Now open: 3 new Minneapolis counter-service restaurants from familiar faces

Three familiar faces in the fast-casual scene have expanded their reach, giving more eaters opportunities to grab quick, quality bites.

Ono Hawaiian Plates launched its “Central” outpost in the middle of United Noodles, where plate lunches and Spam musubi make grocery shopping better than ever. And at the Market at Malcolm Yards, Mr. Paul’s Po’boys and Jams and Revival Smoked Meats move into two vacant stands, and share some new dishes you won’t find at their original Minneapolis locations.

Here’s what to get at three top-notch counters in the Twin Cities.

Who: A taste of the Hawaiian islands is now in residence at United Noodles. Chef Warren Seta and Jess Kelley’s newest location (after their food hall stand at the North Loop Galley) brings Hawaiian-style plate lunches and more to the middle of one of the best Asian markets around. Seta’s memory-laden, cafeteria-style comfort food is a serious enhancement to the noodle-shopping experience, and a delicious ticket to Pacific tranquility. You’ll want to get on the bus (depicted in a colorful wall mural) straight to the beach.

Where: United Noodles, 2015 E. 24th St., Mpls., unitednoodles.com and onohawaiianplates.com. Open 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tue.-Sat.

What to order: “Would you like a Spam musubi with that?” the cashier asked, proposing an add-on that’s way better than fries. We loved the little Spam-rice-nori snack ($3.50) to tide us over while waiting for a stunner of a tuna-packed poke bowl ($19.75 for two kinds of tuna) and a drool-worthy OHP burger smothered with sautéed onions and a side of crinkle fries drizzled in sambal aioli ($14). Plate lunches come with a number of protein choices; we went for the kalua pork and ultra-crisp chicken katsu combo ($15.75). The scoop of macaroni salad on the side makes you wonder why those creamy elbows aren’t on more menus.

How much? Plates start at $9 for garlic noodles, with a top price of $24.75 for shrimp and kalbi, a short rib. Poke bowls start at $17.75 for the luau and top out at $25.75 for surf and turf. Grab sides to go, too, from that macaroni salad and seaweed salad ($4 each) to extra proteins — a half-pound of poke is $17.

Who: The Cajun-flavored fun times of Edina’s casual sandwich shop once again come courtesy of chef/co-owner Tommy Begnaud and everywhere-beverage man Nick Kosevich. This is the second outpost of the Edina sandwich shop; the first opened at the back of Mr. Paul’s Supper Club.

Where: The Market at Malcolm Yards, 501 30th Av. SE., Mpls., malcolmyards.market

Hours: Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.

What to order: Sandwiches are the star attraction here, and they are abundant in size. There’s a chopped up muffuletta, traditional fried crawdads, walleye and the staff favorite — a tuna salad po’boy. New to this menu is a fried cauliflower po’boy doused in a sweet and spicy sauce and topped with chow mein noodles. All the handhelds are built on crusty demi baguettes from Trung Nam French Bakery in St. Paul, and they’re always a thing of beauty.

The menu isn’t just sandwiches, though. There’s a gumbo topped with potato salad, just like Begnaud’s grandpa used to serve it. And slushy drinks. Kosevich brought out a slushie machine and it is cranking out cups of Irish coffee that are available spiked at the bar, or spirit-free at the stand.

Dessert at this location only is Dough-nets — a pile of fried mini doughnuts topped with a snowbank’s worth of powdered sugar.

How much? Sandwiches range from $14 to $17; sides like deviled eggs or boudin balls are in the $8-$10 range, and gumbo starts at $4 for a cup.

Who: Chef/owner Thomas Boemer and co-owner Nick Rancone have expanded their Revival restaurants once again with another counter-service Revival Smoked Meats. The opening brings the concept full circle, in a way, having first opened in Keg and Case food hall before expanding to its current full-service restaurant on Nicollet Avenue near 46th Street.

Where: The Market at Malcolm Yards, 501 30th Av. SE., Mpls., malcolmyards.market

Hours: Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.

What to order: Once again, we have easy-order brisket, fried ribs dipped in sweet sauce and the other Carolina-style barbecue that Boemer loves to smoke. There are also new dishes that are unique to the food-hall location, like a dill pickle-dusted wing, served with drummies and flats intact, and a burnt-end burrito with the tender-crisp end bits tucked into a flour tortilla with rice and sauce.

How much? Sandwiches and the burnt-end burrito are $10-$13; plates (brisket, barbecue pork shoulder, jerk chicken, burnt ends) top out at $23. Apps like potato nachos and wings come in at $15-$16.