Hard Times Cafe Reviews

Place has some great food at great prices. Lots of vegan options.

I am not even vegetarian. I LOVE this place though. They know their veggies and their tea. Their salsa is amazing.

Exceptional vegetarian food. Exceptional portion sizes. Exceptional prices. Cash only. Divey hole in the wall cafe offering a host of food, teas, coffee, baked goods catering to ovolactovegetarians and vegans. I highly recommend this place to anyone.

My favorite college hang out is just as cool and fun. Though maybe not as edgy.

You know, Hardtimes is great. Sometimes staff are not so polite but food is really good and it's the perfect place for chilling at 3am with friends or a laptop.
Definitely not for everyone. Punk environment. I love it.

Good for late night. No frills reasonably priced, healthy vegan/vegetarian options

good bc it was the only option available at 3am.. but anything tastes good when youre starving

One of the best in Minneapolis. Great food, great folks.

This place is awesome. Open late, vegan food, very affordable.

I love Hard Times Cafe and all of the people who work here. I ve been a customer for years and it is hands down the best cafe I ve ever been to for many different reasons. I ve eaten here when I need a cheap, filling meal. I ve probably spent literal days in the back high top tables drinking coffee and reading.

Not only do they have incredible, affordable, flavorful vegan/vegetarian food and the best and biggest muffins in the city, this is a place where I can FEEL SAFE. We need more spaces like this in Minneapolis, and in the world in general. Solidarity always.

This is a Minneapolis institution as it's a great spot for night owl and early birds. Typically I avoid cheap food, but this place doesn't sacrifice on quality and still has tasty food. The only thing I would like is a greater ability to veganize more of the menu.

One of the best places to get work done and eat good food. Grab your cash and enjoy.

Been a long time patron of Hard Times they will never lose my support

Been eating here for years and have never had an issue with any of the food! The staff is quick and effective. It's a great place to grab a vegetarian/vegan meal at any time of the day and not to mention it's damn tasty.

Try the biscuit breakfast w/ gravy!

Most important cafe in Minneapolis. Do yourself a favor and give them all your money. They just do it all right.

Do you like your vegan food with a side of crust punk and DIY ethic? This is your place. Open 21 hours a day.

They make a really good iced latte. I was impressed..

Great decor, amazing food, reasonably priced. Also fantastic selection for veg(an) options

Place is cool, but food is often not very good. I had stomachache, twice! Avoid soup!!

I have well over 15 years of memories of coming here, and I know this place isn t going anywhere so I ll have plenty more ahead. I basically lived here after work when I started going to school again and this place is likely at least partially responsible for when I had a 4.0 GPA.

And nothing beats being able to get REAL food in the middle of the night, vs having gut rot courtesy of fast food.

Further, as an advocate for people experiencing homelessness, as well as for harm reduction, how community members are treated with compassion and how the worker owners actively work to stay up on how to care for the community - that is the main thing that keeps me coming back.

Great food at reasonable prices. Excellent selection of vegan and gluten free offerings. What makes it only 3* is that the music is way too loud for echoing off of hard wood floors + walls. And was so discordant and weird of a mash up that it was distracting the entire time I was there.

Never had a bad meal here. Biscuits and gravy are the bomb.

Do have gluten-free menu items! This place was such a treat! It's so different from what I am used to. All items are vegan. To keep the cost down, they don't have waiters so you order at the counter and they don't accept credit cards, it's CASH only. Their food is good. The place is very casual and friendly. Definitely recommend.

We always have a good meal here. Love the vibe and casualness of the place.

Love eating here. Very grungy with a lot of character. Food is cheap and good.

Everyone is rude and weird, customer service is poor. Cashier look at you funny. Never again.

I've been going here since I was 14 after shows great food great coffee great staff long live hardtimes

No meat, no tv's. I was weirded out when I saw that on Google. This is a vegetarian, hippie, graffiti-everywhere, rock music cafe. Minneapolis in a nutshell, am I right? Lol.

This place kept me alive during college. Big portions, hearty meals, lower cost than most restaurants. Truman makes the best hash browns I ve ever had. If you can t handle a little attitude, you should probably stay away from punk establishments in general.

The employees weren t really that friendly but they made the drinks fast which was nice.

Decent food and coffee, nothing amazing on the menu, but prices are reasonable. Recommended if your vegan/vegetarian.

Here's the gag about Hard Times. If you're white, you're alright, if you're black, GET BACK. I can't even count the number of times I've heard or witnessed stories of staff treating patrons that don't fit their white-punk subculture lower than some dirt on their shoe. There is significant cultural tension between the edgy anarcho-punk subculture and students and guests of color, and for the 10+ years I've been living here it hasn't improved. While belligerent drunk white guests are allowed to loudly take up space as part of their grimy hipster backdrop- black people who break little rules like bringing in food are loudly confronted, given the boot, and in some instances threatened with police intervention. It's sad because I work in bars and understand health codes and house policies- but I also recognize the service to be TERRIBLE- I've only EVER gotten so much as a smile or vague welcome from one very small barista who wears a backwards hat so props to them- but if you're not in their scene they treat you like a hassle.......so I know what it is to feel completely unwelcome in a space that ironically has such a so-called anti-authoritarian vibe. I hear there is a sit-in tonight and subsequent boycott of the business that I will gladly join. There are places that are much more welcoming for us and we deserve better tbh

The best vegan cafe in mpls.
Bizarre, random music choices.
Good community.

