1
Mexican Village
1970–2024Downtown / South Fargo
The Story
For over 50 years, Mexican Village introduced Fargo-Moorhead to Mexican food. Founder Ben Anvary, an Iranian immigrant who came to Moorhead to study business, would walk table to table with a megawatt smile. The warm homemade chips, hot sauce in little white bowls, and cozy booths decorated with historic firing squad photos became ritual.
Why It's Missed
Fifty-four years of consistency, warmth, and memory. The downtown location closed in 2023. The last restaurant shut December 30, 2024. An entire era of Fargo dining—gone in a single night.
"It has been an honor to be a part of the Fargo-Moorhead community for over 50 years." — Final Facebook post
Last Known Address
3155 45th St S, Fargo2
Ralph's Corner Bar
1957–2005Downtown Moorhead
The Story
Fargo-Moorhead's oldest bar sat at the corner of Main Avenue and Fourth Street for 48 years — and the building dated to 1862. Ralph's was the independent rock headquarters of the region, with a jukebox locals claimed was the best between Minneapolis and Seattle. It was small, cramped, full of regulars, and legendary.
Why It's Missed
The authenticity. The city forced it closed for redevelopment in 2005. Seventeen years later, the Facebook group still has 1,400 members posting memories. A museum exhibit honored its legacy. That kind of grief doesn't fade.
"People miss it. Everybody has a Ralph's story." — InForum
Last Known Address
102 4th St S, Moorhead3
HoDo Restaurant
2003–2020Downtown
The Story
When the Hotel Donaldson reopened in 2003, its restaurant was revolutionary for Fargo — the first farm-to-table concept in North Dakota and the only AAA Four Diamond restaurant in the state. The philosophy was that the more local the ingredients, the better. The bison burger, hanger steak with house-made aioli, and General Dirty's chicken became legends.
Why It's Missed
The ambition. HoDo didn't just serve food—it lifted the entire landscape of what downtown Fargo could be. It showed the city that fine dining belonged here. COVID shuttered it in August 2020, and it never came back. Neither did the confidence it represented.
"If this column was about cocktail bars, the original HoDo Lounge would be in the No. 1 sentimental spot. For food, it's No. 2." — High Plains Reader
Last Known Address
101 Broadway N, FargoSponsored Pick
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4
The Nestor Tavern
1913–2017North Fargo
The Story
For over a century, The Nestor — known by some as "the Nasty" — anchored Northern Pacific Avenue. It started as a tobacco store and pool hall, became a dive bar, and evolved into a live original music venue hosting jam bands to hip-hop. When the land sold for triple its assessed value, rent jumped 300 percent.
Why It's Missed
A hundred years of Fargo stories, from pool halls to punk shows, all contained in one building. You can't replace a century of memory. They tried anyway. Now there's development.
"It's kind of a dive bar... I tried to turn it around as a venue for live original music." — Owner Doug DeMinck
Last Known Address
1001 Northern Pacific Ave, Fargo5
BernBaum's
2016–2024Downtown
The Story
Maybe the only Nordic-Jewish restaurant in the country, BernBaum's started in a midcentury furniture store and became a downtown brunch institution. Chef Andrea Baumgardner earned a James Beard semifinalist nod for Best Chef Midwest. The funky, casual space blended Scandinavian influence with New York deli tradition.
Why It's Missed
The originality. Nothing else in Fargo—or anywhere—was quite like it. The abrupt September 2024 closure left a void downtown is still scrambling to fill. You can't just replace irreplaceable.
"Replacing an iconic restaurant like BernBaum's will be tough work." — High Plains Reader
Last Known Address
402 Broadway N, Fargo6
Tree Top Restaurant
1970s–2000Downtown Moorhead
The Story
Tree Top sat high above downtown Moorhead with panoramic views through beautiful windows. The chef would cook right at your table. It was fine dining with a view before Fargo-Moorhead had much of either.
Why It's Missed
The view. The tableside theater. The sense that you were somewhere special, not just eating dinner. When it closed in 2000, nothing replaced that feeling—or those windows.
"I loved the view from the beautiful windows and the chef that would cook our food right at our table." — InForum reader
Last Known Address
Downtown MoorheadSponsored Pick
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7
Cinema Grill
1997–2001Downtown
The Story
In the former Lark Theater, Cinema Grill let you gobble up burgers while watching movies on the big screen. Two lobbies, two kitchens, three theaters — beer, wine, and dinner with your film. Competition from first-run theaters proved too great, and it closed in 2001. The building was torn down in 2008.
