The Minneapolis Vietnamese Food Scene
Minneapolis's Vietnamese food culture traces directly to the wave of Vietnamese refugees who arrived in Minnesota beginning in 1975. Many settled in the affordable apartments along Nicollet Avenue in Whittier and Stevens Square, and by the 1980s, the first Vietnamese restaurants and grocery stores had opened on what would become Eat Street. Quang opened in 1989. Que Viet opened in 1980 in Northeast. Lotus opened in Loring Park in the late 1980s. These restaurants are not trendy newcomers — they are 35 to 45-year-old family businesses that have survived recessions, pandemics, and neighborhood transformations. Today the scene has expanded beyond Eat Street into Northeast Minneapolis, Powderhorn, and Loring Park, with a new generation of Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American chefs building on the foundation their parents laid. The result is a city where traditional pho shops and modern Southeast Asian restaurants coexist within a few miles of each other — and both are essential to understanding how Minneapolis eats.
Vietnamese Spots
8+
Price Range
$8–$18
Best For
Highest Vietnamese restaurant density in the state, pho capital of Minneapolis
Quang Restaurant
The undisputed anchor. Quang has been serving Vietnamese food at 2719 Nicollet Avenue since 1989, and the lines out the door on a Saturday afternoon tell you everything. The pho is the main event — specifically the rare beef pho, where thin slices of raw beef cook in a broth that has been simmered for over 12 hours with star anise, cinnamon, and charred ginger. A large bowl runs about $14 and it is enough food for most people. But Quang is not just a pho restaurant. The bun bo Hue — a spicy, lemongrass-perfumed beef noodle soup from central Vietnam — is arguably the better order if you can handle heat. The egg rolls are hand-rolled and fried to a shattering crunch. Closed Tuesdays, which catches tourists off guard. Quang is the restaurant that put Eat Street on the map for Vietnamese food, and three decades later, the quality has not slipped.
Pho Tau Bay
The pho purist's pick. Pho Tau Bay at 2837 Nicollet Avenue does not have the name recognition of Quang, but a significant number of Vietnamese food regulars in Minneapolis will tell you the broth here is deeper, more complex, and more traditional. The house special pho with brisket, tendon, and tripe is the order — about $15 for a large bowl that is genuinely enormous. The house-made beef jerky is the sleeper item: chewy, sweet-savory, and unlike anything else on Eat Street. The space is no-frills and the menu is focused, which is exactly what you want from a pho restaurant. Open every day except Wednesday. If Quang is the famous one, Pho Tau Bay is the one the locals whisper about.
Pho 79
The veteran. Pho 79 at 2529 Nicollet Avenue has been part of the Eat Street Vietnamese corridor for decades, and the consistency is the selling point. The pho broth is clean, aromatic, and deeply beefy without being heavy. A large bowl of combination pho runs about $14. The banh mi sandwiches are underrated here — the classic pork banh mi with pickled daikon, cilantro, and jalapeño on a properly crusty baguette is $8 and one of the better lunch deals on the street. Pho 79 shares a space with Caravelle, which adds a broader Vietnamese menu including broken rice plates and vermicelli bowls. The dual-concept setup means more options without sacrificing quality on the pho side. Closed Thursdays.
My Huong Kitchen
The all-rounder. My Huong Kitchen at 2718 Nicollet Avenue — directly across from Quang — covers more ground than most Vietnamese restaurants on the street. The pho is solid, but the real draw is the range: banh mi sandwiches, French crepes with Vietnamese fillings, boba smoothies, curry dishes, and noodle salads. The lemongrass chicken over broken rice is a standout at about $14. Owner Huong Tran gained national attention in 2020 for sheltering protesters during the civil unrest following George Floyd's murder, which tells you something about the character of this place. Hours are limited — closed Monday and Wednesday — so plan accordingly. My Huong is where you go when your group cannot agree on one dish.
The scene: Eat Street — the stretch of Nicollet Avenue through Whittier — is the Vietnamese food capital of Minneapolis, and it is not close. Within roughly ten blocks you can walk past Quang, Pho Tau Bay, Pho 79, Pho Hoa, My Huong Kitchen, Lu's Sandwiches, and Jasmine 26. This corridor is the direct product of Vietnamese immigration to Minneapolis in the late 1970s and 1980s, when refugees settled in the Whittier and Stevens Square neighborhoods and opened the restaurants that still anchor the street today. The competition between pho shops on this stretch keeps quality high and prices reasonable — a full bowl of pho and a side of egg rolls will rarely cost more than $20. If you only have one meal to eat Vietnamese food in Minneapolis, eat it on Eat Street.
