Stopped by Rustic Inn today for a piece of pie. Lady at the counter barked that it would be 45 minutes before we could get seated. We walked out, then decided that we could get a piece of pie to go. Walked back in and waited while this lady went in the back to get a food order for someone else, then seated a customer, bussed a few tables then eventually walked back to the counter. During this, I noticed that there were only one other couple waiting for a table and there were 4 or 5 table and one booth available. There were also 2 other ladies working in the cafe. Have no idea what the 45 minute wait was about, but thought what a rude person. I don't need attitude when looking for someplace to eat. Needless to say, I won't be back and to tell you the truth, the pie was not that great. read more

Picked up two slices of pie on the way thru the area. I went in interested in strawberry rhubarb and I asked the girl at the register which one she'd recommend for my second option. She recommended the North Shore Berry Crumb and I am SO GLAD she did! It was incredible. This place knows pie. Well done. Awesome, awesome, awesome! read more

Rustic Inn Cafe - North Shore Berry Crumb & Strawberry Rhubarb - Burgers Near Me - Two Harbors, Minnesota

Service was prompt and professional. Location is of course, spectacular. Had the fish tacos and the Naan Duck Pizza. Both were very good. The lettuce/tomato/onion garnish for the tacos exploded with flavor. Lastly, pies have become the best on the North Shore. read more

Most elegant? No. Most exclusive? No Way! Best place to stop for a meal? Well, certainly ONE of the best places along this stretch of beautiful highway. The food is good, the menu is reasonably varied, the prices are not atrocious, the selection of pies is pretty good but it is the staff here that takes the honors. The hostess, obviously one of the most harassed and harried positions in this busy place, is about the most gracious and pleasant people around. Our waitress went WAY out of her way to 'customize' our order just the little bit that made or dining experience a true pleasure. Thanks for a great meal and, yes, I can certainly recommend this fine place! read more

If you are in the Two Harbors/Duluth area, this is a must-stop place! We have been coming here for our annual trip to the North Shore and always stop before we hit a hike. You get SO much food, the food is delicious and home made, and it is a place that feels like home. The skillets are amazing, but if you're offered coffee cake with your meal, always get it. Always. read more

The pie was perfection! I had chocolate peanut butter with homemade chocolate cookie crust and my husband had blueberry cream pie. This is the place to get pie. The blueberry pie was creamy, not overly sugary and so was the chocolate pie. I had dinner after hiking so came hungry. I had a grilled sourdough made inhouse (sandwich) that had homemade smoked turkey that came with a side of onions rings. I feel like I'm onion ring connoisseur and I can definitely say this was the best onion ring I've had in my life. It did not come premade frozen but was homemade! My husband had homemade tomato basil soup with a smoked salmon sandwich that he said was incredible. I can definitely tell way the locals like this place read more

Rustic Inn Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Two Harbors, Minnesota

Get it together Rustic Inn. If someone simply wants to pick up a pie to go, they wait in a line with diners waiting for a table? Your grumpy counter staff are rude and slow, they could care less about your business. This is our third attempt, we are done. Poor diners who waited over an hour for a table at 3pm on a warm sunny Sunday and your patio was empty. Seat people and get them a beverage. What a mess. Your pies aren't that spectacular to endure such poor service. read more

Walked in to the cute restaurant to a bit of chaos. No dedicated hostess and no one greeting you to tell you that there is a wait and a waiting list. Finally a server appears behind the counter and we have to ask to be placed on the waiting list. Visited the gift shop during our wait and was ready to make my purchase until we noticed that the girl behind the register was very sick. I mean sneezing, coughing, runny nose sick. No thank you! We left. Finally got seated and excited to try the fish and chips. A special with flown in Alaskan Halibut was advertised at $17, but at 3pm, they were sold out. We wanted local fish anyways. Northern Pike was our choice at $16. It took like it seemed forever to get our food. Finally the food arrives and the server places the plate on the table, a piece of fish slides right off. Was the plate way to small for the food...absolutely. But, he was a little rough with the landing of that plate. Service was just ok and I think depends on who your server is. Believe me...if you're coming here to eat the fish and chips, hold your appetite until you get to Grand Marais. The northern pike was not great. The batter was good, but the fish itself was skimpy. I was not in the mood to eat batter for lunch. Homemade chips were good as well as the Cole slaw. What deserves 5 stars is the pie! In my opinion the only reason to stop. read more

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Great place. The rustic Inn Café is a great tradition. The food is always good, and the pie is the best on the north shore. We spent $115 for two people, which included an appetizer and one glass of wine. (No other drinks.) Although it's a little on the expensive side, it is a tradition whenever we're on the North Shore. read more

