Bearskin Dining Options:
Casual dining with Chad Goodale is always a huge success. He offers a complete pasta meal, including bread and salad, at a very reasonable cost in a fine dining environment. Bearskin Lodge features a fresh new Italian pasta menu: Salad, Chad’s homemade warm bread with dipping oil, and a large serving of tasty lasagna or pasta, all for a very affordable price. Click here to see the menu and more info.
Fine dining with Chef Scott Bergstrom is available this winter, 2013-2014, beginning December 28 (Saturday) and December 29 (Sunday) Click here to learn more about the fine dining experience at Bearskin Lodge.
Fresh baked pies
Bearskin bakes pies two or more times a week. We offer blueberry and fruits of the forest (a berry and fruit mix) for $16. You can place an order for a pie before you arrive, or pick one up during your stay after baking day — we usually make a few extra. We no longer offer pie by the slice in the lodge on a daily basis. We ended up with too many left over slices that we had to eat. 
Order a full pie and share with your group. Pie by the slice may be available on Thursdays (after Wednesday restaurant night), until it runs out.
Bearskin’s famous chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches
We bake ‘em, then make ‘em. Two delicious chocolate chip cookies with 3 scoops of ice cream in the middle. What a treat! $3.75
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Hot chocolate with whipped cream and cookies, wine by the glass or bottle, and an array of primarily Minnesota beers (Surly, Summit, Lake Superior, Fitgers, and more) are also available in the Lodge anytime.
Other local dining options:
Summer is dining season on the Gunflint Trail. There are fewer winter options, but you still have choices. Experience more of the Trail’s ambience by dining at nearby restaurants and resorts. Our front desk staff will be happy to help you make a dining plan. A few of our favorite options:
Trail Center — this iconic classic Gunflint Trail restaurant is located about 3 minutes from Bearskin Lodge. Named one of the “best” by Esquire magazine. No reservations, open until 9 PM. Wait times for seating can be long on weekends; choose to dine midweek, or at early or later times on weekends, to avoid crowds. A big food, big personality place.
Loon Lake Lodge — a less well-known but rewarding dining option available only in summer. Dine in an historic lodge building, about 20 minutes from Bearskin. Hosts Tom and Teri Caldwell offer a classic menu. Reservations required, at least a day in advance. 218.388.2232
Gunflint Lodge — the Red Paddle Bistro and Justine’s fine dining have been combined, so there is wide price range on one menu now. They no longer take reservations. Plan on about 25 minutes to get there.
Hungry Jack Lodge — the new lodge building at Hungry Jack is a beautiful place to dine. Reservations needed, schedule for the dining room varies. They do an especially good job of handling large groups, with arrangements made ahead of time. The downstairs bar area is your best local option if you want to catch a ballgame or important event on TV; they serve classic bar food downstairs, no reservations needed.
Trails End Cafe at Way of the Wilderness — Small (and we really do mean small) cafe near the end of the Gunflint Trail, about 30 miles from Bearskin. Open in summer only. Renowned for exceptionally good hamburgers.
Dining in Grand Marais: Our mid-trail location makes it fairly easy to drive in to Grand Marais to try the many local restaurants. Harbor House Grille, in the building that once housed our former restaurant partner, Chez Jude, is a new dining option. Look for the little yellow house with the lovely gardens. Our staff likes the Crooked Spoon, right in the center of town but small enough that it’s easy to miss, and the Gunflint Tavern, in the same area and very easy to find. Sven and Ole’s is the classic Grand Marais pizza place made famous by yellow bumper stickers, but we’re also hearing really good reviews of the pizza at My Sister’s Place. The Pie Place, once located in a house on the edge of town, is now more centrally located at the Harbor Inn. We have some guests who seem to be spotted eating pie there quite regularly. And, of course, Angry Trout is a fabulous place for fresh fish meals.
Our staff will be happy to recommend their Grand Marais favorites for you. Ask Kate or Quinn if you are looking for vegetarian options–they usually know which restaurants are offering good veggie choices.
A note to travelers visiting the area in April to early May, or November to late December: Most restaurants on the Gunflint Trail and in Grand Marais close down or have limited open hours during these months. Luckily, your cabin or lodge has a full kitchen facility, so you will be able to prepare your own meals. If you’d like to dine out, call us — our staff can always help you find an available option.
