very nice place and the food is awesome i hope every one enjoys the atmosphere there read more

Food and service was great! Pretty extensive menu. Jason and I had a pretty difficult time narrowing it down to one thing. I ended up choosing the walleye dinner and he had the pot roast sandwich. The walleye was really good. I forgot to take a picture of my mushroom Hungarian soup, which was very tasty! If you like mushrooms I highly recommend. The pot roast sandwich was amazing! read more

Bites Grill & Bar - Walleye - American Near Me - Pine River, Minnesota

See all

The is a restaurant in trouble. Stopped for dinner. (Monday, 9/10) No hostess, even during dinner rush hour. Understaffed both front end and kitchen. Took fifteen minutes to place our order, then... 45 minutes, no food. No contact from the wait staff. Finally flagged our waitress down, asked, "How much longer?" She vanished into the back, finally came back said it would be 'another fifteen minutes...'. Which to me means they hadn't even started our orders. We told her, sorry, we're leaving, and we left. Apparently there is a new owner. My people who live in the area had been going there for years. So, 'new owner', you need to get your act together. Beautiful restaurant but it's not going to last running this way. read more

Great food, service and location. Stopped by on our way up to vacation cabins. Got the prime rib and au gratin potatoes and it was fast and delicious ! read more

Bites Grill & Bar - Prime rib, au gratin potatoes- yum! - American Near Me - Pine River, Minnesota

Revisiting this restaurant proved to be the best dining out experience we have recently had in the north country. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the down home flavor of the tender and delicious pot roast. With gravy of course! I had a single filet of broiled walleye and it was absolutely the freshest, most well prepared piece of our native fish that I have had -- anywhere. A perfect house salad and potatoes au gratin rounded it off. And the service matched the entrees. Five star. Courteous, friendly, efficient and attentive. We can't wait to go back. They charge an additional fee for using your credit card so if you are able to pay cash you may want to do so. read more

Most excellent! Food was great as always, server been therefore 10 years, a stop for dinner on mylist. Took 2 buds there last night, Great!

Great music, someone had on Lorna shore, and solid food to boot. The crowd was kinda dull

The food was great, the bartender was very interactive and polite. The cheesecake was delicious. Whole place was very clean inside. I know they have gotten new ownership since I was there, looking forward to seeing if they keep up the good work. read more

The waitress was outstanding!!! The food was awesome !!' The outside was perfect ! We will be back soon and I encourage everyone to stop by and try it out!!! read more

I'm sorry I hate to do this because there's a lot of good reviews but!!!! The kitchen closed 1 hour sooner than the website said. We just made it the wait staff was good but our food was awful. My wife hade the beef stroganoff it tasted good but the meat was very tough I had chicken Kiev it was a good sized breast but it was cold in the middle and had zero taste. None! My potato's were ok but the gravy was cold and cawsgulated it looked like cream of chicken soup from a can. Gross I'm sorry never be back O yea they turned down 4 groups of diners because the kitchen just closed an hour early from the web site information read more

We just had their Awesome Easter Brunch! Everything done to perfection! We love this place! Great Food! Nice Atmosphere, Friendly staff. I recommend Bites Grill & Bar 100% Thanks for another Great Meal!! read more

Bites Grill & Bar - American Near Me - Pine River, Minnesota

Great food and service. April was our waitress and she was the best. I ordered the club sandwich and it's is shareable and the best club I have had. The other people at our table ordered the fish sandwich and said is was excellent, very fresh and a huge portion. We also ordered the steak bites they were delicious but you get 4 bites for about $9. Prices fair about $13/a meal. We would eat there again! read more

Bites Grill & Bar - The cub sandwich - American Near Me - Pine River, Minnesota

See all

It's -6 below outside. My wife and I stopped into Bites for a quick afternoon beverage & snack. We sat at the bar. Ordered bloody Mary's and chicken wild rice soup. The BM's were delicious, even had a beef stick as a garnish. The soup was homemade and fantastic! Service was fast, friendly and personable by the bartender (owner's son). Great local hangout! read more

