Band Box Diner

This is a fun place to have a quick meal. The pancakes were amazing. The eggs perfectly done. And the service was prompt. I love going places where I can see the short order cook and this one was right in the open. These places are getting harder and harder to find. No chain restaurant food here! Only the fresh ingredients that you get in a place like this.

We we're hungry, in our pajamas and slippers, and were not planning on dining anywhere. Still, I'm glad we chose here instead of McDonald's. They were so nice to us, allowing us in 6 min til they were to close.

If you are looking for a great tiny diner, this the place! Wonderful old diner experience. Very interesting history on the back of the menu. We went for breakfast. I had a hard time choosing. I opted for a knife and fork sandwich of French toast, breakfast sausage, egg and cheese. With maple syrup over it. WoW! My dining partner ordered eggs, sausage and a pancake. She needed help with the pancake and I was very happy to assist with that!

This is, by far, my favorite place to eat! It's cozy and friendly and delicious!

First time here. Friendly staff and great food - it's all locally sourced and cooked on a grill right in front of you. The menu is average American meals (mainly burgers) and breakfast is served all day. Prices are average and parking can be a bit limited as it is street parking. I couldn't give 5 stars because this place does need a bit of a face lift/update in terms of physical appearance and the menu could use some variety.

Fantastic small diner out of the way. Highly recommend not spreading the word to us non-locals so when we're back in town we can get a fresh hot delicious meal fast. 😀

Great place but for my first time here today, I walked in and was a little disgusted. Let’s just say that if I were an health inspector I would’ve dinged them for sure on dirty things. The reason is because when I sat to order my food I noticed the older guy (the cook) mishandle something’s and didn’t even think to change his gloves and wash his hands. He then proceeded to cook my food and grabbed the raw beef patty with the same gloves he just cooked someone else’s food and cleaned the flat top with. After he grabs the raw beef patty he arches back in his cooler and grabs two pieces of turkey sausage with the same gloves. As well as using the spatula, tongs, grabbing handles, and even used the soup spoon with the contaminated hand to cook the eggs. He literally touched everything from the bread to the fries. Now I’m a culinary supervisor so when I asked him why he didn’t wash his hands he simply replied “you don’t need to use gloves anyway I just wear them because some people tell me to.” And I left the conversation with that. I didn’t get rude I let the cool finish my food paid for it and threw it away. And I love patty melts but everything was contaminated the moment he didn’t wash his hands. Be aware of the cooks from these restaurants we eat at people. Food borne illness always starts because of people like him. Hope this is helpful. Good place im sure but not the cleanest.

Decent little greasey spoon. Wish they cooked burgers medium. Good flavors. Fries are OK. Better if eaten there and not take out. Can't go wrong with breakfast food either.

Brest breakfast spot in town if you ask me. Great service and you just feel like in an old dinner. Must try place.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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!!

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!

Has anyone information about if or when the Band Box will ever open? Back in the 70's I was dating Larry Johnson's (aka Ernest Mann) daughter; we ate there all the time.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

I was told this place is the oldest diner in Minneapolis and I believe it. Small place with basic breakfast fair and hamburgers and fries; that's it. The fried and breakfasts potatoes are 100% homemade (cut and fried/griddle fresh). The only negative thing is the place really smells of old oil regardless of the tone of day. It's pretty much the only joint walkable in that area and it does the job.

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.

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.

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....

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

Not bad! I'll back.! This place is around the corner from me, so I thought I would try it and I can say that it has some definite positives about it! I ordered the 'Big Bleu Burger?' Yes, it's greasy, but they cook it the way it should be cooked! The bun is fantastic (it's large, firm, fluffy) and the meat though maybe not grade A is decent. There wasn't too much taste to the meat, but the bleu cheese did make up for it. I also added American Fries to mine which are pretty much mini hash browns. That was good and crispy. Savannah served me and she was quick and polite. The only down side to this place is there's no AC, so summer time... it's hot and warm. :/

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!

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!

Band Box Diner you are simply remarkable, I had a wonderful experience here today. Pleasant ambience. The menu is really terrific, lots of excellent choices, I had to go with Monster Omelette, and it was fantastic. And also, the service was great and the staff was very courteous. Band Box Diner was awesome.