This has become one of our favorite restaurants in Minnesota and for sure a stop on our way to/from the North Shore. It is less known and less busier than the nearby Betty's Pies, not to mention food is so much better. And the pies are so delicious made fresh daily. We have visited The Rustic Inn a few times and this recent visit was another incredible one even with COVID. They do a great job with distancing and cleaning protocols. The turkey sandwich with the most delicious cranberry bread and the meatloaf are our favorite meals. The five layer chocolate pie is our #1 favorite and they have so many good choices. read more

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Great food and service. The pies are incredible! They suffer from their success as it looks like they need more help but they did a great job keeping up. read more

5 stars all the way! Debated between here and Betty's pies and after the reviews decided on Rustic Inn and we are so glad! 40min wait, so plan accordingly. That's to be expected in todays world of people traveling and limited staff (and Labor Day weekend). The employees were extremely busy and had great attitudes. Food was amazing!!!. 4 of us ate there - 2 teenage kids, mom and dad. Best deal was our turkey sandwich + soup + pie for $18! Got two specials. A huge salad and a kids pizza. The turkey sandwich was freshly toasted, with a homemade cranberry spread in between homemade wild rice cranberry bread. Wow! Wow! Tried the Northwoods berry crumble and Caramel Apple Pecan. Our son who doesn't even like pie ate 1/3 of ours! Best pie we ever ate. Ever!!!! read more

Excellent food and pie! We sat outside and it was beautiful. The Bloody Mary was only $10 and it was delicious.

This is our go-to place on North Shore for pies. Absolutely fabulous. Also have tasty truffles, which make for a great hostess gift or any kind of "thank you" gift, or treat for yourself! Always busy there so may be a wait , either to dine in, or at bakery counter. There is also a gift store. Ambiance is warm, cozy, and like the name, rustic. read more

Terrible service, aggressive unhelpful serving staff who seem put out when you ask a question about the menu, especially if it's just not something they've personally eaten then you only get "I have no opinion." Serving staff should have a well versed knowledge of the menu. The other server scolded a table for wanting to be re-sat at a table located in the sun with a mostly empty dinning room. The patron mentioned it was her birthday and the server said "even though it's your birthday, this section would have more tables than the other section then." That's not a legitimate reason not to be able to move with 6 occupied tables in the place, even though it's near lunch time. It's a Tuesday in Spring, relax. The menu and hours are not updated on the website as well. read more

Let me preface this by saying that I worked in the restaurant industry and have a lot of patience and understanding when it comes to mishaps. With that being said, this was the worst dining experience I think I have ever encountered. 1st issue: I ordered the nachos which boasted in the description something along the lines of, "fresh made corn tortilla chips". Regardless of whether they were made fresh that day, they were stale. I kindly told the waitress that they were and she just kinda stared at me dumbfounded. I reassured her that it was not a big deal, I didn't need them remade (we waited over an hour for our food already) and that she can just take them back. Our waitress returned a short while later and said, "The chips are made daily. I went back and tried one and they tasted fine to me and I can't take it off your bill. Maybe you just got a soggy one." I explained that I know nachos can get soggy from the moisture of the toppings but the ones I was referring to were in fact plain. She shrugged and said she was sorry. Now, I wasn't in the least bit rude about the situation. She was able to see that I only touched a couple and I had my complaint confirmed by the others at my table. I was just left feeling flabbergasted that she would imply that we were all wrong or overreacting. Who would do that to a customer when you work for tips, especially when said customer was not rude or belligerent? 2nd issue: The other family with us had ordered 2 orders of the kids chicken tenders, one for an actual child and one for an adult because they didn't have an adult option. Not a word was said about an adult ordering from the kids menu and both orders came out identical in portion size. When the bill came there was a $5.00 surcharge on one for the fact that it was an adult that ordered it, eventhough they were exactly the same. Now I understand kids menus are for kids and they have a right to tell you "no" you can't order off of here. If there was the option of an adult meal, we most certainly would have ordered that. Or if you want to charge an extra $5.00 for adults ordering off the kids menu go for it. Your establishment, your rules but let the person know so they can place their order knowingly. We have a cabin in Grand Marais and pass The Rustic Inn many times throughout the year. Having never stopped before, we were excited to try because we heard their pies were amazing. Guess we will never know now because we left and went to Betty's Pies for dessert instead....which is amazing by the way! Definitely skip the Rustic Inn and head to Betty's instead. Amazing service and delicious! read more

Great food, enough to share. We had the ribs and onion rings. One order which we split. One pie with ice cream which we split. It was perfect. Service was great. We got there early at 5:30 so only needed to wait a few minutes for a table. read more

Wow is this place over rated! It's unfortunate they do not work as a team. Literally no one but your waitress can help with bringing a box for left overs. The food is average at best. Definitely won't be back next year! If I were you stop in two harbors I promise the malt shop would probably offer better food & service! read more

Delicious pie and chocolates. Friendly and prompt service. Plenty of parking with outdoor or indoor dining options.

