Charles Barkley’s first known restaurant stop in Minneapolis: Manny’s Steakhouse
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Since Sunday night, Minnesotans have inundated Charles Barkley with restaurant recommendations.
The advice came following a televised interview after the Timberwolves won Game 7, advancing them to the Western Conference finals.
In the interview, Barkley told Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards he had not been to Minnesota in “probably 20 years” and asked for restaurant recommendations for when he’s in town for the conference finals, which start Wednesday. The Minnesota Timberwolves face the Dallas Mavericks at Target Center.
Across social media, people offered a range of beloved food spots to visit across the Twin Cities metro and beyond. There was much speculation on where he could go given Minneapolis has a thriving restaurant scene and nearby suburb Maple Grove recently declared itself a “restaurant capital.”
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But it appears his first restaurant stop was a place he’s reportedly already visited: Manny’s Steakhouse in downtown Minneapolis.
Charles Barkley has yet to respond to an Instagram DM from MPR News seeking comment or confirmation that Manny’s was, in fact, his first restaurant stop. A photo posted on X appears to show Barkley at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport around 3 p.m. on Tuesday and the general manager at Manny’s said Barkley arrived for a meal around 8 or 8:30 p.m., so it’s possible he went elsewhere first.
Manny’s Steakhouse shared a photo with Barkley and three servers from Tuesday night.
“Charles has been here before and been a big Manny’s supporter and so we were hoping we’d see him in town this visit,” said Dave Wilson, general manager of Manny’s Steakhouse, which bills itself online as “one of America’s top 10 steakhouses.”
Wilson said Barkley came in with a group of several people. He had a “big, fat juicy Manny’s steak” and there were a couple big plates of hash browns for the table. (MPR News had to ask because our social media comment section has been flooded with comments wondering what Barkley eats.)
Wilson said Barkley was “really, really cordial” to staff and other guests around, taking photos with people at the front and generally being supportive of Minneapolis.
“It’s pretty fun. It’s good for the city,” said Wilson. He was watching the game on Sunday night and thinks the televised exchange was great for local restaurants.
“Post COVID, you know, we’ve had a slow recovery and whenever there’s positive light about the city and high energy, a reason to visit — I think when people come here, they love the city and just kind of a reminder of how nice a place Minneapolis is.”
“We think it’s awesome when people can come down and have a great experience and let everyone know it’s safe to return and it’s a good place to visit,” he added.
