Restaurants in Cottage Grove

Dozens of deluxe rooms roost within Afton House Inn's historic walls, where guests relax amid antique furniture and sate hungers in onsite restaurants. The beneficiaries of thoughtful renovations, deluxe rooms feature en suite jacuzzis, gas fireplaces, TVs, and balconies that overlook the St. Croix river, home to passing cruises and vacationing albatrosses. Antiques and oriental rugs lend each room its own distinctive charm, whereas downstairs, Current Restaurant embraces modernity. Fresh, locally sourced ingredients conspire in seafood-centric entrees and small plates on an approachable menu. Diners sample gluten-free pan-seared scallops with baby bok choy under gilded ruby-red ceiling lights while debating Heidegger’s theory on ordering dessert before dinner.

Jersey's Bar & Grill serves up plates of hearty pot roast, thick burgers, and crispy chicken tenders as live country and rock bands serenade crowds. Like Garrison Keillor's alternate glam-rock stage persona "Gary Sonorous," the selection of Juicy Lucys combines a treasured Minnesota touchstone with a touch of decadence. Beef patties are stuffed with provolone, applewood bacon, or American cheese before getting topped with caramelized onions, Cajun mayo, or grilled peppers. Burger aficionados pore over the customizable burger menu, building their own creations from multiple topping, bun, and meat choices. For breakfast (9 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday), chow down on omelets, hash browns, steaks, and pancakes.

In 1962, Lawrence William Yanz opened Hastings Bierstube, where he dished out German delicacies such as bratwursts, Reubens, and 6-ounce sirloin steaks. After his passing in 1983, his sons, Jim and Mike, started two new locations before forming a fourth with a family friend. The sons expanded Hastings Bierstube’s already extensive menu, introducing the Taste of Deutschland sampler platter, which features a selection of wienerschnitzel, sauerbraten, and house-made spaetzle.

Along with slinging authentic cuisine, the owners send lucky diners on vacations to Germany during giveaways, which fall on special occasions such as Oktoberfest and David Hasslehoff’s half birthday. For visitors remaining on American shores, the restaurants host weekly events, including bingo, open mics, karaoke, and live music.

Sometimes, you’d rather just enjoy a view of the fairways than be on them. That’s why the staff at Danny’s Bar & Grill welcomes guests to sit on their expansive patio, which gives them clear views of the green. The patio features an outdoor fire pit where guests can keep warm on cool nights as they wait for plates of chef Bohnert’s Guinness-braised short ribs or mahi mahi encrusted with macadamia nuts. When patio weather is over, guests can still hang out by the indoor fireplace in the dining room where a slew of high-definition TVs showcase golf matches and, if the golf match turns out right, golf fights. On weekend evenings, live bands entertain in the dining room.

Chefs at New Woodbury Cafe add inventive twists to classic breakfast and lunch dishes such as topping the caprese benedict with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil-pesto hollandaise or scooping portions of signature cashew chicken salad on crunchy beds of greens. Their house specialties include the walleye breakfast of blackened or panko-crusted filet, farm-fresh eggs, and side of house-made hash browns. Servers flit about the warm atmosphere, delivering fresh-baked corn bread and chocolate shakes to diners seated in cozy booths.

The aroma of brewing organic, fair-trade coffee from Brazil wafts through the air at 50th Street Cafe during breakfast and lunch. Behind the breakfast counter, cooks work to reinvent classic breakfast dishes. They flip pancakes made with cookie dough and drizzle them with chocolate or add fresh mozzarella and basil-pesto hollandaise to unorthodox omelets. Farm-fresh eggs and housemade hash browns, early-morning staples, arrive alongside less traditional panko-battered walleye fillets. The griddle sizzles like a knight in shining armor left in a hot car, laden with half-pound patties of Cattleman’s Selection ground beef, which end up on thick-cut sourdough toast with Old Smokehouse bacon and melted swiss cheese. That heat is also reflected in the bright hues of yellow tile and orange accents as well as whimsical calico-patterned carpets. The staff at 50th Street Cafe works to reduce its collective carbon footprint by using recyclable materials.