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    Lake Elmo Inn

    4.1 (255 reviews)
    PriceyAmerican, Bars, Seafood
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Lake Elmo Inn Photos

    LAKE ELMO INN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Lake Elmo Inn

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    Reviews With Photos

    Palate Cleanser Sorbet
    Susan S.

    Service was kind. Very busy night, so some things took awhile, but it was still good. Food is expensive. Excellent Drink Variety. If you eat here in December. You get a red envelope to open with a mystery discount to use between Jan and mid February. The place is decked out with holiday décor from hundreds of dangling ornaments in the bar to a vast collection of snow globes and nutcrackers.

    Entrance sign
    Kathleen R.

    Another good experience at Lake Elmo Inn. This time we were seated in our usual section of the restaurant and it was a comfortable booth. I had the steak soup special and my dining companion had the chicken parmigiana sandwich. Both were tasty. The soup reminded me of the steak soup I had at 1881. Will definitely go back again.

    Johnny Burger
    David M.

    My group was celebrating a birthday and this spot was suggested as an option. I haven't been here before and am always game trying a new spot. Lunchtime was busier due to a few large parties in the room. Two of us ordered the fish fry and I tried their house burger. I will say, I thoroughly enjoyed my burger. They cooked it to perfection and it was juicy. It was served with their house fries - the zesty type. Straight up delicious. The others who ordered fish both had hair in their meals. We got the standard apology, but no compensation or acknowledgement from management. It was really a bummer celebrating the birthday girl and she was one of those who had to wait for her meal to be delivered while the rest of us ate. We ordered chocolate cake, which was some of the BEST cake I've had. I learned they swap out their desserts monthly. I hope they keep that one though. I would seriously go back for dessert only. Overall, good experience, but management needs to be more present when the ball is dropped. I can understand issues coming up, but it was overlooked and left room for improvement.

    This the gift certificate I wanted to use and a card from the person I spoke to - the manager, Kathleen Johnson.
    Ashlee M.

    Hello, If you are looking for a review on this place keep reading. You'll want to see and hear about this. I have a few gift certificates that I wanted to use to purchase a gift card - or a few, so I came here to do so. I have heard good things about this place and wanted to get around $3000.00 to $5,000.00 in gift cards (maybe 5 - 10, probably $500.00 to $1,000 each) to gift my employees for my business or to plan an event here for my company! Let me save you the trouble. I was greeted by a very kind young lady upon walking in at the host stand, I complimented her outfit, hair, and beautiful nails - as she looked stunning! I took out the certificates I had, four at $50.00 each. I asked if I could purchase a gift card or gift cards using these certificates. The young lady wasn't sure and she went to ask. I explained I had no problem making a purchase as they were closing soon, and I would take my item to go and asked if I could get a gift card back for the difference. The manager ended up coming out to explain to me that I could not purchase a gift card. She said I absolutely had to use the certificate in its entirety, and that they would not be able to use it to purchase gift cards. I was shocked. There is nothing that says this on the gift certificate and if I wanted to spend more money why wouldn't she allow that!? She explained to me that you can't use a gift card at other places to purchase a gift card.... That is simply not true. I can go to big chains and do so, or small mom and pop shops and do so. Yes, some places have different times but what she was telling me is not true. What business wouldn't want more business - especially $3,000 to $5,000.00 tonight on a Sunday night? She told me the best she could do is extend my date on my gift certificates and that I could come back anytime within 60 days past the expiration date- since she said I had them for a year. (I have not had them for a year - I actually just acquired them and was hoping to bring my employees here or get a large quantity of items to go, cater, etc, I was going to talk about what options there were once I got there, clearly we didn't get that far). I took the manager up on her offer and had the extension placed on my gift certificates. I did get one dessert to go to give to a friend and he said that was pretty tasty! The bartender who helped me was a young lady - very kind and efficient. She was pleasant to work with. The true kicker is this - I had used one of these gift certificates previously and got a gift card back for the difference of what was spent t, I think we had purchased a few desserts and the rest was given back on a gift card since we didn't hit that $50.00 threshold of the whole certificate. When I asked about that tonight I was told that was not an option. How frustrating! Because of this experience and seeing how I was treated by simply trying to use gift certificates to get a gift card and because of the amount I was interested in, I would NOT recommend this place. Save your money, go where you are appreciated and treated with kindness and respect and enjoy your meal elsewhere. I highly recommend Ruth Chris, Twin Cities Grill, McCormick & Schmick, Manny's, or any other local establishment! As for now, if anyone is looking for about $5,000.00 in business for a team building event - please - message me directly! Or send me an email! I am looking for something that has food and enough to feed at least 100 up to maybe 250 people! I can discuss in detail as the date approaches! AshleeM3111@yahoo.com Thanks for reading! -Ashlee

    Snicker cake
    Samedi N.

