This was a new place for us. We found it on Yelp while we were in the area. We were not disappointed. We arrived and were seated with staff and ourselves wearing masks. The booths were spaced well with plexiglass between. I always appreciate when a pub has Castle Danger Cream Ale and I had a large one. I also ordered the fish and chips which was Canadian walleye and waffle fries. It was very tasty and enough to take some home. We also had half a turkey sandwich with French onion soup. The sandwich was mediocre but the soup was awesome. The cheese flowed over the bowl and was really tasty. I feel that this place gave us a safe and read more

Maynards - Turkey sandwich with French onion soup - Bars Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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Came in for lunch and there was no wait. Covid precautions in place & increased takeout orders, but still a nice place to have a break overlooking the lake. I really enjoyed my French onion soup topped with delicious melted cheese-well, until my lunch partner tried it and ate the rest of it! Yes, we would both recommend the French onion soup. The fish & chips were interesting since the fish were nice pieces of walleye. read more

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Great patio area with cornhole/bags. We are inside (different menu than patio). All of the food was voluminous, reasonably priced, and quite tasty. Only miss was too-salty french onion soup which they took off the bill. read more

Maynards - Boats at the dock by patio. - Bars Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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Beautiful location, great menu and well prepared food is a recipe for a successful restaurant. We visited Maynards on a busy Saturday night. Our reservation was promptly honored and we were seated with a beautiful view of Lake Excelsior. We enjoyed an appetizer order of walleye fingers and we each ordered a salad-Thai Chicken bowl and Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl. Both were superb. May be a new trend-I really don't know but service all around seems to have improved since the onset of COVID. No exception here. You would never know how busy they were as servers easily kept up with drinks along with extra this or that. Keep this trend going! Great view, food and friends. read more

This place means a lot to me. I have been here for many occasions and I have a soft spot because of that. Their 20 year anniversary weekend was packed with people. 1. Location Amazing location, view, on the lake, beautiful scenery and the marina is simply a treat for anyone's eyes. Located at the heart of Excelsior downtown, it has a nice history and culture of its own. 2. Food 2 out of 5. Nothing special here. They have typical American food such as burger and sandwiches. Totally edible, but not great. Shrimp was bad here. Service is friendly. 3. Drinks Cocktails aren't as good as most places in Minneapolis. Old fashioned was simply okay. However, they're much cheaper than other places in twin cities, ranging in prices of $5-7. 4. Long wait They always have long wait, even when we came in the middle of the winter, still has some line. 5. Parking They do have a parking lot, but again, because they are quite busy, parking is hard to come by. However, there are parking available as long as you're willing to walk 5 mins or so. It is a location you can enjoy to watch games on their TVs or enjoy the view and eat some okay food. This is not a place for people to come to enjoy the food. read more

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I think this is probably a great place in the summer and if you live in the community. The outdoor space on the lake looks great, but in the winter, it's like any other place. There are many tvs for you to watch something or be distracted during conversations. The food itself was okay. There's nothing particularly special in their waffle fries and burgers... BUT that french onion soup was phenomenal (despite the price). Now, let's address being the stranger to the local community. Not only did we get a look-down when we walked in, but the local-boomer-wondering-who-that-is game is strong. The staff was slightly fake-nice but did their job. I would not return... unless I moved into the area.... and lived there for five years... and craved french inion soup! On par with a Lucky 13 or Bar Louie. Meh and overpriced. read more

Good location to dock the boat up and grab a quick bite. Prices are what you would expect for a restaurant on the lake so slightly above what you would pay at a normal restaurant. I had a Cajun Chicken Sandwich with waffle fries. Fries were standard bar fries which were solid and hit the spot after suds on the water all day. Cajun Chicken Sandwich delivered with some spice and a nice sized chicken breast. This is a place of convenience and not somewhere I would seek out if I was in Wayzata and looking for a good bite to eat. Great place for quick bite to eat, have some drinks and check out the scenery/vibe. read more

Maynards - Cajun Chicken Sandwich - Bars Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

