Cafe Racer Kitchen

Really enjoyed a lazy Saturday morning here. The music and ambiance of the café really makes you feel welcomed and relaxed as soon as you walk in. The food was delicious and well portioned. Filling yet not too much for a well-balanced meal. The arepas had a really nice sweetness that complimented the savory toppings well. The coffee was really good too. Overall, a nice neighborhood joint that I look forward to returning to.

This is a cute and small restaurant that does offer 8 tables, a bathroom, and a water station. The portions are small. I ordered the queso arepa and I highly recommend it. I ordered the veggie tray with a side of rice and beans with yucca fries. The yucca fries were a bit too hard to eat/enjoy. I also tried their mimosa which was delicious. There are nonalcoholic beverages as well. I had the flan for dessert which was not your traditional flan. I enjoyed it. I realized I’m just used to Mexican style flan.

Best food I’ve had in months. 2 pounds of pulled pork next to perfect arroz and plantains browned just right. Coffee also was good, even though I got it in an off hour (2pm)

Amazing food and presentation. Liked the Arepas. Tons of vegetarian options. Yummy Yucca fries. They have fresh baked items like scones in a case. There is patio seating for warmer weather. I found a good number of traditional breakfast items like pancakes on the menu. You order at the counter.

Nowhere are there any racers so I just don't understand it. But yes there is a cafe here and the cafe does the cafe part of the name very well - the food part, the drink part, the being a cafe part. All of that very good. Especially the food. The food is excellent. But really no racers and I'm just like hey what's going on here what are we trying to pull? My leg? Pork?

Buddy of mine recommended Cafe Racer as he and some of my other friend form college live right nearby. It was worth the trek across the city as the food and outdoor seating lent to a relaxing afternoon lunch with friends. The arepas and vegetarian options looked delicious but a couple of us stuck with a relatively tame option of the Colombian street dog which was super flavorful. Will definitely be back again.

Absolutely delightful! I think of it as a fusion breakfast and south american cuisine. Brought my friends along and everyone loved it. Service was quick. They do not have reservations but almost all the tables were occupied when we went. Food was delicious. Wonderful swirl of flavors and textures. Just works so well with each other. Prices were very reasonable. Odd location, but definitely coming here again.

The yucca fries, plantains, and pulled pork are delicious and what you would expect from a SA restaurant. The Colombian arepas were tasty. I enjoyed the Aborajado Benedict which was a nice blend of an American classic with arepas, sweet plantains, and sausage. Would recommend for something different and hardy. Very celiac/gluten free friendly!

We stopped in on a Thursday morning. Note: the Brunch menu is available on the weekend. The corn arepas were deliscious and slightly sweet. The sausage and egg were well cooked. Very tasty meal!

I love this spot; their space is really cute, staff have always been really nice, & they have a cool patio in the summer. My husband & I came here for brunch & tried: --ABORRAJADO: the playing was really pretty with all the veg colors. My husband really enjoyed this but said it could use more salt potentially. --I had a veggie dish that was like an eggs Benedict on (I believe) arepas or masa, but can't remember the name of it. It was delicious either way; I wish there were more sauce for the Benedict because that was the tastiest part. The veggies were really good, too, but again I think they could've used more seasoning. The portion sizes of both meals were perfect. We each finished our meals but didn't feel overly stuffed. I also got an iced latte & really enjoyed it, the espresso they serve is tasty. We'll definitely be back for this spot again, it's a great brunch stop!

This is such a cute cafe with amazing food! Counter service with self serve water. The staff was very friendly and speedy with my food. I highly recommend the pork. It was soo tender it just fell apart. The seasoning was subtle with just the right amount of saltiness. The rice and beans were bland but were a good carb to soak up the juiciness of the pork. The sweet plantains were perfect in every way. They had beautifully crunchy bottoms from being fried. The arepa con queso was good. There is a sweetness with the butter and maybe in the corn masa itself. Its very dense and rich, i would recommend splitting with a friend if possible.

The food was delicious; the decor is a bit stark & service is counter ordering, get a # & self-serve water & other drinks & food are delivered to your table.

A cool little neighborhood place for Latin food, including lots of vegetarian options, and outdoor seating on the sidewalk.

