I’ve lived in Minnesota my whole life, but have never made it to the Midtown Global Market until now! How is that possible? Cole and I were looking for something fun to do indoors to escape the Minnesota cold for the day, and we ended up spending an afternoon at Midtown Global Market! The market consists of shops, food, and drink vendors with goods from all around the world!
Keep scrolling for our favorite stops as we strolled through the market.
Getting there
The Midtown Global Market is located near uptown on Lake Street. There’s not a lot of street parking, so we parked in the ramp across the street where there were plenty of spots. This is a pay lot, but only $6 for a few hours!
Food hall
I’m not sure if “food hall” is the right term to use, but at the center of everything is a large space for gathering and enjoying all the yummy food. If there are any events going on the day you’re there, they will most likely happen in this space. Here, you can do the best people-watching (lots of first dates going on), and admire other people’s food and ask them were they got it 😊
Taco Cat
Taco Cat is one of the more popular restaurants in the Midtown Global Market, and for good reason. If you like street tacos, this is a can’t-miss spot! It took about 15 minutes to get our tacos, but they were worth the wait. Definitely give the Outlaw and the McFly a try! And if you’re too lazy to get out to the market, they also deliver!
Sabbai Express
When you get to the market, one of the first things you’ll notice is that everyone seems to be drinking Bubble tea or Boba. We headed to Sabbai Express to get some of our own. We were in the mood for something fruity, so we tried the mango boba. Yum!
Mama D’s
Before you start thinking, “how many meals is Lindsey going to eat on this one trip to the market??” just know that Cole and I split a plate at each spot so we could sample as much as possible! And we took plenty of leftovers home 😊 Our second food stop was Mama D’s authentic southern cooking which is a newer spot at the market. We ordered the pulled beef sandwich with the collard greens and mac and cheese. I’m no food critic, but it was all AMAZING!
Safari Express
We ended our food-venture at Safari Express. Side note: this place serves camel burgers! We weren’t hungry enough to try one, but instead got the mango curry bowl. I’ve never had East African food, but I loved every bite of this dish even though our stomachs wouldn’t allow us to eat very much (too full!). We also split a samosa which was one of the best I’ve ever had.
Shopping
While we made our food rounds, we did some shopping. You’ll find some shops featuring local artists, along with stores that sell authentic handmade items from around the world. My absolute favorite was Dar Medina. They by far had the cutest items, from bags, to rugs, to ottomans. The man working at the store was maybe the most friendly human on this planet. He invited us in for tea and helped me as I tried on a few bags. I ended up with the small, handmade leather bag pictured above and am in LOVE with it!
Panaderia Y Pasteleria Samantha
I have a major sweet tooth and had to buy a sugar cookie as we passed Panaderia y pasteleria Samantha. This little shop was filled with baked goods, including lots of Mexican specialties. My cookie was just $1!
Eastlake brewery
We capped the day by stopping for a beer at Eastlake brewery. The brewery can be accessed right from the market. Many people brought food in from the market to eat at the brewery…which would have been a great idea if we weren’t so stuffed!
If you can’t tell already, I’m pretty obsessed with this market. It’s a great first date idea or a fun place to bring out-of-towners! I will absolutely be visiting again. What stops should I make next time we spend an afternoon at Midtown Global Market?
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