If you haven't been to Maynard's on the Lake it's Tim's to change your weekend plans. I am not a fan of your typical chain restaurants Minnesota has in abundance so when some friends invited us to meet them at Maynard's in Excelsior I was pretty skeptical. Vibe- the area surrounding this place has old town charm and is right on the lake with boat side service. He patio has games a fireplace and plenty of seating with an outdoor bar to enjoy a beer or mixed drink with your appetizers. The food is good as well. Firecracker shrimp and the Cuban were two items we really enjoyed and there are great options that won't break the bank. Ultimately this place is fun and I am sure will be a return for our family soon read more

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We reviewed the menu before we went to Maynards. It indicated there were dinner specials if you order before 5:30. So we got there at 4:30 to order and the waitress knew nothing about it. She asked management who told her it wasn't available until next week! Wasn't that important enough to state that on you website menu??! So we ordered anyway, asking if we could substitute a potato for noodles on one entree. The waitress said we could. When we got the bill they had charged $6 for the substitution. Not cool!!! read more

We've been coming to Maynard's for many years and have never had a negative experience. Last night was no exception. My Cajun Pork Chop (with a baked potato) was excellent, tasty and a good size. My wife's walleye was also very good. Service from Bethany C. was wonderful, attentive and very friendly. Unlike many other restaurants, the noise level was subdued, so conversation was possible without yelling. The setting on Lake Minnetonka is always very pleasant. The only negative is the lack of sufficient parking. read more

Ok, straight and to the point, beer was $6, Buffalo chicken wrap with fries was enough to feed to people. Portion sizes are huge. Will come back read more

Maynards - Beer - Bars Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

One of my favorite places! The Wharf is the perfect summer spot, but the food is the main event for me! The waffle fries/sour cream, Frannie's salad, and Bootlegger are the BEST. A true summer staple, but the food hits year round! read more

Fun spot! We sat outside, so we had the wharf menu. The servers were prompt and friendly - they didn't rush us and always made sure we had full drinks. For the service, location, and drinks - 4 stars. The food is 3. The only non-meat option was a fiesta-type salad. And it was yummy but also just lacking compared to the other menu items. The fries were delish though! read more

On my list of favorite restaurants. The food is always great as well as the service. Great ambiance in all seasons, but especially in the summer. read more

Called to make a reservation for 9 people for 7:15 pm a week ahead of our celebration. Was told that was their busy time and reservation would have to be at 7:45 or 8 pm. I said to the hostess that is why I am calling one week in advance to secure a reservation at 7:15 pm. Was told "NO" couldn't do it. Will not patronize Maynards in Excelsior, MN anytime in the future. read more

I normally refrain from posting negative experiences in restaurants since I know this is a tough industry to be in. Unfortunately, I can no longer stay silent. Time and time again I walk away from Maynards disgusted in the food quality and mediocre service. They are blessed with having the best location on the lake and the restaurant is always full so it's too bad they don't have the same respect for their clientele by providing them with higher quality food. :(. Please do better. read more

Everything is good. Great appeys, burgers, French onion soup, maynards chicken breast sandwich, and.cake!

The food is delicious. Absolutely love sitting on the wharf in summer. Great place to come in a boat.

I realize as I'm writing this it's my second review of Maynard's and my 4th review ever of any business. But I have such a spot in my heart for this place since my recently deceased father loved it so much that when it steps outside of being incredible, I need to let the public know. The beer selection is TERRIBLE. the draft beer that is decent, isn't local. Whoever is doing the beer selection needs to either delegate it or be let go. read more

Never go here So I was visiting a friend from home in Minnesota and I am from North Carolina and a lot of my other friends are from various different states. So basically we get up to the front and then they don't let us in, they essentially tell us with our real IDs in hand to call the cops because they claim all the IDs are all fake so we threaten to call the cops since we need our IDs and they just give us our IDs back. Terrible bar, never come here. read more

My 9 year old granddaughter is a very particular eater. She ordered the chicken strips from the children's menu and said they were "heaven ". Your service and food is awesome. read more