Had a great dinner here on a weeknight with a few girlfriends. We were the only group that dined in but several takeout orders were going out. Cuisine is delicious and flavorful. They have a short menu with a few specials but a great variety in options. Recommend highly the plantains and anything with the arepas! They offer wine, beer and cocktails too if you choose to eat in which I would recommend!

Such cool spot! I live around the area so I stopped by! The host was so helpful they suggested things for me since am not familiar with the cuisine. I will swing by for coffee next time! The space is good too if you want to chill get some work done or relax.

Delicious!! Casual order-at-the-counter spot with great food. We stopped in on a Thursday evening and were able to find street parking right out front. There were a few other guests but we had no problem finding an open table in the small dining area. The menu is small, but they also have a few specials. I went with one of the specials which was steak and plantain. I loved the sweetness of the plantain with the savory steak and tangy sauce. The yucca fries were good too, but I was so focused on my other food that my fries got cold before I got to them.

Locally owned Columbian cafe. The owner Luis is always around for quality control. Coffee is rich and tasty. Breakfast Americano is fabulous. Arepas y marmelada has delicious fruit compote and our kids love it. Try something different and relaxed

We saw this place and the good reviews so we gave it a try. The food was tasty but the portion was way too small. The coffee had powder at the bottom. The service was nice overall except the wait was too long. It took about 20-30 minutes to get our food since we ordered.

Still on that never ending journey to one-up the last breakfast sandwich I enjoyed. Time to get a bit more adventurous. I had a real craving for arepa and discovered a place I had been meaning to check out had an arepa breakfast sammie! This place is right in the middle of a Minneapolis residential neighborhood and specializes in Latin American cuisine. Their arepas specifically are fantastic. They are deep fried cornmeal-dough cakes that are subtlety sweet and melt in your mouth. What I ordered: Egg, Cheese, and Kielbasa sandwich ~ over hard egg, queso cotija, kielbasa, and banana peppers between two piping hot arepas. **I chose to also smother it in their house made Serrano hot sauce. The sweet and savory combo here is incendiary!** They are doing great things for the community as well during these trying Covid times.

Stopped in for lunch with my parents in the winter. At the time, they were allowing dine in so long as you had proof of vaccination (a picture on your phone was good enough). The lunch menu was a bit limited but we pretty much got a little of everything, and everything we had was good. The tostones were crunchy and savory, the plantains were sweet. We got both the pulled chicken and the pulled pork, both were juicy and rich, brightened by fresh cilantro, diced onion, and queso. The staff was friendly, and the entire vibe was a bit hipster. But totally clean and socially distant. Their logo is pretty cool too.

Super fun and chill location, they have a great patio and outdoor seating. Food was great- loved the plantains. Would definitely go back!

Just delicious! We got the Aborrajado and Lunch Americano with pulled pork, yuca fries and sweet plantains. Both dishes were perfectly sweet, savory, rich, with the crunch from the arepa and yuca fries... all the flavors just came together so well. I only wish the "spicy sauce" was actually spicy. The waitress was really nice and the outdoor seating was exactly right for this beautiful afternoon.

I've had this place on my list FOREVER and finally went here for Sunday brunch. Everything was so delicious, the service was kind and prompt, and the ambiance was cozy and cute. I'll definitely be back soon! We got the plantains to share as a table and then tried the various options of arepas with vegetables, steak, and eggs. The arepas are crunchy and the meals are a great size for a filling brunch without being stuffed. The various cafés con leche were also a hit for our table. Also, make sure you get their homemade hot sauce (flavorful and just the right amount of heat).

The portions are pretty small but the food is really good! I had their braised pulled pork with a side of arepas and plantains. The arepas are sweet with a hint of savory and the plantains are sweet and kinda caramelized. Both very good. The pork itself was OK, and I wish there was more sauce on it so it wasn't as dry. Overall still really good food and I'd go back! Minneapolis is so cool because of all the different types of food you can get. I'm a huge fan of arepas now

Favorite breakfast spot. Super easy to order through website then pickup. There's great outdoor seating. They were great about covid. There's also a park one block away great for eating outdoors

Great food, best arepas, and good fillinga/toppings. They've done a great job during the pandemic for pickup options and big orders. Compared to Hola Arepa - better arepas!

Sweet little neighborhood restaurant - with great food. Arepas for breakfast or street food style.

