For a unique shopping experience, begin with the international corridor of East Lake Street, which is lined with bustling businesses representing an array of cultures from the immigrants that call Minneapolis home.

Mercado Central

1515 E Lake St, Minneapolis

You can’t miss the colorful Mercado Central on the corner of East Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue. Since its inception in 1997, Mercado Central has been home to dozens of locally owned food and retail shops, a haven for both businessowners and customers.

As with many businesses along East Lake Street, there have been fluctuations in occupancy between the pandemic and local unrest after the murder of George Floyd, so not every stall is filled, but the market is still vibrant and bustling. This Latino marketplace is a cross between a farmer’s market and a mini mall filled with stores selling everything from fresh tamales, clothing, rosaries, and pantry basics.

If you are looking to show your pride in your country of origin, many shops offer accessories featuring the flags, skeletons and skull figurines, or traditional Mexican dresses. You can also find cut-paper banners and beautiful, realistic chrysanthemums made of paper.

While paper flowers last forever, sometimes you want an actual floral shop and there are plenty of those along East Lake Street. The cold case at Del Sol Florería (Mercado Central) keeps the roses, daisies, and other flower arrangements fresh. I purchased a bouquet of orange marigolds and my whole house smelled like summer.

Plaza Mexico

417 E Lake St, Minneapolis

While you’re on East Lake Street, check out Plaza Mexico, another indoor mini mall featuring dozens of Latine-owned shops. Also known as Plaza Lake (or Lake Plaza), this retail center has everything from clothing and jewelry to automotive goods and services. Bonus feature for this section of Lake Street: Plaza Mexico has its own parking ramp.

Mercado Central

While you’re at Mercado Central and Plaza Mexico, you’ll find fun and affordable clothing and apparel. Música y Novedades (Mercado Central) is a child’s wonderland of adorable hair accessories, not to mention toys like stuffed animals and colorful trinkets rising floor to ceiling. I don’t have a kid to shop for anymore, but I agonized over which handmade beaded bracelet to buy: the intricately crafted flowers, the array of religious symbols, or the evil eye to ward off misfortune. With a price point under twenty dollars, I was tempted to buy more than one.

Midtown Global Market

920 E Lake St, Minneapolis

If you’re looking for more than a handmade beaded bracelet, head to Midtown Global Market, where you will find Sanchez Jewelry. José Sanchez has sold jewelry and watches at the Midtown Exchange Building’s international market since 2015. Be dazzled by the gold and silver chains, large hoop earrings, intricate charms, and sparkling rings. José also does repairs of both jewelry and watches right in the shop and you can get a glimpse of the labor that goes into making and maintaining beautiful adornments.

Los Vaqueros

334 E Lake St, Ste 107, Minneapolis

For head-to-toe outfitting for the whole family, look no further than Los Vaqueros de Chihuahua Boots, which has been selling cowboy boots and hats since 2012. When you walk into the deceptively small storefront on East Lake Street, be prepared to be bombarded by the rich smell of real leather. The crowded entrance gives way to a huge stock of beautiful boots for men, women, and children in various leathers, styles, and designs from tall cowboy boots to delicate embroidered boots to steel-toe work boots. Popular during rodeo season, the shop also sells western shirts, jeans, belts, and buckles of all sizes.

To really get a taste of Latin America, shop the plethora of Latin American grocery stores scattered throughout Minneapolis. Most of these markets offer not only favorites imported from other countries, they also often have on-site bakeries, butchers, and hot counter service.

Markets

While at Mercado Central, check out Isabella’s Grocery, where you can find Mexican and Latin American packaged foods, spices, and beverages to make your favorite meals at home.

If you’re not into cooking, the market is also home to half a dozen food stands that sell ready-to-eat snacks and meals. You’ll find pupusas at Rincon Salvadoreño and tacos at The Best Tacos del Sol. You can find tamales and empanadas at Apóstal Santiago and Cocina San Marcos. Get your food to go or have a seat in the large dining space where a big window overlooks bustling Lake Street. Sit back and let the local Spanish swirl around you as you imagine you’re somewhere warm.

Supermercados

The markets on East Lake have a little bit of everything, but if you’re shopping for groceries, you’ll want to find a supermercado. South of East Lake Street on the corner of Nicollet Avenue and 38th Street has mostly gentrified with upscale restaurants, bars, and salons, but the brightly painted La Casa Market (3733 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis) has persisted.

La Casa has a wide selection of grocery items as well as more basic staples. I buy the P.A.N. corn flour I use to make Colombian arepas as well as queso fresco (fresh cheese) there. You can also find plenty of candy and soda imported from Mexico, and if you’re adventurous you can try spicy lollipops in a variety of flavors from chicken to chile. I prefer the bakery case, where it’s hard to choose between all the pretty pastries. If grocery shopping isn’t your idea of a good time, you might want to try their ready-to-eat foods at El Nuevo Cinco de Mayo, located inside the market. Full meals like burritos, elotes, tamales, and tortas can be purchased at the counter to go.

If you’re spending time in Northeast Minneapolis, check out El Paraiso Supermarket (2927 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis) one of many Latine businesses along Central Avenue. This market is filled with packaged, frozen, and dry goods from mostly Ecuador. I found fresh frozen tomaté de arbol (tamarind), maracuyá (passion fruit), mango, and more. There is also a small produce section with yucca, avocado, tomatoes, and other tropical fruits and vegetables. In the back of the El Paraiso, you can shop the meat counter and also get ready-to-eat Ecuadorian foods like empanadas, maduros, ceviche, and asadas. There is a small eat-in area in the rear of the shop, or you can get your food to go.

Back on East Lake Street is La Mexicana Supermercado (1522 E Lake St, Minneapolis). You can’t miss La Mexicana’s lusciously painted mural on the corner of East Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue. A large, well-lit store, La Mexicana features pantry staples like flour, sugar, and boxed goods from Mexico, as well as a variety of handmade artisan goodies like figurines and decorative skulls, bowls, or other pottery. There is an expansive meat counter with cuts you might not find in a typical Minnesota market, as well as an array of packaged imported spices and herbs will help you hit just the right flavor notes for your home cooking. The produce section is one I’ll return to again and again for its stock of items difficult to find in Minnesota including many tropical fruits and vegetables like plantain (both green and ripe), mango, and yucca. A large, fresh bakery case will tempt you with pastries like the colorful, sugar-dusted conchas.

Special Treats

If you haven’t had enough delectable pastries at the markets, stop by Papá Chuy’s Bakery (2409 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis) in Uptown. Located on the first floor of a vintage apartment building on Lyndale Avenue, Papá Chuy’s has a cozy dining area, where you can eat fresh sandwiches, chilaquiles, and breakfast burritos. But the real attraction is the fresh-made Mexican baked goods. Try the custard-filled conos, the sugared monos or bigotes, and of course the colorful conchas. Choose your personalized selection of pastries and they’ll package your treats to take home or eat in.

In warmer weather—or anytime, really—you can also satisfy your sweet tooth with a visit to a Mexican ice cream shop. Try La Michoacana Purepecha (701 East Lake Street, Minneapolis) for ice cream, milkshakes, and paletas (Mexican popsicles). Founded by immigrants from Michoacán, Mexico, the shop serves all the sweetest treats with flavors like mango and lime. With dollops of whipped cream and strawberry or cherry accents, these delights are as decadent looking as they are delicious. And, if you do end up going to the Mall of America, La Michoacana has a location there, too.