One thing led to another which made us pretty upset about coming here, but the food made it all worth it. First off, the parking situation was terrible. We came on a Thursday afternoon for lunch and the only spots available were next to cars parked on the lines. We circled the lot twice and struggled to get into a tight spot. There are spots available on the street but I believe there are paid meters. So right from the start, we were nervous about getting door dinged in their parking lot... Ok so we walked inside and there were four hostesses/waitresses all chatting it up. The hostess kind of had an attitude with us and turned her back once we decided that we wanted to sit outside. Maybe pointing us in the right direction would be the right thing to do? Once we got to the patio, we were scrambling to find a table. There was a big corporate lunch that took up most of the patio, but luckily we found a couple who just got up to leave. Be prepared to notice others hovering over tables since the patio is seat-yourself. Our server, Kaden, was very kind and attentive. We had a great time admiring the bay and the boats coming and going. The food was excellent! I wish that their inside menu was the same as the wharf menu, but we still loved what we ordered. We enjoyed the Walleye Sandwich and Chicken Sandwich (with teriyaki). And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think their waffle fries ($2 substitution for chips) are better than Chick-Fil-A's! So overall, we would definitely come back for the great views and awesome food. read more

My friend and I went for dinner one night I had the shrimp it was so good service was great waitress was very attentive. I would recommend this place. read more

Maynard's is a classic spot on Lake Minnetonka, perfect for a summer night hang. Huge outdoor patio. Summer evenings this place is always packed, so parking can be a bit of a challenge. My favorite staple menu items are the seasoned Italian fries with a sour cream dipping sauce and the mojito. You gotta give this combo a try! read more

Maynards - Italian fries and mojito - Bars Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

First visit to Maynards on the Saturday (Kentucky Derby day) of Mother's Day weekend, 2022. We had a party of 5, no reservations, and showed up around Noon. The place was very busy, lots of people there for the Derby, Mom's Day and the first nice outdoor day of the year after a ROTTEN Spring. Service was fantastic and the food was outstanding. I had the firecracker shrimp tacos, they were wonderful. My wife had a poke bowl, she loved it. The rest of our party was also very happy. To the less than great review writers, you folks don't know how good you have it. Try finding a place to get decent food and service anywhere South of Stevens Point, WI and North of Portage, WI. It almost can't be done. The level of 'give a shit' that I saw at Maynards made me want to send everyone who works in food service in Central Wisconsin there for a crash course in 'give a shit'. Impressed, and will be back next time I'm anywhere near the Twin Cities. read more

Grabbed a patio table at Maynard's on a Friday night (no small feat because the place was PACKED). Our meals were wonderful and large, the servers were friendly and helpful, the venue is unique. Reservations HIGHLY recommended. read more

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Got to say- was pretty disappointed in our food. I realize we opted for the lakeside dining instead of the dining room so our selections were limited. Walleye sandwich was mediocre. Nothing special at all. Wife's chicken sandwich appeared to be frozen round patty similar to a McChicken. Blue Moon tap line needs a clean out. Sole positive was the waitress, very nice and friendly. With so many options around, it will be a while before returning. read more

Decent bar food with a great patio is about how I would sum up Maynards. Pretty weak selection of of tap beer as well. We used to take my mom here every year for the Sunday Brunch buffet, but for some reason, they stopped doing that. If you your in the area and need a meal it's not a bad choice but not worth any lengthy drive read more

I had another nice dinner here. Last time was in the winter, wow was it busy in the summer! I had to park down the street. I fully expected slow service and a long time for the food. I had a reservation and was seated immediately. The waiter came right away and provided great service throughout the meal. The food came quickly. I had a great walleye sandwich. This place is busy in the summer due to their good food and location on the lake. They know how to handle the busy business and are well staffed and ready for the crowds. Many restaurants slow down when it's busy, I am most impressed by Maynard's, these folks are real professionals. I will be back! read more

Beautiful place to enjoy a summer meal outside! We will have to come back to check out the inside restaurant! Staff was friendly and food was good. read more

