Northwoods Family Grille

So I used the Google Restaurant search while we were on the road and this little gem came forward. The waitress asked if we enjoyed our meal and I said, “Yeah, I dang near licked the plate”. The food was awesome here. Just check out the Trophies.

Super fast and delicious! We stopped in for a quick bite after coming into town to go to the DMV. I got a half order of the Cesar salad with smoked chicken which was delicious. (Would be a little better with better dressing). Husband got a Turkey club with onion rings that was amazing. He got a coffee and I got a tap root beer. 35 bucks. Good bang for your buck!

First concern was they mix pork and oats into the burger to keep it juicy during cooking(something a good cook should be able to do with just beef), Second concern was I subbed the mix patty with 100% beef ordered medium rare, and it came out well done and you can immediately tell its a pre-made patty so more than likely frozen store bought patties and the burger was loaded down with Chipotle sauce with nothing on it. I didnt even see a classic burger option. The pizza ovens were off so there would have been a longer wait on pizza and dont forgot the massive glob of seasoning on the fries for the win. Definitely will not be returning

You have to try the Maple Bacon Bourbon Burger ask for extra onion jam. This burger is HEAVEN!!!! The person that owns it his wife was our server she is amazing and so FUNNY!!! 💗 TRY her homemade Long island ice teas AMAZING!! I GIVE THIS PLACE 5 STARS 🌟 THEY ARE IN THIS BUSINESS FOR ALL THE RIFHT REASONS!!!

The brunch burger was really tasty. Fries were crunchy like I like. The atmosphere was fun and service was good. A nice little stop on the way north.

I had the spaghetti special and it was so good. After a long drive, nothing is better than a home-cooked meal. Our waitress gave us a positive experience and complimented us. The food came out hot and fast. Overall a 10 out of 10 experience!

Impromptu stop after visiting the beach. On the outside, it doesn't look like it boasts itself as an award winning restaurant, but the smell on the inside absolutely does. There was a long wait being one of the few restaurants in the area, but the wait was completely worth it. Service was friendly. The food was amazing. The portion sizes were almost overwhelming, especially considering the prices. So glad we stopped here, and will 100% go out of our way next time we're on the north shore to try more of the menu.

First time stopping - wonderful friendly staff and the food was great! Breakfast good served all day - odd hours so make sure you check before you make the drive - peanut friendly place was a great surprise! Family friendly! $8 kids meals

W O N D E R F U L HOLY! Hidden gem of a restaurant off Hwy 61 in Silver Bay MN. Cute Organized Efficient staff Clean Sophisticated menu Parking galore Comfortable And the best of all? E X C E L E N T F O O D

Great place to stop for a bite on our way to Thunder Bay! The place has great service, food, and is a decent value. I like the dark ambiance inside, as it reminds me of places I'd go as a kid. Restaurants are too bright nowadays! The soups are really good (we had the chicken with wild rice and chili) and the Cajun burger is super spicy. I love that these guys and gals don't shy away from seasoning. On a side note (pun intended), I had a side salad with my soup which was incredibly fresh and tasty, I'd strongly recommend. It is a little off the main road located in a strip mall but if you're driving through Silver Bay it is definitely worth a stop.

Great experience. Traveling back from further Up North to our place closer to Gooseberry over MEA and we needed lunch. Stopped here thanks to Yelp. Host was friendly, but explained it would likely be a 30+ minute wait. But as she called people and they didn't answer for their tables, our wait ended up being only about 10 minutes. Our server was great, attentive and friendly. I had the Maple Bacon Bourbon Burger and it was fantastic. No condiments needed. Fries were good, and fresh sodas arrived promptly as we approached empty. They clearly were busy, but they handled it all exceptionally well - pro's pros. Highly recommend.

