Canadian Honker Restaurant

5-Star Review for Canadian Honker Restaurant I recently visited the Canadian Honker Restaurant in Rochester, MN twice during my time in town, and both experiences were really enjoyable! This family-owned spot (since 1984!) has such a warm, welcoming vibe—perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, especially with its convenient location near the Mayo Clinic. Our breakfast server, Katie T, was hands-down one of the nicest and most friendly people I've ever met in a restaurant. She was genuinely kind, attentive, and made everyone around her feel right at home—she truly deserves a raise for the positive energy she brings! The service was quick, professional, and made the whole meal feel special. The food was excellent both times. The breakfast dishes were hearty, flavorful, and clearly made with care (those scratch recipes shine through!). For dinner, I tried the steak, which unfortunately came out a bit tough, so I probably wouldn't order that particular cut again. That said, it was a minor hiccup—the rest of the meal and the overall quality were spot-on, and it definitely wouldn't stop me from returning. I've already recommended this place to friends, and I'll absolutely be back next time I'm in Rochester. Great portions, homemade touches (love the famous Bunnie's coconut cake in the case!), and a real hometown feel. Highly recommend—especially for breakfast or if you're looking for a reliable, friendly spot near the medical center! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (with a small note on the steak)

Service was excellent! We had crispy chicken pasta and prime rib melt. Pasta was good but was soaked in an unnecessary amount of butter & oil. We shared the coconut bunny cake which was delicious. We would go back but would order something other than pasta

We had to visit simply for the name. We enjoyed our food and service was really good. It is right across from the historical part St. Mary's Hospital (Mayo) so easy to find but a pretty view of the original hospital which was really pretty. I had the walleye because when 'up nort' one should try these things. It was pretty good. My sister's pot pie was wonderful as well as my Mom's pork chops. It's a good local experience.

Local’s review: “It’s a restaurant.” I’ve been here quite a few times. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, work, birthday, thanksgiving, Christmas, you name it. So yeah. It’s a restaurant. The service is great. But the food is forgettable. Quite the opposite of what Sarah said before. It’s not flavorful, hearty, and satisfying. Greasy, sure. Quite ironic for a restaurant right across the hospital. So yeah… It’s a restaurant.

Our food was amazing!! the drinks were really good and our server was very nice. I would definitely recommend eating here again....it was worth the stop 100% the atmosphere felt very much like coming home to a well cooked meal!! I do not feel we waited that long and our server felt bad that he brought us a piece of coconut cake on the house for the wait. For being as busy as it was I do not feel we waited that long at all.

We had such a great breakfast here! The $6.99 Breakfast Feast is such a good deal, and the food is amazing, the stuffed French toast with cream cheese is a must, and the Honker omelette is one of the best I’ve had. My daughter loved her pancakes too! Our waitress was very nice and professional, which made the experience even better. Lots of space for seating, so even when it’s busy you don’t feel crowded. Don’t let the construction out front scare you away, this place is hands-down the best spot for breakfast in Rochester. Between the great food, great service, and great deals, you really can’t go wrong.

We got two beef sandwiches. Been a little while, can remember what names. Two people ~ $40. Tasted pretty standard. Portion is quite small though. They have a bunch of desserts too. Nice vibe and well decorated.

The food was great. Very popular, lots of people there for their Friday walleye and shrimp. They did a great job seating people quickly even though the place was packed. Our server Greta, was so kind and attentive, she's amazing. Service was quick. Food was comfy, and they had great options for kids and people with food allergies. Highly recommend if your in the area stopping in.

Great food, large portions, great service! The fresh squeezed orange juice slayed!!!! I'm surprised all of their reviews aren't 5-star. Glad we went!

