We have dined twice at Ruttger's and loved the food. Our server, Dennis, was amazing! He was attentive and even made my husbands's birthday special. He's one of the best servers I've had in my dining experience, so ask for him when you go. I had the walleye tacos and my husband had the bison burger. We also got a Caesar salad and highly recommend any fries they offer- sweet potato and truffle fries were incredible- hot and crisp, just the right amount of seasoning. The kids both had cheeseburgers and everything was cooked perfect, fresh and seasoned well. (Hence we came back a second time.) read more

Ruttger's Lakeside Dining - Ceased salad, fruit cup and cheeseburger - American Near Me - Bemidji, Minnesota

We've stayed here and eaten here every time we are in Bemidji. However this time, both visits were not as great as the last time we were there. The first visit on this trip we ate outside on the deck. Great weather, great view. We ordered walleye fingers for the table, they were delicious. We also ordered the hummus plate and stuffed dill pickles. The hummus platter was great, especially if you're looking to eat something light to eat. The stuffed dill pickles were good, but not what we expected. On another day we ordered the caprese bites. They were awful. Frozen battered cheese warmed up and placed on top of a thin tomato slice and basil leaf. For entrees both days we ordered a walleye sandwich - good, walleye tacos - good, Black & bleu burger - good, Thai chillie chicken salad was ok. The service could be better. Both days our servers were frazzled, and we had to hear how overwhelmed they were. When asked a simple question earlier about seating, the restaurant manager answered very snappy. The view is great, and the food is ok. read more

New Year's eve the smell walking by the bathrooms were horrible sewer? i don't know what. The men's bathroom was in need of a real overall. It isn't real good at all. We have been there many New Years Eves alway pleased. Not sure we will return read more

Beautiful view and the food is good, but the prices are high. Best of all, you can drive your boat to the hotel, tie it on their dock, and go in to eat. What a great idea for an afternoon cocktail treat! read more

Ruttger's Lakeside Dining - Exterior lake view - American Near Me - Bemidji, Minnesota

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We tried this establishment twice while we were in the area this week. The restaurant is colocated in a hotel, in a beautiful setting, on the lake. Options for inside or outside dining were made available. On both occasions we were pleased to find that there was live entertainment that was not overwhelming and offered a really nice touch to the beautiful scenery. Parking can be a little tight and reservations during peak hours are recommended. Wait staff is very friendly although may still be a little shorthanded coming out of pandemic hiring situation. The wait staff that is on hand were really hustling to serve everyone well. We felt a bit rushed as we were there towards the end of their day and appeared staff was trying to close down things a little early and can easily be addressed with a little coaching from management. Food selections offered a ride variety of local favorites including wild rice soup, a variety of walleye prepared several different ways, as well as meat and pasta dishes with a nice little twist. Given the number of breweries in the area there are opportunities to increase beer selections. Portions are generous, Food preparation time is very quick, and we were offered a really nice selection from their dessert menu. This place definitely earns a return visit in the future. Good food, good service and reasonable prices. read more

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Food was excellent! We had the walleye tacos and pesto turkey sandwich. Great service! Awesome lakeside view!

It was lovely to be able to sit at the lake on the patio. I felt like they should have some better lighting out there because we couldn't see our food or how to sign the checks by the end of the meal. The server seemed very exhausted and a little annoyed we wanted to split the bill but she was attentive, maybe she had a long day... I was glad that they had a vegetarian option for the burger but their menu was a bit misleading, I wouldn't have ordered the jalapeño burger had I known there wouldn't be any fixings on it - not even lettuce, or tomatoes, no spread (they didn't list that the spread had bacon so they didn't include it but it was a surprise by the time I already had my meal) no onion, I've never had a burger come plain like that. It was like eating a plain dry burger for $23.50. She brought some mayo and some lettuce to help the matter but it seemed overpriced for like just a plain burger and $3 up charge for beyond burger. The beer was good, and was nice they had local options. My friends liked their meals okay. I just felt mixed but it was definitely nice to sit on the lake which was what we were looking for. read more

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Lovely meal outside last week. Food was great quality and the scenery beautiful. I actually went to play with the golden retrievers and only one was there and was off for a swim, but I did see it for a half a second :) read more

