Top Restaurants in Eden Prairie, MN | The Best Local Eats

Located on land that was formerly used as a farm and a gun club, it would be difficult to find a restaurant that epitomises the spirit of the midwest more than the Lions Tap Family Restaurant. The restaurant has achieved recognition as one of the best locations to find a burger in the state and has been awarded the ‘Best Hamburger’ title by Minnesota Monthly and Foodservice News. A favorite with the locals, this is the perfect place to experience hospitality in Eden Prairie in a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant offers a simple menu with tried and tested favorites, including California style cheeseburgers and French fries.

Detello’s Pizza & Pasta has been family owned for 25 years, and this convivial atmosphere is felt throughout the restaurant – each of the Detello children’s favourite pizzas are listed on the menu. Make sure to try the restaurant’s speciality, garlic toast, which is served with each of their pasta dishes. The Detellos also favor quality, as all ingredients are prepared on site daily. This attention to detail has paid off and the restaurant was named ‘Best Pizza in Twin Cities’ by WCCO in 2011. Overall, this is the perfect place to experience a family atmosphere whilst never compromising on high quality.

The national dish of America may continue to be the hamburger, but pancakes still make the top five. The Original Pancake House was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1953, and since then, the owners have expanded to over one hundred locations. Pancake recipes from all over the world have inspired the restaurant’s menu and each recipe is prepared with the finest ingredients. If conventional pancakes sound too sweet for you first thing in the morning, then the restaurant also provides a range of sausages and eggs to provide the perfect counterbalance to the sugar heavy menu.

The nearby town of Minneapolis isn’t short on bars and restaurants, but Campiello’s still draws in plenty of residents from Eden Prairie’s neighbouring city who drop by to experience the restaurant’s lively atmosphere, accentuated by the open kitchen and popular bar. The menu is inspired by Tuscan country cooking and features wood-roasted and rotisserie-grilled classics. Campiello’s may be pricier than other restaurants in the area, but this is warranted by the extraordinarily high quality. The restaurant also pays tribute to Italy’s different regions – the restaurant is currently promoting an ‘Italy Taste Tour’, by focusing on a different region of Italy every month from which to take inspiration for its monthly specials.

Mama Aurelia’s features well loved family recipes which are made fresh in house. The name ‘Aurelia’ comes from the owner’s mother, who inspired the majority of the recipes on the menu. While most people are first introduced to Mexican food via fast food chains, this restaurant completely blows all franchise recreations out of the water by focusing on freshness and quality of ingredients. Given the growing popularity of staple dishes such as breakfast burritos, visitors to Eden Prairie will be pleased to learn that they offer breakfast for under $5. The restaurant also includes a shop next door for if you can’t quite contemplate leaving without some extra spice to take home.

If you haven’t already been charmed by Woody’s Shady Oak Grille, it might just become your new local. The cozy restaurant is designed as a lodge style building and features a menu for every occasion, including a children’s menu and a happy hour special selection. The restaurant is also renowned for its party catering, as the ‘The Woodshed’ is available for hosting events for up to 50 guests. Additionally, the menu is well-priced and the portions are generous, meaning that this restaurant is a great option for the whole family.

Wildfire expanded their empire of restaurants in 2001 by setting up shop in Eden Prairie, which is their first location outside of Illinois. This is a little slice of Chicago brought to the heart of Minnesota with a great selection of classics, including Cedar Planked Salmon and Horseradish Crusted Filet. While this restaurant is marketed as a steakhouse and includes a menu that is heavy on meat and seafood, they also include a great range of vegetarian options. Years of experience mean that they are able to balance a busy restaurant with fast service, so that you won’t be waiting all evening for your meal.

Like Campiello, Redstone American Grill is a bit pricier than some restaurants in the area, but the superior quality means that it’s the ideal place for a celebration and the wide selection means that there’s something to please everyone. The menu includes gluten-free options in addition to its more traditional, all-american selection of shrimp and steak. A must-try on the menu is the more directional Canyon Flatbread, which can be ordered with a range of delectable toppings, including fig and prosciutto, or garlic spinach. In addition to the expansive menu, the restaurant also offers a huge range of seating options; which is just as well, as it’s one of the most popular venues in town.

Baker’s Ribs is the closest you’ll get to genuine Texas BBQ fare without leaving the state. The restaurant founder invented the in-house method of slow-cooking its meats over hickory wood in a barbecue pit, creating the distinctive barbecue flavour that has made the restaurant a hit across Dallas and beyond. They were even featured in the Top 10 in a Fox news report about the ultimate BBQ road trip. Along with the restaurant’s trademark ‘St Louis’ pork ribs, the menu also features great side dishes to complement the meat-filled menu, including herb dill potato salad and plenty of coleslaw. Check out their online shop so that you can recreate the restaurant’s flavours at home.