Sort of the diner where everybody knows your name. Great hash browns. Watching the griddle guy manage fourteen orders is mesmerizing. The coffee is as it was back in the 70's - no muss, no fuss. read more

Fabulous food and exceptional customer service! The people who work there are so friendly. They make everyone feel special AND the food 'yummy' read more

Fantastic place, great people, tasty food and amazing prices. We had a great time here and met some of the locals who were happy to share some of the history of the place and explain a few of the rules, like don't sit down without the staff letting you know where to go first. It's a tiny place that serves up good food pretty fast at really reasonable prices and it's hopefully going to stick around a lot longer. read more

Ok, looked for a local diner on yelp. Found this place. Opens early which works for. Located close to my new apartment, even better. Got here right after they opened. As mentioned in other reviews this diner is small, but dont let that fool you. Its all counter seating. No problem, you get to watch the cook in action. Service was good. The food even better. I had the chicken fried steak. Delicious. Eggs over easy, hash browns. Great rye toast. Talking with the locals and they said everything is good. I will be back to try other items like the NW omelet. It was huge and a popular item. read more

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I had breakfast here on Indigenous Peoples Day. Though busy, we got a seat at the counter right away but waited a bit for our food. Worth the wait and worth every penny! The pancakes here are outrageous! Servings are huge so I split the Nordeaster omelette with my daughter. The crowd was eclectic. Everyone was here. They have customer service down! Coffee is served while you wait for your seat at the counter. The young girl who served us said wait times in Fri, Sat and Sun are up to 2 hours. They are only open for breakfast and lunch. read more

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This place is a classic hole in the wall. Nothing more than a bar with a grill behind it, which is certainly charming if you're into the way things were. We picked it because the reviews were good, but didn't know how small it was until we walked in. We got there early enough that we beat the Sunday brunch crowd and got three seats right away. Coffee and waters were kept full by the busy waitresses behind the bar, which I always appreciate! I ordered the country fried steak as pictured. It was delicious and generously portioned. I would definitely order it again! As I was enjoying my meal, the place started to fill up, and I felt claustrophobic as the waitress took orders over my shoulder and asked to pass coffee behind me. Then, I found a hair in my eggs - eeewwww. So, I was about done at that point. Thankfully, I had already eaten to my heart's content. I didn't like the passive feeling of being rushed out as it got busier, but maybe that's just a me problem. Overall, I would return, maybe when it's less busy (if there is such a time for this place?). read more

Ideal Diner - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Delish...the best pancakes in town. Thin, yet still fluffy, and the flavor. The country fried steak is masterful...meat sauce is tasty. Even the toast (rye, wheat or white) are fluffy and flavorful. My new favorite joint...wish I discovered sooner! read more

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Phenomenal service, phenomenal food, amazing, niche tiny little diner. Three people behind the counter, one cook, one dishwasher, one server, absolutely friendly as all hell. Tiny spot, only one line of bar seating for food, 8 seats inside for waiting, maybe 12 seats total. Absolutely worth the wait. Polish sausage was awesome. Came here 2 times on our visit, was awesome. read more

Ideal Diner - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

If you drive on Central, you've probably blinked & missed this eatery... We supported local and independent today by bicycling to breakfast here. The takeout window is open and there are tables behind & on the side of the diner. I had the BLT with tater tots...and it was fabulous! No bacon shortage in this sandwich! The tuna salad sandwich was a generous portion of innards as well! We all LOVED the warm reception of the staff here (they let us park our bikes in the grassy area) as well as bringing our food out to us. One more thing to note....it was one of the most inexpensive breakfasts we have had in a while, but the food was more than worth the stop. read more

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Recently moved to Minneapolis and a friend told me about ideal diner. I told her I was looking for a place that I could walk into just as I am and have a great food. This is exactly what I was looking for. I didn't want fancy I just wanted to place where I could sit down and have a great meal. I have come many many times since the first time. I could eat here every day honestly. The guests are respectable. The staff are respectful. The food is good. They're fast and they're honest. read more