Maynards - a boat docked at a dock - Bars Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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Perfect spot to spend a summer evening on the lake! Great views, great ambiance, and always with great company :) you have a lot of options as far as seating goes: inside, patio, or on the lakeside deck outside. For inside and patio seating you can put your name on the list and get the full menu, but if you want the full experience you have to opt for the lakeside open seating. The outdoor seating has a smaller menu of options but includes most of the fan favorites. Here you get the pleasure of scoping out tables where folks look like they just paid their tab, casually hover, and swoop in as soon as they get up. It's a pretty fun game. Speaking of games! There's also bean bag toss and a few other fun yard games to play while you sip on a beer and continuously scan for an open spot. Food is slightly over priced but it's on the lake and in Minnetonka so probably average for what it's worth. Service is always fast and friendly :) read more

Great Place To Eat At Any Day Of The Week Try The Special Sauce It's Great Man I'm Not Joking read more

Stopped by boat at Maynards today it is one of our favorite restaurants on the lake and stop at least twice a week. The food is good and the dock crew are especially helpful. However, service was unusually slow today. We commented to our waitress who was extremely concerned and empathetic and told the manager. Much to our surprise the manager came to our table.... On a very busy day to apologize and comped our drinks. We love their food and will be back. Thank you for caring enough to actually show up in person to listen. That is a sign of a great manager. read more

The perfect spot for summer is definitely the wharf at Maynards in Excelsior! There's ample seating, but if you're going with a group I would recommend heading there in advance to maybe snag a bigger spot! The day we went was honestly SO hot, so we snagged lemonades and virgin mojitos. We were both surprised with the larger drink size and really appreciated it - and it's perfect for the busy staff, too, so they naturally don't have to check in as much! We shared the cheese curds - which I would say they're 3/5 and I probably wouldn't get them again as they were too breaded for my taste. BUT- Frannie's chicken salad is where it's at. The chicken is perfectly crusted and the ingredients were all so fresh. The honey mustard dressing is a great flavored dressing that's a bit lighter than most! read more

Maynards - Frannies Chicken Salad - Bars Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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What a shame that a decades old company is falling apart and so amazingly ride to its customers. We were told at the host stand that outside was open seating and we could grab a few chairs if we wanted. There was an open table so we grabbed a couple of chairs for our table. Until a rude little jerk server named Tyler came over and grabbed the chairs VIOLENTLY from one of the women in our group. Then he did it a second time. He said that chairs could not be moved and he needed them in his section at a table. Well, look at the picture. He grabbed a bunch of other chairs so he could accomodate his friends at his table in his section. Again, he was VIOLENT! We asked for the manager. Lisa came out. She said she was the inside manager and did not witness Tyler being VIOLENT, so there was nothing should could do. WHAT? Why not send out the outside manager? Why not look at cameras? Then Lisa said weren't you here a couple of days ago? Yes. Yes we were. Why go back when they tolerate their employees be VIOLENT with their customers? I guess after all of these decades the owners no longer care. read more

Maynards - Bars Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

Maynard's gets four stars for their outdoor deck with pretty views of the water. The vibe outside is very cool and relaxing! You feel like your on vacation - and you are going to eat like it too. They serve mostly bar food. Prices are on the high side for the type of food they serve but it's worth checking this place out in the summer. Be prepared to wait for a table if you come on a day with nice weather. I love the outdoor games you can play while you wait. (Corn hole) It's also fun to watch the ducks, boats and fish swarming around the pier. Indoor decor feels like a place you'd take your grandmother for a sunday dinner. Desperately needs an update! read more

This rating is for the view and ambiance only. Take it from me, in the warm weather this place is beautiful. It's right on the water over looking the doc and it it stunning. There is an outdoor bar that serves this area and table service available. I've been here a number of times, it's a go to when I visit, and take it from me...to food here is not great. It's typical bar fare, but it is usually cold or flavorless and honestly, just stick with the drinks. They make decent mixed drinks, spicy bloody Mary's, and the beer selection is pretty great. The ambiance is completely worth the visit and I would recommend stopping by when it is warm out. read more

