If you're in the Baxter/Brainerd Lakes area and looking for a hearty meal, we highly recommend Grizzly's Grill Smoke & Fire. Mike and I ordered the BBQ Combo Platter for Two, and there was so much food that we ended up taking more than half of it home! That's definitely a win in my book. The portions are huge, the food was very good, and there are plenty of options on the menu for everyone in your group. Grizzly's is known for its generous portions and wood-fired barbecue favorites, which definitely lived up to the hype. What really stood out was the seating. If you're traveling with a large family or a bigger group, this is a great spot because they have plenty of room to accommodate larger parties. The atmosphere is casual, welcoming, and perfect after a day of shopping or exploring the lakes area. Monique's Rating: 1/2 Must-Try: BBQ Combo Platter for Two (unless you're feeding a small army!) Bottom Line: Come hungry. Leave with leftovers. That's never a bad thing! read more

Grizzly's Grill Smoke & Fire - Bars Near Me - Baxter, Minnesota

Grizzly's a lovely place for dinner with a group when visiting the Brainerd/Baxter Lakes area. I went there with a number of friends while visiting on a business trip. When you walk in, you will find the up north cabin core decor, is one might expect for a place named grizzlies. The day we were there they were just starting a new menu. Not a ton of options for vegetarians, but I was still able to find food to eat. The cocktails were tasty. The staff was so very, very sweet. One of my companions ordered a sesame Tuna bowl and that was quite good. Everyone enjoyed their perverse and steaks. Definitely a place to bring the family to. read more

Great service! What I got a side salad and the fish and chips. I love that I was able to get my fish in a blackened style and not a deep fried. The serving of the fish was quite a big piece. For me it was a bit more on the oily side for me, almost a little concerned if the oil was fully heated before blackening... quite surprised it came with a breadstick. The waffle fries were good, can't complain about the fries. The side salad was also decent, I got it with a vinaigrette. Good for the area and what I needed Environment It was a stand along building, there is plenty of parking in the lot. The inside had quite a number of seating available from booth seating to tables. There is also a bar seating area. Niceness of the staff SUPER SUPER SUPER nice, she was able to help me customize my meal. Love the patience they have. Food also came out pretty quick. Dollar It was decently priced. Yes I would second think about this place. Would return if I have no other option. read more

Grizzly's Grill Smoke & Fire - 2025.01.13 - Side salad - Bars Near Me - Baxter, Minnesota

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Walleye was tinder and flavorful. Onion rings were crispy and fresh hot out of the fryer. Atmosphere is great with outdoor seating available. Hannah, my server is funny and provides great service read more

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Good food I really liked waiter pablo and he was nice and the nachos were food very yum

Food not very good expensive for quality only good items is the chicken wood on the rotisserie . Service ok not the best average quality of service . Ambiance is nice smell of wood burning ! read more

Grizzly's is a chain restaurant, and has that vibe with the restaurant decor and the menu. But I was looking for a good rotisserie chicken for dinner and this was the spot! I did order my food for pick up to go, but the bartender was very friendly during my brief visit. The 1/4 rotisserie chicken was the perfect portion. Very tender and juicy. I ordered with veggies, beans and coleslaw. The beans were a little too sweet for my liking, but everything else was great. read more

It's actually kind of cute inside here. The service was really nice. Everyone was wonderful. The quesadillas kind of tasted like a fajita quesadilla, which was pretty nice. The cheeseburger was good, but yet very boring. Nothing on it. Cheese cake yummy. We would come back here again. read more

Grizzly's Grill Smoke & Fire - Cheese cake - Bars Near Me - Baxter, Minnesota

We started out at Texas Roadhouse next door but the wait was 30 minutes, so we went next door to Grizzly's where there was no wait. Hint, hint. All of our main dishes were very good, a sirloin steak. slow smoked brisket and honey garlic salmon. The Wisconsin cheese curds were large lumps of cheese, like 1.5" squares, not what I'd call curds, that cooled quickly to land with a thud in your stomach. Two of us had Elote corn as a side and both of us wished we'd ordered something else as it wasn't served hot, with the spices tasting a bit raw. The service was good and the food delivered quickly, which makes me wonder if the not hot Elote corn side ever was. Next time we'll wait at Texas Roadhouse. read more

We were staying overnight at a local water park; we ordered brisket, ribs, shredded pork and wild rice soup. The entrees came with corn bread, coleslaw and baked beans. The food was excellent; definitely recommend to anyone staying in the city. Definitely will visit the restaurant in the future. Thank you so much! read more

I used to eat at Grizzlys a lot as a kid. When they all started shutting down I was pretty bummed out. I got super excited on a recent trip through the area to see this one still standing! Unfortunately it seems this place should be closed as well. When we first walked in we were greeted by a hostess that seemed annoyed we were even there. We were sat quickly though. The ambiance here is old. The carpets are dirty and ripping up. The place looked dingy and like it belonged back in the 90's. The server was very sweet and honestly the only good part about this place. The food was terrible. DO NOT get the "burnt ends platter" there is nothing about that platter that is good! The meat was fatty and I swear I have seen dog food in better condition! The potatoes were bland. The kids meal was decent but nothing to write home about. Overall I would say, stay away from this place. read more

