The Mac and cheese grilled cheese was delicious. The turkey avocado sandwich was also delicious. I liked the option of being able to build your own grilled cheese. The fried potatoes were a little salty for my taste but the tomato soup was really good. read more

I wandered down to Gator's after I arrived in town from a 10 hour drive - just looking for some food and this was within stumbling distance from the Adventure Inn, where I was staying. Holy smokes, I could not have found a better place! I grew up summers in Ely back in the 90's, so I remember what town used to be like. I was surprised to see quite a few new additions since I had been there last as a child, one of which was Gator's. The restaurant is located right on the main drag in a cozy little log cabin. It has just enough space to comfortably fit large parties, but small enough to still feel very homey. The menu is filled with great comfort foods, including (of course) many grilled cheese and mac & cheese options, but also plenty of healthier options. I opted for a garden salad ($5.95) and it was to die for. I also tried their mac & cheese, which was hearty and creamy and amazing. What I loved most about this place was that it was perfect for me, a solo adult, to unwind and enjoy myself, but also perfect for the table full of kids across the restaurant from me. They have a train that goes around the ceiling of the cabin, serve the kids food on frisbees, and are generally a pretty fantastic experience for the kiddos. I ended up loving the restaurant so much that I went back the next morning for breakfast, AND bought a tee-shirt! Highly recommended! read more

Gator's Grilled Cheese Emporium - American Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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We visited on a Sunday night with our 6 year old son. What a fun place! A very nice man (owner?) turned on the ceiling-mounted train. They had Finnegan's on tap. The building was quaint and lovely. Our son, a mac and cheese connoisseur, was very happy with his meal (which was served on a frisbee he got to take home!) The mac and cheese was spiral noodles and a creamy sauce. Nothing fancy but sure tasty. My wife and I both had sandwiches which were some of the most delicious things we've had in the area. The turkey avocado club melt was messy but very tasty, and the prime rib Philly was top notch. Prices were very reasonable. All of the staff were very friendly, warm, and funny. Well worth it! We'll be back. read more

Delicious! We had a nice meal here on a chilly day in Ely and it was great. The place itself was also super cozy. Would definitely return! read more

Gator's Grilled Cheese Emporium - Turkey bacon and avocado melt with chicken dumpling soup - American Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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I was amazed to learn that Gator's has been open for just under two months. It must have been a baptism by fire (being that it has been the busy summer season) as they obviously have worked out the kinks. We each had a beer and a special appetizer of house made blueberry salsa with fresh blue corn chips. Then we shared a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of mac & cheese. Everything was top notch. read more

Gator's Grilled Cheese Emporium - Unbelievable blueberry salsa (house made) served with fresh blue corn chips, for Ely's annual Blueberry Festival. - American Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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Ate here for the first time over the weekend. I LOVE cheese so was really excited to try the Grilled Cheese Emporium. The food was really good. I had the Gator with lobster mac and cheese. The wild rice bread was really good on my sandwich. The lobster mac and cheese had a very strong seafood flavor, which I didn't love. I realize it has lobster in it, but lobster alone usually doesn't even have that strong of a fishy oceany flavor. The regular mac and cheese is really good thiigh, which my husband had. I finished with a piece of cranberry cobbler. I don't love cranberries, but holy cow I think that may very well be the BEST dessert I've ever had. Possibly. Definitely top 5! They have board games available to play and a big train track that runs around the restaurant so it was a little loud. The train is cute and all, but the constant "chug chug" gets annoying after about 3 minutes. One of the staff was very nice and polite, but the other 2 seemed to ignore us, as though they weren't OUR waitress, but when you only have 3 people in the whole restaurant and I'm trying to flag you down, give me the courtesy. And finally, a but overpriced. I paid $7 for a basic grilled cheese. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but still just a slab of cheese between 2 pieces of bread. My husband paid $12 for his. Just not prices you expect for a sandwich in a small town. Tasty food, but can get cheaper food other places in town with larger portions. read more

My wife and I stopped at Gators today (Sunday) at 355pm. The hostess sat us at a table, we saw they now have pizza, we asked her about the pizza, she said that they actually close at 4pm on Sundays, but she was sure they would make us a Pizza if we would like to order one. We decided on ordering sandwiches. I had the pulled chicken with BBQ and a Mac and Cheese side. The Mac and Cheese came out hot on the top but cold in the middle, I asked the waitress if they could put in the microwave. She took it back to the kitchen and brought it back nice and hot. My wife had the Grilled Cheese with a side of potatoes. She shared the potatoes with me they were excellent. We come to Ely every July, we make a point to schedule a meal at Gators... Who wouldn't want to support a business that loves dogs... read more

Gator's Grilled Cheese Emporium - Pulled Chicken BBQ and a side of Mac and Cheese. - American Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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Quaint local restaurant with great local scratch kitchen. Food is made with love and hearty portions. Service is friendly and prompt. A must eat when in ely. read more

I have been in Ely for 18 hours and have eaten here twice. Once for lunch and once for breakfast. The food is great. I had the Denver for lunch and the breakfast sandwhich. Both great meals. Fresh ingredients in both. The staff is very friendly and courteous. Lunch was busy. Breakfast we were the only ones in. A few of us asked for the Denver even though it was not listed for breakfast and they made it for us. Great place and great food. read more

It was a busy day. Felt bad for the staff, we stood at the door staff walked by didn't say a word to us. Waited for awhile and we just left:( Update: I probably should have updated this sooner, after I wrote this review I received an email from the owner. It was an apology about the service stating that there was a festival going on and they were busier than usual. She got my address and sent me a gift card in the mail. I have not been up there yet, since I live 2 hours away. But I'm looking forward to going back. read more

Nice outdoor seating, very reasonably priced, quick service, and a delicious Rachel (aka turkey Reuben) sandwich made with real shredded turkey. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in the area! read more

Gator's Grilled Cheese Emporium - The Rachel sandwich (aka a turkey Reuben). Made with pulled turkey and delicious! - American Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

We stopped here for lunch between Bear and Wolf Center in Ely area. I got the turkey avocado on flatbread with chili and my wife had the pulled chicken sub with mac and cheese. The food came out fast and we were surprised. The portions were pretty large so we would probably be fine with half sandwich and cup of soup. Anyways, the food was pretty good so would recommend this place to others. read more

Nice sandwiches and soups. Kids meals came with applesauce and a Capri sun, and were served in a frisbee the kids got to keep which is cute. The space is pretty small and a bit cramped. Outdoor seating probably helps that, but it was raining when we were there. Good friendly service. read more

Food is consistently good here, often BETTER than good. Service and staff are friendly. One or two occasional, rare quirks to remind you that this is a small business run by humans. Overall: Highly Recommended. read more

What a great find! Had the Rueben sandwich with Mac and cheese as the side. Yum! Will definitely order this again. My husband ordered the Prime Dip Philly and my son ordered the pizza burger. Both were delicious! For desert we had carrot cake, which was to die for! Next time you are in Ely, bring your appetite and give them a try. You'll be glad you did! read more

Great food with healthy portions. You can tell it is all made from scratch. The white chicken chili is fantastic. The Mac and cheese is tasty. The service is wonderful. Nice to sit by the wood burning fire place! read more

Gator's Grilled Cheese Emporium - American Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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I had the Mac and Salad. The Mac and cheese was yummy. It had a nice, cheddar flavor. The salad was a good size, and their house made blue cheese dressing was delicious! There was plenty of on-street parking. The staff was very nice, and service was quick, but not rushed. read more

Gators was an excellent place to stop on our way through Ely! The staff was welcoming and even greeted us on the patio with a water bowl and treats for our pup. Thanks for being the only dog friendly restaurant in Ely! The food was amazing! I had the Rachael with a side of roasted potatoes and my fiancé had the prime rib sandwich with wild rice soup. Everything was delicious and had great flavor- as if it was homemade. We will definitely be back next year :) read more

Absolutely amazing food and service. We come here every couple of years when we are in Ely and we make it a point to stop by. Their bacon Mac and cheese sandwich is out-of-this-world good. The games they have inside is a big plus if you have kids you need to entertain before eating. We're absolutely coming back!! read more

So happy to be back and see Gators is open. I had my favorite tomato basil soup and grilled avocado turkey bacon sandwich. I have never been disappointed! read more

Great place! Relaxing fireplace, great soups and great grilled cheese. The waitress cleaned and bussed tables while seeing us and three others. She was amazing! Would love to come here again. Excellent! read more

A new favorite place in Ely! Great comfort food with an extensive menu. I have a gluten allergy and they graciously accommodated me by going off menu. Staff very friendly, smart and caring. I enjoyed dining outside. read more

Yummy! Reviews helped us decide on this place, glad we stopped. Staff was friendly, food was fresh/delicious. A must while visiting Wintergreen dogsled lodge . read more

The place is cute and cozy. The menu looked great. The specials listed were also very appealing. We were seated right away and then somehow became invisible. Others who arrived after us were attended to and their orders taken promptly. When we asked when a server would be available, we were told, "Well, she's also the cook so she's pretty busy." So we left. read more

Stop here on my visit to Ely and they had the best Homemade chili I have ever had. Courtesy staff and excellent down home service.

Pretty unimpressed at breakfast. While the food was good and the staff nice, though it took forever to get a refill, even though the place was completely empty beside our group, I nearly walked out as soon as I saw the menu. For breakfast, they have a menu with 6 items, which would be fine for a small restaurant, but their prices are also very exorbitant. $7.95 for 4 slices of 'French toast' with absolutely nothing else is a price I wouldn't pay anywhere. My $8 can find something much better elsewhere. So, while the food is decent, the price isn't worth it. read more

Heavenly mad and cheese! I got the gator (standard grilled cheese sandwich) with Swiss and jalapeños on wild rice bread and it was excellent! The Mac and cheese however was absolutely delightful and I wanted so much more of it! The patio was nice and the service was great! I would absolutely come back here for more! read more

Gator's Grilled Cheese Emporium - The gator with Mac and cheese - American Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

Great food choices, great mac n chs. Friendly prompt service. Give them a try please. read more

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Best first meal you could possibly have when getting back from a week in the backcountry. My group still talks about it. Coffee, the sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, the Mac! All huge portions. Absolutely excellent. Guaranteed this is our place next year when we go back to Ely. read more

Awesome grilled cheese. I had a cheddar and Gruyere on the wild rice bread. It was one of the best grilled cheeses I have ever had. They also freshly brew their iced tea. read more

I LOVE this place! Super friendly service and the food is outstanding! I come here every time I am in Ely. The soups are all very tasty but the Mac N Cheese is my favorite! Highly recommended!! read more

Delicious sandwiches! Great mac 'n cheese! A fantastic selection of board games! Friendly, cheerful service! A few quality microbrews on tap! What's not to love here? I'll be back. Other family members stopped at DQ after a trip in the Boundary Waters - they were fools. Next time, we all go here. read more

When it's too hot to leave your dog in the car, Gators welcomed our pet on the outside deck. They Brought her water and treats to get out nerves relieved so we could enjoy our meal. They have the cheesiest Mac N Cheese of any other establishment I've been to The Denver bigger and avocado melt were delectable...and served with fried red potatoes. Our server Erin was so charming and personable with us and our dog. Highly recommended! read more

Awesome! Came in on a 5 degree winter day determined to have Mac n Cheese comfort food but was tempted with the hot, open-faced turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes. It was delicious - homemade turkey (not pressed), crispy Texas toast with real mashed potatoes and gravy. It was heaven. Of course I tried a side of Mac n cheese and that was great too. Hubby had grilled cheese on gluten-free bread with tomato soup. Yep - this place is comfort food in a comfy environment (we sat by the fireplace.). Make time to stop in and enjoy this cute little restaurant. read more

Gator's Grilled Cheese Emporium - American Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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Great food. I love the combination tomato basil soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. The bread they make the sandwiches on is amazing all by itself. Great comfort food. Service is a little slow but everything's made from scratch so it's worth the wait. You're on vacation anyway so relax and enjoy. read more

Really good food! Denver sandwich was perfect! The place was clean and the service extremely friendly. The environment was peaceful.

Very very good breakfast. Had the Veggie Scramble and it was amazing. Great coffee as well (gene hicks). Will definitely be back!

You got me at cheese! Awesome new year round place to eat at in Ely. Prices are great. Food is really good. Love the interior. Staff is friendly and good at what they do! I'll be back! read more

I have eaten here many times over the past two years. The food has always been good and the prices reasonable. The servers have always been courteous and prompt. It's one of our favorite places to eat in Ely. The kids love the overhead train track. read more

Gators Grilled Cheese Emporium was amazing! Food was absolutely fantastic and Vera couldn't have been more wonderful. She was attentive and made us feel welcome. Would highly recommend! read more