Ernie's On Gull Lake

We are on our Great Northern Adventure vacation. We left Cincinnati about a week ago and got as far north as Ely, MN. We were headed toward Nisswa and Brainard and used YELP to help us find a good, local restaurant. We decided to try Ernie's on Gull Lake. Little did we know it would be packed because Ernie's was hosting an Octoberfest Celebration that day. The restaurant was packed, both inside and out. There was a special menu to celebrate Octoberfest and there was live music and lots of revelers dressed in costume. Our waitress, Aftyn, couldn't have been nicer. My wife is handicapped and has some difficulty getting around and everyone there was Minnesota Nice while helping her.We were celebrating our own special memory so this Octoberfest discovery couldn't have come at a better time. The food was wonderful, but the TIGER CAKE was over the top. In years of traveling I don't think we have ever had anything quite like this!!!!

Walleye tacos were great! Came with 3 small tacos, and I got the cheese curd upgrade to go with them. Yum!If you order the fries as a side, they are very thinly sliced steak fries, which I haven't ever seen before but they were tasty.Sit outside if you can because it's got a great view of the dock, lake, and people having a great time. Service was quick, they have the buzzing devices for you to come grab your meal when it's ready. If you order drinks with your meal you can bring them back to your table while you wait for your food. The berry lemonade adult beverage was sweet and refreshing.

This is a very popular restaurant on Gull lake. Many people come by boat while enjoying the lake. you got a beautiful view of the lake while you're enjoying your dinner. My pistachio crusted walleye was delicious along with all the other food on their menu. we had a sweet young waitress that took care of as well while I was visiting my family.

Excellent food and service. Order the pretzel bucket app, Swedish Goat Burger, Lobster Bisque soup, salads, and Saturday Prime Rib special. SKIP the Greenie drinks. We had a late dinner so it was too dark to enjoy the lake view scenery, but the interior decor was okay - definitely a cabin vibe. Our daughter's basketball team was there for a weekend tournament so we had a very rowdy and large group of 36. Not only did our waitresses flawlessly take our orders, serve our drinks, apps, soups, salads and entrees timely, but she also figured out our separate checks per family despite the fact that the team sat separate from the parents. She deserved that big tip!Here's what we tried:Soft Pretzel Bucket (4/5) $16 HUGE bucket shared by the entire table of 36. Great pretzels and cheese sauce. Didn't try the mustard sauce but I wished for a bit more salt.Swedish Goat Burger (5/5) $17 This sucker lasted me 3 delicious meals! A must try if you like goat cheese and lingonberries (like small cranberries). The caramelized onions and large bacon strips made the burger perfect IMHO. Lobster Bisque Soup (4/5) $4 very flavorful, filling, rich and creamy. I had no detectable slivers of lobster though. Saturday Prime Rib special (5/5) $29 for the large 16 oz portion. Best meal at the table. Everyone's steaks were cooked to order perfectly. The side salad was LARGE and fresh. 3 at our table ordered the Greenie drink since we heard it was their drink specialty. I could feel the alcohol but couldn't taste it. Good lemon-lime flavor but it was SO sweet, it gave us tummy aches. None of us finished the Greenies and we all switched to other drinks. Our daughter and her friend shared the chicken strip bucket and the classic burger. She said both were good but nothing special.

Easy to get to by boat, dock help is awesome, sat us outside pretty quickly and service was great had a large group Spread over 3 tables and they did an awesome job. Food was very good apps were good, meals were good, my only complaint would be I'm a homemade chip Junky and asked if they were homemade and the waitress said yes, they were clearly from a bag...disappointment. But everything else was to description.

I absolutely loved going to this place. It's very hidden. It's right on the lake and actually has good food. Great service and great drinks. The ambience is perfect especially on breezy afternoon outside. It would be really cool to watch live music here , make it feel like an island theme ! Just ideas ..

I was so impressed with my experience here this busy memorial weekend! The waitress who took our order was great, attentive, and did so with cheer. An appetizer of cheese curds was enjoyed by all and the walleye sandwich seemed to be the hit of our table with three orders of it. I thought it was a very delicious walleye sandwich with great flavor to it. It's great that you can enjoy some time on their patio or inside in the air conditioning. We decided for indoors and the views of gull lake, the boats, and area did not disappoint! Can't wait to be back and try more food! Thank you for a nice dinner!Tip: especially in the summer, come around 4 to beat the dinner rush!

Restaurant looks recently updated which was nice. Had either bar or high top seating or further back booths. It was seat yourself when we went and waitress came right away to greet us and was pleasant and even tried to help my son when it was his turn during a game we brought to play. Drinks and food both came out quickly and were double check on multiple times which was nice. We got pictures midway through our food as we were so hungry. Lots of chicken strips with the basket and upgraded to the curly fries which were great. Also got a classic burger and kids cheeseburger that went do in no time. The onion rings were fried to perfection. When we left they offered a Rice Krispie bar for my child. Nice stop on a trip up north.

Excellent setting with the prettiest view of gull Lake. There's a playground for the kids and a casual burger restaurant right next door if you prefer that to the sit down restaurant. We always get the walleye either as a sandwich or the pistachio crusted walleye. The food is good, but not great. We really enjoy the fish, but feel like they don't have their seasoning down quite right. The broccolini especially had little to no flavor. It's really the setting that makes it amazing. We go every time we are in town!

Beautiful location with fantastic views.Some pretty fun menu items featuring seasonally appropriate choices.Service has always been appropriate.Pretty good wine list, house special cocktails and a fair draft selection.Prices aren't the best, but I factor in the quality of atmosphere.