Best creamy chicken and wild rice soup I've ever had. Honestly, I'm on my couch in Texas dreaming about this soup. I was here about a year ago and just spent an hour trying to remember where I had this delicious soup. I finally found it and had to leave a review so I can remember where to get this the next time I come to Minnesota. So rich and creamy, I could literally eat a whole bucket of this stuff. Make sure to order a bowl and if you're coming back to Texas, make sure you bring me some! read more

This place should get a 5 star rating just for looks alone, but lets face it, I am all about the food. The service was second to none and I felt like we were the most important customer from the minute we walked through the door. I must say the food was better then what I expected. I thought at first the price for the chili and other things listed on the menu was a Little high, but you pay for what you get. Great service and really good food. BEST OF ALL!!!! They also have a gluten free menu....... read more

Guess what? My parents got another gift card to Black Bear for Christmas! I love that they wait and use their gift cards when I come up to visit. It doesn't matter how much I starve myself, I always get full after just the soup and bread. That Chicken and Wild Rice soup never disappoints! This time, I got the fisherman's platter. It came with pan-fried walleye, seared scallops on rice pilaf, broiled shrimp with butter, mashed potatoes and green beans. I ended up giving most of the food away as I was so full, but that was the best, freshest seafood I have ever had! The walleye melted in my mouth and that tartar sauce was great on EVERYTHING...just ask my sister who dipped her green beans in it! Black Bear is a great place to go in Brainerd! read more

Had the fish tacos - very good but difficult to eat with the large hunk of fish - think they would be much better if the fish were chopped! Thank you! read more

Probably one of the five best meals I've ever had in a restaurant in my life. The walleye in any fashion is great. There was nothing I had that wasn't among the best tasting I've ever experienced. I'm a big fan of their wild rice soup. Service seems a little overwhelmed but they tried hard to please. read more

Went here with a family of 10. Service and food were amazing. Our server (Zach) was extremely attentive and always made sure our drinks were full. Highly recommend! read more

Black Bear Lodge & Saloon - Steakhouses Near Me - Baxter, Minnesota

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As far as restaurants on the side of the highway, amongst strip malls in Minnesota go ... this one's passable, and seemingly a much better choice than your alternatives in the area (Buffalo Wild Wings, Domino's, Mc Donald's, etc.). The weekend brunch provides plenty of options for almost anyone, EXCEPT for vegans (steer clear). The food was plentiful, and "good enough" to cure my hangover. I do really appreciate the omelettes-to-order bar, although you must be prepared to wait 10-15 minutes to get yours cooked. Other than that, the basics like scrambled eggs (with cheese), shredded hash browns, sliced french toast, sausage, bacon, cinnamon rolls, and fruit salad are offered. I am not interested in the more "dinnery" food at the same time, but the Black Bear does also provide a full salad bar and mains like roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy as part of the same brunch. I can't recall our server's name, but I DO remember her attentiveness - despite being charged with multiple tables in the lounge (and some larger ones at that), she was ready refills, napkins, etc. I also appreciated her snarky sarcasm, which is something you don't hear a lot of in MN! read more

Food was perfect. We shared the lobser bisque to start with. I had the walleye and my fiancé had the ribs. Everything came out perfectly cooked and seasoned. The atmosphere was relaxed and the waitress was great! We will definitely be back! read more

Salty scrambled eggs, soft hashbrowns, hard french toast etc... All ettable but nothing really good!

We always stop in when in town for the NHRA events...it's been a few years but the Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is amazing, the Prime Rib was most excellent, and the Walleye is delicious. Miss the old days when they had the All You Can Eat special on the Prime Rib and Walleye! read more

I was on a trip to Brainerd a few weeks ago and attended a wedding that catered Black Bear. The prime rib was delicious and so were the sides of mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. So the day after the wedding, I went there for lunch. Sadly, prime rib is not served till 5 pm, so I ordered the next best thing. I ordered the Prime Rib French Dip. The sandwich was amazing. The sandwich along with the au jus was perfect. It satisfied my craving from the night before. We also ordered the cheese curds as an appetizer which was tasty as well. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in town. read more

