Rustic Inn Cafe

I heard this place was amazing for their pies so we decided to check it out. So glad we did! We had a sandwich/soup and pie special for a reasonable price! The food was amazing and the pie was delicious!! The staff were friendly and greeted us with a smile. It was a Thursday mid morning and we had about a 15 min wait. We waited in the gift shop and looked around. It's a nice gift shop with assortment of items. Definitely will be back when we are up in the area.

The staff was incredibly friendly, the place is clean and atmosphere gives you a great feeling. It's a very crowded place with lots of action, but it is the better of the famous pie places in the region. The other place is not so good anymore, mostly in there peoples involvement and the meals separate from the pie. The rest again hits all the cylinders and is a regular stop for us when we are in the area. It's tough to run a restaurant these days and we want to support them all we can. The food was slightly under what I would consider a good value but not any reason to not visit and enjoy your stay with them.

Rustic Inn is a great place to stop if you’re visiting the North Shore. We had a late dinner for five people- 2 adults, a teenager and 2 kids. The food tasted great and it tasted like homemade comfort food. If you visit Rustic Inn, you have to order the phenomenal pies. Rustic Inn pies are much better than the pie place up the road that everyone stops by.

Very, very slow delivery of food on an only moderately busy weekday. For the price of the food, I was unimpressed (my tenderloin was overfried). As far as the pies go, they were incredibly tasty. But, for the money, I would just go to Betty's Pies for faster service, fairer price, and equally as good pies (perhaps better). The beer was good and the Bloody Mary was exceptional.

Did a quick u-turn shortly after passing this and finding a blog that said it was better pie than Betty’s! Delicious!! We got the peanut butter, which was soooo rich, and the north shore berry crumb, which was our favorite!

We were traveling in the Duluth area (one of our favorite areas to visit) and we both had a craving for pie. While on our way up to Split Point Lighthouse, I saw a sign for the Rustic Inn Cafe and they had a sign that said “best pies.” After our visit to the Split Point we decided to stop at the Rustic Inn. When we pulled into the parking lot it was nearly full. It was around 1 pm and based on the number of cars we decided not to go in, HOWEVER, they have a “Pie on the Fly Truck” sitting off to the side of their parking lot. We parked and got ourselves 2 pieces of pie. Let me tell you it was to die for! We had a strawberry-rhubarb and a strawberry-peach pie. YUMMY! Although I cannot really tell you about the Cafe itself, I can say if you are in the area. Stop by their Pie on the Fly truck and get a piece or two.

Wow! Super hard to get a table here but their food sure is good! I keep hearing that Rustic Inn's pies are best in town and now I would say they are. Delicious sandwiches, chips, pies and carrot cake!! Service was not great but it's somewhat understandable being that busy. Kinda wish we had drinks with the meal though.

We decided to stop in here as it has been on my list of PLACES TO EAT when I’m up on the north shore. First off, we only had a 10 min wait and wandered around the cute gift shop. The atmosphere of the restaurant was cute and home like. After being seated our server came off as short and upset. We ordered the special of the day which was a white fish with a side and veggie. The mashed potatoes were very good and the fish was so so, I am not a huge fan of the skin being left on the fish when cooked, let alone breaded. The tartar sauce was very mayo tasting. Now the veggie, well that was just plain old sad. 4 over cooked flavorless tiny stalks of asparagus. Definitely disappointing! Now the pie. The French apple was good with added caramel and ice cream ( the server seemed annoyed when we asked for caramel on the pie, stating, so do you just want the pecan Carmel apple pie? NO, just caramel on the French apple ( difference is pecans). The chocolate pie was so-so. Not sure where the 5th layer is since it is called 5 layer chocolate pie, maybe the crust?! Over all I’m not sure what the hype is about this place. Nothing screamed out… we have the best pie…

My boyfriend and I were taking one day and I had noted that Betty's Pies up North were pretty good! And my boyfriend noted that"ohhh you NEED to try Rustic Inn it's better!" No shade to Betty's Pies but I can say I thought Rustic Inn had better pies on a recent North shore trip! We did not go into the restaurant because we were only there for pies and they have a food truck with "pie on the fly!" You can get a whole pie or slice! There are plenty of options! We tried the peanut butter, lemon angel and blueberry cream! I can confidently say they are all AMAZING! Service was quick and easy! It would be nice if they put a couple tables outside to enjoy your pie but we took ours to go and ate it on the beach. If you are traveling in this area, definitely worth the stop!!