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The food changed and it made me very upset my server was awesome but the chicken quesadilla was different and not as good the bread sticks are gone it's just not the same and it was disappointing. read more

The server was amazing, Very fast and friendly guy! 3 top table, and I am gluten-free. He gave me a gluten-free menu immediately upon requesting one. Drinks were filled without asking. Food came out amazing! I did not really like the mashed potatoes (instant mashed) but i did it it all lol. i hate wasting food. The lava cake tasted like a little ms debbies cake that you buy from the store. I wouldnt really recommend. Oh i also ordered a salad and it came with one tomato and one cucumber. they are cut bigger so u have to cut up the veggies yourself to enjoy your salad which was an inconvenience. Other than that, i enjoyed! read more

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I had the Bear creek pasta. Absolutely delicious! Husband had ribs and brisket. We both had amazing meals! Wondered why we haven't stopped by here before! Definitely will in the future! read more

I was training with Circle K and happened to stop in. Sure glad I did. Very welcoming and service was very good. The bartenders were on their game, taking care of their customers and building drinks for the servers. Every meal or appetizer was great. I will definitely stop by when traveling through Baxter. Thank you! read more

I have no idea why the reviews for here are anything less than amazing. First time here. The blackened wings were literally the best wings I've ever eaten. We travel a lot and as strict carnivores, we eat a lot of wings, steaks and ribs. The ribs were cooked perfectly. I didn't have sauce on them and they didn't need it. The service was fast and friendly. Great looking place with lots of timber and ambiance. We will definitely be back. It's hard to find food that is actually cooked well. The fire roasting makes everything delicious. Well done!! read more

Grizzly's Grill Smoke & Fire - Grizzly's Baby Back Ribs - Full Rack - Bars Near Me - Baxter, Minnesota

Great service, drinks, and food! We sat at the bar and it was a very relaxed atmosphere with TVs on multiple walls (we were watching football). The bartender was super friendly and very helpful in deciding on what to have - she knew the menu well! We will definitely be back! read more

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Delicious food! The patio had a beautiful water fountain and is dog friendly! Our server was very aware and visited at the appropriate time. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Honestly, the walleye tacos are the best that I ever had! This blackened walleye was so tasty, and the taco had the perfect portion of ingredients! read more

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The service was great and the salad was so good! We also tried a couple of their Moscow Mules, and they were really good as well. read more

Grizzly's Grill Smoke & Fire - Applewood Bacon & Fajita Chicken Salad - Bars Near Me - Baxter, Minnesota

Food was ok my waiter was messing around most the time and it took him forever to refill a drink or get me a suace i asked for the ambiance was very loud do to a group of drunk people sitting at a table mear us read more

We stopped in for dinner as our getaway weekend got underway. We were a bit early for dinner but felt we'd take our sweet time and enjoy the local fare. We sat at the bar and pored over the menu. A number of yummy-looking plates went by us which did not make it easy to select an entree. Our bartender was Karina; very friendly and helpful! She walked us through the menu (and the beer options; Jack Pine for the win!). I chose the spicy rotisserie chicken, the hubster picked top sirloin & shrimp. Both meals were well-prepared, visually pleasing and got into our bellies quickly. Throughout the meal we chatted with Karina and a few 'regulars' at the bar and really enjoyed the experience. We'll stop by again the next time we're in the neighborhood. read more

Myself and 6 friends went here after the races, and are server was amazing Hannah (Banana) was her name. All of us give her 5 stars very attentive and quick with all of are requests. Excellent service great food nice location decent prices. The best part was Hannah great server (waitress) . This lady should be training all waitresses. Everyone of us will come back, we told her we would come back tomorrow (Saturday) she said it was her night off so we went somewhere else. read more

Out of all the places in The Brainerd Lakes area to eat Grizzly's is not my top choice. The ambiance is very nice and their is ample parking! Food just always leaves me wanting more.. read more

Despite my last post about being done-decided to try one more night. Called about 10 after 8 pm on a Friday to get a takeout order-service was EXTREMELY rude and we were told they will not be taking any even though the kitchen is still open for quite some time. read more

Grizzly's Grill Smoke & Fire - Screen shot of promotion and date - Bars Near Me - Baxter, Minnesota

Wife order cheeseburger with one slice of cheese she got two. I ordered fajitas. The steak was gummy. The chicken tasted like it was cooked in a crockpot. They were nice enough to replace it with a cheeseburger, was not informed it came with its own burger sauce, which I did not care for and could not eat. Also, they will not inform you how you would like your burger cooked. Although the waitress was very polite. read more

Visited today and sat outside. The patio is a nice alternative to the strong firewood smell inside. Ordered the coconut shrimp salad and my shrimp was slightly burnt, the dressing very runny and some raspberries were not in good shape. Son had the pork sliders and onion rings which looked good. Daughter had chicken strips which were overcooked but tasted fine. Husband had walleye tacos and they were over-charred and a lot of salad, not enough sauce. Service could have been better. Our server seemed to have the majority of tables in and outside which caused her to be slow. Little pricey for sub-par quality. read more

