The restaurant itself is quite memorable. It is modeled after a classic vintage diner, complete with neon and a seated bar. The space is small but surprisingly spacious inside, with plenty of seating for what seemed like the perfect churn of visitors, never a line to be seen but also few empty booths. The dishes themselves were fantastic. The burger was cooked as ordered and quite juicy, the cheese curds were fried to perfection and carried a slight kick in their aftertaste, and the Benedict was a perfect combination of capers, sauce, salmon, and onions.Overall, this is definitely a worthy visit for a fun meal.

I’ve been coming here for a couple years now and love the food! My favorite is the Tex Amex Burrito and the French Toast!! It’s so amazing. The staff here is amazing!Marin has always been amazing!Tried the wings today and they were pretty good! If you are in Minnesota make sure to stop here.

Absolutely love this place! Food was generous, reasonably priced, and most importantly, damn good. We went for brunch and even though Im not a dessert person, I made room for their fantastic pie.

Excellent service. Delicious food. Hope to go back

Good food, good service and GREAT cocktails. Both the Joan Crawford and French 75 were delicious. Staff allowed me to zzuszh up the green salad so that it was enough for a meal and it was delicious. Love the patio!

Funky, lively atmosphere. Varied menu. Great staff.

Thanks for servings my friends from Canada and Australia! They were so excited to eat at an authentic American diner. Everything was great. My only critique is the Mediterranean bowl was a bit disappointing but that is what I get for ordering something Mediterranean at an American diner. Haha.

I went in to the restaurant with my kids excited to get a milkshake. The place seemed very over the top for a small diner. The lady who greeted us was very high strung and had no desire to be nice. It felt like we were a burden walking in, I guess my mask wasnt good enough so she gave me one of the free masks. Another issue was where to sit, she was impatient and a little rude trying to find a place for us to sit. Anyway, I got the Buffalo cheese curds (too hot) the dry rub wings (very good) and my kids got 4 milkshakes and I got 2 alcoholic beverages from their specialty cocktail menu. Nothing was worth raving about. Our bill was 89 dollars. I will not go back.

We are staying at the great wolf lodge. I am from Iowa. I was looking for something a bit different and local that wasnt some chain restaurant yet had a decent variety of meals to pick from. This place does not disappoint! Variety, decent prices, portions and great flavor. My compliments to this establishment and its staff. Service was great as well. They were a bit busy and the waitress was nice enough to bring us a complimentary donut while we were waiting. Made my 5 yr old son extremely happy. This place is definitely on my list anytime I visit the twin cities. Keep up the great work!

An awesome classic diner experience. Delicious food at reasonable prices. I got the Hi-Lo Gary Cooper with a side of chorizo patties and my girlfriend got the crispy chicken sandwich.The Hi-Lo was better than expected (I was expecting a 3 inch donut but got about a 6-7 inch one) and honestly didnt need to get the chorizo patties, but they were still good. The chicken was great and the gravy was savory. The maple bourbon syrup was especially scrumptious.Chicken sandwich was spiced and fried wonderfully and the pickles and slaw paired very nicely with it.We saw pies on the menu and if we had room we would have gotten some but maybe next time.Definitely worth a trip out to experience

We’ve been let down before. Driving across the country will show you some very different diner experiences. We knew as soon as we sat down that Hi-lo was something else. Between an excellent eggs Benedict and a superb Bloody Mary this diner made me feel some type of way.

Great service, delicious dish. The style is a vibe

Its a fun place to visit. The milkshakes my kids ordered were really good. The food was also really good. We all ordered something different. Our order took awhile to get to our table. Not busy at the time. (Maybe there was only one cook.) I ordered a Bloody Mary and that was really good. Other than than the food taking awhile, it was a great time.

Great service and fantastic food, well worth your time and money. I had the creme brulee and lavender french toast and my companion had eggs Benedict, both were delicious.

Great breakfast! The biscuits, bacon, hash browns, pancakes all were great. Fun ambiance.

