7 of the Best Places to Eat While Playing Golf in Minnesota
The best golf courses in Minnesota aren't just delivering great fairways and fast greens. They're backing it up with food and drinks that are genuinely worth sticking around for. We're talking slow-smoked BBQ, pan-fried walleye, prime rib, craft cocktails and patio views that make every post-round meal feel like a proper occasion.
Here are seven of the best places to grab a bite after your round (or anytime, really).
Danny's Kitchen + Bar
StoneRidge Golf Club
Stillwater
Danny's is the kind of golf course restaurant that makes you do a double take when you walk in. With a farm-to-table menu built around locally sourced meats and fish cooked on a natural wood-fired grill and smoker, a collection of over 2,000 rare and unique spirits behind the bar, and live music on weekends, this place is legitimately operating at a different level than what you'd expect to find on a golf course (StoneRidge, in this case).
The vibe is upscale casual — rustic and welcoming but polished enough to feel like a real night out.
Must Order: short rib rigatoni, wood-fired steak, stroganoff
Grill19
Blackberry Ridge Golf Club
Sartell
Grill19 sits perched above one of central Minnesota’s most scenic courses. And the views of Blackberry Ridge’s rolling, wooded fairways make it one of the more memorable places to eat in the region.
The kitchen brings real creativity to the menu, leaning into bold, house-crafted flavors that feel anything but ordinary for a golf course grill. Wild mushroom ravioli, slow-smoked chicken wings, signature pizzas, and smoked brisket nachos give the menu range and unique touches throughout, keeping things interesting.
It’s the kind of place where you order one more round of apps and start looking forward to your next tee time just so you have an excuse to come back.
Must Order: slow-smoked wings with blackberry inferno sauce, prosciutto and blackberry flatbread, duck bacon wontons with Thai dipping sauce
The Highlander
Rush Creek Golf Club
Maple Grove
The patio is the main event at The Highlander; it features sweeping views of the Rush Creek course and a vibe that’s equal parts casual and special.
The kitchen runs an Ole Hickory Smoker and takes genuine pride in what goes into the food. The salmon, cod and walleye are all humanely caught and sustainably sourced. And the beef is all-natural, hormone and antibiotic-free, sourced from hand-selected local cattle.
That kind of intentionality shows up on the plate. While the menu shifts with the seasons, anything you order carries a homemade feel and flavor that’ll have you stopping in even on days you're not playing golf.
Must Order: anything coming off the Ole Hickory Smoker, walleye, whatever the weekly special happens to be
Irma's Kitchen
Cragun's Resort
Brainerd
While it’s technically not a golf course restaurant (it's in the main lodge), Irma's deserves a spot on this list because it's one of the most storied dining rooms in Minnesota resort history, and it's right on the property at Cragun's. Operating out of a 1926 timber lodge, the atmosphere alone is worth the visit: exposed beams and the kind of warm, unhurried Northwoods character that you just don't find in new construction.
The menu is seasonal and rooted in Minnesota flavors, with pan-fried walleye as the signature dish that keeps people coming back year after year. It's dinner-only and open seasonally, so plan accordingly. And make a reservation because it fills up fast!
Must Order: pan-fried Minnesota walleye, slow-roasted prime rib, whatever the seasonal dessert is
Palmer's Grille
Deacon's Lodge
Breezy Point
There's something about eating on the patio at Palmer's Grille that just feels right. The restaurant sits right at Deacon's Lodge with a perennial-lined patio and sweeping views of Arnold Palmer's signature course. The rustic elegance of the dining room matches the character of the golf perfectly.
The menu goes beyond standard clubhouse fare. We're talking steaks, walleye, prime rib, cold water lobster tail, and gourmet burgers that hold their own against anything in the area. And the service is the kind of attentive Northwoods hospitality that feels like home.
Must Order: walleye, prime rib, whatever the soup of the day is
The Preserve Smokehouse
Grand View Lodge
Nisswa
Tucked right at the edge of Grand View Lodge's Preserve Golf Course, the Smokehouse is a full-on, authentic Texas pit BBQ operation, dropped in the middle of the Minnesota Northwoods. The smell alone will have you skipping the back nine to get to the table faster.
Executive Chef Justin Grecco and his team smoke everything slowly in-house. This is the kind of food that makes you forget what you shot that day. The outdoor patio overlooks the course with views that have been called the best of any golf course restaurant in Minnesota. And the cocktail list features creative options like a Smoked Rosemary Manhattan and a Jalisco Mule.
Must Order: beef brisket, dry-rubbed smoked chicken wings, bourbon-burnt-end baked beans
Red River Kitchen
Braemar Golf Course
Edina
Sitting right in the Braemar clubhouse with a spacious patio overlooking the 10th hole and a gas fire pit area that makes post-round hangs genuinely hard to leave, this place has a personality all its own. It’s casual, creative, and welcoming to golfers and non-golfers alike.
The cocktail program is a real standout with kegged cocktails, a legendary Bloody Mary, and a craft beer lineup that leans into Minnesota's thriving brewing scene. The wine list is eclectic and sourced from small producers you won't find anywhere else.
Must Order: loaded nachos, the Italian sandwich with red wine pesto aioli, that Bloody Mary
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