My husband and I visited Petite Leon after hearing about their mentions in Food & Wine and the New York Times. The restaurant itself is a smaller space but the tables were well spaced out and the decor was nice. We started with cocktails - I had a gin martini and my husband had the Verde. The martini was good, but the Verde was amazing. There are a lot of strong flavors with mezcal, aquavit, and tomatillo all being ingredients, but the end result was a flavorful, well-balanced cocktail. Highly recommend. Our server was attentive, polite, and gave great recommendations for how to split the food and which dishes she recommended personally but also which dishes she saw ordered a lot. She was great about giving her opinions on the food and also giving feedback she'd heard from customers (even if customer feedback wasn't super positive). We started with the stuffed piquillo peppers (highlighted as one of 2022's best bites in Food & Wine) and the steak tartar. The piquillo peppers were very good and the steak tartar was average. My husband thought the tartar had too much cardamom that overpowered the steak, but I thought it was good. We next had the mussels. Holy cow. These were amazing! I'm not a fan of mussels (I think they're rubbery and fishy) but these were tender and flavorful. They provided a sizable portion of mussels with nice big pieces of grilled bread to sop up the sauce and wow. This was one of the best dishes I've had in a very long time. Highly, highly recommend. Finally we moved to entrees and split the gnudi and shrimp and grits. The gnudi had three dumplings with some sauce - we both thought the dish was good but overpriced for the size of the dish and it certainly wasn't mind blowing. The shrimp and grits were very good - about five really large shrimp and a healthy portion of grits. It was flavorful and a good value for the amount of shrimp! We finished with the cheesecake and a decaf French press. The cheesecake was extremely rich and was almost as if they had served us a block of cream cheese. If I hadn't had coffee to cut through the richness, it would have been tough to enjoy. With the coffee, we were still only able to get through about half of the piece. I will say, the portion is really large for the price. The decaf French press was a bit weak, but our server had warned us about that so we were expecting it. Overall, I highly recommend. It's hard to criticize and even the negative aspects of the visit were very minor. I will definitely be back! read more

Every dish I've had here has been fantastic. Arguably the best burger in MN. The stuffed peppers are fantastic. I've probably recommended this place a hundred times. read more

I Was actually feeling like pizza tonight, so we went to Boludo for the first time. It had been hyped up so much in the pizza group, maybe too much because it didn't live up to it in my opinion. Well, I still had room and I didn't know til I arrived that Petite Leon is right across the street from Boludo. So I dropped in for my first burger there. It was real solid. I prefer a little more complexity of flavor on my burger personally, like a good aioli or burger sauce, or pickles with a little more zest, so I'd put a few other burgers above this one, but the meat itself may be the best burger patty I've had yet. Perfectly cooked double smashed patties. Additionally, the top half of the bun was one of the better ones in my opinion, but the bottom one was soaked with juice from the burger. It was a bit too messy for my liking, which detracted a bit from my enjoyment of eating it. An extra perk was that the staff was all delightful and very warm with our toddler. My wife and I enjoyed the smile and silly face tag that a couple of them were playing together with our little girl. read more

Petite Leon - Mexican Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This place is overhyped and overpriced. Food is ok, but not worth the price. I got the cheeseburger and carne asada, both were ok. The cheeseburger tasted like a normal cheeseburger nothing special. The carne asada was not tender and it was dry. I did like the Piquillo peppers and the service was great! read more

See all

We ate at Petite Leon for the first time last night & were blown away. The restaurant itself is beautiful. It has a cozy ambiance that feels very welcoming. Our server was attentive and charming, and she gave us great recommendations. We had a round of cocktails and falafel to start. The falafel was wonderful & I loved the hummus that came with it. For our mains we had the burger, pollo al carbon, lamb birria, and wedge salad. I had a little bit of each and was not disappointed by a single thing - everything was flavorful and plated beautifully (still kicking myself for not taking photos). We were celebrating a couple birthdays so ended our meal with a slice of cheesecake. I could take or leave the cheesecake, but our server was kind enough to light a couple candles with it which was a nice touch. We can't wait to come back! read more

