We went to my favorite Restaurant for my birthday Last night! They still do the glass of Complimentary Champagne for your birthday and your party gets a glass for $1! Delicious Bubbles! I had the 10-oz prime rib and a side medley of colorful vegetables & garlic mashed potatoes. My husband ordered the broiled shrimp and they were huge. Desert was a decadent slice of French silk pie, which is the best I've ever had! Rich dense Chocolate and a perfect pie crust with thick creamy topping! I had to share! Beautiful Ambiance in a cozy hideaway in Lake Elmo, Minnesota! Service is always top-notch You have to go!! read more

See all

The Lake Elmo Inn is an absolute gem in Minnesota! From the moment you walk in, you're welcomed by a warm, inviting atmosphere and a level of hospitality that makes the entire experience feel special. The food is outstanding, beautifully prepared, and full of flavor, with a menu that offers something for everyone. The service is attentive, professional, and friendly, making you feel genuinely taken care of throughout your visit. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion, enjoying a romantic dinner, or simply treating yourself to a wonderful meal, Lake Elmo Inn delivers an exceptional dining experience. It's easy to see why this restaurant has such a great reputation. Highly recommended and definitely a place worth returning to again and again! read more

See all

Came here for breakfast/lunch on a Saturday morning. I hadn't been here in a few years and when we had in the past it was more for holidays. My friend was dying to try this place. I'm gluten free so there weren't many gluten free options. I ordered the Denver skillet which seemed to be too rich (heavy) for me with the hollandaise sauce and potatoes. It was just okay, The server was nice and ordered me a gluten free biscuit which I was hoping to get prior to my meal like my friend got with hers...but alas it wasn't ready until the meal was ready. I also ordered a decaf coffee and then I needed creamer and sugar but by the time I was able to ask him for that and get it, my coffee had been sitting for quite some time. It seemed they were definitely understaffed in the main dining room on this particular Saturday morning. There was an after wedding party in the glass patio room. I would say for what you get it's a bit expensive and this place definitely caters to an older crowd. read more

Lake Elmo Inn - American Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

See all

We had a lovely dining experience with business colleagues. This is not a place you "go out to eat" this is where you go to "dine". Our server was very welcoming & friendly, and had a wonderful way of conveying an excitement over the menu offerings that night which was engaging! The room we were in was crowded but not loud. Food was yummy, we had a duck soup, filet, the bbq ribs, sirloin & walleye. Sweet corn and special mashed potatoes were our sides. Comfort at its best. Lucky to know locals who took us there! We will be back. read more

See all

Delicious, delectable, cozy food and warm atmosphere! We had attentive, kind service. We came on a Thursday and had their prime rib special which was mouth watering good! Enjoyed the complimentary sorbet pallet cleanser and chocolate covered strawberries! It's on the more expensive side but we're definitely excited to come back! read more

Lake Elmo Inn - Prime Rib - American Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Anniversary dinner with complimentary champagne, hot towels and great food and drinks.

What a lovely experience! I've been here before, but was very surprised by how great they accommodated a party of 7 on a Friday night. We had ribs, soup, three ordered of sunnies, duck and pasta. I had the duck and it was good. Service was superb. Bread, sorbet and towels were outstanding. Make this part of your date night experience. You won't be disappointed. read more

Service was kind. Very busy night, so some things took awhile, but it was still good. Food is expensive. Excellent Drink Variety. If you eat here in December. You get a red envelope to open with a mystery discount to use between Jan and mid February. The place is decked out with holiday décor from hundreds of dangling ornaments in the bar to a vast collection of snow globes and nutcrackers. read more

See all

Another good experience at Lake Elmo Inn. This time we were seated in our usual section of the restaurant and it was a comfortable booth. I had the steak soup special and my dining companion had the chicken parmigiana sandwich. Both were tasty. The soup reminded me of the steak soup I had at 1881. Will definitely go back again. read more

