Things to do in Downtown St. Cloud, MN
Ideally located on the northeast end of the city, just east of the Mississippi River, Oaks at Bentonshire provides easy access to St. Cloud and the surrounding areas. The community sits just 5 minutes from downtown, so our team has compiled a list of noteworthy restaurants, parks, and activities in the city’s center.
Restaurants in Downtown
St. Cloud
Stepping into MC Dugout Bar & Grill is like walking onto the set of “Cheers.” There’s a long, dark wooden bar, brick walls all around, and neon signs peppered throughout. It’s also St. Cloud’s favorite downtown restaurant for happy hours and festive nights on the town.
The menu features burgers, sandwiches, tacos, salads, and tasty appetizers. Fans of MC Dugout’s rave about the “Buck’in Burger” stacked high with angus beef patties, thick cut bacon, pickled fried onion, cheddar cheese, and jalapeno BBQ sauce for an extra kick. Other highlights are the Tajin shrimp tacos, the Italian beef sandwich with a side of au jus, and the famous French onion dip appetizer.
As far as drinks go, MC Dugout is also home of the famous “Hairy Buffalo,” a deceptively strong alcoholic beverage that has built up quite a notoriety throughout the city. Choose from a list of variations like the White Buffalo, the Tropical Buffalo, and many others. Just be sure to pace yourself!
Owner Don Vongdara had a dream of bringing Cajun cuisine and flavors to St. Cloud. His vision became a reality in September of 2023 when The Boil first opened its doors to the public.
For those who have yet to experience a world-famous Louisiana style boil, the concept is simple— throw your favorite seafood, vegetables, and spices into a big pot and let them cook! The result is a delectable meal of shrimp, crab, crawfish, smoked sausage, potatoes, corn, onion, garlic, and an explosion of different Cajun spices.
At The Boil, the shareable combos are the way to go, giving you the most access to different seafood options, which include shrimp, mussels, clams, crab, lobster, and scallops. The combos are meant to be enjoyed and split amongst a group of people. If you’re rolling solo, the po’ boys are some of the best in town.
Greek Cravings has developed quite the following with its flavor packed Greek cuisine. The menu is built around five gyro options: the classic gyro, the chicken gyro, the hummus gyro, the falafel gyro, and the Greek Philly gyro, which plays off the ingredients of a Philly cheesesteak. On top of this, Greek Cravings also serves spanakopita (a flaky spinach pastry), dolma (rice stuffed grape leaves), and a fantastic baklava that ends your Mediterranean meal on a sweet note.
Fans of the restaurant highlight the mouth-watering, thinly sliced gyro meat that top every gyro, salad, and plate. Each dish is doused with a homemade tzatziki sauce that balances the hearty Greek flavors with a light, creamy, cucumber freshness. Finally, be sure to try a side of the baba ghanoush, an eggplant based dip that is roasted in house daily.
Best of all, Greek Cravings is locally owned and operated by Tariq and Shahira Siddique who have faithfully served the downtown community for over ten years.
Arroy is the brainchild of co-owners and married couple Adrienne Donnel and Annie Meyer. They worked together at “Sawatdee,” the Thai restaurant that previously inhabited their current space. While working there, the two began to form a vision of bringing together classic Thai cuisine with the recipes Adrienne grew up cooking in a Filipino household. Just like that— Arroy Thai & Filipino was born.
The menu interweaves the two Asian cuisines. For example, you’ll see a stir-fried noodle Filipino dish like pancit sandwiched between Thai basil noodles and pad see yew. American visitors are more likely to be familiar with the Thai items on the menu, but the Filipino dishes are one-of-a-kind because they come from Adrienne’s heirloom family recipes. Fan favorites are the tangy, salty & sweet chicken adobo as well as the lechon kawali, which is deep fried and brined pork belly.
Regardless of what you choose, the culinary team at Arroy serves up some of St. Cloud’s most unique and flavorful meals.
Kohinoor Bar & Grill is the go-to restaurant for Indian cuisine in downtown St. Cloud. Their menu offers a unique take on classic dishes like curry, tandoori, masala, and kebab. Each dish is brimming with flavor, making use of Indian spices like turmeric, cumin, black cardamon, and ginger.
