Victor's 1959 Cafe — Restaurant in Minneapolis

It might be no exaggeration to say that Victor's 1959 Cafe is my favorite breakfast / brunch spot in Minnesota. There truly is something for everyone, ranging from the meat lovers to the vegetarians (fewer options for vegans). Their food is delicious. They are affordable. They have decorations and vibe that screams down with the people. They have many options on the menu that make one eager to return to try new items. Simply the perfect brunch spot.

To start, rice and black beans is simply a classic combination that one should always have on their repertoire. It is not conventionally regarded as fancy food but it will always do you right, tasting good, providing health benefits, and serving other types of food (like meat) justice as complements. Then the plantains, you need to have them if you are in a Cuban (or even Latin American in general) restaurant. Along with yuca bites, plantains are must-haves. Now the meat: I have had ropa vieja and picadillo before and I will strongly recommend ropa vieja because the shredded texture together with the "falling apart" quality of the flank steak is just too pleasant to ignore. Picadillo is good as well. It's just the flank steak vs. ground beef argument here.

Sandwich Cubano is their staple. The combination of roasted ham and pulled pork, combined with cheese, mustard and pickles, can provide people with a juxtaposition of flavors that gives savory a new dimension of saltiness (pickles). The pickle flavor is very eminent, which can be a hit or miss depending on the consumers, but I say if you are in a Cuban restaurant, you should adjust your taste buds to experience the value of the flavor combination with Sandwich Cubano.

If you are just looking for breakfast, they always have solid options that combine beans / eggs / plantain / more, depending on your combination preferences. The main difference between their breakfast dishes and entrees is that most breakfast dishes have eggs, basically.

There are so many items I have yet to try there that I really want to, such as their ceviché, their paella, their flan, and even their champagne mojito. I will for sure return because of all this!

One major factor for all to consider is that they are extremely popular, which means lining up and waiting will be inevitable, especially during brunch / lunch time on weekends. Their space is relatively small and people just line up outside to wait. I can attest to that the wait is most definitely worth it. Please give this...

We LOVE Victor's! My husband, best friend and I bring Minneapolis visitors here as often as possible.

It's tiny and cozy, with charm for days, styled like a Caribbean beach bar. Reservations are highly recommended, as space is limited.

The pre-revolution Cuban food is exquisite, with beautiful colors and layers of Caribbean flavors. Note- it is NOT spicy hot, so heat-lovers shouldn't expect it, but people who don't love blistering chile peppers can taste new dishes without fear!

We normally order like pigs, and this visit was no exception. We started with tropical mimosas & mojitos, plus Yuca Rellenas, crab cakes, and a variety plate of cheese, beef, and chicken empanadas. They are so yummy! In truth, we could easily make a meal from Victor's appetizer menu alone. However, we came prepared to indulge, so our group went for the Cubano Sandwich, Lechon Asada, Pollo Tropicale, and Victor's signature Ropa Vieja. All are familiar favorites, with meats slow simmered until tender, generally accompanied by black beans, tropical rice, and oh-so-delicious sweet plantains.

Save room for some Cuban cafe con leche (coffee with milk) to top off your meal. I could drink this stuff for days.

Service at Victor's is normally top-notch, with enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and attentive staff.

I rate this place 5 stars for food, ambiance, and the level of service I know they are capable of delivering.

Unfortunately, this particular visit was disappointing for service- there were three servers on duty with only a handful of tables, and we had to specifically flag down our server for almost everything we needed- as in: excuse me, we're ready to order now...please bring boxes (after sitting for 10 or so minutes with forks down), can we get more water (our glasses sat empty for too long)...a dessert menu...please bring the check... She seemed very engaged in cleaning, sweeping, and chatting with her coworkers, but not very interested in us. This group of former servers and bartenders knows how to both give and recognize good service, and strive to be good customers who are easy to take care of. We all tip 20% as a rule, but left only 10% this time. This server's inattention cost her $30.

We're hoping she was just having an off day.

If this happens to you, please don't judge Victor's by that experience, as it is...

Victor's stands as one of the biggest reasons that Minneapolis is a city of great food and should easily make everyone's list of places to go in the Twin Cities. It is also a top place to catch breakfast and my personal favorite. If you are to visit Victor's come at lunch time when both breakfast and lunch are available. It's very difficult to pick a spot to begin but my standouts are the marinated pork, corn pancake, the cuban scramblers, the yucca ❤, and marinated steak. Each dish is made with perfect understanding and mastery of Latin flavors. And there are still items I have yet to try because I keep eating my favorites! The building, music, and atmosphere really does feel like a small , key word: genuine, piece of Latin America. This and the always friendly staff makes you forget the outside world and you're just happy hanging out here. Just be aware that this place is very cozy and I have never seen a party of over 5 here before so be very cautious when planning a group outing. But I would not have it any other way. To have such big and distracting groups would mean that the restaurant loses its intimacy with the patrons and if there's anything else I look for in a restaurant other than the food itself it is the intimacy of it. On top of this the restaurant is located in a low key part of Uptown/ South Minneapolis so it's never a hassle to find street parking and you don't wind up in heavy traffic. So don't miss out on one of the shining stars of the Twin Cities. It's well worth your...