I love this place so much. The menu is small, but everything on it is delicious. I usually get (for dinner) either the pork or the roasted veggies with plantains and arepas (don't miss the arepas!), but my favorite meal here is actually breakfast. I recommend the aborrojado with an extra egg (and a caffe con leche, of course). They have a gorgeous garden to sit in when it's warm. Now that it's chilly, it's the only restaurant I'm currently eating indoors in. (They have a vaccine mandate.) And I LOVE that they regularly provide free meals for any neighbors who need them. See their website for updated hours--I'm writing this from inside the cafe but Yelp says it's closed now.

This review is for the food truck, not the restaurant. The food truck cuisine was filling and satisfying, though in my opinion a bit bland on overall flavor and lacking in spices. I tried the pulled chicken with rice and black beans and fried sweet plantains. The pulled chicken was juicy and tender but rather plain. The rice and black beans were similar. The fried sweet plantains were delicious, warm, and crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside. Overall, the meal satisfied my hunger, just not all my taste buds. Give it a try, but don't set your expectations for something super high-impact, flavor-wise.

First time visiting. Absolutely delicious! Arepas Benedict! Wow! Cute decor displaying local artist Olivia Levine Holden art. Good coffee and great service. Nice patio. 5 stars! Yummy!

What a wonderful little hidden gem in southeast Minneapolis. It is a small cafe with just a few tables, however I came with a large group and they were happy to push most of the tables together for us. It was a Saturday afternoon and they were having Happy Hour so all drinks were half off! I got an amazing sangria for just $4. Yes please! They also had other mixed drinks, beer, and wine options. The food menu seemed small, and I believe it was a special happy hour menu, but everyone found something that they liked. I chose the Roasted Chicken with Arepas and Rice n beans. The chicken was good, but the real winner were the Arepas. They were soooooo good that I wish I had just gotten a whole plate of those. The rice and beans were bland and I wish I had gotten the sweet plantains or yucca. I picked a few off some of my friends plates and they were delicious. Service was amazing and the waitress was attentive to everyone's dietary restrictions and special requests. There was plenty of street parking on a Saturday afternoon and no wait, even for a large group. I look forward to returning to try more of their other food and I'm interested to see what they offer not during happy hour. Cafe racer also seem like a nice place to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea if that's for your thing, but it's definitely worth a visit.

Arepas, tapas, and yuca-goodness! Great brunch spot with a wide variety of menu options. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options as well. I would highly recommend Cafe Racer's Yuca Cheese Curds, made with their house-made aioli. They also make their own green hot sauce if you're looking for a little extra heat to any dish. Drinks: good coffee, limited selection of wine and canned local beer. Quick service and great staff in a quaint location with lots of natural light! I'd recommend parties of 4 or less.

Cafe Racer is one of our go-to neighborhood hot spots. The food is consistently delicious and the menu is short but has something for everyone, including great vegetarian and gluten free options. Unlike other restaurants, we find their yucca fries to hold up great even during takeout. Cafe Racer also has a wonderful breakfast - I love their keilbasa sausage. In addition, the patio is big with lots of outdoor seating, a major plus during Covid. And, on top of all of this, the restaurant is a wonderful asset to the Minneapolis community and offers free meals to all one lunch a month. Not only is food great but I also feel good spending my money here.

I first came here for the free lunch they do once a month. This is such a kindness on their part and I applaud them for it. Almost everything on the menu is gluten free, the only exception is a hotdog bun. Everything I have tried from here has been delicious. They make a version of fries with gravy that is delightful, yucca fries with a gluten free gravy topped with pulled pork. The arepas that come with many dishes can be either sweet or savory I love them with their homemade hot sauce (verde) my favorite item by far is their jambalaya it's incredibly flavorful. They often have unusual and delicious drinks too. The staff is always friendly, welcoming, and accommodating. If you find out that something contains an allergen they will happily fix the problem for you. From the very first I have felt at home here. It's relatively small, does have outdoor seating when the weather permits. I strongly recommend you give this place a try.

Outstanding, flavorful, in a great neighborhood location. Definitely a must try! We came here for brunch and had an open face arepa with shredded pork. The arepa was perfectly made. Crisp on the outside, slightly sweet and divine! The pork is served with a delicious sauce and on top of the arepa. For a side, we both tried the sweet plaintains....OMG, they were divine. We were too full for dessert but will be coming back.