Funny to see this place remove my negative review. Came here with my wife on a slow wednesday lunch. We ordered pies at the front and asked if we could sit to eat the pies we ordered. Nice girl in front said that was ok. When we took pies to dining area, we were barked at by a horrible old waitress. Said dining area only for people dining in. Clearly she wasn't too bright because we were holding the pies we ordered from the front. After some back and forth, she finally let us eat in the corner of the dining area. When we finished and were leaving, she was scowling at us. Best pies ever? Not even close. Best pies in MN? Nope. Best pies in north shore? maybe. Pies were okay but the horrible service made it even worse. Avoid coming here if you want to be hassled about eating the pies you just ordered. Just go to Betty's Pies where they will let you eat in the dining area. I suggest you get rid of that grumpy waitress and actually hire someone that is gonna be nice and inviting to your guests... just my two cents.

We love this place! Ate there two days in a row. The first day I had the meatloaf dinner and my husband had the Reuben sandwich. I've had the meatloaf dinner before, and it never disappoints. A wonderfully tasty and hearty meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and the best asparagus ever. My husband was a little uncertain in ordering the Reuben, but said it was fabulous. Chocked full of pastrami. Very tasty and their fries are the crispy delish best. Day two, my husband ordered the meatloaf and I ordered the pesto pasta. He would give the meatloaf the same review that I did. The pasta was so tasty. I did not add a protein, but I didn't need to. It had sun-dried tomatoes, onion, carrot, and mushroom in a fabulous pesto sauce. I forgot to mention their homemade bread that's also out of this world. The other thing I'll say is their serving sizes are ample so bring a hearty appetite or plan for some delicious leftovers. We've always visited during off-season so we've never had a wait. But it would be worth the wait. We always get a slice of the North Shore berry pie to take back to our hotel. We keep wanting to try the others, but it's so good. We stick with what we know.

Do not order the steak! It is inedible. Pure gristle! Old fashion drink was good. Asparagus and mashed potatoes were good. Steak was exchanged for piccata walleye which was very good. Appreciated the exchange without hassle.

Food/Taste/Flavor: 4/5 - we asked for their recommendation and they stated that the North Shore Berry Crumb was one of the more popular and the Peach Pie was the cashier's favorite so these were the two we got. The peach had great flavor and texture but it was quite typical. The berry crumb was interesting but extremely sweet as the berries were sweetened but the crumb on top was even sweeter. Service: 4/5 - quick service but we could feel their frustration that we didn't immediately know what we wanted. Ambiance: n/a - ordered the pies to go. The indoor seating is extremely crowded and we felt a bit claustrophobic at the counter ordering pie. Value for price: 3/5 - while the pies were good, we can't justify the $6 per slice cost. We're also not sure why there's tax on some orders and not others based on our observation while there.

The walleye cakes were amazing! Fresh, light, tasty. Mildly spiced. I've never had anything like it. the two-unit appetizer portion ($18) filled two of us so well that we took our sandwiches home!

This is one of my favorite spots on the north shore and worth the wait, which their usually is. Luckily you can walk around the gift shop while you wait. I got the hot beef, gravy on the side, delicious. My dad got the turkey sandwich that came with a salad and a slice of pie, he thought it was great. We all decided to get our pie to go which we enjoyed once we got home. They have a lot of pie options but definitely plan out a few options because they often run out of their popular flavors.

Pretty good place, always busy. Service was good and ambiance was pretty nice as well. They have a nice outdoor patio. Good pies and chocolates to go along with it. Basil pesto chicken sandwich was very good, so was grilled cheese sandwich.

So good, we went with 8 people total, they seated us very quickly and the place was cleeeeeeeean like cleaner than Mr Clean's bathroom. So after we were seated we checked out the *ahem* MASSIVE food selection and choices we had. We ordered our drinks and stuff, yada yada, then we ordered our food, I got the chicken and waffle sandwich which was amazing. After eating, we ordered dessert. COME HERE FOR PIE, NOWHERE ELSE COMPARES TO THE RUSTIC INN FOR PIE!!!!!! I got Carmel apple pecan, 11/10 it was amazing.

