Been here a few times on trips up to the BWCA it was always been a good one. Decent beer, I'm not one for fruity beer but that's blueberry blonde is addictive. Food was really good too. I noticed they expanded to an upstairs area this year and it's really nice and even had its own bar. Our bartender was great and never let our glasses be empty. Definitely a must-visit for Ely in a land where there's not lots of options. read more

The staff is super sweet! They stayed open late for us as we had a long drive into town last night we ordered food around 8pm and no complaints from anyone as you usually get from a kitchen normally, husbands chicken sandwich was good. I loved the fries those were good. Great beer! During the summer this place is busy! I was here past summers and enjoyed it just as much! read more

Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant - Fantastic !!!! - Brewpubs Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

Blue berry cream ale was my choice of beer. Nice touch with fresh berries floating in the suds. Larger burger & crispy onion rings completed a hardy meal. I will definitely come back. read more

Great food and the people there are nice. Friendly atmosphere great service. We ate there before the 4 of us went into the boundary Waters for Dinner and had lunch there a week later, awesome food. read more

This is your spot in Ely. Whether you are here for a cabin trip, the Blueberry Festival, or a pitstop before heading into the boundary waters canoe area - I wouldn't eat anywhere else in town. Frankly, you don't have a ton of options... Subway? Dominos? DQ? Noooo! Not in the Great North! But that is beside the point. Boathouse is great, especially with the semi-recent remodel/addition of the upstairs area. Try any of the beers and you will probably enjoy them (plural, more than one) - they are known for the cream ale (pontoon ride?) and the blueberry blonde. I'm a light beer drinker/IPA guy, and they both were good. And yes, they also have an IPA. If you aren't there to tip back beers, don't worry - the food menu offers plenty of great options. I pretty much stick to the burgers - if you are like me, then the "afterburner" is for you. So good! You guessed it - Boathouse's spiciest item (hello fresh, not-pickled, jalapeños!). As a Minnesotan you can never go wrong with a burger that includes bacon and garlic mayo. Boom. Random note for when I ventured off the burger path - they were serving a steak sandwich and I jokingly teased about ordering it "if only they had creamy horseradish" available - which wasn't on the menu. Our server stopped me mid-whine, went to talk to the cooks/kitchen and googled options. They whipped up some creamy horsey and the sandwich was absolutely smashing. Go Boathouse! read more

Food prices are High! That being said food was excellent. Beers were good, not great. Great atmosphere. My wife and I had one beer each, Gyro with chips, and a Cubano with fries. $75.00 with tip. Cause of adding fries my Cubano sandwich was $24.00! I love supporting local places and don't mind paying extra for good food but at those prices I don't think we'll be back. Also there's a up charge for everything to a already high priced menu. Other than prices this was a nice place and food was great. read more

Don't count on good service, or even common decency when they're busy. Went in to grab a bite, the sign said "please find a clean table and seat yourself". It was busy and we had a party of five. Could've squeezed onto a four person table but preferred a larger one. We saw a group paying their check and likely leaving soon, so figured we'd standby and just wait then use that table. Half of us were sitting and the other half standing near the larger table at a 4 person table. Waitress came over (didn't get her name but she wore glasses and had a cartilage piercing with a bar through it) and asked what our plan was, we told her we thought we'd wait for the table to leave. She immediately had an attitude and asked if we wanted to wait for that table or we could just sit at the four person table and she could serve us. Told her we'd prefer to wait for the larger table. She said she didn't know how long they would be and she couldn't just kick them out. We said that'd be fine and we understood. Apparently she didn't like that and said "fine, I just won't serve you" and took the menus back. We stayed for another minute, not sure what set her off with so much attitude. She came by after a minute and said "you guys can just leave". It was busy, and they looked understaffed, so I'm sure she was having a rough night. Totally get that. Still not a good reason to snap at guests like that. If they don't want people choosing their seating, they should seat guests themselves. Can't comment on the food as we never had the opportunity to sample it, but I'm sure it's good. read more

The Boathouse is a tradition for us! Blueberry Blonde is the best and a delicious beer to prepare your entry into the BWCA or to celebrate a perfect tear down of your camp with the pile of kids at Birch Lake Campground. The service is always friendly and fast. The food is amazing and portions are good to fill your belly. A major reason we come here is because the ambiance right off the main drag Sheridan is a perfect way to start or end your time in Ely. A really cute addition we noticed this year were the kids drawings on the cover of the menus. Super cute. Thank you Boathouse! read more

It feels like a neighborhood bar without the smoke lol I came here in search of knob creek bourbon and a salad Nice combo lol well I'm not disappointed for sure knob creek mmmm and the salad was pretty awesome Great location in downtown Ely They don't like the WNBA here lol read more

Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant - Knob creek mmmmm - Brewpubs Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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History happy hour fun! Amazing food, drinks and very happy service. Love how many great things happen upstairs at the boathouse. read more

Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant - History happy hour - Brewpubs Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

I recently got together with 3 High School friends and spent about a week with them paddling within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). Gayle had playfully opined: Four 66 year-old men heading off into the wilderness. What could go wrong? Actually, and thanks to our Moose Track Adventure Guide, we had a great (and safe) time. For me, it had been 45+ years since I'd last paddled in the BWCA, but in so many ways, it seemed like yesterday. The Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant is where our group (including my brother) met for our "kick off" dinner. Except for one gluten intolerant friend, we all ordered beer to toast our upcoming journey. Boathouse does have gluten-free or friendly food options BTW. Our food orders were a combination of burgers, salads, and/or specialty sandwiches. All were very tasty and complimented our adult beverage selections well. Seating was comfortable and brew pub casual. Service appeared to be a little short handed on this busy evening, but was attentive and friendly nonetheless. read more

Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant - In front of the Boathouse Brewpub and Restaurant. L-R - Bob, Me, Brother Scott, and Jeff - Brewpubs Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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Sadly, they no longer have pizza, which is what I was craving. Just fryer items and burgers/sandwiches. But, those items are pretty decent. In the Cities, it'd be overpriced. Here in Ely, where you have few other options, it's probably fair. Burgers are an unremarkable patty, but the bacon is thick cut and excellent, and they'll provide chipotle hot sauce if you ask. Fries are nicely crisp as are fried apps. Beer is pretty ordinary, but if you've been five days without any cold beverage it's liquid from heaven. The real truth is, this place is probably average, but most people come here after paddling hard for days, and hunger is the best seasoning. I chowed down, I feel great, and I'm gonna go crash. read more

Fantastic service and amazing food for a cold winter day in Ely after a cold hike. We built our own pizza and the amount of toppings was really impressive (next time we will go thin crust though)! I saw they had a Gouda wild rice soup as their menu item and had to try it - amazing as expected and as it sounded. Large menu to choose from and a popular spot to eat while in town. Brewpub style with a great beer selection. GET THE BLUEBERRY BEER! TVs with sports too! read more

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After 5 days in the boundary waters this was a welcome stop for our first meal back in civilization. The restaurant was clean and comfortable. Lots of big TVs to watch sports. We were able to seat ourselves and the service was great! We started off with a round of beer- pretty delicious after a long trip. They had a decent variety for a brewery and we all enjoyed our different flavors. For food we ordered the Cuban, chicken sandwich, Bacon Gouda patty melt, and the motorboat. All meals were delicious and served piping hot. We were able to sub our chips for some side salads too which was nice. Overall a great stop in Ely and would highly recommend to anyone in the area. read more

Sat at the bar and had Jackie taking care of us -- she crushed it. Place was packed, and she kept it cool and dialed in. Food was just as impressive: Perfectly cooked burger, thick-cut bacon (even better than Snooze! iykyk), juicy chicken on the Captain's Salad, everything high quality, fresh and on point. And the locals next to us were super friendly, which made this Colorado duo feel right at home. read more

Friendly and fast service with minimal wait time for food. Food was delicious and loved the crispy bacon. read more

Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant - Afterburner Burger with Lettuce, tomato, and onions added. Had the side salad. - Brewpubs Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

Got the Wallie fish and chips. Staff were friendly and fast. The place has nice wood floors lots of pine paneling. Should have sat in the restaurant with my mom it was a little loud for her on the pub side but she liked being able to see the brew area and the younger people enjoying the food and drink. read more

Be patient, they are short staffed but it is worth the wait. The menu is hilarious, and appreciated; kids are welcome but keep them in their seats. I have children, but often my experience in restaurants are ruined by screaming, running, unruly kids that no one cares to manage. The Bloody Mary is little spicy, slight pickle flavor and rivals the Ruby Slipper in New Orleans. The poutaine, and walleye are great choices. The sauce that comes for the walleye is homemade, and not even sure what it was other than delicious. The onion rings are battered in their beer and had a sweet flavor that was a good change from traditional onion rings. Good flavors, steady service and clean. Was so happy we visited. Lots of brew choices on tap and the blueberry beer comes with real blueberries in the bottom of the glass. The vibe in Minnesota is slower paced but great quality ingredients. read more

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Very good hamburger, salad, and onion rings. Our server was very attentive and food arrived quickly.

Great staff and amazing food! I had the grilled chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries and it was amazing!

