Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Twin Cities / Southern Suburbs

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Twin Cities / Southern Suburbs? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Chianti Grill - Burnsville

4.8

4.8 (6723)

$30 and under

Italian

Burnsville

About the restaurant

Chianti Grill features authentic and contemporary Italian cuisine along with aged angus steaks and fresh seafood. The award winning food is complimented by an extensive wine list featuring selections from California, Italy and around the world. Chianti Grill’s friendly, professional service...

Top review

Dean

Dined 6 days ago

From beginning to end it was wonderful. Went for wife’s birthday and enjoyed from the door to table, the service and food, and even leaving with a Merry Christmas greeting as we left

Discover more

Popular dish

Chicken Sorrento

Ansari's Mediterranean Grill

4.8

4.8 (611)

$30 and under

Mediterranean

Eagan

About the restaurant

The Ansari family is proud to continue serving Eagan and the surrounding twin cities for over 30 years. Ansari's offers authentic Mediterranean cuisine with a warm family friendly environment. Specialties include: Shish Kabobs, Hummus, Gyros, Falafel, Lamb Shank, Tabouli, Baba Ganoush, Kibbeh, and more! Ansari's also is well known for the BEST Craft Beer List in the Twin Cities! We carry a rotating menu of rare and up and coming craft beer from all over the country! We also have a large Whiskey & Bourbon assortment as well as Greek & Lebanese Wines available. Belly Dancing on the weekends and Hookah Lounge on the patio in the summer time, come check us out!

Top review

Marsha

Dined on Nov 22, 2024

We had a great time. I had the gyro and Hubby had the Wings. All was delicious. The waiter was attentive and efficient. Happy hour prices are really good!

Bravi's Craft Mexican Kitchen

4.8

4.8 (108)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Shakopee

About the restaurant

Coming Soon!

Top review

TamiVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Great food, slow service, but kind server. Forgot our Salsa flight and it came out after our entrees. Otherwise food was great, will be back for the happy hour.

Kyndred Hearth

4.7

4.7 (1179)

$31 to $50

Italian

Eagan

About the restaurant

With a focus on quality ingredients, simplicity and execution, the menu features James Beard award-winning chef, Ann Kim’s take on familiar favorites. Located on the first floor, Kyndred Hearth is a comfortable, modern setting. It will serve as a welcoming neighborhood gathering space for the community, and gives out of town visitors a taste of the Minneapolis food scene during their stay at Viking Lakes.

Top review

sheri

Dined 6 days ago

Such a great experience on Christmas Eve. Wonderful food!

Discover more

Popular dish

Margherita

Popular dish

Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich

Gary's Supper Club - Lakeville

4.7

4.7 (824)

$31 to $50

Steak

Lakeville

About the restaurant

Gary's Supper Club is a modern day twist on your grandparent's supper club. We are delighted to provide the south metro with an energetic, fun-filled restaurant, providing a new twist on some of the old school supper club favorites. Cozy up in one of our booths, peruse our menu of salads, steaks, and seafood. Enjoy traditional supper club dishes, such as prime rib and the finest Friday night Fish Fry around! Our bartenders will be happy to satisfy your libation needs with a handcrafted cocktail or pour from an extensive wine menu. No meal would be complete without Gary's famous Key Lime Pie.

We source locally and support our regional farmers. We are careful to use sustainable seafood selections to provide you with the freshest and finest seafood flown in daily. We are active in the community and strive to support local with "Gary's Give Backs".

Come as you are! We're FUN, not fancy. Stop in, grab a barstool, and tell us you know Gary. We'll take it from there! #EatDrink&BeGary"

Top review

Mike

Dined 5 days ago

We had the special dinner for two and it was fabulous and our waitress suggested it and she was excellent

Mallards - Inver Grove Heights

4.7

4.7 (428)

$30 and under

Seafood

Inver Grove Heights

About the restaurant

Mallards is serving up award winning seafood & Cajun fare with southern hospitality.

Born and raised in Kansas City Missouri, southern hospitality is on the top of our list. It’s more than tradition. It’s ice cold beer, key lime pie, and a party in our backyard. Our family wanted to turn passion into a reality in 2013, so we came together and opened Mallards. With Dad in charge of the menu all of our favorites started showing up! From Jambalaya to Tennessee Hot Chicken, our story finds itself on each and every plate!