I always thought this place seemed really cute so my partner and I finally decided to try it and we could not have been more disappointed. First of all you order, pay and tip ahead of time at the counter where the minimum option is 20%. You have to find and fill your own water cups. Then the food came, which the portions were quite small for the price. The meat (we tried the chicken and pork) and it was so BLAND, no seasoning or spice at all. We also both got a rice side, one of them with beans. Most of the rice was rock hard and inedible, and it was cold. The only part of the food that was decent was the arepas, which I had to go find my own to go container for. I also had to reach over the counter to find my own napkins because no staff ever checked in or helped me when I came back up to the counter. Then at the end of the meal you have to bus your own food. Why is the minimum tip 20% for a place that you have to find your own napkins, water, order at the counter and then bus your own food? (Seriously cafe racer I'm asking) With tip our bill was almost $40, for small portions of bland poorly cooked food. The food at La Casita is better seasoned, and there you get complementary chips and salsa and a waiter. Save yourself some money and make a quesadilla at home or go buy the tacos at applebees, they'll have more flavor.

FABULOUS PLACE! As you can see presentation is as good as the food. Service was good and staff friendly.

Delicious, healthy and GF/Vegan galore. Just the comfort food I needed on my short lunch break. Will return!

Girls day out lunch here was fantastic. We had great service - when asked for recommendations our server was ready with a few specifics & explained the ingredients some in our party of 3 were not familiar with :). The food was delicious and aesthetically pleasing, too. I appreciated that their coffee cups were small because it allows you to drink the whole cup while it is still hot and our server was also attentive to refills throughout the meal. Obviously being January, we sat indoors, but on our way out noticed the patio area which looks like it would be wonderful in the warmer seasons. The interior space is bright, clean and inviting. Honestly I am shocked I hadn't been there before yesterday - I live right near it & had driven by a few times. I will definitely be back soon. Another plus is that gluten free and vegan/vegetarian items are clearly marked on the menu (and there are many).

A small hidden gem. There are only about six tables in the place. It's surprisingly well lit. A very clean place with great service and a great selection of food. If you go towards the end of the night, be aware that there may be limited servings of some of the dishes. It seems the food is not be made to order. Which is fine. As it authentic Latin American food takes a long time to make. Especially some of the meat dishes. The pulled chicken has great flavor. That was my favorite item. This is a small place with great food. The parking is street parking. If you live relatively close, Bite Squad delivers from here. So if you can't make it here, try it via Bite Squad.

I can't believe I've let this place escape my notice for so long. Or, I can believe it because I was eating low carb and this is definitely not low carb. But, so delicious. Wow. I had the Chicken and rice with Yucca and Plantains. So perfectly done. I was going to share a pic of my flourless chocolate cake too, but I ate it too fast because it's was so damn good. When I need another carb load, I'll be back. 20% off from Groupon+ too.

The food here is amazing, just as good as the original food truck. Although I was sad to see that the carrot soufflé is no longer offered. On food alone, they'd get 5 stars. But the seating policy the day we were there was a bit odd. They only wanted to seat us at the table for two (which was right by the bathroom which I definitely didn't want). The claim was that since it was raining they couldn't use the outside tables, so needed to keep the tables for 3-4 for bigger groups, even though it was well past the lunch hour and the restaurant wasn't even half full. The hostess finally did give in and let us sit at a table for three. And while we were eating, a number of other couples came in and were able to sit at the prime seating areas for 3 or more despite being small parties. So maybe in the end they reconsidered their rule?

This place makes the most delicious foods. I always order the pulled pork arepas with the green hot sauce they make (seriously so good) and a side of fried plantains. Super cute small place with a lovely little patio for warm times. Used to live in the neighborhood and visit frequently, but still will make the drive for this yummy nosh.