Personally, this business is a very bad me and my friends right here a while ago and it's already been two hours and we still haven't gotten our food we just got our water. I got my Splish splash all over me. read more

Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant - Brewpubs Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

This is our second time here. I had to try the PB &J beer. It's unique and good. I'm not normally a peanut butter person, but I really liked it! The prices are high here but the food is decent. It just really stinks it's $4 up charge for sweet potato fries and $4 up charge for a gluten free bun. So your expensive burger just got real expensive! I had the burger with the jalapeños and bacon but without the cheese. OH YEA!!! Really really good! We had wings to start with, and cheese curds. I can't speak of the curds (everyone else enjoyed them) but I can on the wings. I really appreciated the fact they were not sauced. You can dip them in the sauce you request. That allowed my grandson to be able to eat a couple. They were light seasoned and really tender and juicy. Delightful! I also ordered a side salad no cheese no croutons. It came out with cheese. I told the waiter. He took it back and brought me one that had croutons. I said look. I'm sorry but I ordered it no cheese and no croutons. It's then he realized the issue. He asked if we needed anything else. Yes. My boyfriend didn't get his food. He was the first to order. I guess the waiter forgot to put the order in. It was the walleye basket special. I've never been upstairs, but there is ample seating if you walk in and think it's full, they might not be. There are giant fish taxidermy's on the wall. Those are pretty neat. I would have given 5 stars had my boyfriend's food not been forgotten and my salad not messed up. The waiter did take my boyfriend's beer off, since he had to wait. The other downfall like I mentioned was price. For my boyfriend, myself, and my grandson was $100 for LUNCH. A kids meal, 1 beer, 1 order of wings, a burger (gluten free bun and sweet potato fries) side salad, and the walleye special. We are from Missouri. We can get steak dinners with a salad and two sides at a nice restaurant with a drink for that total. It's just shocking it cost that much for lunch. The food is good. Service could use a bump up- but our waiter could have been just having an "off" day so not terrible by any means. I just wish the prices weren't so high. I may be looking for other places to go in the future when we come back to the BWCA read more

Walked in for a beer and some food following a 3 day outing in the grand BWCA. Service was less than appreciated as we were told to get out of the bar area and wait for a table. Me: "Can I buy a beer while I wait for the table?" Bartender: "You'll be taken care of at your table." What in the absolute F??? Needless to say, we walked our $200 lunch down the road to Dees Bar and ordered a Dominos. Not coming back to this place. Decent bar area. But Nope! read more

We are fans of all brewpubs and craft beers - this one was just "okay." Service was jamming, but they were less than welcoming. Food was better than average pub fare (loved the Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese Bites and fried duck wings). Sadly, the beers were "meh" - we tried the IPA, Wheat, Pale and Tripel and sorry to say there was nothing to recommend. read more

Upon entering it's self seating, which was awkward as it was busy. The sign said not to sit at a dirty table, which was difficult when looking for a table. The staff was quick to offer assistance. Service was quick and friendly! Our drinks were served fast. We all ordered burgers with fries! No pictures. We were so hungry and the food was delicious! Every dish from the kitchen looked amazing! Definitely a great place to eat! read more

Great food and even better service. They make their own beer and the specials are always delicious. read more

Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant - Steak gyro with grilled chicken side salad - Brewpubs Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

Don't come here if you're hungry. Three things made this an irritating experience: 1) First, it took an hour to get our food (for 2 ppl) & we waited about 10 mins after seated for a server to stop by. 2) The beer is meh. This place is in a great position since there's no other breweries around Ely but I tried three kinds (blueberry blonde ale, double IPA, & wee heavy) & they all seemed watered-down. 3) Lastly, server really didn't seem to care about our table. It was a holiday weekend (totally get he was prolly stressed), but saw him joking with other tables, and a simple heads up about the wait in the beginning would of gone a long way. Didn't find out until 45 mins into our wait that the kitchens were way backed up. Also, even though it was less busy, it took a while to get our bill. We kept trying to flag our server but finally after 10 mins of trying, we just went up to the counter. THE FOOD: It's your typical greasy food place but the person I was with liked his burger. I got the Boathouse Cuban which had a horseradish sauce that was pretty overpowering. Not worth $14 so maybe just stick to burgers here. The space is pretty big inside so at least we didn't also have to wait for a table. So luckily I wasn't in a huge rush. But since I couldn't even enjoy my beer as I waited soooo long I dont plan on being back unless some magic happens. You've. Been. Warned. read more

Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant - Boathouse Cuban - at first tasty, but horseradish sauce was too much. Stay to the burgers maybe - Brewpubs Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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Good service. Nice ambiance. Family friendly. Large dining space. Variety of menu items.

