RFK Rankings · Minneapolis
Best Restaurants for Business-Lunch in Minneapolis (2026)
Business lunch · Minneapolis · 6 rooms ranked · Updated June 2026
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Published April 25, 2024 · Updated June 2026 · Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson, Editor-in-Chief · How we rank · Corrections
Manny's has cut steaks for the downtown lunch crowd since the deal-table heyday, wheeling its cart of cuts to white-linen booths on Marquette Avenue. Minneapolis runs the working lunch through its steakhouses and downtown rooms, a quiet booth and a quick check. These six, ranked, are where to close a deal at noon in the Twin Cities.
1.Manny's Steakhouse
Minneapolis's defining power-lunch steakhouse on Marquette, the cart of cuts and white linen; book a weekday booth.
Manny's Steakhouse, at 825 South Marquette Avenue in the W Minneapolis hotel, is the city's defining power-lunch room, a steakhouse named Minnesota's best for its heritage-beef program, big sides and a cart of cuts wheeled to the table. Lunch runs weekdays with a shrimp cocktail, tuna tartare and a tenderloin steak salad, mains around 24 to 60 dollars.
The white-linen booths and the practised service make it the natural downtown deal table, serious without being stiff. Book a weekday booth, order the steak salad or a lunch cut, and let the cart and the wine list set the tone for the meeting.
2.Murray's Steakhouse
The historic Sixth Street steakhouse and its Silver Butter Knife steak, a Minneapolis lunch institution; reserve a booth.
Murray's, at 26 South Sixth Street in Downtown West, has set the bar for Minneapolis steakhouses since 1946 and is known for the Silver Butter Knife Steak for two and a 28-ounce strip sirloin cut by the in-house butcher. Lunch runs weekdays with steaks, chops and a burger, plates around 22 to 55 dollars.
The clubby room and the long history make it a classic table for a decisive lunch. Reserve a weekday booth, order a lunch cut or the famous sandwich, and use the deep wine list when the meeting calls for more than a quick check.
3.The Capital Grille
A clubby Hennepin Avenue steakhouse open weekday lunch, dry-aged steaks and deep booths; reserve a midday table.
The Capital Grille, at 801 Hennepin Avenue downtown, runs lunch Monday to Friday in a clubby room of dark wood and leather, with dry-aged steaks, the Kona-crusted sirloin and a serious wine list. Lunch plates run around 22 to 48 dollars, with the room built for groups up to about 50.
The deep booths and the smooth service make it a reliable downtown table for a working lunch or a small group. Reserve a weekday midday table, order the steak sandwich or a salad, and lean on the by-the-glass list when the meeting runs long.
4.Tullibee
The Hewing Hotel's North Loop room, Minnesota lakes-and-woods cooking open for lunch; book a brighter midday table.
Tullibee, the restaurant of the Hewing Hotel in the North Loop, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner built on the bounty of Minnesota's lakes and woods, small bites and rustic mains. Lunch runs daily with sandwiches, grain bowls and seasonal plates, mostly 16 to 30 dollars.
It is the lighter, more contemporary alternative to the steakhouses, easy when the meeting is working rather than celebrating. Book a weekday lunch table, order a smoked-fish plate and a bowl, and use the bright North Loop room to keep a quick lunch moving.
5.Smack Shack
A North Loop seafood room famous for its lobster roll, open daily for lunch; book a table for a faster working meal.
Smack Shack, at 603 North Washington Avenue in the North Loop, is the city's casual-coastal seafood room, best known for its lobster rolls, both a chilled Original and a warm Connecticut style at 36.95 dollars. Lunch runs daily from 11, with oysters, fish and the rolls.
The relaxed room and the quick kitchen make it a good faster lunch when a steakhouse is too much. Book a North Loop table, order a lobster roll and a half-dozen oysters, and keep the order tight to stay on the clock for an afternoon meeting.
6.Brit's Pub
A downtown British pub with a lawn-bowling roof terrace, easy lunch plates from 11:30; book for a relaxed midday meeting.
Brit's Pub, on Nicollet Avenue downtown, is the relaxed end of the business lunch, a British pub with a rooftop lawn-bowling green and a menu of fish and chips, pies and salads, open from 11:30. Lunch plates run about 15 to 26 dollars.
