The best restaurants in Stillwater MN, line a six-block stretch of Water Street and Main Street, and almost all of them are within walking distance of each other. Eat on the river at Charlie’s, the Freight House, or RÃo 1854. Go to Lolo or Stillwater Proper for a lively downtown dinner. Book Feller or Domaćin when it’s a special night.
Our front desk team at Water Street Inn lives here and loves supporting our fellow local businesses. We have recommended places to eat in Stillwater for 30 years. Your satisfaction is important to us, so we always follow up with guests the next day. These are the places people come back raving about.
We’ve sorted Stillwater restaurants by what you’re actually in the mood for, not by a star rating. You’ll also find a few notes on reservations, patio season, and what’s new in town this year. If you are ready for a date night on your Stillwater getaway, book your stay today.
Every restaurant below is in or near downtown Stillwater. You can be at any of these restaurants in mere minutes on foot.
The best restaurants on the river in Stillwater are Charlie’s, Papa’s Rooftop, the Freight House, PD Pappy’s, and RÃo 1854, all lined up along the St. Croix within a few blocks of the Lift Bridge. If you are looking for a water view for your meal, these are the places to eat:
Charlie’s Restaurant & Irish Pub
Yes, it’s ours, but we’d still send you here if it weren’t. The restaurant side serves classic American dishes from breakfast through dinner, with big windows looking straight out at the river and a warm-weather patio facing the Lift Bridge. The pub side leans Victorian, a nod to the saloon Charlie Lustig ran on this corner in the late 1800s.
What to order: the Friday Fish Fry, a Stillwater tradition locals plan their week around. On Wednesdays, Wine Night pairs a four-course dinner with wine, perfect for a mid-week getaway.
Good to know: live bands play Friday and Saturday nights. You can reserve a table online.
Papa’s Rooftop
Take our elevator to the fourth floor for the best view in town: river, bridge, bluffs, and the whole brick skyline of downtown. Papa’s Rooftop is a seasonal spot for craft cocktails, flatbreads, salads, and shareables, with fire tables for cool evenings and weekend brunch when it’s open.
What to order: the Margherita flatbread and whatever the bartenders are pouring that week.
Good to know: Papa’s is open to the public on a first-come, first-served waitlist. Overnight guests at Water Street Inn can reserve a table ahead, which is a great perk of a summer weekend stay at our Stillwater Hotel.
The Freight House
Housed in Stillwater’s original freight depot, the Freight House has more than 8,000 square feet of patio along the river. It’s American comfort food with house-smoked meats, 20-some beers on tap, and a lively crowd.
What to order: the Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich and the Giant Pretzel for the table.
Good to know: it’s two blocks south of the Inn along Water Street, and it’s one of the easiest places in town for a big group to land a table.
PD Pappy’s
PD Pappy’s is the laid-back option on the water: two patios right along the St. Croix, a menu of burgers, sandwiches, and wraps, and live music on weekend nights. Nobody’s dressing up here, and that’s the appeal.
What to order: the loaded nachos. Guests mention them every time.
Good to know: The word raucous has been used more than once to describe this bar.
RÃo 1854
The former Dock Cafe got a second life in October 2025, when the Ramirez family opened RÃo 1854, a “Latin craft kitchen” serving all day with the river right outside the windows. Mornings mean chilaquiles, birria, arepas, omelets, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. At dinner, the menu features prime steaks, fresh seafood, and cocktails.
What to order: Peruvian ceviche to start, then the fire-grilled filet mignon.
Good to know: It opens early, which makes it one of the few places in town for a riverside breakfast.
For a lively downtown dinner, go to LoLo, Stillwater Proper, or Brick & Bourbon. All three sit on Main Street, one block up from the river.
LoLo American Kitchen & Craft Bar
LoLo is the one friends from the Cities already know about, and for good reason. The chef-driven menu riffs on American street food (smash burgers, tacos, clever small plates) and the cocktail list is one of the best in town. It fills up fast on weekends, so go early or be ready to wait at the bar.
What to order: share three or four small plates, then split a smash burger.
Stillwater Proper
Stillwater Proper pairs a modern American kitchen with its own micro-distillery, so the cocktails use spirits distilled a few feet away. Exposed brick and barrel seating set the mood. The menu ranges from burrata and seared ahi to fried chicken sandwiches and sticky rice bowls.
What to order: a cocktail built on their house spirits, plus the Proper Burger.
Brick & Bourbon
Brick & Bourbon does elevated comfort food and a serious bourbon list, with a rooftop patio overlooking the river. It’s polished enough for a date and relaxed enough for a group.
What to order: the Candied Bacon Flight and a Smoked Old Fashioned.
Nacho Mama’s
When the group wants loud, easy, and generous, head to Nacho Mama’s. The Tex-Mex plates are big, and the margaritas are awesome.
What to order: street tacos and the jalapeño bacon poppers.
Howard’s Bar
Howard’s is a neighborhood hangout at 302 Main Street South, it caught the attention of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. He recently made a jingle for their meatloaf dippers.
For an anniversary, a proposal, or just because you deserve a special date night, we have two recommendations within a few minutes of our hotel.
Feller
Feller is built into the bluffs at 402 Main Street South, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a menu that reads like a love letter to Minnesota: stuffed pheasant, pecan walleye, bison short rib, smoked trout fritters. Dishes change with the seasons, and the dessert list is worth saving room for.
What to order: the walleye, then whatever the seasonal dessert is (the carrot cake, when it’s on, is excellent).
Domaćin
Domaćin is a wine bar first, and the list would impress a sommelier. Pair a bot tle with charcuterie and small plates at the bar, or settle in for gnocchi, duck, or beef tenderloin. Ask about the cellar room if you want the most private table in town.
What to order: let your server pick a glass you’ve never heard of, and start with the charcuterie.
For lunch in Stillwater, grab a sandwich at E’s or Mon Petit Chéri and eat it by the river, or sit down at Charlie’s if you’d rather have a window seat and table service.
Mon Petit Chéri
This scratch bakery and kitchen at 310 Main Street South is famous for caramel rolls and beignets, but lunch is the sleeper hit. Order at the counter, find a table under the old brick walls, and don’t skip the pastry case on the way out. There’s a full espresso bar, plus beer and wine.
What to order: the Swedish Reuben, and a beignet “for the road.”
E’s Gourmet Sandwiches
The newest lunch spot downtown, E’s opened on Myrtle Street in May 2026 with classic sandwiches built for dine-in or takeout (Star Tribune). Our favorite plan: order to go and walk two minutes for a picnic in Lowell Park.
Leo’s Grill & Malt Shop
Bringing the kids? Leo’s is a classic downtown diner with burgers, malts, a kids’ menu, and an upstairs terrace. It’s the easiest family lunch in town.
Lunch at Charlie’s
If the weather turns or you just want to sit, Charlie’s serves lunch every day with river views from the dining room.
Looking for eggs Benedict and mimosas instead? We keep a separate, very opinionated list of the best brunch in Stillwater.
The best part of eating your way through Stillwater is not having to drive anywhere afterward. Water Street Inn sits on the corner of Water and Chestnut, steps from the river and a block from Main Street, so dinner, dessert, and a walk across the Lift Bridge all happen on foot.
Many of our guest rooms have fireplaces, whirlpool tubs, or river views, and you’ll have Charlie’s downstairs and Papa’s upstairs for the nights you don’t feel like going far. Browse our specials and packages, then book your stay and let our front desk point you to your next favorite table. Reserve your room now.