I ordered take out about maybe a year ago and the food was just horrible. Greasy ass food. Bitched about it on face book before and since I'm local I believed they messed my meal up on purpose. But that's ok. Best of luck read more

Glad I stopped here. Had a great Buffalo Chicken Salad that was filling and delicious. Nice variety of food choices. Typical bar set up with nice tables and tv. They also had a restaurant side if you don't want to eat in the bar. Waiter was efficient and nice - kept the water filled and answered a few questions I had about the area. Definitely would recommend. read more

The burgers are amazing here! Came in town from Missouri and for how casual this place is, food is top notch even compared to big city top restaurants. The atmosphere is calm and clean and our server (Dylan) was great! Awesome music too! read more

Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant - a woman sitting at a table - Brewpubs Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

Yum! Cleanest bathrooms and most delicious food we've seen all week after a fantastic trip on the Boundary Waters! Fun crew, great times!

Good burger that feeds hungry soul after a day of canoeing/kayaking. The very few place only on Monday night. read more

Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant - Menu - Brewpubs Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

We were here on a busy afternoon-we got our drinks right away, and the food came out fast for as busy as they were. The meals were all delicious, my IPA was tasty as well. The bar staff never quit moving (or smiling) the entire time we were there. Great food-Excellent Service! Would definitely stop next trip to Ely read more

We really liked this restaurant. The price was pretty reasonable for the food. It didn't take very long for us to get our food. Also their home brews were Very good. We had some blueberry one that taste really good. Also the walleye was delicious. They are located in downtown Eileen which is a great location since there's so much to see and do close by. We sat in the restaurant section and my boyfriend was able to watch the game as well when we were eating our dinner. They also had a section that was just the bar for people who just want to go and have a drink. They don't have a parking lot but we didn't have a problem finding street parking close by. read more

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Great place to go, if you just want a cold refreshing beer. The blueberry blonde was fantastic. However, the fish and chips we had were awful dry. The fish was supposed to be walleye, but sure tasted and looked like Northern. We actually left half of the food still on the plate, which I have rarely ever had to. I do not recommend getting food from this place, as it is pretty pricey and not so tasty! read more

Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant - Brewpubs Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

After hiking for days in the BWCA, we decided to hike back to Ely for some beer and found this place. Besides waking up to the sound of loons I'm the serenity of the Boundary Waters, this was the next best thing. Came in for some beer and left satisfied with the Blueberry Blonde Ale and the Peanutbutter Chocolate Stout. I thought the latter tasted like a porter but I actually happen to like both stouts and porters and thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommend the Blueberry Blonde Ale on hot days as it's light, crisp, and refreshing. The "hint of blueberry" is actually about a couple ounces of actual blueberry. Awesome aroma and finish to this Blonde Ale. Ordered the Mushroom Swiss burger and it had good flavors. They don't skimp on the cheese and the fries that came with it were amazing. The 1/3 lb patty really shines in this one. The Motorboat Burger was even better. Lot of smoky flavors with the bacon, garlic mayo, onions, and cheddar cheese topped on an honest burger patty. The Gunsmoke Burger was the best. Similar to the Motorboat but with smoked Gouda cheese and brisket. There was just so much aroma to this one I think my senses were overwhelmed. There's one major flaw with this burger though - you're going to want to eat it even when you're not hungry. Also tried the Van Eyck (Dark Belgian Strong Ale) and left impressed enough for a growler fill - a 64ounce plastic growler to take back into the BWCA as glass bottles are banned. read more

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Last time we ate there 4/7/23 we got food poisoning. I called the next day and talked to the lead/supervisor to let her know and asked for the owner to contact me for a possible refund. I never heard from him. read more

We had dinner here after a long drive up to Ely from the Chicago area. They did have some of their own beers available, but cocktail list looked more interesting. I had a bourbon cherry sour which was good and not too sweet. We started with some cheese curds which were quite good and not greasy. I had the brisket sandwich for my entree; the brisket was tender and flavorful and the bread was fresh. The sandwich came with the BBQ macaroni salad. Our server asked if I wanted to substitute a different side, and seemed surprised when I said no. Well, if I ever find my way back up to Ely, I would go with a different side. It wasn't bad, but it was standard mayonnaise macaroni salad with a bit of spice. Service was good and we noted they did offer plastic growlers for going out on the water; if only we didn't have portages to do...a plastic mug of beer would have been a nice addition to dehydrated camp food! read more

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The food was good for being the only bar open past 8pm in town. The service was a little overwhelmed by the amount of people wearing crocks and carhertt stocking caps. There was live music, and a kind people, over all a great place to grab dinner read more