Came to Gorman twice now and they just really don't miss with their breakfast items and shakes. Supper fresh ingredients and you can taste how natural the food is with every bite. Best staff of the year, very hospitable and fun to talk to. Their shake is huge so you might want to share with someone! French toast and pancake 10/10, love their Italian sausage. Super cool space with cute details! Definitely top 3 of my breakfast choices. I rarely bring breakfast to-go with leftovers or finish them but that has not been the case for Gorman! That's how yummy it is! read more

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We were in the mood to try a new/different place for breakfast, so we decided to give this one a try. I liked the look and ambiance of the restaurant and the staff was friendly. I was immediately put off that they don't have hash browns, only fried potatoes. I ordered a ham, bacon, and cheese omelet; which came with the potatoes & toast. The potatoes appeared to be leftover from the day before, they were not at all crispy and were very soft with not much flavor. Instead of mixing the ham and bacon together in the omelet, they had ham on on side and bacon on the other. It is also quite expensive, especially considered the lack of quality of the food. It was $51 for two breakfasts and two sodas. read more

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Really yummy and satisfying breakfast. The breakfast sandwich choices included pumpernickle bread and that is my favorite. The fried potatoes were excellent. Reminded me of how my dad always made them, so thats a plus in my book. read more

Gorman's Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

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Drove into the lot and was shocked by the sad attempt at a Virgin Mary statue with an offensive sign to pray for the unborn? Grew up catholic and was appalled by this. Obviously didn't get out of the car. read more

Have passed by this restaurant several times, but had never tried it. I really like the unique look, so we decided to try it one morning. The staff was friendly and I really rnjoyed the atmosphere and decor. I ordered the Tex Mex breakfast, substituting bacon for the Italian sausage. When it came to the table, I immediately saw that they had given me ham (which I'm not a fan of) instead of bacon. They took it back & quickly fixed the problem. The food was so-so, not much flavor, except for the overpowering onions & green peppers that were largely cut and still quite crunchy. The potatoes were not at all crispy, although the appearance indicated they should/would be. read more

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The best part of the entire thing experience, by far, were the pictures throughout the restaurant telling a history of the area. Everything else, was a disappointment. The ambiance suffers in a place that's not had a significant touch up for years. A simple burger was overpriced, undercooked, the fries cold, the soup went unfinished due to an odd flavor that was unappetizing. The service was fine but they did nothing to enhance the experience of trying this restaurant. There are so many better options close. Go grab a sandwich down the road at Hagberg's as you'll pay so much less and have a much better experience and much better food. read more

The service was very good. Friendly and attentive. The food when it came to our table looked good, but had a very off taste. The club sandwich had a mustard taste to it, and the ham was fatty and rubbery. My wife's French dip was fatty and also had a microwaved taste. Our shake was very good, but that was it. will never go back. read more

Visiting my sister, in Minnesota, she took me to Saint Elmo, where we ate breakfast at Gorman's restaurant. Our server was Diane, who was fabulous! The inside was bright and airy, with a great deal of historic paraphernalia. The breakfast we had was quite filling, and they cooked everything to our order. Again, Diane was amazing and very attentive. I would recommend this place to anyone who is visiting the Eastside of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Bon appétit read more

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My fiancée and I enjoy supporting family owned businesses, and stopped for breakfast. The food was OK but this place is quite expensive. A simple bowl of oatmeal was almost $8.00! We sent our toast back that was saturated with butter. We can deal with that, but when I asked about a military discount, being an 20 year veteran and was given a very sharp "No!" by the head waitress,... Well, that's it for us. read more

This restaurant violates federal law by charging a credit charge surcharge on debit card transactions. Manager refused to back out the charge. Their prices are also on the high side for quality of food. read more

Went through the drive through for ice cream. We got a raspberry shake, coffee shake and a m&ms twister. Great size for the $. Staff was friendly and there was really no wait. We loved our ice cream. So Thank you!! read more

Gorman's Restaurant - Ice Cream Shakes and a Twister. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Alway looked like a place we wanted to try. We were seated immediately and given menus. When our server returned, asked what we wanted - no previous offer of water or drinks. When we received our food, the sandwich was missing the side sauce it was to come with (we had to ask for that) and requested dressing with salad on the side but came with dressing on the salad. Had to ask for ketchup for the fries and also syrup for our breakfast item. The kid's menu is way, way overpriced. $10.95 for one piece of French toast and one piece of bacon (drink extra). Food average. Wasn't stated on the bill or mentioned before paying (that we saw) there is a 5% fee for using credit card so not prepared for that when checking out. read more

