Lake Elmo Inn

Love Lake Elmo Inn! We have had dinners and brunches and love both! Must have dessert is the Sin of the Inn, heaven!

i’d give this place ⁴¹⁄₂ stars if i could. sunday champagne brunch is rediculous ly good! locally made sausages, high end meats, in-​house pastry chef, and the champagne keeps flowin’! perfect hollandaise on the benedict. the beef stroganoff is the best my wife and i have ever tasted… when they have it. looking forward to coming back for dinner to try their dry aged steaks. a beautifully quaint and historic location on the lake.

Never disappointed. Love to just sit at the bar and eat. Max is a great server and mixologist!

Always wonderful food, drinks can get expensive but the experience there is amazing! The buffet is served Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday during December and the food is fabulous. So many choices of salad, fruit, dinner items and dozens of desserts to choose from. Always a great food experience at the Inn!

This place is a pregnant lady’s paradise. It was for me anyway & here’s why: delicious food served in generous portions & the kind of service that made me feel like royalty.
I came here one week before I delivered my daughter. It was my celebration meal with my in-​laws who were in town. Now, a week before you deliver a baby… the last thing you want to do is… well, anything. So, making a trip from Minneapolis to Lake Elmo for dinner at a stuffy restaurant wasn’t on my list. However, I was pleasantly surprised in every way with my visit. Walking in, you can feel this old world charm that you just don’t come by anymore. You know, the kind of place someone’s grandfather started and handed down for family to run generation after generation. It felt welcoming & familiar.
We ordered wine for the table (and I had my signature pregnant punch: diet coke). We got appetizers to share: Watermelon Bites & Crab Rangoon. They were pretty average & what you’d expect. My fiancé ordered the lobster bisque soup to start. You’ve gotta try it… and do yourself a favor & don’t plan to share. You won’t want to.
For dinner, I ordered the Lobster Ravioli. This was anything but average. The pasta is topped in a lobster tail. It was beautiful & the roasted red pepper cream sauce was delicious.
The server then brought out the dessert display & explained the delicious contents of each one. We ordered the signature ‘Sin of the Inn’…you’d feel guilty not trying it after it was explained to you. Thankfully, we shared this with the table… otherwise, I’m sure I would have developed gestational diabetes. But it might have been worth it, it was delicious.
The atmosphere, food & service is definitely on point. I took off one star because of the appetizers could use a little imagination & price points are pretty high.

I was very happy with dinner there! The ambiance was warm and inviting. The service was wonderful! My only complaint was that prices were a bit high as you did not get a salad with the meal, it was extra. I hope to go and try brunch sometime.

