Driving back to Mpls and decided breakfast sounded good. This place serves breakfast all day. Everything made from scratch sounded good. Pros: clean, friendly, parking for RV and trailers, easy to get to, gift shop, some bakery items to go including wild rice cranberry bread, nice views, not a chain. Some of the nicest waitstaff. We ordered Apple Wild Rice Pancakes with side of bacon. They were great about substituting hash browns for the bacon. Hubby ordered Northwoods Omelette with wild rice cranberry toast. Cons: service was good but food took longer than expected. Since it's from scratch cooking we expected to wait but that was a bit more of a wait especially if you want business from travelers. The hash browns were crispy just as I liked them. My pancake was doughy in the middle but tasty. I don't like doughy so hubby ate it . They offered to redo the order but we didn't have time. His omelette was good but he would have liked more filling. The toast was barely toasted and cold. We would give this place another try hoping for a better day in the kitchen. We are spoiled from Original Pancake House and Keys Cafe in the Twin Cities. read more

They politely served us even though it was late We were in MN for a family need. We stopped at The Lazy Bear for dinner. They seated and served us even though they were closing in 45 minutes. There weren't any other customers when we arrived...another couple did come in that they accommodated too. I had a starter of yummy cream of chicken-wild rice soup that was delicious and a chicken croissant which was very good too. Tom had a Ruben that he said was "terrible" but he ate it anyway due to the lateness of the evening. Our server, Abbey, was pleasant and gave good service. The view of Bear Island Lake adds to the ambiance. read more

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Abbey was our server on a quiet Wednesday, she was absolutely lovely. Lazy Bear is a cute little diner. We shared the Hindenburg with fries (a fall kielbasa sandwich special) and the wild rice meatloaf burger with onion rings. We couldn't pass up homemade pie. We shared the butterscotch pie and pumpkin pie. I will be thinking about that butterscotch pie for a long time. Do NOT miss the butterscotch pie!!! Everything was delicious. The hand cut fries were a little soggy and greasy, that was the only thing that was off. Can't recommend this place enough. It will be our stop over on the way up to and on the way home from the North Shore. read more

The customer service could use some improvement. The waitress had attitude when asked for some slices of pie and make a snarky remark when I was waking away. The fish was tough and a bit like Jerky. I'm giving a star for the scenery. read more

Lots of attention to homemade food. About a dollar more a plate than nearby restaurants but the extra care that goes into the food merits the extra charge. Great Lake view from the restaurant. The wait staff was helpful and courteous. I had a burger (sriracha blue cheese) and the beef tasted like beef. I appreciated the extra toppings free of charge (lettuce, onion, tomato). The homemade fries were hot out of the fryer. I didn't specify how the burger should be done. It came out slightly pink in the middle. That is an indicator of someone who understands beef. I'm not sure, but I think they make their own pickles there too. The ones that came out with the burger were really good and did not look like they were out of a jar. My wife had the meatloaf burger. It was pretty good. She ordered the Cole slaw. It was sub par. This was a shame because the last time I was in there, the slaw was the best part; fresh, white and creamy with cranberries. This time it was a vinegar base and it was old and soggy. Not sure why the switch? The bread pudding looked yummy in the case. I saw a couple eating great big bowls of spaghetti with homemade meatballs and sauce. It looked great. My sister-in-law got a homemade apple crisp/tart to go. I've talked with her since and she said it was fantastic. She claimed the homemade crust was as good as the topping. In the end, the food is good but not stellar. I've been twice and the consensus with my guests and me is that about 70% of the plates that come out are spot on, about 30% are just ok (not bad, just ok). The price is fair. The location is really nice. There's also a little gift shop in the basement of the place if you're looking for something uniquely Minnesotan. read more

Lazy Bear Grill - Sriracha bleu cheese burger with fries. A good choice. - American Near Me - Barnum, Minnesota

What a great little find on our way to Lutsen. Great menu with something for everyone. All day breakfast. I had the walleye sandwich. Friends had liver and onions. Kids had burgers and breakfast. Great service. A little gift shop downstairs. read more