My partner and I came in for a quick snack and a drink before meeting up with family for dinner elsewhere. It was our first experience here. Upon entering, we were greeted warmly and immediately by a younger, lovely, female host. We had a reservation for 2 at the bar top. My issue with our experience is when we got to the bar and sat down. We were the first ones to sit at the bar after the restaurant opened, but not the first ones in the place. I'm not sure what his issue was, but the bartender, a middle-aged, bald guy, with round glasses, didn't welcome or greet us AT ALL. He stood with his arms crossed, starting at us, and when I sat down and (AS THE GUEST) greeted him with a "hey, how's it going" I was COMPLETELY ignored. When I say that, I mean there was literally not a word as a response. He just poured water and turned his back to me. My partner was putting up our jackets and after he sat down to join me, the bartender finally came up and his first comment to us was "what do you want?" I almost got up right then and there and asked the host to move us to a booth, but my partner and I aren't difficult guests to serve, we just want to be greeted and not feel like a pain in the ass for sitting at the bartop, so we stayed. I think the guy must have snapped into realizing that he's at work and it was an horrendous start to our dining experience. He tried to soften and be nicer to us as we ordered and ate, but that first impression was rough and enough to keep us away for a while and for me to take the time to write this review. The only reason I'm giving 2 stars is the drinks were decent, the food was pretty good, the environment was nice and the host was solid. We ordered the stuffed piquillo peppers (which were good) and bison tartare (which was ok) and had 3 drinks between the 2 of us. Unfortunately, just a snack, an app, and 3 drinks will run you over $80 with their included 20% tipping protocol - which I'm not against when it's deserved, but when the service and experience was as much of a bummer as ours was, it feels annoying to have to pay that much for that little. If we are passing through the area, we might stop in and try again, but it won't be a destination for us and we'll remain weary of sitting in the bar if we do return. read more

We had a great dining experience at Petite Leon recently and if I could give them more stars I would. My wife, our son, our daughter in law, and I try and go to an upscale restaurant together once a month. I had read excellent reviews of Petite Leon on Yelp and the Strib and also heard good things from friends so we gave it a try. Petite Leon is located on the Southwest corner of 38 th Street South and Nicollet. This is one of those Minneapolis intersections defined by small shopping areas which date from the street car days. When I first moved to Minneapolis, "fine dining" was limited to downtown and a few other areas because alcoholic beverage sales were limited to these locations. Now there are many creative chefs who have established outstanding restaurants all over. With outdoor dining and excellent neighborhood restaurants, our city has begun to have a European feel (sometimes!). Anyway the ambiance at Petite Leon was great. The staff were young and hip but knew the food and were very helpful to us in making our choices. Our food and drinks were served promptly. We started with cocktails. They have a nice selection of craft cocktails which use ingredients which I would never think of (many times never heard of). The winner was the strawberry calpirinha, which is made with strawberry juice, Brazilian rum and lime juice. They also have an interesting and eclectic list of wine and beer. For starters we had the piquillo peppers (excellent), elote salad (okay), falafel (everyone's favorite), le petite cheeseburger split four ways (very good), and frites (also good). For the main course we had the gnudi and birria which were outstanding ( be sure and ask for more tortillas with the birria as they only bring three). We also had the tuna crudo which I thought was just okay. Finally for desert we shared the arroz con leche which we all found a little disappointing and the tarta de queso (cheesecake) which was as outstanding. All in all we had a great time and I highly recommend Petite Leon and hope to return. PS Petite Leon was the only restaurant in Minnesota included in the New York Times 2022 list of 50 Favorite Restaurants read more

Wonderful new restaurant! The food is truly special and we tried several items and loved every one of them. I'm not always a fan of "small plates" but this place has won me over. Ambiance is lively and almost "sexy". Super fun to spend a Saturday night with friends in this lively spot. Service was also excellent. Server was fun and friendly, she knew the menu extremely well, and orders came out quickly. Here's my one "gripe"...Petit Leon is a "no tipping" restaurant which means they automatically add 20% to your order to provide fair wages and benefits to their team. I LOVE THAT but they don't really tell you that unless you read the fine print on their website and then they still include a tip line on the bill when it comes. We were having so much fun that we didn't even remember or think about the automatic 20% and then went ahead to add another 20% on the tip line. Our server was great and definitely deserved fair wages and benefits but I felt a bit duped and taken advantage of. If you're adding 20% to the bill to provide fair wages, it's best to remove the tip line or at least be deliberate and transparent about the charge. Still, we'll definitely be back. read more

High expectations, followed by disappointment. Listed as "fine dining" with wait staff all in grubby shoes, faded shorts and T-shirts - looked like they got 10 years ago at Old Navy. Really? Dinner salad very good, but enough to feed 5! Main course meats cooked well, BUT way way over the top in SALT! This was a big disappointment. We have come to expect restaurants adding surcharges for employee benefits of 3-5%. Petit Leon adds 20% and makes clear gratuity is extra. Given expectations of 20% tips, that is a 40% added charge! Excessive. Not returning or recommending. read more

