Let's start by saying that the ambiance is interesting... it doesn't necessarily reflect the pictures 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. read more

This place was the perfect breakfast/brunch spot. The way the restaurant was laid out was great. 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. read more

Jake’s On The Lakes - Biscuit and gravy with hashbrowns - Salad Near Me - Center City, Minnesota

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We drove by and were really hungry so we pulled in. We we so glad we did! It is such a quaint restaurant. They pull off the "at the lake" feel well. The staff was friendly and helpful. Our food came out quickly and was delicious. Makes me want to go back and try more items! read more

Jake’s On The Lakes - Brie Strawberry Sandwich - Salad Near Me - Center City, Minnesota

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My husband and I have been to Jake's 3 times in the last 3 months. Twice for dinner and today for breakfast. The portions are good for the price and the food is decent. First time for dinner I had the chicken bacon wrap with chips. It was actually too big for me to finish so we took half home. The cheese curds are seasoned and delicious. The second time for dinner I was adventurous and tried the Jalapeño Popper burger. The burger was delicious but i had to scrape off the Cajun cream cheese. It was meh. I've had a mojito both times for dinner. Definitely one of the better mojitos I've had around here. For breakfast I got the small order of a biscuit, sausage gravy, egg and hash browns, which was all pretty good. We've had excellent service all three times. The atmosphere and decor is open, clean, nothing fancy but comfortable. Can't wait to dine there on the deck in the summer! read more

Jake’s On The Lakes - Cheese curds with ranch. Delicious! - Salad Near Me - Center City, Minnesota

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I'm gluten free and I was pleasantly surprised to have options!! I ordered the Wild Rice Soup and it was wonderfu. Also was able to get the pork bites on onion strings! Made with rice flour. That was a surprise because usually those sorts of foods are out of my wheelhouse. MJ was a fun and delightful server. We will be back. read more

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This was our first time here. It's a pretty basic restaurant as far as aesthetics go. The staff was friendly we were seated quickly. The drinks were really bad; the smoke on the lake was terrible and my husband cloud barely choke it down, the shot wasn't great either, the blackberry one was only okay -not impressive or worth the price. The food was quite good, they serve a lot of easy food, burgers, sandwiches, etc. I would definitely come back here for lunch since the food and staff was great but won't come for drinks again. read more

Jake’s On The Lakes - Fish fry and pork belly burnt ends - Salad Near Me - Center City, Minnesota

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You have to try the Flounder bites! Think Corndog batter on a flaky white fish- crunchy and flavorful! I'd come back just for them! The short rib dinner was good too with the bourbon glazed carrots. Mimosa was so-so. There was orange pulp in it and I'm not a fan. I suggested they serve complimentary bread while people wait for their food ( like Outback)... read more

Jake’s On The Lakes - Igloo - Salad Near Me - Center City, Minnesota

My wife and I stopped in for lunch and we had a great visit. The beer selection was fine could use more local breweries but our food came fast and the staff was friendly. The decorations were wonderful for the Christmas season. We will be back. read more

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Sue was an excellent server and didn't steer us wrong! The fried chicken was so great and she anticipated our needs. Stopped here on the way back from Taylor's falls and I'm glad we did. read more

Just had a nice breakfast here. It was very quiet there, but we had great service and the food was wonderful. read more

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This location was the Grumpy Minnow, then the Hodge Lodge and now Jake's. We really wanted to like this place but it's not what we expected at all. We all had the prime rib special on Wednesday night and we all felt it was pretty average. We decided the food and ambience of the restaurant are not worth the drive and have no plans to return. read more

Breakfast was GREAT at Jake's! We saw the large portion sized meals in front of other guests while we were seated by the hostess, and decided to split a breakfast meal. We settled on Huevos Rancheros, and ordered a side of 2 extra eggs. The Huevos Rancheros were delicious! The food was a dab of refried beans on the bottom, topped with a crispy tortilla, with seasoned black beans, topped with another crispy tortilla, with eggs as you like them on top. The salsa verde was a little spicy, but we loved the dish!! We will definitely repeat this experience on our next visit!!! Thanks Jake's on the Lake!! read more

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The food here is absolutely amazing! Staff are friendly and helpful. Had THE most amazing strawberry Brie sandwich without bacon. The picture shown was my son's sandwich with the bacon. My other kid had the jalapeño popper burger and said it was incredible. Definitely come here for dinner. So good. read more

Jake’s On The Lakes - Strawberry Brie sandwich with bacon. - Salad Near Me - Center City, Minnesota