See all

My group was celebrating a birthday and this spot was suggested as an option. I haven't been here before and am always game trying a new spot. Lunchtime was busier due to a few large parties in the room. Two of us ordered the fish fry and I tried their house burger. I will say, I thoroughly enjoyed my burger. They cooked it to perfection and it was juicy. It was served with their house fries - the zesty type. Straight up delicious. The others who ordered fish both had hair in their meals. We got the standard apology, but no compensation or acknowledgement from management. It was really a bummer celebrating the birthday girl and she was one of those who had to wait for her meal to be delivered while the rest of us ate. We ordered chocolate cake, which was some of the BEST cake I've had. I learned they swap out their desserts monthly. I hope they keep that one though. I would seriously go back for dessert only. Overall, good experience, but management needs to be more present when the ball is dropped. I can understand issues coming up, but it was overlooked and left room for improvement. read more

Lake Elmo Inn - Johnny Burger - American Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Visited Lake Elmo Inn this afternoon for lunch (party of 3 at12pm). Truthfully, I left disappointed. Service was fine considering it was a busy Friday lunch during lent. Two of us ordered the all you can eat fish fry and one of us ordered the Johnny burger. Unfortunately, my fish had hair in it and I needed to send it back. Our server did her best to replace it quickly, but it's always awkward being the last one eating alone at the table eating. What surprised me most was no compensation or acknowledgment was given by management. Just want to share honest feedback in hopes this doesn't happen to someone else. Parking is easy, lots of street parking. Despite this experience I would be open to coming back to try brunch. I will say the chocolate cake was one of the most delicious and chocolatey cakes I've ever had and I'd definitely come back for that! read more

I came here with my wife for our 25th anniversary. She ordered the roast duckling and I ordered the cheese and spinach ravioli. The food was excellent. The service was great, they really went out of their way to make our anniversary special. Dessert was also very good. Would definitely come back again for a special occasion. read more

Hello, If you are looking for a review on this place keep reading. You'll want to see and hear about this. I have a few gift certificates that I wanted to use to purchase a gift card - or a few, so I came here to do so. I have heard good things about this place and wanted to get around $3000.00 to $5,000.00 in gift cards (maybe 5 - 10, probably $500.00 to $1,000 each) to gift my employees for my business or to plan an event here for my company! Let me save you the trouble. I was greeted by a very kind young lady upon walking in at the host stand, I complimented her outfit, hair, and beautiful nails - as she looked stunning! I took out the certificates I had, four at $50.00 each. I asked if I could purchase a gift card or gift cards using these certificates. The young lady wasn't sure and she went to ask. I explained I had no problem making a purchase as they were closing soon, and I would take my item to go and asked if I could get a gift card back for the difference. The manager ended up coming out to explain to me that I could not purchase a gift card. She said I absolutely had to use the certificate in its entirety, and that they would not be able to use it to purchase gift cards. I was shocked. There is nothing that says this on the gift certificate and if I wanted to spend more money why wouldn't she allow that!? She explained to me that you can't use a gift card at other places to purchase a gift card.... That is simply not true. I can go to big chains and do so, or small mom and pop shops and do so. Yes, some places have different times but what she was telling me is not true. What business wouldn't want more business - especially $3,000 to $5,000.00 tonight on a Sunday night? She told me the best she could do is extend my date on my gift certificates and that I could come back anytime within 60 days past the expiration date- since she said I had them for a year. (I have not had them for a year - I actually just acquired them and was hoping to bring my employees here or get a large quantity of items to go, cater, etc, I was going to talk about what options there were once I got there, clearly we didn't get that far). I took the manager up on her offer and had the extension placed on my gift certificates. I did get one dessert to go to give to a friend and he said that was pretty tasty! The bartender who helped me was a young lady - very kind and efficient. She was pleasant to work with. The true kicker is this - I had used one of these gift certificates previously and got a gift card back for the difference of what was spent t, I think we had purchased a few desserts and the rest was given back on a gift card since we didn't hit that $50.00 threshold of the whole certificate. When I asked about that tonight I was told that was not an option. How frustrating! Because of this experience and seeing how I was treated by simply trying to use gift certificates to get a gift card and because of the amount I was interested in, I would NOT recommend this place. Save your money, go where you are appreciated and treated with kindness and respect and enjoy your meal elsewhere. I highly recommend Ruth Chris, Twin Cities Grill, McCormick & Schmick, Manny's, or any other local establishment! As for now, if anyone is looking for about $5,000.00 in business for a team building event - please - message me directly! Or send me an email! I am looking for something that has food and enough to feed at least 100 up to maybe 250 people! I can discuss in detail as the date approaches! AshleeM3111@yahoo.com Thanks for reading! -Ashlee read more

