Lakeside Club

I have been going to «The Club» for over 50 years. Even through the short ownership change. I still have my membership card when it used to be private. Sue and Cheryl have an great spot and I will be very sad when it closes. A few years ago we had 24 people from England, Ireland, and Spain there after a golf tournament. They all agreed that they loved it. Ambience is not a priority, the food is king. This is a steak place so order one. Don’t think about chicken or fish. I am sure Sue and Cheryl’s parents are proud of them.

Everything is over priced amd don’t get anything that isn’t steak for a top priority to the restaurant. One of the worst chicken wings I’ve ever had. 50 dollars down the drain.

Food was great but waitresses leave setting to be desired. Had 2 — one who hit on every male at the table and one who insulted even the handicapped person at our table. See why they have to close which is sad since I’ve been coming here since I was like 8.

Back in the 60s and 70s When Al & his wife, «Little Bit» ran it, this place was great, and I would have given it 5 stars. Not today. I can see why they are closing (Feb 28, 2015). So utterly disappointed. Made a quick trip from AZ to see sick family & only had 4 days. Our first night in MN, I drove 45 minutes to the Lakeside to get a meal with my two oldest children as Unilocal said they were open until 9:30. We arrived at 8:20 on a Thursday night to walk in and hear, «We’re closed». I said, surprised, «Really? online it said you were open until 9:30.» Sue said «Where online did you see that?» I said, «Yelp». Sue said, we aren’t online and don’t pay attention to Unilocal or anything. We close at 8:30″. Sue, Al’s granddaughter was sitting at the bar. I told her our story of how this was the only restaurant our family of 8 ever came to for dinner & how Al & «Little Bit» treated us like family as we were regulars (usually always at least 4 to 6 of us at a time). Her response was «You should have called first. Our fryers are down.» She didn’t apologize or even offer us a drink (Brandy Alexanders and Grasshoppers were my dad’s favorite). We didn’t get a chance to get back before we left. Nor would I want to. I am so upset in the way we were treated. I know Al & «Little Bit» would not have treated us this way. It should be noted that on the door on our way out was a sticker that said «WE LOVE Unilocal!» Really?!

What a great little place! Love how the owners seem to know most of the patrons. From the outside, you don’t know what to expect. The menu is fairly simple. We started with onion rings and cheese curds. Large portions, good apps. Then, out comes the popover! The only way that could be better was a serving of honey butter. We both had the prime rib. One salad (we both laughed at the goldfish crackers on top — loved it), and a cup of chicken wild rice. The soup was good but I did have to add salt to it. By this time I was almost full, so I left the soup after only a few spoonfuls. The real winner here is the Prime rib. Cooked perfectly, great flavor. Oh, and the baked potato was cooked to perfection as well! They know what they’re doing here! Great neighborhood atmosphere and is a place I’d come to just to have a beer and get out of the house for a bit!

The service was not good and this place in some kind of weird time lock around 1972; dark, plain and not updated. That said, the burger here is a classic. Worth a try if not to at least say you’ve been there.

Omg. Perfectly cooked meat, salad and popovers. Its like eating out with mom and dad. This place knows how to cook fish and meat. !!

I may be the first out-​of-​towner to ever eat here. It’s the definition of neighborhood restaurant.
As others said, the place hasn’t been remodeled in a very long time. If you’re looking for a place to impress a date this probably isn’t the restaurant you want to visit. But, if you’re looking for a casual steak joint with friendly service and very good food this is a great choice.

Pretty old school building and interior, but very friendly staff and the prime rib and steak were pretty good. Bring cash… two free desserts if pay in cash.

After two lovely years of marriage my wife and I decided to celebrate with dinner at the Lakeside Club in Mahtomedi. We both love supper clubs and we both enjoy dives, making Lakeside the perfect choice for us. I found the place delightfully charming, perhaps because it reminded me of childhood summers in small-​town Wisconsin, where my grandfather would bring me to similar establishments. Nothing fancy — just good, hearty food and nice vibes.
My walleye entrée was fantastic. The large, broiled fillets were seasoned and cooked perfectly. My wife’s Filet Mignon was absolutely scrumptious, cooked perfectly medium-​rare. The dinner sides were just okay — a baked potato and soup for me and a baked potato and salad (with goldfish crackers!) for her. Our dessert — banana cream «pie» — was not overwhelming, but it came free with the meal since we paid by cash/​check. It really is more like a pudding than a pie, and I think there were mixed reviews amongst the patrons based on what I heard. Our waitress and the (presumed) restaurateur were both incredibly friendly, and the ambiance both inside and out (woods, deer, quiet streets) was delightful.