We stayed at a local hotel and we asked the clerk where he recommended. He said hands down, The Rustic Inn Cafe as long you don't mind a 15 minute drive. So we took off and made it there. 30 minute wait which was actually only 15. I like it when it's less than they say. Makes me feel like they sped things up just for me. Going in we almost bumped into a guy leaving with a whole pie. The guy behind me ordered two pies. (Whole Pies). The lady next to our table ordered a whole pie to take with her. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize this place must make amazing pies. And we ordered each a slice to take back to the hotel to eat. The wife had cherry smoked BBQ ribs which she really liked. Me? I had the wild rice meat loaf. I would eat a bite then look at my plate looking for wild rice. Probably would have seen some if I put on my reading glassses. But why did this meatloaf taste amazing? What was the special ingredient? I make meatloaf at home. This was way better. I think I'm going to throw some wild rice in my next attempt. Have to figure out what wild rice is first. Seriously the food was really good. We just ate there last night. I'm sitting here writing this review waiting on my wife to finish getting ready. We are headed back to the Rustic Inn Cafe for breakfast. That sentence alone should tell you how I feel about this restaurant. I can't compare it to any other restaurant here because I haven't tried them. But this place has great food. Try it!! read more

This restaurant has delicious selections on their menu! We especially love the pies they bake daily. They have a wide variety , and you can't find that quality anywhere else. We are frequent visitors and never miss our breakfasts at Rustic Inn. It's always a great pleasure to visit with employees and always a kind, friendly place, M and J Melville . read more

The service and food were excellent! I would highly recommend going there. I loved the decor!

Good food. I couldn't help myself and had the walleye cakes as an appetizer and the walleye tacos. Both were delicious. Their pies looked good but we didn't try any. We had about a 30-40minute wait but we're able to easily kill the time in their gift shop. read more

The food here was decent but nothing to rave about. What I absolutely loved was the pies! Oh my gosh!!! I loved it better than Betty's pies. I tried the salted caramel apple pecan and it was seriously divine! Get it!! read more

Rustic Inn Cafe - Caramel apple pecan and 5 layer chocolate - Burgers Near Me - Two Harbors, Minnesota

Delicious! Stopped in for lunch after split rock and before gooseberry Falls State Park. Turned out to be a great strategy because we needed to walk off our pie on the trails after lunch here! Be prepared for a wait on a busy day. They quoted us an hour and we waited all of 40 minutes. The meatloaf is NEXT level good. Kids liked the kids tacos. Standout pies are the north shore berry and lemon angel. Pass on the pumpkin- nothing special at all. Overall cool vibe, ok service and awesome food! read more

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Best food ever ! Everything from scratch !! Busy place but worth the wait ! Callie was our waitress great service she was such a sweetie!

Delicious! Turkey Sandwich Combo with Salad: the bread with cranberries and wild rice was so soft and fresh, tasted like it was baked this morning. Pies: We had the Apple peach, apple caramel pecan, and raspberry rhubarb. Fruits were all big, fresh chunks. Pecans were candied. read more

Great menu service and local fare. Best home cooking especially the amazing hand made pies! read more

I heard that this was the place to go for pie since Betty's Pies was sold off from the family. When we arrived, we were sat right of way, and our waitress was super friendly. My boyfriend ordered the bbq brisket nachos, and I ordered the smoked fish tacos. There was a ton of shredded cabbage, lots of fish, and a good portion of the cheeses, but I was disappointed that there was only one sliver of avocado. If I had realized, I think I would have asked for more avocado, I was just hopeful that it was hiding under the bed of cabbage. The nachos that came out also had a ton of shredded cabbage and lettuce, and not a ton if the crema sauce. Thankfully the brisket was well covered in the bbq, but I'm a lady that likes her sauce. No skimping! That said, there was an enormous selection of pies to choose from. I had a hard time deciding between the raspberry cream, the lemon meringue, and the peanut butter chocolate pie. PBC for the win! The pie was great. Overall, good food, could use a little finessing (and less shredded cabbage, for Pete's sake). read more

We came here for appetizers and pie during a winter snow storm and it hit the spot. We ordered the BBQ brisket nachos and walleye cakes, both really good. For pie we got the North Shore Berry Pie and the Caramel Apple Pecan pie. Highly recommend them BOTH. with a cup of coffee...mmm. read more