We have been going to Lake Elmo Inn for almost 20 years almost exclusively for their brunch. Their brunch is one of our favorites in the Cities. All I need to say is have you sinned? As Bön Jovi has said, Living in Sin would be fine by me. I am of course speaking about their famous dessert called the SIn of the Inn. Its soo good! This latest trip we did not get to indulge in that wonderful dessert. We actually were there for breakfast.
I don’t recall Lake Elmo Inn ever offering a breakfast. I signed up for their newsletter and their latest newsletter not only had information about Saturday breakfast but a BOGO breakfast. I love a good deal. By the way I recommend always signing up for your favorite restaurants newsletter or club. It can only benefit you with information and maybe some great coupons or offers.
We made reservations for first thing at 8:00am. We arrived a few minutes early and were promptly greeted and escorted to our table. Our server took a few minutes to arrive but we figured we were some of the first folks set and were by no means in a hurry. When she arrived she explained that John was at the egg station and could make most egg dishes there. If we would like an omelet we would need to order that through our server. I went ahead and ordered a Denver omelet and an orange juice to drink. Our server said we could go ahead up to the buffet and get started.
The buffet while not as plentiful as the Sunday brunch still had a fair amount of options. There was fresh fruit, fresh baked croissants, scones, English muffins, sausage, bacon, fried potatoes, pancakes and scrambled eggs. When I go to a brunch I tend to veer away from the fresh fruit and such and go for the good stuff. I grabbed some bacon, sausage, english muffin and plenty of fried potatoes as I have a body by potato.
We sat down and begun eating. I was trying to eat slow while I waited for my omelet and orange juice. The sausage was tasty. I’m not too much of bacon at a buffet as it is rarely crispy. This was not different but I am a bigger fan of bacon and thought I would mix it in with my potatoes. My omelet finally arrived and I dug into that. The onelet was really good. The onions were sauteed which gave the omelet a nice sweetness to balance the salty ham which there was plenty. The english muffin tasted homemade as is had more flavor than the average english muffin. The potatoes were amazing. Crispy yet not too crispy and overdone. No doubt cooked the old fashioned way with plenty of butter. Very simple, but so very good. Our server then arrived with 2 drinks. My wife was quick to say that she ordered a water and I had an orange juice. No apology or word she just moved on. When she did arrive with my orange juice it was in an oversized shot glass. I was suprised and not in a good way. Then tasting my orange juice I could tell there was something else in the glass. It wasn’t enough to be a screwdriver but it was NOT just orange juice. I’m thinking they maybe started to make a screwdriver and poured it out and refilled with orange juice. Whatever I continued with my meal. I went back to have more of those amazing potatoes and also tried the croissants which were also excellent.
When our server brought our bill, I made it a point to ask if they add «anything» to their orange juice. She replied why didn’t I like it? Again not quite the response I was expecting. So I rephrased my question stating that I tasted something different. She then replied she had no idea. What server doesn’t know about their beverages? So as we reviewed our bill I noticed that this «orange juice» was $ 3.50. Really! I could buy a gallon of fresh squeezed in the store for less than that. I wasn’t going to make much of a beef as we did have a coupon. We paid our bill and were on our way. The food was decent. Thumbs up to the omelet. Still thinking about how good those potatoes were. Service was just average and next time we’ll skip the dollar per sip orange juice. Still Lake Elmo Inn has a long running reputation of a great place and we’ll be back.

oh my the food was out of this world and the customer service was a little slow but the night I was there it was busy so I understand I most defiantly will be coming back

Went there for dinner last friday night had resavations for 7:30 called them at 6 and asked if we could get in at 7 instead they said
we showed up haven’t been there in 10 years. The food was remarkable and the service was too. I would give them 10 stars if i could. The Best Dinner i had in years i had the Cajun marlin. I might go back tonight again.

I’ve been here a couple times in the past for brunch and the food is so fabulous. Both times, I walked out super stuffed. I just couldn’t stop eating the good food and desserts!
I was also there yesterday for lunch and got the Autumn Harvest Risotto with Duck. It was AMAZING! I have no complaints about the food here and wish I could eat here all the time! That’s not really in the budget, but I definitely would if I could! Highly recommended! The service is also fantastic!

Truly amazing place. The owners and staff are some of the best that I have seen. The food is excellent and the presentations are well done. I love eating at a place where people care about the customer. Looking forward to coming back in October with more people.

This review if for Sunday brunch, which starts at 10. Most months, get there early because it does get full. It’s a great value, with lots of variety of food and dessert plus generous pours of champagne (or sparkling juice for the kids). Be prepared though that coffee will cost you extra.
The food is basic american food: salads, cheese, carving station, shrimp, waffles, etc. They sometimes rotate in variety, such as Asian the day we were there. Not sure what else they rotate. I wouldn’t call the food gourmet — just good hearty food at a good value. I have to admit I wouldn’t have minded paying more for a more innovative selection, but it did the job.
Extra kudos to the super friendly wait staff and snappy service.
And people — this is a nice place. Keep the shorts and flip flops at home. It was nice to walk in and see customers, even the kids, in collared shirts and Sunday dresses. I’m all for being comfortable, but this isn’t Denny’s.

