22 Best American Restaurants near Lake Shore

“We went to Sunshine’s for supper Wednesday night and had the pizza. It was the best ever. I usually don’t eat the crust but this crust was tender and good. Looking forward to our next visit.“

“Was looking for a quick place to catch a beer and some "bar food' after a day on the lake, so we stopped in. Turns out we were wrong, this place served cold beer from a long menu, had the most courteous staff (were more than happy to deal with food allergies, with a smile) and then served us food that should have been in a top tier restaurant. To say the least we were more than happy and will always come back when in the area.“

“Absolutely phenomenal service. Food was delicious with awesome healthy options. Also great GF selections! Beautiful view and relaxing atmosphere.“

“Great Valentines Dinner, 💕😍“

“Why is it when we order a single Butterburger, they decide to sell us a double Butterburger and charge us for that? How convenient that they don’t give you a receipt and don’t know it until you open the wrapper. Done in or drive thru is the same. All The Time!“

“we went up for the last weekend if golf, though it was cold we had a great time. everybody we encountered there was so nice and professional. live music at the pub was great! we watched the Bagpiper walk the Pine East Green to close put the season, very cool. definitely recommend purchasing any of the packages they have to offer!“

“If you are coming to the Brainerd Lakes area a visit to Ernie's is a must. They represent what we are about up here: water, beautiful settings in nature and some of the best food you can find. Their creativity, presentation, and taste exceed the norm. Do not miss Ernie's!“

“Great food and service!!!“

“I don’t typically write reviews, but I went to this restaurant 1.5 months ago and had their chicken salad sandwich and a bloody mary. I became a part of the clean plate club that day. This is the best sandwich I’ve ever had in my entire life. The buns, the perfect temperature of the chicken salad, love and kisses in every bite. The fries were also amazing as well as the Bloody Mary. I live like 3 hours away but have thought of driving that far just for this sandwich. I think about it so much I had to come and write a review because it crosses my mind more than it should. The waitress was also super nice! One day I will be reunited with this sandwich again!“

“Great eggs Benedict ( and I’ve worked for years in the restaurant industry). My favorite breakfast place in the Brainerd Lakes area. Plus, they are family owned and run. Love it!“

“Great food and service! We had the shrimp tacos and a Reuben. Both were excellent. Very good tap list and drinks as well.“

“We were so happy to find this new restaurant. The food was amazing ( especially the butternut squash). There are unique menu options and the service was fabulous. I highly recommend this restaurant and, next time we are in the Brainerd area we will be going there again !“

“Stopped in last week with the family after my daughters school program. We all had a great time together. The food was awesome, especially the triple chocolate meltdown with ice cream I ordered and enjoyed with the kiddos before our main course. 😋“

“Breakfast Skillet! Ordered milk & it came in a chilled glass, super nice“

“Food was great. Atmosphere for an anniversary dinner could have been better. Server could have been more attentive. It always seemed to be a burden or chore to come to our table to get our order or answer a question. Server took forever to refill my beverages. They literally had to be put on the edge of the table for her to acknowledge and refill. When it came time to pay the bill, we were given our check in a timely manner however, it took another 17 minutes for her to come collect payment. “

“Cole at the bar was awesome! Always on his toes. Appetizers were yummy! We will be back“

“Absolutely best restaurant I’ve been to in Minnesota. I wish they had the classic grill in the cities, but it’s always a special treat coming to our lake home and getting the experience of eating here. The food is phenomenal, the staff is amazing and the atmosphere is unmatched. Every time I visit, I can count on trying one of the new menu items and being in awe of the flavors and presentation. The favorite orders of our group were the Indonesian chicken satay appetizer, the chef’s risotto, and the truffle citrus scallops. My attached picture won’t do it justice, but the presentation of the meals is so unique. If they had Michelin star restaurants in Minnesota, this would for sure be the running. Maddens resort is truly the best location in the brainerd area.“

“Had a bad experience ordering out. My cheese curds were burnt some were just shells, so were my sweet potato fries. I took pictures they were so bad I threw them away.“

“We may have higher expectations for the food or we didn’t select the best menu items which evidently is the pork chop. At any rate we appreciated being seated by Pat and told what is good and also the history of the building.
I ordered a Cosmo but immediately knew it wouldn’t be great. It was red vs light pink. Oh well?‍♀️
Ordered popovers for the four of us. They were good. Here’s the menu items we had - the flatiron steak (chewy), shrimp scampi but must order angel hair pasta as a side otherwise it comes with nothing, the Pot Pie - very good crust but mostly vegetables and less chicken.
It was a very slow night - only 4 tables of diners. Maybe that impacts the kitchen.
We did appreciated the quiet atmosphere but not the flies that decided to dine on our food while we were eating.“

“Our waiter was kind and quick to answer our questions and concerns about allergens. He stayed attentive during our visit and kept our waters filled. Our experience featured a beautiful view of the golf course and we got to watch planes flying by. My girlfriend and I ordered our steaks medium rare but mine came out a little tough. Hers was cooked perfect and her meal was amazing. I felt my meal was decent and not worth the price, but the shallot butter pan sauce was spectacular.

Dietary restrictions: I’m allergic to peanuts and shellfish so the waiter double checked my dinner choices. Ended up switching choices due to cross contamination in the frying oil and had to swap my fries for a loaded baked potato.“

“Our server was Mindy S.“

“got the grizzlies bloody Mary. for only $13 it was a 28 oz glass with their homemade bloody Mary mix 1/4 of a chicken. The thigh and leg rotisserie style, fabulous, celery cheese olives lemon and bacon. All for $13. then I had an appetizer of firecracker shrimp with blue cheese dressing. It was absolutely delicious!“