First time visiting this part of MN, hiked scenic trails and breathing the great outdoors. I was HUNGRY after hiking over 10,000 steps. We stopped in around 1:30pm and they fueled me with the best. This place matched the ambiance our hiking trip was going. I will say they had a sign that the seating may be cold but we didn't need to bring a blanket in :) I got their pulled pork sandwich with their homemade apple bbq sauce, which I devoured. Their coleslaw matched my preference which isn't super sweet. And I asked for seasoned fries, which were one of the crispiest well seasoned fries I've had in MN. I would definitely recommend stopping in if you're going for a getaway hiking trip in this part of the woods.

We were on our way to the Boundary Waters. They were super short staffed but we were not in a hurry. The drinks hit the spot and we all enjoyed our meals. The vibe was cool inside. We would eat here again on our journey to the BWCA.

Stopped in for lunch. Plenty to eat, brought home leftovers. Wild rice soup was good, but had a lot of pepper.

I couldn't help but notice the multiple "Grill Wars" trophies when I came in, so I tried the Teriyaki BBQ Mushroom & Swiss Burger (3rd place winner in 2018/19? I think). It was a taste sensation! Perfectly grilled burger with amazing teriyaki/mushroom/Swiss cheese concoction on an onion bun. The VooDoo Burger was good, but I thought it could have been just a little spicier. Our server Delsie kept our Pepsi, waters, ice teas refilled at all times but we were here off-season.

Good food and great service. There was a very short wait to be seated The ambience is casual

Nice little strip mall diner. I had a good spicy burger and we also had the taco special. The food was good and the service was very nice.

This place is a MUST visit if you're taking a trip to the North Store. The seasoned fries are incredible and the Cajun Burger is 10/10! The service was very friendly and the overall ambiance of the place is very enjoyable. 10/10 would recommend!!

Very good! Rachel sandwich had great smoked flavor. Club was on cranberry break and was also very good. Fries were good and crisp, but wish I had tried the seasoned upgrade

Absolutely a hidden GEM!!! I am traveling from Texas exploring the North Shore starting in Duluth and traveling North over 12 days of traveling and this was the absolute best food and service!!! I had the meatloaf special forgot to take a picture and added a house salad!!! I am a big eater and I left stuffed!! My salad was very good and pretty!! The first bite of my main dish was heaven it was bread and butter and blew me away!! Our server was extremely friendly and I was so excited about how funny and sweet she was I forgot to ask what a shame I'd like to give her credit for making my visit apart of the great experience.

Friendly and fast service. Mediocre food. Teriyaki barbecue mushroom Swiss burger was burned on the outside and did not taste anything like barbecue. BLT was underwhelming and nothing special. Seasoned fries were very peppery Regular fries were delicious! Place is only open until 6pm as well

There aren't many restaurants for breakfast in Silver Bay so we were happy to find this little place. Thought it was cute inside, but it was FREEZING. The AC was on full force and I was literally shivering. Our host/server was nice though and sat us on the other side of the restaurant away from the blowing AC. We ordered our food and it took a little while, but then when we started eating it was all cold. Bummer. I got the full order of biscuits and gravy, but I was originally going to get a half order. I'm glad I didn't because the biscuits were the smallest I've ever seen. Flavor was okay though..maybe a little bit on the peppery side though? So, while we weren't impressed with our food, our server was nice and probably going as fast as she could. I'm sure we would give Northwoods another chance the next time we're on the North Shore.

Fun local place to go for breakfast any time if the day! Very cute woodsy theme and makes you feel homey and cozy up on the north shore! Their breakfast is also very good; pancakes are a hit every time I go! The staff there are always friendly and attentive. This place tends to get busy, so prepare for a wait.

In a strip mall and the sign is falling down so we weren't even sure it was open. Once we were inside we were quickly seated. Some construction is ongoing as they are installing a bar. Very Northwoods decor inside. Our server was friendly. It took awhile to be served but it was quite busy on a Monday afternoon. We had the maple bacon bourbon burger and the Northwoods Salad. I thought the salad was delicious. Candied pecans, shaved Parmesan, smoked chicken and poppy seed dressing. I was pleasantly full after my mean. The partner thought the burger was good. We'd definitely eat here again if in the area.

