The Cove at Ruttger's Birchmont Lodge

Try the roof top patio.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

We stayed in Cabin 34 while attending Bemidji State University graduation, and this was easily one of the worst lodging experiences we’ve ever had. Do not stay here unless you are prepared for filthy conditions, broken amenities, and complete lack of quality control. The pull-out couch bedding was stuffed behind the Murphy bed, and the area behind it was absolutely disgusting — peeling walls, heavy dust buildup, and obvious lack of cleaning. It was so unsanitary that I went out and purchased my own sheets and blankets rather than use what was provided. The maintenance issues were unacceptable. The toilet partially sank into the floor when you sat down, and then stopped flushing entirely in the middle of the night because the handle jammed. The fireplace did not work. The ceiling fan/light fixture was missing its cover and was caked in dust. We also had to turn the heat off overnight because a strong burning or “hot electrical” smell started coming through the vents. The bathroom was equally frustrating. The shower only produced scalding hot water, making it impossible to shower properly, so we ended up washing our hair in the sink. The bathroom door also would not lock. By the end of the stay, the room felt so dirty and poorly maintained that we avoided touching most surfaces altogether. Breakfast was no better. One of the yogurts available to guests had expired the previous month, which only reinforced the complete lack of attention to cleanliness and guest safety. At checkout, I showed the front desk employee photos documenting the condition of the cabin. She admitted the room was “not up to standards,” asked me to send the pictures, and said management would contact me. When I followed up later that day, I was told management was “too busy” and that it could be another week before anyone addressed the issue. This property clearly has serious maintenance, cleanliness, and management problems. You’re better off staying at the Super 8!

I held a private room event in the dining room. Food and service was excellent for my physician dinner!! Thank you Allison for the excellent service!! I coordinated with Karie on setting up dinner! Thank you so much!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We hosted a surprise birthday party in the private dining room. Allison went above and beyond to make the evening very special. Excellent service, food, drinks and atmosphere. Highly recommend their private dining/event space.

Large portions. Fish Taco and Chicken Wrap were good. Mixed drinks were delicious
Service was friendly and informative.
Loved looking out over the lake.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great place to unwind and enjoy a drink.

Rooms feel like they could be updated for the prices that they are asking for. Water is terrible and the lodge feels in desperate need of a new identity or remodel.

My husband and I love going to The Cove at Ruttger's for a casual dinner and drinks. The atmosphere is laid back and cozy. At this bar, you will find people that are staying at the resort on vacation, perhaps some fisherman coming off of the lake for a bite to eat, and local residents there to enjoy dinner and drinks with friends. My favorite drinks to try are the seasonal cocktails that have fun flavors and creative names. The best part about visiting The Cove is getting to see the resident golden retrievers who are on staff. Reggie and Rango spend time cleaning up after kiddos who drop a few french fries on the ground and make sure to clean up any spills. They can often be seen playing with the kids at the beach and in the bar greeting guests. I highly recommend visiting this bar/ restaurant as it is one of my favorite places to frequent in Bemidji.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Stuffed Dill Pickle

Went to eat at the restaurant with a reservation. Was told kitchen was a little backed up. After 45 minutes waiting just for our server to reach in the cooler and take out the pre-made dinner salads.l

Wonderful place.....nice servers......great location with views of Lake Bemidji!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Celebrated our son’s Confirmation with a delicious lunch at Ruttger’s. Friendly service, amazing food and relaxed atmosphere. Good value for money with something for everyone on the menu. Highly recommend!

It was busy on Thurs early evening. It was very clean and good ambiance. It had friendly dog that was hanging around but not annoying. Menu seemed the same as the restaurant. Good service and bar was full. Has one dart table and one pool table. Parking can be a bit tight close but a little walk from the overflow was not a big deal.

My family stayed here for 3 nights during a peak weekend- the cost was $1050. The room we were in was not worth half that price. Our bedding had what seemed like poppy seeds in it, the floors weren't cleaned (garbage in multiple locations), the surfaces were very dusty, and the overall space had lots of damage (holes in the wall, broken futon as a sofa, furniture was very beat up and falling apart, etc.), one of our curtains was missing, etc. It was such a disappointment to pay this amount for such a poor quality space. I felt like I was staying in a low-cost slumlord college campus apartment at a party school back in the 1990s, not staying in a $300+ per night lodge as a middle aged professional with my small children and that was really, really frustrating. We reported the issues to management and they offered to clean our room again, but there weren't any other offers made to fix our stay. No amount of extra cleaning could solve some of those issues. Sadly, while the additional cleaning took care of some issues, one bed seemed to be made (without bedding changed) because it still had the poppy seed like stuff in it, and there was a tampon applicator still on the floor against a bathroom baseboard (meaning the bathroom floor wasn't cleaned when we arrived or after our room was cleaned again because of our complaint). We didn't feel comfortable using the kitchenette in our room because the whole room was so poorly cleaned and upkept, it's hard to say if anything in the kitchen was clean and ready to use. We had trouble finding other lodging to move to because it was a weekend full of local events, and we strongly considered cancelling our plans and leaving entirely but stuck through it because the price was already so incredibly high. It sounds like this lodge has recently changed owners. Hopefully the new owners are able to put the time and resources into making the lodge align with the price they're charging, or that they re-evaluate how they describe and price the lodging.

Always awesome food and great customer service!

We came for anniversary dinner tonight with our parents and grandpa. We had Emma as a waitress and she was fantastic with our 2 year old and grandpa. Great recommendations and wonderful service. We had a great night out. Thank you, Emma!!