Skip to Content
Arts & Leisure

L2 at Tii Cup

L2 at Tii Cup, located at 2645 Hennepin Ave., invites you to follow the smiling cat to its rooftop speakeasy. (Images: Craig Wilson)

There are plenty of lists and apps and maps telling you where you can go to eat and drink. I’m here to tell you why you should go there.

We’re going to start with L2 at Tii Cup. Tii Cup has several locations around the metro area, all family owned. They sell those fun and fruity teas. You can add popping bubbles or jellies, creams or syrups, make it hot or cold, whatever you can imagine.

But the location at 27th and Hennepin is a bit different. You enter what appears to be a normal tea shop. Then, head back to the unmarked door on the left, under the red light. Go in and follow the neon pointing characters up the stairs to “L2.”

Welcome to the adorable and very unexpected craft cocktail and snack bar. Grab a seat at the bar or a table or outside on their rooftop deck, which provides a great view of the always entertaining Walgreens parking lot.

The Drinks

They’ve collaborated with the Earl Giles distillery. That means they have access to the giant laboratory that Earl Giles has created to design bespoke drinks.

Together, they have created interesting and well-executed Asian riffs of classic cocktails. There’s a Thai tea infused gin Negroni and an old fashioned with black tea and Japanese Kokuto sugar.

No cocktail menu would be complete without some version of an espresso martini: theirs uses Vietnamese coffee. The cocktail geek in me loves the use of unique and premium spirits such as Thai rum and Vietnamese gin.

The value seeker in me loves that they’re all priced around $13 each. They’d easily be $17 or more in the North Loop. Other interesting ingredients like ube (a sweet purple potato), dragon fruit, yuzu and lychee are used as well.

The Food

Taiwanese street food. Crispy juicy popcorn chicken in a variety of flavors. Being a non-native Minnesotan, I like spicy food.

The spicy chicken is no joke. Face melting, mouth numbing heat. Don’t worry, there are non-spicy options, too. There’s also crispy tofu for your veggie loving friends.

The garlic noodles are sure to keep the vampires away. Wings, fries, green beans and a few other items round out the savory options.

Finish the meal with a sweet-topped bubble waffle or Biing (Taiwanese shaved ice). I should note that my wife, who was born in Taiwan, and rivals Mikey from Life cereal when it comes to Asian food in America, gives an enthusiastic two thumbs up to the food.

Just like the cocktail menu, the food prices are very reasonable, with most items being under $10.

The Verdict

L2 had a tough start, opening right when Hennepin Avenue was shut down for construction.

The drinks are good and the food is tasty. The prices are reasonable, the space is Instagramm-able, and the owners are super nice.

You can probably even walk or bike there if you get this newspaper. And that’s why you should go.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Hill & Lake Press

Holidays on Hennepin: A Monthlong Celebration of Uptown’s Reopening

Holidays on Hennepin will brighten the corridor from Nov. 28 to Jan. 1 with lights, events, and a business passport program celebrating the long-awaited reopening of Hennepin Avenue South.

October 25, 2025

Help Hill & Lake Press Carry Its Legacy Into Our 50th Year

As Hill & Lake Press nears its 50th anniversary, we’re inviting readers to help preserve nearly five decades of local history — supporting digitization, small businesses and the next generation of community journalism in Minneapolis’ lakes district.

October 25, 2025

Letters to the Editor

Community voices weigh in on the future of Minneapolis — from Uptown revitalization and park stewardship to setting the record straight on DFL leadership and supporting pragmatic, results-driven candidates for City Council and Park Board.

October 25, 2025

Wishing For Snow 

As another chaotic election season collides with an unseasonably warm fall, gratitude feels complicated. Between politics, climate change and human suffering, maybe the best we can do this Thanksgiving is find small moments of hope — and wish for snow.

October 25, 2025

‘Minneapolis for the Many’ PAC: Issues Apology to Local Landlord

The progressive PAC Minneapolis for the Many was forced to publicly retract and apologize after falsely labeling Minneapolis landlord Jim Rubin a “negligent landlord.” The group admitted its claims were untrue and acknowledged Rubin’s work to preserve older buildings and maintain naturally occurring affordable housing — a rare reversal in the middle of an already heated election cycle.

October 25, 2025

Temple Israel Defaced Again, Less Than a Year After First Incident

In a disturbing repeat of last year’s vandalism, Temple Israel was defaced again — this time with Hamas-linked graffiti on the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks. Community leaders swiftly condemned the act as a hate crime, while police and the FBI launched an investigation into the antisemitic messages.

October 25, 2025
See all posts