Hidden away in Ely you will find Stony Ridge, right off the lake you can boat on up or just drive a car;) These burgers are SO fun, SO huge & SO delicious! The portions are SO generous, you will defiantly not leave hungry. Enjoyed sitting outside, we felt up in the trees. Great wait staff ! I'll be back! read more

Came in for a quick lunch. Quick service and excellent burgers and fries. Great place for a burger and kid friendly

Great food and exceptional service. A cozy place in the winter and a great pace to eat outdoors in the summer. read more

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We loved this burger joint! We were visiting Ely on vacation and picked this place the first night in town. We mentioned wanting to go back every day we were there so we went again our last night in town. I don't know what kind of beef they use, but it is hands down the best! Their choice of burgers is overwhelming, but not in a bad way! We loved the outdoor seating as well! Saying hi to and petting the pups that obviously own the place was fun too. Haha! read more

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Rustic resort restaurant on the lake! Great indoor and outdoor seating. Expansive burger menu! Ordered holy grail stuffed burger and the Rueben. The burger was good, but not sure it's worth the $22 price tag. The rueben was excellent despite having a twist of using roast beef instead of corn beef. Fries are hand cut and a must! Service was exceptional. She was very attentive, but then again we were only the 3rd table in the restaurant. The sticker shock of the margarita was the reason for 3 stars. $14.50 for rail tequila and pre-made mix on the rocks is severely overpriced! After the second one and seeing the bill will definitely not do that again read more

Stony Ridge - Receipt - Burgers Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

After spending 4 days in the Boundary Waters canoeing and camping, and eating dehydrated foods, I asked the outfitter where there was real food in Ely, because we were dying for some. All employees at the outfitter suggested Stony Ridge for epic burgers. So off we went. The restaurant is a very unassuming place. On the outside, it looks like a tiny diner, but on the inside, it is all hardwood, floors, walls, and ceiling, with a huge amount of seating area both inside and out. Our waitress was super friendly and happy. The menu amazed me though. There were 50 different burger options. Fifty! And there were 2 pages of other non-burger menu items. I was literally amazed at the choices. It took us all a long time to order because we wanted to read through every single burger option. (and it seemed that since we were at a known burger establishment, we should all order burgers) And I've been on this kick lately trying cheese curds almost everywhere they are offered, so we ordered those as well. They also had an extensive alcoholic drink menu, which after a week of camping, I wanted to try every single one of them.... but settled for ice tea instead. The burgers that came out were really good. They weren't epic though, which was sad considering how expensive they were. My entire family really liked their burgers, but all agreed they had had better elsewhere. The cheese curds were ok (I don't think I have had cheese curds anywhere yet that have impressed me) In general, we had a great experience and one would think that I would have given them a 5-star review. But there were a couple negatives that I just couldn't get over, to give them a top rating. The cost of each burger was around $20. That is a LOT for a 1/4lb burger. Also, and though I like dogs, there were two large breed dogs freely entering the establishment, and roaming around. This didn't really bother me at all, until one of them stood by my table, begging for expensive food. read more

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Disappointed. Burgers were all severely over cooked and dry. Homemade fries and chips were too heavily seasoned and the walleye was ok, but not great. Cheese curds were also overcooked, oily and a small portion. On this day the deck was closed (storm warnings) so the place was a a bit overrun with more people wanting to eat than could fit inside. So lot's of people turned away with the young servers not able to handle politely. Service was slow but once the order was i food didn't take long. 3 burgers, cheese curds and walleye dinner came to $136 not including tip which is pretty expensive. A $19 burger should be edible. read more

Fantastic breakfast, large portions and cool up north cabin vibes. We love this place!

The burgers are a little pricy here, but they are absolutely delicious. My favorite is the Ojibwa Burger, which has cream cheese and black olives. The juicy Lucy was alright. I look forward to trying some of their other selections in future visits. read more

Stony Ridge - Ojibwa Burger - Burgers Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

