Fargo, North Dakota, makes a good case for planning meals beyond a single downtown dinner. Broadway and the surrounding blocks offer wood-fired pizza, handmade pasta, seafood, and restaurants that reinterpret the food of the northern Plains. Elsewhere in the city, neighborhood kitchens serve northern Thai noodles, Indian curries, Greek and Middle Eastern plates, and an all-day diner breakfast. These 15 selections stay within Fargo itself, with separate West Fargo and Moorhead restaurants left for another guide. The range lets you plan a celebration, find an affordable lunch, or choose a place that gives a visiting group several useful options without losing its own identity.
#15 Café Aladdin
Cuisine: Greek and Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: South Fargo, 32nd Avenue South
Price: $
Best For: A gyro or falafel plate with traditional sides
Must Order: A gyro plate or falafel combination
Why It Made the List:
Brothers Ahmad and Younis opened Café Aladdin in 1995 and still build its menu around family recipes. Lamb shish kabob marinated in house spices and kufta kabob of ground beef with parsley and onion give meat eaters alternatives to the gyro, and halal meat is available on request.
Known For:
- Gyro plates include salad, pita, and a choice of rice, hummus, or fries.
- Falafel, stuffed grape leaves, and spinach pie provide meat-free menu options.
- The kitchen also makes a lentil-and-rice plate finished with sautéed onions and spices.
#14 The Shack on Broadway
Cuisine: American diner and breakfast
Neighborhood: North Fargo, Broadway North
Price: $
Best For: An all-day breakfast or homestyle lunch
Must Order: A Western omelet or country-fried steak and eggs
Why It Made the List:
Homemade buttermilk pancakes and mashed potatoes with gravy anchor The Shack’s homestyle cooking, and the kitchen runs specials three times a day. Burgers and hot dinner plates share the menu with the breakfast staples, so a mixed group can order whatever suits the hour.
Known For:
- The Western omelet combines ham, green peppers, onions, and cheese.
- Country-fried steak and eggs includes hash browns and a choice of toast or pancakes.
- The restaurant serves breakfast all day at 3215 Broadway North.
#13 Acapulco Mexican Restaurant
Cuisine: Mexican
Neighborhood: Southwest Fargo, 36th Street South
Price: $
Best For: A family meal with tacos and combination plates
Must Order: Quesabirria tacos or Acapulco enchiladas
Why It Made the List:
Acapulco’s shrimp dishes are a good reason to look past the combination plates: camarones a la diabla are sautéed with onions and mushrooms in butter and red sauce, while camarones especiales wrap fried shrimp in bacon. A chorizo queso dip and the house-made chips and salsa make an easy start for the table.
Known For:
- Acapulco enchiladas use grilled steak or chicken, white queso, and avocado.
- The menu includes three-taco quesabirria orders and several molcajetes.
- The seafood menu includes enchiladas filled with shrimp and imitation crab, served with rice, beans, and avocado.
#12 Leela Thai Cuisine
Cuisine: Thai
Neighborhood: South Fargo, 25th Street South
Price: $
Best For: A Thai dinner with adjustable heat
Must Order: Pad Thai or Massaman curry with Bags of Gold
Why It Made the List:
Leela’s papaya salad can be ordered Thai style, sweeter with peanuts, or Laos style with fermented fish sauce, and a separate E-San section extends the menu into northeastern Thai cooking. Mango red curry and mussels served on a sizzling plate with sweet chili paste and Thai basil offer alternatives to the standard curries.
Known For:
- Pad Thai uses tamarind sauce, egg, bean sprouts, carrots, and peanuts.
- Bags of Gold are crisp wontons filled with cream cheese, celery, and carrot.
- The restaurant shares its address and ordering system with UMI Sushi & Ramen.
#11 Passage to India
Cuisine: Indian and Nepali
Neighborhood: Southwest Fargo, 45th Street South
Price: $
Best For: A curry-and-naan meal with plenty of variety
Must Order: Chicken tikka masala with garlic naan
Why It Made the List:
Passage to India roasts its kebabs in a 752-degree clay tandoor, and the chicken malai kebab, marinated in a cardamom-and-herb cream, shows that oven at its best. Kerala fish curry in a spiced coconut sauce and bone-in goat curry with cumin and coriander add regional depth beyond the familiar creamy curries.
Known For:
- Chicken tikka masala is listed with rice.
- Garlic naan, vegetable samosas, and chicken or vegetable momo expand a shared order.
