This is a post that has been a looooong time coming. I get asked ALL the time by friends, family, acquaintances, and readers where, oh where, do they eat Paleo in the Twin Cities? Being the crazy restaurant lover that I am ( fun fact: I was part of the Yelp Elite for 3 years  ) I am always looking to try the new place in town and absolutely love brunching, fancy dinners, and meeting friends for lunch.  This list is mostly in Minneapolis but a few are in close burbs. I don’t make it over to  St. Paul as often so if any St. Paul peeps have info to share please do so in the comments! Let’s get to it, shall we?

Agra Culture Kitchen & Press – first place in the Twin Cities with Paleo items listed on the menu! So exciting! The lunch salads and build your plate for dinner are my favorite options. They have a huge Menu and truly care about offering organic/non-GMO/local food and their flavors are spot on. They even have Bulletproof Coffee on the menu and have a paleo chocolate bar on the menu! I will be writing up a full review and have some exciting news coming soon so check back for that!

Sassy Spoon – newer, entirely gluten-free restaurant in South Minneapolis that is oh SO good! They have lovely brunch options, amazing coffee, and seasonal menu changes. I can’t wait to go spend more time here and try everything they offer. They started as a food truck and did so well that they opened a brick and mortar. Definitely a new go-to for me! Added bonus: owned by a female holistic registered dietitian

French Meadow/Bluestem Bar – one of my favorite places. Lots of items are easily made paleo by removing bread and cheese. Quality ingredients and several gluten-free breakfast options (blueberry corncake and corn waffle) The smoked salmon scramble is my go-to breakfast. Salads and bison burger are my favorites for lunch/dinner. I almost always get a coconut macaroon with my almond/coconut milk latte too.

Mill Valley Kitchen – California style menu with the calories, fat, protein, carbs, and fiber listed for each item. Good options although a bit more spendy (Minnesotan word, I know). Love that they have a mixed drink on their menu with kombucha! Mostly local ingredients too!

Red Cow – A go to for me on a Friday night! They have two locations currently in Minneapolis and St. Paul but are opening a third in the North Loop in February. I order the SAME THING at least one Friday night every month: the Manhattan Burger sans bun, sans cheese, with a Red Cow salad, sans cheese. I love their Sweet Potato Fries but unfortunately they are not gluten-free. They have GF options listed on the menu and lots of great red wine.

Barbette– one of my faves for brunch but lunch and dinner are great too! Lots of locally sourced items. GF options as well. Hot-Smoked Salmon Niçoise is amazing and they even have Chicken Liver Pate on the menu!

Brasa Rotisserie – Piles of high quality pulled meat with amazing house made guac, collard greens with smoked chicken, and fried plantains (although they do use corn oil for this, not fully paleo FYI). Can’t go wrong with a big helping of the pork slathered in guac with a side of braised greens. Good. Stuff. They source locally and nearly their entire menu is GF. Even Dallas and Melissa from Whole9 approve!

Fogo De Chao – It’s a national chain and they don’t have grass-fed beef but if you are downtown and trying to appeal to a crowd, all you can eat Brazilian steak with an all you can eat salad bar is not a bad choice. Stick to the leaner cuts (filet mignon anyone?) for the healthiest choice. The little cheese-bread puffs are GF and addicting but are NOT dairy-free. Don’t bother with the mashed potatoes or fried plantains, they are not worth it and not paleo either.

Burch Steakhouse – My very favorite steakhouse in Minneapolis. They offer every cut of their steaks grass-fed and are great with GF sides/options. The steak comes with little pickled mushrooms which are as tasty as they are adorable. They also offer little tiny desserts (probably not paleo but they are only one bite!)

Birchwood Cafe – One of my very favorite places for a weekend brunch with girlfriends! Lots of options for paleo-izing and GF, nearly everything is organic and locally sourced. If you are being a little more lenient you HAVE to order the Savory Waffle (GF) because it changes seasonally and it. is. the. best. You will not regret it (it always includes lardons…)

People’s Organic Cafe – There are now 6 locations, one up in Fargo, North Dakota! Super nice for me because I travel there for work Great for breakfast and lunch, especially if you are in downtown Minneapolis (located in the IDS Tower).

Common Roots Cafe – Cute little coffee shop with excellent food. They offer properly-raised meats, lots of GF options, and have great coffee too! Their menu changes frequently but they are great for breakfast/brunch and have awesome paleo friendly sweet potato fries!

Ecopolitan – Minneapolis’ only organic, vegan, and raw restaurant with several GF options. I’ve only gone a couple times but they offer juices, smoothies, coconut water drinks, breakfast, lunch, and dinner and have a take-out option. They provide nut-free options listed on the menu as well! If you are a veggie paleo diner this might be the place for you!

Good Earth – technically they are located in Roseville, MN and Edina, MN but both are quick drives. Known for their amazing spice tea, they offer a large menu with lots of good options. I like the Bison Burger (from a farm in Wisconsin) and the Coconut Curry Chicken (without the grains).

World Street Kitchen – This place was so good as a food truck they opened a storefront! I’ve enjoyed the caramelized lamb belly lettuce wraps with house made pickled veggies too many times to count. They have lots of GF options on the menu and dairy-free froyo that is to. die. for.

MANY Sushi spots – I am partial to Origami Sushi and Wakame but there are a LOT more options in Minneapolis. Your best bet is to stop by WholeFoods or a co-op and get Coconut Aminos to bring with you to stay soy-free! I am part of #teamwhiterice so I don’t mind the occasional sushi roll but sashimi is great if you don’t want the grains!

The Wedge Co-op, Seward Co-op, Linden Hills Co-op, Eastside Food Co-op, etc – Minneapolis has many amazing co-ops and farmers markets (in the summer) to check out and I am a huge advocate for supporting them! Fun fact, my parents were two of the founding members and helped get The Wedge started back in the 70s! Many of them have hot/cold food items you can eat there as well if you don’t have a kitchen to utilize

Now, if this is not enough options for you or you don’t like the sound of any of them, you might be crazy you can always hit up Chipotle or WholeFoods but seriously…

Minneapolis – St. Paul friends! If you have anything to contribute please leave your opinions in the comments section so everyone can benefit from opinions other than mine. I will continue to contribute to this post as I discover new amazing places for paleo/gluten-free lovers who live or travel to Minneapolis!

The post Eating Paleo & Gluten-Free in Minneapolis appeared first on The Freckled Foodie.