Friendly N.E. service in a diner that has stood the test of time foe a reason. This is the place my mom and grandparents came to get great food at a good price and meet there friends. And we are fortunate enough to be able to share that experience because they are still here. Cant say enough about the overall spirit of this place. Come and see read more

Ideal Diner - Tuesday special...Thick and super tasty fried fish sandwich with a nice amount of crispy fries - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This is a great place I enjoy eating at frequently and have for many years. Unfortunately the new cook was unorganized, slow, and confused. I understand that new employees need to get accustomed to their new work environment and role, but the guy was out of order, and the food was cold because of it. Also, my food wasn't cooked properly. Overcooked eggs and uncooked English muffin. I will continue to visit this place, but thought I'd bring this to everyone's attention. Patience and zero food quality expectations need to be considered with this new employee. read more

Great food. I've gotten the steak and eggs twice in two days. Love this place. 11/10.

This was probably one of the best breakfasts I've had in the Twin Cities. 14 stools set up at the counter and only a few other stools by the windows, but the staff will take your drink order and keep you happy while you wait for a seat to open. And while it's a little cramped, everyone seemed content to bump elbows and just enjoy some good food. I had the chicken fried steak, eggs over easy, hash browns, and toast. The CFS came covered in sausage gravy which was excellent. Eggs were cooked perfectly and the hash browns were giant shreds of potatoes that were delicious. The coffee here was great too! The place was packed but I never felt rushed. Fantastic service and meal! read more

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One of my favorite places to eat in Northeast. It's a humble diner with plenty of seating right on the bar kind of like they have at Al's breakfast., Delicious burgers. The fish sandwich is breaded to order before it's fried. Crinkle style fries which I like. And food made without salt by default which works well with my diet. Not to worry salt fanatics it is available. They also have a wide variety of breakfast offerings of the diner style hash browns eggs bacon sausage that kind of thing. Yum! read more

Ideal Diner - Mouse Door - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I really enjoyed breakfast here! It's such a unique spot with great food and service. I wouldn't not recommend going with a group of 4 or more because all they have for seating is a counter. Legit just one long counter. The flat top is in front of you and everything is made before your eyes. Depending on when you go, you might be waiting for a bit and after you are done eating there is likely people ready to fill your seat. But it's worth it. Everything is great and a simple satisfying traditional breakfast. In my group of 3 we each ordered something different then split the pancakes. After eating we agreed we all could have just order a bunch of pancakes and that would have been perfect because they were so so so so good! Maybe a side of bacon or two. :) Highly recommend stopping in! read more

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Wow this place is amazing! It is a busy small diner but I was thoroughly impressed with the staff and how they kept things moving. They are a well oiled machine and so friendly too! The food (corned beef hash, omelette, and pancakes) was delicious! I highly recommend this diner! read more

Excellent food service in a classic diner, good prices too. Cool classic vibe. A must visit.

I really liked the atmosphere. the crowd is mostly regulars and the conversation between the people behind the counter is very warm and cozy. The food is good, and it is fun to be able to watch the cook make your food (and everyone else's) on the cooktop. I had biscuits and gravy and a coke. I was worried because I didn't get a spoon, but the gravy was thick enough to eat with a fork, there was a ton of it and it was tasty. The biscuits underneath were toasted on the cooktop and were very good. The coke tasted off, but I don't think they get a lot of soda orders. My husband and his brother also liked their food. The place was already crowded at 7 am. The stools are fixed to the floor which made it uncomfortable to sit on them. I'm old, I need a comfortable chair. You should go, the experience is definitely worth it. (Unless you're old and have a big butt.) read more

