The Best Spots for Food in the Skyway

Whether you are looking to escape negative temperatures at all costs or simply grab a quick, affordable lunch between meetings, there’s no better place to refuel in Downtown Minneapolis than at one of the Skyway’s many (many) eateries. You could enjoy a whole day getting lost in the miles of twisting, turning second-floor labyrinth to find which dishes are worth savoring and which are worth skipping, or you could simply hit one of our favorite spots for sure-bet satisfaction. Note: Most Skyway restaurants are open weekdays only, so you may need to actually venture outside on Saturdays and Sundays.

Green + The Grain

For a healthy indulgence, head to one of the four locations of this minimalist, monochromatic clean eater’s haven that serves up way more than simple green salads. Case in point? The Thai Beef Tenderloin salad piled high with rice noodles, romaine lettuce, napa cabbage, pickled carrots, fresh herbs, peanuts, local beef, and other bright veggies in a spicy peanut sauce. Feeling creative? Build your own salad from an extensive list of fresh toppings and premium additions, from saffron couscous to wild-caught buffalo shrimp.

Locations: LaSalle Plaza, Baker Center, US Bank Plaza, and Oracle Centre

Sphere

Located on the Skyway level of the Fifth Street Towers, the Mediteranean-leaning Sphere offers two dining options depending on the length of your lunch window. While Sphere Kitchen offers a quick choose-your-own-adventure bowl with a paired-down, mix-and-match menu of grains, kebabs, sauces, and salads, Sphere Bar + Restaurant serves up a full array of salads, burgers, and anytime cocktails in one of the few full bars at Skyway level.

Location: Fifth Street Towers

Vellee Deli

Your appetite will be vanquished at this Asian-Mexican fusion hotspot where pineapple salsa and baja sauce rub elbows with spicy Thai curry and kimchi. Enjoy a Korean BBQ burrito or Duck Confit Banh Mi, and customize your level of spice by adding a few “kicks” of sundried and powdered Minnesota grown Thai chili peppers.

Location: Baker Center

Kadai Indian Kitchen

You don’t need to be a local office worker to indulge in Kadai’s “Business Lunch” buffet, and there’s no better way to get your fill of a variety of North and South Indian specialties—from Andhra Spicy Chicken Curry to Malai Kofta. Avoid the lunch lines and stop in for an Indian breakfast treat, the Mysore Masala Dosa. This rice crepe rolled and filled with potato curry and spicy chutney is available daily before 11am.

Location: Six Quebec (601 S Marquette)

Sushi Takatsu

This Osaka-style sushi spot in the Baker Center draw remarkable lines, but one visit and you’ll know why. Serving up sushi bowl specials, oshizushi (pressed sushi), creative sushi rolls, beef curry bowls, and slurpable fried chicken udon at reasonable prices, Takatsu will have you planning your next lunch order before you’ve finished your first.

Location: Baker Center

Allie’s Deli & Catering

A local lunch institution since 2004, this friendly homestyle eatery in the Rand Tower is known for made-from-scratch soups, sandwiches (from the commune-worth California Turkey loaded with guacamole, veggies, and sprouts to the Allie’s Dip with corned and roast beef on homemade French bread), and salads that are whipped together almost faster than you can decide what to order. Be sure to order a dessert bar to finish off your meal.

Location: Rand Tower

The Brothers Deli

A little bit of the Big Apple in Minneapolis, this New York-style deli has been serving up Reubens on rye, slow-roasted brisket sandwiches, and matzo ball soup along with a dizzying array of other sandwiches, salads, burgers, wraps, and more on South Sixth Street for nearly two decades.

Location: 50 South Sixth

Bep Eatery

Vietnamese street food reduced to its freshest, tastiest essentials: pho, vermicelli noodle salads, spring rolls, and banh mi sandwiches with a host of customizable additions—swap garlic-orange tofu for lemongrass steak or ginger pork, then load up on fresh herbs, zingy pineapple, and sliced jalapeños, and a tight assortment of delicious sauces to make each meal your own. In a rush? Order online from the Lasalle Plaza location to pick up and dash.

Locations: Fifth Street Towers, LaSalle Plaza, Baker Center

Pad Ga Pow

This traditional-but-speedy Thai eatery—from the same family that operates the fantastic On’s Kitchen in St. Paul, frequently lauded by Andrew Zimmern—offers all the hits of great Thai takeout done right, from bright and spicy papaya salad and herb-heavy shrimp spring rolls to stir-fry classics ready to scoop in steamer trays (and 80 or so other made-to-order dishes if you’ve got a bit more time to spare).

Location: LaSalle Plaza

Elevate Food Hall

Picture this: on the fourth floor of the Washington Square building—the same tower that houses Penny’s Coffee’s downtown outpost—local restaurateurs are experimenting with new concepts, sampling fresh dishes, and slinging lunch specials from around the globe. It’s the perfect spot for an outing of officemates with different tastes, where folks can choose from Sonora Grill tacos and One Two Three Sushi’s chicken katsu rice bowls to Fork & Flour’s creative pizzas and Roots & Seeds uber-fresh and local salad bar.

Location: 100 Washington Square

Afro Deli & Grill

Fusing African, Mediterranean, and American flavors with halal meats and a community-minded ethos, Afro Deli’s new Skyway location in the Baker Building is a one-way ticket to a one-of-a-kind flavor vacation. Where else can you find Somali Steak Sandwiches, chicken quesadillas, veggie sambusas, freshly made falafel, and the Afro Asian Chicken Suqaar blending Korean flavors and African spices? Nowhere but Afro Deli’s three other locations, that’s where.

Location: Baker Center