Restaurants in Mounds View

Over the past three decades, The Original Gabe's by the Park's proximity to Target Center, along with the eatery’s 20 high-definition televisions, have encouraged fans to drop in for pre- and postgame meals. Beneath a trellis of wooden rafters, darts and raucous cheers fly to a soundtrack of hand-plucked TouchTunes jukebox jams. On an American-themed menu, snacks of nachos prelude entrées such as crusted new york strip steaks, and signature burgers—aptly titled to celebrate the kitchen staff’s forge-proof condiment designs.

The crew at Cobblestone Cafe has manned crackling griddles and grills for more than three decades to forge a menu of time-tested diner fare. Around the forest-green eatery, patrons at outdoor tables feast on egg skillets, pancakes, and breakfast wraps or enjoy fresh air not purchased from corrupt park rangers. As the sun rises higher in the sky, plates clatter with loads of meatloaf, burgers, and french-dip sandwiches.

If the limestone walls of the Nicollet Island Inn could talk, they would have riveting things to say. They would relate recent memories of romantic weddings and elegant special occasions, filled with the popping of champagne corks, laughter bouncing off the water from an outdoor patio and garden, and soft music wafting from the piano lounge. But the inn's more distant past is what distinguishes its true character; the building is one of the few that survived an island-wide fire soon after its construction in 1893. The site was rehabilitated in the early 80's. Double-hung windows have transformed the industrial exterior with welcoming turquoise awnings, and the old loading dock was glassed in to create a dining room with scenic views of the Mississippi River.

Though steeped in historical charm—including hand-carved woodwork, stained-glass windows, and an antique, steam-powered elevator—the inn appeals to the modern traveler with world-class amenities such as organic bath products and plasma TVs. Contemporary palates delight in menus designed by Executive Chef Ryan Stechschulte. Mpls.St.Paul Magazine calls the restaurant "one of the most distinctive brunch sites in the city." Its housemade pastries and five-course weekend tasting brunch of quiche and lobster rolls made it a winner of a Best Brunch award from Citypages in 2011.

Osaka Sushi & Hibachi's talented team of chefs is split between two delicious specialties—sushi and hibachi. Each day, they perform a culinary spectacle for guests, transforming fresh seafood into maki and sashimi at the sushi bar or searing meats and veggies tableside at hibachi grills. Their gourmet repertoire also includes traditional Japanese entrees such as teriyaki, tempura, and noodle dishes. With seven locations in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, the restaurant franchise keeps locals packed with enough soy sauce to withstand Minnesota's harsh winters and harsher condiment famines.

Mad Jacks Sports Cafe serves a spread of eclectic eats amid rustic décor marked by high-tech accents. Diners dig into a regular or gluten-free menu of steaks, cedar-plank-grilled fish, and sandwiches under the glow of LCD screens and individual TVs stationed within every high backed booth. These flickering devices cast light across the log-cabin-themed space and tables filled with freshly spun pizzas and grill-kissed entrees. As they eat, diners can watch flames dance inside the fireplace, lament a dropped pass or an ill-purchased vowel on one of the looming TV screens, or drink in the fresh air on an outdoor patio.

Born in Vietnam and raised in the United States by Chinese parents, chef Nina Wong has always infused her dishes with a variety of Asian tastes. After marrying Thomas Gnanapragasam—a third-generation Malaysian of Indian descent—Wong discovered more unique flavors to integrate into her signature sauces and syrups. Originally opened in 2005, Chin Dian Café channels the pair's unique backgrounds through Asian soups, salads, and noodle and rice dishes, even offering some gluten-free options. Popular dishes, such as chow mai fun and chicken-and-chive dumplings, keep patrons rolling in and have earned the restaurant media acclaim from the Star Tribune, Minnesota Monthly, and the dictionary.