Stopped here on a Monday afternoon on our way back to the twin cities after a weekend in Walker. Fabulous place! Beautiful hand scraped log interior and the food was amazing. My husband had the shore lunch walleye and I had the BELT ( bacon, egg, lettuce, and tomato) sandwich. Chatted quite a bit with the owner who was very friendly and welcoming and even gave us a tour of his lovely establishment. We shared the Rollo cheesecake for dessert and it was out of this world! Definitely don't miss stopping here if you come through Pine River. read more

The menu just keeps getting better! I enjoyed a delicious Caesar salad (yummy Rye croutons!), a tasty dinner roll, the Hungarian Mushroom Soup is outstanding. It's impossible to pass it up.... They offered a white board menu of the month. Three members of our party made selections from the monthly specials. I choice the Jack Daniels 6 oz. sirloin steak, with grilled onions and mushrooms. It had just enough spicy heat to it, to make it interesting. The sweetness of the sauce was prepared to perfection. I ordered it medium rare, and for my tastes, it was closer to "medium". But it was so tender, juicy and flavorful, it still earned its Five Star rating. My husband is a serious fan of anything pasta. He ordered the blackened salmon over a cheesy pasta. The pasta was plentiful, the salmon on the petite side. There was not one complaint on the preparation. The salmon was simply - to be honest - cooked to P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N! He shared a bite with me, and I have never had better. Our hostess ordered a chicken cordon blue with about the largest roasted sweet potato I have ever seen. It looked outstanding. Our host chose a combo platter that was beyond generous. It had ribs, baked beans, and a smaller steak PLUS another meat item!! I cannot wait for our next opportunity to dine at Bites. It is simply terrific! read more

Really enjoyed the small town, friendly atmosphere of bites. The staff was friendly, and the beers were cold, what more can I ask for on a Friday summer afternoon about 90°! read more

Their bites are creative, tasty, and not too pricey. The food is great and I have been here 5+ times and never been disappointed. Their decor is north woods and very quite and casual. The salads are excellent, the sandwiches are tasty, but my favorite dish here is the butter shrimp pasta. It is sooooo gooood! When we can't make up our minds eating out up north, we usually go to Bites. Side note: it is located right off of the Paul Bunyan Bike Trail, so ride your bike and make it an event! read more

We've patronized through multiple owners, and this is the best. The best food within 20 minutes either side of Pine River. Walleye is exceptional. So is the Reuben. Staff is super kind, friendly and attentive. Outdoor patio fantastic for current Covid dining challenges although interior is also well spaced. Call ahead right now, though! read more

Being limited to a strict diet of rabbit food and fish I struggle with where to eat. I was very pleasantly surprised at how accommodating the manager and staff were to my requests! Very friendly server and manager and the food was very fresh and tasted wonderful!! A very nice stop on my travels through lake country! read more

Bites Grill & Bar - American Near Me - Pine River, Minnesota

See all

Love their Prime Rib dinners available on Fridays and Saturdays. Delicious food and very friendly service! Highly recommended!

We stopped by on Friday 8/12 on our way to our family cabin and had a great appetizer and a beer. Stopped by again on our way home today, 8/14 and waited over an hour for our breakfast. No explanation whatsoever from the waitress nor was she in any hurry to order refill our coffee or even bring us our bill when we were finally finished. Breakfast was good but everyone in the place was going through a similar wait as us. Most likely an equipment failure or someone didn't show up to work. These things happen but for 4 workers including the older man bartending/noticing people were leaving before their food showed up, pick it up.... Word spreads. read more

We often stop in Bites for a great meal. On May 8th we had take away and it was just as good as being there. Everything was fresh and tasty. Kevin B. read more

It was our second trip to Bites in a month and clearly their standard is always set high! I think we've found our new favorite local restaurant. Two of us ordered the beer battered walleye (get two; not just one because it's that good!), and this is not your typical beer batter. I don't even LIKE beer batter, but Bites beer batter is so unique and unexplainable you just have to try it. And then their tartar sauce...I don't know what kind of magic they're working there, but it's by far and large the best tartar sauce I've ever had; clearly homemade. One person at our table had a bacon cheeseburger that was perfectly done per his medium request and our other guest had the pulled pork sandwich with slaw on it and raved with each bite. Our meals were absolutely delicious, and next time we will save room for dessert because as I heard our waitress naming off the available desserts, I wished I could squeeze in a bite or two more. And while the food was delicious, our waitress was better yet! Thank you Charity and thank you Bites cooks! Your hard work did not go unnoticed on a busy Friday night before hunting! read more

