Eat @ Banning & 5th

Had a caesar salad and chicken wild rice soup and boy was it good! The bread melts in your mouth and the service here is impeccable besides the owner. This man has the balls to yell at employees in front of customers. Happy I don’t work for this slave driver.

Not often you find a family ran sandwich shop that is absolutely perfect to go to. Heck, it’s hard finding a local sandwich shop these days that isn’t ran out of town by Jimmie Johns, Subway, Jersey Mikes, Wich Wich, Potbellies and whatever else is out there.
Then, you come across this place in downtown WBL and go, what do they serve? And right on queue, it’s like James Earl Jones in your ear saying «An amazing sandwich, get your ass in there boy!»
In we stroll, chalk board on the right wall is the menu, you can also get a hard copy to go through, and the amazing staff will walk you right through the ordering process, where the specials are located and make everything just how you like it… trust me, the woman is as picky as it gets, and got her sandwich so customized I’m not sure if it actually resembled the menu name anymore.
By now we know I have a problem — besides pancakes and froyo — and that is cinnamon rolls. Best believe I got me one of those! And best believe it was incredible! Sticky, gooey and oh so perfectly cinnamon spice and sweet.
We shared a bowl of incredible chicken wild rice soup. Well, I had a spoon and bread dip before «she» conquered it and took it over.
Sandwiches then arrived, I opted for the clubhouse and she got some turkey something that was devoid of most things.
Great sandwiches. Just great. Breads were soft and chewy with great flavor. I loved the muenster cheese on my club instead of some normal cheese. Lighter side on the mayo was perfect to let the flavors really come through. Meats were extremely tasty.
Her club sub was tasty. I got to devour half of it and I loved it. Even though it looks «bready» it’s really not, at all. Very soft and is perfect.
We did get a chef salad as well, I liked it. She wasn’t so fond of it. So I just threw the soup at her and said I’ll eat it.
Can’t wait to head back and try the breakfast items… that we missed being able to get by an hour!

Extremely good sandwiches and burgers. Stopped into this place while traveling. Was surprised by the carefully prepared food and flavorful choices.

Found this spot on Unilocal,visiting from Colorado. Incredible breakfast spot, great people, amazing food.
You can beat homemade!!! And you certainly can’t beat the cost of food for the quality you receive. Yum!!! Only here for three days, and we came back a second time. You don’t want to miss it!

Excellent sandwich shop with great homemade soups. The ordering process is a big confusing, you order once and then repeat your order again so they can write it down and ring you up. There could be a better process, but the quality and friendliness gets it 5 stars.

I don’t know why it took us so long to come here for breakfast. This is like the hidden gem of White Bear Lake.
My fiancé is from WBL and whenever we visit breakfast was always a struggle for us to find. There are only so many places you can go to nearby before you get sick of having the same thing. On our last visit we got in bright and early after taking the redeye. I was hungry and ready for some good breakfast. We decided to go somewhere new and tried Eat @ Banning & 5^th.
Their breakfast menu here isn’t extensive, but that isn’t a bad thing. I remember watching a food show once that talked about how a small menu is a sign that they make things with time and care. A menu that is the size of a novel cannot be cooked with any degree of expertise. So a small menu is generally a good sign.
I decided on the bacon and pecan waffles. Waffles are a rare treat for me, so I was quite excited. We took our seats and waited for the food to come. My friends’ food came quickly and was delicious. I sat watching them eat waiting patiently for their waffles. I took some bites of their food and it was so good. I was getting quite hungry. I also only had maybe 3 hours of sleep, so I was ready for some warm food then a nap.
Here is why I ding this place a star. My friends had all but finished their food when my waffle finally came. I guess there was a big rush for waffles right before we came in. The problem is that they only have one waffle maker… I appreciate that they make everything from scratch, but you have to assume waffles will be pretty popular. I would have at least two waffle makers.
The waffle though was pretty spectacular and saved them. The bacon was crispy (something that is hard to do when putting bacon into something) and the pecans were rich and flavorful. The waffle was the right level of crispy outside with fluffy inside. Waffles are easy to make crackery brittle. Once I added the syrup I was done. Heaven on a plate.
They also serve lunch here so I am excited to come back and try their other offerings. Everything here looked and smelled great.
⁵²⁄₁₀₀

We arrived on a rainy Saturday morning… our first at «Eat». The place was very busy… a good sign. We have allergies, so some places are hard to dine in. We were greeted by the chef and walked through the menu… service was superb as was the food… had the Ciabatta sandwich, French Onion Soup (wonderful)…we’ll be back.

