When I was growing up in St. Paul, going to Central Avenue in Minneapolis with my Egyptian parents meant going on an adventure to Holy Land Bakery & Deli for essentials like pita bread, olives, and cheese. It felt like the closest thing to visiting Egypt and other SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa)/MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries and was one of the few markets selling these ingredients and wares.

As I grew older, Central Avenue became not only a place to run errands for my parents on the weekends, but also a place to explore the many different stores, restaurants, and cultural establishments. The businesses, murals, shops, and food destinations located within the Central Avenue Cultural District have a hidden charm. I visit frequently to unearth new destinations to add to my repertoire, and usually when I have a friend in town, we venture over to the area.

Background & History

Central Avenue spans the northeast outskirts of downtown Minneapolis and takes you through several north suburbs. The cultural district speaks to Northeast Minneapolis’ residential history. Some know it as Highway 65, a thoroughfare that starts in downtown Minneapolis and goes as far north as International Falls, Minnesota. However, the Central Avenue Cultural District specifically runs from 18th Avenue Northeast to 26th Avenue Northeast and has consisted of a traditionally working-class population of Polish, Lebanese, German, Slovak, Russian, and Ukrainian immigrants. These populations came to work in Northeast’s railways and warehouses since the 1930s. In the late 1990s, the rest of the Twin Cities visited the area for its restaurants and shops and revived Central Avenue’s importance. Today, Central Avenue is home to a plethora of all those heritages and businesses, along with an influx of Somali and Latino/Latinx immigrants.

Morning Bites and Global Finds

Breakfast is always an essential meal, and the Central Avenue Cultural District has fantastic options, be it the old-school diner aesthetic at Ideal Diner, or the simple and no-frilled flavorful Ecuadorian breakfast fare at Sabor Cuecano. If something caffeinated is needed to start the day out right, there’s Yemeni coffee and tea to enjoy over at Qahwah House with a choice of unique pastry suffices. Afterwards, some afternoon shopping can provide a multitude of ways to experience what the Central Avenue Cultural District offers. Cross the street to Little India International Market to find fresh and vibrant ingredients necessary to make a good dinner such as garlic naan and samosas, along with some chicken and Tikka Masala sauce. Mecca Linen is a store offering a bazaar-like feel with furniture, blankets, rugs, and more to spruce up any room in your house. Lastly, FindFurnish provides an assortment of vintage and refurbished home decor guaranteed to spruce up your surroundings that can shipped to anywhere, no matter where you call home.

Tacos, Thrift Shops and Few Photo Ops

For lunch, visit Maya Cuisine, where your hardest decision will be contemplating which salsa speaks best to the asada tacos. To further quench the taco thirst, head over to El Taco Riendo, a beacon of Central Avenue, having survived a three-alarm fire that almost shut it down for good in 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Next door, El Charrito Lindo offers wonderful tamales and soups that will nourish you on the coldest of days during the winter. Stop by Durango Bakery for bread to make some delicious tortas, or acquire a sweet treat such as conchas, or a piece of authentic tres leches cake.

For those that enjoy a good thrift, visit Fieldhouse to browse a wonderful assortment of gently used clothes that are super stylish. A wander through Magus Books & Herbs will pique curiosity and provide enlightenment through their metaphysical products and books.

If you’re looking to keep that fresh set of nails looking flawless, Atomic Polish offers handmade small batch nail polish in a kaleidoscopic array of colors that one can customize to their liking, as well as other simple cosmetics.

There’s also plenty of photo opportunities around the area. Don’t miss the “Welcome to Northeast Minneapolis” mural, located on Lowry Avenue and Central Avenue that adorns the walls of Northeast Minneapolis Tattoo & Laser Removal, or the mural all along the wall of the Eastside Food Co-op that features scenes from the community. Behind Marvin’s Barbershop, located near the Metro Transit 10 bus stop, you can find a mural by Mike Davis dedicated to the community garden located on Central Avenue.

For a pick-me-up, Pilllar Forum & Coffee provides traditional pastry and coffee offerings, plus it serves as a skate shop, and will host concerts for all ages. They also have a mural on the south side of the building, featuring a comic style image of the different parts that make up Central Avenue.

Dinnertime Adventures and Leisurely Libations

Roaming around aimlessly at those shops will help you coast straight to dinner, and a stop by Football Pizza provides a superb Afghani style pizza fix (don’t sleep on the green sauce, either). For a taste of Asia, restaurants like, Khao Hom Thai have a bevy of noodle, soup, and rice dishes that provide a wonderful taste of Thailand in a simple and homey establishment, and Momo Sushi serves Japanese and Tibetan fare with countless options, and endless flavors. While you're there take a photo at the wonderful mural by artist Philipo Dyauli to recognize the Central Avenue Cultural District as a hub of multicultural cuisine.

Elsewhere on the Central Avenue Cultural District, La Colonia has excellent Colombian and Ecuadorian staples that merit a visit, or two. For the friend that doesn’t eat meat, Francis Burger Joint, an entirely plant-based burger joint that also serves vegan milkshakes and malts, "chicken" nuggets, and plenty of dipping sauces, is nearby.

After experiencing all the food and shopping in this district, leisure time is sorely needed. Enjoy some libations at Fair State Brewing Cooperative, which has an excellent patio to relax in for the months where it doesn’t snow, and is also home to yet another mural of happy garden gnomes. You have to see it to believe it. Another option make another stop at Qahwah House. They are open late (until 11pm) and provide the perfect atmosphere to wind down and reflect on the day.

Central Avenue is For Everybody, and Every Appetite

Central Avenue is home to a whole multicultural experience, all within a few city blocks. I often meet visitors exploring the area to catch an exhibit or concert at the annual Art-a-Whirl event or sitting with a lawn chair to watch the Celebrate Northeast Parade. There is an experience on Central Avenue that will speak to anyone’s curious sensibilities. And while the past few years have indeed been tumultuous, many of the businesses in the Central Avenue Cultural District have faced challenges head-on. In an ever-shifting landscape, Central Avenue’s early days as a refuge for hardworking European immigrants have led us to the district’s present as a beacon for immigrants and businesses of many different countries and nationalities, making the region important for keeping cultural integrities intact for future generations.