Explore Whittier→Vietnamese Spots
3+
Price Range
$14–$35
Best For
Upscale Southeast Asian street food, best patio in the city
Hai Hai
The star. Hai Hai at 2121 University Avenue NE is not a traditional Vietnamese restaurant — it is a Southeast Asian street food restaurant that draws heavily from Vietnamese, Thai, and Lao cuisines. But the Vietnamese dishes are the backbone of the menu, and they are extraordinary. Chef Christina Nguyen, a multiple-time James Beard “Best Chef: Midwest” finalist, brings a precision and creativity to dishes like the turmeric coconut curry mussels, the Vietnamese crepe (banh xeo) stuffed with shrimp and pork belly, and the green papaya salad with crispy shallots. Entrees run $16 to $28. The patio is legendary — string lights, tropical plants, and a vibe that makes you forget you are in Minnesota. Reservations through Resy are strongly recommended, especially Thursday through Saturday. Closed Mondays. Hai Hai is the restaurant that proved Vietnamese-inspired food could be both deeply personal and broadly celebrated in Minneapolis.
Lu's Sandwiches (Northeast)
The banh mi institution. Lu's Sandwiches has three Twin Cities locations, but the Northeast outpost at 10 6th Street NE puts Vietnamese sandwich craft in the heart of the arts district. The classic banh mi is the order: a crispy-soft baguette loaded with seasoned pork, pâté, pickled carrots and daikon, fresh cilantro, jalapeño, and a smear of mayo. It runs about $8 and is one of the best sandwich values in Minneapolis regardless of cuisine. The lemongrass chicken banh mi is the second pick. Lu's has been making banh mi in the Twin Cities for over 15 years, and the formula is dialed. The Northeast location is smaller and faster than the Nicollet flagship, which makes it a better weekday lunch stop. Open Monday through Saturday.
The scene: Northeast Minneapolis is not where most people go looking for Vietnamese food, but Hai Hai has single-handedly made it a destination. Christina Nguyen's restaurant brings Southeast Asian street food traditions — many of them Vietnamese — to a neighborhood better known for breweries and art galleries. The price point is higher than Eat Street, but the cooking is among the most celebrated in the city. Lu's Sandwiches adds an affordable banh mi option for the lunch crowd. Together they represent a different side of Vietnamese food in Minneapolis: creative, elevated, and worth crossing the river for.
Explore Holland→Vietnamese Spots
2+
Price Range
$10–$16
Best For
Family-run Vietnamese with 30+ years of history, downtown-adjacent convenience
Lotus Restaurant
The quiet institution. Lotus at 113 West Grant Street has been family-owned and operated for nearly 40 years, making it one of the longest-running Vietnamese restaurants in Minneapolis. Mom and dad run the kitchen with their four sons, and every sauce and filling is made from scratch in-house. The egg rolls are the signature — hand-rolled, golden-fried, and served with a nuoc cham dipping sauce that hits every note. The pho is clean and traditional, the vermicelli bowls are generous, and the broken rice plates with grilled pork are a reliable weekday lunch. A full meal runs $12 to $16. Lotus does not use MSG in any of its dishes, which matters to some diners. The restaurant closed its Uptown location years ago, but the Loring Park original keeps going — a testament to the quality of the food and the loyalty of the neighborhood. Open Monday through Saturday 11 AM to 9 PM, Sunday noon to 8 PM.
Jasmine 26
The hot pot specialists. Jasmine 26 at 8 East 26th Street sits at the southern edge of Loring Park near Eat Street and brings Vietnamese hot pot to a neighborhood that needed it. The setup is communal and interactive — choose your broth (the spicy lemongrass is the move), pick your proteins and vegetables, and cook everything tableside in a bubbling pot. A full hot pot meal for two runs $35 to $50 depending on your selections. Beyond hot pot, the menu includes solid Vietnamese staples: black pepper-braised mock duck for vegetarians, pho, and banh mi. The craft cocktails are a nice surprise — the Vietnamese coffee martini is legitimately good. Jasmine 26 fills the gap between Eat Street's traditional pho shops and a proper sit-down dinner experience. Closed Mondays.
The scene: Loring Park is an unexpected pocket of Vietnamese food that benefits from its proximity to both downtown and Eat Street. Lotus Restaurant is a genuine Minneapolis institution — nearly four decades of family-run Vietnamese cooking in a neighborhood that has changed dramatically around it. Jasmine 26 brings a more modern, communal approach with its hot pot focus. Neither restaurant gets the attention of the Eat Street corridor, which is a shame and an opportunity: you can usually walk into Lotus without a wait even when Quang has a 45-minute line six blocks south.