Band Box is an unassuming little diner on the edge of downtown Minneapolis. Run by old punk rockers, this is a great place to pick up weekend brunch with friends. Sturdy cup of coffee and the right mix of home cooking.

Love this place and the chef with the long beard is the real deal . His blt is one of the best I've had . Always love going here because you see the CEO and the street thug eating here . This is where their worlds meet and converse.

A classic diner with fantastic food. Spotlessly clean and locally sourced ingredients. A staple in the cities since 1939. Check it out for the great food and slice of MSP history!

Sometimes a big plate of eggs, ham, taters, and a pancake is just what you need to start your day. No frills, just simple good eats. I also learned that it's a historic diner in Minneapolis, so you know they're doing something right!

This place is tucked away in Elliot Park and is astounding! Fresh baked bread from franklin bakery and mostly fresh local ingredients. The orange juice is a must! Fresh squeezed and delicious. The burgers are prepared fresh off the grill and cooked to perfection. The Ze little French buddy was great and toasted just right. Great diner atmosphere, history, and pricing. Excited to come back and try some more off their menu!

This was just what I needed! We sat at the counter for a Breakfast Burger (burger with bacon, egg, cheese on an English muffin) and a Lunchbox burger (burger with coleslaw and shoestring fries.) The service was friendly, we got to watch the cook, and coffee was flowing. Lovely. I will go back and recommend this spot to my kids and their friends.

Triple decker grilled cheese and a can of coke. My 14 year old son says it's a lay down and do nothin kind of meal. I am talking about a super buttery, griddle grilled, triple decker grilled cheese. It was so good. I had to dip a little in some Heinz ketchup. The French fries were skin on shoestring goodness. The buns are delicious and made right down the street at the local bakery. Pretty darn tasty.

Had a plain burger with grilled onions and pickles. Added the fries and had some of their excellent coffee. 5 stars!! Best fries I have had in years. Shoestring and perfectly browned. Waitress was friendly. Very small dining area. Only complaint is the iced tea is not brewed but I wouldn't have tried the coffee if it was. Coffee was wonderful.

From what I've read I thought the burgers would be good... but not THIS good. Shoestring fries and slaw on the Lunchbox burger were a perfect balance of salty, sweet, and crunchy. The combination of ranch and Bro sauce on the Dude Ranch made it hands-down the messiest burger I've ever eaten, and it was mind-numbingly delicious! The server was a delightfully playful soul who was incredibly helpful and a joy to be around.

Back in Minneapolis. Stayed downtown and decided to get some walking exercise and breakfast. Other spots were closer, but we decided on Band Box. Twenty-three minutes later we arrived. A reviewer called it a greasy spoon. Admittedly it ain't industrial modern. Very fair prices. The best part of the visit was the service. The waitress gets a 5. Food was good and plentiful. Sausage patties had good spice. Seasoning was off to me and that's why my score is a 3--actually 3.5. It's a personal thing. Friend gave it 4 out of 5. I would return.

If you're looking for a healthy vegan joint this is NOT the place. If you're looking for a greasy all American frikken delicious burger then this IS the joint you want! Best burger around! The BRO sauce is amazing! We will be back!

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.

The service was exceptional, the waitress was so friendly. I got the monster omelette and my partner got the lunch box burger. Both of them were A1! The flavors were bursting out of the food, and I can't wait to come back for more. The portions are great for the price. Very enjoyable experience.

"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!

This doesn't look like much of a place, but looks can be deceiving. Food doesn't get any better than this. If you are downtown, then give it a try, I don't think you'll be sorry.

What a great hidden gem in the city. Every time I've been there the food has been fresh and delicious and the service great. Today for lunch I had a dude ranch burger, fries and coffee. Everything is cooked fresh and was fantastic. Service was very attentive and friendly. Good coffee too! It's a small place so there may be a bit of a wait but I went at an off time!

This hands down gets 5 stars, I just love them. I believe it's a husband and wife? But the main reason I gave them 5 stars is because it's LAID BACK!! They looked comfortable and relaxed. The location, not a big fan. The burgers HUGE fan. Great combos for $10. They also smoothly up sold me by asking if I want fries with my burger ($2.00) charge. Usually comes with onion rings. I'm a salesman, It was funny. Like I said 5/5 stars. Go try it. If not, take my word for it.