The scene is a rough, the coffee bad, the prices low, the hours awesome and the people interesting.
It hasn't changed much since I was brought to it decades ago and remains a small sland of anarchy in an increasingly sea of gentry. Now i've brought another generation ashore.

An old favorite of mine. Hard Times is very reasonably priced and the menu is extensive for a vegetarian/vegan restaurant. Food here is outstanding; I'm a fan of the vegan ruben.

Some menu items are better than others, but overall, this is some of the best food I've had in the Twin Cities. Don't forget to order a muffin or baked good for dessert.

Their food is always on point. Solid vegan options, good stuff for the rest of my family too. Orders come up bar style and you pick up yourself... Very casual dining and welcoming to those of limited means.

Relax, read, play a board game, eat good grub!

Tried going here.... they didnt accept cards...its 2020.

Long time hangout space welcoming to the whole community, generous portions of food, a true 3rd Place

My favorite hole in the wall restaurant ever. Great vegan options. Bettet prices.

Punk rock vegetarian diner with an interesting and fun vibe. Grab a ticket and write down your order and pick it up at the counter a few minutes later. Great coffee and good food with a unique ambiance.

Love it. I love the grungy vibe, the many many vegetarian options, and the easy, leisurely feel of this restaurant.

The saitan gyro is delicious. There are many Vegan options. A great place to hang out and socialize or play games or do homework. There is usually cool loud music, right now actually not all that loud. Lots of cool artwork on the walls. This is currently my favorite restaurant in Minneapolis.

Make sure you bring cash! Great place to go before or after shows. Great vegan food and the atmosphere is wonderful.

The biscuits and gravy is honestly everything here, amazing food for great prices.

The most genuine cafe in the whole city. Its rough around the edges and it feels like a relic from another era. It's a place where you can go and feel free from the false sheen of instagrammable coffeeshops serving 3$ coffees. The food is cheap, hearty, well portioned, and even vegetarian without being pretentious (or flavorless). It's even open later than cafetto.

Best place to get something to eat after bar close in Minneapolis, cheap, and the food is good.

HTC forever! best cafe in the world for freethinkers and those who appreciate the best in all american vegetarian diner food! go and see for yourself if you don't already know :) don't belive the hype

Very amiable and efficient staff. The food is excellent -- with many options for gluten free vegans. The prices should be higher. My coffee drink, bowl of soup, and couple sides cost me a whopping $6.25...

Cheap, hearty, delicious veg food. Recommend the haystack. Great pastries also.

Food and coffee was really good. Cool atmosphere too

I have only been once and plan to go back more often. It is a drive for me though. The food was good. The people were super friendly (I was warned they may have an attitude as it is their thing- never got any attitude at all!) The prices are amazing!! Everything I tried was great. A little bit of a wait time, but they make it as you order, so no biggie. I plan to take all 4 kids soon!!

Huge portions and killer flavor for vegan/vegetarian cuisine. The biscuits were quite dense but the mushroom gravy helped with that

I ve eaten here more times than I can count, and it s always been delicious. I m not a vegetarian, but there s plenty of options that I enjoy. Huevos rancheros are the best I ve had anywhere.

The younger blonde woman taking orders is unbelievably rude. I have had very unpleasant experiences THREE times and have had enough. Food is good, but doesn't make up for the bad service.

Super cool spot, amazing vegan friendly menu, just remember they only take cash!

One employee has been waging a vendetta against me for meeting with police detectives from out of state and answering questions in an equivocal death investigation. This employee would try and kick me out every time I came to eat. Other employees would question his attitude towards me and challenge him. I never was able to complain to management. Kept me from going back.

Great tasting, quality and ethically sourced vegetarian and vegan fare, run by a collective worker owned crew since 1992. Great place to meet with friends or meet new ones. Diverse atmosphere. Punks, Africans, students, professors, old timers, straight up characters. The West Bank, Cedar Riverside is a storied, historic neighborhood run by local businesses, activists, and immigrants.

Fire food at affordable prices! Plus, I learned something

Really good. Portion are huge. Everyone liked it.

I frequently make the drive up from Rochester just for the food! Super yummy and don t forget to bring cash!

I saw a roach by the counter, a busboy tried to solicit me in the bathroom, and I heard a rumor about possible human smuggling. The food is gross and the staff are extremely rude.

Hard Times is the best hang in Riverside. Cheap veg+ comfort food, good music, wonderful humans, and a warm place for those without one to hang out in the winter. :)

Best fresh food around! Amazing staff! Can't say enough good things about this place. Love love love!

Been going here on and off for ten years. It's a staple of Minneapolis. Love the food and the vibe.

Without a doubt the BEST breakfast I have ever had. So many vegan options for reasonable prices.

Great place, not for pansy ass sue happy kind of people, more for down to reality kind of people

Best vegan food I've ever had and I'm not vegan. Really affordable and the atmosphere is really cool. Plus their music Playlist is always great.