I was passing through the Twin Cities this AM OMW to Edmonton, Canada... I looked up on the web to see what great breakfast places are open and Ideal Diner was on the list. I like reading reviews and it seemed like it was an IDEAL place. In short, I'd like to say, I DID enjoy my meal and service was great! I'm a Food Safety Specialist and If I'm sitting where the kitchen is in full view, I cannot help but notice things. It's my nature... That said, please take this as constructive criticism what I'm about to say: Please ensure your employees are properly washing their hands using SOAP and not using the cloth towels to dry hands and then use the same towel to wipe surfaces or touch hot items. I noticed cross contamination: Cook placed a cryovac sealed raw steak on the counter he uses to cut ready to eat food on its surface and did not sanitize the surface afterwards. He also used the same knife for slicing bread to slice open that cryovacced raw steak without sanitizing afterwards - I cringed... and cringed again as hands were also not washed. Also, hands are not to be "washed" or sanitized in the sanitizer bucket. Remember, you never know who is watching. Hundreds of customers pass through your doors and sit down and see full view the kitchen in front of them and they might not say or notice a thing of the violations (I observed). Thank you! read more

Ideal Diner embodies the minimalist mentality and simplicity at its finest. We went to Ideal Diner for brunch on MLK day and were surprised to see that there were a few stools open at the counter when we walked inside. This was my first time here and I was anticipating a wait given the small space and what I've heard from others. We sat down right away and a girl behind the counter immediately gave us waters, menus, and my friend ordered a coffee. I ordered the Chorizo Benedict ($8.75) and a side of hash browns. My friend got the Meat and Eggs ($6.75). She chose to get bacon and scrambled eggs with wheat bread. The service was consistent and lightning fast. The waitress we had was so quick to fill our waters and checked back with us after she served our food. The benny had a generous amount of hollandaise and the chorizo tasted amazing! My friend's bacon was nice and crispy, but what were supposed to be scrambled eggs definitely were not scrambled. Aside from that little mishap, Ideal Dinner treated us so well! They have insanely cheap prices for both breakfast and lunch food. I can't wait to try one of their burgers next time! The service was impeccable. The owner was present and interacted with her employees and customers. We even witnessed an act of kindness. One of the men working behind the counter helped walk an elderly woman (who seemed to be a regular at Ideal Diner) straight to her car outside. In this day and age, you don't ever see that. It was heart-warming to see one of the staff members go out of his way. Ideal Diner clearly does their best to make everyone feel at home. read more

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The name perfectly describes. This place is exactly what you want from a diner. Great food, service, and prices. Classic small diner vibe.

Great food with exceptional service! Corn beef hash was excellent. Chorizo patties, not crumbled made the perfect Eggs Benedict. Great Sunday experience! read more

You ever drive by a place think to yourself, is that place good or we should try that. Well you probably have driven by IDEAL. Not only once twice or even three times and thought to yourself I'm going to try it. Well we did and for the past 11 months this is the IDEAL spot for some truly down home cooking. With a hands down great cook and a flat top, that he prepares some of the best and home style food that you cannot resist. Time and time again it never fails we get great service and an amazing compliment of a meal. So if you don't mind a single bar with about 14 barstools and all you hear from the customers is how great this place is and how long they have been coming here. Maybe you should try an IDEAL spot. read more

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I came here to pick up food for doordash and I've currently been waiting over 30min for my food to be done. They been received my order and weren't even working on it till I arrived there. Also she told me it would be 20min and it's been 30min now so that's how much they care about making the customer happy, also there work ethic is very poor and I would never recommend coming here if your in a rush or expect to receive excellent service with being served your food and or greeting you, which they don't at all not even a hello at all. All they said to me is what do you want like how rude this mom and pop shop is to their guest is very disturbing and honestly terrible 1/2-stars I would give this place for sure if I could!!!! read more

Ideal Diner - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Was in Minneapolis for work and our flight was delayed. Found this little gem on yelp and it was pretty awesome. Tiny little diner was like a trip back in time, from the functioning rotary dial pay phone to the barstool only seating. The food was tasty, super hot and the staff were funny and pleasant. 73 years of operation make this a diner not to miss! I would have given 5 stars but they don't offer ice for your drinks...found that strange. read more

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Nicole was warm and friendly; food was excellent. It was a great experience and we will be back.