The chef specials come highly recommended by the Kohinoor team and include the “Punjabi Goat Curry,” made with Star Galam Masala, and the “Butter Chicken” prepared by marinating the chicken overnight and served with a homemade tomato cream sauce. According to one St. Cloud based reviewer, Kohinoor Bar & Grill has “the best chicken tikka masala in the city” and they recommend ordering a side of garlic or rosemary ginger naan as the perfect pairing. The staff is also known to be exceptionally kind and welcoming. It all adds up to a one-of-a-kind dining experience that will have you coming back to Kohinoor again and again.
Places To Visit In St. Cloud
Resting peacefully on the banks of the Mississippi River, the Munsinger Clemens Gardens have provided St. Cloud with a tranquil nature retreat since 1930. These two distinct gardens (Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens) sit adjacent to each other and offer contrasting experiences. Munsinger, spread out over 14 acres of forested land and dotted with ponds and pine trees, is described as the more “informal” of the two, while Clemens was designed to be more of a buttoned up, English-inspired garden.
Inside the greenhouse, the Munsinger Clemens team cultivates flowers year-round that are used throughout the garden. Visitors are encouraged to walk the winding paths with a Zen-like presence, patiently taking in the vibrant colors, calming sounds, and sweet fragrances.
The gardens also host exciting events such as the “Music in the Gardens” series and the Annual Art Fair which features local Minnesota artists.
Fans have described The Ledge Amphitheater as the “Red Rocks of Minnesota,” referring to the iconic Colorado venue nestled between two massive red sandstone outcrops. Although it’s not built inside of a rare geological formation, The Ledge Amphitheater offers an epic, open-air listening experience to the residents of St. Cloud and can hold 6,000 guests.
The venue hosts local and national musical acts from across the genre spectrum including rock, country, pop, and much more. Major national acts such as Thirty Seconds To Mars, Melissa Etheridge, and Brian Setzer have graced the stage since its opening in 2021.
Attendees of the new amphitheater highlight the fact that, although it seats 6,000, it somehow still feels like a cozy, intimate listening room. The staff is also known to be very kind and friendly. Music lovers can stay in the know by keeping an eye on the Ledge Amphitheatre website.
Stearns History Museum is unique among museums. Not only does it showcase an impressive collection of historical displays, but it also sits on a 100-acre nature reserve with winding walking paths and access to wildlife.
The museum features a steady rotation of changing exhibits, but the mission remains the same— to tell the story of central Minnesota. Currently (as of this writing), there are sections of the museum dedicated to the history of transportation in Stearns County, the natural history of the area, and an exhibit on popular toys going all the way back to dolls from the mid-1800’s.
After spending an afternoon learning about Stearn County’s rich history, visitors can adventure out onto the grounds and enjoy a nature stroll. The museum also hosts engaging events such as conferences, writing groups, and even war reenactments!
As the name suggests, Riverside Park sits on the banks of Mississippi River, just south of Munsinger Clemens Gardens. It’s a stunning example of St. Cloud’s comprehensive park system and has been a favorite of locals for decades.
Riverside features expansive green fields, perfect for a game or a picnic, beautiful, wooded areas with native flora and fauna, and a pavilion that hosts large gathers, concerts, and other events. Being next to the Mississippi, Riverside Park also has many spots to sit and observe the river as it flows south on its journey to the Gulf of Mexico.
The park takes on new life each season. During the summer, visitors love to take advantage of the disc golf course and playgrounds. In the winter, people bring out their toboggans and slide down one of St. Cloud’s best hills for sledding.
Guests often recount that spending time at Riverside Park leaves them feeling light, joyful, and connected to Minnesota’s natural beauty.
In central Minnesota, quarries are artifacts from a long mining history that has shaped the culture and landscape. To this day, Minnesota is known to be a reliable source for mineral resources.
Quarry Park and Nature Preserve is a 600+ acre park that is dotted with twenty old granite quarries, which have been filled in with water and are now used for activities like swimming, fishing, and cliff jumping. It’s conveniently located just outside of the city on the southwestern edge of town, providing easy nature access to St. Cloud residents.
There is so much do at Quarry Park. Rock climbers flock here because of the uncommon rock formations that were shaped by human activity. Nature lovers are magnetized by the Aspen groves, the wildlife, and the spectacular displays of wildflowers in the summertime. Visitors also use the park for geocaching, hiking, and, for the daring, scuba diving inside of the quarries. At Quarry Park and Nature Preserve you are able to build your own adventure.