Thank you so much Tara( Hi Low F-12 Airport), for allowing me to taking a meeting in your closes section. Your were very understanding and went above and beyond to help with a last minute requested and providing a great breakfast. I tried to follow the company website but found it hard to post review. I truly hope my comments get back to you .... Great Customer service.!!!

I felt a little disappointed. The Gary cooper wasnt at all good. The donut part is dull tasting, the chicken was flavorless and so was the gravy. I felt so let down but was hoping my family felt different but they also agreed. They both had a burger and a burger with bacon and our bill was about 50. Not at all worth it but on the positive note the building is so cute! The whole style is perfect. The staff is also very welcoming and friendly.

Love the Hi-Lo! Great breakfast / brunch offerings with food and cocktails. The lavender french toast was delicious and make sure you grab a slice of the banana cream pie!! Nice patio or indoor diner ambiance.

The atmosphere was awesome! The service and the food was wonderful! We ordered salmon Benedict, French toast, a Bloody Mary and a coffee. Everything tasted great!! Very flavorful😀😀will definitely come back again! ( they also have an outdoor patio! )

Just bring back the disco fries and meatloaf! Country gravy and bbq are not proper replacements. We miss the diner but have no reason to come back yet. Service is amazing and drinks are great

Side menu is where its at. Get a pancake and some sausage links and youre set. The donut things are fun every once in a blue moon but sometimes they have things like bone-in ribs in the middle so am I supposed to eat each thing separately or whats the deal here?

Great food, great service. Everything was seasoned perfectly!

Great dinner experience with diverse menu

I have been wanting to visit Hi-Lo Diner for a long time, after hearing positive remarks from friends and reading reviews.I was finally able to make a trip to the dinner tonight with several friends, and was not disappointed.The restaurant itself is quite memorable. It is modeled after a classic vintage diner, complete with neon and a seated bar. The space is small but surprisingly spacious inside, with plenty of seating for what seemed like the perfect churn of visitors, never a line to be seen but also few empty booths.The menu is both comfortable and unique, with many staples mixed in to an assortment of creative options (such as the Hi-Top, a donut with savory toppings 🤔).We ordered the spicy cheese curds to share, a burger, and the Lox and Dam Benedict. Our server was polite, attentive, and quick with service.The dishes themselves were fantastic. The burger was cooked as ordered and quite juicy, the cheese curds were fried to perfection and carried a slight kick in their aftertaste, and the Benedict was a perfect combination of capers, sauce, salmon, and onions.Overall, this is definitely a worthy visit for a fun meal. I would recommend a night visit for the ambiance and lighting, but it would also be fun in the daylight. 🙂

Yummy. The food was good and the staff friendly. Make a reservation if you dont want to wait. Worth the wait though.

I used to LOVE HI-LO .. until THEY GOT RID OF THE BROWN GRAVY Y!!! Why would they put bbq sauce on meatloaf? Who does that!!! Plus.. say RIP to the disco fries… now they are retro fries with country gravy.. SOOO sad … I literally have no reason to go back. Disco fries was literally the only reason I would wait hours to be seated. PLEASE BRING THE BROWN GRAVY BACK!!!

Great roadside style diner with an elevated twist. Inventive food and cocktail creations await at this standalone gem. Lovely little patio which is road side but shaded by several old growth trees that provide great shade on a sunny day. Road noise was minimal at 1:00 in the afternoon. Service was fast and quite friendly.

Such a fun place! In addition to being super-hip and cool, the service was above and beyond... When there was a delay in the kitchen [we were there at their busiest time] they even brought us a free doughnut and comped our drinks! Delicious food too!

Fast friendly service and good food. Ill be back for a hi-top meal: eggs and sausage on a donut.

Awesome place with super nice gals working there! Have yet to try the famous Hi-Lo donut thing but Im saving that for next time. Food was great and they have a lot of neat looking cocktails (and some on tap!). I recommend!