Great spot odd highway 35 heading north to Duluth or on your way back from Duluth on 35s in Barnum. The signs that you see from the highway don't lie. Everything is made from scratch and the pies are amazing. Had the Minnesota wild rice omelet. I didn't like all of the rice in it but otherwise it was good. The baby pancakes I got as my aide were not baby size by any means lol they seem regular size. I could o kg mister a few bites. They were super fluffy and fresh. They do have sugar free syrup for those who are health conscious. I always have to get home made soups so I got the white chicken chili. It was very good and creamy and hearty. Felt good on a cold day in MN. Lastly had to get some pie. Couldn't choose so I asked the waitress for a recommendation. She said PB cup. I am glad I asked because the menu just said PB. Once she added cup. It was all over. For a slice and it was fluffy peanut butter heaven. Highly recommended. There is a 12% gratuity that says it's "optional" but it's already added to the bill. You have to figure out yourself how much more to add to it. But the staff deserve this and more. They're great. read more

Two stars for the service. No stars for the food. I ordered the cod platter and substituted fries for mashed. When the plate came I almost sent it back thinking it was a small thin chicken fried steak. It was brownish grey. The fries looked good but were very mushy. I asked for a side of gravy as I had noticed they had a hot beef on the menu. I received white gravy.. my bad I should have been specific. Unfortunately the gravy had little flavor. The tartar sauce was overly sweet and the roll and vegetable were completely let off my plate. The waitress did apologize and bring them to the table but all together this was a terrible meal and took way too long. read more

Food was okay, pie was great! Our server was Ava. She has been our server for the past few times we dined here. She is great! So sweet, knows her menu, and takes the time to ensure a great experience! read more

Very great experience both times I have been there. Was very quick on service, an food was delicious. Amazing view from inside also.

Good food and Friendly staff. Good selection of appetizers and entrées to choose from. Great selection of pies and desserts that were delicious. I recommend this place. read more

Simply awesome road food! Made from scratch burgers and breakfast with a heck of a restaurant view have made Lazy Bear a staple of our families up north trips. Whether dining in or stopping for a quick to go order, the lazy bear DOES not disappoint. Friend staff, fast service and quality, home cooked food. Also, if you have time, check out the gift store in the basement. read more

Lazy Bear Grill - Best made from scratch burgers on your way to the north shore! - American Near Me - Barnum, Minnesota

Friendly staff. Delicious homemade food. Pancakes are humongous and excellent. Haystack (eggs, choice of ham or sausage patties, hash browns or Kalevala, all topped with hollandaise) hit the spot. Carmel roll was good, nothing to write home about. 12% tip/gratuity, for whole staff doing the homemade prep cooking, is added to bill. Gift shop downstairs. read more

Lazy Bear Grill - Delicious! Haystack, with Kalevala (potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and bacon). Pancakes were amazing. Carmel roll was okay. - American Near Me - Barnum, Minnesota

Ordered a Reuben sandwich. When it came, half of the sandwich had NO meat on it. The other parts were covered with various sized scraps of what looked to be what was left in the kitchen. Sent it back won't be coming back again. read more

This place was surprisingly very good. They market that they make everything from scratch and did not disappoint. Even the pickle was made from scratch and I loved it the most I think. My picky husband had the meatloaf sandwich and said it was good. That's a lot coming from him. Also the place looked very clean. read more

It was better 2 years ago, but it isn't anymore. I visited here because i had good impression from previous visit. Food was mediocre and very slow now. They charge 12%tip upfront and you can add more if you wish. I think 12% makes the calculation tricky and confusing. I wasn't very happy with the service, yet end up giving more generous tip after all -Our dish was wrongly delivered to the different table and it stayed until the waitor realized it being on the wrong table. It left waiter's hand, and stayed in front of someone else. then it directly brought back to out table... even fast food places, and before covid 19, they make new if the food was given to wrong person. I watched this happen because of my sitting position, yet the waitor didn't say a thing. It was so slow to get food, so probably we still had the dish but this doesn't seem right. Not going back there again. read more

My wife's eaten here a couple of years ago and was looking to stop again so we stopped on our way up to Silver Bay. I'm really happy we stopped. My first time here and I couldn't have been more pleased with both my food and the service we got. I subbed out the spinach for ham on my omelette without any issues and it tasted exactly what I was looking for and the serving was awesome. 3/4 plate full of omelette sitting on a half plate of hash-browns with toast. I was really happy with it and look forward to stopping back here on future trips back up to the Duluth area (we're from Minneapolis). read more

We always make a stop here on our way to / from the cities. Breakfast is my preference. Scratch cooking. Best eggs ever and cranberry wild rice bread is original. Abundant servings. Good coffee and friendly service. Open daily, year around. read more

I had the haystack breakfast with cinnamon French toast...so delish! The service was fast and friendly!

