Someone told me that if I passed this place on my road trip that I should stop by this place for lunch. I decided to go a few miles out of my way and give it a try. The place was very busy and I had to wait about 15 to 20 minutes. They don't have much of a waiting area but they give you a hockey puck pager so you can wander. The food was truck stop food nothing special and a place this busy does not appeal to me. They say you have to try the frisbee style pastries so I did and it was big and a pastry. read more

I stop here quite often. The service and food I had found generally very good. However, the last two times I've been there, I have left very disappointed. This last time I ordered a sirloin medium rare, it came out very rare. Not too mention it was tougher than nails. I hope the management will take look at the vendor they use for meat, ad well as the person cooking it. read more

So the Bloody Marys are delicious! The bakery is mind blowing. The patty melt was mediocre, the flatbread wasn't cooked enough and our silverware was dirty. This has the potential to be top notch with some attention to detail! read more

This is a review for the Nelson Bros. in the Clearwater Travel Plaza. I LOVE this rest stop, but this was my first time eating at the restaurant. I had a burger and chips and my co-traveler had a half a sandwich and cup of soup. The (blue cheese) burger was on an excellent homemade bun, lots of blue cheese and delicious sauteed onions and mushrooms, but the hamburger patty was a pre-formed frozen patty vs. fresh meat. WHY? Why go through all the trouble of making everything BUT the burger wonderful? I just don't understand why places would choose not to use fresh meat! The chips were kettle cooked and spiced and tasty. My friend's sandwich was nothing special and her cup of soup was SO thick should could have eaten it with a fork. It looked pretty gross, actually. Prices were a bit high ($9 for burger with chips), but I guess that's what you get nowadays, especially in places where they have you "trapped". read more

I mean check out the donut sizes! That alone should tell you they don't cut corners here. If you are on a diet, avoid this place!! The fritters and fritter bread are amazing! The rolls also put to shame any other touristy bakery, yeah I'm talking about you Toby's!! All of their baked goods are great. If you need a sugar rush and craving sweet rolls, stop here! read more

Nelson Bros. - Check out this mammoth donut! Screw diets, load me up! - Bakeries Near Me - Clearwater, Minnesota

Wow, Jackie was a phenomenal waitress, food was excellent. Best spot in Billings and the prices were very reasonable. Don't miss out on their homemade rolls, to die for... read more

This is one of my favorite places. The food is delicious and plentiful. We always get a second meal out of it and we are not light eaters. The atmosphere is log cabinish and always full. People come from all over to enjoy a meal here It is attached to a large truck stop with a bakery, convenient store, a little breakfast area for coffee & such. Good clean place to visit As busy as they are, they are always pleasant. Great service read more

FINALLY BACON COOKED RIGHT!!! Staff could have been a little more friendly. Over all it was worth the stop! read more

Nelson Bros. - Bakeries Near Me - Clearwater, Minnesota

You'd never expect a truck stop to have a good restaurant. Well, Nelson's will prove it is possible. The food is incredible!!! The Brothers Choice breakfast is absolutely incredible. I chose the cinnamon flavor for the French toast. The wild rice sausage is delicious. The pricing is reasonable and the service is fast and friendly. You should definitely drop by. read more

Our trips up north would not be complete without a stop at Nelson Brothers. Their breakfast are great with a variety of options. Our grand kids love the choices. The wait staff are friendly and efficient. read more

Nelson Bros. - Grand kids give Nelson's breakfast 6 thumbs up. - Bakeries Near Me - Clearwater, Minnesota

Nelson Brothers is a bit like Toby's. Situated between the Twin Cities and St. Cloud/Alexandria and beyond it's the perfect stopping place to refuel, use the bathroom, pickup a massive donut and coffee, and have a meal. The restaurant is decent. They're known for their wild rice sausage and their French Toast made with their own chunky frosted fruit bread. It's scrumptious. The bakery case has a variety of caramel rolls and bismarks and apple fritters that are as big as your head. In addition, you can have huge, delicious sandwiches or pizzas made at the counter to take with you. Nelson Brothers is a popular stop for those traveling I-94 to and from the Twin Cities. Stop in to see what all the fuss is about. read more

Everything was great. Breakfast all day long. The raspberry French toast was fantastic!