3.5 stars, adding a half star for service. There aren't many choices in the area, and this one happened to be opened past 5:30; the website and Google said they close at 5:30, but they are open til 8, serving pizza and apps from 6-8 on Friday/Saturdays. We were a bit disappointed, but again, not many choices nearby. (The only other restaurant nearby was a pizza place, so we were getting pizza no matter what.) We got a pizza with sausage and ham, and it was definitely "bar pizza", and seemed like a doctored up frozen pizza. It was ok; it filled our bellies. Next time we come to the area, I think we'll plan better and get something outside Silver Bay.

I came here after reading the reviews online. In my opinion, the food is overpriced for the quality. Mediocre at best. I had the maple bacon burger which tasted like day old meatloaf on a pretzel bun. The burger itself was tough and dry. The food took forever to arrive- seems to be understaffed. This is understandable for the location. The atmosphere is inviting and warm, but SUPER cold. I was freezing. Staff was pleasant.

Meh. The host was variably rude when we arrived and was asked the amount of time for our larger group, she responded with it's 30-40 minutes whether it's 1 or more than 1. I thought it was a proper question being as we had 6 of us and assumed it may be even longer and then to still get a snarky response was shocking. You could tell that they were understaffed and knew exactly how to run their situation without overwhelming themselves but it was still quite a wait on everything from our server showing up to place any order, to the drinks, to the food. They have won a lot of awards but I feel like they may not have had much competition.

Specialty burgers, hot sauce, great service, family worthy A Hidden gem for tourists!

I had the north wood salad it was amazing had shaved Parmesan cranberries pecans. Also the BLT with french fries. Everything was superb I can't believe such a little kind of backwater place would have such great food.

The voodoo buger is so good! The burger has a nice char to it and it came with spicy chipotle mayo and pickled jalapeno. A meaty bite with some spice to it. Not a big fan of the rueben through. The american cheese came off too strong.

There are very limited choices for breakfast after you head north from Two Harbors. We found this place in Silver Bay with help from Google after visiting Gooseberry Falls (definitely worth seeing). Friendly staff (thanks Annie), clean, cute decor (including lots of winning trophies), many menu choices and good food. Fair prices. Check the hours before you stop by as Yelp shows them not opening until 11:00, which was incorrect the day we ate there. UPDATE: We came back again the next day for breakfast. This time my husband got the Western Omelet. It looked so delicious he dug right in, which is the reason for the half eaten photo . This is a great place to eat if you are in the area.

We arrived on a Monday and they only had one item on the menu. The prime rib hoagie basket with dessert and drink was a pretty good deal for $15. The waiter told us we had a choice of dessert, ice cream or spice cake. The other waitress brought us the spice cake without asking what we wanted.

Really thought this was going to be a great place based on reviews and food pictures. I'd rather eat at a gas station. I'm pretty sure the 'burgers' was a mix of meats, really tasted like sausage. And the Ruben had maybe 3tablespoons of chopped beef, a lot of sauce, 5 strands of sauerkraut and cheddar cheese! Rubens do not have cheddar cheese;)

Good food in Silver Bay! Ordered the Cajun burger and I was pleasantly surprised by the heat! Seasoned fries were an upgrade and they were very good also. My wife had a half smoked salmon salad and she really liked it. Wait staff were very responsive and friendly. Well worth the visit!

Stopped in in the middle of the week at 3:30 and couldn't be happier with the food and the service. We had the cod dinner and the fish was really good. Crispy on the outside and hot great fish inside. The salads that came with the cod dinner were large and also very good. I will definitely visit again.