It had been about a decade since I’ve been here. Probably longer if I didn’t spend a few years getting punched in the head and could remember things better. But, this weekend, the girlfriend and I took her parents out for brunch here and we all relived how incredible this buffet really is.
Make reservations. Do not, I repeat, do not think you’ll get a table in a timely manner without them. At 10.10, a couple was quoted 45 minutes for a table without reservations. Don’t risk it.
We’ve all been to buffets where the food is pretty much the same… Chianti, Granite City etc etc. This place, NOTHING is like any of that. You’ll pay a bit more, obviously, but, the food is so much better and better quality it is so worth it.
The special was a fried fish, pole, and a special butter, which was incredible. Fish was fried perfectly, and the butter was amazing on top of it. They broke the normal menu of waffles and went with raspberry french toast, which was incredible. Their sausage pit had 3 different types, a normal thick breakfast link was really good, a kielbasa style which was not bad at all, and a smoked sausage that was ok — then amazing with a little maple syrup on it. Their eggs benny was ok. I’m not a benny fan and really don’t care for it as a whole, but, this was ok. Caramel rolls at the table were spot on and gooey goodness. Beef and ham carving station also served up some really good meats, and not too fatty of beef either — which made it actually worth getting.
For the cold side of the aisle, their salads were very good. One had field greens with apples, pomegranates and a very light sweet vinaigrette. The other was a garden salad with all the veggies and a balsamic vinaigrette. Pasta salads were immaculate with good quality cheeses, and spicy meats (pepperoni and salami). Smoked salmon was awesome. A brown sugar style of smoked salmon so it was amazingly sweet/​salty with the cheeses.
Desserts… all of them were amazing. A lemon pudding/​sorbet kind of thing was refreshing. Berry mousse, chocolate/​PB mousse and their cheese cake was spot on.
Can also order an omelet from your server, which I did and was really happy with the quality. Wasn’t one of those «egg in a squirt bottle» kind of omelets you get at other places. Real, actual eggs went into this thing.
Mimosas were great, coffee was tasty and service was perfect.
The perfect brunch if you’re willing to drive and pay for it.

First time in this place on a busy Sunday brunch. the personal were friendly the food was just excellent and I cant forget the complimentary free champagne! Looking for a good brunch on Sundays?. this is the place!

One of the best Sunday brunches in the Twin Cities! I love me some brunch and I love me some prime rib. Lake Elmo Inn has both, so I’d been really looking forward to Sunday brunch for weeks. This place totally delivered. They offer endless champagne, which was ssooo lovely! However, if you want to «upgrade» to a mimosa, they’ll charge you for orange juice. It was just a couple bucks though.
Sunday brunch was fantastic! One section of warm food, one section of cold food and a dessert area.
Hot: I really wish they’d had more hot food. Had they had more options, they would have received 5 stars. The only egg option was eggs benedict and there weren’t any potatoes. I love me some potatoes so I was sad about that. The real star of this classy joint was the salmon wellington. Holy balls, it was to die for. I never would have thought it was something I couldn’t live without, but oh my lord. It is! My fave, prime rib, was freaking delicious. When I sweet talked the carver into cutting into the new freshly cooked chunk of meat instead of the tiny, older one, I may have professed my love for him. They had little ramekins to put au jus and horseradish sauce in. I love dips and sauces and really hate when they mix with everything on the plate. I swear, little ramekins can make or break a meal.
Cold: Meh. If the lines are too long and you have to skip a section, this is the one to skip. The salads were ok, and the fruit was yummy. But it’s fruit… nothing to write home about. The shrimp was stellar! I don’t know why, it looked like just basic shrimp cocktail. I stole a prime rib ramekin for the cocktail sauce and dipped my tasty shrimp in it.
Desserts: I loved the cookie I had. But I’m not a dessert person so that’s pretty much all I tried. My friends loved nearly all of them and enjoyed the variety.
Salt and Pepper shakers: Nearly all reviews mention the salt and pepper shakers and I was so excited to see them! There are 1,200 lining the walls. John, the owner, offered a free bar drink to people that brought in a set when they first opened (something like 30 years ago). His collection is 5,000 deep! He has 3,800 sets of salt and pepper shakers in storage! It was amazing. Ask your server for details on the story. It was charming to hear.
Overall, eat here. You won’t regret it!