Delicious food. Well prepared and quality ingredients. The hot sauce- dare I say "house made?"- was some of the best I've had. We went for dinner and I had the fish entree and my husband had the flank steak. Both were fantastic. I loved the side salad that came with the fish dish and the fried plantains and chimmicurri on the steak were to die for. They have a great local beer list, I loved my Argentinian Malbec, and the booth seats are this really cool and gorgeous wooden design. We kind of went crazy with the apps, getting the tots, poutine, AND the queso arepa. I liked how they did the tots and poutine to integrate South American ingredients and flavors with traditional Minnesota dishes. I guess if I could change anything I would like to see some more veg heavy options on the appetizer menu. While there were plenty of vegetarian options, there was little actual vegetable in the Tapas section. Everything we ordered, however, was delicious. I'm going to complain about my body temperature. I wish the restaurant was a little warmer. I understand it's Minnesota and winter is coming, and the entire front wall is a window, so maybe that's just not in the cards. Anyway, wear a sweater if you run cold, as I do. It also took us a few extra minutes to be approached when we sat down, and the first thing we were asked was if we knew what we wanted to order. Generally it's nice to have an introduction and drink orders before full on ordering dinner. But this, honestly, was a minor, minor complaint, and overall we had a fantastic dining experience. P to the S, did you guys know the owner offers a free community meal each month? What an amazing gesture of humanity and good will.

Came back to say that I've revisited cafe racer countless times since my initial review, and it's always just as delicious. You must get takeout if you're in the neighborhood

Really good!!! First trip here was an early dinner, shared the Colombian Street Dog and food truck pulled chicken open faced arepa. The menu is small and extremely well done, everything we tried was delicious. From the feel of this small restaurant, they have a loyal following. Neighborhood families that return over and over. I will definitely be back. They have a brunch menu! I can't wait to try.

I hope my visit for lunch today is not the norm for this place, there was only a handful of customers. I was looking for a new place to try for lunch and I'm very glad to have stumbled onto Cafe Racer. They have a very small menu which I think allows them to excel at what they do. I had the open face shredded pork arepa with a side of yucca fries. The pork was unbelievably tasty and moist with a number of different sauces and ingredients jumping out with each bite. The yucca fries were a tad under cooked in my eyes. They were very good but some of them pretty hard. They were nothing like over at Hola Arepa, which are crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Talk about cheap, 9 bucks, that's all it cost me for some really fantastic Latin lunch food.

Food/Drink: Oh yeah, bring on the Latin food done just a little fancy. I've now been here for brunch a few times and it hits the spot. The benedict, hash, steak and eggs are great. Don't be afraid to ask for extra hot sauce and those pickled onions. Get some extra sides if you're hungry as the portions can be on the "normal" side. All that and don't be afraid to get your drink on. The bloody mary's on point as well as their beer menu. One time in the late afternoon, crew and I got there and they were out of at least 50% of them, but there were still a couple to enjoy. Ambiance: This is the part I like the most. It's a neighborhood shop with a cool look and feel on the interior. There's not a ton of seating inside and it's not meant to be the most comfortable, but looking around you get the idea they actually thought through it a little which i appreciate. Then during the summer months, the patio on the side is perfect. Spent a few more then 2 days out there eating, drinking and taking way to long (of course during their busiest hours). My bad! Service: Here's where I wish just a little more effort was made. Especially when seated outside. See aforementioned note on the ambiance so I obviously didn't mind it too much, but the problem is that you don't want to get forgotten. Once you've got your server's attention, it's all good and they're all very helpful with advice about what's their favorites and they're enjoying for suggestions. Overall: I've heard rumors this was converted from a Food Truck, but I've only known the restaurant here and it's worth it. It's really a great place that's low key enough and you get some different breakfast/lunch fare. I'm hoping to make some dinners here and see what they've got cooking there and absolutely looking forward to it. Get here and soon!

The yucca frita is so good! Braised pork is a bit salty for my liking but okay overall

I was SO SO SO disappointed. This was my first time eating at a food truck EVER and it was so greasy and gross that I had to throw almost the whole thing away. In hindsight, I should have gone back to the truck and talked to them about it and shown them all the grease and asked what they thought of it, but I didn't. I was SO excited too! The menu looked great, and like everything I love. I got the pulled pork with 2 sides, the roasted veggies and the carrot souffle. The carrot thing was actually awesome. The pork was very bland and fatty and greasy, but the veggies were the worst offender. There was a straight up PUDDLE of grease in the bottom of the dish. Once I saw how much was there, it made me sick to my stomach to imagine how much was ON the rest of the food. Tossed the rest into the trash. I HATE wasting money and I HATE wasting food, so this is something I never ever do. Very disappointed. I emailed them about it, but have yet to hear back.