We have been traveling through northern Minnesota for years and the Rustic Inn was our usual go to for a good meal and exceptional pie. Upon arriving we placed our names on the wait list and were told that the wait would be 25 minutes. Funny, as I was waiting I happened to notice that everyone was told that the wait was 25 minutes. Once seated I ordered the wild rice (bread) reuben with house made chips and my wife ordered the chicken and waffle sandwich with house fries. We both ordered coffee to drink. My reuben was very good and chips were average to good. However, My wife's sandwich was poor at best. The waffles were ok, but the chicken fillet was dry, overdone and extremely chewy. Her fries were okay and lukewarm warm, tasted like they had been under the heat lamp a little long. For dessert I ordered the blueberry cream pie and my wife ordered the peanut butter pie. While eating my wife stated that they had changed the recipe of the peanut butter pie. The peanut butter filling tasted the same, but that the chocolate top layer used to be a chocolate ganache, but was now tasted like a Betty Crocker tub frosting. In contrast the Blueberry cream pie was very good, with the meringue crust was exceptional. For those of you who have been coming here over the years the food quality has slumped a bit. If you are coming here for the pies, stick with the fruit/berry pies . Overall the service was good

Unique dishes and amazing pie! Long, wait but worth the wait!! Also, one of the best gift shops in the area.

Completely over run with piles of people trying to get in, while the single host was totally over run. Staff your weekends better with more hosts, take peoples phone numbers so they can hike nearby for an hour while they wait and have cocktails served on your large deck, and you'll be better able to capture the crowds wanting to eat with you. Never made it past putting our name down.

Had the wild rice meatloaf and it was amazing. Husband had the rueban and loved it. Ambiance is adorable, homey, and rustic. Very clean, friendly and fast service.

Great place to get away from it all. Wonderful service , yummy food and the best pie ever!!! This is an absolute must if in the Duluth area. A beautiful drive up the shore, taking in the splender of winter. Then reaching the Rustic with a clear view of the lake. It's like a vacation from vacation. Than you Rustic for a wonderful afternoon!

The smoked salmon sandwich was utterly tasteless (the only thing I could taste was the tomato and ciabatta bun), there was hardly any salmon on it and what was on it was just dry and flaky little pieces, and there was a minuscule amount of sauce on it (it was supposed to be horseradish cream cheese sauce and it was just a little patch of something orange? yuck.) Truly disappointing. The onion rings were mush, way too big and not at all crunchy - one of mine had three huge layers of onion in it so the onion was under-cooked and still hard. The onion itself was so big the breading just falls off of it. Not great. Overall just a huge disappointment of a meal. Not the worst meal I've ever had out, but very close to it.

The meringue pies here are melt In your mouth delicious! Much better than Betty's pies. It can get pretty busy during tourist season but otherwise great service. Great for dessert or dinner after a day on the North Shore

We had a very nice dinner. Two of us had the walleye picata and the other 2 had the white fish special. All of our food was Bru good. The waitress was super nice. They have some gluten free meals. My walleye picatta was served GF. We would go here again and would recommend it to family and friends.

Several people had recommended this place so I was excited to check it out. It's very rustic and lodge-y - inside and out. Our server was kind. The food was not impressive, and it takes awhile to get your food. I had the roast beef plate and it tasted like it came out of a can. The burgers were decent and the fries were crispy and good. My son ordered the kids pizza - it was chewy. My other son ordered the chicken fingers - nobody could eat them. They were chewy. The coffee tasted like Folgers. The pie they are famous for - the berry crumble - was okay. It tasted like soft berries with an oatmeal cookie. It would be better with ice cream. The only good thing we had was the raspberry cream pie. That was delicious. Creamy and not overly sweet. The crust was divine. Upon leaving, I was disappointed again when I had to track through mud to get into the car. I recommend you go across the street to the Grand view lodge. Good food, great coffee and an amazing view of Lake Superior.

My wait staff person, Sherry, was delightful, welcoming, and kind. My visit was quite comforting after a very long drive. The guests all seemed to be enjoying their visit as well. The restraunt has a very homey feel. I look forward to returning.

Great recommendation by a local gentleman! We had a small wait due to our group size, but they were accommodating and welcoming. The food was tasty and had great flavor! Somewhat pricey for some items but overall good stop! Amazing pie

Great food. Great service, nice atmosphere or ambiance. Just really slow in getting the food. So.....if the parking lot is full, just give it the gas and eat elsewhere.

Walleye was amazing! So was the meatloaf. Great value for a slice of pie with ice cream to finish the meal too. The entrance could really use sorting out though. A separate hostess stand to split the pie orders and the reservations would help a lot. Loved the rustic setting for the room we sat in to eat as well.

