Flaunting sparkling sequins, glam gowns, and towering doos, headliners Nina DiAngelo, Bebe Zahara Benet, and Monica West performed a dazzling rendition of “Dream Girls” for their first number at the Nicollet Diner’s Roxy’s Cabaret grand opening in Minneapolis. The red-carpet event took place October 1st and 2nd with enthusiastic capacity crowds welcoming downtown’s newest destination venue.
Guests sipped champagne and enjoyed appetizers at a cocktail reception before the first show. Notable attendees included Lisa Goodman of Minneapolis City Council, Richard Ross Herrod, owner of White Bear Mitsubishi, John and Norman Kulba, owners of 300 Clifton, and Esera Tualo, former Vikings player and activist.
The crowd was abuzz with talk of how the venue is going to help revitalize the area by bringing quality entertainment to the downtown landscape.
A new home for the Nicollet Diner
After eight years in Loring Park, The Nicollet Diner moved just two blocks north on Nicollet Avenue to 1333 Nicollet Mall this past fall. Transforming the space that once housed the iconic Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse, the new Nicollet Diner is a reimagined modern take on the classic 24-hour diner that includes exciting new venues within the 14,000 square foot space.
An eye-catching 12-foot-tall red stiletto high heel rotates atop the diner’s marquee. It’s almost as if Roxy’s Cabaret quipped, “hold my beer” and erected what’s sure to rival the Walker’s Cherry on a Spoon sculpture as the new iconic symbol associated with the city. Guests who have flocked to the site have established it as the hottest trending selfie/Instagrammable backdrop in downtown.
Nicollet Diner fans will appreciate that the familiar “all-day breakfast” menu carried over to the new location with notable favorites such as the Hangover Breakfast, Chicken and Waffles, and the Breakfast Barbarian Challenge. Of course, lunch and dinner are served too along with a full bar menu, soft drinks, malts, milkshakes, and more.
Roxy’s Cabaret
Featuring state-of-the-art lighting and sound, Roxy’s Cabaret is a premier entertainment venue for female impersonation and celebrity look-alike shows. The current cast includes local favorites, Nina DiAngelo, Bebe Zahara Benet (the season one winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race), and Monica West.
This season’s lineup of shows starring the talented cast include:
- All That Jazz, Thursdays at 8pm. Roxy’s Divas serenade the audience with jazzy classics and favorites. Enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine while you wind down from the week.
- Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Fridays at 8pm. The cast pays tribute to some of the most iconic divas of all time, including Whitney, Dolly, and Babs. You never know who might show up to dazzle you with their fabulousness.
- FlamBOYance, Saturdays at 8pm. The classiest way to spend your Saturday evening, enjoying amazing craft cocktails and the wildly entertaining Roxy Divas.
- Beauty and Bubbles Brunch, Sundays at 12pm. What could be more sublime than Sunday brunch with bubbly, a bountiful menu, and the brilliant Roxy Divas?
In addition to the drag shows, the club will host comedy, live music, bingo, charitable events, and themed brunches.
On the ROX
On the ROX, a modern cocktail lounge that serves up a variety of craft cocktails in a thoroughly rockin’ space, is the newest, most stylish place to be in downtown Minneapolis. Relax in the comfy lounge, toast the amazing views from the 2nd and 3rd floor outdoor patios, or just hang out at the bar.
Order from the full menu from 4pm to 2am daily and delight in happy hour specials on weekdays from 4pm to 6pm and 10pm to midnight. Mondays from 6pm to 10pm are Service Industry Nights, while on Thursdays, guests can grab their own slice of fame with Karaoke from 5pm to 8pm.
Muffin Top Café
Nicollet Diner partner, The Muffin Top Café located at 1424 Nicollet Avenue, is the place to enjoy coffee before work and wine afterward. Here you’ll discover handcrafted coffee drinks to get your day started along with breakfast sandwiches, wraps, soup, pizza, salads, and bakery treats. Relax in the café or get your order to go.
Patrons will enjoy the ambiance of this intimate setting where local musicians and artists often provide entertainment. Or they could choose to be the entertainment at Karaoke night on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00pm.
The Muffin Top Café is open daily from 7am to 2am, with a 2-4-1 Caffeinated Happy Hour daily from 8am to 10am featuring specials on Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas, and 3pm to 6pm with deals on house wine, taps, rails, espresso drinks, coffee, and tea.
Customers should be sure to sign up for the free Breakfast Club Loyalty Program that offers savings and rewards based on visits to the Nicollet Diner, Roxy’s Cabaret, and of course, Muffin Top Café.
Special events at The Nicollet Diner
The spaces at The Nicollet Diner cater to any private, special event. Accommodating between 50 to 125 guests, the venue is ideal for birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, wedding events, corporate events, cocktail parties, and more.
Come celebrate the future of downtown
The pandemic created many challenges for businesses and restaurants operating in downtown Minneapolis these past few years. The owners of The Nicollet Diner are excited to offer diverse, upscale entertainment in amazing spaces, hoping to entice those who loved all the city had to offer in the past the chance to celebrate something new and exciting in the present and the future.
