Minnesota State Fair aside, is there a bigger summer staple in the Twin Cities than Sea Salt Eatery? It’s one of the first spots we take friends and family who’ve dropped into town and one of the places we dream about when it’s zero-below in winter.
Opened in 2005 by former Coastal Seafoods managers Jon Blood and Chris Weglinski, the Minnehaha Park mainstay is best known for its generous fish tacos and po’ boys heaped with fried oysters, shrimp, and catfish. Add to that a billion and one hot sauce options, classic Sebastian Joe’s ice cream, an expansive outdoor patio, and good beer (Sea Salt regularly hosts tap takeovers from Surly, Bent Paddle, Fair State, et al.), and it’s hard not to fall in love.
Apparently, we’re not the only ones who feel that way; wait times can exceed an hour on a sunny weekend or holiday. Our strategy: Go in the “shoulder season” (late April to early May or mid September to early October) or go on, say, a Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. There’s no better mid-week pick-me-up than a big honkin’ oyster po’boy and a walk or covered bicycle ride around Minnehaha Falls.
Sea Salt Eatery
4825 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis, MN; 612-721-8990.