Okay food. Crappy service. My wife had the walleyed fish sandwich which came with some sort of sweet sauce she didn't like. There wasn't anything on the menu about a sauce so it wasn't a pleasant surprise. She also had a cup of wild rice soup which was barely room temperature. I had a grilled chicken salad. It was okay. Nothing special. The service was terrible. The server didn't come back to ask how the food was until we were almost done. I had to take the cold soup to the counter and a different server brought us a hot bowl. Our server brought us the bill without asking if we wanted desert. We did so she brought us the pie we ordered and ice cream. Small slice of pie and small scoop of ice cream. The triple-berry pie was good but no spoons. Couldn't get her attention to bring some so finally ended using my wife's soup spoon. When our server finally did come back she put a clipboard on the table with all three checks (tabs) - we had 3 separate parties. Pretty much the worst server I've had at a restaurant that I can remember. Seriously. And they automatically tack on a 12% optional gratuity. Good thing it's optional because there's no way I would leave 12% for such poor service. read more

I wish I could rate the food but after a 45 minute wait my scrambled eggs and sausage didn't even come out. The place wasn't busy at all and the wait staff just seemed like it was any other day, no issues here. Also to note, this is the second time this has happened. Maybe I just have bad luck there but in the future I won't waste my time. read more

I happened on this restaurant while on a long drive. Holy crap! I wish I could have had more than one meal there because so much on their menu looked interesting and delicious. Staff incredibly friendly. My meal was terrific. Get the Kalevala hash with whatever you order. Finding this place was like finding a little jewel when you weren't even looking. Y E S read more

Easy to get to just off of Interstate 35. Nice variety on menu with awesome bakery goods. Chicken salad croissant was biggest croissant in MN. Walleye sandwich was tasty with grilled walleye, not smothered in breading. Downstairs gift shop is a must visit! read more

Incredibly delicious, made-from-scratch, food. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I had the meatloaf with Kalevala hash which was well seasoned, but could be a bit greasy at times (must be the bacon in it but who's complaining... it's bacon!). My boyfriend had the Barnyard burger which was delicious but in his opinion overpriced. $10 for the meatloaf plate and $14 for the burger didn't seem reasonable to him but he still heavily enjoyed it all. read more

Lazy Bear Grill - Barnyard burger and the wild rice meatloaf, both really good! The Kalevala hash was excellent. - American Near Me - Barnum, Minnesota

Terrible food. Worse service. I'd recommend driving past this restaurant. Waited 15 minutes to just get our order in and an hour for our food. The place wasn't even that busy and multiple tables who walked in after us and placed their order after us were served at least 20 minutes before us. They weren't even apologetic about it and the staff wasn't friendly. Food was pretty mediocre and I know you could find way better for a comparable price in Duluth (and with nicer, friendlier staff). Also their Kalevala hash was nothing special. I'm unsure how this restaurant was rated so high on Yelp. Never going here and I hope you don't either. read more

I stopped here on my way back from the Iron Range to Eden Prairie. I think the setup is decent and clean. One weird thing was when I seated myself I found a "top sellers" menu. I asked if there was a full menu available and I was told the best seller was being used due to them being busy. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with sautéed onions and mushrooms with fries. The burger was amazing! The bun reminds me of a croissant. That was an excellent change of pace from the normal burger bun, and it proved to hold up well from the juices of the burger. The fries were fresh hand cut fries and were also delicious. I wish I would have tried the pie! Ultimately the food was good, and is a reason to return. Would gave bern nice to have access to the full menu too. However, the service was poor. I felt not very attended too, wasn't really checked on much, and that my server wasn't really into being there. One reason could be the 12% service charge they put on the bill. They do notify of this charge upfront with a notice on the table about not needing to tip. My opinion, let the servers shine and work hard to get that 20% tip. Aside from that, I'd give it another shot. read more

Pass on by. Stopped in for late lunch. Nice waitress but everything else was bad. Mediocre walleye sandwich. They add a 12% surcharge as a "tip" for dishwasher and cook plus you are expected to tip the waitress. I'm sorry but if you can't pay your non wait staff out of your exorbitant prices, then close up shop. read more

