I have been going to Chet's to eat since I was maybe 5. That make it .... a long time. We are NEVER disappointed with our food. I LOVE the chicken, my Hubby loves the salad bar, and the service is, was , and always will be EXCEPTIONAL read more

I haven't been to Chet's for a long time. It is located on a small lake near Miltona, MN and it is POPULAR! We tried going on a Saturday night and it was packed. We decided to come back about 4:30 on Sunday, thinking it would be less busy. It was not! We were seated towards the back of the restaurant and could view the lake from our seat. Pretty cool. Our waiter was a nice guy and I ordered a Summit Pale Ale to start us off. No draft beer, OK. What do you want from a small lakeside restaurant in a small town? The place does seat quite a few people and the first thing you notice when you walk in is the well-stocked salad bar and bar off to the side. They are known for their broasted chicken, but I ordered 2 walleye fillets, and it came with a trip to the salad bar and I got a side of some of my favorite things ever, but you rarely find, fried chicken gizzards. I disregarded the salad and stocked my plate with tons of chopped olives and mushrooms and all the goodies. They had cold salads and chicken noodle soup that all came with my trip. It was AWESOME! The chicken gizzards came out first and were perfect! Not too much batter and nice and hot. Tater tots came with my meal as well. I mean come on. Who doesn't love tater-tots? I rarely get them, but they were delectable. The fillets were good size and a dip in tarter sauce and a squeeze of lemon made for some perfect fish. Unfortunately, I was STUFFED from my accouterments and could only have a few bites of my fish. It made for a great lunch the next day and heated up well in the microwave. Great place for a family dinner and good people all around! read more

Chet's Lakeside Inn - Outside. The famous chicken. - American Near Me - Parkers Prairie, Minnesota

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This place was a little worse than expected for a dive. It's super dark inside and very dated. Our server was super aggressive--coming up roughly 5 minutes after we sat and standing there until we ordered (and not really interacting at all with us other than taking our orders). After that, they vanished until they brought the check. Also important to note--They only take cash or check at this place. We started with the salad bar, which was really basic, but not terrible. My insider tip is to get the chocolate mousse and save it for dessert. It's really good! Our appetizer was onion rings and they were surprisingly good! Hot and not too heavily breaded. I got the chicken tenders and baked potato for my main. Chicken tenders were subpar and had almost no flavor. The baked potato was hardly even warm. Wouldn't recommend either of those! read more

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BEST FRIED CHICKEN!!! My husband and I stopped at this place while traveling through Minnesota. First of all the story behind this gem is a family owned business passed through the years, but with the same charm and great service. It's is a smaller place, but the are able to accommodate large parties. ( make a reservation if you have big group!) with its timeless charm the prices are very fair and generous. They have a salad bar option with all sorts of goodies! Including homemade dressings and chocolate mousse. Another thing I ate without taking a picture is the homemade fried onions rings! Must try- they also have chicken gizzards that are handmade, prime rib thurs, fri, sat- and you can get specials with 2 meats for under $30!! Who can say they get prime rib and a quarter chicken dinner for that! They do close for the winter season the Saturday before thanksgiving and reopen in the spring (around the brining of April.) Note: they are cash only, but they do have an ATM. read more

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Delicious salad bar complete with pickled beets! And the chicken is soooo good! Friendly service always!

Great southern fried chicken! They also have some of the best prime rib in the area but only on the weekends. I think they serve prime rib on Friday nights. A warm cozy place with lots of things to look at. If you haven't experienced Chet's you're in for a treat. read more

Great Chicken! Service was friendly and efficient. A lot of food for the price. Not fancy just good. read more

Few meals conjure up more anticipation for this foodie than an annual trek to Chet's Lakeside Inn in the lake country of Northern Minnesota. It is like Chet's got stuck in a time warp...maybe in the 1950s...serving up some of the best Swedish-style chicken anywhere this side of Stockholm. Tonight I ordered the half chicken - all white meat - broiled - with a baked potato and a bottle of Minnesota-brewed Grain Belt beer. Life is good at Chet's of Parker's Prairie, Minnesota. Chet's earns a nickel all day long. read more

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We came into town to visit from Memphis and came here because of the good reviews. Don't be fooled by the good reviews. It's literally the only restaurant in town, so the reviews are biased. The waitress brought us water that taste like it we left over after they drained it from boiling hard boiled eggs. It reeked of sulphur. All the reviews said to try the chicken... Don't. It was tasteless. Our waitress was very nice and it was very full but then again, what other restaurant was there to choose from? read more

Only down side is no credit cards. From the staff to the table next to you everyone is friendly. I trusted yelp about the chicken. Y'all undersold it. Both the white and dark meat were tasty and moist. But the breading! Just wow...the texture and taste. Nobody would read a review that long. Just not able to do it justice. Find your way to Chet's it is worth it. read more

I love this type of little place. Little chicken shack beside Lake Irene. Fantastic fried chicken, fried drop off the bone tender. Wonderfully seasoned! Friendly staff! read more

