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    Mickey's by Willy

    3.5 (141 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours

    Order Mickey's by Willy Takeout or Delivery

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    MICKEY'S BY WILLY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Casual
    Dogs allowed

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    I don't remember if this substituted anything - possibly the salad - but it was good.
    Robert G.

    Departure day breakfast - restaurant not selected - 1 of 2 It was my last day in the Twin Cities before being dropped off at Union Depot to experience the nostalgic albeit potentially slow as molasses excursion on Amtrak. I was discussing with my friend where to eat prior to my being dropped off at the train station. I mentioned both Mickey's downtown and this locale, Mickey's by Willy, which might have been named Mickey's II at one time. My friend kept on pushing places closer to UMinn which, on a weekend day, ought to have more parking. I lost, wanting to eat here or at the "original" Willy's, but then I didn't push so hard and was open to trying somewhere new. This review isn't for the most recent of experiences but the place is the same, the food is mostly unchanged, and discussion of the service at Mickey's by Willy seems about right. On a previous visit, I had wanted to eat at Mickey's downtown, which is the diner in a "Streamline Moderne" sort of metallic train car that may even be a historic or protected locale by this time. That Mickey's no longer featured the Sputnik burger, a double decker burger, which, based on photos, I really wanted to eat. Eating in the funky diner car and having a Sputnik burger seemed like having my cake and eating it, too. Since that couldn't be, they told me of the other Mickey's. I called ahead to make sure they had the Sputnik burger. They did. This Mickey's is a standard diner through and through. They have breakfast, lunch, and dinner fare. I got a Sputnik burger with a side and a soft drink. I don't know if the Twin Cities ever had Big Boy franchises, but this was probably the closest thing to a Bob's double decker burger in the area. It was good, but the bun layer in the middle tasted a little "flat" and/or didn't have ingredients slathered on it like other restaurants serving double decker burgers do. Nonetheless, I [[HIGHLIGHT]]was happy with my food. I went in at an hour between lunch and dinner an[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]d it wasn't that crowded. I remember that the person who was juggling various hats took the time to provide the table service and make small talk with me about the diner, things in the Twin Cities, and the world. That means that the service was good. The pricing was fair. Mickey's by Willy sits on 7th Avenue in St. Paul. They have a parking lot. If at or near the airport, it would be excessive to take the Metro Blue up to Minneapolis and then the Green line over to St. Paul. That's because 7th Avenue acts as a hypotenuse and makes the jaunt between MSP/Bloomington and St. Paul very quick. Also, take note that Mickey's by Willy is open 24 hours.

    Breakfast with gyros
    Tim R.

    Good basic breakfast options. No eggs benedict or what not but they have basic breakfast options cooked competently. Reflecting a change in management over the last decade, they've added stuff like beef bacon and gyro meat in addition to bacon and sausage for breakfast meat options which is cool.

    My sister and I enjoying a reunion brunch.
    Cindy A.

    I've lived in Minnesota for decades and had never dined here before. My sister flew in from Kansas and I decided she was the perfect person to share the experience with. The food was great!

    Bacon omelette, add cheese (+$.99)
    Ethan H.

    This was a rough experience. One of the few true 24 hour establishments in the Twin Cities--and a reimagining of the iconic street car diner in downtown Saint Paul--I was looking forward to coming here. Taking advantage of its 24 hour nature, I went around 11:30 PM. It's not clear when you enter, but you're meant to seat yourself. The space itself consists of a bar overlooking the flattop and four booths. It's harshly lit and smells of cooking smoke. The only empty table was dirty from its last patron, which we cleaned up ourselves before sitting. No big deal itself, but the service was similarly off with a curt server who we never saw again after ordering. They were also out of many items, including ice cream for milkshakes and chili. Understandable for most establishments at this time of night, but as a place billing itself as 24 hours was a little disappointing. All this could've been excused as part of the experience by some deliciously greasy classic diner fare. However, this place is an insult to classic greasy spoons it resembles-- we received the least edible food I've been served in a restaurant. The grilled cheese special was straightforward and fine-- barring the cold soggy fries that accompanied it. The bacon omelette, on the other hand, was scorched. Suddenly, that cooking smoke started to make sense. Blackened on the grilled side, I opened the omelette to salvage what I could, only to find the cheese unmelted. How's that possible? How does someone burn an egg--an impressive feat on its own--while managing to avoid melting the cheese? All said and done, next time I want a ashen omelette I'll know where to go. It seems like others have had better experiences, so perhaps this was an off night. If you find yourself here, I certainly hope that's the case.

    Cali burger with hash browns
    Stacy A.

    This place really delivers on a typical American diner experience. Quick made good food, efficient service. I wouldn't make a special drive out here but definitely a good choice if you are in the area.

    Dominik D.

    Yes! I was worried I wasn't going to find a 24 hour greasy spoon in the twin cities. But here it is, on the edge of Highland not too far from the Mississippi. I had loaded hash browns and a drink for $8. Btw, they don't have decaf, just FYI.

    America's Favorite All Day Meal

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    7 months ago

    Average food that is always great on those late nights. Service is decent. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Love the vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

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    2 years ago

    Good food taste amazing LARGE pancakes good drinks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    3 years ago

    Good food reasonably priced . Super nice staff & open 24/7 . I like the blt add fried egg

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    3 years ago

    Service was amazing and the food was excellent and the staff and drinks were excellent

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    2 years ago

    Exactly what you want in a diner! Great breakfast made with real ingredients and not too much grease. Love it here!

