Walked over to the diner as it's closed to our house and we've never been. When we approached the diner there were zero people inside so we didn't know if they were open but the door was unlocked and we were immediately greeted. Ordered a couple coffees while we looked at the menu. The coffee was some of the best diner coffee I've ever had! I had the Orin sandwich with turkey sausage. The English muffin was toasted on the griddle and had crunchy pieces on the inside which was amazing. By the time we left the place was filling up. Great stop for breakfast! read more

Band Box Diner - Orin's Sandwich - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

My co-workers and I were in downtown Minneapolis and decided to take the half mile walk to a place I have wanted to try for years. Band Box diner. We found a table for 6 at the back and we all ordered some beverages from our wonderfully attentive waitress, refilling our waters as we ran low and was super nice. I noticed they took the tuna melt off the menu, but I ordered the Sloppy Boy instead, which I thought would be like a Philly Cheesesteak burger, but it was more like a Sloppy Joe. The meat was good and tossed in a sloppy joe type sauce. The bun was great, with it nicely buttered and toasted on the flattop. If I came back again, I would order a burger since all of my friends seemed to love theirs and they looked delicious. I did try an onion ring from one of the plates and it seemed fresh and crispy and really tasty. Price was right for high quality food, which I must admit, I was not expecting much from a diner started in the 1940's but it far exceeded just a "Greasy spoon" Not the best neighborhood and my pants stuck to the sticky chair on the way out, but it is a solid place for a lunch with buddies and our server was awesome. read more

Band Box Diner - Sloppy boy with kettle chips. Really good! - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Breakfast or Lunch, it just doesn't matter! Band Box Diner offers total comfort food served up like I was transported back to the 1930's! Fun facts: Made the latest edition of Guy Motz's "Hamburger America" as one of the top 220 in USA! Showcased on Guy Fieri "Diners, Drive-in's & Dives" Here's to the ever quirky, feel good, iconic Band Box Diner Love my patty melt & perfect fries! read more

Always predictable food and good service at a small diner - the last Band Box in the city. My favorite is the sloppy, made fresh every time. T read more

Recently moved nearby so figured I'd give it a try. Menu is decently priced and they staff is very friendly. I ordered a cheeseburger with fries, while the burger was great, I'm not a fan of string fries. I prefer regular cut fries. This is my only complaint. I will come back and try the breakfast. read more

Band Box Diner - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Doing a live review at the Band Box, my cozy neighborhood diner at South 10th and East 14th Street. Down the street from North Central College. Ordered the cheeseburger (pepper jack cheese) with a side of onion rings (in place of the usual fried onions) and chips). (8) counter stools, (1) 6-top, (2) 4-top tab, and (3) 2-top tables. As I said, it's a cozy place. Cheeseburger was a nice Angus beef patty, fresh lettuce, tomato and onion. I don't do pickles. Onion rings were fresh and nicely fried and crispy, not frozen. Waitress was very friendly and nice. Glad I finally tried the Band Box. It's a 4.5. read more

Band Box Diner - Cheeseburger and onion rings - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Our most favorite weekend breakfast place. Great service and atmosphere. You still feel part of a family eating there. Food is always great and cooked right in front of you. Try it ! You will not be disappointed. read more

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Great place to have a cheeseburger and onion rings at this super cool old school dinner. Fast, friendly service and the delicious food. Check it out! read more

Cute old school neighborhood dinner. Friendly fast service. Great cheeseburger and fresh cut French fries, yum!

A true old school diner. Very nice people too!! Food is great, they use local bakeries for their rolls and buns too. read more

This is a real diner! Come for the food as well as the show as you watch the grillmaster at work. Sit at the counter to get the real experience of days gone by. read more

Band Box Diner - Patty melt and the Lil' Buddy - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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My son wanted breakfast and we were in the area. Band Box Diner is a small local restaurant. The service was standard. It was uncomfortable due to how cold it was. We packed up and left. Parking is a bit much to find but the building is easily accessible on the corner. read more

Band Box Diner - 2 Eggs, American Fries, Meat and Toast - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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I am SO happy this place is box. Small little diner, and probably the most authentic diner to me in the two cities. Simple menu, very reasonable prices. Went for Saturday lunch, not a bad wait. Had a breakfast combo, and my boyfriend has the burger. Would recommend all the way if you're hungry and looking for a no-frills joint that's also comfortable. read more

