Maria's Cafe serves Colombian breakfast and lunch inside the Ancient Traders Market in Ventura Village. Owner Maria Hoyos, who arrived in Minneapolis from Medellín in 1980, spent 14 years cooking at a popular South Minneapolis restaurant before opening her own place, Maria's Breakfast Club, in 1993. After that location's lease ended, an invitation from the American Indian Business Development Corporation brought her into the Ancient Traders Market, where the café operates today.
The cachapas — Venezuelan-style corn pancakes, served plain or with cotija cheese — are the dish regulars specifically come back for, standing out even against a menu full of Colombian specialties like huevos pericos, bandeja paisa, and calentao con huevos. Weekend mornings pull a steady crowd of regulars, with friendly service and a strong coffee program anchoring the room's neighborhood-cafe feel, occasional service hiccups aside. Live music on weekends adds to the atmosphere.
House-made La Paisa chorizo, a Colombian-style smoked bratwurst, is also sold for retail purchase in the café.
The cachapas — Venezuelan-style corn pancakes, served plain or with cotija cheese — are the dish regulars specifically come back for, standing out even against a menu full of Colombian specialties like huevos pericos, bandeja paisa, and calentao con huevos. Weekend mornings pull a steady crowd of regulars, with friendly service and a strong coffee program anchoring the room's neighborhood-cafe feel, occasional service hiccups aside. Live music on weekends adds to the atmosphere.
House-made La Paisa chorizo, a Colombian-style smoked bratwurst, is also sold for retail purchase in the café.