Ideal Diner

Phenomenal service, phenomenal food, amazing, niche tiny little diner. Three people behind the counter, one cook, one dishwasher, one server, absolutely friendly as all hell.

Tiny spot, only one line of bar seating for food, 8 seats inside for waiting, maybe 12 seats total. Absolutely worth the wait. Polish sausage was awesome.

Came here 2 times on our visit, was awesome.

I've tried several "hole in the wall" diners around town, and this one just didn't quite measure up to some of my favorites as I expected it to do.

For one, they don't optimize service. There are plenty of seats and space in the counter windows for people to eat their meals, but they have you wait and only serve you at the counter. Therefore, you're waiting an excessive amount of time to get service because there is only about 12-15 counter seats max, so don't go here with a group.
The staff is all very nice and friendly and seem to enjoy their job, but it's just not worth it to wait in this cramp space.
My food was ok, but nothing spectacular, and frankly, I found my pancakes a bit undercooked. Perhaps they are rushing because they are busy, but it just wasn't worth the time waiting. The presentation of the food and the quality of the food was just not there during my visit.

Recently moved to Minneapolis and a friend told me about ideal diner. I told her I was looking for a place that I could walk into just as I am and have a great food. This is exactly what I was looking for. I didn't want fancy I just wanted to place where I could sit down and have a great meal. I have come many many times since the first time. I could eat here every day honestly. The guests are respectable. The staff are respectful. The food is good. They're fast and they're honest.

Looks like a local staple diner. Easy parking. Very limited seatings but fast turnaround, thanks to chef ordinaire "Connor". What he's him cook those orders with dropped jaw. Never in million years I can ever do that. I had the corned beef hash. It's one of the best I've had. Ideal diner made their own corned beef. It is cooked perfectly in a fluffy crispy bed of Hashbrown with some burnt ends. Perfection! Eggs are cooked perfectly runny just the way I like it. It's one of those place you want to keep a secret...but I'm feeling super generous with tummy fulled of deliciousness

I've lived in Northeast my entire life and finally made it to Ideal this morning for breakfast. I'm so mad I've been missing out this entire time! It was honestly the best breakfast I've ever had.

The portions are pretty big, so come hungry or split it with someone else. I split the Nordeast Omelette, some hashbrowns, and a pancake with my mom. Everything was SO TASTY.

I came in with two others and we were lucky to grab a spot at the counter on a holiday Monday. The inside is quintessential diner. And there aren't very many counter spots. Our server let us know that weekends are incredibly busy with a 1-2 hour wait. Holiday weekdays are busier than normal. But if you wanna swing in and be seated right away, a regular ol' weekday is best.

Our server was amazing! So kind and our waters and coffee were never close to empty. Food took awhile, but there was one person making literally everything. 1,000% worth the wait.

I can't wait to come back!

Ideal Diner offers patrons a very simple and classic diner experience. It's super small and narrow with maybe 10-12 counter seats. We arrived closer to 8:30 and sat down within 10 min, but folks coming when we left had about an hour wait.

I like that you can watch the cook work his magic on the flattop. He's really good! And his food is even better. The pancake was no ordinary pancake... it had a slight crisp on the edges and tasted SO good. Can't explain it - just give it a try! Their hash browns are also divine. Best part? It's so cheap. A single large pancake was $2. Hard to beat that!

FYI there's no bathroom - the closest one is about 2 blocks away.

I lived in Northeast for 3 years and passed this place so many times without stopping in. I presumed it was good because it's a hole in the wall with only 14 seats. I moved about 20 minutes away and finally dined here. Needless to say, I missed out on 3 years of having arguably the best pancakes I've ever had in Minnesota. I could literally eat here everyday without getting tired of it. I normally order the Working Man which is 2 eggs, hash browns, choice of ham, bacon or sausage, toast and jelly but I sun a pancake for toast.
Be prepared for a wait on the weekends and use the restroom prior because they don't have one.
I will go out of my way to get me some Ideal Diner!

I had breakfast here on Indigenous Peoples Day. Though busy, we got a seat at the counter right away but waited a bit for our food. Worth the wait and worth every penny! The pancakes here are outrageous! Servings are huge so I split the Nordeaster omelette with my daughter. The crowd was eclectic. Everyone was here. They have customer service down! Coffee is served while you wait for your seat at the counter. The young girl who served us said wait times in Fri, Sat and Sun are up to 2 hours. They are only open for breakfast and lunch.

Delish...the best pancakes in town. Thin, yet still fluffy, and the flavor. The country fried steak is masterful...meat sauce is tasty. Even the toast (rye, wheat or white) are fluffy and flavorful. My new favorite joint...wish I discovered sooner!

Ok, looked for a local diner on yelp. Found this place. Opens early which works for. Located close to my new apartment, even better. Got here right after they opened. As mentioned in other reviews this diner is small, but dont let that fool you. Its all counter seating. No problem, you get to watch the cook in action. Service was good. The food even better. I had the chicken fried steak. Delicious. Eggs over easy, hash browns. Great rye toast. Talking with the locals and they said everything is good. I will be back to try other items like the NW omelet. It was huge and a popular item.