This place is like a dream come true! The food here is amazing and delicious, the place is so beautiful with the lights and the 50s vibe. Im surprised this place isnt more popular! The service is also so sweet and kind, and always makes sure our time there is good. I love going here with my friends now and i definitely would recommend it to to others too!Pros Vegetarian Options, Service, Food, DecorCons ??? Maybe the virgin Bloody Mary

Our server Laura was amazing. Working in a kitchen myself i understand the frustrating when it comes to handing out orders. She was very welcoming, provided service with a smile and a great attitude. Since the kitchen didnt have glaze made up and my fiances order was already out and eaten she was gracious enough to take the cinnamon roll off. Will definitely be coming back just for the service from LAURA!

Hot chocolate. Amazing 💙 French toast and fruits. And Adrian was very nice (hope I didn’t spell the name wrong) 🙃 Me and my friend will definitely be back

The cocktails were delicious and so was our food. Our waitress was very sweet and made sure we had what we needed. My friends and I had a great time here :)

Indoor and outdoor seating, comfy booths, full bar with a great selection of drinks, great food! We had The Commercial and the Cuban. Fries were so good! Next time Im trying the fried chicken and a malt!

Great service and food. One of the hidden gems of Minneapolis.

I was really excited to try this place because Ive heard and read great things about it. We ordered the Gary Cooper and also a Biddy Board. Let. Me. Just. Say... Stop what youre doing and go here to try these out for yourself because words are not going to fully describe the flavor of these. Such amazing food and absolutely love the atmosphere! Felt like a Time Warp, walking in the front doors.

Being directly on lake street no doubt impacts the prices on the menu.A 6oz burger is 14 dollars.Id rather go to Mannys and have their 15 dollar burger. Or flame burger and get a 2# burger for 16 bucks.Or cub foods and just make one.The cheese curds are dope but a little too spicy.If you are into overpriced plates that are stacked with carbs but low on protein then this is a good spot.Dont come here thinking youre gonna pay less than $30 a pound for meat though.That cost per pound exceeds most diners and many protein focused dine in spots like Texas roadhouse.

My friend and I were starving after hiking it out by the Mississippi one Sunday, so we picked out the best rated place in the area. And Hi-Lo did not disappoint.From the get go, the staff were super friendly and service was quick. We got some amazing buffalo cheese curds with just the right amount of spice, followed by scrumptious fried chicken on their signature donut. To end it all we got their famous dessert hand on the cookie jar, and I would 100% recommend it to anyone with a fondness for peanut butter.Definitely going to come back again soon!

Fun spot.Food was good too.

The staff was friendly and attentive. The food was delicious and the cocktails are unquie and delicious!! I felt so comfortable and they took great care of me as a team! Teamwork so important in any restaurant, Im glad they all work great together 🙂 I will definitely be back when Im in town and will always take friends and family when I have them with!

Clean place food is good just service is little slow

I had to go there a few times before it grew on me. Bloody Mary is REALLY good. Food is also good. If you go during rush hour expect to wait outside and then wait at least 20-30 min for your food. Service is really nice and funny too.

Best date night ever! Adam, my partner in crime, talks about this place all the time. We went together for the first time a few weeks ago and had an incredible experience! We sat at the bar and got the best service in the city. Delicious cocktails, irresistible food, uniquely beautiful restaurant and a style on their own level.

Food was good. Waitress was super nice! Service was a little slow, but its to be expected in times like these.

Good customer service. Got help and food came fairly fast fresh and hot.

Been to Hi-Lo several times now and the food is truly great. Its a great fusion of high quality ingredients used to make diner dive food with a fresh spin. The atmosphere is clearly foodie/hipster/trendy but manages to mock itself for it at the same time, the end result is a fun quirky place to hang out and eat great food.Highly recommend any of their cocktails, the hash, and pretty much anything else on the menu. My only complaint is french fries are my life and I wish their fries were crispier.

Loved it. Heavy food, but delicious.Dressed up like a million dollar trouperTrying hard to look like Gary Cooper (super duper)Had the Gary Cooper. Beefed up Chicken and Waffles with a donut instead. Yum. Everything we had was great and we will definitely be back. Tried the fried chicken sandwich, macaronni and cheese and rib donut, burger, MN roll, and much more. Fun place too and great wait staff!