Food is good. They advertise Vegan options, that's a stretch. They do offer a Beyond Burger, but all of their burgers on the menu have some kind of cheese. Some servers are great, but last visit, she was argumentative about my order. I won't go back. read more

Great meal. My husband and I split the baked Walleye dinner. Very tasty. I felt like we had a healthy meal. We also had the Chocolate Torte, he loved it. Our waitress was friendly and service was great. We were sat at a table inside by the window, which was perfect. I would definitely recommend this place for a nice dinner out. Lucky that we found it as we were just passing through Bemidji. read more

Poor food. Place run by not very trained teenagers Definitely not worth the money. Lake view is great read more

First be aware that if you have a group of 8 or more one person will have to pay the bill for the whole group unless cash is used by all. They will not split the check. Also be aware that they add a gratuity for groups which is fine if you are aware of it. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly and the service was great so I gave them 3 stars on this alone. Food was not great. The Philly sandwich was dry. The meat was overcooked and barely there. I had a pesto pasta... very bland and tasteless but I added shrimp and was pleased at how many there were. It wasn't terrible but definitely not worth 27$ at all. Sad because it's a beautiful establishment and location. But maybe for a cocktail not a meal. read more

We are currently in the bar. We ordered food over an hour ago and were told it would be a while. Do not know what that means but it is at least over an hour. Not exactly crowded here. read more

We arrived at 4:30 and had a reservation. We were seated and waited on immediately. They have several specialty cocktails, a nice wine selection, and microbrews from the region. Every day 3pm-6pm is happy hour with drink discounts. The menu had many excellent choices. We shared a Trail Salad. It was huge, full of fried fruit, nuts, feta cheese, with a fruit based vinaigrette. HUGE serving. I had the Basil Almond Pesto and it was delicious and house made. Mr had the walleye tacos. He thought they were some of the very best fish tacos ever . . . And as usual with walleye he had some bones. Urgh. One reason this fish is best served in full view so the diner can notice and remove bones. Still delicious but annoying. Speaking of annoying - flies. This is a lakeside resort and we were dining inside but the flies were vicious. Clingy, and evil. Thank goodness they weren't the angry wasps but it was not great. We were too full to try dessert so another trip we will save room as they sounded good. Overall, a fun dining experience and we will return. read more

Ruttger's Lakeside Dining - Entrance to restaurant with wine room. - American Near Me - Bemidji, Minnesota

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Overall just a horrible experience. *Margarita was so sour I couldn't drink it. *We arrived for our reservation on time and an hour and half later still no food and hardly any acknowledgement from our server. *In the hour and half we were there the server stopped by our table twice and never brought us half the stuff we asked for and then she never stopped by again except to say our food would be right out, a half hour passes still no food or server interaction. *We ended up choosing to leave since we didn't know if we were ever going to get any food and then miraculously the food had been sitting in the window and they box it up for it to look like this. *All while all the other tables around us were served and ate that arrived after us. Really wish we hadn't wasted our time on any of this. They used to be amazing. Yes, COVID has hurt the restaurant industry but many other restaurants in the area are thriving and doing a much better job in the circumstances. read more

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This is a great place to eat and relax by the lake. Staff is very friendly and efficient. If you have a dog, you can enjoy your meal with your furry friends outside on the patio. My husband had the baked walleye and I had the chicken salad sandwich on cranberry rice bread. Both were excellent! We also enjoyed the stuffed Dill pickle appetizer! They were very delicious! Nice place and great atmosphere. read more