Stony Ridge is an oasis sitting above picturesque Shagawa Lake in Ely, Minnesota. We were looking for a place to eat that provided outdoor dining. Surprising few locations in Ely have this available, which is disappointing in light of the ongoing pandemic. We were very happy then to find this little gem. Stony Ridge Cafe is tucked back behind the resort that is just off of North Lakeview Avenue. There is both indoor and outdoor dining but the outdoor dining is gorgeous with great views of the lake through the trees. So beautiful. Just the kind of setting that we love in our visits to Northern Minnesota. We ordered the Mango Margarita, a Dorothy Molter Root Beer, the Cheddar Cheese Curds, the Wicked Walleye, the BLT with Onion Rings, and the Ruff Bird with Onion Rings. Dorothy Molter Root Beer is a regional delight and great to enjoy with this meal. The Mango Margarita was nicely presented and tasted wonderfully Mangoey! Yum! The cheddar cheese curds were battered and fried perfectly with resultant melted gooey cheesey centers. Very tasty with the accompanying marinara sauce. The walleye was pan fried and served on a roll with lettuce. A side of tasty tartar sauce was partnered with this sandwich. The remainder of the plate was filled with hot crispy onion rings. The walleye was well cooked and with the tartar sauce this sandwich was delectable. The BLT was a nice version of this traditional favorite. Crispy bacon with lettuce and tomato on nicely mayo coated toasted bread. Yay! The ruff bird included a tender chicken breast covered with grilled mushrooms, melted cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and barbecue sauce on a soft bun. This sandwich was a luscious mix of great flavors and very satisfying. We loved our outdoor dining experience at Stony Ridge with the beautiful views. We hope to get back to Ely someday and look forward to dining outside again at Stony Ridge Cafe overlooking Shagawa Lake. read more

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No AC, very small portions compared to Price. Hamburgers were overrated, waitress was rude, didn't ask how we wanted burgers cooked. All came overcooked. I ordered cheeseburger and onion rings. Received 3 onion rings. Don't waste your time or money with this place. Instead go back in town. Many better places to choose from. read more

I seldom complain about restaurants publicly but we went to the Stoney Ridge yesterday for burgers and were very disappointed. The burgers were $23.20 per burger. The website makes it look like you'll never be able to finish your order in one sitting BUT the burgers themselves were smaller than the buns and we got exactly 4 onion rings. So basically a fast food burger with almost no sides for $25. Plus they charge $2.19 for using a credit card and a $1.25 takeout charge PER ITEM. I'm not including tax here because they can't control that. read more

Great food! Great service, too. I was surprised that the 2 "virgin" drinks my grandchildren ordered were $11.00 each! They were very cute with umbrella and pineapple skewer, but that's too much for a "drink?!?" read more

Great place to physical distance and enjoy much better than average burgers. (Other 'American' style menu items too). Grab a table among the pines overlooking a northern Minnesota lake. My kids loved it too! read more

Stony Ridge - Outside tables distanced - Burgers Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

Burgers were good but not great. Nice place for the family but it did take a while to get served.

Totally disgusting place. We waited 25 minutes and the waitress never even gave us a glance. There were dogs running around inside. The prices were very high. When we finally walked out of there to go someplace else, we saw one of the dogs standing on the bench eating leftover French fries that the people did not finish. I would go someplace else. That is as so disgusting. The dogs were in the kitchen as well. I can only imagine the sanitary conditions there. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place. I have never posted a review before but this one seemed necessary. read more

This is Ely's Hidden Gem. It's a couple turns off Sheridan St, but well worth finding it! I don't want to use a lot of words in this review because the quality, variety, and flavor of these burgers is indescribable. HUGE 1/2 lb. burgers topped with everything from bacon to green olives to sausage to ham to ghost peppers. That's right, GHOST PEPPERS. The "Double Burner" burger challenge is topped with jalapenos, ghost peppers, and ghost pepper sauce. So intense that you need to sign a waiver to attempt it. Check out the photo I uploaded to see my journey to victory through the spiciest thing I've ever eaten. Think you have what it takes to join me on the wall of winners and bring home a "I Ate the Double Burner" T-shirt as proof of your manliness (or womanliness)? Do it, I dare you. read more

Stony Ridge - I was one of the few to conquer the "Double Burner" Challenge in Summer of 2012. The drawing on the shirt was very accurate... - Burgers Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

Best burger!! It was a "moaner" meaning you moan when you eat it, it's so juicy delicious. Great lemonade!! French fries great. And it was hot! Out of the way best burger hands down! Bravo! read more

The burgers are amazing. Huge!!!! And so delicious. Overlooking the lake- we had an awesome time. If you want a casual, beautiful, delicious burger, GO!! You won't regret going here, that's for sure. 4 stars instead of 5 for a couple small reasons: $1.95 for add on ingredients, which includes lettuce. And I am a big soda drinker, so $2.25 for a can is rough! For 5 stars, add fountain soda with free refills and don't charge for lettuce and onions! Otherwise, so good! Get the Wilderness burger! read more

Stony Ridge - The view at night - Burgers Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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Dirty tables, owners dogs allowed to wander in the outside seating for dinner but you are not allowed to bring yours.

Great burgers, but a hard to find location. Hours and attitude can very, but it's a great burger place.