Not to be confused with The Lakeside Supper Club in Montgomery, MN, this is the place that made an appearance in the cult classic, «Fargo». I LOVE supper clubs and I loved this place, though the name «lakeside» is a bit deceiving I guess there is a pond beyond the trees. We did see some nature though, a doe and fawn passing through the parking lot. :-)
The food was delicious. I dined on a filet and my husband the walleye. Both were large portions and very tasty. Entrees came with soup or salad and a potato. The prices were great for the food but seemed high for wine and beer. Downstairs there is a bar, we didn’t get to check it out since there was a private event going on that evening.

Loved the atmosphere… kind of retro/​dump? People were very friendly and mostly all family. Food was pretty average for the price… I had a steak that was a little chewy… my gal had a pork chop that was good. The rest was average also… salad…potato. Soup and pop-​over was good! For the price/​value Outback would probably win hands down. With that being said it is definitely worth stopping by here to check it out for something different than your usual chain restaurant night! I am not sure they always do this but they had books to take/​trade?! Go back in time for a night and check it out!

I went to the Lakeside on a Friday night with my kids for dinner. Had the fish special and I have to say that the fish was very delicious. The fries that came with were just average but the fried fish great! Also ordered a roll that was warm and yummy and fresh. I could tell the tartar was made from scratch too. I want to go back and try a steak dinner. Seems like the meat is the star of the show here. Kind a wish the fries would have been a bit more special! Service was very good and wait staff very friendly. Make sure to use navigation since its kind of in the middle of nowhere. Definately worth another trip though!

A perfectly unpretentious steak house. The steaks are as good as you will find at nearby Gordy’s and the now closed Hanger Room, but at a fraction of the price.
They have pop-​overs during the week (not on weekends) that are wonderful, and prime rib on weekends (not weekdays) that is cooked to perfection. Side salads are quite meager and the soups are generally overly salty, but the point of any steakhouse is the meat and this place delivers. Many cuts are available and are cooked to order, and the burgers are really good too.
It’s a family-​owned establishment, so expect to be treated like family when you arrive.

From the outside one would never suspect this place serves one of the best steak sandwiches with fries in the Twin Cities. It is one of those steak sandwiches you will crave and would be willing to travel miles to enjoy. Don’t judge this place by the exterior and miss out trying the best steak in town.

My wife a friend and I grabbed dinner here tonight after church. Never having been here was some skepticism. You drive up to it and it looks a little dive-​y but shortly after walking in you realize that this place is down home good food kind of place. They are very in tune to your presence from the moment you walk through the door. We knew there would be of a wait as you can easily see every table in the place the moment that you walk in. We had just enough time to grab a drink at the bar and chat a bit before we were seated. Once seated we ordered off the menu which doubled as your place-​mat. The prime rib sandwich was really a bit misleading. One would think that for $ 12 you would get a piece of prime rib on bread. Well no, here you get a huge slab of prime rib that devours the bread it is served with. They should call this a prime rib steak with a piece of bread and a side of fries. It was fantastic. Easily one of the better prime rib’s I’ve had. My wife and our friend both had burgers. They were done as ordered and they explained were very good. The french fries served here a my wife’s favorite. They are the skinny fries which fall somewhere between McDonald’s fries and shoestring potatoes.
So the atmosphere is a bit dive-​y meets old school supper club. The service was very good. The owner was super friendly and even showed us the bar /​banquet area in the basement when we asked about it. She was also quick to explain how the restaurant has been in her family for some time and how gangsters used to eat there when they were on vacation in the region. (If you’ve spent much time in the White Bear Lake area you already know that this region used to be quite touristy with frequent mob members using the area as a summertime get-​away)
Check out this place when you want something good off the beaten path. It’s worth the trip.