Grizzly's Grill Smoke & Fire - Burnt coconut shrimp - Bars Near Me - Baxter, Minnesota

Fabulous place staff is super knowledgeable and their smoked "anything" is awesome Definitely a place to stop in Brainerd and the staff is cute as well :) read more

Grizzly's Grill Smoke & Fire - Shot of menu - Bars Near Me - Baxter, Minnesota

Walleye was excellent perfectly cooked good seasoning but not overpowering I am not a very big fan of fish so to thoroughly enjoy it was a pleasant surprise the Home made wild rice chicken soup was good a little heavy on the pepper will definitely be back!!! read more

Grizzly's Grill Smoke & Fire - Walleye - Bars Near Me - Baxter, Minnesota

if i could i would give it a -5 star review my steak was uneatable i tried to bite in to it and couldn't bite down into it all the way i said medium rare and it was extremely undercooked i don't feel good now would not recommend maybe a last resort read more

Literally got food poisoning for days on end. Never returning back and took forever to get food, the waitress was nice

Food was average. I had the walleye, was overcooked and breading was a bit soggy. Food was not hot when served. Table was not clean, sticky in spots read more

I came on a very slow night so not sure if it normally like this. The bartender was nice. The server was nice. I was told that the pasta was the best dish so o got that. Not sure if it was just me or not but it was not that great. I plan to come back and try a few more items off the menu but for now it's average at best. I wish I could give it a higher rating but for now this is what it is. read more

Great food! We both had the wood fired chicken and a pasta dish. It was excellent! Waitress was nice and friendly.

We stopped off at this place because we could smell the ribs from 371. The food was hot and more importantly to us fresh. The pasta was AH-mazing and the ribs were great. Harley our waitress was professional and gave great feedback in regards to the menu items. She told us she has tasted everything on the menu which was a testament to her knowledge about the choices we were making. The manager circled around asking if our needs were met, which was a nice touch. I would give this place 10 stars. Perfect! read more

One star does not show or tell the story. I have never experienced anything like this. This restaurant was empty and we brought 12 families and their kids for in between ball games lunch. It took ten minutes to take a drink order. Waters never showed until a parent delivered them from the bar. He then proceeded to take his child and go to the restaurant across the parking lot. Three more families walked out too and more are about. Two families never had Orders taken. Tables outside arrive 20 minutes after us and received theirs before we did. The service is like nothing I've seen. The manager is nit aware of the situation and is acting like it's fine. No sense of urgency here. None! I am in the service business and this is embarrassing. Grizzly's needs to seriously evaluate this situation here and what they want to deliver. Oops, food just arrived ! 1 full hour. read more

We've seen Grizzly's and driven by it a number of times, never stopping in for a bite to eat. But we finally made it there and have to say that we were pleasantly surprised. The flavors and quality of meats were really good. I had the brisket sandwich and my wife had the chicken dinner...both were very tasty! The meat on both choices were full of good flavor/spices and extra tender. There are plenty of side dishes to chose from -- none of which you can go wrong with. I do have to say that we'll be back to try some of the other good looking meals on the menu. There were plenty to pick from and it was hard to make a decision. The solution to that . . . just gotta go back again! read more

Went here because it was close and had a large variety of food on the menu. It was pretty empty when I came in and sat at the bar, but the bartender was very attentive. However, the food left a little bit to desire... I started out with the Caesar salad, and for a starter/side, it was pretty decent sized and pretty tasty. For my main course I got the rib eye, and it came with "steamed" vegetables and some sort of cheesy potatoes. The potatoes were amazing, but the vegetables were nothing special. I got about two pieces of broccoli and some carrot sticks. While the broccoli was steamed well, the carrot sticks seemed like they just heated them up since they were pretty crunchy. The rib eye was not that great. Little to no seasoning, and much more fat (and thin) than anything else. Definitely would not order it again. Bottom line: Would I come back again? They had great beer specials (I didn't drink this time), so I would come back for drinks and maybe some apps, but probably wouldn't come back for a full dinner, especially with many other restaurants in the area to try. read more

Another go to spot when we get up there...it was a newer addition the last couple of years we made it to the races and it quickly made it on our must stop list. Great food and great service! read more

What a nice feeling to go to a restaurant that makes you feel like they are happy you came! We stopped on July 7th on the way back to the cities from the cabin, we sat at the bar for dinner and the service was great, my steak was cooked to perfection and my companion enjoyed the woodfired wings as well. We noticed the manager making rounds at the tables and with us to ensure all our meals were up to snuff, she was very friendly and it was nice to see. We will be back. read more

Worst experience ever. And it takes a lot for me to write a negative review. We came here with our entire family in town for a reunion...a party of 14. 3 meals were brought out nearly 30 minutes later than the rest of our meals. The excuse was the ticket was so long and there was a training situation in the kitchen so the meals were lost. By the time the meals came out, most everyone else were finished eating. We asked for the manager...she came out and basically asked "so what do you want me to do?" Our family has many in the food service industry so we are very understanding but I am appalled at how uncomfortable the manager made us feel. It is so disappointing. read more