Undeniably the greatest sandwich I've ever had in my entire life, Nelson's Deli bakes their own bread, offers fresh ingredients, deli meat tastes homemade, fair price for a gigantic delish deli sandwich. They also have an amazing bakery with oversized donuts and pastries that are to die for. read more

On the hunt for a sloppy breakfast and a good bloody, so nine of us loaded up and headed out. One person being a local, he was fully aware that this "truck stop" was exactly what we needed. I had a proper two egg, hash brown and meat breakfast. Perfection. The "ultimate" bloody was a meal in itself. Topped with huge chunks of cheese and salami. I'm sure all the locals are aware of the good eats this place provides, but if you're in the area, this 'out-of-towner' highly recommends a stop. Kudos to you Nelson Brothers. read more

We love this place! The food & drinks are great! Service outstanding! Today is my birthday and the Long Island teas are refreshing!! read more

Nelson Bros. - Yummy! - Bakeries Near Me - Clearwater, Minnesota

I kinda don't even want to review this place since it is my little secret on my way to the lakes (but in reality it really isn't......there is always a line). This place rocks. I don't think it really needs a long review, but I do have to say that the staff is amazing & the ingredients.....ugh.....the ingredients are always fresh. The jalapenos are always hot, the onions always make me cry). And the WORST part of this place is this: everything is fantastic. I had already eaten a burger so my wife elbowed me & said "you already had red meat today", so I said "ok...just the chicken wrap for me I guess". Now I can't go back. (get it with a little buffalo sauce) - A chicken wrap for me from now on, every time. (please start making a steak wrap!!!) read more

Absolutely yummy Minnesota style foods offerings. I had a salad, soup and fritter bread. There was way more food then I could eat for $11. The salad came with your choice of dressing, and homemade bread on the side with real whipped butter. The soup came in a bowl, not a cup! Fritter bread was delicious and also came with whipped butter. Recommending to friends and family. Can't wait to come here again. Mmmm! read more

The service was wonderful. The waitress went above and beyond, even going so far as to have the chef remake it when my broccoli was too hard for my preferences. She was such a good waitress we tipped her more than 20%. The food was magical. I know that sounds clichéd but I'm serious. I has the prime rib with fries and broccoli. The au jus was flavored in such a way that it transported me to a country kitchen, a rustic farmhouse. I used it for my fries, broccoli and prime rib cause it was just that amazing. And it tasted wonderful on all of it. My old man told me the horseradish was just as wonderful, just the right amount of kick and not overly spicy. His baked potato was so good he finished it and I've never seen him do that. I also ordered a peanut butter oreo shake that was good enough I made my old man try it and when we were paying he ordered himself a to go shake. My shake was big enough I already had to take it to go. It was in one of those real big metal cups. I very much intend to go back for a repeat performance. If you've never tried it, you should. read more

It gets quite busy here, but the food is great and the servers were very polite. Be patient with them on the busy times, it's well worth it!

The portions are large, and their menu has tons of options to please everyone. Service is hit and miss, but I've had mostly positive experiences. Their donuts are delicious and reasonably priced. Random, but their BBQ sauce is amazing, especially with the huge chicken tenders! read more

Well unfortunately I did not choose one of their better meals. I ordered the special which was supposed to be a bourbon glazed salmon. I was very disappointed to say the least. It had something super sweet and cold smeared on the top, not glazed at all. Yuck! I scraped it off and managed to at least save the salmon. I should have sent it back because it was most definitely not worth $17. My husband ordered the other special which was a fried cod. It was decent. The bread was delicious and the service was very good. The pastries looked very good but I didn't try any of them yet. We took pie to go. We will have some of their pie later and I will update then. I plan on stopping for breakfast on the way home so we will see if if they can change my mind. My recommendation is stay with what is on the menu or the recommendations of others. I saw lots of what looked to be good food pass by but my meal just didn't cut it. Not a good first experience. read more

After we had to wait all day for our truck to be fixed, this was the place we decited to visit for dinner. Next to a truckstop and middle in Summer vacations, the restaurant seem to be very busy. After passing all those delicious baked goods, coffees along on the way, we got our place fast. Our server was very attentive! We needed comfort food! Therefore our choice was the Minnesota Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and tossed salad. The meatloaf was very good. The way we liked it. The price is somewhat high. But this is common in Minnesota! It is worth going there, if you don't mind that! read more