I am not sure how to review this place. We read all the 5 starts reviews so we were excited to try Petite Leon. I did not realize that it was a Mexican cuisine until I got to the restaurant. I though it was French Petite - small for French and Leon I guess in Spanish for Leon. Maybe is a combination of French and Mexican? It must be a new cuisine. I had the mussels, very fancy preparation with some Mushroom sauce, mussels were fresh but I did not care for the sauce it tasted like spoil eggs. The tuna crudo was fresh but again did not care for the preparation. My party have the Pollo Asado but they were not told that the sauce is very spicy I guess you should know what is piri-piri Not impress with the menu. We had great service, but be prepared to paid 20% for mandate service charge and 20% for service = 40% service charge. read more

The service was good, our waiter was really good. We got the Piquillo Peppers to start and they were awesome. I could eat them every day. Then we got the cauliflower and this was one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life. It had raisins, and olives, and queso, and I'm not even sure what else was in there but the cauliflower was so good I've brought it up at least twice a week since I was there at the beginning of December. I love squash and was super intrigued to see it on a menu, it sounded right up my alley, but it was just okay. I think maybe I would have liked it more had I not already had that life-changing cauliflower. Finished up the evening with the Le Petite Cheeseburger, this was a great burger, the size was good, the smashed patties were flavorful. I thought there were too many pickles, but hey they're easy to pick off. The fries were just okay, the Tumeric aioli wasn't as flavorful as I was hoping. We didn't have any cocktails, just beer and it was good. 10/10 I'd go back. read more

Came here on Fri with a reservation. It was packed!!! Got seated right away. All staff are very friendly and helpful. Got the peppers, tatare, broccollini, beets, and the burger. Everything was so delicious. The beets have a bit of a kick which was nice. The green sauce that came with the broccolini was so damn good! I think I ate the burger in like 10 seconds. Very juicy very delicious burger indeed. It's not a huge menu so you're no overwhelmed by the choices. I don't think you can't go wrong with any of the choices. Highly recommend!!! read more

See all

The customer service was a horrible disappointment from the way our corked bottle of wine was handled to the host knocking and spilling my leftover to go box to the floor, putting food back into the back and not acknowledging it had happened. The scallops and the cauliflower were amazing. The cheeseburger was average. The frites were ordinary. read more

Everything we like in a restaurant experience. Sat at the bar with my partner, had some delightful cocktails and ordered just about every small plate on the menu. Highlights included the mussels, tamal frito, and piqillo peppers. All the cocktails were great, but the "Verde" stood out for me, as it was a completely unique combination (mezcal and Aquavit, what?) that somehow came together in a light, delicious, and refreshing way. Travis engaged us at the bar and walked us through what we liked and didn't, encouraging accordingly. We'll be back for sure! For the cocktails, for the food, for the experience. Highly recommend. read more

Overrated. Don't know why people rave about their overpriced cheeseburger; I have had much better elsewhere. I also did not like their basque cheesecake. Service was not good either with our appetizer arriving after our entrees and the waitress disappeared after taking our order. Their 20% service is ridiculous with the expectation of an additional gratuity so you end up paying over 40% in service charges. Will not be back and do not recommend Petite Leon. read more

Saw someone post about their burger the other day and ordered for pickup for dinner almost immediately. We ended up getting the elote salad 4.5/5, the burger 5/5, lamb meatballs 4.8/5, the stuffed peppers 5/5, and the pozole 4.8/5 It was all really tasty, our favorites were definitely the burger and the stuffed peppers then the lamb meatballs and pozole, and we weren't quite sure about the salad at first but we kept nibbling away at it so it definitely wasn't bad AT all. Ordering process is easy, they'll bring it to your car, just call and let them know if you're front or back of the restaurant and what kind of car! They add an extra "service charge" which I totally thought was just higher food pricing so when I tried to tip the staff member she said it was ok I already "tipped" but I kind of made her take the extra tip anyway, we are grateful for their hard work and delicious food! I honestly could go for the burger and stuffed peppers right now and it's only been a few days since we got it! We will for sure be back in the future read more

Whatttt this food is amazing. Like, I'm obsessed. You can tell so much thought went into the menu and the creation of the dishes. It's unique and the ambiance is sexy. I could have cried. Go here!!! read more