Bites Grill & Bar - Two beer battered walleye fillets with homemade tartar sauce and au gratin potatoes. - American Near Me - Pine River, Minnesota

Tapas: are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. Bites: are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Minnesota cuisine. You can order off the traditional menu but the magic is in the "Bites" or "Shareables" which are appetizers to pass and share with a Minnesota flare (walleye cakes, mini pot roasts, italian meatloaf bruschetta, buffalo chicken crisps, etc..) If I am going out with 3 or more people this is hands down, no doubt, my #1 choice when dining in the Brainerd Lakes area. The food, menu, decor, and staff will make you come back for another bite. read more

Stopped in midday/mid-week. Apps included walleye bites (4) and steak bites (4). Both were tasty but very overpriced at $10 each. The BBQ chicken was was small for $13 and drenched in sweet watery bbq sauce with very little chicken, soggy lettuce. The prime rib sandwich ($15) was awful- meat was grilled to bone dry, dipping sauce tasted like msg laden bouillon. There are not many choices this part of MN and we was very disappointed with our big bill for low quality food. read more

Friendly staff, good variety of offerings and decent sized portions. We will definitely be back. read more

See all

We aren't people who were expecting much, and we don't have the highest standards, so please don't overlook this review thinking that we were looking to criticize. As a family of four going out to dinner, we hope to be relatively pleased with our dining experience because we know it will likely be expensive. We decided to order the signature bites. The tuna bites were just tuna, mayo and some olives on pita bread and the reuben bites were extremely tough and had grizzle. We ordered our meals and when I requested the pork brisket, I was asked "how would you like that cooked". Ah........well? When our meals came, my husband enjoyed his chicken and the walleye was pretty good, but the other meals were very disappointing. The Cajun Pasta had shrimp, but it was popcorn shrimp. These were the smallest shrimp I think I've ever seen. Certainly not worth the price. My Pork Brisket tasted like it was frozen once, thawed and then served with spices on it to conceal that process. I am rarely so disappointed by a meal, so for me to stop eating it because a was a little worried to finish my whole meal, was very telling. Lastly, the fresh vegetable of the day was carrots. Just carrots. Carrots for everyone and a lot of them. More than any of us could eat. We had fine service, but we could never recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

Blend of city meets country. Good food, friendly staff, upgraded ambiance. The patio is a nice touch. We've come here for dinner on and off since it opened. Prime rib is a bit tough. Walleye dinner is excellent. Fam fav includes fried green beans. While we're only here in the spring and summer locals frequent it all year around. Have fun! read more

Bites Grill & Bar - Prime rib, walley dinner, fried green beans and shore lunch walleye...yumm - American Near Me - Pine River, Minnesota

See all

This is a great place with terrific food with a reasonable price. The owner and his wife are great hosts and bakers/cooks. I have been here twice in the past two weeks. The best ever is the made on site cheese cake. read more

Enjoyed their May Specials- Fish Tacos(3) with refried beans and rice. Generous portions and great flavor. read more

Just the best. Roger the owner is just a gem. You absolutely need to visit. Great place. Great food.

Really good as far as safety concerns of covid. Food was pretty good and the price was reasonable.

We have eaten dinner at Bites all three times we have been to Pine River on vacation to visit family there. The food was great every year we went there to eat, great food and choices on menu. Will be back next year for sure. Great town too. Thanks read more

Great food and service run by great people. Love the shore lunch especially. I've held several events at Bites and they are always willing to work with you on food and budget. Very accommodating! read more

I have had lunch at 'Bites' twice while in Pine River. I live in Laporte, MN and I have told my husband that "we need to go to Bites in Pine River for lunch". The Manager/Owner has been pleasant and very welcoming. The food is fabulous! The service is wonderful. I find that Bites is definitely worth the drive to Pine River. read more

Stopped in for lunch as part of a road trip. I had moderately high expectations based on the reviews. I tried the pot roast sandwich. Wow was it salty. I was expecting an actual sandwich, but this was served over a large slice of French bread with gravy. The pot roast was not really what I would call pot roast, more like sliced roast beef. The tots were good and the beer selection was a pleasant surprise. read more

Beautiful log cabin restaurant. We had the prime rib special. It was delicious and the service was excellent.

