Best Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in Cottage Grove

Delicious food and great service.

We have frequented several Hazelwood restaurants around the Twin Cities and all uphold high standards we have for one of our favorite spots. This visit was no different. We brought long-time friends with us and it was their first time--of course they loved everything as well. The Walleye is fresh and delicious and they all opted for gouda hashbrowns instead of the rice. The roasted chicken was tender and flavorful. As someone who has a dairy allergy, I put my trust in the servers to protect my wellbeing. Our server here took great care of me and even suggested switching out the mashed potatoes for their amazing brussel sprouts! If only I could make their brussel sprouts at home!-- So good! 😋 We had a wonderful meal, drinks, and visit thanks to the great folks at the Bloomington Hazelwood.

Such a wonderful place! If you haven’t ever been to the Lake Elmo Inn, it’s worth a trip. Located in the quaint downtown of Lake Elmo, this historic restaurant has been serving since 1881. I first went there about 5 years ago for a celebration with a group of friends, and its charm has stuck with me ever since. One of my favorite places to go. It definitely has a traditional ambience - you feel like you are walking into something special. But it’s comfortable - from the host, to the dining rooms to the service. It nods to what fine dining used to be - and what a great feeling that creates. And the food! The menu is perfectly curated to offer familiar favorites, and interesting evolutions of the standards. So make a date with your favorite somebody, and treat yourselves to an absolutely delightful experience.

Still one of the most reliable outstanding restaurants in the Twin Cities area. Consistently good over the decades - a real unsung gem!

Chianti Grill continues to provide a consistent fine dining experience when many other restaurants have gone down hill. Our server was delightful. Setting was lovely. My only complaint was the food wasn’t as hot as it should have been. It was still good.