Have come up from minneapolis dozens of times to visit family nearby over a 30 year period. Lakeside has always had chicken that has no equal. I've been told that its pressure cooked before deep frying in a very light batter. If you're interested in trying something bold can only get here, try the horseradish-French dressing at the salad bar. It pairs delightfully with the shredded cabbage. Im a very fussy eater and would have said "eww" to the horseradish-french in my mind but it really works. Ribs also consistently impressive. read more

Chet's Lakeside Inn - 1/4 chicken and mashed potatoes. - American Near Me - Parkers Prairie, Minnesota

We ate at Chet's after doing a little research and are so glad we did. It's a smallish(from the outside) bar/restaurant typical of Northern MN. When you walk in, you are warmly greeted, and seated quickly. Chet's has a beautiful lakeside view and a huge menu. Our entrees varied from the fried walleye, to hamburgers to Hawaiian Pork Chops to their famous Chicken. Swedish Chicken that is. Everything was served quickly and piping hot. There is a salad bar with homemade dressings and chicken noodle soup. Many potato/side options with entrees. The food is outstanding. Their specialty Swedish chicken is super juicy and in a light, crunchy batter, almost tempura-like, but more golden. Prices are great, the interior is a must see because of all of the chicken paraphernalia and Crest green vinyl booths. This will now be a must stop place as we frequent the area several times a year. read more

A 'can't miss' when in Alexandria. Fun, kitschy and good, inexpensive food.

3 Stars for all the memories. I have eaten here once per year for a quarter century, always in August. I have so many memories in this place, but the memories are not necessarily from culinary enjoyment. The food is not bad, but it has no "wow" factor either. The place is probably worth checking out, because lets be honest, there aren't ANY wow restaurants in Alexandria. BEWARE: I had their Specialty Swedish Chicken last August, and I do not think I will be back. I had the worst stomach ache starting immediately after my meal in the restaurant, which continued for 3 days! It was not fun, and almost certainly due to something I ate in the restaurant. read more

Usually I have had good experiences with the restaurant, but not tonight. I asked the waitress about the BBQ chicken sandwich and she said it was pulled chicken mixed in barbecue. Wrong. It was CHILI SAUCE!! Absolutely terrible, I could not even eat it. And the waitress did not check on us once, we had to get up and find her for the bill. read more

Great night out with the teenagers. Something for everyone to eat. And it is all super yummy. Great Salad bar with chicken noodle soup. Great chicken, shrimp, and so much more. Reservations will get you a great view of the lake. Gets quite loud when they are full. read more

Special and unique chicken. It's a must try. The rest of the menu is really good supper clubby type food. Local favorite. We're on this lake and everyone knows Chet's Chicken. Reasonably priced. read more

This place is a staple in this small town and it's apparent when you arrive to customers waiting outside the doors for the restaurant to open. They apparently take reservations though, which was news to my group. We were promptly seated though regardless of the others and were given our menus. That's when the circus began. The waiters and hosts on staff were EVERYWHERE. They didn't seem to have any sections or plans as to where and who they should be helping. The salad bar has a terrible setting for being one of the most popular items they have besides their chicken. When our waitress finally came back to our table you could tell she was already stressed and the restaurant just opened 15 minutes ago. She seemed rather inconvinced having to take our order and rushed us through the whole thing. In between taking our order and receiving our food we saw our waitress exactly that many times at our table, twice, before waiting almost 20 minutes after for our check and boxes when we were done. The prices are expensive for the portions given and the service as you can read was subpar. I was super excited to try the chicken because that's what they are obviously known for but I had to peel back almost an inch of fat to get to the meat while eating it. That definitely curbed my appetite. read more

Best fried chicken on the planet. Ribs are a close second. If your heart can take it, give the onion rings a go as well

Great food love the specials especially Swedish meatballs and the chicken is amazing don't care for the mashed potatoes. The drinks are creative and good also. read more

Absolutely delicious!!! Love they fried walleye! Really nice atmosphere on the lake as well!

Not only was the service outstanding, but the food was exceptional! Even my kids (picky eaters) were telling me to try their food (the grilled cheese is better than I make at home). I strongly suggest the chicken dinner, it was exceptional. The prices were great too, two adult dinners, one round of drinks, and two kids meals for $55. You don't get prices like that in the metro. read more

Best fried chicken I've ever had!!! Love the the "time-warp-like" ambiance! We will be back!! read more

Chet's Lakeside Inn - Front of the building! - American Near Me - Parkers Prairie, Minnesota

If you can't find something funny either hanging on the wall or on a shelf you weren't trying. This place is iconic. The food is unique and superb. Always cooked just the way Chester did back when he started the place in 1953. I am partial to the chicken, ribs or prime rib, but have had nearly everything on the menu over the 25 years we have been coming here. Sorry, the chicken gizzards just wouldn't go down so I had to go back to their GREAT salad bar a second time. Thankfully the pickled herring was on hand. We come here at least 20 times a year or more and are never disappointed. Make it a tradition with your family too. Although they don't take credit cards, they do have an ATM machine. read more

My sister and I hosted a wedding shower at Chet's today. Cheri and her staff were very accommodating and a delight to work with. The appetizers were delicious and the service was exceptional. Chet's is a local institution for a reason. The food is great and they really know how to make you feel at home. And if you are used to Twin Cities prices, you will be blown away (in a good way) when you get your bill. read more