Maynards - Bars Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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These people have been rockstars throughout 2020! The deck was great during the summer, well organized and distanced. Their takeout is so easy, it's always been on time, the staff is friendly and the food arrives in great condition. Many restaurants are still struggling with the intake of orders and proper forecasting of pick up time, but Maynards nailed it and it's a pleasure to continue to order from them. Other restaurants should take note of their process. read more

This is a go to place in the summer! It has by far one of the best decks overlooking Lake Minnetonka. I love they have TV's outside so you don't have to miss the sunset while your watching a game. The food is good... I am a fan of the firecracker shrimp, flatbread pizzas, and the coconut chicken salad (fanny's salad). My dad always loved the walleye, and daughter loves the spaghetti. They serve great drinks and they have excellent bartenders. Decent wines not extensive tho. Valet parking helps since the parking lot can suck! It's busy so be prepared to pull up a barstool and wait. Docks available to visit by boat. Sit back, relax, grab a drink, and enjoy the breath taking view! read more

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Location, location, location. Now that Bayview is gone, and Lord Fletchers too far, us Lake Minnetonka area denizens have limited options for hanging out with friends and family on the lake. Even better, the old Bayview-only parking lot across the street, which was abandoned and blocked off last year, is now Maynards. Loads of parking, except .... the same horrendous table seating ... they get constant traffic from four directions: cars (valet available), downtown Excelsior bar hoppers, cyclists off the main LRT trail, and boats - lots of boats. In the good old days, which was not very long ago, I would pull off the bike path and ride down to the mini Tiki bar at Bayview, order beer and chat with fellow cylists. All that is gone. Maybe someone at Maynards will read this and drag that hut over. I have been here scores of times over the years. As in, dozens of times every year. I am a Maynards expert. The only one with more expertise is my wife, who has an amazing ability to find an available outdoor table despite the packs of people desperately seeking a table. I cannot reveal her secret. Last night, Saturday at 7, while my wife searched for a table in the open seating bar area, I put my name in at the front desk for an outdoor table for 6. They said the wait list had dropped from 33 to 15, to expect a 30 minute wait. I came out with my pager to find my wife had just secured a table ... and another one. No. Wait, a minute later, the most prime table of all opened up on the water ... unfortunately for her, the five us had ordered and did not want to move. A few minutes after seating, our pager buzzed, but no one wanted to move. My family has eaten on those tables dozens upon dozens of times. The kids, now ages 22, 18 and 13, are past dropping bread and fries to geese, ducks and fish. Now, it is more people and boat watching. So, tonight, we started at Red Sauce Rebellion in downtown Excelsior, dropped our minor kids at our homes, drove back and found multiple open spots across the street (free, street is not) ... now, back to our table. The wait staff is always super frantic, friendly, handles many tables, and are, per my wife, a solid 5 stars going back a decade plus. They help eachother and seem to be omnipresent, despite the chaos ... navigating the throngs Of people. I really enjoyed watching them pull up, remove, carry, collapse and stuff dozens of umbrellas in a tight storage space as dusk turned to night. The food on the patio is just meh, the restaurant okay, hich is why I am knocking the place down a star. It is not bad, nor spectacular. Well, to be fair, we ordered a bunch of booze and only one appetizer, a hummus-veggie platter I would give 5 stars for. Depending on what side of the plastic patio menu you read, you might think this is another bad Minnesota beer establishment. Keep spinning. The Fresh Squished IPA is awesome. I clone it at home (I am a brewer). This is some of the best shit on tap, period. So, why the 4 stars? Because overall, take away the location, it is just meh, okay, and the crowds suck unless you have my wife. Inside, the food is better, but I would rather be at Red Sauce, Jakes, etc. You are going for the pulse thumping alive outdoor atmosphere. Prices 5 stars. Beer 5 stars. Deck 10 stars. Fun with friends 5 stars. Seeing old friends 5 stars. More more parking 5 stars. Wife who can find a table despite the crowds 5 stars, food maybe a 2 or 3, overall come back 5 stars. Hmmm. Seems a 5 is fair if you know to expect ... other than Hazellewood, I'd say this is the most frequent restaurant I go to, a must in warm weather. read more

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