We were traveling for Healthcare for my daughter and Christopher knew just how to welcome us in. He knew exactly how our day had been, consistently provided service that was top notch, and brought a humor we absolutely required. The food was tremendous! Highly suggest the onion rings, the cod was so good, and lest I mention the fabulous potato soup. We absolutely would eat here 3 meals a day if we could. Thank you Christopher! Thank you for making our day. ​

My second visit to Canadian Honker this year despite being an out-of-towner. The host seated me immediately, someone brought me a water within a minute of sitting down and my server visited me very soon after. Every time I looked up, someone check in with me. Needless to say, service was top notch! I had the prime rib melt. It was very tasty although I would have preferred a little bit more rare meat. I was able to get fresh fruit on the side for no extra charge. And I just had to taste their "world famous" Bunnie's Coconut Cake for dessert, which was delicious! When I visit Rochester, MN, next time, I will certainly eat at Canadian Honker again.

The employees are really nice! Went in during a trip to the area, recommended by someone who had been here before. Good quality food. The chicken tenders were good. Decent coffee. I'd recommend it and would come back if I were in the area.

Katie was our server - and she nailed it. She kept the drinks full, got the order exactly right, was attentive enough to make sure that we had everything, but not intrusive or overbearing. We shared a giant cinnamon roll, which was fantastic. One person had a breakfast burrito and said it was terrific - my wife had chicken fried steak and eggs...she said that it was almost as good as homemade (high praise!) I had salmon Benedict and hashbrowns - and it was perfectly done. The service was excellent, and the food was just as good - we've always enjoyed the Honker, and taking out of town guests there is always a safe bet!

"Cooking MC's Like a Pound of Bacon" (Vanilla Ice) Honnnnk! That's the sound of your wake-up call to speed on over to the Honker before it fills up with the hungry AM crowd! You'll be welcomed with open wings, a smile, and maybe even a pound of bacon. Some of the best things in life are Canadian...maple syrup, Mounties, Ryan Reynolds, and brekky at this beloved diner in Rochester (ok, so the latter is not technically Canadian). Breakfast here is basic, but you'll get humon-goose midwestern portions cooked with love. If the saturated fat levels send you into cardiac arrest, don't fret your pending swan song! Your goose isn't cooked, because the famous Mayo Clinic/St. Mary's campus is just across the street. As Canada's Linda Richman would tell it, they'll fix up your gonnectagazoink in a jiffy! While we were mostly pleased with our morning meals, Paul Bunyan would be disappointed by "The Lumberjack" as the taste and texture of the pancakes fell flat. "The Feast" is the delicious and filling comfort-food solution, including eggs, hash browns, and perfectly crispy bacon...sans pancakes. It will fuel you up for a full day of axe swinging! I added a Mounds latte to my order, and it tasted exactly as though a Mounds Bar had been blended straight into the coffee concoction. "Me goose-ta!" "Anything less than the best is a felony", but I unfortunately have to shave 1.25 points for the pancakes and somewhat dated vibes. Giving this bountiful breakfast bonanza 3.75 wing flaps. *This review is sponsored by Canadian Ryan Gooseling, Ganderson Cooper, Kevin Bacon, and Robert Matthew Van Winkle

This place serves a very important purpose in Rochester, MN. Comfort food, friendly service and convenience to local hotels and St. Mary's hospital. They actually make an amazing Old Fashioned cocktail if you need one. Over several days I enjoyed the walleye dinner, walleye sandwich and the bunny coconut cake to go.

Wonderful food and service!! The staff was super friendly and helpful to us folks from out of town.

Wonderful food! It's a bit of a pricey place but definitely worth visiting if you're in Rochester. The restraint is clean and beautiful and the staff is always pleasant and smiling. Location has to stairs so is perfect for handicapped accessibility. And is right across the street from St Mary's hospital.

Prompt service for us to be seated. It was pretty busy during breakfast/brunch time. The omelette was cooked as requested with additional veggies. Ambiance is loud due to it bring a busy Sunday morning. Coffee was good. They have fresh squeezed orange juice and offers alcoholic beverages as well. Overall, a great dining experience.