First of all-I want to state that we picked this place because we saw the open patio dining (important to us since COVID-19 is still around). Not any political affinity, I was ready to give this spot a fair shake...and the malt was AWESOME! Made the old-fashioned way, it was excellent right down to the last drop! The food was a disappointment for me-the beef was dry (but the gravy was good) and the corn was cold. My friend had the Rueben and wild rice soup & liked them both. read more

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My family have been visiting Gorman's since recently moving to the area. It's not exactly a close drive, but the quality of food and friendly staffs makes the drive worth it! My only "complaint" is that they define "hot peppers" as banana peppers, lol. I guess it is Minnesota after all. Additionally, you could argue this place is as much of a museum as it is a restaurant - the historical relics are amazing and all sourced from the immediate region. We truly enjoy how they've preserved this history and are willing to share it with the public. Looking forward to summer visits on their patio! read more

Yikes! While the food was fine and our young server was stellar, we will not be back. Due to our extreme hanger, we had clouded vision and missed all OBVIOUS political signage. So, after a seemingly lovely we meal we saw a note on the door regarding something about their flag being half mast for lost babies. What an insult to those we traditionally lower the flag for. Pretty repulsed we dined here at all, I would not recommend this place - unless you care not for women. read more

So less than 6 weeks ago this place got 5 starts from me for a delicious malt and a decent lunch. I'm back here to give them 1 little tiny star for a horrible breakfast. How in the world do you screw up a basic breakfast. Coffee was just horrendous. Tasted like the kind the grandma made back in the day watered down colored water. The biscuit and gravy was just package white sauce with little chunks of sausage links in it. It had a nauseating sweet taste to it not savory and sage hearty. Eggs were eggs. Not impressed at all. I will still go for a malt probably at some point. read more

Thankfully I did not look up this restaurant on Yelp, it would have been one of the very few times Yelp would have failed me. Our RV host sent us to Gorman's and we are SO happy he did. At first glance the place looks very kitchy, but after you have settled in your seat and REALLY look around you realize you are in one of the most awesome private collections of Lake Elmo History. Every piece is labeled, so you know where the window frame came from that has now been repurposed into a picture frame and each and every picture is labeled of who it is and when it was. I loved being in the middle of Lake Elmo history. There are obituaries of loving customers who have long since passed and yet are made part of the history. LOVE their decor. You can tell that the decor was created with great love for this area and its residents. Lake Elmo residents you are very fortunate to have the Gorman Family retain so much of your history. Now since this is a restaurant and not a museum (kinda both), you are probably more interested in knowing how I felt about their food. Hubby and I both LOVED it. This is Americana at its best. Good old fashioned, home cooked food. We loved it so much we came back everyday of our stay in Minnesota. We had both lunch and breakfast here and never had a complaint. Plus the service is exceptionally friendly and you feel like you've gone to a friends home for a meal. Lunch we had Chicken Cesar salad and Split Pea Soup with half a Turkey Melt Sandwich. Let me start with the sandwich had a true roasted breast that was sliced perfectly. The turkey was moist and full of flavor. The sandwich was so good I wished I had ordered the full sized sandwich. My split pea soup was FULL of ham, potatoes and carrots. It was very flavorful and I ate the whole thing. (rare for me to do) Hubby loved his salad and even though he hates peas, tried my soup and loved it. I would order this entire meal again. Everything was so fresh and just plain good. Breakfast we ordered the Biscuits and Gravy with 2 poached eggs, and the Country Breakfast. The first thing I have to tell you is that the sausage they served here is SO FREAKING GOOD. I asked if they made it in house, you can tell it's not the pre-formatted processed sh**. They told me they do not make it in house, but it is locally made. You can taste the freshness, and the fact that it is served in a hamburger pattyesque style you know it's bulk and not overly processed. LOVED the sausage, it has a nice flavor to it, but it is not an over whelming taste, so it blends well with your breakfast. My biscuits and gravy were very good, eggs cooked perfectly (I have been known to send eggs back faster than a chicken can lay them) and my gravy was tasty. I did add pepper to my gravy, but that's because I have always liked it on the peppery side. You would think that all this lovely food would cost a pretty penny, but it doesn't. They are very reasonable and they serve good sized portions. It's a fun place to walk around and look at all their artifacts, they even have a patio to take advantage of on a nice day. On top of all of this, if you are running on empty and just want to stay in your PJ's, THEY HAVE A DRIVE THRU. I have been told by several people that their ice cream and shakes are remarkable. I unfortunately did not have the opportunity to try these, but since we will be back here next year, I have plenty of time to try this again. read more

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We came for breakfast and they didn't have waffles. Political sign at the entrance regarding abortion greeted us. Overpriced food. Charged 4% for paying with credit card without any notice. We won't be back. read more

This is our go to place for breakfast! We've had lunch which is good too but this is our breakfast/brunch place. Love the service, food, servers that know us and ambiance. We drive by a lot of other places to get here! read more

We LOVE Gormans! Great food & friendly staff. This is our go-to breakfast spot! You won't regret coming here.

