Embracing my Swedish/ Norwegian side checking out the lovely town ofLindström today. Well known as…read morethe town with the teapot water tower just north of Forest Lake. Along with a tasty lunch in Chisago. @thenorthernlaketavern wrapped up our visit with a tasty lunch. We enjoyed the chicken and garlic flatbread, and a mushroom Swiss burger with tots. Uffdah what a fun day! Hoping everyone can find some Hygge in your days.

Sis and I took a last-minute Thursday late afternoon roadtrip up Hwy 8 due to a FB Marketplace…read morepickup. It was dinnertime and I asked the Seller a restaurant they recommend in the area. She told us The Northern and to make sure to order the cheese curds. Looking at the menu before hitting the road again, sis and I knew the place was for us: burgers, sandwiches and wraps. Pulling into the parking lot was easy. Even though looked full, we were still able to find a spot. I want to note the gorgeous view of the red barn/farm across from the pond when pulling in. I noticed a patio on the North side of the building, which would put this farm in your view. We did have about a 20 minute wait for a table for 2. The restaurant looked busy from what I could see. Once we were brought to out table, I then noticed that the bar seating was pretty much open. Had I known, we might have elected to just sit at the bar. However, I asked for menus right away so that we could at least ponder it during that 20 minutes. We were sat at a high top right near the kitchen door. Being able to see all the food come out, I changed my mind on what I was going to order almost 10 times. We asked for the cheese curds as soon as we were greeted by our waitress. OMGosh! They were in the shape of cubes, deep fried to golden perfection. The outside had perfect firmness from the fryer. The inside was gooey, salty white cheese. Perfect just by itself. It did come with a ranch dipping sauce that was just so yummy. It reminded me a seasoned sour cream. The waitress didn't know the brand of the cheese curds (ie. Ellsworth) but did say the ranch was homemade Sis ordered the Great Northern Burger with French fries. She's a fan of BBQ sauce, bacon and onion rings on a burger. Fries were nicely seasoned, long, soft and semi-skin-on (not crinkle or steak fries). Burger was huge and worth the $15.99 price tag. I settled on the BOTM, the Nacho Burger, with tator tots. Toppings included nacho cheese, Fritos chips, bacon, diced/sliced jalapenos. The tator tots were one of the best I've ever had. Again, seasoned nicely. And the perfect ratio of hard outside crunch to soft inside potato. The Nacho burger was huge too....and messy with the nacho cheese. The Fritos did get a little soggy at the end. The bacon was under the melted cheese. And there were plenty of jalapenos hidden under the meat patty. Those were easy to discard so I could control how many fiery peppers were in my mouth at one time. Was service slower than normal? Yes. Was the service friendly? Yes. Was it worth the wait? Also YES! I would definitely recommend (I already have to my coworkers.) for anyone who loves gourmet burgers. They also have a nice variety to the sandwich, wraps, tacos and flatbread menu. I will just have to take the 40 minute drive again to try something else.

Reuben was overcooked. Corned beef was shredded and more resembled crispified leftovers more fit…read morefor hash than a sandwich. Fries were fine for what they are. Kid ordered the Cajun pasta. It's not a large portion for 24 bucks. And while the server didn't think it was overly spicy, it was more like hot Cheetos. Hot for the sake of hot and definitely not good for some tastes. One more chicken pasta, a side salad, and soup....add four drinks and the total came to $120 after the requisite credit card fee. After all this.....it's taken me 5 years of living in the are to try this place. It's gonna be another 5 years to try it again.

Stopped in for a beverage... was greeted warmly and offered a table in the dining room or bar-side…read more I enjoy hijacking the TouchTunes so opted for the bar. Nice ambiance and good beer selection. Beer was cold and tasted as it should. Added steak bites and was pleasantly surprised. Tender, cooked perfectly -garnished with two sauces and onion strings. Will definitely return- menu selections are fantastic.

We really love & enjoy going to meisters! You're in a SMALL town so the expectations should be that…read moresmall town vibe which they fully fulfill. They are a scratch kitchen which is rare to find and the prices are hard to beat when the foods always good! The wait staff is always kind and remembers you if you make your way back a few times.

