While residents of Mexican descent have always made up the majority of Minnesota’s Hispanics, in the last few decades, the state’s Latine population has grown more than 110%. Of the more than 370,000 residents of Hispanic and Latino heritage, nearly two-thirds are Mexican and so it’s no surprise that nowadays, there’s no shortage of taco restaurants and food trucks all over the Twin Cities serving both Mexican street food and fine dining.

Minneapolis, in particular, has seen a huge growth with over 10% of residents identifying as Latino/Hispanic. That growth in Latine residents has also been fueled by populations from other Central and South American countries. And as immigrants from across Latin America make their homes here and open their own businesses, the array of foods you can enjoy has expanded from a few taco joints to everything from picadillo to plantains right here in Minneapolis.

Mexican Eats

While the taco is the best-known Mexican food, my favorite is its cousin, the torta. A mammoth sandwich of meats, cheeses, avocado, and more on bread that soaks up all the juices and flavors. Try the perfect torta at Manny’s Tortas (920 E Lake St #125) inside Midtown Global Market on Lake Street. Owned by Mexican native Manuel González, Manny’s Tortas has been a fixture of Minneapolis Mexican food in some form since 1999. My favorite torta is the jamón, but definitely try Manny’s Special with steak, ham, and mushrooms.

Traditional Argentina steakhouse

For a traditional steakhouse experience, try La Estancia (4751 Nicollet Ave) in South Minneapolis. Owned by Daniel and Susana Larumbe, who are from Uruguay, the restaurant opened in 2024, with Argentinian chef Luis Del Hoyo in the kitchen. The menu offers traditional foods like ceviche, blood sausage, and sweetbreads and also a full range of grilled cuts of beef, pork, and chicken. The parrillada in various portion sizes gives a taste of different meats and accompanying sauces. Customers come for family dinner or hanging out with friends. With white tablecloths and a nice wine list, it could easily be a great date-night spot. You’ll find plenty of Spanish speakers ordering parilladas or traditional sandwiches like the chivito Uruguayo or choripán, both filled with more meat. La Estancia also has a full bar (a rarity in this residential neighborhood) and the imaginative cocktails, one of which came with a lit cinnamon stick standing in for a cigar.

Minneapolis’s favorite Colombian brunch

Maria’s Café (1113 East Franklin Avenue), owned by Colombian native Maria Hoyos, has been a breakfast hotspot in Minneapolis since 1993. Find authentic Colombian breakfast foods like huevos pericos, arepas, and Colombian chorizo, as well as American favorites like pancakes with syrup. Weekends are bustling at this restaurant, so be prepared to wait for a table—but it will be worth it. Once you’re seated, you’ll enjoy not only delicious coffee or Colombian hot chocolate but also live music on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Taste of Cuba

Historically, residents of Cuban descent have made up a very small percentage of Minneapolis’s population, but don’t miss Guavas Cuban Café (5607 Chicago Avenue), which opened in 2018 in a quiet south Minneapolis neighborhood after operating out of a food truck. Guavas serves authentic Cuban cuisine like ropa vieja, croquetas, picadillo, and ceviche. The friendly spot feels like a tropical backyard whether you’re eating outside on the patio in the summer or inside the small space in the winter. You can also order food to go or for delivery.

No list of Cuban/Caribbean food in Minneapolis is complete without Victor’s 1959 Café (3756 Grand Ave. S). Once featured on Diner's Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fieri, this funky restaurant has been an institution since 1999. Although no longer owned by Cuban native Victor Valens, you can still order sweet plantains and bistec criollo at this popular brunch spot. With its cozy and colorful interior, be prepared to wait for a table, especially in winter when the patio is closed.

Lake Street

East Lake Street is an international corridor of sights, sounds, and flavors. With a long history of immigrant-owned businesses, the neighborhood has ebbed and flowed through the years, and a strong Mexican and Latin American presence is still vibrant and alive.