This place was really good- it basically looks like a diner- but it was literally the best Reuben I've ever had. The corned beef was not lunch meat it was actual corned beef, dressing was homemade and sauerkraut was good. The burger tastes good, and the hash with the different potatoes was good as well. They have a cute shop inside with different stuff. They have homemade pies but we were too full to try them. read more

Cute little Grill however, service wasn't the best. It is pretty pricey for adequate food. We got one bacon cheeseburger that was greasy with a very dry bun for $14.00.. best part of this place was the ice cream read more

This is a quiet spot located of I 35 about 30 minutes south of Duluth, this place is a gem. The service is friendly and the food is really very good. The only thing I would like improved is the front door letting in so much cold... but its northern mn. read more

Great food and a great view while heading back from Duluth. The only thing they are missing is a Bloody Mary. I didn't notice the 12% added tip others talk about so if it still exists it wasn't called out very well. We will stop there again and my next review won't be as kind if the mandatory tip exists. read more

This was delicious!! The French toast is the best I've ever had. We visited on a rainy Saturday morning so we had no wait to get in, but the food took a long time to be served. I'm still giving 5 stars because all of the staff was kind and helpful even though it was super busy. I'll be back!! read more

So they have a tip added in and they circle your total amount due. Easy to miss the tip that's already part of your bill. The slip you are presented to sign has another spot to add another tip. At no time does anyone point out that you are already being charged a tip. When I called them afterward the owner was quick to point out that it's on the slip. I signed it and there's nothing I can do. We have eaten there several times but never again. The response from the owner made it obvious they have been called numerous times on it. They know what they are doing. This behavior should not be rewarded. Eat elsewhere is my advice. I'll be following it. We had a $26 lunch and paid $36 after the double tip. Follow up to their comments: Then pay them more than minimum wage. Don't cheat your customers out of their $$. At no time did you offer to make it right. I paid $10 tip on a $26 meal. You know what you are doing and have a poor attitude about it. No chance we will ever eat there again. read more

Labor Day and it was busy but it took a long time for our food. One meal was cold we sent it back and it was still cold. We ordered a coffee and didn't get it but it was on the bill. We did have it removed. The pancakes got good reviews. read more

Seriously, the best pancakes I've ever had! Went well with the thick bacon and scrambled eggs. French toast was also great. Nice atmosphere. read more

Stopped around 10:00 AM Saturday morning. I had always heard really great things about breakfasts here. Ordered 2 cakes 2 eggs over easy & bacon. Husband ordered biscuits and gravy and 2 eggs over easy. Very few people in there eating but our food still took half an hour. My eggs were rock hard and everything was cold. Butter would not melt on pancakes. Husbands eggs ok but gravy just warm. I didn't have another half an hour to wait so I just sent mine back and had them take it off the bill. Waitress was very sweet and apologized and offered complimentary cinnamon roll. Declined. Manager needs to check on the kitchen. read more

This place is a quick drive from our lake home. I had never been there - sad, since I drive by it all the time. Well, today I went there. AWESOME people and the food was SOOOOO good. It's cute in there, clean and there was something old school about it. Hand dipped malts, everything made from scratch and they were putting out their homemade bread to sell. I had a cheeseburger and their skin on fresh cut fries. It was a hand patty slab of meat in a nicely warmed up and slightly toasted bun. A huge slab of red onion and it was to die for. I noticed what others were eating and it all looked good. Breakfast served all day and it looked awesome from what I could see. The people working there were so friendly. This is a MUST go to. read more

Wow!! Just wow! We needed to get lunch after the railroad museum in Duluth. Saw the great pancake sign and had to give it a try, and very glad we did. The service was great and the food was awesome and filling. The French toast was thick and the pancakes yes were amazing. The bacon cheeseburgers that we had were great. I'd highly recommend this for a delicious pit stop. read more

Delicious burgers, and not a bad value. Down home service. Beautiful view as well! Don't miss the opportunity to go downstairs to the beautiful huge gift shop. Worth the stop, for sure. read more

The food was very good - had the omelette and coffee. The coffee could have been refilled more, but they were very busy. So I didn't let it bother me, but would have liked more. The prices are slightly higher than other places in the area, but you do get a good meal regardless. read more