Cuisine:  American, Burgers, Fish & Seafood, Steak & Ribs

Restaurant Features: Bar, Games, Pull-Tabs, On-Site Parking

Location: Mahtomedi, MN

Address: 3140 Century Ave  Mahtomedi, MN 55110  651-770-2443

Links: Google Map

Atmosphere: No need for fancy duds at this Char-house!  Jethro's is a very laid-back restaurant/bar, a popular place for locals to meet up and enjoy a drink or fill up on good food.  Wood paneled walls and wooden tables grace most of the restaurant.  There is also a back room complete with 2nd bar, pull-tabs  and dart boards. 

Menu:  Start of your experience with a choice of buffalo wings, fried mushrooms, Beef Nacho Supreme, and Walleye or Chicken Fingers.  Sandwiches include a Philly, French Dip, Jethro's Reuben, Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken, Tuna Melt and Fish Filet.

Maybe your more in the mood for a burger? Jethro's recently changed their burger menu to a "Build your Own Burger" with a list of toppings so that you may customize your own burger.

Entrees include Broasted Chicken, Wild Sockeye Salmon, Baked Lemon Pepper Cod, Shrimp, Penne Pasta or Sirloin or New York Strip Steak.

Price guide: Appetizers: $6-9  Sandwiches: $7-11  Burgers: $7.95 (for up to 3 toppings) Entrees: $10-19

What I ordered: The Jethro's Reuben.  Classic corned beef Reuben on pumpernickel with swiss and "special sauce".  Basically the special sauce is the sauerkraut pre-mixed into the thousand island dressing; you can't have one without the other. I thought the sandwich was very good, piled high with corned beef and grilled nice and crispy. (I wouldn't have been able to take a picture of the inside of the sandwich without making an gooey mess.  Take my word for it).  The large steak fries were HOT and crispy.

My companion customized a burger with cheddar, bacon and sauteed mushrooms.  If you're  a fan or charbroiled burgers, Jethro's has the best!

Service:  The service at Jethro's often seems slow, no matter how many wait staff they have on duty, or how busy the restaurant is.  They recently changed their menu so that only one free refill is allowed on sodas.  When our dinner was served to us I had already finished my original soda, but instead of bringing me a refill immediately, our server stopped at about 3 other tables and took orders, etc before I was able to get my refill.  I am not a fan of sitting with a large plate of hot food in front of me and being left drink-less for over 5 minutes.  Service seems to be better at the bar.

Overall Impression:  Jethro's is a good place to go if you like a casual atmosphere, they are also accommodating toward larger groups. Good food (excellent burgers) but not the best service in town.

Cuisine: Steak

Restaurant Features: Bar, Banquet Room, On-Site Parking

Location: Mahtomedi

Address: 10 Old Wildwood Road Mahtomedi, MN 55115 651.777.4097

Links: Google Map

Atmosphere: The atmosphere at the Lakeside Club is one that is very laid-back.  The restaurant has been family-owned and operated since 1946 and the emphasis is definitely on the food.  There isn't anything fancy about the small, wood-paneled dining room, and eating at the Lakeside does not require anything but casual attire.  A small bar is a popular spot to have a beer and watch whatever game is playing on the TV behind the bar. 

Menu: Hungry? Start with an appetizer: breaded chicken wings or cheese curds. 

Most people come to the Lakeside for their tender, aged steaks.  Cuts include Prime Rib, Ribeye, New York Strip, Filet Mignon, and Sirloin.  Not in the mood for steak?  Try the porkchop, grilled chicken breast, shrimp or walleye.  All meals come with side salad and choice of potato or vegetable.

Price guide: Appetizers: $7, Steaks: $22-39  Other entrees: $16-22

What I ordered: Fresh, warm bread is always served complimentary.  On this occasion we were served baskets of warm popovers.

I have been to the Lakeside many times and wouldn't even think to stray from my usual 12 oz Ribeye, cooked medium with french fries.  This particular steak was cut thin and extremely tender.  I am not sure if the lakeside uses much more than salt & pepper to season the steaks, but they are always very flavorful.  I also love the crispy shoe-string fries.

The 16oz Prime Rib is always a big hit with my companion.

Service: You know you are a regular at a restaurant when the waitress knows exactly what you are going to order before you actually order it!  That is the type of place the Lakeside is.  Most wait-staff are members of the family who own the restaurant; I would not say that the servers are overly friendly, but they are laid-back and like to joke around. 

Overall Impression: If you are in the mood for an excellent steak but do not want to go to a fancy restaurant, Lakeside Club is the place to go!