WOW, what a find. the food was great and the service was awesome, had breakfast, and came out hot and fresh. The service was very welcoming and speedy. very friendly. Keep up the great job !! P.S Price was very fair !! will be back !! read more

What a great little gem. Old diner style food. The whole family got burgers and malts. The fries are perfect, so is the ambiance... small town feel. We will be back. read more

My husband took me out for lunch here. I had not checked yelp before hand. I waked in and saw pro-life posters greeting me. I see the rest of the establishment is like a TGI Friday's with rural, Minnesota junk and photos on the walls. Dated music playing. Menu with so many options, it is overwhelming. Food was mediocre, nothing overly remarkable. Overpriced for what is entirely diner food--we spent $32 for a wrap and a club sandwich. For a place that has a decorum of politics and pro-life, one would think that it would have some clout with what it serves. Clearly this is a niche place that has its patrons that enjoy the campy, old nostalgia of the very outdated American dream, but I will not be back. read more

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Politics aside- the food and service just was not good We are a Trump loving and devout Christian family, so this was very disappointing. At first we noticed they were not following guidelines for dining during COVID (no masks, no distance between tables) which made us uneasy but we decided to stay. The inside of my chicken was hard and cold (i assume it was in the freezer) and my child found a hair in his food. Our sides of sauces were the consistency of jello and when my husband wanted to add tomatoes to his dish- they were MOLDY. read more

I would give them 1 star if I didn't work right next to them and if their staff was worse. They have little to no vegetarian options. Their tuna melt is pretty darn tasty but very greasy and sometimes upsets my stomach. The fries are almost always cold by the time they get to us. Malts and shakes have always been great (except that one time the ice cream tasted freezer burnt. I'll let it slide) and they come in a wide variety of flavors and combos. Most of my coworkers love the chicken bacon ranch wrap so I guess I would recommend it though I've never actually had it. One of us ordered the pork chop dinner once and it was under cooked and awful so I would definitely not recommend those meats (steak, etc). I have only tried the clam chowder twice and I really liked it the first time. The second time they must have changed the recipe because there were huge chunks of onion that overpowered the soup. Sadly, I won't get it again. If it wasn't for having a gift card I would not partake in Gorman's food. I usually eat it for convenience sake. To me their food is below par but locals tend to love it. It's a family restaurant and is usually very busy.Not a place I would recommend unless you have elderly in company. This place also loves to express their political views which I find inappropriate. I'm eating at a restaurant why should I know how you feel about abortion? Strange. read more

The food was not worth it everything was bland and greasy not to mention the awful and disturbing decor!! Disappointed but not surprised.

I went there for steaks with mashed potatoes and a strawberry malt. The malt was close to the best I've ever had, but the steak was nasty. It had the reheated beef taste and I didn't finish it. The mashed potatoes were strangely textured like dried potatoes. The decorations are very pleasant but the atmosphere was very tense one time walked in. Some audible staff fight. read more

I had a great sandwich. Service was pretty decent. Was quiet enough to conduct a business meeting on site. Overall good experience. Thanks a lot! read more

Apparently Trump says this is the best breakfast in America. That said I guess I prefer eating my eggs without being bombarded by pro-life posters, but that's just me. Politics aside, the food was decent. I've had better, ive had worse. Service was pretty bad. They forgot to bring cream and sugar with coffee, the food took forever and when it did come, it wasn't accompanied by any silverware. Also the coffee was pretty weak. read more

So, I drive by this place every day to work and back, and my curiosity finally got the better of me. The building is so cute and quaint and it just looked really inviting so I'd been thinking about it for a while... Around noon I grabbed my hubby and 10 yr old boy and we showed up hungry! We were seated right away in a comfy booth with a view of a lovely field. The server was right over with our drinks and we decided pretty quickly what we wanted to order. The boy got the French toast with bacon and scrambled eggs, hubs got the bacon cheeseburger, and I got the big country breakfast. Our kid really liked his meal and cleaned his plate but he said his food was not warm, hubby's burger was overcooked (he asked for medium) and his fries were cold and needed salt. He's not picky and was super hungry so he also cleaned his plate. Here's where it gets not so great. Of my 3 over easy eggs 2 had broken yolks, my potatoes were both burned and raw simultaneously with not a hint of flavor, and my pancakes weren't even warm enough to melt the tiny scoop of butter on top. I couldn't seem to locate our server after several minutes so I ended up flagging down the hostess to grab me some extra butter and hot sauce in an attempt to flavor my food. The ham was decent but was quite thinly sliced for a breakfast side, it was the only thing I finished. We decided to order malts to go and they were quite good! When I went to pay the bill there was a sign notifying patrons of a "recovery fee" unless you pay with cash which I almost never carry. I have never heard of this practice and it was surprisingly annoying and inconvenient. It added nearly 5 additional dollars to our bill, which after tip totaled nearly $100. WHAT? Ick. The food was nowhere near that value and my husband and I agreed that we need never return. If you have to go, stick to a malt and call it a day. Don't forget your cash. read more