Wow, what a gem! I found out about this place from the Pioneer Press article about best burgers. It did not disappoint, but this is not necessarily a burger place. The options are with/​without onions and with/​without cheese. No fancy stuffed burgers or a variety of toppings to be found. I did however order a side of mushrooms and they might have been the best part of the meal. The menu is pretty small is catered for meat eaters although there is a small selection of seafood. I’m going to try a steak next time, they looked amazing coming out.
What really makes this place is the atmosphere. I could tell all of the clientele were regulars and I felt a little left out. Lots of people ordering the «usual» and the cook came out to speak to them asking them how their meal was. Lastly, although it’s a hole in the wall place, it’s not what I would call cheap. The prices are fair for the quality of food you are getting. So if you are expecting a $ 10 filet mignon go to Applebees. Over all, great experience!

True hole I’m the wall. Average age of customers may exceed 60. However, their fresh cut steaks are enormous and filled with flavor. The service is ironic. Wait staff wear shirts that say «the customer is always wrong.» But when the food is good, no need to complain.

Just so you know what you’re getting into: This is a neighborhood joint — the kind with friendly, informal wait staff, customers who know each other (and shout across your table to greet one another), laid back establishment. The kind where the menu is printed on the placemat along with local advertisements, that has Valentine decorations casually hung on the wall and the salads are garnished with gold fish crackers (seriously!).
However, the waitresses are attentive (although not entirely responsive — we asked for water 4 times and never got it) and the food is plentiful and damn good. I ordered the 12 oz ribeye and it was cooked to perfection, tender and tasty. My wife ordered the walleye and sadly, this had a fishy taste — more than expected.
Is it, as one of the reviewers suggested, one of the best places for steaks in MSP? No. But is it one of the best fun, lively, informal establishments where you can get a good steak dinner and drink for under $ 25/​person? Yes.
On a side note, I believe the Lakeside was used as a location for the movie Fargo. They could have easily cast all the extras from the crowd that was there on a Saturday night.

The Lakeside Club does for red meat and fried delights what dive bars do for cold beers and pounding shots.
It’s been family owned since 1946 and is a shining example of what it means to be a small-​town, Midwestern hangout. My parents moved to the teeny little super haven of Mahtomedi, MN in the 70’s and ate at this restaurant when my mom was pregnant with me. Now I’m pregnant and decided it would be interesting cultural exposure to drag my non-​Minnesotan husband in here a couple weekends ago.
Safe bets say the selfsame wood paneling that’s still on the wall today was there back then too. Sitting in the dining room and coming to that realization made me feel nostalgic over the passage of time (although that could have just been pregnancy hormones).
But anyway, knowing in advance the sort of restaurant this was going to be (meat, meat, starchy fried stuff, more meat), I ate as little during the day as I could safely get away with and tanked up on fresh veggies and fruit before stopping in.
Warm, complementary bread is served with every meal and we also ordered the fried cheese curds because neither of us were feeling strong enough to say no (and in a place like this, you don’t say no).
My husband ordered the prime rib (which I can’t stand but he said was phenomenal) and in a moment of cheapskate driven angst, I backed down from ordering a steak and opted for the sirloin burger instead. It was hand-​formed and came with the option of onions mixed into the patty or no. I’m anti-​onion so went without, but I’d be very curious to hear what an onion-​lover would have to say about their burger.
Steaks come with a house salad and the blue cheese dressing my husband ordered was of the high-​octane variety. I’m surprised he didn’t lick the bowl when he finished. :)
A few important things to keep in mind while dining at the Lakeside Club:
1: Don’t judge a book by its cover. Just because the dining room is outdated and the citified amongst us may feel that the staff are dressed more appropriately for doing yard work than schlepping food and drinks, keep in mind that all the meat is choice so you won’t pay any less for your steak than at any other steakhouse.
2: If you’re not from the immediate locale, mapquest this bad boy before you try to find it. And keep in mind they’re only open for dinner. It might be a good idea to call ahead and make sure somebody’s there.
3: Forget your diet. Chances are high you’ll be one of the smaller people in the dining room anyway. I’m big, fat and pregnant right now and found this to be true.