Lake Elmo Inn - This the gift certificate I wanted to use and a card from the person I spoke to - the manager, Kathleen Johnson. - American Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

I truly used to love this place, but I can't take it anymore. The food and service is just not good enough to be over $100 a person for dinner and drinks. One of those things must change to command those prices. They need to hire servers who are honestly younger and more efficient, and sorry if that is ageist, but for their price point, I've had multiple experiences where the elderly servers never check up after food is delivered and constantly tell me about their stress and how they need to get caught up to even cash me out or get a box (no apology for not being around for over 20 minutes) and I'm there to relax, not hear about your stress. If you can't handle the amount of tables you have, let management know so they staff better or get you things or check on tables themselves, but don't dump your stress on customers. It's unprofessional at any restaurant, let alone an expensive one. The food quality has also gone down over the years, the vegetable and potato of the day yesterday was inedible, and soups and salads are add ons instead of being included like all other nice steakhouses. I just can't keep rooting for this place and spending money here because it's just not worth the price for what you get and the service is so poor. Two stars for the cute ambiance. read more

Lake Elmo Inn is an absolute gem and gave my girlfriend and me one of the best anniversary dinners we've ever had. Tucked away in the charming little town of Lake Elmo, it feels like everyone there knows each other. The moment we walked in, it felt warm and inviting, and the staff made us feel right at home. Our waiter was attentive from the start, getting us drinks, telling us about the daily specials, and asking if we wanted to start with an appetizer. We decided on the crab Rangoon dip with baguette and it was incredible. We ate so much of it that we ran out of bread, but our waiter didn't hesitate to bring more so we could finish every last bite. I ordered a pomegranate spritz, which was refreshing and full of flavor. For my entrée, I had the 1881 New York strip cooked to a perfect medium rare. I'll admit the plating threw me off at first, but once I cut into it and took a bite, it was clear how good it really was. My girlfriend had the U-12 scallops with lemon risotto, and it was so good she kept saying it was to die for. After we finished our entrées, the complimentary lemon sorbet was a nice little surprise and a perfect palate cleanser. When it came time for dessert, the staff rolled over a tray full of options and described each one in detail. We ended up choosing the Snicker cake, and it was every bit as delicious as it looked. From start to finish, the service was outstanding, the food was excellent, and the atmosphere was cozy and romantic. I would give our experience a 10 out of 10 and recommend it to anyone looking for a great spot for a special occasion. Right across the street there's even a small ice cream shop if you want to keep the night going after such a wonderful meal. read more

See all

First time back to this restaurant in 20+ years. It was the same great establishment I remembered. The staff is incredible (thanks, Jody for your service and making this a memorable night out!) and the restaurant continues to be very popular for a number of reasons. We started with cocktails at the bar and the bartenders were friendly and entertaining. You can reserve a seat at the bar for dinner if that interests you. Our table started with the Scooter pie appetizer which highlighted tender sirloin and perfectly cooked vegetables. The sorbet palate cleanser after the appetizer was a nice touch. We all selected the cranberry dinner roll which was tasty but quite tiny. And they give you just one roll per person. Our entrées included the fillet which was deemed exceptional; the walleye, which I thought was perfectly cooked and included a generous portion. Another entrée included the daily halibut special which, unfortunately, was a little underwhelming although perfectly prepared. And another entrée was the sunnies which were fantastic and generously portioned. The sauces that accompanied the fish dishes were exceptional. Highly recommend! read more

