Patio season at Owamni to feature new takeout-style pop-up
Wakpa Bar opens May 1 below Owamni with a menu of handhelds built for enjoying the summer near the falls. “Wakpa” is the Dakota word for river, and is a pop-up from the team behind the award-winning Indigenous restaurant from chef/owner/humanitarian Sean Sherman.
On the menu are pre-colonial picnic foods like bison birria tacos, bean dip with smoked fish, smoked turkey legs, popcorn and crickets and more — all served takeout style. Prices range from $6 to $18 for elk skewers. The new stand replaces the Tatanka food truck.
For those looking to enjoy that gorgeous terrace upstairs at Owamni, remember it’s for walk-ins only. So, it’s a first come, first served way to enjoy the restaurant (420 S. 1st St., Mpls., owamni.com).
James Beard Award-winning restaurant Owamni is bringing a new pop-up menu to the Minneapolis riverbank this patio season.
Wakpa Bar will serve beer and wine and feature a menu of indigenous snacks and small plates, such as elk skewers, bison birria tacos, smoked turkey legs, smoked walleye and bean dip, popcorn with crickets and more, according to an announcement.
Located on the patio outside the lower level of the restaurant, Wakpa Bar is expected to open for the season on Wednesday, May 1, and is open to walk-up customers.
According to an announcement, the Wakpa Bar will be served takeout-style “so guests can choose to enjoy their meals at tables outside the pavilion overlooking the river and falls, take their food over to the City Steps, or even sit on the river banks!”
The walk-in-friendly, 40-seat Owamni terrace will also continue offering its full-service menu and bar throughout patio season.
The pop-up will offer a new way to experience Owamni founder Sean Sherman’s nationally renowned decolonized cuisine.
Sherman, a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe, is a two-time James Beard Award winner and 2023 honoree on the TIME 100 Most Influential People list.