I love this bakery EXCEPT for the fritters. Not one bit of apple in the apple fritters, nothin! Why? Now the scones are delicious! The elephant ears are a dream. The fritters look amazing but they fool you! read more

I like this place - would really love to give it more stars - they are a bakery and make delicious things in essentially a gas station. The sandwiches are pretty awesome. The moon pies are rockin'. The blueberry pie is all kinds of delicious. However I do have a problem with the ingredients going into the products!! So we got the blueberry pie on the way to the cabin this past weekend since we missed pi day and for whatever reason, I had a hankering for some good old fashioned pie. The blueberies were phenomenal, it was dripping with goodness. Took a peak at the label and they use partially hydrogenated lard - i understand it's to increase shelf life - but come on - can't you just use good old fashioned lard?? It made me really sad and I'm not sure if i can buy another pie from them until they start to use real lard!! I demand real lard! read more

Prompted by my boyfriend's ravings, we stopped at the Clearwater truck stop for gas and breakfast on our way through yesterday. Pastries as big as your face? Check! Seriously. Everything looked so good that I was tempted to get more than one, but given their size, I showed remarkable restraint in only choosing a single cream cheese flip. And a loaf of blueberry fritter bread that made it home unscathed. And a pack of wild rice cheddar sausage links. And a pack of wild chokecherry pretzels. If I find my way in the area again, I'll time my meals/gas stops around Clearwater and indulge again. read more

First of all: Caramel and cinnamon rolls the size of your head. Seriously. Delicious and fresh baked daily. Restaurant: Last few years vast imprrovements have been made. Nelson Bros. added a little bar area, with an outdoor patio for nice weather dining al fresco. Myself and my partner sat out there just last Saturday on a 80 degree MN day in September (for those of you who are not aware... a rare occasion!) and soaked up the afternoon sun with giant bloody mary's in hand. Crab legs, BBQ ribs, and accompaniments rounded out the meal. Both were amazing: cooked perfectly and oh so enjoyable. I could have sat out there for hours enjoying more bloody mary's along with the sunset. Alas, life intervened. If you are up for breakfast, I would highly recommend the fritter french toast. I would recommend this little truckstop to everyone, whether you are stopping by for a quick bite before you get back on the road or whether you are stopping for a leisurely dinner in the afternoon sun. Menu items are generous, overall very tasty, and served promptly. Servers are attentive but not obnoxious. Overall, great food, large portions, and unassuming atmosphere. If you are looking for snooty brunch fare, steer clear. If you are looking for comfort food, served right, you have hit the bullseye. Enjoy! read more

Breakfast choices are outstanding! Very unique items, it was very hard for me to choose what to get! But I picked the crabby benedict. Holy crap was it good! 2 croissants with crab cakes on top, egg & alfredo sauce. It was RICH & just absolutely delicious. It came with hashbrowns too.. rarely do I ever not finish my plate but this was too much for me! Serving was enormous! I will definitely be back to try more items. It was refreshing to see something besides your same old boring ham & cheese omelets on a breakfast menu. Kudos for your creativity & originality! I should note, the other stuff on the menu looked good too - flatbreads etc. I will try when I get a chance. But I definitely recommend the breakfast! YUM! read more

Stopped this morning. Biscuits and gravy served with wild rice sausage, hashbrowns and eggs. If you order this breakfast bring a family of four because it comes on two plates and it's ridiculously huge. Actually don't bring anybody because it's all lukewarm and very unexceptional. The hashbrowns were the only highlight of the meal. The biscuits clearly aren't homemade and are not fresh or warm, the gravy is at best not very flavorful, and the eggs were served on a cold plate so of course they were cold. The service was incredibly slow and it took me forever to get my check. To be fair I've eaten there in the past over the years with much better luck than this visit but they dropped the ball on this one. I think I might have to do the Kettle next time I'm passing thru. read more