See all

We recently hosted a groom's dinner for 38 people at Lake Elmo Inn. Both the food and the service were outstanding. With under 40 guests, Lake Elmo Inn allowed us to use a limited menu, (our choice of items on their normal menu,) for food choices---so food was served "restaurant style". Everyone agreed the food was excellent. We had dedicated service staff that were extremely attentive, and provided first rate service. Many first time guests, including out-of-towners, vowed they will return! We were reminded why Lake Elmo Inn is our first choice in the east metro for a great dinning experience. read more

We ordered a variety of entrees, and everything, including the sides, were excellent. Our server was attentive and very informative and friendly. The ambience was very welcoming. read more

Excited for our 40th Anniversary experience........ waited for food for over an hour - no feedback from staff - allegedly order not entered to kitchen staff - duck risotto came out raw and unsafe to eat - comped our dessert and app........... 2.25 hours later, majorly disappointed !! Big Time restaurant - Small Time Results! read more

Great food and the bar area was awesome before our travel was ready. Great wine choices, spoil yourself and get some the Caymus. Servers were great and the Sommelier will tell you anything you need to know about the wine read more

Way over priced, there are better places with better food and prices!! Try the Laurel Supper Club, way more bang for the buck!!

We will not return ever for dinner. Worst service ever. For the prices they charge the service should be attentive and prompt. Our server was overwhelmed with the 5 tables she had. The food came out timely but never asked if we wanted another cocktail. We sat for 20 minutes after we got done with our meal with no offer of dessert menu or our check. She walked right past us a dozen times. Lake Elmo Inn needs to lower their prices if they can't deliver good service. read more

Food eas served promptly, prepared perfectly and delicious. Our server ,Rose, was engaging, attentive and very helpful with suggestions. Ambiance was for formal, but not pretentious. We really enjoyed the entire experience. Can't wait to go back read more

Went for a friends birthday tonight. The service was very very slow. They made up for it by bringing us free veggie and beef soup. We had our reservation at 6:30pm and did not get out of there until around 8:50pm. Despite slow service, the food entrees were amazing everyone loved theirs. For a fancy dinner we were all shocked at how reasonably priced this was as well. 4 stars for slow service and their bread was not the greatest. I have had better at more causal restaurants. read more

Lake Elmo Inn - 1881 Filet Mignon - American Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Very good food! The decor is older, but in a good way. Their collection of salt and pepper shakers is not to be missed. It's a very expensive place to eat, and certainly worth it for special occasions. We went there for a birthday and the birthday person got the waygu-style beef. The tiny bit I was allowed to try was amazing. Servers were professional, efficient and kind. read more

Legendary. Crab Mac and cheese. Brunch!!! The desserts are Devine! You have to go for prime rib. I love to supper club feel. Can be a little spendy, but well worth it the portions are huge and the food is SO SO good. You WILL have left overs. And if you don't, that's ok becuase it was so good you couldn't leave any behind! read more

Have been coming here for years and never have i been so disappointed in a restaurant! Food has gone downhill since last year. Flavorless and portions are halved. Service was terrible. 2 1/2 hours complete service, RIDICULOUS!!!! This is a tragedy because LEI has been a community staple. I guess the next generation of owners just don't care? read more

The food for the new years brunch was outstanding. The service was remarkable and I felt welcomed and cared for when I was there. They had amazing food and their deserts are the sinfully delicious. The while environment was just really polite and respectful and the festive atmosphere was just amazing it was well worth the money and I can honestly say I am full and in a near food coma. The birthday party for my cousin was a success because they did such remarkable job. Best 30th birthday party ever. I am speechless and at lose for words on how room and nice that place is. Highly recommend for a nice event. read more

See all

The best steak I've ever had in my life. EVER. Also, we've ordered a Thanksgiving Meal here and it was a big hit with the family. I like the vintage decor so --- I get a kick out of the salt and pepper shaker collection. (It's beautifully displayed too). Excellent Champagne brunch. As a toddler my son unintentionally pulled a brick out of the wall near the fireplace years' ago and the manager was gracious about it and told us "No worries" when we informed the server (who was also really nice and attentive to our little Monster). This place is a treasure. read more