See all

Oh. So. Fabulous! The service here is top-notch, the setting is uber-cool. We absolutely adored all the wonderful choices for sharing a delicious meal. The smoked salmon rillette was my favorite - smooth and smoky, delicious on cracker bites. The lamb meatballs were perfectly spiced, as was the duck confit. We also enjoyed the roasted beets, the broccolini, and the steak - oh my land, it was tasty. Dessert was the arroz con leche and it was superb. Our party of three went away satiated indeed. Thanks so much. read more

what a great place! we did take out. key points 1) burger is wonderful, and do well eating 30 min later 2) the brussel sprouts were lovely, great flavor, and perfectly cooked 3) the chicken with harissa was perfectly crisp and full of flavor we will be going back read more

Excellent service, excellent food, great location! Probably the best chicken sandwich I've ever had. Can't wait to go back and try their dinner menu. read more

Went there with friends. Service was great. The salmon was probably one of the best I've ever had. read more

Petite Leon - fish of the day - Mexican Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Another hit in south Minneapolis! The food is outstanding. The service is excellent. Brilliant! I love the atmosphere and the friendly vibe of everything and everyone. read more

See all

We were visiting Minneapolis and saw this restaurant that was relatively new to the restaurant scene so thought we would give it a try. We were glad we did! Outstanding food and drinks and the service was top notch. We had the smoked trout and split the Le Petite Cheeseburger. We loved both of the options (and the frites with turmeric aioli was excellent). Would definitely recommend and we will definitely be back on future trips to Petite Leon! read more

This place is amazing. Had the pollo torta, the piquillo peppers, and the spaghetti. I don't even know where to start. Everything as amazing and surprising in the best of ways. The spaghetti was full of spice and dill and kept us wanting more. The torta is more of a fried chicken sandwich - but is perhaps the best in town and is beautifully seasoned and moist with a slaw that can't be beat, and the peppers were just a good mix of very mildly spicy (despite asking for extra spicy) and creamy. Will be back for more for sure!! read more

The restaurant began with takeout to keep its employees and customers safe. A small inconvenience to miss out on the carne asada that is only on the dine-in menu. It looks mouthwatering. I decided to go with linguica and the basque cheesecake. I used curbside delivery. Staff was personable. Restaurant is on the corner and has lots of windows. On-street parking. The in-house sausage was delicious. Great combination of the sausage, beans, sweet peppers and shredded ham in bone broth. The cheesecake was tasty. And different. Creamier than regular cheesecake and with a burnt topping. The topping was not bitter, but definitely different. The only minus for the meal was the omission of cutlery. Staff was personable. The hotel desk clerk came to the rescue, however. Looking forward to dining in the restaurant and trying more diverse food items. Highly recommended on this initial, but brief tasting. read more

Petite Leon - Linguica - Mexican Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

See all

The food, the service, and the ambiance are TOP NOTCH! The flavors of every dish leave you wanting more, and the servers are very knowledgeable about each thing, so you will not be led astray with their recommendations. The piquillo peppers to start with are BEYOND, and then as you travel down the menu, it keeps getting better. Eat here, you will not be disappointed! Also, get the Verde cocktail! read more

Absolutely wonderful! Friendly staff, excellent food, and the cheesecake - LIFE CHANGING!! read more

Petite Leon - Basque cheesecake - Mexican Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Everything we had was delicious. Also they have some craft cocktails and we didn't try any that day so maybe this is half a review. Food was delicious. Service was also great. A little loud, but lovely read more

Delicious! We got the tartare, mussels, cheeseburger, and broccolini for two people. At first the portions seemed small but it ended up being the perfect amount of food. Nice atmosphere and super friendly staff! read more

They did a nice job renovating the old Blackbird space. Was very excited to try this place, but left full but not satisfied. Drinks were OK. Bland. Service: efficient but zero hospitality. Food: burger was very buttery, which obviously was delicious. But the Pattie's very overly charred. Lamb meatballs were over cooked, the sauce with it was amazing. Fries were soggy, and cauliflower was ok. Overall, not terrible, but not memorable. read more

Solid food and cocktails; the delicious Piquillo Peppers appetizer and Tarta de Queso dessert were standouts. Good service and fun space added to the experience. If we lived nearby, we'd be likely be regulars. read more

Didn't have the greatest service and entree (which should have been served hot) was cold and flavorless. And there is an automatic 20% service charge. My dining companion has happy with his food. Drinks were nice. read more

