If you’re visiting from out of town, if you’re from the Winona area, or you’re a WSU student, then you know by now that Winona has the typical fast food joints that people enjoy eating at, such as Erberts and Gerberts, McDonalds, and Toppers Pizza. However, Winona has quite a few hidden gems that are just as delicious.
One of these unknown gems is the Winona Sandwich Company. Located right on Huff Street, this sandwich shop offers everything from the traditional PB&J to the delicious BBQ chicken sandwich. One unusual thing about this eatery, is that it also offers a choice to build your own burrito. Another plus about this local sandwich company that many people don’t know is that they deliver! So, if you’re getting tired of Erberts and Gerberts, be sure to go try a sandwich, or burrito, from the Winona Sandwich Company.
The second hidden gem in Winona is Blooming Grounds Coffee Shop. Located on the corner of East 3rd Street and Center Street, this dainty little café specializes in paninis and wraps. My personal favorite sandwich is the Italian Panini. They also offer many soups and salads to choose from. If you’re still hungry, they have cakes and cupcakes to indulge in for your sweet tooth. Usually, there is a local musician livening up the Blooming Grounds atmosphere, so if you’re looking for a calm, low-key place to spend your afternoon, this is the place for you!
If you’re wanting a classier, sit-down restaurant, then I recommend Boat House Restaurant & Bar. Located on 2nd Street, right off the Mississippi river, this local restaurant serves typical everyday food, such as tacos, fish n’ chips or Carolina BBQ pulled pork; the Boat House has it all. For those of you that are 21 and over, the Boat House has a great variety of select wines and craft beers. This seasonal restaurant closes its doors December 28th and will re-open again in mid-February. Go check out Boat House Restaurant & Bar.
This last hidden gem isn’t actually hidden, in fact this is where you can find a majority of Winona State students on any given night. Also located on Huff Street, ZaZa’s Pub & Pizzeria is the place to go! One of their more popular items would be their wings. Whether you prefer boneless or traditional wings, it doesn’t matter because they have both. However, the more difficult decision will be whether to choose one of their 16 homemade sauces or one of their 8 signature dry rubs. Every Tuesday is $0.60 boneless wing night, and every Wednesday is $0.35 traditional wing night. The pizza at ZaZa’s is also a popular choice amongst the college crowd, and again they have many to choose from. They have cheese pizza, if you’re more of a traditionalist, or they have some rather unique pizzas like the gyro pizza or the taco pizza (I highly recommend it!). Another great feature about ZaZa’s is that they also deliver! Whether you live across the street in Sheehan Hall or way down on Fourth Street, ZaZa’s will bring you exactly what you ordered.
These hidden gems are actually quite popular, yet there are still people who have never heard of them before. So, if you’re getting bored of the same old cafeteria food or the same exact sandwich from Erberts and Gerberts, then I definitely recommend trying out one, or all, of these delicious and unique hidden gems.