I love Band Box and some of the reviews on here don't appreciate it for what it is. #1: It's an iconic building. These were started by a couple in 1939. They had 15 locations by the 50s around the Twin Cities and this is the last one left (also owned and run by a family). #2: The food and atmosphere is great! The prices are good and it' s a place when you go and sit on a stool, you know there are regulars and they know the owners. This has been a long-valued diner. The owners work really hard and the community has come together for them twice to help them out (and it is well-deserved). If you only like swanky places to eat with a sterile environment, this isn't for you. The reason I love to go is that I can sit on a bar stool, have a chat with the locals, and I always receive great service. #3: I've heard their burgers are amazing but I've never had one because honestly, I'm in love with the Ze' Lil French Buddy and it's all I ever get. I highly recommend it if you love breakfast food like me. #4: I've seen some people complain about parking. I usually always bike there but sometimes I have driven. I've never had a problem on the street but it probably depends on the day you are there. It is surrounded by apartments and a university, so yes, it can be tight. But I would be willing to bet you can always find a spot within a couple of blocks. This is one of few things available in that neighborhood and I'm happy to have a great family restaurant there for the community! read more

As seen in the mighty ducks movie, this place was delicious! It's exactly what you expect it to be, a delicious Minnesota staple. I had a breakfast sandwich with french toast as the bread. I'm sorry to compare it to McDonald's but it was like their McGriddle but about 1000x better, great breakfast place! Go check out my Instagram at goodeatsminneapolis! read more

Band Box Diner - the front of the restaurant - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Band Box Diner is so nostalgic. Good-for-the-soul food, great people and great service. Can't recommend this place enough. 10/10!

We've been waiting for this place to reopen since we moved into the neighborhood. The perfect little greasy spoon with GREAT prices! Get there early for brunch, it feels up fast. And it can be pretty hot if you're sitting at the bar (immediately across from the grill). We appreciate the history and quaintness - it fits the neighborhood vibe well. read more

Band Box Diner - the menu for the band box - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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TOTALLY a fan! I'm legit driving down Park Avenue craving a blt... I pull over on 9th and Park and pull out my phone and Yelped "BLT's nearest me." Band Box was like the 3rd or 4th option and I wasn't aware they were open that late. I caught them during their last 30 minutes of being open. I skimmed the menu options to find my beloved BLT and saw it for $7... yep! #sevendollarholla (make it go viral lol) I called the number provided on Yelp and spoke with a pleasant young lady and asked if i could place an order for pickup? I got my favorite answer, "yes." Asked for a blt on wheat bread and let her know that I was literally around the corner and on my way. Parking this time of evening was easy... plenty of street parking. Walks in and find this cute little diner. I have driven by 1 Million times literally, have had take out 1x that an old bf, but have never gone in the diner. I've had gf's growing up who lived across the street.. I have just never entered. Ambiance: Such a cute place. There are about 8 tables (out of the 8 like 2 /3 four-seaters. There is also seats at the counter. The grill looked clean, for it to be closing time. Service: Pleasant and I enjoyed the dialogue and friendliness provided by the employees. Food: That BLT hit the SPOT! Only wish i had mayo on BOTH sides of my bread, but I one side was fine. It made my sandwhich pretty. LOL I'll be back! read more

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I like this divey little retro place. The food is good, the environment is definitely a retro vibe, I like it. My only complaint would be that they need more help than 2 people running the whole place (1 cook, 1 server). The server mixed up our CC's and bills but we didn't want to hassle her to fix them so we just left. I got the veggie omelet which was a good size and very filling. My friends food looked really good as well. Try this place out, you can't really go wrong for the price. read more

Band Box Diner - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Great old school diner. Staff was friendly & food was delicious. Possibly best bacon I've ever had.

Service was a little rude. Food was good but very stingy on what they give you. If you ask for American fries to sub out bread they said no. And so I asked for the bread on the side and they did not listen. read more

Holy greasy spoon, Batman! The big appeal for me when my friends and I were looking for a place to eat before a Lynx game was that it was just outside of downtown, with decent parking. I liked that this place has some character and is essentially the "Mickey's Diner" of Minneapolis. The service was pretty slow and the food was pretty average. We split an order of onion rings and I got the veggie burger. I was happy that they at least offered that option, since I don't eat Angus beef. Overall, wouldn't go out of my way to go back. read more

Great simple food. Can't go wrong, really appreciate the staff that make a commitment to keep these places alive. read more