Why It's Missed
The concept. Dinner and a movie in one seat, downtown, before the chains figured it out. Fargo had it first—and then lost it to the very trend it predicted.
"I was still pretty young when it closed, but I thought it was a great concept, combining dinner with a movie." — InForum reader
Last Known Address
630 1st Ave N, Fargo8
My Viet
1990s–2000sMain Avenue
The Story
The first Vietnamese restaurant in Fargo-Moorhead sat in a strip mall near Main and 25th. The grandmother cooked; the family ran the front. The pho, rice vermicelli bowls, fresh spring rolls, and sweet potato-shrimp fritters rivaled anything in the Twin Cities.
Why It's Missed
The authenticity of a family operation. Grandmother in the kitchen, family at the front, generations of knowledge in every bowl. They introduced an entire metro to Vietnamese cuisine. Nothing has quite matched the warmth—or the pho—since.
"Quality rivaled Twin Cities establishments. It was the first Vietnamese restaurant in the area." — High Plains Reader
Last Known Address
Near Main Ave & 25th St, Fargo9
Red Bear Grill and Tavern
2001–2005Downtown Moorhead
The Story
The Red Bear sat in a 1935 WPA building overlooking the Red River — named for the river and Bruno, a red-nosed black bear who once lived at a zoo on the site. Owner Roger Erickson restored the historic building and created one of the most atmospheric spots in the metro.
Why It's Missed
The setting. The historic bones. The view of the river. When Erickson handed it off, hoping someone in the restaurant business could carry it on, part of downtown Moorhead's soul went with it. The building is still there. The bear is gone.
"The goal was met — making the historical building useful again. Now it's probably time for somebody in the restaurant business to carry it on." — Roger Erickson
Last Known Address
700 1st Ave N, MoorheadSponsored Pick
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10
Spicy Pie West Fargo
2014–2024West Fargo
The Story
The West Fargo Spicy Pie became a college favorite for late-night jumbo slices, grinders, and Mexican food. Customers drew on the walls and booths for a decade, adding their names to the growing tapestry. It closed on New Year's Eve 2024 with fireworks.
Why It's Missed
The late-night energy. The graffiti-covered walls filled with a decade of drunk signatures and declarations. The "went out with a bang" finale on New Year's Eve. West Fargo lost its after-hours institution—and NDSU students lost their spot.
"It's been a pretty good run. The restaurant business is extremely competitive." — Co-owner Hans Miller
Last Known Address
745 31st Ave E, West Fargo11
Bertrosa's Cafe
1990s–2000sDowntown
The Story
Bertrosa's brought Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches to downtown Fargo — along with hot dogs, beer cheese soup, and daily specials like hot turkey sandwiches for seven bucks. Quality food at reasonable prices in a no-frills setting.
Why It's Missed
The beef sandwiches. They're still discussed by hungry bar-stool food aficionados a decade later. That kind of nostalgia doesn't come from mediocre food. Nothing has replaced them.
"Their Chicago beef sandwiches remain lore around here and still discussed by hungry bar-stool food aficionados." — High Plains Reader
Last Known Address
Downtown Fargo12
Santa Lucia Restaurante
1991–2018South Fargo
The Story
Santa Lucia brought Mediterranean and Italian cuisine to South Fargo for 27 years. The owner considered reopening with a more casual concept but couldn't find the right partner. The space went dark.
Why It's Missed
Twenty-seven years of serving the same neighborhood. Building regulars who watched their kids grow up there. The kind of longevity that turns a restaurant into a second home—and makes the closure feel like losing one.
"We're looking for a partner who could help run a revamped operation... but nothing came together." — Owner
Last Known Address
1109 38th St S, FargoSponsored Pick
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13
Luigi's
1990s–2000sDowntown
The Story
Luigi's occupied the Stone Building downtown, serving Italian cuisine with bread, herbed olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and proper fried calamari. It was early authentic Italian for a city just discovering what that meant.
Why It's Missed
The education. Luigi's taught Fargo that Italian food could be more than spaghetti and meatballs. It showed downtown what serious meant. One of the first—and still missed.
"Luigi's was one of the early authentic Italian options downtown. The bread with herbed olive oil was a revelation." — High Plains Reader
Last Known Address
Stone Building, Downtown FargoStay curious
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