- The vegetarian curries include shahi paneer in a creamy cashew-and-cardamom sauce and cumin-spiced dal.
#10 ThaiKota
Cuisine: Northern Thai
Neighborhood: First Avenue North
Price: $
Best For: Northern Thai noodles and regional curries
Must Order: Khao soi or Drunken MaMa noodles
Why It Made the List:
ThaiKota’s menu reaches well beyond the usual Thai standards. Gina’s fish-sauce wings are fried in a crisp Thai flour coating and served with jaew dipping sauce, papaya salad can be ordered with fermented crab, and keang oom moo is a northern Thai herbal pork soup with dill and Thai eggplant.
Known For:
- Khao soi combines yellow curry, egg noodles, pickled cabbage, and crispy noodles.
- Kaeng hung leh is a pork-belly curry with peanuts, pickled garlic, and ginger.
- Drunken MaMa noodles include basil, egg, vegetables, and the house wok sauce.
#9 Würst Bier Hall — Downtown Fargo
Cuisine: German-inspired sausages and comfort food
Neighborhood: Downtown, First Avenue North
Price: $
Best For: A hearty sausage meal at communal tables
Must Order: Jäger schnitzel or spaetzle mac and cheese
Why It Made the List:
Würst divides its sausages into gourmet and classic selections, giving diners a choice between familiar links and more elaborate options. Currywurst and kuchen, a traditional German dessert, extend the meal beyond sausages, and the communal beer-hall setting suits an informal group dinner.
Known For:
- Jäger schnitzel comes with mushroom gravy, red cabbage, and spaetzle dumplings.
- Spaetzle mac and cheese can be ordered with different sausage categories.
- At the downtown branch, minors may visit with an adult 21 or older until 9 p.m.
#8 Blackbird Woodfire
Cuisine: Wood-fired pizza and small plates
Neighborhood: Downtown, Broadway North
Price: $
Best For: A pizza meal with distinctive topping combinations
Must Order: Sausage Apple pizza with a shared small plate
Why It Made the List:
Blackbird’s tapas make a strong case for ordering beyond pizza: Mediterranean meatballs combine beef, bison, almonds, rice, and raisins in a tomato-mint sauce, and a skillet of aged provolone arrives melted with Aleppo pepper and fresh oregano. Among the pizzas, the Potato Anna layers potatoes, smoked bacon, garlic, and cheddar over béchamel.
Known For:
- Sausage Apple combines house-made sausage, Granny Smith apple, sage, and Parmesan.
- Blue Crush uses Gorgonzola, walnuts, grapes, rosemary, and red onion.
- The downtown restaurant uses North Dakota-grown and milled flour.
#7 Beer & Fish Company
Cuisine: Seafood and fish and chips
Neighborhood: Downtown, Roberts Alley
Price: $$
Best For: A casual seafood meal with plenty of choices
Must Order: Walleye fish and chips or a cod-and-shrimp combination
Why It Made the List:
Beer & Fish Company’s oysters can be ordered raw on the half shell or chargrilled with house-made oyster butter and Pecorino Romano. Beyond the fryer, wild-rice-stuffed portobello mushrooms in a cheesy Mornay sauce and a lobster mac with corn, Taleggio, and fontina show a kitchen willing to add richer touches.
Known For:
- Fish-and-chips plates include fries or spiral chips, slaw, lemon, tartar, and a dip.
- Walleye, cod, halibut, and shrimp appear in several portion combinations.
- The restaurant is at 230 Roberts Alley and welcomes diners under 21.
#6 The Toasted Frog — Fargo
Cuisine: Contemporary American
Neighborhood: Downtown, Broadway North
Price: $$
Best For: A downtown dinner with wood-fired variety
Must Order: Steak frites or walleye piccata
Why It Made the List:
The Toasted Frog’s fall menu, overseen by executive chef Garrett Gjelsness, gives the wood-fired kitchen plenty to do beyond steak. Braised oxtail comes with a savory chocolate-red wine reduction and pommes purée, and sage duck meatballs sit on butternut squash risotto with crispy celeriac. The house fried pickles, wrapped in egg-roll pastry with Havarti, make an easy shared start.
Known For:
- Steak frites pairs teres major with truffle fries and Havarti cream.
- Walleye piccata is served with garlic, white wine, capers, rice pilaf, and sautéed Brussels sprouts.
- The restaurant is in the 1905 Moose Dixon building at 305 Broadway North.
