You know I keep thinking I want to try some other places but I keep gravitating back to The Channel for my Friday night burger. Tonight I watched someone order just onion rings and my oh my---they look and smell delicious!! Biggest order I've ever seen!! I had the R U Nuts burger without BBQ sauce and regular fries. It's all good. The bartender hustles and no one has to wait. Great people here to chat with! read more

Channel Inn - onion rings - American Near Me - Fairmont, Minnesota

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We visited this spot based on a local recommendation. The atmosphere was perfect for a summer afternoon. We sat outside, near the water, and enjoyed the breeze. There is a channel between two lakes that borders on the edge of the patio, so the boats are generally quiet passing through. The cheese curds were tasty, the burgers hit the spot, and those tots were perfectly crispy. Note: this is a cash-only establishment but they have an ATM. read more

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Was recommended to stop by here for dinner after weekend working in town. Not what I expected, but that was ok! It is a very quaint, no-fuss bar right on the water. I would say 10 tables total plus the bar top. They also only take cash, so either come with cash in hand or use the ATM there. I was told they are known for their burgers, which became obvious when looking at the menu, as that is really all they have, plus some assorted appetizers. I was also told the fried cauliflower was good. I had a mushroom Swiss burger and it was delicious. Ooey gooey cheese and sautéed mushrooms. I did go foe the cauliflower, which was good, I just didn't care for the cheese sauce that came with it. Tap options are also a bit limited. If you're in the mood for a good burger, the Channel Inn is a great stop in Fairmont. read more

Darling location with lake view. Beer was extremely cold, food was above average, and the service was friendly and efficient. Recommend boating in to their docks! Too cool for patio dining today but what a crowd must gather there! read more

The location here on the water is peaceful and beautiful. They have indoor and outdoor seating. I was expecting a bit better food quality based on reviews. Come to find out, it's mostly a fried food type of place. The fried fish was decent, the sour cream and chive French fries were ok, the fried cheese balls were a bit too hard for my liking. The prices were reasonable. Overall it just was an average for me. Wait staff was friendly and efficient. Half pitchers of beer are available and comes with olives in your cup! read more

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This was a first for me, seeing as I was a Minnesota noob. Being with the BF's family, they came fishing on one of the lakes (who knows which one, probably more than one seeing as there are so many). Decided we were starved and came here for some noms on 4th of july Weekend. Being from the East Coast, most of the fish we eat are all saltwater fish so my palate is completely different from a lot of the cold lake water fish that are the staples of fish sandwiches up here. I forget exactly what type of fish was in the sandwich I got but it was definitely a new taste for me and it was deep fried which is also not a taste I prefer, but it was overall not too bad. I found that the fried cauliflower was actually my favorite thing we had as it isn't something I would think to make (and I was STARVING by the time the apps came out so I ate almost all of them). This is an old school place-they take cash, and checks. No cards of any type. Clearly a mom and pop type place which is odd because I would be much warier of a check bouncing than taking a credit card. There is an ATM for those of us normal people who don't exactly carry our checkbooks in our wallets that we take to the lake. But the service here was decent for it being a holiday weekend and what I'm assuming was one of their busier times. It's not exactly like I'll be back in the vicinity of this place any time soon or maybe ever, but it wasn't bad for some quick grub when we were famished. read more

I love the Channel! The only place to get a good burger in Fairmont. It is an O.K. family place, particularly now that MN has enacted the smoking ban but there is limited seating. It is a great place to go year round and the burgers are slammin. They don't take credit cards but there is an ATM on site. read more

we had a great time at the channel inn! their homemade sauce is so good... we went several times while in town

Oh the Channel! Ok, seriously folks if you are in Fairmont this is the GO-TO place for a burger. I've also tried the fish and chips and it was delicious. I highly recommend the SS burger with the ONION RINGS - yum. My cholesterol is going up just thinking about it. Hands down best burger place in Southern Minnesota Parking - plentiful and across the street. Atmosphere: small town bar/restaurant sitting right on the lake with a beautiful view. Very popular place with the locals. In the summer you can tie your boat right up to the dock - how conventient is that? Also the outdoor patio in the summer is highly underrated. Fabulous hang out place, all good memories of the years in Fairmont (sigh) Service: Friendly, fast - no complaints. Bar: Where else can you sit and watch most folks drink thier taps with olives swimming up and down like the most awesome beer dream? This is the place I was introduced to adding whole green olives to tap beer (ligher or pils only of course) and now I'm an addict of "olive beer" Nothing beats it on hot summer days! Seriously - highly recommend for a good time and great food! read more

Nothing better than sitting at the patio on the lake on a vbeautiful summer day. Food is great, beverages are refreshing and Tonya is the best server in the world! read more