This place is down home good! You walk in and feel at home! It is sad the bad reviews are based on political crap! These are good people and the food is good. Tastes like home cooked food and this is one of the good places I have tried! Seriously ignore the people who bash this place based on politics!!! Said people can't get over themselves and just enjoy a great place!! read more

Gorman's Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

A 50's type of diner with ice cream. I gave it 3 stars, the food was what you expect, it was OK, not great. read more

Gorman's Restaurant - Cattleman's sirloin - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

We went here because of member of our party loves it and asked to go there. I had never been before. I will never go back here. The first thing I noticed was the smell: musty with a faint hint of old cigarette smoke. The second thing I noticed was that everything looked extremely old and dirty. Ok, fine, I've had good food in sketchier places. But not here. After scanning the menu, I decided to order a California burger (burger with Mayo, lettuce, and tomato) instead of something riskier. We ordered onion rings as an appetizer and shakes and malts all around. The shakes/malts came out first, which was weird but ok. Then the onion rings came out and were followed immediately by our dinners, like we were being rushed. The onion rings were ok - diner quality - but the rest of my meal was awful. The burger was about 1/4 pound and was BURNT. It was literally crunchy on the outside. There was a layer of soft meat on the inside which was beyond well done. I had asked to add cheddar to the burger, and after searching, I saw a tiny square of cheese on the burger. The tomato was ok, but the lettuce was a big, cheap flap of leaf lettuce. The bun was the majority of the burger. The fries were over-cooked and flavorless. The shakes had all been poorly blended, so mine had a thick layer of caramel at the bottom and another person's had clumps of malt powder in it. To top it off, the total for 4 meals of bad diner food was nearly $90. We've seen rising prices everywhere, but this was ridiculous. The only good element was our friendly, pleasant server. read more

Food was horrible! Steaks were bland and tasted like they had been boiled in water. Service was the worst-wrong orders and forgot half the stuff. Do not go here. The whole restaurant smelled like stale gas! and the up charge for a debit card was ridiculous read more

This is the BEST restaurant I have ever seen!! Everything is perfect, the food, the service, the ice cream, and the place is filled with fun. its perfect for those hot summer days!! The other day I came in and was welcomed right away, I soon found my way to a table and got more ice cream, and the ice cream is THE BEST! It's out of this world!! read more

I've been coming here since I was 5 when it was called the White Hat. I even had my rehearsal dinner here. Don't believe the bad reviews. Most seem to be politically motivated "tolerant" people trying to rip a small business that has strong beliefs and stands by them. Yes they are pro life and anti murder people. Burgers, breakfast and Malts are the best in town(and surrounding cities). I will always support and dine here and so will my family. read more

Good eggs, great bacon but the whole wheat pancakes tasted sour so I left them. Not fresh batter?

Had a group of 4 adults and 3 kids. Everyone enjoyed their breakfast. Kids got Mickey shaped pancake with chocolate chips(what's not to love). Adults devoured 3 egg fully filled omelets and generous side of breakfast potatoes. Got yummy shakes to go for the ride home. read more

Stopped here based on the good reviews. The service was very friendly, very prompt and very respectful. I got chili and half a sandwich about $9, my husband got a bacon cheeseburger and fries about $11, kids dishes were about $7 each with french toast and a strip of bacon or a pancake with a strip of bacon. The chili wasn't that great, so they quickly replaced it with something else. Everything else we had was super delicious!!!! The server was awesome! She did ask if we mind if she vacuum, there was a little mess she wanted to clean up. We didn't mind. I appreciated her asking. The decor is all local history and its clean and neat and well maintained. I would go here again when in the area. read more

Um- not worth a stop unless you are starving and want the basics badly done. the "last straw" for me was the whole wheat toast that was treated to "the brush"- big glob of margarine brushed on cold toast and sent out on the side of the scrambled eggs and bacon. the fried potatoes were real potatoes - but served on a cold plate.... not so great. Lipton tea. My companions' food was also just so-so to bad. One friend had 2 fried eggs brought to him on a cold plate and the waitress said - "Your biscuits and gravy will be right out".... 10 min later, when the biscuits arrived - the eggs were ice cold and he asked for new hot ones.. ...The folks in the kitchen may have gotten away with this in the 1970s - but not now. Now you gotta CARE a little anyway. Decor is kitchy kitch -- the bathroom was clean. read more