When the meeting is informal or the weather is good, the terrace and the unfussy food make it an easy downtown table. Book a lunch table, take the roof terrace in summer, and order a pie or fish and chips for a meeting that does not need a white tablecloth.
Not for a working lunch
Famous, but the wrong fit
Spoon and Stable. Gavin Kaysen's North Loop room is one of the Midwest's best dinners, but it serves dinner only and books out weeks ahead, with no weekday lunch. Save it for an evening; for a downtown midday table instead, Manny's is the deal-lunch booking.
Demi. Gavin Kaysen's 20-seat tasting-counter near Spoon and Stable runs an exclusive evening degustation, not a lunch, and the format is built for an occasion. For a serious midday meal instead, the Capital Grille's weekday lunch is the working booking.
Owamni. Sean Sherman's acclaimed Indigenous room by the Mississippi has closed its Water Works location and is relocating to the Guthrie Theater as Indigena, so it is not a dependable lunch booking right now. For a riverside-quality lunch downtown instead, Tullibee in the North Loop is the pick.
How to do business lunch well in Minneapolis
Minneapolis runs its business lunch through downtown and the North Loop. The steakhouses, Manny's on Marquette, Murray's on Sixth Street and the Capital Grille on Hennepin, are the classic deal tables, walkable from the downtown towers and built for a long, decisive lunch. The North Loop rooms, Tullibee, Smack Shack and Brit's Pub, are the lighter, faster options a short ride or walk away.
Most of these rooms run weekday lunch, so check the hours and book ahead when the meeting matters; the steakhouses keep firm midday service while the North Loop spots are easier to walk into. For a long, decisive lunch take a steakhouse booth; for a quicker working table, Tullibee or Smack Shack keep it moving. A 15 to 20 percent tip is standard in the United States.
Frequently asked
Where is the best business lunch in Minneapolis?
Manny's Steakhouse on Marquette Avenue is the defining power-lunch room, a white-linen steakhouse with a cart of cuts and a heritage-beef program, open weekdays downtown. For a historic alternative, Murray's on Sixth Street and its Silver Butter Knife Steak; for a clubby downtown table, the Capital Grille on Hennepin Avenue runs lunch Monday to Friday.
Which Minneapolis restaurants are open for weekday lunch?
Manny's, Murray's and the Capital Grille all run weekday lunch downtown, while Tullibee at the Hewing Hotel, Smack Shack and Brit's Pub serve lunch in or near the North Loop, most from around 11 or 11:30. Book ahead for the steakhouses, which keep firm midday service; the North Loop rooms are easier to walk into for a quick working lunch.
What is a good power-lunch steakhouse in Minneapolis?
Manny's Steakhouse on Marquette Avenue is the classic, named Minnesota's best steakhouse, with white-linen booths and a cart of cuts wheeled to the table. Murray's on Sixth Street, open since 1946, is the historic alternative with its Silver Butter Knife Steak, and the Capital Grille on Hennepin is the clubby third option, all running weekday lunch downtown.
Where can I take a client for a quick working lunch in Minneapolis?
Tullibee at the Hewing Hotel in the North Loop is the lighter, faster pick, serving Minnesota lakes-and-woods cooking in a bright room for a working rather than celebrating lunch. Smack Shack nearby is the casual seafood option, famous for its lobster roll, and Brit's Pub downtown keeps an informal table with a rooftop terrace in summer.
Do you tip at a business lunch in Minneapolis?
Yes. In the United States a tip of 15 to 20 percent on the pre-tax bill is standard at a sit-down business lunch, and the host is expected to cover it. The bigger planning point is timing: the downtown steakhouses, Manny's, Murray's and the Capital Grille, keep firm weekday midday service, so book ahead to hold a quiet booth for a meeting.
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Browse the full Minneapolis dining guide, book a private room with the Minneapolis private-dining ranking, compare cellars in the Minneapolis wine-list ranking, read the global business-lunch occasion guide, see where the city closes deals in the Minneapolis deal-making guide, or open the full RFK rankings index.
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