn Blvd Suite 110, Brooklyn Park, MN 55444
11. Kowalski’s Market Deli
For quality sandwiches, hot bar items and prepared meals in Brooklyn Park, the deli and grab-n-go selections at Kowalski’s Market can’t be beat for freshness or convenience. This locally owned grocery store chain sets itself apart with an impressive deli case and hot buffet spread offering delicious ready-to-go meals, sides and soups made fresh in-house everyday.
Stop by their Brooklyn Park location for healthier weekday lunch options like freshly assembled salads, sandwiches on artisan breads or hot plates featuring whatever their chefs have specially prepared that day.
For heartier or weekend fare, try Kowalski’s fully cooked oven-ready entrees and side dishes by the pound perfect for effortless family dinners. With quality ingredients and skilled preparation rivaling many restaurants, Kowalski’s deli is a tasty lifesaver for fresh grab-and-go bites in Brooklyn Park.
Signature Dishes: Deli Sandwiches and Soups, Prepared Entrees and Sides
Location: 5327 W Broadway Ave, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
12. Pimento Jamaican Kitchen
One of the only Caribbean restaurants in the Twin Cities metro, Pimento Jamaican Kitchen serves up authentic island flavors and flare in Brooklyn Park. This fast casual establishment specializes in dishes inspired by Jamaican street food culture, executing staples like jerk chicken and oxtail stew along with fusion tacos and bowls masterfully with fresh, vibrant seasoning.
Beyond the diverse food menu, Pimento also crafts traditional Caribbean juices and desserts like Tamarind juice, sorrel juice and sweet potato pudding unavailable elsewhere locally. For a taste of the islands without leaving Minnesota, stop by Pimento Jamaican Kitchen’s Brooklyn Park or Minneapolis locations to get your fix of jerks, stews, juices and Jamaican sweets.
Signature Dishes: Jerk Chicken, Oxtail Stew, Jamaican Street Tacos, Sorrel Juice, Tamarind Juice, Sweet Potato Pudding
Location: 5607 W Broadway Ave, Crystal MN 55429
Conclusion
From longstanding neighborhood gems to exciting new hotspots, Brooklyn Park offers an incredibly diverse and vibrant dining scene showcasing flavors from around the world.
The 12 restaurants explored here represent only a taste of the quality culinary landscape within this thriving Minneapolis suburb. Whether seeking adventurous tasting menus from experimental chefs, classic comfort foods done right or authentic international cuisine, food lovers will find plenty to satisfy their cravings in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.