I come here for the pie which is amazing! Best pie on the north shore so I always stop, the bad side is the staff is ALWAYS rude and unfriendly. I understand the place is always packed and maybe not even staff to cover but it would be nice to have friendlier staff at the front.

We had a fantastic dinner here. Because we were a party of seven we had to wait about an hour to be seated. Unfortunately, there was no bartender so we couldn't get drinks while we waited, but we did find the food was worth the wait.

So disorganized. We waited an hour and a half for a seat when we were told 20 minutes three times. They let locals sit there chatting with no food the whole time we were waiting. Unfortunately we never got seated to try the food here. We had to drive 20 minutes back to McDonalds and then get our pies from Betty's Pies.

Food is good, not great. Check in service at the counter was at first a bit off putting. However, the new guy/server went out of his way to help us. I'll go back again.

The food tank. The pie is good. The front of house "host" needs some serious training on prioritizing. I know it's hard hiring people but you'll lose customers with this process. The same woman is getting people on the wait list, seating them, taking pie orders, filling pie orders and checking out from the general store. Uffda not good.

Heard this hidden gem was better than Betty's Pies and had to try it out. Place was busy at 2pm, so we ordered a North Shore Berry Crumble and it was fantastic. Crumble was crunchy, berries were fresh and tart, not too sweet at all. There were blueberries, strawberries, apple, and rhubarb. So good... probably have some for breakfast since we bought a whole pie.

Betty who? I thought it was a right of passage to eat pie at Betty's in this neck of the woods...but Betty's was closed so we stopped here instead! Great food (Wild Rice Meatloaf my fav) and service! ....did I mention pie? I did not go wrong in having the Raspberry Cream pie-the meringue was wonderful! Light, not too sweet, a touch of lemon to pair with the raspberry cream filling. Of course, had to try a bite (or 2) of the North Shore Berry Crumble Pie a la mode!

Another fantastic experience at the Rustic Inn. I ordered the Game Hen. The bird was so tender and moist the meat just fell off the bones. Sharing a slice of pie is a must, even if you don't have room. Ambiance, people, service, food all great!

Butterscotch pie was the BEST IVE EVER HAD thank you!!!! I will be back. Please keep the butterscotch flavor around

Seriously??? Haven't been seated yet, but Monday at 2 and they can't seat a party of 8? There is only one space where they will push tables together and blame it on being short staffed? So...one wait person waiting on 4 tables vs 1 is easier? Well. If we ever get seated....the longer we wait when there are 10 tables open, the smaller the tip. Just saying. Inefficient! So. Apparently you get toasted (burnt) or cold fresh out of the freezer) hmm. Yum??? Well. Pathetic. The waitress decided not to come back to the table and the front desk person snapped back that she couldn't take money and ring us out. She must have forgotten that we were waiting for over an hour watching her do just that. I guess you have to be a local to get service. Never coming back. Good luck with your crappy business. Oh, and automatic 18% added on. Pathetic!

Not impressed Overpriced Overrated Understaffed Why do they always put the most worthless employees on the front line? First impressions are important

We stopped in for breakfast two times on our long weekend getaway and were not disappointed. The service was friendly and fast, the food was plentiful and very good. The cafe was charming and clean, with a very nice gift shop attached. Ample parking. We will definitely return when in the area again.

No host and staff ignored us and everyone waiting. Food is good so I am bummed we didn't get to eat.

This is one of few places open off season beyond Two Harbors on the north shore. It is a very nice restaurant. The pie selection is awesome! We decided to share wild rice meatloaf which was quite tasty. I am glad that we shared as pie was definitely on our menu. I had the North Shore berry combo with ice cream. It was a large piece of pie and a huge scoop of ice cream. Very good value and awesome flavor! We also had raspberry cream pie which was great.

A must place to go for lunch, dinner or just a snack. We live in Orlando, FL and visit the North Shore 4-5 times a year and we always dine at the Rustic Inn. Great food, great service and a fun gift shoppe.

Restaurant was recommended by a local, as one of the best restaurants in the area. We thought the food was good, but not as good as we had at another restaurant in a nearby town. Had the olive burger, which turned out to be some kind of spread that had very, very chopped up olives in it, which was not what I was suspecting. It also had a bit of a spicy taste, so I wasn't a fan. The fries were really good though, they were very crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Hubby had the BBQ ribs, which he said lacked a bit of flavor. Service was not great, very slow, even compared to other restaurants in the area. With pie and 2 soft drinks, the bill was $50. May give it another try if we were in the area again, but it wasn't a favorite of ours.