This wasn't just going out for dinner, this was a dining experience from beginning to end. Our anniversary rolled around again, and I wanted to take our dinner to the next level, so convinced my wife to come to the Lake Elmo Inn. The experience was better than what we had in NYC when we lived there. We were warmly greeted and seated. The server and staff were wonderfully attentative and helpful. Drinks came fast and were wonderful. This was the best LI Iced Tea I have ever had at a restaurant. Shortly thereafter the apps came out. We loved the Irish Truffles. After the truffles, we were offered lemon sorbet to cleanse the palate. We ordered the specials, since they both sounded amazing, king salmon and NY Strip with a cognac sauce. The entrees were excellent. After that, we moved on to desserts. Sin of the Inn was amazing. Tres Leches was fantastic. Macaroons were the best we've had. We enjoyed these with coffee. To finish things off, we were served champagne to celebrate our anniversary, and then given warm cinnamon scented towels and chocolate covered strawberries. I will say this. The Lake Elmo Inn my not be what folks from other areas are looking for. It stays in its lane, serving a variety of delicious food, but it's not LA or NYC, it's local. They serve food from local farms, walleye, sunfish, etc. That said, Lake Elmo Inn is the gold standard for a dining experience in the east metro. read more

See all

We dine at The Lake Elmo a handful of times a year, and the service has always been great, just as it was this time. The reason for the 4 stars, sad to say, is this most recent time we were there, some of the food just was not at all up to par. (It had been 3 or so months prior we had last dined here). One of our foursome, always get the deep fried tiger shrimp, always so good, firm, with a sweetness and always perfectly deep fried in a lovely batter. Not anymore, they changed them. Different shrimp and different batter, both inferior to the previous shrimp and batter. (price on the menu is the same however). The shrimp are still large, but they border on spongy, and the coating is now of panko, rough texture and falls off the shrimp easily. We were told they were changed because people complained about the firmness of the tiger shrimp , and the cost of the tiger shrimp had risen too much. (Sorry,..but if the tiger shrimp/prawns weren't good as they were and people complained...they would not have been on the menus for so many years). Explanation was lame at best. Also, this addressed the shrimp, but why the change in batter? And why wouldn't they access the popularity of an item on the menu for years, and instead raise the price of tiger shrimp per plate, like most other nicer restaurants do? It'll be a while before we plan to return. Disappointed for certain. read more

We were there with large bus group and had an excellent experience. Wonderful service, delicious foods. Beautiful setting inside and out. Loved looking at all the salt and pepper shakers on display. read more

See all

Our first time here!! Delicious. Food was wonderful and service was outstanding. Our waitress, Joyce, was super friendly and always was one step ahead of us. Also very accommodating for my gluten free restrictions. We will be back! read more

Lake Elmo Inn - Elmo's Sirloin - American Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Little disappointed in comparison of what it used to be when I went there in the past, on our last visit, the vegetable of the day was glazed carrots when it came out they were the little baby carrots that come in the bag from the grocery store. Second off I got charged four dollars for a soda water out of the gun??? We ordered a bowl of French onion soup so we could split it instead of the cup, but it was the tiniest bowl and when I asked for a bowl instead of the cup, she said it was a bowl, lol Portions have seemed to get small, but I will say service is wonderful as always. read more

This place is simply fantastic. I came in for dinner recently with some family and the service and food were both excellent across the board. We didn't need a reservation and simply walked right in. They even has a fun collection of salt and pepper shakers displayed in the lobby. I ordered the cauliflower bolognese pasta and it was delicious. Others in my party ordered grouper and walleye, and everyone loved their dinners. They also provide little lemon sorbet cones as a palate cleanser. They even convinced us to order a couple desserts after bringing out a huge selection. I'd definitely like to visit again next time I'm in Lake Elmo. read more