I had low expectations for restaurants in Silverbay as there's not much in terms of food offerings in this small town. But Northwoods Family Grille did surprise me, in a positive way. You're not going to find the largest or tastiest range of food but you will find a decent size menu of breakfast and traditional lunch/dinner options. We were a large table of 7 over the lunch hour and it was pretty quiet when we arrived. We essentially have a whole restaurant to ourselves. Half the table ordered the all you can eat fried fish special for $10, which is a pretty good deal considering the fish is fried fresh, the breading is minimal, and the fish itself actually tastes good. Other many choices were so-so. The Salisbury steak meat is MEH. The onion rings didn't really have much of an onion flavor. The salad with smoked salmon was too heavily accented with cranberries and nuts that overwhelmed the salad. The chicken wings were tasty though and probably the second best dish behind the fried fish. If I were back in Silver Bay and wanted a sit down restaurant, I would actually come back. Just don't order the onion rings or Salisbury steak.

On a recent trip up the shore, we stopped at this place and were really happy we did. It's a nice size restaurant, very comfortable, great service, and the food, both in quality and quantity was terrific! We started with the nachos which were very good! Not a huge portion like many places, but a nice size portion with really great quality ingredients. We also ordered the beer cheese soup which was the only disappointment of the experience. It lacked flavor and had a bit of an aftertaste that I assume was the type of beer they must have used. We then ordered the BLT and the House Smoked Turkey Club. Both sandwiches were fantastic and that wild rice bread was delicious! I wanted to keep eating it, but had to stop because we were just too full, so we took the second half home with us. I think it made it about another hour before it was devoured ;) I would highly recommend this place if you are heading up the shore to stay or just a road trip for the day. It's in a weird stripmall, and doesn't look like much from the outside, but it's nicely decorated, warm, clean, and uses really nice quality ingredients in their food. Well definitely stop back on our next trip up there!

This restaurant is to die for! They serve breakfast all day and their omelets are delicious! Their smoked turkey BLT was mouthwateringly delicious!

A family run restaurant high up the hill in Beaver Bay just a couple miles off highway 61 serving award winning burgers, ribs, sandwiches and all-day breakfast. Located in the "central business district") aka small mall, the first thing you notice are some huge trophies just inside for food. The restaurant itself is surprisingly open and nice, so don't let the shabby strip mall exterior fool you. We were greeted by a super cheerful server and service was prompt. We opted to try the 2015 grilling award winner-Bourbon Bacon Burger and a half rack of ribs. Burger had excellent flavor with a little heat while the ribs were about as meaty as you can find anywhere and even too much for a twenty-something guy to finish. 4-star rating is well deserved.

My husband and I were taking the Lake Superior Scenic North Shore drive and decided to stop for lunch in Silver Bay. Based on reviews, we chose the Northwoods Family Grille; what a delightful surprise! The Northwoods sits in a strip center and has a very unassuming appearance. It's quite spacious, with an open floor plan and booths along one wall. Our waitress, Annie (who was also the hostess), was very friendly and welcoming. She helped us navigate the menus and gave us recommendations from the chef. My husband ordered the chili omelet, and I decided to have the special of the day--a pulled pork sandwich, made with pork that had been smoked in the back kitchen. (Annie told us that the kitchen staff smokes all the meats on the menu.) It was DELICIOUS!! The pork was very tender and flavorful, with a subtle smoky quality that was offset by slices of cheese and pickled banana peppers on top. It was a perfect combination of tastes that was simply delectable! The service was fast and the portion sizes were just right. I was able to substitute a small side salad for the fries, which made a perfect lunch meal. The Northwoods Family Grille may not look like much, but the service is friendly and the food is SUPERB! It's definitely worth a stop when you're in the Silver Bay area.

We loved this place! Scratch made items. Generous portions. Friendly staff that cared about the food they serve. they smoke their own meats. The chicken salad and brisket were amazing!!

Great food wonderful service with a smile. Price is good and what to be expected. We stopped on our way through silver bay and will definitely be back for food. Get the season fries well worth the extra dollar. Not a single complaint on the food from the 4 people in our party.

Best food for the price in the area! The food was excellent. We shared a Maple Bacon Burger and Cranberry Salad. Fries were a little cold. Server was excellent. Overall great stop.

