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Top 11 Restaurants in Mall of America

Mall of America, situated just outside Minneapolis and St. Paul, in Bloomington, Minnesota, is the largest mall in the entire United States and has been since it opened in 1992. The mall has more than 500 stores spread across four levels, along with an entire theme park, mini-golf, movie theaters, and other experiences.

chef plating dish at mall of america restaurant

With all that goodness spread across 5.6 million square feet, there is a ton of stuff to do. It’s not just a mall. It’s a whole experience. With all that space, you’re bound to get hungry. Unfortunately, sometimes malls have a bad reputation for poorly made, cheap food. Fortunately, for mallgoers, Mall of America has over 50 different dining options available, from quick and easy to sit down and elegant, and many of them are top-notch.


Twin City Grill

Twin City Grill
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130 North Garden 1ST FLOOR, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: 952-854-0200
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First, we’ll go to the North Garden and the Twin City Grill. Sitting between Nordstrom’s and Sears, Twin City Grill serves up American comfort foods, focusing on Minnesota specialties. It’s a warm, comfortable environment and a great stop during your Mall of America visit. The specialty of the house is the Northern Lakes Fresh Walleye Fish Fry. Walleye is a local fish, so it’s always fresh. The chefs at Twin City Grill fry it to crispy perfection and serve it alongside tartar sauce and garlic coleslaw. The salt and vinegar fries are a great side with a ton of flavor.


FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar

FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar
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2100 Killebrew Dr, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: 952-851-4040
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Mall of America hosts a Radisson Blu hotel, and that’s where you’ll find FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar. FireLake offers a modern take on farm-to-table cuisine, with an upscale dining room and a menu packed with regionally grown and raised ingredients. Most of the items at FireLake are great, but if you want a truly unique experience, bring a group and get the Steak Night. This shareable feast is a huge house salad, a tomahawk steak cooked and sliced to order, two sides, and a dessert trio. It’s a great way to bring people together and have some of the best cuisine in all of Minnesota.


Cedar + Stone, Urban Table

Cedar + Stone, Urban Table
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2141 Lindau Ln, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: 612-615-0124
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Mall of America also houses a JW Marriott hotel, which is home to the very upscale Cedar + Stone, Urban Table. This restaurant focuses on high-end American cuisine and a great wine selection. Their offering is so good that it won a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2019. The house-made maple bacon biscuits are a must-try starter if you’re in for breakfast. Fresh, fluffy biscuits served with maple butter and applewood bacon are perfection. For dinner, I’m a fan of the braised short rib. It slowly cooks for hours until it’s fall-apart tender and comes with cheesy cheddar grits and a red wine demi-glace.


Masu Sushi & Robata

Masu Sushi & Robata
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Mall of America, 344 South Avenue, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: 952-896-6278
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Masu Sushi & Robata is a well-regarded Japanese chain in the Twin Cities area. Its’ Mall of America location, on level 3 of the mall, is a very worthy addition. A chic atmosphere welcomes guests to a menu full of sushi, noodles, and other Japanese fares. For me, the top draw at Masu is their ramen bowls. They come in varieties like curry and chicken kimchi, but the pork belly is best. You’ll receive noodles served in a pork broth alongside pork shoulder, a poached egg, a fish cake, and wakame. If you like, you can also order extra spicy!


Shake Shack

Shake Shack
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332 North Garden, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: 952-466-6056
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Shake Shack is one of the most popular and fastest-growing hamburger chains in the United States. Their Mall of America location is on the North side of Level 3. There, you’ll find a spectacular selection of burgers, fries, frozen treats, and seasonal selections. The ShackBurger is the most well-known item and a must-try. It’s the ideal form of the cheeseburger with a griddled patty, lettuce, tomato, and special ShackSauce on a potato bun. That and crinkle-cut fries are a great meal on their own, but if you have room for a hand-spun shake, you definitely should get one.


Cantina Laredo

Cantina Laredo
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300 West Market, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: 952-406-8311
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Cantina Laredo is your best bet if you’re at the mall and looking for delicious Mexican food. Located in the West Market section of the mall, Cantina Laredo brings modern twists to traditional Mexican recipes. They also have a fantastic house margarita called the Casa Rita, which might be just the thing you need after a long shopping day! The guacamole is an excellent start to any meal and is prepared tableside, with fresh avocados, jalapenos, tomato, red onion, cilantro, fresh limes, and queso fresco. I also really enjoy all of Cantina Laredo’s taco plates, including Impossible tacos for the vegetarians out there.


Burger Burger

Burger Burger
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321 South Avenue, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: 612-383-2454
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Burger Burger, in the South section of Mall of America, takes the idea of the classic burger chain and really brings it to the next level. The restaurant grinds all their beef in-house every day and brings in as much local protein and produce as possible. It’s a great place to have a cold beer and a tasty meal. You’ll want to bring your appetite to try out the B.A.M.F. A fresh-ground beef patty comes with sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and pickle slices. But that’s not all! You also get applewood-smoked bacon, special sauce, and french fry ends right on the burger.


Wahlburgers

Wahlburgers
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234 North Garden, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: 952-854-1655
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Mall of America is a superb spot for burger lovers. Another great option is on the second level at Wahlburgers. The brainchild of chef Paul Wahlberg, Wahlburgers was the focus of a long-running television series about the food and the famous family behind it. The menu definitely lives up to the reputation! The Our Burger is an excellent introduction to Wahlburgers. It’s a classic quarter-pound patty with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and signature Wahl sauce. However, the burger sets itself apart with its patented government cheese. It’s a secret mix of different cheeses that gives Wahlburgers a flavor you won’t find anywhere else.


CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar (Mall of America – Bloomington)

CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar (Mall of America - Bloomington)
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368 South Avenue, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: 952-854-5000
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CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar brings excellent food and a fun atmosphere to the southern part of Mall of America. Tons of wood and exposed ceilings give the dining room a chic, industrial feel, and the menu focuses on freshness in every single item. If you’re a craft cocktail fan, you’ll love CRAVE. I like to match mine with their specialty sushi rolls, like their Godzilla. The Godzilla roll is enormous and filled with spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, and seaweed salad, before being topped with crunch flakes and a sweet sauce.


Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
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396 South Avenue 3rd Floor, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: 952-853-6600
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You might know Bubba Gump Shrimp Company best from its beginnings in the 90s movie “Forrest Gump.” Go to Bubba Gump on Level 3 at Mall of America, and you’ll feel like you’ve just walked into a fish shack right on the ocean. When you go, you have to get shrimp for sure. One great way to do that is in the Shrimp Po Boy. The Po Boy is a sandwich straight out of New Orleans, and Bubba Gump does a great job with it. Fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato, a pickle, and mayonnaise sit in a warm, crisp baguette. Straightforward and delicious!


A&W Restaurant

A&W Restaurant
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376 Central Parkway, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: 952-405-6992
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Sometimes, you don’t have a ton of time to eat when you’re out at the mall. Instead, you want something quick and delicious. If that’s the case, go to the Level 3 food court and visit A&W. This chain restaurant offers American classics like hot dogs and burgers done well. One massive draw at A&W is their root beer. You’ve probably had root beer at some point, but have you ever had fresh, draft root beer? It’s cold, sweet, and a great treat. At A&W, you can get it by the cup or as part of a root beer float.


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Written by Brian Nagele

Brian attended West Virginia University, then started his career in the IT industry before following his passion for marketing and hospitality. He has over 20 years experience in the restaurant and bar industry.

As a former restaurant owner, he knows about running a food business and loves to eat and enjoy cocktails on a regular basis. He constantly travels to new cities tasting and reviewing the most popular spots.

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