We stopped here recently, and I had to say that all the entrees just looked so good. Even though it was hard to decide, I ordered the biscuit and gravy with some french toast to go with it. It seemed my eyes were bigger than my stomach. But at least I had an extra meal for lunch the next day. From when we walked to when we left the servers were just really friendly, and made sure we were enjoying our meal. So worth going back to again sometime soon.

Went with my cousin, she had a grilled cheese and a mint oreo malt, I had one of my favorite summer time sandwiches, a BLT! with fries. Ranch on the side. Oh, my cousin also had a side salad. To drink, I had some Iced Tea! As a side note we had put in some time planting flowers along the sidewalk, so my meal HIT THE SPOT! LOVED THE 70S, 80S TYPE OF MUSIC PLAYING AS WELL.

I had the breakfast sandwich on a biscuit. It was one of the best biscuits Ive ever had. I couldve just eaten it alone and wouldve been totally satisfied. Highly recommend!

Very cute diner ambiance. I had the Gary Cooper. I found the fried chicken to be quite delicious with its panko breading but the combination with a large donut was just a bit too sweet and too heavy for me.

This place is amazing. The food taste great and the staff is supper friendly. update: went again and the menu has changed. this place won’t disappoint. i got the breakfast *fodero*

Great waitress has great food especially the omelets and if you have a chance to have breakfast with one of their regulars named Gary, do!

Diner standbys with a flair. The inside is decorated in classic diner motif, while outside seating is comfortable and fun. Lighting strung over outside seats makes for a great late night meal. Friendly and attentive staff. Every meal we saw delivered looked better than the last one.

A destination for cocktails!A group of friends and I recently went to the Hi-Lo Diner for lunch. What a great place!!First of all, they have a beautiful deck to sit on during the warmer months. The sun was intense but the staff had no problem grabbing an umbrella for our table.The cocktails were amazing. I had the Hi-Loma which they have on tap. Really refreshing on a hot day with just a hint of heat on the finish.The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because the food was good but not a destination in itself. Worth munching on if you’re there but not making a special trip for.

I had a high expectations for this place. Did not live up to them but the food is still good and the feel for a diner is excellent. Hard to find parking around Lake Street sometimes so you might have to walk a block or two during busy hours but not too bad.

Atmosphere was fun ...like eating on a train. Food was unique. Most items, although savory were on donuts. The soups were terrific.

Have a nice patio with shade in the afternoon/evening. Enjoyed the veggie burger, Mac and cheese, and a butterscotch milk shake! Would recommend and will be back.

Hi-Lo is probably my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities. Ive been coming here regularly since they first opened and there hasnt been a time ive walked out of there full and satisfied. Their Hi-tops are creative and delicious, their breakfasts are delectable and their wings are incredible. The banana cream pie is worth my drive from St. Paul by itself. Each time I go, I try to have something different, and recently have really enjoyed their Ice Cream Cocktails. My only complaint is that there can be a long wait during brunch on the weekends. No fault of the restaurant itself, but its something to be prepared for during the winter months when the tiny entry is already packed with people, and youre left waiting outside in the cold. However, my wait has never been longer than 45 minutes, and the Dogwood coffee across the street is a good spot to pick up coffee if you get too cold. But any time of year, Hi Lo has always been worth the wait.

We were in town to visit the university and remembered that a beloved diner from Gibsonia, near Pittsburgh, was moved to Minneapolis. We had to stop. The diner was as we remembered. The menu was new of course, but had a lot of favorites from diners past. We opted for a traditional breakfast (Fodero). It was delicious. The breakfast potatoes were extra tasty. The Hi-Lo owner personally came out to greet us! Our waitress was very pleasant. We will definitely stop again when we go back to visit Minneapolis!

A diner with good comfort food! Got to sit under the tiki umbrella outside and enjoy a wonderful Cuban Sandwich with a cup of wild rice soup. Sooo good! Out waiter was very sweet, attentive and not pushy. Its our 4th time here and never disappointed.

Hi-Lo Diner gives off all the classic vibes! Food was delicious!The Buffalo cheese curbs have a good kick to them so be beware if you don’t like spice.The chicken sandwich was off the wall!

