Al's Breakfast, Breakfast restaurant in Dinkytown neighborhood, Minneapolis, United States.
Al's Breakfast is a tiny restaurant in the Dinkytown neighborhood of Minneapolis, housed in a former alleyway that is only about 10 feet (3 meters) wide. The entire interior is a single counter with 14 stools, with cooks preparing classic American breakfast dishes right in front of guests.
Al Bergstrom opened the restaurant in 1950 after working at a local cafeteria, initially serving three meals a day. Over the following decades it gradually focused on breakfast only, becoming a fixture in Dinkytown.
Regulars and newcomers share the same narrow counter, and it is common for seated guests to shift along to make room for those waiting at the back wall. Watching the cooks work just inches away is part of what draws people back.
The restaurant opens early in the morning and closes by early afternoon, so it is worth planning your visit for the first part of the day. Arriving early gives you a better chance of finding a seat without a long wait, as the counter fills up fast.
The James Beard Foundation named it an American Classic Restaurant in 2004, and the medal for that award hangs behind the counter where anyone sitting down can see it. The award is notable because it is usually given to places that have kept the same spirit for decades without changing to attract wider audiences.
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