A side of wild rice shouldn’t be the thing people drive across the metro to eat. Yet at one small-town Minnesota dining room, that humble side dish gets talked about like a main event.
The bread arrives warm before you even ask. Fresh-baked rolls hit the table, and dinner often includes a little palate-cleansing sorbet.
I like how those small, old-school touches feel almost stubborn in the best way.
Then the menu starts flexing. There’s walleye and pan-fried sunnies for the lake crowd.
There’s prime rib for the steak loyalists, plus roast duck that keeps showing up in conversations.
I believe the best Minnesota meals often happen far from downtown skylines. This one sits out where the suburbs loosen up and the roads get quieter.
So what makes a classic dining room worth the extra miles?
A Classic Dining Room East Of The Twin Cities
Out on the quieter edge of the east metro, Lake Elmo Inn holds down a spot that feels a world away from downtown. It’s a fine dining restaurant serving upscale American food in the small city of Lake Elmo, Minnesota.
The pitch is simple and refreshingly unfussy. Come for a creative menu, a polished dinner, or a weekend brunch that turns a regular Sunday into an occasion.
Lake Elmo itself sits just east of St. Paul, where neighborhoods give way to open land. That makes the drive part of the fun, especially if you’re coming from a busy city block.
Plenty of Twin Cities restaurants chase trends every few months. Lake Elmo Inn leans into something steadier, with Minnesota favorites like walleye, sunfish, and wild rice holding their place on the menu.
It’s the kind of spot people pick for birthdays, rehearsal dinners, and family gatherings. Lunch and dinner both run most days of the week, so you don’t need a fancy excuse to stop by.
Still, it’s hard not to treat the visit like a celebration. The setting practically asks you to linger over one more course.
Old-School Supper Club Spirit In A Modern Kitchen
Call it a supper club state of mind. Lake Elmo Inn carries that classic Minnesota feeling, where dinner is an event and nobody rushes you toward the door.
The menu mixes old favorites with newer ideas. Teriyaki potstickers and scallops with risotto have shared the lineup with prime rib and baby back ribs.
That blend matters more than it sounds. A place can feel timeless without feeling frozen, and this kitchen seems to understand the difference.
The kitchen also rotates its menu with the seasons. A fall and winter menu, for example, has rolled out as the weather turns, so returning diners may spot something new.
Food here is made from scratch on site, which fits the old-school spirit perfectly. It’s the same idea grandma had, just with sharper plating and a longer ingredient list.
For Minnesotans who grew up on Friday fish fries and Saturday night steak dinners, the vibe will feel familiar. It’s comfort food that put on a nice jacket, and honestly, it wears it well.
Warm Rolls And A Little Sorbet Before The Main Event
Bread baskets are a lost art in a lot of restaurants. At Lake Elmo Inn, fresh-baked rolls typically arrive at the table as a warm opening act.
That small gesture sets the tone right away. It tells you dinner here follows a rhythm, and the kitchen wants you comfortable before the first real course.
Then comes another throwback that many diners love. Dinner often includes a small sorbet, a cool little reset between bites that feels straight out of a classic white-tablecloth playbook.
Why does this matter so much? Because these extras feel generous, and generosity is something Minnesotans notice and remember.
There’s also the Inn’s four-item special that can come along with dinner. It adds to the sense that your meal includes more than just whatever lands on the entree plate.
Big-city tasting menus often charge extra for every flourish. Here, the old-fashioned courtesies seem built right into the experience.
Go easy on that second roll, though. Trust me, the rest of the menu will want your full attention, and the dessert tray is still waiting at the end.
The Wild Rice Everyone Keeps Talking About
Few side dishes earn a fan club. The wild rice at Lake Elmo Inn has one, and it’s easily among the most talked-about things on the menu.
Wild rice is a true Minnesota treasure, harvested in the lakes and wetlands of the Upper Midwest. Seeing it treated like a star instead of an afterthought feels like a small win for the whole state.
You’ll find it served alongside entrees like sunfish and other plates. It also shows up in a wild rice and duck soup that’s become a memorable starter.
That soup is worth a pause. Duck and wild rice together taste like a cabin weekend in a bowl, rich and earthy and very Minnesota.
Some diners have called the wild rice flat-out unforgettable. It’s a funny thing to say about a grain, yet here it somehow makes sense.
Fancy downtown kitchens might bring in exotic grains from across the globe. This place sticks with the one growing in our own backyard, and that confidence tastes pretty great.
Order it once and you may never look at rice pilaf the same way again.
Walleye And Sunnies For The Lake Country Crowd
No Minnesota menu feels complete without fish from the lakes. Lake Elmo Inn delivers with walleye, the official state fish, alongside a plate of sunnies.
Sunfish might be the sleeper pick here. Many diners rank the sunnies among the best they’ve had anywhere, which is high praise in a state full of anglers.
These are the fish a lot of us caught off docks as kids. Finding them on a fine dining menu feels a little like seeing your hometown mentioned on national TV.
The sunnies typically come with wild rice and vegetables. That pairing basically turns the plate into a love letter to Minnesota summers.
Walleye also shows up in birthday dinners and big group celebrations. It sits comfortably next to tenderloins and scallops, holding its own without any fuss.