What a great spot for a quick burger! I had seen this after being routed past it by my GPS. I asked the BF about it and her didn't know about it. After living here his entire life! We sat at the counter and watched the grill man work his magic. Both cheeseburgers were fantastic. 1/3 pound burgers griddled on a hot and well seasoned grill. The buns from Franklin Baking were a great partner. Fries were skinny and were fried and salted well. Best part was the check. Under $20! read more

Band Box Diner - Menu - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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GREAT SERVICE AND EVEN BETTER FOOD!! Definitely will go back with fam next time we're in town. Covid safety 100% there's hand sanitizer at each booth along with pre sectioned condiments!! love it read more

So, apparently they're open again. Glad to read that. They don't use their FB page and haven't claimed this one. Today I tried calling around 1:30 and no one answered. Update: 20 June: I drove by today and there's still plywood over the doorway. So I'm not sure about the last two posted reviews. read more

I'd hear of this place through yelp awhile ago and always meant to go, but it took a few years before I finally walked through my door. My boyfriend and I were meeting his dad downtown for lunch, and his dad is definitely a meat and potatoes man - and I realized this was finally the time to go! As we walked away from downtown, they were a little skeptical about where we were going to eat, but finally we found the diner, very cute and unassuming in a part of the city I just happen to never spend any time in. The service was friendly, the burgers were very good and bigger than we were expecting. I would have preferred to have my burger cooked a little less than how it was served, but that's my taste. The fries though are just ok. Definitely a place to come back too though, it's charming and a little off the beaten path (for me) and a perfect hidden gem. read more

I've only ever been here for breakfast. It's a very simple menu, but the pricing and quality of the food does not disappoint! I wouldn't recommend coming here with a larger group, as it's quite cozy inside. Try their pancakes and bacon!! read more

This place has really good food. Don't be deceived by the outside appearance. It's a fairly small place with less than 10 tables, but the food is delicious. We tried the pancakes and the Lunchbox burger with a side of fries. The pancakes are huge and amazingly delicious. The burger was also larger than I could ever fit in my mouth with a huge bun, coleslaw, and millions of crispy potatoes. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. The side of fries were soggy so not much to be said with those, but everything else was awesome. If your looking for some good, authentic diner food. This place is a must. read more

Band Box Diner - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I have lived very close for 4 years and never stopped in . Finally today I went in at lunchtime and ordered 3 pancakes, they tasted just like my moms and were up within a few mins. The staff are wonderful and I only made it through 1/2 my pancakes and I was stuffed to the gills. They are huge, 1 would suffice but I like leftovers. My new life goal is to try the entire menu.... read more

Band Box Diner - The pancakes are huge and hearty. - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Great hole in the wall feel. Had the Lunch Box burger and is was super tasty. The wife had the Breakfast Burger which she also really liked. Also the prices were very reasonable for the area. read more

Band Box Diner - Lunch Box Burger - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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When I visit a new city I got straight to yelp to see what the reviews say! I love hole in the wall places. We stayed downtown and I wanted to find a place within walking distance. It was about a 15 min walk from our hotel. I fell in love as soon as we walked in! We sat at the counter and ordered the Lil Buddy. I wasn't sure about it at first but it was so good! I was thinking about that dish for weeks after wishing I could have it again! Very cute place with delicious food! read more

This place is like a dive bar for burgers. There is not a lot one can say about such a miniature place with a small menu, but it is becoming one of my favorite little lunch places. It's never too busy when I've been there - which is good because I don't think they can seat more than 20 people inside - and they make a solid classic cheeseburger with all local ingredients, including locally made buns and locally sourced beef. I haven't had anything except the cheeseburgers, but they apparently serve breakfast all day as well. This place is a little bit of Americana that you don't see anymore. Lunch counters and traditional American food for the working stiffs out there who don't want to drop $20 for lunch every day. Oddly the only other places I have found that are similar to this one are other burger joints that have been around going on 100 years. This place is from that era with a history of being a popular local chain many decades ago. This is the last one and they are still holding the tradition and formula that once made them one of the most popular. Everyone should go here if nothing else just to support that idea that places like this is part of what defines the American culture. The other reason - very good, simple and reasonably priced comfort food made right every time. So while it may not be a gourmet burger with duck confit anf port wine reduction, it get's 5-stars because is is a master for what it does right; which is not try to be something that it's not and sticks to the roots of what made it popular all those many years ago before lunch counters fell out of fashion. read more