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Mickey's by Willy

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    Hi-Lo Diner

    Hi-Lo Diner

    4.0
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    4.0 mi
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    Food was delicious and I crushed the kids menu word search. Awesome menu though I wasn't…read moreadventurous today. Great service with nice outdoor seating.

    We sat outside and the service was great. Unfortunately the price is way too high for what they…read moreserve. I ordered a Denver omelette. The veg was a very not cut correctly: chunks of green bell peppers and over chunky sliced onions that were not cooked through. Please stop being lazy and chop your veg and cook the onion . Green salad was hot Not impressed. And the Bloody Mary mix is sub par. However, the diner is cute and service is good. Second visit: had to sit at counter which is fine. They were busy. The bad: Bloody Mary's were flat and expensive $13 each. No depth of flavor, thought we would give them a second chance. . Ordered croquette madame. Egg was severely undercooked - the egg white was gelatatinous and the bread way too thick, ham fatty and subpar, where were you Béchamel? I took a bite of my breakfast and he hands me a box at the end when I asked for the check--not asking if anything is wrong. Two bites out of the spring mix salad and sandwich. Bloody Mary full. $70 for a salad, madame croquette, slow service which is no problem. It's a tiny diner and around lunch time. No worries there. But uncomfortable dining service because we could feel the tension between the server and bartender. Again for me? NBD but my daughter did not appreciate this. The good: the Mediterranean salad was delicious according to my daughter. She had the same thoughts about the Bloody Marys. Super cute beer backs- pony miller high life. I brought the croque madame home and my son loved it. Went on and on about how amazing it was. In all fairness my adult kids loved their food. He did microwave it to cook the egg through. Yes I know I am picky because I worked in the restaurant industry for over 22 years. And I can make better food at home. I just expect a bit more if I am going to drop $70 for two lunch entrees and two drinks. Not including the tip. Bottom line: I would not go back for this very expensive diner that doesn't know how to properly cook simple things. Or chop veg. Or make a drink.

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    I first went to Al's in the mid-80's, was a regular in the early 90's and early 00's. Hadn't gone…read moreback until recently. Still love this place and am becoming a regular again. I miss the crusty humor of Doug but believe Allison has done a great job (I was actually there on her first day of work!) of keeping the true spirit of Al's alive. They are one of my favorite places for hollandaise sauce!

    Not for the claustrophobic! Also they only take cash or check. Also lots of other things…read more This place is so narrow it's barely three-dimensional. It is the breakfast-diner equivalent of a crowded subway train at rush hour. This place is basically a counter with about a dozen stools, and they serve breakfast staples every morning. There is no room behind the stools, and yet because people think this is a fun experience they wait in a line behind the stools. They sometimes move the stool people to different stools mid-meal to strategically fill stools with the stool-waitbehinders. It is a challenging experience. The food is not good enough to make up for the effort it takes to be here. In the past I've gotten normal, acceptable eggs/bacon meals. This time I got Eggs Benedict with nice, tart sauce. The eggs were a bit overdone, which is fine if you're not someone who likes a runny yolk situation. I also got hash browns which, on their own, tasted like they were steamed in bilge water. Most people probably put lots of ketchup or hot sauce on them. But you're kind of there for the experience. And it is an experience of cramming yourself in with hipsters and tolerating surly cooks who urgently shout to each other - right next to you - about needed ingredients while occasionally shaming you for not waiting in line correctly. The ambiance is not the slightest bit boring. If this review doesn't scare you away you will probably love it.

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    Love the inclusive atmosphere
    Love the inclusive atmosphere
    Blackberry and chocolate chip flapjack
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    Line moves fast and talk about a view lol

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    Ze's Diner

    Ze's Diner

    4.3
    (299 reviews)
    5.5 mi
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    Oh Wow! I have been to Ze's Diner in Bloomington and the Eagan location about 6 times now for…read morebreakfast. Each time, fantastic! My mainstay for breakfast is Perkins. Or was. Try Ze's, If only once. If you don't like it, go back to Perkins. I brought the family unit to Ze's about two weeks ago in Eagan, Mn, and the food/service did not disappoint. We ordered the Rancher for the wife, the kids pancakes for the daughter, and the chicken fried steak breakfast for myself. Delicious. Plus they have two different hot sauces on the table, as well as their homemade jam! I thought it was ketchup at first, but I put it on everything. This is now a weekly event for breakfast. I'm finna go there for lunch and see what they have to offer soon. Good vibes people. Eat and be happy.

    Was hungry for a Ze's breakfast, however the food at the one near my home has not had good food for…read morequite a long time. My wife has been to this location several times and has enjoyed it so decided to make the drive. It was definitely worth it! Despite being extremely busy, the restaurant was clean and service was excellent. We knew what we wanted so ordered as soon as the server came to our table. We received our drinks right away, and although we didn't time it, felt like it only took 5 minutes to receive our food. We watched around us and it appeared that was the case with all their tables/customers. Ordered the country fried steak, over medium eggs, hash browns, and toast. Everything was cooked perfectly, was hot, and tasted great!

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    Ze's Diner
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    Mickey's by Willy - diners - Updated August 2026

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