Second time we stopped here on our way to Canada first time was for burgers and this time breakfast, yummmm no disappointment here, always friendly quick service and really great food with equally good prices, for this visit we had sausage gravy and scratch made biscuits with crispy hash browns. Can not go wrong here. Wowzer.. Third time: Had to come back today because on Fridays all you can eat fish, choice of potatoes, coleslaw and house made tarter sauce, fish was pollock lightly battered and fried, little greasy but good, French fries were a killer and the slaw was light and really good, house made tarter was very, very good. So again had a great experience...

Round 2! This year, we brought my brother and his GF on our trip, and again from Lusten to MPLS decided to stop by for Lunch. Delsie, our server was phenomenal and let us know that there would be a bit of a wait prior to seating us. We ordered the jalapeño poppers and beef nachos to start off with; and both were great! Three of us ordered the Cajun burger (good without the bun too) and one the fajita burger. All were tasty and cooked to perfection. If you love spice/heat- we highly recommend the Cajun burger For dessert, we chose to indulge in the s'mores French toast. What a treat!

We ate lunch here on 05/17/23. We had been traveling up the North Shore and got hungry and were looking for some place to eat. We saw a sign along the highway with their name and went into Silver Bay. We found the restaurant, ordered the all day breakfast, and enjoyed a very nice meal. Wait staff very friendly, prices very reasonable, and food very tasty!! Would eat there again if we are in area.

Yum stopped here for takeout after a hike on the SHT. Food only took about 20 minutes to be ready on a Saturday evening. The Reuben had house seasoned and roasted corned beef brisket and also was topped with extra cheese for a flavor I'm not used to with Reubens but it was delicious and came out hot. The fries were also very good! Crispy on the outside but not too crunchy and really good flavoring and a big portion size. The patty melt was also very good.

Great gem in Silver Bay! The food was delicious! If you are ever in the Silver Bay Area take a try!

We went looking for a family restaurant on our trek up and down the North Shore and found Northwoods. I don't generally post reviews but the food and service were so good I wanted to acknowledge it! My husband had a delicious burger and (on the server's recommendation) fries with gravy and I had breakfast. Both were fantastic and our server Jen was a delight! Thank you for the great meal.

Great place to get a good meal! The fries were awesome and service was superb (thanks Annie!) Burger was great. We will definitely be back!

This restaurant is absolutely phenomenal! They take pride in their food and the atmosphere of their restaurant. My wife and I had some of the best breakfast food I can remember having! You have to try some of their homemade hot sauce on top of an omelette and hash browns. I can't wait to go back and try their award winning burgers!

We are spending 4 days in Beaver Bay Mn. We have been to Northwoods before and always go back for their award winning "Maple Bacon Bourbon Burger". It never disappoints. The second night we were looking for Pizza. We started by looking at Jimmy's menu. Jimmy's had closed but Northwoods is now offering Pizza. They made us two pizzas. One ham and Black olive, the other was sausage and sauerkraut. Both on thin crust. They were SPECTACULAR! We Love Northwoods food. Great cooks, great atmosphere. If you are anywhere near Silver Bay, stop in. Be sure to check the hours first. They are somewhat limited in the winter!

This is a hidden gem if you're hiking in the state parks in the area and in need of a meal! And SO reasonably priced for really great food. Both meals we had were great and we loved that we could get breakfast in the afternoon!

My second time here and really pleased with the food here. My new favorite BLT is made on wild rice cranberry bread. The bread just elevates the sandwich. I could easily eat this once a week, or more...Too bad they're 8 hours away.

Me and my mom took a little vacay up here from the cities. Super nice little function food was absolutely BOMB! The apple smoked burger is amazeeeeee, can get busy but that's to be expected!

Food was great an even though it's American grille it felt different and unique and tasted great

Wow! This is a hidden gem! We could t decide what to have & our waiter helped us with their signature burgers! Delicious! Bourbon maple onion jam, bacon, cheese on a pretzel bun & the seasoned fries...yum! I had the apple bbq sauce, bacon & cheddar burger in a pretzel bun with onion rings. It was a really nice combination of flavors! The inside of the place was really different too!