So we were doing the 'drive in the country' thing and found Jake's midday with few customers and a steady beat of mostly country music. Ambience is 'eh' given bar on one side, an arcade area, and 'dining' in front of the kitchen. Staff friendly but a bit indifferent. Food. The special French Dip fell way short. The bread was doughy. Meat from a left over and overcooked prime wasn't really shaved. The dip was *salty* Hubby ordered the highly recommended (most expensive) braised pork loin. Came dressed in a branch of rosemary. Should have taken a picture. Not the greatest as Dan will normally eat everything. For the price, I will pass if there's a next time. read more

The bar was clean and ambiance ok. Water was provided quickly; however, service was poor ("here take these menus to your table") and slow (had to flag down our waitress to pay the bill). Grinder meat was burnt and Walleye bites were dry, chewy with no obvious walleye in the overcooked bites. We probably won't go back to this one. read more

Service was abysmal. Food is just OK. This is too bad because we don't have that many restaurants in the area and this place is on the lake and has a great view. read more

Pleasant ambiance with views of the lake. Stopped in for breakfast this morning, only one other table with people, usually not a good sign. Ordered ham and over easy eggs and smash hash whatever that is. Eggs for two of us were lightly browned on the bottom and edges, ham was a small pile of thinly sliced sandwich meat not a breakfast slice. I can't rate the smash hash as that never came. No cream or sugar for the coffee and no jelly for the toast. Maybe lunch and dinner here is ok but don't come for the breakfast as you will be sorely disappointed. read more

Gluten free and tasty all of us are gluten free. We were in the neighborhood and went here for lunch! Yum!! It was just fantastic! Thank you!! read more

Had breakfast wild rice omelette. Was good and had selections of fillings including petite heirloom tomatoes. Bling Sue was our waitress. Couldn't have asked for better. Ambience was a ten and a patio lake view. Maybe next time. We'll be back. read more

Very good food. Po Boy & Wings. Service was excellent. They worked together and took care of our table quickly with a extremely friendly attitude. read more

Beautiful setting - ate outdoors on a sunny day. Friendly waitstaff and loved the sandwiches and cheese curds.

I ordered the chicken Caesar, they added sun dried tomatoes which is a nice add. The tomatoes were soaked in oil and they were pure salt. After mixing them into the salad the salad became uneatable. Not trying to bash a new business as I hope they make it but I threw away 3/4 the salad. I'll try another menu item next time. read more

So for the good - the chicken wild rice soup was very good. For starters was gonna try the onion rings but the server talked me into the garlic cheese curds which were "meh". Cosmopolitan was quite a dark pink - heavy hand on the cranberry. Fish fry special - nice light breading on the cod - a bit too salty but decent - and no malt vinegar!!! Two of my four pieces were rubbery and inedible. Mediocre tartar sauce. Good waffle fries but the seasoned sour cream had a crazy amount of salt in it - couldn't eat it. Wine list could use some help - please carry at least one Napa cab. Server of 4 days employment here said he was a sommelier- hmmm. So wanted to love this place, not many excellent restaurants in the area. read more

Great food, interesting menu for sure! Nice place for drinks on the patio too. Fish Fry is best in area!Huevos Rancheros we're spot on too.

Food was tasty, breakfast. Service good. The environment inviting. First time there, will return.

Had the classic breakfast. Scrambled eggs over cooked and tough, sausage under cooked and squishy, toast good but cold.

Great service and awesome food! Stopped after kayaking all day had cold drinks and hot food! Love that they have the weed water! Ambiance was fantastic!!! Yes! read more

Smoked bacon jam burger was SO good! Service was friendly and fast. Restaurant was clean. 5 stars!!

Great food, excellent service. Glad to have another option in our area. I can't wait to eat on the patio with the awesome lake views.

Saw this place pop up and figured it would be great place to try since they are new but all it was, was a down hill spiral. Walked in and looks like it's still the original grumpy minnow and could tell it's been sitting for awhile it has a strange smell on the inside. Started with a craft cocktail and nachos that came out fast and were very good but unfortunately peaked there. We ordered chicken sandwich and a burger for main coarse which came out incorrectly the first time and when the correct order came out it very dry and need lots of water to wash down. We through in the flag half way in hopes it would get better the more we tried. I ordered a beer with my app but never came the entire time I was there but didn't get to remind my server cause she never stopped back to check in. I wouldn't of been as disappointed with the missed drink but it was charged on my bill which I'm glad I caught cause payment goes through an electronic device with your card and you can't see the itemized bill. I asked my server and she went to the back to look it up, came back and handed me 4 dollars cash but unfortunately in the state of Minnesota we have tax so I was charged more then what I was reimbursed. Sadly we weren't the only ones as we saw the annoyed faces at every table either not getting their drink or food order in or ever receiving their drinks. If they make it 6 months I'll maybe stop in again to see if things have changed since they are fairly new and have a lot of things to work out and tune. But until then I will bring my money some where else in town that I can go and enjoy good food drinks and service. read more