Get it together Rustic Inn. If someone simply wants to pick up a pie to go, they wait in a line with diners waiting for a table? Your grumpy counter staff are rude and slow, they could care less about your business. This is our third attempt, we are done. Poor diners who waited over an hour for a table at 3pm on a warm sunny Sunday and your patio was empty. Seat people and get them a beverage. What a mess. Your pies aren't that spectacular to endure such poor service.

I'm a huge fan of the two crust fruit pies. The French Apple is tipped with a crumble that is perhaps even better. The ribs fell off the bone. You can call ahead to see how long the wait is, but no reservations. Cocktails + Castle Danger Brewery beers + wine. Patio seating available but the whole menu isn't available outside. It's busy. Our server Jess had a large area to cover but was very attentive.

Great place. The rustic Inn Café is a great tradition. The food is always good, and the pie is the best on the north shore. We spent $115 for two people, which included an appetizer and one glass of wine. (No other drinks.) Although it's a little on the expensive side, it is a tradition whenever we're on the North Shore.

My bar for pies is pretty high, but I heard that the best pies in the area are here. And wow, if the pie I got was any indication, they are not wrong. My brother and I got the pecan caramel apple pie and we were so impressed. It was so ridiculously delicious. However, my aunt got the peach cherry pie and didn't finish it, saying it was just ok. So my brother and I both tried it and it was really not good. The peaches were mushy and mealy and the flavor was just bad. Despite that, my pie was honestly so good that I had to give this place five stars. We waited 20 minutes to be seated and it was worth it!

Service was prompt and professional. Location is of course, spectacular. Had the fish tacos and the Naan Duck Pizza. Both were very good. The lettuce/tomato/onion garnish for the tacos exploded with flavor. Lastly, pies have become the best on the North Shore.

Wow is this place over rated! It's unfortunate they do not work as a team. Literally no one but your waitress can help with bringing a box for left overs. The food is average at best. Definitely won't be back next year! If I were you stop in two harbors I promise the malt shop would probably offer better food & service!

The service and food were excellent! I would highly recommend going there. I loved the decor!

A quintessential Minnesota eatery on the Lake Superior Scenic Highway! Stop for the food and stay for the pie -- I recommend the North Shore Berry Crumb! I had the smoked salmon sandwich with homemade kettle chips which was to die for. My husband had the pork tenderloin sandwich. He is a connoisseur of the tenderloin and rated it highly. The knotty pine decor was true north shore; although the restaurant is on the smaller size, it has a large patio dining if the weather agrees. The dining space is sure to fill up during high season, so be sure to get there early. If you have to wait, enjoy the attached kitschy gift shop filled with Minnesota memorabilia.

Terrible customer service. Friday night I'm On a splo photography trip. Stop in and ask if I can order carry out. Nope short staffed. THEY suggested I go to Blackwater in Two Harbors which I should have. But then the manger says he can seat me. The waitress never tells me the specials and just asks what I want to drink. I order the walleye cakes which were over done. No aioli sauce just jarred tarter sauce. Then got the walleye tacos. small pieces of over deep fried fish. Nasty sauce on top, runny coleslaw and rubbery cheese. It was bad. I make a comment regarding it and the waitress was rude. Terribly rude "service" from front desk to table "service" Will never come back. Would never recommend. Get your fish from anywhere else !!!

Awesome place with an excellent menu. The Butternut salad with cranberries, apples lettuce and Pepitas has the most amazing Maple vinaigrette! So good. Taking pie to go! Great place- social distancing was honored. Update: we went again the next night and the food continued to be great! The wait time around 6 (in October) was only 15-20 min. But lets talk about the pie..... that is the best pie I've had outside of my own home. I had the blueberry cream pie on a meringue crust. I mean..... can we talk a truly sublime experience. Holy smokes. My sister had the blueberry, and the crust is made from lard not butter so she could be dairy free and. Have a wonderful pie. Idk how those other pie places are, but you need to have the pie at the Rustic Inn. Superb

My new favorite restaurant on the Minnesota North Shore! We have been here multiple times and everything we have had has been amazing. They have roughly 20 fresh made in-house pies everyday. Amazing service and good view. The best pie in Minnesota.