The House Food and Tap in St. Joseph gears up for opening day
The House Food and Tap is open. Here’s a sneak peak inside the new business.
- St. Joseph offers a diverse dining scene in its growing downtown area.
- Established restaurants like The Local Blend and Bo Diddley’s remain popular spots.
- Newer additions include popular spots Flour & Flower Bakery, Krewe and The House Food and Tap.
St. Joseph’s growing downtown is home to a mix of restaurants and cuisines.
The area features both newcomers to the city’s restaurant industry and beloved staples in the town for decades.
Flour & Flower Bakery
Flour & Flower Bakery opened in downtown St. Joseph in 2020, bringing high-quality breads, baked goods and flower arrangements to the small town. Owner Erin Lucas focuses on ‘creating a sense of magic’ through her bakery’s items like scones, cookies and baguettes, as well as a rotating lunch menu of sandwiches and salads. Flour & Flower also supplies pastries to local spots like Korppi Coffee and District Coffee. In December, Flour & Flower was included in the New York Times’ list of the best bakeries in the U.S.
Flour & Flower is located at 24 N. College Ave. in St. Joseph. It is open 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday and pizza-only hours from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday.
The Local Blend
Another popular spot for pastries or breakfast foods is The Local Blend, a staple in downtown St. Joseph since 2006. The coffee shop offers locally-roasted coffee and an extensive breakfast and lunch menu, focused on incorporating homemade, locally-sourced and organic ingredients. Customers can choose from deli sandwiches, soups, breakfast pastries and quiches, among other items.
The Local Blend is open 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 19 W. Minnesota St.
Krewe
St. Joseph diners can get a taste of southern cooking at Krewe, with New Orleans-style dishes like Louisiana crab cakes, shrimp jambalaya, “grandpa’s gumbo” and cornbread. The restaurant also serves pastries from Flour & Flower, like its Sunday brunch biscuits. Krewe’s also has a popular smash burger on its lunch menu. That smashburger is the focus of owners Mateo Mackbee and Erin Lucas’ Joetown Smashburger spot in St. Joseph’s new food hall.
Krewe is located at 24 College Ave. N. It is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch Thursday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner Wednesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Sunday brunch.
The House Food and Tap
The House Food and Tap is of the newest addition to St. Joseph’s restaurant scene, with four eateries under one roof. The food hall opened in March and features Birdie’s Pizza and Garden Bar with Neopolitan-style pizza, Joetown Smashburger from the chefs behind Krewe and Flour & Flower, 98 Hawaiian Grille from former Minnesota Vikings player Esera Tuaolo and Eminent Coffee Roasters’ first location outside of its Sartell roastery.
The House Food and Tap is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Bo Diddley’s
The beloved sandwich shop Bo Diddley’s has been in business since 1981, and its menu has stayed nearly the same since it opened. It offers a variety of sub-style sandwiches, with meat options including turkey, ham, tuna and salami. Each sandwich comes on a wheat hoagie with cheese, veggies, mayonnaise and a homemade spiced oil. The shop also offers a rotating soup selection.
Bo Diddley’s is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at 19 College Ave. N.
Bello Cucina Italian Steakhouse
Bello Cucina Italian Steakhouse brings a wide array of Italian meals to St. Joseph, with pizzas, risottos, rigatonis and cannelloni, among other options. It also has a large steak menu with ribeye and sirloins, as well as a variety of specials throughout the week. Bello Cucina also offers catering and private lunch events at the downtown St. Joseph restaurant.
Bello Cucina is open 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 3 to 9 pm. Friday and Saturday at 15 E Minnesota St.
Jupiter Moon Ice Cream
Those looking for a sweet treat can visit Jupiter Moon Ice Cream and choose from nearly 20 flavors of hand-crafted ice cream. The shop offers common options like vanilla, cookies and cream and mint chip, as well as several unique and experimental flavors like spicy mango coconut, honey lavender and the College of St. Benedict-inspired Straw-Bennie. Jupiter moon is also allergen-friendly, with nut-free, dairy-free and gluten-free options.
Jupiter Moon is open 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 15 E. Minnesota St.
Teagan King covers business and development for the St. Cloud Times. She can be reached at teking@gannett.com.
