Phillips
A multicultural enclave in the heart of Minneapolis.
Home to two Minneapolis Cultural Districts — East Lake Street and Franklin Avenue East — the Phillips neighborhood is a fantastic spot to get a feel for the rich cultural tapestry of Minneapolis. You'll also find cultural gems like the American Swedish Institute and Norway House, along with a vibrant culinary scene showcasing flavors from Minneapolis’s Somali and Mexican community plus a dizzying array of cuisines around the world. The neighborhood's dynamic atmosphere and rich cultural heritage offer visitors an authentic Minneapolis experience.
Where to Eat and Drink
Reflecting its multicultural community, the Phillips neighborhood boasts a wide array of dining options from around the world. Stop into Maria’s Café for classic diner fare and Colombian specials like housemade chorizo arepas, beef and potato-stuffed empanadas, plantain pancakes, and Pandequeso (Colombian cheese bread). Savor the flavors of Somalia at Mama Safia’s Kitchen, Quruxlow, Sanaag Restaurant, and Tayo Grill, each providing a taste of East African culinary traditions.
Franklin Avenue East is home to a rich community of Indigenous-owned businesses along the American Indian Cultural Corridor. Gatherings Café at the Minneapolis American Indian Center provides a welcoming space to enjoy Indigenous-inspired dishes and beverages, from blue corn wild rice pancakes to bison tacos. While you’re there, stop into the Woodland Indian Crafts Gift Shop for handmade jewelry, music, and other gifts created by local Indigenous artists, and check out the Native art on display at Two Rivers Art Gallery. Sharing space with Native art hub All My Relations Art Gallery, Pow Wow Grounds is another great stop along Franklin’s American Indian Cultural Corridor where you can fill up on wild rice breakfast burritos. The Four Sisters Farmers Market, an Indigenous-focused farmers market, pops up in the Native American Community Development Institute parking lot next to Pow Wow Grounds on Thursdays, June through October.
Forming the neighborhood's southern border, East Lake Street is both an official Minneapolis Cultural District and a culinary haven waiting to be explored. Midtown Global Market showcases a vibrant array of international flavors, from Jamaican and Japanese to Nepalese, Cambodian, and Moroccan. Mercado Central boasts over 35 Latino-owned restaurants, shops, and services, including a juice bar, piñata and candy shop, and made-in-Minneapolis tortillas. La Michoacana Purepecha offers refreshing Mexican ice cream and paletas, plus aguas frescas and savory snacks. Taqueria y Birrieria las Cuatro Milpas is a local favorite for birria tacos, and Panaderia San Miguel tempts with its freshly baked Mexican breads, cakes, and pastries.
The Phillips neighborhood is also a great place to sample Minneapolis’s storied Nordic hospitality, from seasonal Swedish fare and cocktails at FIKA Café inside the American Swedish Institute to Norweigan waffles and cardamom lattes at the Kaffebar inside the Norway House cultural center. Ingebretsen's Scandinavian Gifts & Foods is a must-visit Scandinavian market and deli serving East Lake Street since 1921 (try the homemade lefse and Swedish meatball mix).
Things To Do
Once you’ve had your fill of international flavors, immerse yourself further in the rich cultural heritage of Phillips. The American Swedish Institute (part museum, part cultural center, part café, and part shopping destination) offers a glimpse into Swedish history and culture through its historical and art exhibits, educational programs, and tours of the impressive Turnblad Mansion. For more Nordic culture, explore the classes, concerts, and cultural offerings of the Norway House — home to the impressive annual Gingerbread Wonderland display and a lutefisk festival featuring chefs from Norway.
Art lovers can visit the nearby Minneapolis Institute of Art, the always-free art museum — home to more than 100,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history. Music buffs will delight in browsing the iconic Electric Fetus, a Minneapolis institution with a rich and rebellious history since 1968. The legendary record store boasts a vast collection of new and used music, and even holds a special place in Prince's legacy as one of his favorite haunts.
Catch a thought-provoking storytelling, puppetry, musical, comedy, or local theater performance at Open Eye Theatre or In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre. Pay your respects to Minnesotans long gone at the Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldier Memorial Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Minneapolis, dating back to 1853.
Getting to and Around Phillips
The Phillips neighborhood is nestled within the boundaries of Interstate 94 to the north, Hiawatha Avenue to the east, Lake Street to the south, and Interstate 35W to the west.
From downtown, getting to the Phillips Neighborhood by car ranges from 10-15 minutes, depending on where you’re headed. Free street parking can be found on or just off Lake Street and Franklin Avenue, and many attractions (including Midtown Global Market and American Swedish Institute) feature parking lots for easy access. The Midtown Greenway — a 5.5-mile long former railroad corridor with pedestrian and bike trails — runs through the Phillips neighborhood just north of E Lake Street, and there are protected bike lanes on 26th St E and 28th Street East. Future North-South bike-accessible routes through the neighborhood are in the works.
A variety of Metro Transit buses run from downtown to points throughout the Phillips neighborhood, including Route 4, Route 5, Route 9, Route 14, and the Light Rail Blue Line runs along the eastern edge of the community. Traveling east and west along Lake Street is a snap on the Route 21 bus, which runs every 6-9 minutes.
Public Transit Routes:
Route 4
Route 5
Route 9
Route 14
Route 21
Light Rail Blue Line