    Lake Elmo Inn is an absolute gem and gave my girlfriend and me one of the best anniversary dinners we've ever had. Tucked away in the charming little town of Lake Elmo, it feels like everyone there knows each other. The moment we walked in, it felt warm and inviting, and the staff made us feel right at home. Our waiter was attentive from the start, getting us drinks, telling us about the daily specials, and asking if we wanted to start with an appetizer. We decided on the crab Rangoon dip with baguette and it was incredible. We ate so much of it that we ran out of bread, but our waiter didn't hesitate to bring more so we could finish every last bite. I ordered a pomegranate spritz, which was refreshing and full of flavor. For my entrée, I had the 1881 New York strip cooked to a perfect medium rare. I'll admit the plating threw me off at first, but once I cut into it and took a bite, it was clear how good it really was. My girlfriend had the U-12 scallops with lemon risotto, and it was so good she kept saying it was to die for. After we finished our entrées, the complimentary lemon sorbet was a nice little surprise and a perfect palate cleanser. When it came time for dessert, the staff rolled over a tray full of options and described each one in detail. We ended up choosing the Snicker cake, and it was every bit as delicious as it looked. From start to finish, the service was outstanding, the food was excellent, and the atmosphere was cozy and romantic. I would give our experience a 10 out of 10 and recommend it to anyone looking for a great spot for a special occasion. Right across the street there's even a small ice cream shop if you want to keep the night going after such a wonderful meal.

    Walleye
    Lecia C.

    First time back to this restaurant in 20+ years. It was the same great establishment I remembered. The staff is incredible (thanks, Jody for your service and making this a memorable night out!) and the restaurant continues to be very popular for a number of reasons. We started with cocktails at the bar and the bartenders were friendly and entertaining. You can reserve a seat at the bar for dinner if that interests you. Our table started with the Scooter pie appetizer which highlighted tender sirloin and perfectly cooked vegetables. The sorbet palate cleanser after the appetizer was a nice touch. We all selected the cranberry dinner roll which was tasty but quite tiny. And they give you just one roll per person. Our entrées included the fillet which was deemed exceptional; the walleye, which I thought was perfectly cooked and included a generous portion. Another entrée included the daily halibut special which, unfortunately, was a little underwhelming although perfectly prepared. And another entrée was the sunnies which were fantastic and generously portioned. The sauces that accompanied the fish dishes were exceptional. Highly recommend!

    1881 Filet Mignon
    Taylor Nicole S.

    Went for a friends birthday tonight. The service was very very slow. They made up for it by bringing us free veggie and beef soup. We had our reservation at 6:30pm and did not get out of there until around 8:50pm. Despite slow service, the food entrees were amazing everyone loved theirs. For a fancy dinner we were all shocked at how reasonably priced this was as well. 4 stars for slow service and their bread was not the greatest. I have had better at more causal restaurants.

    The desserts
    Freya R.

    The food for the new years brunch was outstanding. The service was remarkable and I felt welcomed and cared for when I was there. They had amazing food and their deserts are the sinfully delicious. The while environment was just really polite and respectful and the festive atmosphere was just amazing it was well worth the money and I can honestly say I am full and in a near food coma. The birthday party for my cousin was a success because they did such remarkable job. Best 30th birthday party ever. I am speechless and at lose for words on how room and nice that place is. Highly recommend for a nice event.

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    1 year ago

    Perfection from beginning to end. Never disappoints, always special. Staff, food, setting. Only downside is parking is a hot mess.

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    2 years ago

    Great food and great service. Love the duck!! Not many places serve it. Duck is dinner only

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    2 years ago

    While visting friends in MN from NY, this one of the 'chosen.' The food was great & service was lovely. Left feeling too full but happy!

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    Ask the Community - Lake Elmo Inn

    Do we need reservations for 6?

    yes i would recommend, and get there early because its take long time to be served, its a very good restaurant, but it takes long for them to bring you food.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Ray J's American Grill

    Ray J's American Grill

    3.0(212 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$

    This was my first time here, but the party I was with have enjoyed this several times and raved…read moreabout their chicken wings. I shared the loaded fries, onion rings, and boneless chicken wings served with ranch and habanero sauce. The chicken wings were my favorite. They had a tasty dry rub on it. I thought the habanero sauce was tame, but tasted great. The fries could have used more seasoning and meat. I actually didn't even realize there was meat in the dish until digging through it. The onion rings were crunch and flavorful. Personally, next time I'd pass ok the loaded fries. I do commend this establishment on their management. I did experience a problem during my meal. A server accidentally dropped a few sides of ranch while delivering the meals, and it landed down the back of my jacket. They not only covered the dry cleaning bill, but also covered the cost of the jacket when the stain did not completely come out. It's the care like this that I will remember and keep me coming back.

    Visited Ray J's on Saturday, 12/20/25 around 2:30pm with a group of 8 after a family event. I…read morehadn't been here in years, so expectations were neutral. Decided to split a few appetizers: onion rings, boneless wings, and fiesta fries. The food was decent overall, but the fiesta fries were a bit disappointing and overly messy with too much cheese (I don't remember them being like that). I'd probably try a sauce on the wings next time. Our server, Nicole, was fine but nothing memorable. Also worth mentioning, gratuity was automatically added to the bill. One thing I appreciate about Ray J's is their large menu with many options. Lots of tv's available for sports watching and pull tabs.

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    Spicy Ahi Tuna salad

    Ray J's American Grill - Entrance

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    Entrance

    Lake Elmo Inn - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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