The Friday "All you can eat" fish fry was very disappointing. There was more breading than fish to…read morethe filets. In addition, the fries were soggy. My wife commented that the fries looked like they were steamed in the microwave.

This is a perfect hole in the wall bar complete with some kind of gambling machine. We had the…read moreappetizer combo and the 1/2 fish plate (the fish portions truly are huge). The food was good bar food and the service was fine. It's small so you can hear everyone's conversation. If you like the local dive experience, I recommend it.

Burgers are dry food service patties. Overpriced. The Bloody Marys are very watered down with no…read moretaste. Everything is overpriced. Nice outdoor seating, though. Good service.

Als gets 5 stars for dive bar atmosphere! 4 high top tables, 2 small low tables and bar seating. 1…read morepool table, pull tabs and one pinball machine. Order food at the bar. Bus your own table. Very cool little spot if you are looking to have some drinks. Food was ok. Nothing to write home about but nothing to complain about. Definitely worth stopping by for the experience.

The best burgers around- my kids love the burgers and fries with the little smiley face potato…read more Great atmosphere for a couple of drinks out with the spouse. Definitely check out Al's!

"I ordered chicken alfredo the noodles were mushy, zero flavor, and we got charged for it even…read morethough we sent it back . Do yourself a favor--skip this place!"

New ownership now, and it makes me nervous but excited for the next chapter. Please PLEASE PLEASE…read moredon't change the ribs! And keep the almost famous appetizer sampler!! I'm begging you! Every Wednesday for Survivor night or Thursday I order the sampler and have leftovers for lunch at work. It the best!

Wow. This was amazing. Jet was Greta to work with. He recommended it and I loved it. I eat all the…read moregreat Thai places in the cities and did not expect to have something that good up here but this was as good of a Thai dish as anything I've had in the cities and better than most. If you are in the area, and are a foodie of any kind, order this dish!

Great Food! My husband always orders the yellow curry with Shrimp minus the potatoes. I order #37…read morePork Belly which comes with Chinese broccoli rice with a fried egg. Excellent. Our service has always been wonderful. Family owned. Hannah was our waitress,sweet and accommodating. Not a fancy place but enjoyed the music with our dinner. They do a lot of takeout for the community. We drive 55 miles to eat at Jay's Kitchen Thai Street food.

Let's start by saying that the ambiance is interesting... it doesn't necessarily reflect the…read morepictures online. The booths could use a upholster (or be knocked out completely) the floor was really dirty, and it's just overall a dive bar vibe and if that's your thing- you'll love this place. I however wasn't interested in going to a dive bar, I thought I was going to a simple restaurant with good food... I was so wrong. It's very rare for my husband or I to not like the food that is served at any restaurant, yet not like it enough to post a review... let's start by saying that IF THIS WAS A HOSPITAL, IT WOULD BE GREAT FOOD... but sadly it is not. My husband ordered the prime special which was already sold out for the night by 6:30 (it's is Valentines Day (but poor planning none the less), okay fine... so instead he ordered the brisket sandwich. The bacon that was on the sandwich was so burnt, that it should have been chopped into bacon bits and tossed on a potato... and speaking of potatoes... my husband ordered a baked potato on the side and even after adding 4 little plastic tubs of butter- it was still DRY. He had to add salt and pepper on twice, just to get any flavor. And he is NOT a picky eater. I ordered a sandwich which was okay, but again the bacon was also burnt (not crispy, burnt) and should have been chopped into bacon bits. I ordered mashed potatoes on the side and they were fine (you could tell they were homemade) but I would be shocked if the gravy didn't come from a can. The only reason I'm giving this place two stars instead of one, is that our server was very nice. We gave him a good tip, and decided we would never eat there again. Hopefully he can get some experience here, quit and find a serving job where he can serve actual good food.

This place was the perfect breakfast/brunch spot. The way the restaurant was laid out was great…read more They have a bar area, a restaurant and a patio with a good flow, but also felt cozy for each type of dining environment. The patio has a view of the lake and a few yard games on the lawn. The food tasted very home style. The breakfast tacos were very filling and the flavors and textures were complimentary. Service was attentive and the staff were all friendly. They have parking outside.