I was excited for my very first food truck experience! Parked outside Fulton Brewery were 3 trucks to choose from and I was lucky enough that this one was there with vegetarian options! I had the Arepa sandwich which came with your choice of pulled chicken, pork or balsamic roasted vegetables and one side. I had the veggies with the carrot souffle side. My basket was prepared fast and was hot, colorful and delicious! All for $7. Everything on the menu is gluten free, except for the Street Dogs (bun), and has a vegetarian option. Nice!

They need to do better training in teaching their servers how to put food on the table. The most recent time that I went there the server did something very awkward that could have easily been interpreted as discriminatory. There were three of us at the table, two white people one black person, and the server put the food down in front of the two white people and served the black person last. We all ordered the same thing so there was no excuse for that. And two people were on the same side of the table with one person on the other side. Also the server said nothing as it was done. when she walked away, I commented on how fucked up that was, and then she came back and apologized very awkwardly about how she's new, and making excuses rather than making resolutions. I didn't want to teach the little ones volunteering that they should be hung from The gallows over a little mistake, but really her apology was really awkward. And honestly, the children did a better job of making eye contact with all of us than she did. I also noticed that she looked at my two white friends more than she looked at me, even though I did most of the talking because I was much quicker to make my decisions. None of us are in a hurry to go back to that place.

Rica and I went here for a date. It was happy hour and we got arepas, as well as this thing with bread, cheese, and honey butter. Everything was REAL GOOD. Happy hour pricing lead to very high enjoyment per dollar. We sat inside because it was hot, but the patio looked nice. We walked to a park nearby afterwards.

I've eaten at Cafe Racer 3 times so far (2 dinner and now brunch) so far I haven't tasted anything that isn't excellent. The menu is a bit limited but it's better to have a few VERY good things than a bunch of mediocre things. I'll definitely be going back many more times and I can't wait to see this little restaurant grow!

I have just one word for Café Racer: YES. We went on a Friday around dinner time and it was perfect - not too busy, fast service. Loved the intimacy of the dining room. We had open faced arepas and sides (yucca fries and plantain). Both were delicious. I will definitely be back.

Man, oh man. I don't really leave worded reviews. I mostly use yelp because it's easy to navigate. However, there is always, and I mean foreverandalways an exception to the rule. Myself and 3 of my friends went to the restaurant at a strange-ish time but we were starving and in the neighborhood. Thankfully, it was still brunch time. Hallelujah. Personally, it took me forever to decide what I wanted to order (the server was wonderful, not overbearing, nonintrusive and informative) But I finally settled on the Poutine. Hot damn. It was incredible. It was served with yukka curds and pulled pork gravy on a bed of yukka fries (I think). Topped with pickled peppers and this sauce that I don't remember the name of but it was incredible. Perfect combination of tang and that dairy-coat that most midwesteners live for. A game changer for Poutine. My friends had the breakfast americano, soy dog and arepas y marmaladas. Everyone enjoyed everything. Literally. Not a single complaint or general statement about how "I wish this was this way, instead." And we're a couple of 20-something white cis people. We complain about everything! Even the coffee was delicious. Coffee is important. I swear to gawd, I don't care what you think you know about this place (spefically if it's negative), this place is one of a kind. This is quality food at MORE THAN REASONABLE PRICES. Do yourselves a favor if you've left a negative review, quit trippin'. Places have off-days and even off-months but this place is unparalleled. Ask yourself if you're educated enough to speak on cuban food.....you know? Needless to say, I will be back. Best wishes to this establishment now and in the future. Salud!

I really wanted to love this place, and I am giving them the benefit of the doubt in assuming they had an off night or a server call in sick. There was 1 friendly waitress for the entire place, with the patio full... My table for 2 came in around 7pm on a Wednesday night and did not get our food until after 8:45pm. Drinks alone took around half an hour to get, the sangria was mostly cranberry juice and lime, though they had a great beer menu. My husband's steak was very good, my pulled chicken and black beans/rice were bland (needed salt). The food is fresh, it was a delight to have healthier options, and is a cute space, so I'll likely give it another chance and order something different and come back when I have plenty of time to wait.