This is going to be a very strange review for me, but I try to be as honest as I possibly can in these reviews. So please understand that some of this is personal preference and is the reason I rated it so high but will never eat here again. I'm babbling, let me just get into it. I I'll start off by getting there, it is in a very strange location and it is not very well marked. Once we figured out were it was, we ended up asking two guys in the parking lot, we thought it was weird that it kind of feels like you are entering the back door. We didn't see a lot of the inside, but it looked like they were renovating but what we saw looked pretty cool. We really came here because they had lake side dining which is where we sat and it was very nice outside area. Our server was friendly and very attentive. She came quickly and was very knowledgeable. We thought it was awesome that you could get coke and Pepsi products, that settles the great debate for my wife and I because I like Diet Coke and she likes Mountain Dew. All this place pretty much has on their menu are a few sandwiches and a bunch of different burgers. My wife ordered a French dip sandwich and I got the portage burger. My wife's sandwich was very good, she ordered some horseradish sauce with it and it was very tasty. My burger was phenomenal, one of the best I ever had, and it was huge! The fries were not very good, but the onion rings were awesome. Overall it was a cool place with great food, but here is the thing that was the problem and the reason I will probably not return. My wife and I ordered soda and two sandwiches and our bill was 50 bucks!!!!! I understand that it is a resort town and their portions are very big..........but it was 50 bucks!!!!! And our sodas didn't even come with free refills. People I consider myself a bit of a burger connoisseur but there no burger worth $20!!! But here again that is personal preference and that is why I would recommend this place if you don't mind the big price tag. read more

Our group came here directly after getting back from a 6 day jaunt into the BWCA. I had the yukon burger and it was probably the best burger I've had ever. All the ingredients you could tell were premium. Their thick cut bacon should be served in every restaurant in the world. I had some fries and onion rings and they were both delicious. A friend got a root beer float and I was supremely jealous. Price wise yea it's a little hard to swallow but after a week in the bush it was worth it. Our server was very pleasant, attentive and did a great job with our large group of 9 people. The location is hard to find, and to be honest it looks like just a cabin from the outside, but once you walk in you know you're in a restaurant. I'd recommend this place to others. read more

We had great burgers and the best onion rings! Add Dorothy Molter rootbeerfor a perfect Ely meal outside.

We stopped by for a late breakfast, around 10:15am, and there were 2 other tables. The waitress was friendly and prompt. However, our food took almost 40 minutes for a party of 2 adults and 1 toddler, and our order was simple. The food was very good, though, and worth the wait. The prices are a bit steep for breakfast, but overall it was a good experience. read more

Great outdoor deck seating with nice lake views and even better food! The daiquiri's were fantastic. The Wicked Walleye sandwich was very tender and flakey. read more

Stony Ridge - Burgers Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

Never disappointed. Excellent burgers. Such great combinations on the burgers Brought someone who has never been, and he will will definitely be back. Our server, Maddie, did a great job!! Fun to over look the lake and have dinner and a beverage. read more

I won't be back! My party of 4 people had their house special drink. We each had one drink. It was 2 sweet & loaded with sugar. We had 2 orders of French fries. Each order looked like a half of a potato! All this came to almost $60! Ridiculous!! read more

I have mixed reviews about the place. We've been coming here for 30+ years, when it was originally called Shagawa Sam's. The Burgers and breakfasts are still phenomenal and i have zero complaints about the food. What they charge is what gets me. Two burgers and sides along with two drinks and our bill was $60+, not including the tip. If the proprietors can charge what they charge and not lose business, more power to them. I'm not sure when I'll be back. read more

Holy burgers Batman! They have a zillion burger options either choosing from a list or making your own. The burgers were good. Normally they come as a 1/2 pound but you can downsize it to a 1/4 pound but I swear each were much bigger than advertised. The 1/4 pound burger was a monster and I swear it was at least a 1/2 pound. The fries were okay but a little greasy. The view out the windows are incredible. Service was good. read more

Probably the best burger I've ever had. Jalapeno and cream cheese stuffed burger. Good fries and homemade chips as well. Also, had great ice tea. Place was very unique and you'll definitely need a map/directions to get here but its well worth it. When in Ely...you must go have a burger. read more

Stony Ridge - Awesome outdoor area - Burgers Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

I basically never ever write negative reviews but this place was pretty rough. Either there are zero decent restaurants in this area or we just had a very off night. Took a very long time and it wasn't busy. Server could care less and forgot everything. She looks like she hates this place...I do too read more

Stony Ridge - Yummy... - Burgers Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

OMG this place has the best burgers on the planet. period. I took our Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts there after a BWCA/Quetico trip last Saturday and the kids couldn't stop raving about the food. Neither could the adult leaders! They have a great outdoor seating area with scenic view of lake Shagawa and a good amount of shade. Tiki flames burn keeping the mosquitos away. Now, more on the burgers. You can build your own. You can get a couple dozen fixed combinations of toppings, sauce & cheese. You can get several glazed varieties, or several stuffed burgers. And they have 2 "challenge" burgers that if you eat, you get a tshirt. I almost went for the Ghost Pepper challenge, but decided to get a stuffed burger instead. Wow was it amazing and tasty! Mine had a hot pepper cheese stuffed in the middle of the humongous burger, topped with shredded roast beef and cheddar cheese. It was truly outstanding. read more