Nelson Bros and the Clearwater Travel Plaza is very well known for those who've traveled I-94 north of the Twin Cities. Having grown up just a few miles away, I worked in the restaurant during my high school years and have eaten here too many times to count. That being said, I haven't eaten here in years, so while home for the holidays I decided to reacquaint myself with a Nelson Bros. meal. I was not disappointed. While the restaurant interior has changed dramatically and they've added outdoor seating, a bar, and new menu options, one thing remains the same: the food is just fantastic. I ordered the Bros. Choice, which is two pieces of their "World Famous" fritter french toast (I picked raspberry), eggs, hashbrowns, and their terrific wild-rice sausage. Positives: -Awesome food. The fritter french toast is made fresh from their own bakery, and the wild-rice sausage comes from the local meat shop down the road. -Plenty of choices on the menu -Connected to the Clearwater Travel Plaza, so it's convenient for travelers. Negatives: -This place can be busy...especially on a Saturday or Sunday morning. As far as truck stops and breakfast food goes - you can't beat this place. read more

One of the nicest truck stop restaurants we have seen!! Immaculate and staff super friendly!! They have the SWEETest bakery, have to have road trip snacks! Delicious choices...food is outstanding!! Not a complaint... stop in and enjoy this road side stop! read more

Brunch with daughter and her friends. Crab Benedict and regular Benedict delicious. Large portions. We had a bet going at table to get our waitress to smile...wasn't liking her job that morning. read more

Nelson Bros. - Minnesota fish aquarium in the restaurant - Bakeries Near Me - Clearwater, Minnesota

Amazing fries, fantastic service, and great food overall. Can't wait to try the pastries!

Great food, large portion, and fairly priced. On top of that the wait staff was friendly and efficient. Glad I stopped here on my way through, now that I know about it I will make a point of stopping again. read more

Every time we go to the cabin we pass Nelson's...and it's hard not to stop in! The first time I was there, we had dinner. I had French toast and sausage links, which were both excellent. From that point on, I "needed" to have the wonderful French toast they made. So each time we went to the cabin we'd stop and purchase one or two loafs of raspberry, cinnamon or blueberry bread (with frosting on top) to make French toast the next morning. Although the family seemed to get sick of making French toast every time, I could/can never get enough. Last weekend we picked up a loaf of raspberry bread and the French toast did not disappoint...it never does! With this French toast, you don't need syrup because of the frosting...but a little never hurts! Besides the great French toast and the bread, Nelson's has friendly service with a decent sized bakery and a convenience store. This is a must stop if you're passing by! I can't wait for the next chance to have French toast using their wonderful bread! read more

Was there around 10 pm very empty. Took over an hour to get our food some excuse about the griddle although how would we know waitress barely checked on us. Food was way over cooked. Buttermilk pancakes from a mix. Water has more flavor and less aftertaste then the chocolate milk. And seriously what's the point of the apples on every plate very outdated and unnecessary read more

The people who work here are So nice in addition to their fritters and sandwich being the best things ever. This is a MUST!!!!!

Really this place is a must stop. The restaurant, bakery and bar are all wonderful. The food is fresh and hot. No freezer dinners. The bakery has an open service area so you can watch the goodies baking and donuts cooking. The staff is friendly and helpful. I never find anything to complain about even on my whinyest days. No matter my mood on entering they always find a way to bring a smile to my face before I leave. The Prime Rib is primo and enormous! Both cuts are tender and hot. I can't finish the 16 oz much less the 24. I think those are the weights after cooking. The Chicken a la King is the special and comes out fast and steaming I haven't had it yet but if the look on the faces of the 15 people that ordered it while I sat here is any indication, it is delicious. read more

I don't get the hype on Nelson Brothers. It's ok. The restaurant is ok, food and service are normally fine. I don't go out of my way to go here. The deli area, the service is spotty. I've encountered more unfriendly folks over there than friendly. The bakery is always busy but I guess I don't get the hype. They have big expensive donuts, I guess not my thing. read more

Really good food. Portion sizes are big so if you walk out hungry, it's your fault. Had the prime rib cheesesteak sandwich ant it was excellent. Heather talked me into dessert and was expecting a small piece of pie. Was I wrong. Can really recommend the carmel pecan french silk pie. read more

Normally I love this restaurant until I ate there yesterday. On our way to Alexandria we stopped there to eat breakfast. I ordered the fritter bread French toast with the wild rice sausage......the price is almost $10. My food came and I started eating it and it didn't taste done. I flipped over the French toast and it didn't look like it had been cooked. I ate the sausage...a little of the French toast, and left it. When the waitress came with our bill, I said to her......"I don't think they cooked my French Toast and she said, they sure didn't ". She took our bill, and gave us a $2.50 off on our bill. Not happy! read more