We visited on a Friday, arriving about 4:30. We parked in the lot immediately behind the restaurant, which has lots of signs (as does the lot across the way) saying that the area was only parking for Canadian Honker and Caribou customers. I can only guess that people going to the hospital across the street have tried to park here all too often. The restaurant was bustling, even at this early supper time. Most of the outside seating along the sidewalk was occupied, and indoor dining was about 2/3 full as well. We were still seated promptly. The dining room had a pleasant noise level, and the decor consisted of large, fun prints of Canadian geese. How appropriate! Service was great throughout our visit. My husband ordered an Octoberfest beer (sadly, they didn't have the SXSE one listed on the special menu, but they did have Schell's) while I got a cider from local Loon Juice. We ordered a half-size appetizer of cheese curds, which was perfect for two people. The curds were from local Little Red Dairy, and they were incredibly fresh, as proven by the intense squeak! My husband ordered the all-you-can-eat Walleye and shrimp special with a side salad and fries. He LOVED this meal. Great fish, and the shrimp were plump. He did get another serving of fish and shrimp, too. Meanwhile, I had the Harvest Chicken salad, which was unique: a cup of very good chicken salad on a bed of greens, with a wonderful amount of blueberry goat cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts. It came with a raspberry vinaigrette that was tasty, but I barely used it, as I really enjoyed spearing the chicken salad and greens together. I absolutely loved this salad! Our server encouraged us to get a dessert, but we were way too full. The offerings in the case looked incredible, though, so I would very much like to try things like their coconut cake on a later visit. We already want to make a return trip here!

Server Jesse was fine. Food was expensive and not good. Chicken sandwich with cold bacon looked like it had been run over by a truck. Salad with salmon, unripe avocado and past their prime tomatoes and romaine was also not good. Sorry we didn't look at other nearby restaurants close to hospital before choosing Canadian Honker. Extremely disappointing meals 11/10/25.

We ate here bc it was walking distance from our hotel and the kids picked it. I wasn't expecting much. The food far exceeded my low expectations! And they do a great job with groups. It's a large space. I had a chicken wrap and fries. Huge portion, especially considering the price. Would go here again. (If I wasn't getting tacos elsewhere)

Good food. Good portions. Nice waitress. Nothing crazy special but overall really solid for breakfast

Came on a Sunday, it was busy but the line moved quickly. We were seated within 5-10minutes. You have to try their turtle latte which was very comforting on a cold day. Their breakfast options are all delicious, I loved their traditional omlette with ham and veggies.

I came here for that Coconut Cake. In town for a short few days, looking for the unique places or things to get, and I'm always a fan of a good Coconut Cake. Stopped in here really quick to get some to go. The young dude at the register was pretty cool, I saw the showcase of desserts and asked what the best thing was - and of course he said the Coconut Cake! That chocolate cake with jam looked awesome too, but I don't want to end up across the street in the ER due to sugar overload. I asked how much? He said $7. I was like - gee whiz dude - and then he says "well it's currently on sale now, 2 for 1, because we got too much Coconut Cake". Well hot diggity damn dude let's do this! He got me packaged up and those Coconut Cakes are large marge and super soft too. I gave the extra one to my dad and his wife, took a couple of bites when i got home - and wow - yes, I can confirm, it's really good Coconut Cake and I was even more happier getting such a great deal! This place is quite busy, and I would make this a regular visit if I lived in the area, but hot diggity if you're in the mood for some good Coconut Cake - look no further!

A solid standby. Canadian Honker was the first place I dined at when I first visited Rochester to interview as a brand new nurse. In a new and unfamiliar town, this place offered up the comfort food. The food is always good, with reasonable prices. The service is also always good with friendly and attentive staff. Family friendly ambiance, and occasionally has live music. Good for out of towners but also popular with the locals.

