Hell’s Kitchen, Minneapolis

https://www.hellskitcheninc.com

4.5 🍅's

I have lived in 6 different states over the last 9 years and one of the best parts of living new places is friends and family coming into town. It gives me an excuse to play tourist in my own city, explore new places, and try new things. All my favorite things to do.

Mi madre decided to come visit me in Minnesota, literally a week before I moved to California. I was totally game for it because there was a good bit of things I hadn’t seen, so I took full advantage. We travelled up to Duluth and took a boat tour of Lake Superior and then ate at my husband and I’s favorite restaurant in Duluth, Scenic Café. We went to Como Park and Observatory to the Japanese Gardens, walked up and down Summit Avenue, rented bikes and rode around Nokomis Lake and got a famous Blucy at Blue Door Pub.

All those things were great but I was most pumped about getting to go to brunch at Hell’s Kitchen in downtown Minneapolis. My former co-worker always raved and ranted about Hell’s Kitchen brunch. More specifically, the Jacked Up, Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar. Naturally, I was intrigued so when my mom was in town I thought it would be a great idea to try it out, since it would be my last chance.

My co-worker in this instance did not fail me. All I can say is WOW! You walk down into this dark basement and their tag line reads, “When hell freezes over, I hope it’s f*cking cool” ……an appropriate slogan with its purgatory like decor and red and black everything. When I went to the hostess stand I caught a glimpse of the Jacked Up Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar and I immediately became giddy like a school girl and could not wait to get to my table as fast as humanly possible!

After accidentally ordering just a “regular” bloody mary, finally, my mug of vodka and Hell’s Kitchen original bloody mary mix arrived so I could high-tail it to the 35-foot long black icicle hallway. I couldn’t believe my eyes! This is no ordinary build your own bloody mary bar! Over 200 different kinds of hot sauces and a smorgasbord of goodies! I didn’t add any extra hot sauce to mine, but I sure did load up on the food. I did a celery salt rim, olives, cherry tomatoes, pickles, capers, garlic, green, red and yellow peppers, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, asparagus, cucumbers, olives, extra horseradish, corn, and 2 chicken wings, one honey bbq flavored and the other coated with a dry rub. They have no limit to how much you can stuff in your mug as long as the skewers fit in your glass!

The bloody mary mix does have some heat to it but also is sweet. It’s Mitch’s own recipe with all the usual ingredients like tobasco, Worcestershire sauce, and horseradish but also includes a sweet ginger puree. If you know me you know I love me some gingaaaa!!! It makes your nose runny, while cleansing your pallet. The perfect way to make room for all the food that comes with it!

I 100% recommend Hell’s Kitchen for their Jacked Up Bloody Mary Bar! It is reasonably priced and if the bloody mary bar isn’t your thing they also have a jacked up mimosa bar with an array of juices, candies, dried fruit, fresh fruit, and syrups! The only thing I would say is, be prepared to wait. Hell’s Kitchen bloody bar is famous in the twin cities so wait times can be quite long for a table for weekend brunch! Make a reservation well in advance to skip the wait!