Fantastic Food and Atmosphere.

We had the Meatloaf dinner and it was excellent. Beef gravy was Sooo good. Just the way my Mom made it.

This place was really tasty and the old school vibe makes it a fun environment. The hi-tops are HEAVY though so make sure you don’t have to walk after eating one. Their Bloody Mary is a good addition to brunch as well.

Liked: the staff are amazing and attentive, the diner interior is all shiny and lovingly restored, the Hi top dishes are quirky and fun, the cocktails intriguingDislikes: that the shiny interior reflects a ton of sound on all sides to the tune of 64 dB when the restaurant is full, the bloody Mary has a funky aftertasteRecommendations: sit outside if the weather is fair and the diner is full. The soundscape inside is intolerable at times. Give the cocktails a try, Ive been delighted by all except the bloody Mary. Have a savory hi top if you like sweet and savory the way I do.

The atmosphere is neat with the old renovated dining car. Smaller space, but doesn’t feel like it’s cramped. It was completely full when we were there but it was comfortable. We waited about 5 minutes to get a table.The Gary Cooper was delicious. The chicken was breaded nicely and had great flavor when combined with the sweetness of the donut. It was steamy and fresh. The cheese, meat, and pickle in the Bloody Mary was good. The burrito was good -bursting with flavor.The only gripe would be the service. Our waitress was really odd. Ordered a Bloody Mary and asked for a couple extra olives, who would have thought they’d charge us $2 for two extra olives? Never been charged anywhere else. When she dropped off the bill, every minute she’d come by and ask if we were “all set?” And tried to grab the bill back. Talk about trying to push people out or something?

Overall food is ok. My husband had the Gary Cooper and I tortilla with beans and mex sausage. We both felt that it was lacking flavors. To be honest #Sonnybestfoodreview came there so we had to try it!

Fantastic food as always and wonderful attentive service. Great outdoor seating too!

Yum! Gotta get a hi-top. I got the apple pie one and it was 10 thumbs up!👍🏽

The food was good, but it was FREEZING in there! It was hard to truly enjoy the experience because we were so cold.

Great service and fantastic food! Huevos rancheros for the win!

Bring back the brown gravy for disco fries…Thanks

An absolute institution and must go-to for the Twin Cities. The atmosphere is really fun to be in. The color of the seats, the metal bars, and the rounded corners really make this feel retro but also modern. Fish and chips are incredibly good, with the perfect amount of fried goodness and creaminess. The peanut butter pie is also definitely worth purchasing. My favorite dish is by far the Gary Cooper.

REALLY cute diner car breakfast spot! Outdoor patio is nice too with a bit of a tropical feel.Food and drinks are a little pricey, but very good (although I think the hasbrowns are a little underwhelming)Theres usually a wait on the weekends but the surrounding neighborhood is good for walking around while you wait.

I love Hi-Lo! The staff is great! The food is delicious and the cocktails are tasty. Is a must go for breakfast, brunch, lunch or a cocktail.

Good food, fun place. It can get very loud when buissy. Joop.

A must-try in the cities, we just can’t keep ourselves away from Hi-Lo. To be fair, we have at times been frustrated with the wait- there is usually always a wait unless you go at fairly odd times, we haven’t always received great service, I absolutely HATE their take on the Reuben, and they’ve raised the prices a few times, for example the milkshake costs and arm and a leg... although it’s good enough that you can see how they get by with those prices. However, the atmosphere is fun for a date or hosting out of town guests, the hi tops are the perfect brunch entree, and the unique specials will lure you back in over and over again.

Great service and very friendly staff. Food was absolutely fantastic! The diner is very cosy and we had a great time here. Highly recommended!

Just loved it. The vibe is amazing. Plz go. Great place for friends.

Three of us had a weekday brunch here recently and the guys liked their Breakfast Burrito and Huevos Rancheros just fine, but my Gary Cooper Hi-Top is not something I could recommend. Bland boring gravy should never be put on top of chicken fingers. If it doesnt add to the flavor, it sure as heck shouldnt take away from the texture. I would definitely order differently if we were to go back. This old-timey diner has other good things going for it, including a real parking lot. (albeit a small one)

Highly instagrammable diner that ISN’T a trap. the food tasted DELICIOUS, was reasonably priced, and came in generous servings. would definitely come back if i were back in the area 💘

Love this place. Fun food and drinks and excellent atmosphere.