This place is busy! We got there 830 and had to wait to order til a seat opened up, even when placing an order to-go they take orders when walked in the door. We got Breakfast Buddy, it was Sausage, egg & cheese served on a muffin and side of hashbrowns. Dang Delicious!!! Worth the wait. Amazing workers kicking out the food and server dealing with all the ppl coming and going. read more

Really cool spot for breakfast located in a tiny, inconspicuous building. Very limited seating at a bar and some waiting seats at the windows. They really have their system down and the wait is never too bad. But don't expect to sit and chat here, they like the seats to turn faster and frequently. There is one cook and he is fun to watch. The pancakes are wonderful and huge. The omelettes are good go to and reliably delicious. I've had their steak and eggs as well as a meat type omelette. They have classic shredded hash browns, which I prefer over other types of breakfast potatoes. Definitely consider stopping here for breakfast if you are in town. read more

Ideal diner was a very quaint and cozy place to grab breakfast. I loved that they kept the coffee flowing. There was no chance that I was going to see the bottom of my coffee mug, as the waitresses were very attentive. I had the biscuits and gravy, which was just okay. The biscuits were a little to firm/dry for my liking, and I wished the gravy had more savory sausage flavor. I would avoid coming in big groups as the seats are limited. Three people would be the maximum number that I would recommend. Even with that, expect a short wait. We were there at 10:30 am on a Sunday morning and were lucky enough to be seated within 5-10 mins. However, there was a big rush right after we sat down. read more

Super cozy atmosphere serving up awesome breakfast food. Staff was incredibly friendly, everything reasonably priced (2 people ate full breakfast and coffee for $30 including tip), and food was very tasty. Will be coming back for lunch sometime! Recommend getting there right away in the morning to ensure you can get a seat. read more

Nice hole in wall but popular diner! Great food and atmosphere. The people who run is are welcoming and are efficient. Prices are even better and didn't get affected by inflation lol might be a wait cause it's not so big but they move fast and worth it. Highly recommend! read more

AWESOME old school breakfast diner. They are always packed, which says a lot about their food and service. Great pancakes!

Delicious breakfast classics. It's a tight squeeze but worth it. They ask you right away if you want a hot cup of coffee. You can watch them cook your food right in front of you on the hot griddle. French toast was buttery and yummy! read more

This is a love it or hate it place it seems. Me, well I can't help but love it! There is something strangely addictive about their pancakes. I'm not a pancake person normally but it has crispy edges, soaked up syrup but doesn't loose the sponge, but that's not it completely either. It's great! The SO likes their tuna sandwich?... oh yeah they always have lemon meringue pie! read more

The food is fabulous and while Waiting one can see a well oiled machine. Breakfast was wonderful but so is watchIng the three peraon team preparing the food. This is our second time at the diner when visiting Minnrapolis. read more

Ideal Diner - Biscuits and gravy. - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Definitely ideal! A great Northeast hole in the wall, this place is intimate and super affordable, fast & warm service, and the food is amazing-- classic diner food, don't miss out on the pancakes. Not to mention the portions are huge! Definitely give it a try if you're looking for a classic, no frills American diner experience with the Midwest hospitality. read more

Good eggs, hash browns, and pancakes. Fast, friendly service. I'll be back!

I've been hearing my co-workers rant and rave about this spot and today I finally got to try it. This little diner is very unassuming and the maximum capacity is probably less than 20 people-- but don't let that fool you. You'll get fresh, delicious breakfast and comfort foods that are prepared right in front of you as well as fantastic service. I got the vegetable omelette. It was so tasty, FULL of veggies, and came with buttered toast (can't complain). Ive heard it's hard to get a seat here during typical breakfast & lunch hours. We came at 9:30 and got three seats within 5 mins. Also: The food here is super affordable, your meal will definitely be under $10 unless you order multiple entrees or something crazy. read more

Ideal Diner - The cook! - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Went at a busy time on a Sunday afternoon. The diner can only seat a few people at a time so we ended Up waiting an hour for our food. The biscuits and gravy was alright. Nothing super special and my biscuits were overdone. But the omelets are great! And it's fun to see your food being prepared right in front of you. Bottomless mugs of coffee helps the wait time too! read more

Ideal Diner - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota