My wife and I planned on taking a quick day trip to get some rest and time together and I had won a voucher for Grand Casino from a local silent auction. So we didn't have too many expectations coming in, as long as it had a nice hot tub and room, we would be happy. And that is what we found here. The rooms are updated and modern and very roomy. Beds are very comfortable and offer a good night's sleep. The pool area offers a huge hot tub which made for some good lounging time, albeit you cannot have drinks of any kind in the pool area, which was somewhat of a downer. The casino was not anything to write home about. We had some free play credits to use and the machine basically ate them without functioning correctly, so that was a total bust. Oh well, I don't gamble against the house anyways. Finally, we had dinner in their restaurant. The food was not bad. I enjoyed my seafood platter, it was filling and had decent quality seafood. My wife's BBQ mac and cheese was not great, more mac than meat. All in all, it wasn't terrible and we didn't pay much out of pocket for it. Finally, there is not a lot to do outside of the casino. There is a nice state park just up the road and you have Mille Lacs for fishing excursions, but not much more than that. I have never been to the Hinckley location so I really can't compare between the two. There is at least more to do in Hinckley. Oh well, as stated before, we were just looking for a bed and hot tub and that is what we found. read more

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As far as the food goes, not worth the $60 for two people. The food was mediocre at best. The shrimp scampi was Chewy. The meat not tender. The crab salad -missing the crap meat. Minimal options for the salad. The vegetable they served w/o starch was green beans. Choose another place. read more

Grand Casino - This is their staff. The supervisor walked by several times. We were there for 1 hr. On her phone the whole time. - Casinos Near Me - Onamia, Minnesota

I really enjoyed my stay for my birthday loved the larger room the soaking tub with provided bath salts was so nice. Probably the best stay I have had at a Grand Casino. Only downside no desk but I made do. read more

Grand Casino - Large TV in room - Casinos Near Me - Onamia, Minnesota

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Six of us spent the weekend at Grand Casino. We had three rooms booked. The entire weekend was extremely disappointing. The lack of employees, the lack of cleanliness and the constant chase to redeem what we were promised was sickening. We booked an offer (see attached) that included a free room and a meal (plus guest) at 1991 Kitchen. The offer clearly stated it was valid Sun-Thurs. We followed the instructions on the email and did not have the offer show up at the kiosks. When we asked for help, we were told to go to the hotel, then the hotel pointed us to Grand Rewards, and guess what, they pointed us back to the hotel. I even had the screenshot in hand! Not a single person wanted to take responsibility and help. Each time we had to wait in a terribly long line. Then, on Sunday, when we were expecting to have a free crab dinner anytime after 11am, it wasn't there! Every single offer, every single incentive to enjoy a "perk" was an absolute runaround. For a Holiday weekend, hours in the restaurants and Plums should have mirrored a weekend, not a Sunday night (when I'm sure the casino is slow - Sunday of a HOLIDAY weekend, mirrors Saturday. That doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out!!!) Plums was so understaffed and the quality was horrendous. Because we did not get our two meals at 1991 kitchen, we grudgenly ate at Plums after playing bingo (1991 kitchen was closed on top of it). All of our food was ice cold and I literally was handed a hamburger that was missing 3/4 of a bun! The employee made it right once she realized how ridiculous it was that I was even handed the hamburger basket to begin with. Zero quality control!!! One of the individuals in our group was given $150 in VIP comps (food) ahead of the time (by text). Guess what....it wasn't there! Again, we had to fight for something that was promised. One of our rooms was so dirty upon check in. Dusty and literal cookie crumbs on the floor and table. We were so excited for this getaway. Of course the slots were terrible, but again, the things we were promised weren't there. YOU NEED NEW MANAGEMENT. We were not the only group feeling this way. It will be a very long time before we come back. read more

Grand Casino - Casinos Near Me - Onamia, Minnesota

Do not come here spend the time to go the extra distance here my experience with my wife we check into our room go get club cards then gamble for 20 minutes then go to eat food was so bad when lady asked how it was we told her she took it and said her self I know it's gross to went to kitchen never replaced it nor offered anything brought bill never removed it we payed cause that's how we are but unbelievable they treat you like that then went on floor gambling again I sat at a machine stuck 800 dollars in it and seen door was open I shut it my bonuses where maxed out wouldn't get any bigger or break so I called a floor personnel over they said wow never seen them that big before I told him the situation he went and got a manager after 30 minutes he shows up and said wow those are big I said I got 800 dollars in here they better be he stated to be honest it should have never excepted your money cause it's not booted right cause of door I like what really he said yeah he put his badge in it said wait for it to boot up and put card in and resume of course 15 minutes later it boots up and is not working I called another floor personnel over he said wow never seen those that big I explained everything to him he went and got a different manager that one was very disrespectful as I explained everything to him he threatened to kick me out 3 times I told him to watch the cameras I have 800 dollars in here it's not working properly the other manager told me that it wasn't even supposed to let me play I did not want to move being that invested and he said it still works um no it don't I have locals telling me they never seen this before I couldn't even use my points or promos in it to keep going so I take my money out that was left angry they should have confirmed with video surveillance right above the machine gave my money back and took it out of service so I got my wife we went to room and decided to go swimming at check in told us times of pool and spa we go down swim in spa as we get out security jumped our butt's about not wearing shoes no postings in room or elevator or pool door saying you had to we apologize go to room wake up to leave go to machine that was broke with the money I had vested in it and guess what it's completely rebooted and bonuses where all started over it's a shame we drove 3 hours out of our way to stay at such a place and of course we don't get anything or respect in return so remember food bad machines broke take money don't return and shoes are required apparently to go to pool that ain't even in gambling area from hotel read more

Please note: not a casino connoisseur or regular gambler. Being here was a last minute, what the heck decision. An impromptu stop on way up north to check out some dark skies. Price point for basic room cheaper than other casinos and on par with other standard hotels. Room was clean, bed comfortable, pillow excellent, as was Wi-Fi. Oh, and hubby mentions the ginormous towels as a plus. Would have liked a comfy chair in the corner like it showed in the online pics, but I can see how that would interfere with the main objective of getting the guest out of the room and down to the floor. OR... maybe it was out for cleaning (which is a good thing people). Did not go swimming but pool is also ginormous - bring your suit. Seriously. Did not bring mine - silly me thinking who needs one in the forest looking up at the sky anyway? Ate at the 1991 restaurant in house and again, ginormous portions. Hint: order one dish and split. Lighting is a bit intense at tables - ask or wait for a booth. Another reviewer mentioned prices being high. My good ness where do they eat out? This same meal in the twin cities (soup, salad, and sandwich) is half the amount for 10-20 dollars more. Bathrooms in casinos very clean, although the one woman in the next stall muttering expletives beginning with "F" and "C" her entire voiding experience was a bit disturbing. But life is a crap shoot and it takes all kinds, right? She also probably lost her life savings so I guess I would be swearing in the bathroom too. I did appreciate the needle disposal sites although hubby was disturbed. That's the difference in being in health care versus not I suppose. Didn't gamble much but did hit the second slot machine for 70.00 which paid for gas up to Itasca and back. Very light attendance which was nice but it was a Monday evening and the median age was I think 70? People watching was a plus although it creates some sadness looking at all the wheelchairs and scooters. So overall, yes, would come again. p.s. appreciated the security - only hotel guests with key cards can access the hotel floors. read more

ROOM WAS DIRTY! when we arrived stains in the bedding could feel the dirt in the carpet in the room, crumbs from previous guest on the table, food on the floor by the bed from previous guests. Got drinks at the bar and could not taste the alcohol! read more

Grand Casino - DIRTY ROOM! - Casinos Near Me - Onamia, Minnesota

My family and I have been to this casino a few times now and have never had a bad time. We have never stayed in the hotel part but just come for the actual casino to gamble. The machines here seem to be pretty good and up-kept! They are nice and clean usually. The layout of the casino makes pretty good sense too. It can be difficult to get around if you have never been before but easy to get familiar with. I have never played at the tables here, but they look nice and always have people at them! The food options here are also good. They have a buffet, a fast food style one, a cafe/ice cream shop, and one or two other options. I like the variety and the option to get a quick bite or drink when i need it! Overall a decent casino. I think the grand casinos do a great job inside their establishments. Good options and nice machines! read more

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I don't go to casinos...but when Alan Parsons performs near the Twin Cities-I gotta go! Who knew there were at least 2 "Grand Casinos"? One in Hinckley (I'm aware of that one because of the MS-150 ride), and this one near Lake Mille Lacs (Onamia). Upon entry, I was overcome by the cigarette stink! Little did we know that we could have entered by the music venue-a nonsmoking area. The seating in the venue were like old buffet chairs-neither comfortable nor roomy. They were placed right next to each other for this concert (I need more space!). The concert itself was wonderful - yes, I was up dancing in the aisles! The sound system was good. read more

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Let's examine the possibility of the slot machines being on the setting "take their money because business is low from Covid." I put $200 in a few different slot machines. Now either I'm the unluckiest person on the planet (highly possible), or the machines haven't had their currency dinner in some time now. Usually the machines will "throw you a bone" once in a while, but my two-Hundo was gone in less than 20 minutes. I won no "mini-games" or "free spins," the money was just evaporated! Each "bet" I placed was met with a flat out loss or just slightly under making my bet back. I understand the risks of gambling, the probability that you will very likely not win, but holy hell I've never seen mine and my girlfriends money gone so fast in any casino setting in my life. I came in with the idea of blowing $200, but not quite in 20 minutes! Just be careful people. The beds were nice, rooms upkeep was on point, but don't get me started on the staff. Quite an unprofessional experience is all I will add. Might make a return, but probably not. Probably not to any casino in the near future. I'd recommend putting more time in between the current day and the Covid casino depression. They're probably trying to make up for their losses. Not many happy faces on the casino floor. Lol read more

My boyfriend and I stayed here last weekend and had a lovely time. We started off rough, because the hotel had accidentally double booked our room so it was already occupied, but to make up for it, they put us in a REALLY nice suite: huge living/dining/bar area with cushy leather chairs, a fireplace, a big bathroom with a jacuzzi, the works. This was above and beyond what they had to do: they could have put us in a standard room, maybe given us a gift card or casino credit for our troubles, but instead the woman (I assume she was a manager) searched through the available rooms until she found a suite we could stay in for both nights. It was so thoughtful, and it made for an extra relaxing vacation. The only reason I'm giving this 4/5 is because room service only runs until 10 PM, which seems pretty early, especially for a casino hotel where people are up at all hours. By the time we got to our room it was well after 11 PM and we hadn't eaten, and we were obviously pretty exhausted, but we couldn't have anything delivered to the room. There is a little snack/fast food restaurant in the casino called Plums, which is open 24 hours, so we dragged ourselves downstairs to get takeout from there. Tasty pizza, but it would have been nice to have a delivery option. read more

Two hour drive from the cities. The rooms have coffee makers, microwaves and fridges. Plugins for your cell phones and new towels, pillows and blankets. Pool and hot tub was nice but filled with tons of carpet crawlers even passed the 11 pm no kids allowed time Casino only has limited beer and wine selection but good selection of slot machines and non smoking gaming area. read more

Try the Cherry Jubilee dessert at Great Northern Grill. It is worth coming back for, Cherry ice cream, nuts, whipped cream and Hot Fudge! Cheese curds are available too. Plums is perfect for a relaxed bite to eat, especially in the morning for breakfast. Rooms are spacious, and there is free Wifi, just ask for the code at the front desk, or call them. They are extremely helpful. read more

Grand Casino - Casinos Near Me - Onamia, Minnesota

Don't stay at hotel!! bought a room for the night but ended up leaving during the night. ( just bored). The next received an email from an unknown female, who knew my name and thanked me for a wonderful night. strange, deleted it because I didn't know anybody from the casino. Later that day an unknown male pounding on my front door at home, claimed I spent the night with his wife. After speaking with this unknown male, I learned that his future ex-wife received my information from the front desk, as well as him receiving my information from the front desk. They both were given my personal information. I knew neither one of these two people but got pulled in to their domestic issues. Don't give your real information to the hotel as they do not protect your privacy and just give out any information to anybody asking. I contacted the hotel to complain, and I have not yet heard anything back from them as far as an apology or anything. I spoke to management in the head of security with my complaint advising them. They could check all their video and see that I was with nobody at that casino or hotel. This casino at Mille Lacs does not care about your safety or your privacy. Being an ex law-enforcement officer this could've been a very dangerous situation with a jealous husband, or ex-husband showing up at my door when I knew nothing about either of those two. All the blame goes to the hotel for giving out information when all they were asked, was if a male by the name of "Tommy" was staying at their hotel. Don't trust the front desk or anyone at this hotel read more

Update - Online it says they'll mail "up to $100 cash or Grand Play" in the mail within 48 hours if you're unlucky, the Grand Rewards info phone number lady said it actually takes up to a month to get it, and now I get an e-mail from an upper level staff member who says, "Not sure what may have happened that you didn't receive that in the mail." Suspicious? I think it's funny that in the e-mail they say that my mailer is at the Grand Rewards desk and I can come pick it up. Oh, it's not going to be mailed now? Was it ever? I have learned through asking questions and digging around that this is obviously a promo to get you back to the casino, which is perfectly acceptable IF somebody would have told me sooner! God forbid they should put any information online or have a sales rep at Grand Rewards who knows what they're talking about. And it's silly that they are posing it as they are just being friendly to newcomers and will give you your money back in the mail easy-peasy! Sigh. To be honest, I don't even want this coupon anymore. It's not what I thought it was and I am not driving an hour and 30 minutes to go pick it up and then drive back home. In the e-mail they made sure to let me know I had free hotel stays on my card if I happened to want to stay overnight (and I'm sure they're hoping I pump my coupon back into their casino) - but of course the hotel stays are only for Sun - Thur, LOL. Unlike some gamblers, I do have a life you know! I did increase my review to 2 stars for the speedy e-mail response from a staff member and their apology. Overall, you could potentially have fun at this casino, just be careful with their customer service and Grand Rewards promos. read more

Things I really like: The comfort of the hotel room. My breakfast at the new 1991 Restaurant could not have been better. Each item was very tasty and cooked perfect. (My boyfriend complained about his ham being sliced too thin and had a fat chunk.) Things I really did not like: For sure will not go with smoking hotel room next time as ours had a overpowering stagnant smell even with the fan turned up the entire time. I was hesitant to gamble at this location as I have not won anything significant and left each time down quite a bit from what I came with. This time was no exception. It was way too quiet for a weekend gambling venture even if the weather was bad. There should have been more bells and whistles going off and more people yelling out who were winning. I like to play the slots especially the coin drop games. I saw one person get the chance to watch the coins drop and they got the green coin. I felt sad and stayed away from those games, Already you bet a lot for one pull and there is little payout so if you aren't even getting the coin drop it sure is not worth it. read more

Went to see Who's Line is it Anyway last night. We got to Grand Casino around 5:30pm. Check in is advertised at 4:00pm. When I asked about timing, the receptionist said that it was from 4-6. Was finally able to get our room at 6:30, show starting at 7:00, not much time to freshen up or eat dinner. I was told that the manager would be contacting me about the delay. Room was ok, air conditioner didn't work, maintenance was quick to come in and repair it, and there was a towel still hanging up in the bathroom from the previous guest. Received a letter overnight from manager, offering a free nights stay in a standard room. After our experience there, not sure if that is enough to entice us back. read more

I was excited about the seafood buffet at the casino. Save your money and do not come to it. For 34.99 a person, I expected more than just some shrimp pasta, muscles, and crab legs. Seafood quality was sketchy, but that's expected. The buffet itself is small and didn't have a lot of options. The service was good though. Props to the staff consistently clearing off our table. read more

Each year we trek about an hour north of Grand Rapids, MN to spend New Years in a cabin with great friends. This time we opted for an adventure on the way home and looked in to spending a night at Grand Casino Millacs. Caveat - none of us are big gamblers, we were looking to break up the drive especially since we got a late start. Lets start with trying to book the rooms online, which is where the great 2014 rate was available ($20.14+tax for a king). Tried to book it, but the website year drop down on the booking engine would only go to 2013. This was on 12/26/2013 for a 1/2/2014 stay, and couldn't book any rate, not just the special rate. Called reservations and was told that it was because we were using an iPad and iPads aren't supported. Hm. OK. Unlikely, but remotely plausible. Pulled out the laptop and cell card, connected and tried to book - same problem. Called reservations back and talked to someone who finally understood the problem we were describing and then booked the room. Checked in, wanted non-smoking rooms (boggle!), took a little bit to get that done, but finally got two across-hall-rooms. Lots of bellcarts available to lug our stuff up the rooms, but no bellstaff to help, so it's all self service. Room was acceptable, seemed clean and definitely in that mid 90's Holiday Inn-meets-casino vibe. The next morning, though, passable turned to absolutely unacceptable as we discovered the walls to be absolutely paper thin. They must have used all the insulation on the ice fishing huts instead of the the hotel. We could hear EVERYTHING from the room next door. Snorts, sniffs, discussion about the weather, a fart (yes, even that). Completely unbelievable even for such a low promotional rate. If you're a late diner or you arrive late, food choices will be very limited, unlike most big city casinos, everything here rolls up early. In thinking about it, that ties to the penny slot crowd for whom the juice tray goes around just before bed time at 7PM. The Grill was the only choice. Two chicken fried steaks, a fried walleye and one $7 prime rib special for dinner. I'm sure the kitchen folks are really nice people, but for $18.50 the Walleye was simply bad... phoned in pre-breaded from a mass market food service company... flavorless and soggy breadding. $7 prime rib? It is what it is. Asked for medium rare, got well done. Tablemates reported chicken fried steak was "fine"... nothing great, nothing bad. Oh - and here's the kicker all need to know. It's dry. And I don't mean bring hand lotion dry (although you'll need that too). It's a dry casino. No booze. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Plan ahead people. The casino itself? I'll let other more experienced gamblers address that as none of us are big gamblers, more then "Hey let's burn $50 and be ok with it" types. The casino itself is somewhat depressing. Row after row of penny and nickel slots and other electronic games. The story repeated on each row... several people who were 60+ separated by a seat or two and usually smoking staring blankly into the electronic screens hoping to win. More wheeled walkers than I've ever seen in one place, although thankfully no one on oxygen AND smoking (seen that one in Atlantic City a few years ago). In line with our non-smoking room, we were hoping to take advantage of the advertised non-smoking portion of the casino. Most casinos solve for this with a separate room or some form of meaningful divide. Grand Casino? Nope. Just a wall that goes about 2/3 of the way to the ceiling and stops. Oh, and the non-smoking area is IN THE MIDDLE of the casino, surrounded by smokers. Smokers revenge I suppose. Lastly, don't even think about checking out late. We called down and inquired about being able to check out at 12 instead of 11 giving us a chance to grab a late breakfast at the hotel (translation hotel management - spend more money in your hotel). No way! Absolutely not! Another boggle! moment. So here's a chance for the hotel to make a little money off us (non gamers), potentially give us a feel good and desire to come back (we drive past it 2X each year) and word of mouth. Instead? No way. Zero flexibility. Yet, they were happy to promote staying another night by slipping a flyer under our door touting a $39/night rate for the night of our departure day... clearly they were trying to fill rooms. For $20+tax did we get our money's worth? Sure. Would we go back, highly unlikely. YMMV. read more

Welcome to Hillbilly Land. There is literally nothing else up here to do besides fish. Casinos are Casinos for the most part, so here are my key points. -This might be the smallest Casino I have ever set foot. -Buffet is mediocre, but the grill is amazing for breakfast, and super cheap. -Dry casino - no booze allowed on the floor, only in guest rooms. -Smoke-filled, even in non-smoking. We left the hotel/casino with every bit of clothing and luggage smelling like smoke. gross. -Concert venue is a joke, I would've been embarrassed to play there. It was a bunch of chairs set up in a conference room. -Sound is good for the shows, surprisingly good. -Seating is close to the stage no matter where you sit, because its a small room. -Don't expect too much and just enjoy the people watching. read more

For the seriously over-indulgent. The buffet is great. I could fill up on the salad bar. However I was drawn to the Chinese section, and of course the Saturday night Prime rib. There are waiters for drink orders and clearing plates. So while my friend gambled, I went upstairs to hang out in the room and watch TV, and watch my arms and legs swell. I ended up sleeping on and off from then on. There are lots of pillows to prop you up. This is the most unusual bed, it's so comfortable it hugs you. I love the room decor, more earth tones than the usual sterile white. You really feel like you're away. I took my shower at 5AM, the water pressure was adequate. I love the toiletries, larger than most and a good size soap. The lobby had comfy furniture too. Security seems tight. read more

As pathetic as this may sound to some of you. I just wanted you to know... THIS IS A DRY CASINO!!! On they way up to the cabin, we wanted to stop for a drink. Why not drink and gamble, right? Well not here. However, the slots are as loose as they can be. I took home a decent chunk of money in the 20 minutes we were there. Not too smoky (as far as casino's are concerned). The place was well maintained and had a good deli (Plum something or other). I confirm that this is a destination rather than a drive-by-stop. I may be back, but will bring my own refreshments! read more

I'm a fan of any casino when I win some $$. :) Great dinner special going on here right now. I believe through the month of July (2010), you can get a Prime Rib dinner for $7.77. The dinner was great - - included baked potato, veggies, prime rib, and dinner roll. But this casino has alot of different slots! I personally like to play the 1c machines... and they have a boat load! There are also tables for blackjack players. But I really like the nice variety of machines, they even have some I've seen in Vegas. read more

First of all, I love to gamble. When I was up in Minnesota, the near by casino at Mille Lacs is the great equalizer. It is a place that I can bring my mother and my aunts. They can stay and play penny and nickel slot machines all day long and be fulfilled by that. I never seen so many slot machines that were penny or nickel. I suspect that 90% of the machines catered to that crowd. In thinking about it, I was not impressed. As far as I am concerned, there were not enough blackjack tables let alone dealers. Perhaps, the local economy may have some thing to do with it. I doubt that there is plethora of high income players here. The place is kind of dump. They do not serve drinks unless you are at the bar. There was far too much smoking While the place did not seem busy, there was a large expansion going on. With that being said, I wonder really how much of the money goes to the reservation. read more

We visited this casino over Christmastime while visiting family in Fort Ripley. Not the worst I've encountered, but not the best. Things worth mentioning: 1. The casino floor is dry. There are self-service pop machines (Pepsi products) around the casino if you're feeling parched. 2. SMOKY. While the Grand Casino Mille Lacs allows smoking on the casino floor, they don't have the ventilation system that higher end Las Vegas casinos have, where someone is smoking right next to you and you don't even notice it. You'll leave with every bit of your hair, skin, and clothing smelling like smoke. 3. Gaming - over Christmas, "high limit" Blackjack was $15 a hand. Now that's something I can get down on... especially since the high limit room was not crowded and it was a reprieve from the smoke! 4. Buffet. Buffet's aren't really ever my thing, I don't really care for other people poking at my food. This one was no exception. I found it to be painfully mediocre. The price of $9.99 per person was a big draw for many though. Like I said, not the best, not the worst. read more

Overall, Grand Casino Mille Lacs was good - the hotel was nice and comfortable. Staff very friendly when we got checked in. Pillows weren't that comfortable, so make sure you bring your own pillow from home. The machines, however, were not loose at all. If you expect to win, you'll have to bet pretty high to win on these machines. Also, make sure you know which side of the hotel you're staying in - getting lost in the casino area is bound to happen, since it has poor lighting in some of the areas. Also, this casino is a dry casino. Sort of weird, considering its sister casino is. Security good there. Plan to drive a long while in getting there - the road going up there is a bit narrow. Breakfast buffet was good, but don't expect anything spetacular. If you plan on not winning, you'll have fun playing at this casino. If you loose, make sure you have enough in gas and money to get back to where you're at - as this place is out in the boonies. read more

I stayed here a couple days while on an ice fishing trip to Lake Mille Lacs. I can't comment much on the gambling because I'm not an expert - but I was somewhat surprised that it is a dry facility. You can drink in your room but nowhere else. The casino seemed to be primarily slots and video poker, with a few scattered tables. Not much going on at the tables while I was there. To me, it was extremely smokey at all times of the day - perhaps people were going extra hard on the cigarettes to compensate for no alcohol. Overall, if you're staying in the area, this place is pretty good. The accommodations were not anything special, but definitely clean and comfortable. The staff is very nice, if a little slow-paced. The only meal I ate at the Casino was breakfast, but I will say, it was pretty good. A more enjoyable meal, actually, than most of the other places I ate while in the area. read more

I love to gamble, and been to many Indian casinos, Grand Casino Mille Lacs, is a good one. First off, you won't be greeted by a huge cloud of smoke. It's nice to spend the afternoon there and not leave smelling like the Marlboro factory. You'll find plenty of ATM's, but no windows or clocks. It's like being in a cave. It's too dark inside. I wonder how the massive amounts of old folks find their way around. The slots are loud and obnoxious, but looser than most "friend of the feather" establishments. I was actually able to stuff a wilted Andrew Jackson ($20 dollar bill) in a penny machine and leave the machine 2 hours later up another Jackson. The blackjack tables are nice. They have $3 tables. The other players actually know how to play and I didn't see some doofus split a pair of tens. The dealers were friendly and cheered when you won a hand.. Not like most tribal places where you swear they make commission off of the players. The "free" beverages kept flowing. However alcohol would be nice. Really. No drinking in a casino? I felt like I was at a buffet w/ no plate. I'm a poker player. This place has has a decent poker room. They have many opportunities for the players to win bonuses for higher hands and true rollers will be happy to know this room features a "bad beat" jackpot. Unfortunately, all play is "limit" play so you can't go "all-in" unless your are almost broke. My comped meal was good and large, unlike my winnings. The wallet took a "bad beat" here overall. However the comps are generous. It's been a long while since I've gotten scalped and left a tribal gambling hall happy. When I get up to MN again, I'll be back to Grand Casino. read more

We got tickets to the Johnny Cash tribute. It was a decent show and kinda fun. Lots and lots of wheel chairs, walkers and and awful seating! What a fire hazard. We would have all perished if there was a fire or a need to evacuate. It's irresponsible on the management's part. The casino is always packed with smokers. It's absolutely disgusting. The people there are the definition and reason the health care system is so expensive. Fat, really fat people, people on oxygen smoking away and a ventilation system that doesn't work well. Get with the program! It's been so long since I've seen anyone light up a cigarette it was actually weird to see it happen. The second hand smoke is thick and disgusting. The hotel rooms have no fresh air and no vents in the bathroom. The casino packs in people to get their money. The machines of course are rigged and people loose more money than ever win. The restaurants have changed yet the food continues to add to the horrible diets of the obese people waddling around or sitting in the casino. The business model is irresponsible and costs tax payers huge amounts of money in healthcare costs. That's why your premiums are increasing across the state. Other casinos in Minnesota are just as bad. For someone who likes to gamble very once and a while it's a huge turn off. Im so happy Minnesota shut down smoking in buildings. Visiting any casino in Minnesota reminds me of that great decision. It is a disgusting habit people waste their money on. I used to smoke and am so pleased Its been 30 years since I was wasting my health or money on cigarettes. The redeeming quality is the fantastic workers. I met and talked to several while I was there. They were helpful and very nice. read more

Nice casino but on the smaller side. The staff does a nice job of cleaning up continuously. Easy to find your way around... New machines come in regularly. read more

Grand Casino - Casinos Near Me - Onamia, Minnesota

Went here for the buffet while on vacation. It received three "mehs" from our group. While they have sections like Asian, American favorites, etc there just aren't allot of selections. We compared it to the Meswaki Casino in Tama, Iowa, which is quite good. The salad bar is just that - lettuce salad - no pasta salads, no potato salad, etc. Desert bar was better. You're better off going to the 1991 or Burger Bar restaurants. read more

The machines were extremely tight $300 in an hour and a 1/2 Is not my idea of a good time With lots of feedback from people around me while I was playing no one seemed to be doing very well seems to be the case every time I go there It's hard to win and when you do it's 50 to $100 at best Hi go there quite often And rarely see anyon When more than a couple $100 Seems to me It should pay a little better in my opinions read more

Haven't been to this casino in years. Last time was for seafood buffet, maybe 10 yrs ago, and it was quite good. How things have changed. After seeing a sign advertising a "Thursday 4-8pm BBQ buffet", we stopped in. The buffet was $10.99, (with Card), $15.99 without card. We signed up (at no cost) for the casino's "card", and got the buffet for $10.99 each. Little or no service, we were seated by a friendly gentleman, but had to ask for beverages & silverware. We forged ahead, into the buffet, seeing an variety of food, Asian, salad bar, dessert bar, and a myriad of general American food. And, as far as a buffet, there were not that many offering, which seemed odd. We had several different samplings, I will comment some of them. Most of them were relatively disgusting, odd/bad flavor, or little flavor. These included Mongolian Beef, Asian green beans, wild rice, calico-beans, BBQ ribs, roast pork. Truthfully, for us, the only items that we considered "good" (and this is a stretch) were the mashed potatoes & gravy, the egg rolls, the broasted chicken, and the sweet & sour chicken. The desserts were mediocre at best. Fortunately, we won $15 on the penny slots, so the $24 buffet dinners weren't a total loss. We'll never go back, It's sad when we wished we'd have stopped almost anywhere else for dinner. read more

Recently ate at the new buffet. Poor selection, poor service and grossly dirty. Eat anywhere but here.

Two words instantly come to mind when I think of Grand Casino Mille Lacs: bleak and cheap. It's an old folks home with slot machines: cheap bland food in humongous portions, filled with low stakes slots in the one and five-cent range, occasional weird no-name musical acts in what is basically a gymnasium with carpet. Not a smile to be found anywhere on the gaming floor. Then again, this place is as close to entertainment as you're going to get around this part of the state unless you fish or use crystal meth. read more

Most of these reviews seem to have been written by infrequent visitors or even one-offs. Please understand their experience isn't typical. I used to live up in the Brainerd area and simply because this casino is one of the very few things to after 8 pm besides drink yourself silly somewhere, people go here, in droves. As an extremely frequent visitor myself over a 3-4 year period, I feel as if I am something of an authority on the place. Hotel: Cheap. However, you get what you pay for. If you request a non-smoking room, they don't have "dedicated" non-smoking rooms. They rotate the rooms, meaning at one time people did smoking galore in your room. The stained walls or the cigarette reek upon setting foot in the room are kind of tip-offs. The staff claims they have some magical spray that neutralized the odor. Pipe dream. The odor still exists. It is very unpleasant for someone who does not smoke. In addition to that, the staff here are very, very, very, very inconsistent in their customer interaction decorum. Many are downright rude. The occasional star will make your stay pleasant, but you'll never see that person on your next visit because they will have moved on to bigger better things, no doubt. Set your expectations very low if you stay in the hotel. Casino: It is tight. If you play an electronic game, don't expect to win. Poker or blackjack, you've got a shot, but I can guarantee you one thing, nobody has made their fortune off the push button bandits in this place. Restaurants: I can't recommend any of them, with the exception of the...exceptional...steakhouse. If you want a great meal with staff who know how to be polite and treat customers like they are valuable, go to the steakhouse. It is spendy though. Buffet is run-of-the-mill. The food there is as a standard very dry and extremely salted. There isn't a singe dish in the place that is standout. It is basically like a gas station for your car. Just stop in, shove food facsimile into your mouth, and go gamble again. Plums and the Gamblers grill are two places I highly suggest you avoid. Between the two of them I've been food poisoned 5x. I am a glutton for punishment, and I enjoy gambling(even with food) so I kept going back but after the fifth time, I conceded defeat and stopped dining at both places. There is obviously something deficient in their food safety/cleanliness program there, as I am not the only person I know to have been sickened by their food. I imagine whatever contractors GC uses to maintain their sewer system curse out the GC food service people everytime the system is overloaded hahaha. Bottom line is as far as casinos go, this place is bottom of the barrel. It survives because it has no competition. Only "game" in town, as it were. Poorly run IMO results in a very forgettable experience. I would recommend ANY other casino in MN before this one. For a good casino, just look a couple hours north to Black Bear, or south to Treasure Island. Also, keep in mind the casino is dry. Pretty lame. read more

This place is depressing. People zombie-ing out to 5 cent slots all day long and poisoning their lungs with cigarette smoke. Then the only easy and economical option available is to stuff themselves at the caloric, yet mostly nutritionally-deprived buffet. I would say 95% of the people who frequent this place are overweight and the casino sure doesn't help their health problems. Talk about the need for a public health intervention. The only thing I found interesting about this place were some of the signs were posted in Ojibwe. read more

The concert venue at Grand Casino Mille Lacs is a joke. My wife and I attended the Willie Nelson concert on August 8, 2014. The staff made a big deal about the camera my wife was using (Canon EOS Rebel T3i). First of all the sign outside the concert room said that no video or audio recordings were allowed. The sign said nothing about photography cameras. Our tickets that we printed off the internet didn't mention any policy regarding camera use. The casino's website had no policy listed about cameras. So basically there was no policy listed anywhere about the use of cameras inside the concert venue. If the casino really did have a policy about certain cameras being disallowed they obviously did a lousy job of making it known in advance. As my wife and I had our tickets scanned while we were entering the venue the person scanning the tickets clearly saw that we had a camera. That person said nothing about a camera policy. As my wife was snapping photos of the concert some lady that looked like she might have been a member of management raised a stink about the camera. She said that it was disallowed because it was a "big" camera. My wife asked how it was classified as a big camera. The casino employee (who was rude as hell) threatened to ask my wife to leave if she wouldn't comply with the camera policy. My wife did stop using the camera after she was told that it wasn't allowed. She simply asked why it was considered a big camera. The employee was obviously on a "say what I want to hear" power trip. The employee also tried saying that it was the artist's policy that the type of camera my wife had was not allowed. At the end of this review I will post a link to Willie Nelson's tour rider. There is no mention of a camera policy in that copy of the rider. Now I'm not saying that I'm 100% sure that Willie has no camera policy. I will say that it's debatable whether or not he has such a policy since it's not mentioned in his tour rider. After the concert my wife and I got the hell out of the casino. We didn't even stay to eat or gamble. Also we donated our printed tickets to another patron. I think the tickets had some kind of dining discount listed on them. My wife and I drove about 3 1/2 hours just to attend the concert. It was disappointing that my wife had to put up with such unreasonable crap. We will never go back to this casino. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/willie-nelson-rider read more

Very smokey. $25.99 buffet. And a lot of unhappy people. My wife and I were hoping for something fun like the commercials..

1 25$ black table in the whole place and its a 2 deck! Smaller size casino boat launches near by are the best reason for even stepping foot into the place read more