Much of the best food can be find inside the mini-malls of Plaza Mexico, Mercado Central, and Midtown Global Market. Mercado Central (1515 E Lake St) is home to half a dozen food stands. Find delicious tamales and empanadas at Apóstal Santiago and Cocina San Marcos. Rincon Salvadoreño serves Salvadoran favorites such as pupusas, and The Best Tacos del Sol is a great spot for Mexican tacos. You can also take your pick of several Mexican eateries at Midtown Global Market (920 E Lake St). Visit El Taco Torro for fresh-made tacos and Salsa a la Salsa for a more expansive menu including vegan options and house-made margaritas.

North Loop

In Minneapolis’s North Loop, the hip neighborhood between downtown and the Mississippi River, Chef Daniel Del Prado puts an Argentinian spin on fine dining at Porzana (200 N 1st Street). Del Prado is probably the most famous Argentinian in Minnesota, and he gets a lot of attention for his award-winning restaurants, and this steakhouse is most representative of his native South American cuisine. Porzana features creative and high concept Argentinian-Italian fusion. With a modern rustic interior, you’ll find clientele who are out to see and be seen while getting an upscale fine-dining experience (with prices to match).

Northeast/Central Avenue

Central Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis is a Little Ecuador of sorts with one restaurant after another serving Ecuadorian favorites like caldo and empanadas, tripe and goat at places such as La Colonia, El Sabor Chuchi, Sabor Cuancano, Chulla Vida, or Sabor Latino. In between the restaurants, you can also visit a handful of Latin American grocery stores like El Paraiso Supermarket, Supermercado Grocery, and La Perlita Market.

While on Central Avenue, enjoy a meal with friends and family at Chimborazo (2851 Central Avenue NE), helmed by chef Marcos Pinguil. Serving traditional Ecuadorian cuisine in its cozy Central Avenue location, warm staff and beautiful textiles are the backdrop as you enjoy platos típicos like churrasco, patacones, and llapingachos. The restaurant serves alcoholic beverages, but don’t miss the fresh tropical juices.

Uptown

Uptown, previously home to the Two Pesos of my youth, is currently in recovery from a rage of hardships that has hit the area from road construction to COVID. Parts of the iconic neighborhood are making a comeback, and for a youthful Colombian experience, check out Macondo (2943 Girard Ave S) near Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue. With a tropical, upscale homey feel and plenty of room to push back the tables for a dance floor, Macondo has a full bar and a menu of Colombian favorites. Dinnertime is quiet but the restaurant turns into a hot spot on weekend nights. Order a full meal like steak with other meats called parrillada Colombiana or grilled chicken with pineapple, or order Colombian-style bar food like loaded fries called salchipapas or plantain sandwich. On the weekends you can order the brunch favorite bandeja paisa or get weekend sancocho. In addition to fruit juices and Colombian sodas, you can also order beers and cocktails like mojitos and fruity concoctions, some featuring the anise-flavored liquor aguardiente.

Longfellow

The mostly residential neighborhood of Longfellow isn’t exactly known for its food scene, but that’s where you can find Café Racer (2929 East 25th St), which serves delicious Latin American and Colombian food. Open for brunch, lunch, and dinner (check hours), Café Race serves street food, hand-helds, as well as full meals. Try their array of arepas with various toppings, their unique Colombian street dogs, and to die-for empanadas. The petite restaurant offers take-out and catering as well as to-go family-sized meals of rice, chorizo, chicken, plantains and more.

Eat Street

At the south end of Nicollet Avenue, which is known as Eat Street, visit Cocina Latina (3764 Nicollet Ave S) on the corner of 38th Street and Nicollet Avenue. For over fifteen years, this Colombian-Ecuadorian restaurant has served a mix of Latin and Central American foods from Ecuadorian llapingachos and chaulafan to Colombian favorites like bandeja paisa and arepas. I love the fresh fruit juices like lulo, maracuyá, and guanabana which can be ordered plain or with milk, turning them into tropical milkshakes. If you prefer, you might drink a beer or Ecuadorian soda, and while you sip, you can imagine you’re sitting in the shade of a tropical sun under the rustic sunshades built in over the cozy booths and listen to the mix of Spanish and English spoken by your fellow diners. I love the Colombian and Ecuadorian flavors of the empanadas and sweet plantains, but because this is Minneapolis, you’re never far from a taco. At Cocina Latina, you can also order Mexican favorites like quesadillas, tostadas, and enchiladas. And, of course, tacos.