Rustic Inn Cafe - BBQ brisket nachos! - Burgers Near Me - Two Harbors, Minnesota

This came highly recommended from a friend that vacations on the North Shore every year. Specifically they recommended the pies-they truly were the best. (And we tried several pies in the Two Harbors area) my favor was the raspberry cream pie- the crust was unusual and it tasted like you were eating a cloud. The smoked salmon appetizer was my favorite food of the entire trip-it was a perfect mix of texture and flavor. read more

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I had heard the pie was good so we went for that. My burger was ok, nothing too fancy. My other half had the beef commercial and enjoyed that. The pie was awesome! I did see a sign about a 4% charge when using a card. Save that and use cash. If we stop back it will be for pie. read more

Wow. Worth the wait. Excellent service. The onion rings were hands down the best appetizer. The naan hummus flatbread was pretty legit too. Even though the wait might be tough, browse the gift shop, relax in the sun and scenery and wait. You won't regret. read more

Rustic Inn Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Two Harbors, Minnesota

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Wow! Outstanding food and great service. Chicken and Waffles sandwich with onion rings for my husband and Brie Burger for me. Both were delicious. The restaurant is packed with travelers most who are back for a return visit. read more

You need this wild rice meatloaf. Although I have never ordered meatloaf at a restaurant, I was convinced by a friend's recommendation to give it a try-- and I'm so grateful I did. This was INCREDIBLE!! It was so flavorful, moist, and rich in the good way. I was nervous about the mashed potatoes as I am not a horseradish fan, but honestly they were delicious and the horseradish was very mild. It also came with perfectly cooked asparagus. All of this food was covered in the best mushroom gravy I have ever tasted. 10/10. Plus the homemade bread was to die for! Also-- Trisha, our server, was very kind, friendly, and provided prompt service, which we appreciated. I also took a piece of carrot cake home with me and it was phenomenal!! read more

Rustic Inn Cafe - Clean plates - Burgers Near Me - Two Harbors, Minnesota

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We visited the Rustic Inn and found it to be a nice experience. The decor is kind of dated -- old little tapestries and traditional dark wood. But it is definitely homey and well maintained. There's a cute little gift shop attached to the restaurant, and there's a counter up front that sells all kinds of candy and other delicious goodies. But by the time we were done eating, I didn't have any mental power left to even think about sweets. We started with the Castle Danger battered onion rings because we are big fans of Castle Danger beer (see my review of their place too). The rings were HUGE and the serving size was more than generous. The batter was delicious and they were a great starter... though I think they would have been suited for a party of 4 or more to avoid being stuffed before you even get your entree. For entrees, I got breakfast (shocking if you know me or read my reviews here). It was good. Nothing fantastically surprising, but well executed and tasty. I honestly forget what my husband had, but he had no complaints. I ordered pumpkin pie for dessert, and it was delicious. Not too sweet and made with real pumpkin if I'm not mistaken. I will say that I think the pie over at Betty's was better. But that might be because they had chocolate over there when we went. But overall we were really pleased and would definitely come back. read more

Rustic Inn Cafe - Danger Ale onion rings. Yum. - Burgers Near Me - Two Harbors, Minnesota

We ordered 6 different plates. The food was fresh and delicious. We also ordered lemon angel, 5 layer chocolate, apple, pecan and north shore berry crumb pies and carrot cake and they were spectacular!!! The service was great and warm. The lady that took the order offered several options for my 3 years old daughter, she knows exactly what the customers need. I will definitely come back. read more

Rustic Inn Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Two Harbors, Minnesota

Excellent! Exceeded our expectations in every day. Can't recommend it enough! Food was delicious! Service was fantastic. Plus cute gift shop! 5 stars all the way! read more

A woodsy cafe right on the main highway serving a variety of sandwiches and salads. We stopped in for lunch after spending an hour hiking no around nearby gooseberry falls. While the parking lot was pretty full, we were seated right away at a sunny table by the windows. Our server stopped by right away to guide us through the menu and get our drink orders. I chose the turkey sandwich on wild rice/cranberry bread with tater tots (extra) and my wife got the Reuben on the same bread. My sandwich was great with the slight sweetness from the cranberry bread and my wife enjoyed her food. Recommended read more

Rustic Inn Cafe - It is bigger than it looks, don't let the full parking lot deter you - Burgers Near Me - Two Harbors, Minnesota

When the pie options are so extensive you can't decide what to get so you get more than one and they do not disappoint. They seemed a bit overwhelmed and understaffed, but great people working there who are friendly. The pie was definitely worth the stop off 61. read more

Rustic Inn Cafe - Nordic berry - Burgers Near Me - Two Harbors, Minnesota

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