This place is delicious. Great sandwiches, wraps, and soups. Don’t skip desert though, so good all made from scratch. The owner/​chef is also a lot of fun. We were there with our twin girls and he had them laughing the whole time we were in there.
The only downside is the hours, it can be hard to get there. But I understand if you’re trying to run a restaurant yourself and still have a life.
Can’t wait to take more people here.

Eat is such a welcoming place and the food is so delicious! We are regulars there and the staff knows what we like to order. The food is fresh, full of flavor, neatly presented, and fast to your table. Their desserts are to die for! Can’t recommend enough!

Love this place. Been coming here for lunches since it opened. Everything is great, especially the soups and the Egghead sandwiches.

Oh my gosh! I tried their homemade peach cobbler. It is, and I kid you not, the best cobbler I have ever had, and I have had many. Someone there really knows how to bake. You have got to try it.

Love this place. Great people and great food. Simple and home-​made. The desserts are fantastic.

Great spot for a quick lunch. Had the soup and sandwich (Egghead — wowsa!). Everyone in the place is friendly and eager to please.

I decided to try Eat out this afternoon on my lunch break. A few of my co-​workers are obsessed so I thought I’d give it a try! I felt extremely welcome as I walked in and was immediately greeted and offered a menu. This eatery fits in perfectly with the small town atmosphere that is exuded throughout White Bear Lake.
The workers were so friendly and helpful offering suggestions about what I should order since it was my first time. There is a wide variety of salads, subs, sandwiches and soups! They also serve breakfast all day but I was in a little bit of a hurry so I didn’t have the time to glance at that menu. I decided to do the «you pick two» option and got ½ a sandwich and a cup of soup. There were about 6 soups to choose from and maybe 20 sandwiches or subs! I was impressed by the uniqueness of the sandwiches offered; they definitely weren’t basic! I decided to get the roasted red pepper soup and half of one of the turkey sandwiches that was topped with cucumber, tomato, sprouts, etc and served on a pumpernickel bread.
The food was delivered to my table very quickly! I was surprised. The soup was absolutely amazing, the perfect portion and temperature. The sandwich was good but didn’t blow me away nearly as much as the soup. I definitely will be coming back here to try out more of the items on the menu!

Feels like you’re walking into a small town deli. Staff are very friendly and the food is fresh and tastes great.

Spunky-​fun chefs take your order directly here. Fresh, fresh, fresh. Great sub and the coleslaw was even better. My order came out quickly and the atmosphere was cozy and clean. Great new lunch place I will frequent again.

Great breakfast selection and very fair prices! We recommend the hash brown casserole… amazing. Quaint place, great ambiance with a hip vibe yet not forsaking the small town charm. Very friendly staff.

Checked out this place with my best friend and we both absolutely loved it! Besides the sandwiches being delightful, the wait staff was so friendly and had great suggestions for us since it was out first time here. My favorite part was being able to substitute the chips for watermelon slices!

You just don’t find a better meal in the area for this price. Sandwiches under 10 bucks, soups for around 3. I did not have a salad but would like to, there are about 6 – 7 varieties to pick from for around 7 – 8 bucks or you can get «a little more than half» for around 5 bucks. Pretty basic and simple menu, but the food is better tasting than your typical diner, and it’s a clean and modern looking place. There’s a fountain for soda that you get yourself, and several bottled sodas and drinks, and you order at the counter and they bring the food out to you (darn quickly). Let me tell you about the chili. Most places will give you the equivalent of Wendy’s at this price. This place has a flavorful and hearty bowl of red with chunks of beef chuck (not ground), beans, tomatoes, veggies, and decent spice!

I ate here for lunch today and was very pleased. I had never been to White Bear Lake before and this little restaurant seems to fit perfectly with the overall character of the town. The restaurant itself had very cute décor, felt warm and welcoming, and was clean. The employees were very friendly and happy to help out with suggestions when I asked for recommendations.
I opted for the ½ Soup/​Sandwich combo. The chicken and wild rice soup was FANTASTIC, truly top notch. My sandwich was pretty good. I ordered The Point, which was a vegetarian option (although I’m not a vegetarian), and although it didn’t blow me away – it was definitely tasty and moreover, I was impressed by the number of unique sandwich options. It is so often that you see the same sandwiches appear on almost every menu you look at, and EAT actually had some fun choices to select from. For that reason alone I would return, as I am always interested in trying new things.
My two co-​workers agreed that the soups were amazing (one had the chicken and wild rice like me, and the other had butternut squash). They also agreed that the sandwiches were good, but not at the same level as the soups. One of my co-​workers ordered the reuben and the other the tuna salad.
This was a great lunch spot and I’d definitely return to try other things off of their menu.