Delicious, sustainable food options accessible via light rail
Audrey Pickering
Eating sustainably is hard and even harder without a car. Part of Minneapolis’ charm is the light rail which provides quick and easy transportation all over the metro area. Curated below is a list of healthy and sustainable food spots around the city, all accessible from the light rail and all with a goal of making food green (not the fuzzy kind though).
- Peoples Organic Café → $$
- Two blocks from the Nicollet Mall station is Peoples Organic Café, an organic company practicing sustainability through nutritious and delicious food — fresh from local farms. The menu features all kinds of delicious meals including gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options. What’s more, Urban Farming teamed up with Peoples Organic to create a line of certified organic, vegan, fair trade, kosher dark chocolate bars with partial proceeds going to benefit the work of Urban Farming.
IDS Crystal Court
80 South 8th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402
https://www.peoplesorganic.com
- Where’s the Flour? → $$
- Just as the name suggests, no flour can be found at this gluten-free eatery. The restaurant is located at the Currie Food Hall near the Warehouse District station, and serves anything from poutine and tacos to rice bowls and chicken sandwiches. Celiac-friendly flours like rice and potato have proven to be more environmentally friendly than wheat, and quinoa trumps them both with how little carbon dioxide (CO2) it releases. Get a taste of greener gluten-free food.
1025 Currie Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403
https://www.wheres-the-flour.com
- Advellum Vegetable Eatery → $$
- Inside the Malcolm Yards Food Hall off Prospect Park station, you will find Advellum Vegetable Eatery that specializes in making veggies taste good. Take your pick from vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meals featuring meat substitutes from the Herbivorous Butcher, a sibling-led vegan butcher shop. Real meat is also offered at Advellum for those who aren’t quite ready for an all-veg diet.
The Market at Malcolm Yards
501 30th Ave SE
Minneapolis MN 55414
https://www.advellumvegetableeatery.com
- Graze Provisions & Libations → Prices vary depending on vendor
- Take the green line all the way to the end at Target Field station where you can explore all that the North Loop has to offer. First stop: Graze Provisions & Libations, a collection of small food businesses coming together to provide local food to local communities. Vendors include Avocadish, Soul Bowl, Viva Taco and more, for a hub of fantastic food that everyone can enjoy while also supporting small businesses.
https://www.grazenorthloop.com
- Coconut Whisk Café → $$
- Four blocks from the Nicollet Mall station is Coconut Whisk Café & Bubble Tea Shop where everything is vegan and gluten-free. Order some mini pancakes or waffle sticks and wash it down with one of their refreshing beverages. The Jade Dragon features organic matcha, strawberry jam, coconut jelly and oat milk, while the Lake Monster combines butterfly pea tea, lemon and coconut jelly.
905 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55402
- Owamni by the Sioux Chef → $$
- A short walk from Government Plaza Station is Owamni, an Indigenous establishment dedicated to revitalizing Native American cuisine. Sean Sherman has taken traditional foods to a modern and more accessible level with a “decolonized” approach. The menu avoids dairy, wheat flour, cane sugar, beef, chicken and pork, and instead features Indigenous game such as fish, birds and insects along with wild plants, Native American heirloom farm varieties and locally-grown produce.
420 1st St S
Minneapolis, MN 55401
- Hard Times Café → $
- Right off the West Bank station there are all kinds of shops and eateries. Most notable is the Hard Times Café, an all-vegan spot with an extensive selection of dishes. The top dish is the vegan Helter Skelter which is a flavorful combination of hashbrowns, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes and topped with vegan scrambled eggs or tofu.
1821 Riverside Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55454https://www.facebook.com/hardtimescafe