This restaurant is top notch! From the minute you walk in to the minute you leave you'll experience first class service, friendly smiles, and impeccable food. Apps included Reuben truffles and pot stickers. Both were ok. I had the braised beef with vegetable of the day, linguine and added a scallop. Beef was fork tender and scallop was to die for! Vegetable of the day was your average mixed veg and linguine was so-so; butter cheese sauce was broken and sort of gritty. Another party member had jumbo shrimp with red potatoes and upgraded to grilled asparagus. They were the biggest jumbo shrimp I've ever seen. Dish was given rave reviews. Last guest had the special of the night: blackened halibut with mixed veg and linguine. Halibut was perfectly cooked and very tasty. Dessert included their signature torte and white cake layered with strawberries and cream. Torte was fabulous. Unfortunately the cake was less than sub-par. Overall, this place is a hidden gem in downtown Lake Elmo. Highly recommend. Atmosphere is elegant and classy. read more

Their mothers day brunch it fantastic! The brunch has a wide variety of foods to choose from. I particularly loved the endless mimosas, very nice! Make reservations wayyyy a head of time, it books up fast. read more

We celebrated our 45th anniversary with our children and grandchildren (ages 5, 8, 8, and 10, for a total of 11 people. The evening was perfect. First of all, we had a large round table. This allowed us all to have conversations throughout the evening. They brought out "Young Adult" menus and they had excellent choices such as steak, fish, etc. as well as typical kid fare. We had two bottles of wine that we really enjoyed and the staff were able to describe one which we were not familiar with. we each ordered an entree and they did not disappoint. Between the adults, we had the duck, steaks, and scallop, which were made to perfection. Even the vegetable side of carrots and green beans were cooked and seasoned perfectly. The kids really enjoyed the more formal aspects of the meal such as the breads (LOVED the cranberry bread), the sorbet pal cleanser, chocolate covered strawberry, and warm towel at the end. Their desserts are to die for and I highly recommend the Sin of the Inn (imagine a huge turtle treat) as well as their carrot cake. Beyond the food was the attentive staff. Our server was checking in frequently, knowledgeable about the menu, and if she didn't know, clearly conveyed the message to the kitchen. This was especially important for those in our party with dairy and gluten sensitivity. A second staff member (perhaps a bus person) was seen checking our table and filling water glasses and removing plates promptly. Even with 4 children (including some neurodivergent ones) the meal went off without a hitch. Another pleasant surprise was when we received the check. We expected it to be significantly higher. They did add an automatic 20% gratuity due to our large group and it was still less than expected. The food and service were so amazing we added an additional tip. This meal was more than we could have expected. We would give it more than 5 stars if we could. read more

I have enjoyed this place since I was a kid. The food is still pretty good. The interior feels a little outdated, but if you are looking for decor and art, I say go to a museum. Anyway, service is good, but they do take their time with each course. Drinks, appetizers, a palate cleanser, entrées, and dessert. Expect your experience to take about 2 hours. During the nice Minnesota months, snag a seat on the open patio. I enjoy the portobello fries and the ravioli here. There are always specials of the day/week, so inquire if they are not told to you. The dessert tray is also extensive. read more

Sunday Brunch CurbSide - We went on Feb 25, 2024. 2 Boxes ordered for total of 4 peoples. Each box contained 2 Cinnamon rolls, 2 apps, 2 breakfasts, 2 entrees, 2 sets of desserts and 2 small containers of fresh strawberries. Also, included a bottle of champaign for each box. We picked them up and took them to daughter's house for Brunch and Home! The food was absolutely outstanding! Each serving was packaged separately, and labeled clearly. The serving size was very good, in fact I don't think any of us ate their entire meal. (Reheated well for dinner that evening!) But the downside was that the champaign ("American Champaign") was terrible. At first we mixed it with orange juice for mimosas, but then attempted to drink it alone. The orange juice apparently had masked how awful the "champaign" was, and it was impossible to drink it alone. We ended up pouring one of the entire bottles down the drain. Literally left bad taste in our mouths, and wasn't a great ending to the meal. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g43232-d474722-r939888767-Lake_Elmo_Inn-Lake_Elmo_Minnesota.html# read more