Top review

Sue

Dined 5 days ago

Mallards is our neighborhood restaurant in Inver Grove Heights. It’s our go to place for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I can’t say enough about the food the service the ambience. We love it.

Discover more

4.6

4.6 (3203)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Prior Lake

About the restaurant

OpenTable Diners' Choice Award 2023

WHERE ONLY THE BEST MAKES THE CUT
Fresh from the farm or straight from the sea, enjoy the finest Prime 100% Black Angus beef and savory seafood. Whenever possible, we incorporate seasonal, locally sourced ingredients for the freshest flavors around. Enhance your experience with an extensive, ever changing list of thoughtfully curated boutique wines.

Top review

RickieVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Amazing menu selections. Very good service with attention to detail. Servers well trained and friendly. We’ll see you again very soon.

Discover more

Porter Creek Hardwood Grilll

4.6

4.6 (1079)

$30 and under

American

Burnsville

About the restaurant

In the spirit of wine country, Porter Creek features a fresh contemporary American menu with California-Mediterranean influences. Signature to the brand are fire roasted meats and rustic vegetables from the rotisserie and woodfired oven where temperatures approach 600 degrees.

As a complement to the menu, Porter Creek offers 80+ bottles of wine – 60 of which are featured by the glass, and over 100 premium brands of spirits including scotch, tequila, bourbon & rye sippers!

Rejoice during the warmer months on this outdoor patio! Whether you’re dining al fresco or enjoying a cocktail at the outdoor bar, a fireplace or water feature is never far away…your oasis in the city!

Top review

Jayson

Dined 2 days ago

Nice enough place, especially as a corporate restaurant. Our experience was pleasant and no complaints. Food was solid, but not exceptional in any way. Somewhat bland dishes, especially the scallops. Service was prompt and welcoming. For value, menu priced for exceptional but not matched with quality of dishes.

Granite City Food & Brewery - Eagan

4.4

4.4 (1007)

$30 and under

American

Eagan

About the restaurant

With its warm, inviting and modern design, Granite City Food & Brewery’s expansive interior features a spacious and comfortable dining room, four-sided modern, full-service bar and three private dining areas, as well as an outdoor patio. The on-site brewery, with award-winning hand crafted micro-brews, is visible from the main dining and bar areas. The restaurant also showcases an open kitchen featuring chef developed, handcrafted made-from-scratch cuisine, including innovative signature entrees, flatbreads and more.

Granite City Food & Brewery’s signature brews, which are made on-site, include The Duke (Pale Ale), The Bennie (Bock), The Batch (Double IPA), The Northern (American Style Light Lager) and The Stout. Seasonal brews are featured throughout the year.

Top review

Casey

Dined 2 days ago

I love Granite City and eat here regularly. The staff are great, the food is awesome, and it has a great menu. It is, however, very loud which makes conversation difficult. Lowering the music level would make for a more enjoyable experience.

Mallards - Shakopee

4.3

4.3 (263)

$30 and under

Cajun

Shakopee

About the restaurant

Award winning seafood, American and Cajun fare! Come enjoy our famous lobster roll, jambalaya, eclectic tacos, steaks & much more at Mallards! Check out our great Happy Hour!

#mallardsrestaurant #awardwinningseafood #southernhospitality

www.mallardsmn.com

Top review

Julie

Dined 6 days ago

All of our dishes were a very pleasant surprise! We had the Christmas seafood special. The calamari was tender. The shrimp on the second course was spectacular! As was the accompaniment. The main course entree of sea bass was generous and served on top of a potato patty with sauce. The sea bass was perfectly cooked. We had dirty martinis which were very good . Then I had a cucumber cooler which was over priced and just marginally satisfying. We also had an old fashioned which was just good, overpriced as well. How to make the meal better? We both thought that the sea bass would have been better served on a risotto cake or at least crispy potatoes. The patty ended up soggy and rather unappealing. Nor did it complement the sea bass. I would go for a lighter batter on the calamari. The tiramisu was a hit out of the ballpark, save the presentation…. It was served like it was just cut out of a sheet pan and plopped on a plate. It was delicious though. Our server was sweet and attentive. We did request to slow down each delivery of courses as we were drinking and enjoying the experience of the delicious courses and conversation.

Discover more

Experience

NYE Dinner for Two

Explore Diners' Choice best of Twin Cities / Southern Suburbs

Explore more Diners' Choice lists