I've been here a few times through the years, since 1998, and I always have a good experience when I come here. I've brought different guests with me and they always like the northern Minnesotan charm that this place embodies. If you come here, you must try the chicken and wild rice soup; its fantastic. I had the cabin walleye dish which came with delicious vegetables and mashed potatoes, and my husband had the pesto chicken. I believe his chicken was supposed to be grilled, but it did seem a little lackluster. My walleye was good, mild, but good. The Schell's Firebrick was good and cold, and she kept our water glasses full. For our two entrees, two soups, and two beers, the total was $48.27, which seems a little expensive for Brainerd. I'm not sure the décor and overall atmosphere of the Black Bear are worthy of commanding such prices, reason to not give this restaurant a five-star rating. Our server, Laureen, also complimented me on my cologne, which was also a nice touch! She had a very funny, energetic personality, which I always make note of, and our dinner was certainly more enjoyable because of her. The hostess who seated us was a bit young and meek, but hopefully she'll get better with age and experience. There was a huge presence of older clientele that night, and I'm not sure that it's always that way. We sat on the right side of the restaurant as you walk in, the main dining room. There is a more casual bar side on the left which likely draws a younger crowd. After years of coming here, I still enjoyed myself and my meal, and would encourage you to try this place for dinner if in the Brainerd Lakes area. read more

If I could give this a negative rating I would. In town to golf, traveled over 5 hours to stay in the area. Googled restaurants closest to our hotel and this popped up. Walk in, immediately get ignored by wait staff and bartender. Served raw shrimp, the waitress dropped our friends potatoes all over the floor after he'd been waiting forever for them. Now this is the kicker...waitress takes our drink order...three bud lights and I ordered a Mojito. Waitress tells bartender "that table needs three bud lights and SHE wants a Mojito" and the bartender says "of course she does". Now how snotty was that remark??? What a disgusting, unprofessional, crusty facility. Also was ignored when we asked for Jäegermeister shots after supper. Bartender completely walked away after we asked. No we were not drunk or belligerent. Also this place was NOT busy!!! Servers standing in the corner gabbing while customer waited. This place is an embarrassment. The chairs are falling apart too, you feel like your sinking down to the ground, can't even get out of them. Also, our other table of friends were drinking crown, Bartender made it a point to say out loud that she had to run to the basemen for more with a tone in her voice telling us she didn't wanna go down there to get more. Absurd. Bartender had brown hair with bun-like pig tails. Beware! Run! #ofcourseshedoes read more

Stopped in here for a bite after work twice this week and both times was happy with the service, food, and decor. Sat at the bar because the rest of the restaurant was closed off because it was only 4pm. The bartender was attentive and friendly. The food was ok and reasonably priced. I ordered the half sandwich and soup. The chicken and rice soup was as good as the other yelpers claim. The decor was nice, think log cabin and hunting lodge. read more

Came here for lunch. The food was great, the service was a little slow. I got the half sandwich and soup for $11. A little pricey. However, my husband got the (Thursday) lunch meatloaf special, and it was a great deal for $8. read more

Great place to have a steak.... or ribs. The service was great, the restaurant was nice having a log cabin feel too it. I thought the prices on their menu were reasonable. I would recommend this place and definitely come back. read more

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Been past this place several times and tonight stopped by. Very good food and the service was excellant. The NY strip, was awesome. Thanks

I was cold so i thought a bowl of chicken and wild rice soup would warm my belly. Always served hot and there's something about it that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. The turkey melt and homemade chips went with it nicely. They are kind of expensive but the food is usually good and the decor is fun to look at. The service was kind of slow! Need more waitresses! My parents love this place. read more

Black Bear Lodge & Saloon - Steakhouses Near Me - Baxter, Minnesota

Stopped by for a quick late lunch. Sat at the bar. Greeted by bar manager. Had a chicken club salad which was outstanding. Enjoyed a Gull Dam Scotch Ale, which is a locally brewed beer by Gull Dam Brewing. Really nice relaxing lunch! read more

Slow night so service was very good. Ordered soup as an appetizer and prime rib stroganoff for the entree. Both came out together within 10 minutes which was disappointing because I didn't really get to enjoy the soup (which was very good) for fear that the entree would get cold. I was excited to see stroganoff on the menu but at best there was 3 or 4 small pieces of meat in the entire dish. read more

I had the worst prime rib dinner that I have ever experienced in my lifetime. The quality of the prime rib was very poor. In fact I only took about 4-5 bites and stopped. The waitress came and asked how my meal was. I indicated that it was not up to par. Her response was "Now you know." Yeah, now I know that I will never ever set foot in this restaurant again. What a total waste of my money. read more

