Owamni is one of the best restaurants in the US. Here's what you have to try
Liz SchubauerChef Sean Sherman provides a vision of what modern Indigenous food can be at Owamni, his downtown Minneapolis restaurant that is one of the few serving Native American food in the United States.
His approach isn’t to re-create traditional dishes but rather to remove colonial ingredients and support Indigenous producers through delicious, healthful menus featuring food native to North America.
Owamni opened in 2021 and was named the country’s best new restaurant by the James Beard Foundation.
More:What's the best restaurant near you? Check out USA TODAY's 2024 Restaurants of the Year.
Now, the restaurant has earned another accolade. Along with 46 other restaurants, it was included in the 2024 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list.
More:USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year for 2024: How the list of best restaurants was decided
What makes Owamni stand out
Owamni overlooks its namesake on the Mississippi — Owámniyomni is the Dakota name for the only waterfall on the river, known as St. Anthony Falls in English. Where the restaurant sits was once a large Dakota village.
“When we named it, we took the name back of that area of downtown Minneapolis,” Sherman said.
The restaurant’s building is owned by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, which wanted to activate the downtown riverfront.
When the weather is nice, diners can sit on a sprawling patio overlooking the water. Passersby can make a pit stop at the restaurant’s beer hut.
Inside, the space is light, bright and inviting. A long bar overlooks a bustling open kitchen. The sound system plays Native American artists — from traditional powwow music to more modern genres like rap and rock.
Owamni is the realization of a vision Sherman had in 2008. He was working as an executive chef in Minneapolis, where the food scene, though vibrant, featured no Indigenous food. He learned that was the case across the United States.
Then his research began. Sherman is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe and grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota where he also didn’t encounter much in the way of an Indigenous food culture. But he knew that wasn’t the case just a few generations earlier — before his tribe was forced by the United States government to live on a reservation and assimilate.
He set out to learn what the Lakota had grown, foraged and traded. He also visited Indigenous groups in Mexico and became inspired to reclaim the traditions of dispossessed peoples across the continent. Sherman opened a food truck in 2015 and put out a cookbook in 2017.
The Owamni menu has no ingredients introduced to North America by Europeans. Instead, diners find game like pheasant, elk and antelope. There are heirloom vegetables and grains — plus insects. It’s all packed with flavor and beautifully presented.
But eating at Owamni isn’t only about enjoying a healthy meal packed with unique ingredients. Diners become participants in an entire economy Sherman has built around Indigenous foods.
He sources as many ingredients as possible from local, Indigenous producers. He’s also the executive director of the nonprofit NATIFS (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems), which operates the Indigenous Food Lab in Minneapolis. The lab provides a professional kitchen for entrepreneurs, a classroom and a market with over 40 Indigenous vendors.
What to order at Owamni
For the best Owamni experience, order a variety of small plates to share from throughout the menu, which changes with the seasons. Pair everything with a selection of the tasty sauces, which are only $1 apiece. And don’t forget to leave room for the smoked bison ribeye. By its nature, Indigenous cuisine tends to be friendly to those with dietary restrictions. Everything is gluten-free, and over half the menu is plant-based. Here were a few highlights from the fall menu:
Smoked bison ribeye. This smoky yet juicy ribeye is the delectable star of the show. Mashed sweet potatoes and braised greens make the perfect accompaniments.
Superior white fish cakes. These are similar to a crab cake but made with wonderfully smoked walleye and white fish. They come topped with wojapi, a traditional Native American berry sauce.
Tepary bean dip. This dip is a gorgeous and delicious way to start your meal. The bean paste perfectly ties together the crisp rice crackers and garnishes that include seeds, micro greens and flower petals.
Stay tuned
NATIFS, Sherman’s nonprofit, plans to expand its model that has been so successful in Minneapolis across North America, starting with an outpost in Montana.
Each location will include a market featuring Indigenous food producers, a professional kitchen and training center, and a restaurant.
Details: Owamni, 420 S. First St., Minneapolis; 612-444-1846; owamni.com.