Brunch review. Food was fantastic. Champagne was abundant, good, and included. Only complaint would be that it is lacking variety of hot breakfast choices. Omelets are included and very good. Order one right away as those take a bit from the kitchen.

Awesome brunch. I am a big fan of brunch overall and brunch buffets specifically and this one did not disappoint. Price was reasonable and included champagne, which is nice but for me it’s kinda a waste because the bubbles fill me up and I would rather get full from FOOD than champagne. My bloody mary was pretty basic and not strong, but at least it wasn’t overly expensive.
They have a cold line, a hot line, a carving station, and desserts. Also, I think you can order omelettes from your server, but none of us did that because we were focused on the buffet lines. Also, it wasn’t mentioned by our server as an option, we just saw other people doing it. In the hot line they have a rotating item of the week, which you can check online ahead of time. The week we went it was salmon wellington, ehich was good. The vegetables were AMAZING, and the eggs benedict was good also. I would have liked another egg dish, like scrambled eggs or a quiche or something. The salads were disappointing. There was fresh fruit and the shrimp was amazing. I would have liked a little bit more variety or creative dishes, but overall a solid spread.
Desserts were TO DIE FOR, especially the peanut butter brownie. Our table tried most of the desserts and most of them were amazing, although a few were mediocre. I loved all of the bars and brownies.
The service was pretty good, at first she seemed a little bit surly but then she warmed up and by the end of the brunch we all liked her.
It’s a little bit out of the way but definitely worth the drive! DO IT.

The food, the service, everything was top notch! We made reservations for 6 on a Friday night, the only seating they had was for a table in the bar area, which wasn’t as bad as I expected. We brought our 89 year old grandmother, and let me say our server was VERY accommodating. Our grandmother is picky when it comes to certain things, every small issue that came up was taken care of immediately and fixed for her.
The food… omg was excellent! We ordered the edamame which was perfect, along with the zucchini fries. I ordered the sea bass which was one of the best I’ve ever had. This dish compared to the sea bass I had in New Orleans earlier this year. So freakin’ good!
Overall, the food was fresh, tasted great and was perfectly seasoned. The service was probably even better, which unfortunately is getting harder to find these days. We also enjoyed the décor inside and out. Our grandmother loved the Christmas lights. Btw, if you’re into unique and one of a kind salt and pepper shakers… you’ll love their display. They literally have hundreds to look at and admire. I’m not even into them, but loved checking out the variety.
We’ll be back for sure, I really want to try their brunch which I heard is one of the best in the area.

I went to Lake Elmo today for family brunch to celebrate my grandparents’ 65^th wedding anniversary, and it was a great family experience. Apparently my grandparents have been coming here for years, so they thought the drive was perfect for a fall Sunday (the men in the family were not as pleased with the time because of the Vikings game, but they lived).
The brunch was very good, lots of options (hot and cold). Favorites included the smoked salmon (according to our server, smoked in the smokehouse out back), raspberry french toast, roast beef, and chicken parmesan. There were also a ton of desserts that everyone enjoyed. Also of note, brunch comes with caramel rolls at your table and endless champagne (or sparking grape juice for kids). The only complaint I have about the brunch was there wasn’t enough egg options. The only egg option was eggs benedict, and I don’t care for hollandaise, so I was disappointed there.
The staff was very friendly and the inn had lots of halloween decorations and pumpkins, which made it very festive for the fall.
It is a little bit of a drive from Minneapolis, but I would definitely go back for special occasions.

Ate brunch here for the first time this morning. It was one of the best brunches I have had in the Twin Cities. All of the usual brunch items and the entrée was a salmon Wellington (delicious)!
One of the highlights of our brunch was our waitress Lori! She was FANTASTIC. Overall a highly enjoyable experience.