This place is not on the radar yet and now you're in the know- you must go. Great atmosphere, cozy setting, and amazing food read more

Very good restaurant in Kingsfield that managed to survive opening during the pandemic. Worth a repeat visit. Mexican influenced cuisine by chef Jorge Guzman, who previously surprised everyone with Surly's Brewer's Table (the restaurant that didn't need to be as exceptional as it was, sadly gone). The former Blackbird space is welcoming. The staff is knowledgeable. The cocktails are well balanced. The food is solid overall. I tried many items (the menu is quasi-tapas of varying sizes), probably the most surprising was the La Petite Burger, a smash hamburger that had the perfect balance of flavors and wasn't the oily disaster that was served up by the similarly new Gus Gus in St Paul. The hamachi dish and piquillo peppers were memorable. The desserts were shareable and not overly sweet. Overall this is an great addition to the Twin Cities dining scene and worth your time. read more

See all

Food and service was average at best. Overpriced for what they serve. It was also annoying they asked for a tip after they added a surcharge. read more

This was my first time checking out Petite Leon and I was very impressed! I love that it is a lot of small plate options intended to be shared. We started with the chips and dip and although it was good, I would say you could probably skip this one as there are others that are so amazing, you don't want to miss! We did the stuffed goat cheese peppers which were to die for, one of my favorites from the night. We also did lamb meatballs, which had such good flavor, lastly we split the burger which rivaled Parlour and StepChld for the best burger in the twin cities in my opinion. It was so delicious. There are so many more things we wanted to try and can't wait to come back and try more. Ambiance, drink list, service, etc., was all top notch. Definitely one to check out again and again! read more

The experience did not disappoint the anticipation! Everything from the staff to the drinks to the food to the ambiance was perfection. One of the most enjoyable meals out I've had in quite a long time. Started with the piquillo peppers -- outstanding. Bursts of rich flavor in every bite. He had the burger with an order of fries; I had the gnudi. The dumplings were unlike anything I have ever tasted. The ricotta and brown butter sauce blended together to smoothly -- I could have eaten two orders. Again, incredible depth of flavor. The burger was cooked perfectly with simply cheese, onion, and pickles on a delicious toasted bun. The fries were hot and crisp and enough for two. And to top it off -- cheesecake for dessert for the bday boy. I cannot WAIT to go back. read more

See all

One of our new faves we like to frequent! Caesar salad is our favorite it's different and the best in town, but so many incredible options to go with. Love the vibe and neighborhood. Great value! read more

Saturday June 18th we had a reservation for 4 at the James Beard Foundation nominated Petit Leon. Congrats on the recognition PL team!! Our evening was wonderful! Franie our servers was attentive and knowledgeable and offered suggestions plentiful. For starters we had the salmon tartare and stuffed peppers. Everyone loved the peppers and wished the portion was larger for 4. The cocktails were one of a kind. My son liked his habenero marg. Dinner was broccolini, mussels, cheeseburger and steak. Shared 4 ways. I would have loved the whole burger. It was oozing juices and carmelized onions. The steak was medium rare and full of flavor. If you follow PL on Insta you'll see what's cooking as the menu is often complemented w chefs choice. Interesting cocktails read more

When you are ready to venture back out into the world again and remember what it felt like to sit on beautiful spaces, eat delicious and interesting food, and meet charming and enthusiastic folks....Petite Leon is waiting for you. Our first evening "back out" with friends after everyone was fully vaccinated and able to enjoy the wonderful pleasures of dining out again. From the warm welcome from the hostess to the eye catching decor, the first impression was wonderful. The cocktail menu was inspired and creative- full of intriguing combinations you could dream up. We did the Tepache and the Verde and both are unique and delicious in their own way. For small plates, we enjoyed fries, tamale frito, wedge and piquillo peppers with goat cheese. All of these were a wow. I would get them ALL. For entrees, the burger should not be missed. It's very, very special and a I won't forget about anytime soon! My husband liked the steak and friend liked the chicken.....but after sharing some samples I think all agreed the burger was the stand out. For dessert , a shared Basque cheesecake was lovely- not overly sweet and a unique texture than traditional cheesecake. Coffee comes in a French press at your table. Our server Ben was absolutely fantastic in every single way, and made the experience truly memorable. His suggestions, willingness to accommodate and general congeniality was totally cup filling. Honestly, everyone we encountered who worked at Petite Leon seemed genuinely happy to be in community with their customers. All in- a perfect evening out. Be sure to book a reservation on Resy.....place was full all night. read more

See all