We decided to go here to try the all you can eat walleye and shrimp on Fridays. The place was packed and the hostess said it was a 15 minute wait. This was at 5pm. She was about 15-20 off on her estimate. Most people had reservations, I didn't know they took reservations and we will get one next time!! Once seated the service was outstanding!!! Waitress attended our every need and the meal was served extremely fast. My guess is most ordered the fish special. Shrimp was plentiful and large. Walleye had good flavor. I ordered mashed potatoes and gravy. It's served with a beef gravy. Chunks in mashed potatoes, I prefer smooth mashed potatoes. They had very good flavor and were certainly fresh made. The waitress returned several times to as if we needed more fish or shrimp. I reordered twice and left full. Salad and garlic toast was also served with meal. Good amount of salad and the French dressing was sweet, the way I like it. Overall a great meal and this is a premium lent fish fry. $25 bucks ea but that's a good price for walleye.

The service here has been wonderful both times I've visited. This is a great place to grab a meal if you're in the St. Mary's/Mayo area. The cheese curds are especially greasy but so so tasty. It gives Midwestern vibes all the way.

Food was delicious Loved sitting outside Fun with husband and our dog!! Our waitress was very sweet.

A horrible case of food poisoning after having the Honker omelette. 5 hours of vomiting and other GI issues, it was clearly the ham. Improper holding temp? Unclean kitchen? Drumming up business for the Mayo Clinic? I doubt they need the help. The server was sweet. But

Stopped for lunch this past Thursday after clinic appointments. We had a very good lunch and an outstanding service. The chicken corn chowder was fabulous! I will repeat when in town at this time again.

The food wa tasty, and the service was good. Their special daily dish that I tried was perfect .

This is a don't miss restaurant in Rochester! Come hungry because the portion sizes are massive! Unless you eat a lot, you could get by by splitting a dish. Everything I had there was fabulous! The cheese curds were just how they should be and the steak sandwich was delicious! Be sure to grab a slice of coconut cake, even if you need to take it to go. It is moist and yummy! Lots of tables and open spaces. Cute goose themed decor. Staff are friendly, attentive, and super helpful.

Great service, great food, great place. Definitely on our repeat list. We were in Rochester for a post op appointment and looking for something non-fast food. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of food, the coleslaw is amazing.

Overall it was decent. What made the experience good was the staff, service and the way they handled an issue. The portions are very generous, food was good but not great. Isaac our server was very good . The apple crisp was great, goods burger was good. The walleye sandwich is massive but maybe to massive. The ribs were not good at all and when we talked to them they handled it with class and were more than helpful. The service would make me give it a second chance for sure. I have heard breakfast is good and if the portions are like we had for dinner you won't go home hungry.

Service was amazing. Jeffery was a great server. He was very helpful. Prime Rib was good. Family restaurant and great for groups. Convenient to the Mayo Clinic.

Ate lunch here with some family while another family member was in for some heart servicing nearby. Ate outside on the sidewalk, and it was a great day to be outdoors. Server was attentive, even though we were her only outdoor table. I had the triple berry wrap and it was excellent. All our food was very good. It was an easy walk from the hospital, and a nice reprieve. Recommend.

Not a fancy restaurant, the place looks a lot like many casual restaurants (AppleBees, Chilis, etc.). But the food and drinks were very good. I had Chicken a la Riche, which was a lightly breaded chicken breast with shrimp and a garlic cream sauce over mashed potatoes. SO tasty. The only complaint I have was that the asparagus on top of the dish was, to my taste, overcooked. My wife's almond encrusted walleye was very good as well. We also had two of their signature fall drinks and both were unique and delicious. Our server was nice enough and food was delivered in a timely fashion, though he wasn't especially friendly. Overall, a great choice if you are looking for some quality comfort food.

Had a great breakfast there last week, (Eggs Benedict). Prompt and friendly service, as well.

Four of us went to the Canadian Honker for dinner these evening. We started our meals with an order of beer battered cheese curds. Very good. Two of us had the senior menu chopped sirloin, one with fries and one with au-gratin potatoes. My wife had the harvest chicken salad and I had the senior open faced hot roast beef sandwich and mashed potatoes. All of our meals were delicious. Two members shared a piece of their caramel apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. It was very delicious. Very nice interior decorated with Canada Geese art. Our waiter was very friendly and efficient.