Sweet retro diner vibe with amazing customer service and friendly staff. I went with the classic Benedict but got to sneak a taste from the fried chicken hi-top (fried chicken on top of a donut), their speciality breakfast item. Too sweet for me but I can see how its a crowd pleaser!

Upscale diner food. Great service and very little plastic in to-go orders :)

Neat dining experience in a classic diner built in the 1950s, complete with era music and ambiance. The prices are quite high,$13.50 for a burger and $6 for a beer( yes they serve alchohol)and the menu quite small,but the food was excellent. If you ever are wondering what pulled pork or fried chicken covered in syrup on a deep fried doughnut tastes like, this is the place.They do have a good size mixed drink menu(again, higher priced),but the drinks are quite unique. There is also outdoor seating if you dont want the diner experience.

The hi- lo diner was a great find. This place is mentioned in many books on Minneapolis, and it is well worth the stop. Excellent service, good food and a very sophisticated bar menu. The Alexander Hamilton ice cream drink delicious and the seabreeze summer cocktail refreshing.

This is my new favorite place.The Hi tops are amazing any way you have them. I had the Notorious P.I.G and it is one of the tastiest things Ive ever put in my mouth.My boyfriend had the Pastrami Silo, which was equally delicious. The coleslaw was some of the best weve had.For dessert we had Hunka Hunka Fools Gold Love. The peanut butter whipped cream on the side was heavenly, but it was blueberry sauce that really took this Hi top over the top!We also enjoyed a cocktail flight, which was a great way to try out each cocktail before deciding on the full priced version.The staff was very friendly and helpful. We cant wait to come back and try more menu items!

Food was ok. The wings were overcooked and dry. My burger was delicious! Service was slower than usual but that was fine with us, we werent in a hurry.

Would’ve tipped if the bar tenders weren’t so rude and disrespectful. I even threw out the phase that I’ve been a bartender before so the 40 minute wait for a Bloody Mary was “worth” it. Didn’t taste like their was any alcohol. Got completely ignored, felt discriminated towards. Only reason we went was because it was literally the only place in MSP open. Here’s a thought, respect everyone and YOU’LL GET TIPPED... you all must get a good hourly wage. (Wink)

Very cool atmosphere! Food was good, not great. Prices are on the high side. Be sure and try a donut!

Just came by for a simple malt. It was in an odd part of the afternoon so there werent many people but everyone was super nice and helpful and The malt was great, the only thing is that it was so incredibly expensive but thats the way things are now

Holy buckets their donuts are huge! We had chicken and gravy, shredded pork and raspberry filled. Way too much food for 4 people. Raspberry filled was delightful. Chicken was over cooked. The pork was good but SPICY! Would definitely return, if only for the novelty.

Very good food cant wait to explore the rest of the menu!!!

Classic greasy spoon diner with beer, wine, and some spirits. Good food and average service. Prices seemed a bit on the high side but still reasonable.

Cocktails, coffees, eggs, and hash. When I spent 48 hours visiting someplace I am very picky with where I go, and Ill happily go back to Hi-Lo. Get the Hash-Hash, or whatever they call it, and a Fender Bender.

Went here with one of my best friends, and we have never been here before. Our server, Jack was super nice and friendly and answered all of our questions well. The food was SO delicious, we couldn’t stop taking photos of it all to send to friends to make them jealous! The menu is affordable and the atmosphere is very clean and gives you a feel for a vintage, authentic diner experience. Fast service too! Definitely recommend this place!

Got us seated quickly and had amazing food with great service! Denver omelet was best omelet I’ve had in a long time, hash browns were perfectly browned and coffee was strong.

OMG this place is even better than expected, I LOVED IT! I went with my friends for breakfast and... Wao, IN LOVE, attention 10, food 100!