Great burgers in every sense: figuratively and literally! The burgers are tasty and they are massive! It was kind of a problem to bite into the burger without having all the stuffing fall all over the place. The burgers with mushrooms where pretty impressive with the mushrooms being basically whole champignon, not sliced or anything. Also the choice is huge: they have 50 specialty burgers plus build your own. The onion rings were also great! Tasty and perfectly fried, I'd pick those over the fries. Pickle was also good, I suspect it was made in house. In addition to great food, there is a great view of Lake Shagawa and you can walk a bit on the lake after dinner to help digestion. Come around sunset for the best view. Great place, will be back when in Ely. read more

Talk about a trip down memory lane. Awesome food, huge portions. The Stuffed Hashbrowns are worth going off the beaten path. read more

Stony Ridge - Burgers Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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Head down towards Shagawa Lake and get yourself one of their burgers! They're all very good and worth the wait! The owners are very friendly and so are the staff. read more

Ate there two days ago. If we would have seen the restroom before we ordered our food we would have walked out. Restroom was filthy. Never seen a stool that was that bad. Hadn't been cleaned for who knows how long. Burgers were not good at all. Dried out and over cooked. Fries were greasy and the onion rings were worse. Couple in booth behind us had the huge burgers. They got up and left and didn't even eat a 1/3 of the burgers. Saw the cook through the open window from our booth. He had a cigarette in his mouth. This place needs some serious cleaning. When I returned from the restroom I looked at my wife and said,"Hope the Kitchen is Cleaner". She agreed. When we left I told the waitress that the restroom needed cleaning. I said it is really bad. All she said was I will clean it. We've been coming to the Ely area for over 25 years. We're all summer residents and will never eat there again. read more

My wife and I visited the Stony Ridge Cafe on a recent Saturday evening. According to their Facebook page they were offering 1997 pricing and the menu of Shagawa Sam's during March and April 2017. The former name of the cafe before it became Stony Ridge in 1997 was Shagawa Sam's and indeed that is the menu we were handed. First, the Good: Their burgers are huge, easily 1/2 pound of ground beef. The French fries are home made, cut from fresh potato, they way fries should be made, and were very good. They have a nice deck and outdoor tables overlooking Shagawa Lake and Semers Park. Next, the Bad: The cafe was terribly understaffed for a night were every table was full. One server and cook is never enough even if they are expecting it to be quite. The guy cooking was not wearing a hair net or hat. That seems like a violation of health department rules and certainly not good sense. There were random people walking in and out of the cafe to use the bathrooms. For me this made it feel a bit too much like having dinner in someone's house rather than in a restaurant. The service was terribly slow. From the time we sat down to the time we received our food was 56 minutes. As I said, there was only one cook and only one server. Management needs to staff the restaurant adequately. We tried to order onion rings as they were plainly listed on the Shagawa Sam's menu but we were were told they would not be available until sometime in May when they opened "for real". I understand opening early and letting the help get some experience before the summer rush but if you are going to offer a special menu you need to offer everything on the special menu. The burger, as I said, was huge but expect for the cheese and bacon it didn't have much flavor. I would say the ground beef had been seasoned not at all. Finally, the ugly. The windows were filthy. They were dirty and streaked. The table top was covered with a sheet of glass. I think that glass was last removed during the first Obama administration. There was dust, dirt, and crumbs under the glass and it was just gross. There were spider webs on some of the decorative items. There appears to be some remodeling/carpentry going on. That sort of things needs to be finished before the restaurant opens to customers. There's an exposed copper gas line on the wall in the dining area. Is it still hooked up to a fuel supply? I don't know but all it wall take is for some kid to turn the exposed gas valve in order to find out. Details like that need to be cleaned up or removed. The exhaust fan for the kitchen is right outside the door and it's foul with congealed grease, just like the photo in the Yelp review from 2014. Conclusion: If you have lots of time and want to sit on the deck and look at the lake it's a nice spot. Avoid the indoor seating area. Also it helps if you value huge burgers instead of tasty burgers. read more

Simply amazing Burgers, a must stop restaurant in Ely.

OMG this place is to die for! It's worth the effort to find it! The burgers are amazing and the choices are ridiculous! BUT...for a real treat go back in the morning and get the stuffed hash browns....Unbelievably good and a portion that will feed a lumber jack. Laid back, friendly staff and great food! read more