Once again Ruttger's does it again. Had an incredible stay here last week during a business trip. Ruttger's is an incredible resort that has been newly renovated. Their lakeside dining is phenomenal. It's great to see a place with such a broad menu but also able to execute every dish to perfection. They have seating inside and outside depending on if weather permits for outside seating. The indoor seating is so cozy and warm. The staff is remarkable. Very friendly and quick with their service. You can tell they care for what they do. Another great positive is that Ruttger's is also family owned and operated which is always a HUGE plus. Support local small businesses. The spectacular service must stem down from the owners because the entire staff's energy is infectious. Also, don't forget about the resort dogs! The golden retrievers running around are so friendly and the cutest things. Some of my personal favorite dishes: Appetizers: Stuffed dill pickles - perfectly deliciousness in every bite. I'm from the south so I'm used to fried pickles, but I think this appetizer might just top what we do down here. You can't go wrong when there's bacon and pickles involved. Onion rings - I mean cmon, who doesn't love onion rings? It's such a simple dish that delivers every time. The beer batter perfectly coats the onion rings. Fried to perfection where they give off the perfect crunch. They execute this dish the right way where the batter stays on and isn't soggy which is most appreciated. The worst thing you can get is a soggy fried onion ring but you won't get that here! Not at Ruttger's. Entrees: Lobster Gnocchi - absolutely love this dish. It has to be my favorite thing ever. The gnocchi is cooked perfectly and the lobster is as well. Very easy for the lobster to overcook and become rubbery but I've never had that encounter here at Ruttger's. They nail this dish every time I have it. The little touch of truffle oil on top elevates the dish even more. I usually get the spinach salad with hot bacon vinaigrette to go along with my meal. It pairs with the lobster gnocchi so well to cut down the richness from the gnocchi pasta. Sesame Ahi - their tuna is so fresh. Quickly seared with a sesame crust that just gives the fish that added crunch. I usually get the fish on a bed of veggies with the wild rice. The house sauce they pair with the fish is delicious. Dessert: Chocolate Lava Cake - you never go wrong with chocolate lava cake. The ganache center is always executed. This is the best thing to finish off your meal. My tummy is also so happy when I decide to indulge in their dessert menu but this is hands down my fav. Overview Staff - truly wonderful staff that gives great service Food - remarkable food that is always cooked to my liking. Cannot wait to come back and try the other items on the menu that I have not eaten! Everything seems so good. I tip my hat off to the staff in the kitchen to be able to cook a variety of dishes to such perfection. Their craft cocktails are also very good. Their seasonal drinks are also fun and tasty. Look forward to returning to Ruttger's very soon due to my traveling work schedule. The vibes here cannot be beat. Paired with the awesome food and staff, this is the place to be for a good time. Hoping my work project last a bit longer so I can continue to stop by Ruttger's on my business trip read more

Great beer, and food and ambiance. Enjoy Lake Bemidji while dining on their patio. Their wild rice soup is my favorite.

Ruttgers is fantastic, it is my go to in Bemidji for everything from business dinners to a casual evening sitting on their patio. Walleye is great and all the menu items are upscale. The remodel a few years ago really helped, the bar and roof top offer a unique experience that no other bar in Bemidji can really match. read more

Surprised excellence from the kitchen ... despite a young service staff and casual dining room the food was nothing short of superb. Frankly the creme brûlée was on par with anything enjoyed anywhere, the prime rib was presented exactly rare as requested and the walleye was fresh from the lake. Really - very very good. We would dine here again! read more

Incredible dining, views, and service! Definitely get the stuffed dill pickles. Can't wait to come back with my whole family.

Very poor speed of service and seating. Our group of 8 arrived at 515, was told it could be more than 35 minutes which was no problem. An hour later we checked status and were told it could be another hour at least. Several other tables had been seated before us at smaller tables (groups of 2 at tables that seat 6) and when we suggested they could split us into two tables the gentleman said that probably wouldn't work. That should have been asked when we put our name on the list or offered as a way to be seated more quickly. After 1 hour 40 minutes we still hadn't gotten a table and left. Very unfortunate to try and support local and have such poor management of tables. read more

I've never given a negative review but this restaurant was more than disappointing. Menu was lacking any food that wasn't deep fried and/or unhealthy. Waitress seemed irritated when she arrived at table and very rushed/pushy. Food was as expected, not impressive in any way. Would not recommend. read more

I've never felt more at home than here! The views are amazing and the best service that I've had in a long time. Can't wait to come back and watch the sunset again! read more

I had lunch and dinner here two days in a row and every meal is AMAZING. I will come back just for the fried pickles and buffalo mac n cheese. read more

A must in Bemidji, love the views and food! Everyone was pleasant, and the food was great!

Everything we ordered here was absolutely delicious. This is THE BEST restaurant in Bimidji and maybe even in Minnesota!