"Um, the place looks a little sketchy", my wife says. "Well let's drive by it and we will see what it looks like", I told her. Our only reference for the place was the pictures we saw here on Yelp. The big billboards behind it, the small building in an unknown location made it a crap shoot. But hey, it looks like it had gotten good reviews, and what the heck, we are looking for an adventure anyway, so let's go for it. We ventured 33 miles into Minneapolis from our Elk River outpost to check out this new eating joint and we were glad we did! We pulled up in front (or I should say on a side street) which is right next to the place and my wife asks me, "Are you sure you want to go in?". "Yes, it looks cool", I answer. So in we went. The place is small (seats about 25), and very quaint. Now this is a classic diner! They have 8 stool seats that face the grill, which is about 5 feet away from the counter, and the rest are tables that line the windows. So either way, I don't think you can go wrong no matter where you sit. We arrived at 11:00am on a Saturday and the place was about 3/4 full. We sat by a window and decided to order a couple of burgers. I got the cheeseburger w/ onion rings and my wife got the bacon cheeseburger w/fries. No need to state how you want the burger done, because they are a third pound, thin patties that are done one way. That being said, they were delicious! I got mine with nothing more than raw onions. The onion rings had a distinct beer batter flavor and were perfectly done. The only complaint was there wasn't very many of them. So for $3.25 for the rings, I wasn't expecting state fair prices with state fair portions. I stole some fries from my wife and they were terrific. They were a combination of small 1/8 inch slices along with some wider ones. I was surprised that the small 1/8 inch square ones were perfectly done. I would think that they would be hard to get crisp on the outside and soft and hot on the inside, but they did it. I have never really liked smaller fries because most of the time they are botched (usually overdone), but not these! The atmosphere was really comfy. Like small town America meets the big city. Classic diner tables, the grill out in the open, small staff and personalized service. The diner started out as one of a chain of 14 that competed with White Castle back in 1939. Each was individually owned with different menus. This one, store #1, is the last one left and is now a Minneapolis landmark. Great food, great atmosphere, great service. It was well worth the trip and we are sure to be back! read more

Band Box Diner - Bacon Cheeseburger - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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I went here for the first time in a decade. It was (picture) perfect and all about the food. I normally don't shoot pics of my food, but how could I not? We went there for dinner on Saturday evening and there was no wait, the service was nice and the space complemented the food. Highly recommended. read more

Band Box Diner - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Love this place. Came here during my last visit to Minneapolis in October and had to come back. It's like getting into a time machine when life was more simple. No spiced pomegranate pate for your croissant here. Just food. Real food. read more

Band Box Diner - a group of diners in a restaurant - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Yelp came through again! This hole-in-the wall is just the kind of place I look for in my travels. My daughter and I sat at the diner counter and just oogled over the history and photos. She had the French toast and I had the Swiss and mushroom burger. It was all prepared right in front of us by the owner. Kelsey took great care of us and I can't remember the name of the owner but he was a nice man! read more

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Came with a small group (four of us) for lunch on Sunday around 1pm. The diner is small so it's probably not a good choice for groups, but we didn't have to wait too long to get a table despite the fact that it was full (15 minutes or so). I ordered the lunchbox burger, which comes with shoestring fries on top. It looked really good, but I think the meat-to-everything-else ratio was a bit low. Also, the bun was grilled, which in theory is a nice idea, but it was basically black so I didn't eat most of it. The service was pretty good, no complaints there. I'd give Band Box the benefit of the doubt though since it is so interesting and historic and come back to try something else in the future! read more

I typed "Diner" into my car's GPS and it brought me to this 1939 Diner. I parked on the street, difficult finding a spot. This must be a 'local' diner, for real locals. Awesome. No lines inside, presumably because the parking challenge has already filtered out those who aren't committed to try this place. A tiny place, there were families and single people of all sorts of ethnicities inside. At 9.30am on a Sunday, it didn't feel like a tourist attraction with a high throughput of strangers. I loved this 'feel'. There are photographs on the wall from earlier days, the staff are friendly without being 'corporatized'. That means no one told me they liked my earing's or my spectacles were 'cool'. Bottomless coffee, locally sourced produce that tasted better because I knew it was locally sourced. Why onto a 5 star? Because I couldn't find hash browns on the menu. Surely all Diners do hash browns, they are so archetypally American! read more

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Super amazing burger - only 4 stars because the place could have been cleaner. But man oh man those fries! They could have fallen on the floor and I would have eaten them! Umm just kidding - but that's how good they were! read more