The Black Bear in Brainerd is a strange animal. The outward appearance is one of an upscale restaurant which couldn't disappoint. Once you have seen the belly of the beast, though- you see that it is a cleverly-designed facade. The low rating is due to two main factors- First off, if one walks into this place and doesn't look affluent, your service WILL be less personable. Second, the food which one gets here can be gotten other places for much, much cheaper. The only things keeping this rating from being an absolute zero is that on Wednesday nights the appetizers drop to half-price, and the tap beer selection drops to 2.50 a pour. Also, Terry the bartender is another of this restaurant's Saving Graces. read more

First time visiting Black Bear Lodge and Saloon. Experienced a very friendly staff, great atmosphere, and fantastic food. I highly recommend checking this place out. Waitress was friendly and very helpful. She recommended some of the best things on the menu, made from scratch. Their fish was great and the meats are smoked/prepared in house. You can't go wrong stopping here for dinner. read more

Ate here...at bar for supper. Okay food. Generally friendly wait staff...but nothing above average. My experience was about how this review may seem....meh. read more

The Food and beverages are great. The atmosphere is friendly. The facility needs updating badly!

This was my first time here. The waitress was attentive and was prompt. The seafood Alfredo was tasty but the breadstick gave me life! I will be coming back! read more

Not enough staff to serve. Here for 3 hours. Good food, poor service! Waited until I lost my appetite

Each year they have Oktoberfest starting in September- can't believe how awesome the Jagerschnitzel,spaetzel and red cabbage was this year. Also had sauerbraten and Hungarian Goulash on the menu. Topped it off with Black Forest tort! Can't be beat! read more

Black Bear Lodge & Saloon - Steakhouses Near Me - Baxter, Minnesota

I've always liked Black Bear Lodge for dinner with family or friends from out of the area. It's a nice place to eat with a nice "lodge" feel to it. Good food, and prices are about what you'd expect for a lodge like this. read more

TERRIBLE BRUNCH BUFFET! Don't waste your money, the service was awful and the food was just as bad. ....powdered eggs black bear? $$ powdered eggs? Never again. And we live very very very close, and this would be just a gem for us. read more

My husband Steve and I are back for the Lobster Bisque. We just got back from Boston MA having had Lobster Bisque and Clam Chowder at two highly rated restaurants. The Lobster Bisque at Black Bear is still our favorite. We have a rocking great waitress by the name of Tammy. read more

I've always had a fond remembrance of this place, that's why I'm giving the stars, otherwise it would be less. I ordered their prime rib French dip sandwich with a side of fries. The fruits were good, pretty standard. My sandwich was awful. My first complaint is that when I got it, it was stacked so full of steak that the sandwich was completely falling apart. Normally, I wouldn't complain about that, I'd just user a fork for the pieces that fall out. It was so ridiculously salty I couldn't eat much. And it was riddled with an excessive amount if fat. I had taken it to go, otherwise I would have sent it back in a heartbeat. Not impressed with this sandwich at all. Steer clear. read more

When you order a $30.00 steak, I don't expect to be disappointed. I hear the walleye is better.

This place is overpriced!!!! The food was cold and was not made the way I order it. It was a low quality meal!!!! I would give it a zero if I could. read more

Don't know why it's under salon but ok....steak was good, however I asked for it medium well and it was overcooked and tasted like charcoal. Waitress quickly had the cook make another steak, this time it came out medium rare (more on the rare) which wasn't what I wanted. I decided to take it home since if I microwaved it, it would be less rare. Steak was good, just wished I had it as part of my meal at the restaurant. read more

Stopped by Black Bear for lunch this weekend. They usually have pretty good soups and sandwiches. I ordered their 1/2 soup and sandwich combo with their chicken chili and club sandwich. The soup was just OK, I remember it being better the last time we stopped in. It was pretty thick and had good flavor, but could have used more vegetable chunks. The club sandwich was great with nice, thick slices of fresh carved turkey and ham. My mom had the reuben sandwich and loved it. read more

This place has a total "up north" cabin vibe. Which is pretty cool if that's what you are looking for. The food is your standard American fare. Big ass burgers, ribs slathered in bbq sauce, giant plates of fries. They are well known for their super creamy chicken wild rice soup, which makes me hungry typing that out. read more

Group of 7 for lunch. Slow service. We waited quite awhile for a server to take our order and food was fairly slow to arrive. There were only 3 other tables occupied so it's not like they were super busy. Food was okay but nothing special and definitely overpriced for a burger and a pile of crappy potato chips. read more

We support LOCAL family owned businesses(this is one). The food and service here are always great.

Good food, good service and a great place to stop in for a drink after fishing. Thank you Black Bear, I'll be back next time I'm in town!