Coastal cities brag about their seafood all the time. Up here, we’ve got freshwater favorites that deserve the same respect, and this kitchen treats them that way.
Craving a taste of the lake without baiting a hook? Grab a table here instead, and leave the tackle box at home this time.
Prime Rib, Roast Duck, And Other Big Dinner Decisions
Prime rib remains one of the menu’s heavy hitters. It’s a supper club classic, and at Lake Elmo Inn it’s often described as tender enough to cut with a fork.
Leftovers seem to be part of the deal too. Generous cuts mean some diners head home with a box for the next morning.
Then there’s the roast duck, another name that keeps popping up. Duck isn’t a common sight on small-town menus, so its regular appearance here feels like a nice surprise.
Seafood lovers have options beyond the lake fish. Lobster ravioli, broiled jumbo shrimp, salmon, and big U12 scallops served with risotto have all appeared on the menu.
Prefer something heartier? Pork chops, baby back ribs, and beef tenderloins round out the lineup for meat-and-potatoes types.
Big-city steakhouse chains love charging a premium for flash and noise. Here, the focus stays on well-cooked classics in a calmer room, which feels like a smarter use of your evening.
Choosing just one entree might be the toughest part of your night. Bringing friends who share is a perfectly reasonable strategy.
Save Serious Room For The Dessert Tray
Sweets get their own spotlight at the end of the meal. Lake Elmo Inn brings out a dessert tray that many consider top notch.
Showing desserts on a tray feels wonderfully old-fashioned. You get to see everything up close, which makes saying no almost impossible.
One name stands out for pure drama: Sin of the Inn. It’s known as rich, which sounds like exactly the right warning label for a dessert with that title.
The raspberry white torte has fans too. Some people even grab a slice to go after a filling dinner, which is a smart move if you planned poorly.
Chocolate covered strawberries are another favorite that comes up again and again. They’re simple, classic, and somehow always feel like a special occasion.
Most nights, dessert is where restaurants coast. Here, it’s treated like a finale, and that attention to the last course says a lot about the whole kitchen.
So pace yourself at the bread basket. Your future self, staring down that tray, will be very grateful for the restraint.
Sunday Brunch With Caramel Rolls And Four Courses
Caramel rolls kick things off, and that alone might seal the deal. Sunday brunch at Lake Elmo Inn is a big part of the restaurant’s identity.
Brunch here isn’t a grab-and-go buffet. It’s typically served in four courses, with choices that give everyone at the table something to enjoy.
Families with kids aren’t left out either. Holiday brunches like Father’s Day have included options for children, which makes planning a multi-generation outing much easier.
Presentation gets real care at this meal. Plates arrive looking polished, and the pace stays relaxed enough that nobody feels hurried.
Saturday also opens early, starting at 10 AM, while Sunday brunch runs from 10 AM to 1 PM. Holidays may book up, so reserving ahead is a wise idea.
Minnesotans take Sunday mornings seriously, whether that means church, hockey practice, or a long breakfast. This brunch fits neatly into that tradition while feeling a little more special.
Caramel rolls, four courses, and nowhere to be until dinner? That sounds like a Sunday done right by anyone’s standards.
Holiday Sparkle, The Veranda, And Room For The Whole Family
Christmas decorations are a genuine draw here. Lake Elmo Inn dresses up for the seasons, and the holiday look gets plenty of attention.
Winter visits feel especially cozy as a result. Pairing a snowy drive with a glowing dining room is about as Minnesota as it gets.
Warmer months bring a different charm. Seasonal outdoor seating opens up, giving larger groups and patio fans a breezy alternative.
Planning a party? The Veranda has hosted bridal showers, and separate dining rooms have welcomed rehearsal dinners and family gatherings.
The space itself leans intimate rather than sprawling. Even a full room can stay comfortable enough for conversation, with background buzz instead of a roar.
That makes the Inn a natural fit for date nights, milestone birthdays, and grandparents who want to actually hear the grandkids. It’s dressy without being stiff.
Some restaurants feel built only for special nights. This one handles both the big celebration and the quiet Wednesday dinner with equal ease, which is a rare and handy talent.
Plan The Drive, Then Make A Night Of It
Good news for road trippers: the route is easy. You’ll find Lake Elmo Inn at 3442 Lake Elmo Ave N, Lake Elmo, MN 55042, a short hop east of St. Paul.
Street parking is typically easy to find nearby. That’s one less headache compared to circling downtown blocks for twenty minutes.
The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday through Friday, lunch runs 11 AM to 2 PM and dinner runs 5 to 9 PM.
Saturday opens at 10 AM until 2 PM, then reopens for dinner from 5 to 9 PM. Sunday brunch goes 10 AM to 1 PM, with dinner from 4:30 to 8 PM.
Expect higher-end pricing, with many entrees sitting in special-occasion territory. A small credit card processing fee may also apply, so it’s worth planning ahead.
Menus can change with the seasons, so double-check if you have a favorite in mind. Reservations are a smart move for groups and holidays.
Is it worth the drive? For warm rolls, legendary wild rice, and Minnesota fish done with care, I’d say this small-town classic wins easily.
Share this story
