TEST LISTING: Szechuan Spice House Is Eating Street's Best-Kept Secret
The mapo tofu your coworker has been eating for two years without telling anyone.
Tommy Brandt — Northeast Minneapolis
Finds the good stuff before it gets a Yelp page.
Eat Street has no shortage of options, but Szechuan Spice House is the one your coworker who grew up in Chengdu has been quietly eating at for two years without telling anyone. That's the tell.
🚗 Drive & Park
🚌 Bus / Metro
🚲 Bike
🚶 Walk
The mapo tofu here isn't adjusted for Midwestern heat tolerance — it's the real thing, numbing and oily and absolutely correct. The dan dan noodles come with a sauce that you'll think about on the drive home.
What to order
Start with the cold sesame noodles. They're $8 and gone in four minutes. For mains, the twice-cooked pork is a must — thin-sliced belly with leeks and black bean paste that somehow manages to be light. If you want to test the kitchen, order the fish fragrant eggplant. No fish involved, just the flavor profile. It's complicated and great.
The vibe
Small room, maybe 10 tables, cash preferred but they'll take a card. The owner will probably bring you tea without being asked. Lunch is quieter; weekend dinners get tight. Go on a Tuesday.
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