4020 East Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Diners make me think of classic, hearty, stick to your ribs, enjoy the grease and eat with gusto meals. I think of worn-in but loved counter stools, servers who have seen years come and go and know all the regulars by name.
And when I heard that an original 1957 Fodero Diner had traveled from Gibsonia, PA to Minneapolis, MN, I had to check it out! The hype around Hi-Lo Diner had Minneapolites lining up around the block.
Lucky for us, we ventured in a little after the regular dinner hour and found seats right away. I loved the crisp, clean feel of the interior with the turquoise blue booths. It may lack that worn in feel, but it’s a diner alright! A diner whose weekly specials are heavily influenced by classic movies.
Name that movie anyone?!
They also have a fun cocktail, beer, and wine list; and by fun I mean ICE CREAM Cocktails! What could be better on a summer night? We ordered the Periscope Down, which is Fernet Branca, 1919 Root Beer, and cold press.
The mint wasn’t overpowering, and all the flavors blended nicely.
To start, we went with the “Also” portion of the menu, the only item there being the Hi-Lo Wings.
I could smell these babies coming. They were some of the most fragrant wings I’ve ever had. They brought back memories of eating Jamaican jerk chicken. They are a must try.
Next, I went with one of their Hi-Tops. What is a Hi-Top you ask? Well, apparently it’s like a donut, but, not a donut. Fresh, made to order, fried dough topped with sweet and savory items. I ordered the Gary Coop’er, which had me falling in love at first sight. It’s a beaut!
This Hi-Top with buttermilk fried chicken, bourbon maple syrup, country gravy and micro arugula was a sweet and savory match made in heaven.
Finally, the country style meatloaf is exactly what comes to mind when I think of diner food. With notes of thyme, onion, garlic and dried cherries; the meatloaf comes with mashed potatoes, beef gravy, and asparagus. This is a hearty, stick to your ribs, eat with gusto type of a dish! I almost wished my dining partner and I had switched plates; this was delicious!
There are a number of other items I’d like to try, and we did not even get to the pie menu! Next time, the peanut butter chocolate pie will be all mine 🙂 Check out Hi-Lo for a Minneapolis diner experience!
