New American Restaurants near Nisswa, MN

“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.“

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

“Great Valentines Dinner, 💕😍“

“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!“

“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.“

“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.“

“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. “