Explore Loring Park→Vietnamese Spots
2+
Price Range
$8–$14
Best For
Old-school Vietnamese cooking, home of the State Fair egg roll
Que Viet
The original. Que Viet at 2211 Johnson Street NE has been serving Vietnamese food since 1980, making it one of the oldest Vietnamese restaurants in Minneapolis. The egg rolls alone have achieved legendary status — they are the same egg rolls sold at the Minnesota State Fair, where Que Viet's stand draws some of the longest lines on the fairgrounds. In the restaurant, the egg rolls come four to an order for about $10, and they are shatteringly crispy with a savory pork and vegetable filling that has not changed in over 40 years. The pho is traditional and unfussy, the spring rolls are fresh and properly balanced, and the combination vermicelli bowl with grilled pork and egg roll is the move if you want the full experience for about $14. The dining room is simple and the service is family-style in the best sense. Que Viet is living history — a direct link to the first wave of Vietnamese restaurants in Minneapolis.
The scene: Windom Park is a residential neighborhood in far Northeast Minneapolis that most food guides overlook entirely. But Que Viet has been here since 1980, predating the craft brewery boom and the condo development by decades. This is where Minneapolis's Vietnamese food story began — immigrant families opening restaurants in affordable neighborhoods and building loyal followings one egg roll at a time. Que Viet is not flashy and it does not need to be. It is the kind of place where the food has been the same for 40 years because the food was right from the start.
Explore Windom Park→Vietnamese Spots
2+
Price Range
$8–$14
Best For
Best banh mi in the city, Vietnamese food outside the Eat Street corridor
D's Banh Mi
The new classic. D's Banh Mi at 1848 East 38th Street is the restaurant that took three years and a fire to open, and it was worth every day of the wait. Run by matriarch Hilda Tov and her three sons Dylan, Dyon, and Dustin Tran, D's operates out of a converted former popcorn stand near Powderhorn Park and serves what many locals now consider the best banh mi in Minneapolis. The classic pork banh mi is the foundation: a crispy baguette stuffed with seasoned pork, pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro, and jalapeño for about $10. The lemongrass chicken version is equally good. Vegan options — tofu or mock duck banh mi — are thoughtful and well-executed, not afterthoughts. The spring rolls are fresh and the dipping sauce is balanced. D's is a small operation with limited seating, so expect to take your sandwich to Powderhorn Park on a nice day. Open Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays. The hype is real and the family behind it is the reason.
Lu's Sandwiches (Nicollet)
The flagship. Lu's Sandwiches at 2624 Nicollet Avenue South sits at the edge of Powderhorn and Whittier and has been the Twin Cities' banh mi benchmark for over 15 years. The operation is efficient and focused: you order at the counter, watch your sandwich get built in under two minutes, and walk out with one of the best $8 meals in the city. The classic banh mi with pâté, seasoned pork, pickled daikon and carrots, cilantro, and jalapeño is the standard order. The baguettes are baked fresh and have the right ratio of crust to soft interior. Lu's also does a solid Vietnamese iced coffee for $5 — strong, sweet, and the perfect companion to a banh mi on a hot day. The Nicollet location has more space than the Northeast outpost and is open seven days a week, making it the more reliable stop.
The scene: Powderhorn Park is best known for its Lake Street taco corridor, but the Vietnamese food options here deserve attention. D's Banh Mi has quickly become one of the most talked-about Vietnamese restaurants in the city, proving that you do not need to be on Eat Street to make exceptional Vietnamese food. Lu's Sandwiches on Nicollet bridges the gap between the Whittier pho corridor and the broader Powderhorn food scene. The neighborhood offers a different context for Vietnamese food — less concentrated than Eat Street but more personal, with family operations that reflect the diversity of South Minneapolis.
Explore Powderhorn Park→A Note on Eat Street
Eat Street's Vietnamese restaurants are not Instagram pop-ups or celebrity chef vanity projects. They are family businesses, many of them operating for 30 to 40 years, built by Vietnamese refugees who brought recipes from Saigon, Hue, and Hanoi and adapted them to a city where winter lasts five months. These restaurants survived the refugee experience, the economic pressures of running a small business in America, and the civil unrest of 2020 that directly impacted Nicollet Avenue. When you eat pho on Eat Street, you are participating in a food tradition that represents one of the most important immigrant communities in Minneapolis. The restaurants are affordable because they were built to feed a community, not to impress food critics. Eat there often. Order the dishes you cannot pronounce. Ask the family behind the counter what they recommend. Tip well. And understand that every bowl of pho on Nicollet Avenue carries 45 years of history in the broth.
Explore More Minneapolis Food
Vietnamese food is one piece of the Minneapolis food story. Explore the neighborhoods that define how this city eats — from the best food corridors to where to find a full meal for under $15.