Service was good, food was great and my wife really enjoyed the grey goose at the Canadian Honker

We went there for Mother's Day! They had a special menu with cocktails and good American food. A little bit crowded as expected on that day.

The ribs were awesome and so were the mashed potatoes and our waitress was so nice and the food came out fast and the peanut butter pie was scrumptious. We came hungry and left full.

My husband and I lucked out with not only the best food but the absolute best server. (Vianny I think) She was a sweet as the Bunnies coconut cake. The place was clean and hoppin. Food came out quickly and piping hot. I can tell you the Bunnies Coconut Cake, the blackberry mint iced tea, onion rings, Rueben, coleslaw, cheeseburger, fries, vegetable beef soup, salmon and walleye are all delicious!

This was our first time to try Canadian Honkers and had somewhat low expectations thinking it was a diner of sorts. We were super pleased with our dinner, the service, the interior decor, and the diversity of the clientele! We're big fans of Moscow Mule cocktails so we tried the Maple Mule, but we found it too sweet and light on the vodka. The onion rings are outstanding, salads are generous and fresh, and we also loved the crispy chicken pasta and tried our first taste of Walleye here, which was nicely sweet and flaky, cooked just right! Will definitely be back!

The food really was great. Had breakfast there and dinner. Nick, our dinner server was exceptional. What gets 5 stars is a Manager who came to my table after I apologized to Nick for barely touching my walleye dinner and salad. I explained I am a stage 4 cancer patient and couldn't eat the food. (Favorite meal!). Her words and actions still choke me up. She was amazing and my family's food was exceptional. Thank you guys. It meant a LOT.

This is a staple in Rochester and an overall tremendous value. The menu has a good selection to choose from, and the deserts are fantastic. Plan on sharing the coconut pie or peanut butter pie. The service has been good and the outdoor dining is okay in the season.

Waitress Abby was the best! The food is excellent. This is the best french fried onion rings ever...light, flaky, and homemade. The cafe latte was perfect. The coconut cake is literally to die for. We had the tuna fish melt and roast beef melt both were hot and excellent.

Love the history of the place. Food was solid. Service was friendly. Glad to experience the place.

Canadian Honker is a very good family restaurant. Ample portions are served at every meal. I especially like the walleye.

Cool college basketball summer venue. There was one player from my Arizona Wildcats. Go cats! Small town ambiance.

Excellent walleye finish with almonds for dinner. The best Eggs Benedict for breakfast.

We arrived on a cold winter morning and were seated promptly. A high table near the window and it was comfortable. Our order was taken and food arrived hot and yummy. Busy place but service was with a smile and we enjoyed our first experience here. We will be back when in the area.

In from Arkansas for the week. Chose CH due to close vicinity to our hotel. We were seated within minutes. Service was really great. The bartender serviced our table and gave great recommendations. Wife had the parm crusted walleye and I had the steak sandwich with au just. Both were very good! We also liked the onion rings and cheese curds. Some of the best! Thanks to our server and the entire staff!

Isaac was our waiter and he was the best in customer service! We have traveled 3500 miles in a week, and he exceeded all other wait staff on our trip. The food was excellent, the environment was super friendly and pleasant! If I ever come back to Rochester, I will definitely go back there!!

This place is homey and great for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Medium to upscale Minnesota comfort food with everything from fresh squeezed OJ to Walleye dinner. And they have great service and free parking!

The employees were welcoming and friendly. I had a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice which was absolutely delicious. My son had chicken tend rs with a side of delicious fresh fruit. Husband had walleye and cheese curds which he loved. I had a tuna melt. The ambience is casual and like a diner. I definitely recommend this venue! The desserts look amazing, but I was too full. My son got an espresso which he says was great.

BEST CHICKEN TENDERS EVER!!! This place is amazing! Such sweet workers, clean, food came fast, and food was delicious! Definitely recommend!