#5 Spaghetti Western
Cuisine: Italian
Neighborhood: Downtown, Broadway
Price: $$
Best For: A dinner centered on handmade pasta
Must Order: Grandma’s Meat Sauce over tagliatelle
Why It Made the List:
Spaghetti Western makes everything from its pasta to its sausage in-house, giving its downtown dinners a distinct family-kitchen character. Owners Fabrizio Di Gianni and Brighid Maguire built the restaurant without outside financial backing, with a compact menu that rewards sharing a starter before choosing a pasta.
Known For:
- Grandma’s Meat Sauce combines house-made tagliatelle, local beef, tomato, and Italian cheeses.
- The menu includes four-cheese gnocchi and mushroom risotto.
- A small meat-and-cheese plate and tiramisu round out the pasta menu.
#4 Prairie Kitchen
Cuisine: Midwestern and Scandinavian-inspired
Neighborhood: North University Drive
Price: $$
Best For: A meal that puts regional comfort food first
Must Order: Swedish meatballs with a shared lefse plate
Why It Made the List:
Prairie Kitchen draws on regional producers such as the North Dakota Bison Cooperative and Doubting Thomas Farms, whose oat groats become a savory risotto topped with grilled shrimp and lemon chimichurri. Walleye tacos use Ritz-cracker-crusted Minnesota walleye, and brown-butter salmon arrives with a bourbon glaze and a wild-rice pilaf with cranberries and almonds.
Known For:
- Swedish meatballs come with mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, pickles, and lingonberry jam.
- Sweet and savory lefse plates use Freddy’s Lefse.
- Prairie Kitchen is the main-floor restaurant at 701 Eateries.
#3 Luna Fargo
Cuisine: Seasonal American
Neighborhood: South University Drive
Price: $$
Best For: A neighborhood dinner with a cheese counter detour
Must Order: A seasonal main with chive-cheddar popovers
Why It Made the List:
Luna’s September menu shows a kitchen comfortable with unexpected combinations. Zucchini carbonara uses mushroom bacon and a duck egg, Wagyu zabuton comes with pine-nut salsa macha and arepas, and a popcorn budino with a compost-cookie tart and caramel corn makes a playful dessert.
Known For:
- The September menu includes bison hanger steak with wild rice succotash.
- Chive-cheddar popovers and cheese plates offer shareable starts.
- Chef Ryan Nitschke and partner Nikki Berglund were James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalists in 2025.
#2 Rosewild
Cuisine: Contemporary Midwestern
Neighborhood: Downtown, Broadway North
Price: $$
Best For: A hotel restaurant dinner with regional character
Must Order: Hotdish pot pie or citrus-crusted walleye
Why It Made the List:
Rosewild’s shareable plates are a strong reason to linger: crispy cauliflower comes with grapes, pickled onion, gobi sauce, and lime crema, while pork-belly burnt ends take a Korean barbecue glaze and daikon slaw. From the hearth, a half chicken with mustard glaze and salt-baked potato offers a substantial alternative to the steaks.
Known For:
- Hotdish pot pie combines chopped steak, vegetables, Mornay sauce, and puff pastry.
- The posted dinner menu includes walleye with summer vegetables and sorrel sauce.
- Rosewild is inside the Jasper Hotel at 215 Broadway North.
#1 Mezzaluna
Cuisine: Contemporary American
Neighborhood: Downtown, Roberts Street North
Price: $$$
Best For: A composed downtown celebration dinner
Must Order: The three-course dinner or lamb ragu bianco
Why It Made the List:
Mezzaluna’s kitchen, led by chef and co-owner Joseph Brunner, borrows freely from other cuisines: tuna tataki comes with rhubarb aguachile and nori dust, and fjord trout is served with spiced beluga lentils, a saffron-tomato fumet, and smoked mussels. Desserts such as bourbon-orange bread pudding with cardamom cream carry the same attention to detail through the end of the meal.
Known For:
- The three-course menu is offered to the whole table, with a dessert option.
- Lamb ragu bianco is served with tagliatelle, peas, and feta.
- The restaurant occupies the historic Smith, Follett & Crowl building at 309 Roberts Street North.
How we chose
We selected these restaurants for distinctive cooking, a clear sense of place, and a dining experience worth seeking out. Our editorial review considered current menus, official restaurant information, and local dining coverage, with attention to both special occasions and everyday meals. The ranking reflects editorial judgment rather than a numerical score.
Planning your next meal
Menus and seasonal preparations change; use the restaurant links to check the latest offerings and make reservations where available.
More dining advice
For help choosing a bottle with dinner, read our guide to ordering wine at a restaurant.