Food = 5 stars; awesome. Service = 1 star (I'd give 0 if possible) If we didn't already know how good the food is, we'd have left after 10 minutes. We went on the Saturday after July 4th for lunch; it was a rainy day. We sat at a table in the bar and waited and waited...no acknowledge from anyone, although at least two waitresses walked through and the bartender was behind the bar. After 15 minutes I walked around the restaurant until I found menus. I stood at the bar to ask for service but was ignored by the bartender, who waited on other people who showed up after I did. (There were folks sitting at the bar, along with people who came from the dining room to get drinks.) Finally, I wrote out our order (cup of Hungarian mushroom soup, 2 walleye sandwiches, two waters) and handed it to the bartender. He seemed overwhelmed and said he'd give it to the kitchen. After 15 minutes I went to ask about my soup. "You want it now???" Why, yes, I do. So it appeared. After another 30 minutes or so our sandwiches arrived. While we waited, we watched tables not being cleared (at least three by this time), and new groups coming into the bar and discovering they weren't going to get much service, if any at all. The food was amazing. I loved the soup, and walleye sandwiches were amazing as always. So the problem isn't in the kitchen. As we ate, a group of four stopped by our table, wistfully looking at our food, and said they were leaving after realizing what was (or was not) happening. They were in the area for a week, so we suggested they come back later in the week when they might not be so busy, since the food is so very good. Before we finished, the bartender came over to talk to us. Turns out he just bought the restaurant a few weeks below as a retirement project. He had only worked behind the bar four times and believe me, it showed. We said we realized they must be shorthanded; no, they had extra staff (???). Because of the rain more people came in than usual, and they didn't realize they should have closed one of the dining rooms. If they had, they could have told folks, "It will be a 45 minute wait." rather than seating them and letting them sit that long before anything really happened. So sad. That night we ate at a place in St. Cloud, and the manager started talking to us about menu options, the design of the menu, etc. He wants new food items, so we told him to get to Bites Grill & Bar and copy their food. But he needs to go soon, since we're not sure how long they'll be in business. read more

Nice setting with a clean bar. Greeted with friendly and prompt service. Burger was perfect fries were crispy. Definitely will be back to try more. read more

I'm always so happy when I find a little restaurant like this while traveling. It's got a comfortable north-woods vibe, with log beams and a fireplace, and a menu that is heavy on the standards necessary for a restaurant to survive outside the big city -- ribeye, walleye, pot roast -- but still is interesting. We started with a crisp glass of sauvignon blanc, $3.95, then shared a couple of the tapas-inspired "bites'' for which the restaurant is named. No olives or octopus here, but the little $3 dishes were generous; we got four pulled-pork tostadas topped by avocado and queso blanco. There are larger "sharables,'' too, $8-$9, including seafood-stuffed portabella and walleye and wild-rice cakes. For an entree, I had a fantastic penne pasta with tons of shiitake mushrooms in a ginger cream sauce and a huge hunk of grilled mahi-mahi. It was so rich that even after I finished, and my husband ate some, I still had enough left over for two lunches. For dessert, we split a caramel-stuffed brownie with a dollop of whipped cream drizzled with caramel. My husband loved it; I thought it was just okay. There's a little bar, too, with a decent selection of beer on tap. Bites is right on the Paul Bunyan State Trail on the south edge of Pine River, so it makes a good stop if you're bicycling or snowmobiling. In fact, I think it's probably the BEST restaurant along the trail -- there's a cafe, pizza place and coffeehouse in Nisswa, and a couple of other bar-cafe type places, but nothing as nice as Bites. read more