We loved this place during our family weekend at Hall Lake!! The weather was really chilly and rainy for August, so we weren't able to go out on our pontoon like we wanted. Subsequently we heard great things about Channel Inn and it did not disappoint. I had the patty melt. It doesn't come with fries, you have to order them separately. I chose the fried cheese balls as my side, so it was a tad more pricey but the food was so fricking delicious that I didn't care. Patty melt is highly recommended. Others had the tenderloin and bacon cheeseburger. We left with full bellies. Yum yum yum read more

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The Channel is a local favorite and a must visit. The food is always good and in the summer time it is so much fun to sit outside and enjoy a drink! It's bar food and it's good bar food! And the drinks are always cold! What more could you ask for? It is cash or checks only which is a bit annoying but don't let that stop you from visiting. Also, I wouldn't come here during the work week for lunch as it is not very quick (you will not get done within an hour). read more

Great ambience, very friendly staff. Drinks come out in cool frozen glasses, and the food is great. No other restaurants are open in the area! Offers a great view if you sit by the window. Would definitely come again!! read more

My waitress Tanya was great and the service was very fast and good. The food was amazing!! 10/10 recommend!!!

what happened, use to have great tasting beef? for 10.49 a burger and fries. I could have gone to burger king for half the price and not tasted much difference. place has more seating, new outside area, busy with customers, why use lower quality meat? 14 years it has been a good place for a meal, so unless someone tells me the meat quality went back up, I wont be back. read more

When in southern Minnesota, there is no better place for a burger and a beer than the Channel Inn. The food is great and inexpensive, which is a winning combination. In addition to big tasty burgers, the Channel Inn also has cheap beers, outdoor seating, a cozy atmosphere, friendly service and is right on the lake. You can literally tie your boat up to their dock and grab lunch. They're cash only. If they took credit cards, the Channel Inn would be without fault. A near perfect burger and beer joint, to be sure. read more

this place used to be a good place to hang out, but it's gone downhill. disappointing read more

Beautiful, scenic location. I am pretty sure they don't make anything in-house but instead just cook pre-formed burger patties and other made to eat battered selections. The crinkle fries were yummy. Service was fine. read more

Nice view. Fast friendly service. Food ok, a bit overpriced.

Their burgers used to be very good, but for the last 2 years, they have been going way downhill. The thing that bothers me the most is the service. For the last few times that we have gone, we waited 20 minutes for our drinks and even longer for our food. Now, this was in the summer so they are busier but the wait is really ridiculous. read more

On a long interstate drive, this place was a welcome oasis. Right on a big lake. Beautiful spot, good food and cheap.

This place is known in the area for their channel burger (fried egg on hamburger). During peak lunch hour or dinner hour very busy with locals eating. So can be a wait at times. Simple menu with 5 star atmosphere right on the lake with indoor or outdoor seating. Simply put a great place to grab a good hamburger/ sandwich and a beer/pop... read more

This is my favorite place to eat on the lake. It's right next to the channel between lakes so there's always a lot of boat traffic. You can boat in as well. Big oversized umbrellas prove lots of shade over several tables each. While I go at least once a week for the ambiance, I do love the BLT sandwich- it has an amazing amount of bacon!!!!! read more

Good variety of burgers, great fries, great beer and bar drinks. Wonderful view of lake (it sits over the water and is next to boat canal between two lakes). Recent completion of new bridge next to restaurant means twice as much parking and a lot of outdoor seating in good weather (this is Minnesota after all). Can be crowded with limited seating indoors when the weather gets rough in winter. Easy to find if you Google location. Great stop if you're on a long interstate drive. They don't take credit cards, but they have ATM on site. Fast, friendly service. May be a bit slower if they are really full. Good family place now that Minnesota has smoking ban. Give it a try if you're in the neighborhood. read more

this once was the best burger place in southern mn. but it has slipped not near what it once was. i always told visitors to fairmont to eat at the Channel Inn but no longer. its sad to loose what was great. read more

This is a classic small town lakefront bar and restaurant. They have GREAT hamburgers, cold beer and very friendly servers. I've been there three times now and find myself arranging my schedule so I can get to Fairmont with time for lunch. I like sitting at the bar but there are great tables inside and outside. Try the tater tots instead of fries but be carefull - they are hot and crist but delicious. read more

Probably Fairmont's best "burger joint". I love the Channel Burger, a Midwestern favorite variation of a bacon cheeseburger with a fried egg on top. The restaurant is located on a channel connecting two lakes and makes for nice scenery. There is some nice outdoor patio seating for warmer months. You can boat up to the Inn in the summer or snowmobile there during the winter. Parking is scarce and they don't accept debit/credit cards but do provide an ATM. Never had a bad meal here and usually have good service. It's a ways off the beaten path, but well worth it if you like burgers. read more

This used to be the greatest place around Fairmont where I took my family when they visited. I'm not sure what happened, maybe they changed owners, but it is way different. Still pretty good food for not alot of money, and sitting on the deck in summer is good, but there are many new places in Fairmont who offer ALOT more. FYI read more