Grizzly’s Wood-Fired Grill and Bar

Date of Review 3/22/2023

Number of Visits: Many

In my opinion, this place is overall ok - some great pros and slight cons, but overall, a good place to get a bite to eat in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The food is reasonably priced - neither cheap or expensive. The quality of the food is fairly average. I've never disliked anything, but haven't had anything that's wowed me, yet. 

The Pros: 

My favorite thing about Grizzly's is that they have free popcorn in the bar! If I am super hungry when making the choice to go out to eat, I will often pick a place that has some sort of freebie food to offer while you wait for your order! Their popcorn is great! it is much appreciated to have it available to munch on while looking over the menu and waiting for your food. The only thing is they don't advertise or offer it. I had already gone there a few times and then one day noticed someone with popcorn. I inquired with our waitress, and she pointed me to the bar and said it's self-serve! Ever since I discovered it, I always make sure to grab some when dining there. 

- I'm a big fan of outdoor dining when available! Grizzly's has a nice outdoor patio with a nicely landscaped pond to view while dining in the summer. All the tables outside get the same great service as inside! When choosing to dine out, we have picked Grizzly's just for the option of being able to sit outside! I highly recommend it on a nice day! 

- The atmosphere at Grizzly's is pleasant overall. When walking in they have a nice stone wall feature as well as the wood fire grill. Right off the bat it makes for a nice ambience. The dining room side is a bit too dark for my liking, but the architecture is nice a visually pleasing. It definitely has the "Up North" vibe to it. 

- The restaurant and bathrooms have always been very nice and clean when we dine there. Tables are promptly cleared of dirty dishes when guests leave. 

- We have always had a good experience with our service when at Grizzly's. Service has always been prompt and courteous! At peak busy time the manager on duty has always been quick to jump in and help her servers keep up - an impressive trait!

The Cons: 

- The dining room side is a bit too dark for my taste. In the winter or evening I don't find it too much of a problem, but in the summertime it's kind of depressing. I prefer to sit on the bar side of the restaurant because there are more south facing windows giving the room better light. 

- If you do sit on the dining room side, be careful where you sit in the summer. We were once seated right underneath an air-conditioning vent. I was so uncomfortably cold I could hardly eat. 

- Depending on what you order, some of the portions seem small a bit small. They would be wise to either get smaller plates or add a garnish of some sort to spruce up the look of the plate. The presentation of many of their dishes are lacking. 

Overall, though, it's a decent place to go out to as a couple or with friends. 

Thank you for visiting! Happy Travels!