The Machine Shed Restaurant

Someone from this business manages this listing.

207 reviews

#4 of 8 Restaurants in Lake Elmo$$ - $$$, American

+1 651-735-7436+ Add website

Hours

Sun

7:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Mon

7:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Tue

7:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Wed

7:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Thu

7:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Fri

7:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Sat

7:00 AM - 10:00 PM

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Ratings and reviews

3.5

207 reviews

#4 of 8 Restaurants in Lake Elmo

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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PRICE RANGE

$21.00 – $30.00

CUISINES

American

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks

features

Location and contact

8515 Hudson Blvd N, Lake Elmo, MN 55042-8702

+1 651-735-7436

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Can a vegan person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

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About

In 1978, we opened our first Machine Shed Restaurant on the outskirts of Davenport, Iowa. We had just 100 seats, but we started with a powerful commitment. That was a five-word constitution: “Dedicated to the American Farmer.” That dedication meant we worked hard to have a restaurant that wasn’t just ‘farm themed’ but something that farmers could be proud of. We serve chef driven, farm fresh fare, inspired by the seasons. Our food is made from scratch, daily.

PRICE RANGE

$21.00 – $30.00

CUISINES

American

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service, Gift Cards Available

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3.5

207 reviews

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Average

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Terrible

Nancy F

Stillwater2 contributions

Not worth the cost

Oct 2020 • family

Was super disappointed. My family has eaten here many times before Covid. We visited here tonight, the first time since everything was shut down. We had the fish fry, fried and broiled. The fish was overdone, the portion sizes were pathetic. We never got served the 2 sides that used to come with your meal (usually squash/zucchini and cottage cheese). They no longer give you a second helping of bread. I understand times are tough right now, but quality and service should not change if you want to remain a good restaurant. My family will be dining elsewhere for a $45 meal.

Written October 2, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MKSparkman

I am very disappointed to hear your experience did not meet the expectations we strive to meet. We appreciate hearing from our guests on what we could do better. I assure you I will pass your feedback to our executive team so we can address the entire staff. Thank you for your review and your patronage!

Written October 5, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Linda T

Lexington326 contributions

Large portions-average food

Jan 2020 • friends

I saw the menu and chose this restaurant because I was wanting more than burgers. Locals tried to dissuade me saying other nearby restaurants were better. I should have listened to them. The food came with large portions and family style extras like bread, pumpkin bread, apples and slaw. That was the highlight. The main food was just average. The fried chicken salads had cold, tough fried chicken on them. The prices are higher than average as well so it’s a double whammy. They get an average score from me because the server was nice and good. I would not return

Written January 24, 2020

MKSparkman

Hi Linda, I am very sorry to hear that you were not satisfied with your meal. We take pride in our award-winning restaurant and still remain dedicated to the American Farmer after 40 years. We locally source products each season from farmers in our community to include in our made-from-scratch meals. We value our guests' feedback and we appreciate that you took the time to provide your review.

Written January 28, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

TravelingSoccerLoon

Saint Paul5763 contributions

Food was Good but Breakfast Not Available After 11am and a Slow Kitchen

Aug 2023 • family

Stopped in just after 12p for a late breakfast only to find out that they stop serving breakfast after 11am which was pretty disappointing. Ended up ordering lunch. Our burgers and sandwiches were pretty good, and portions were huge. Our server was very friendly and did a good job but the kitchen was really slow even when not busy on a weekday afternoon.

Written July 13, 2024

Lesley Uehran

Thank you for your patronage! We appreciate that you choose to stop in and dine with us. We apologize that you encountered some issues on your last visit and I assure you that your comments were shared with our team so they are aware. We look forward to seeing you again!

Written July 16, 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

alanu71

2 contributions

Disaster!!!

Jan 2020 • none

We had to wait about 20 minutes and when we were taken into the dining room there was several open tables. The dining room was dirty and the carpet really needed to be vacuumed. My husband ordered the steak tips with stuffing and he said it tasted nasty. The next morning he had food poison. We won't be going back.

Written January 26, 2020

MKSparkman

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. At this time, we have not received any other inquiries, but we will make sure our team is aware and that this is documented. We would like to speak further with you - can you please email me at lvontersch@hoari.com? Thank you, we hope you start feeling better soon.

Written January 28, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Chris G

2 contributions

Terrible Food and Servcie

May 2022 • none

Very lack luster food. 2 Piece chicken dinner came with a small leg and a mystery piece =. total chicken equivalent to 3 chicken nuggets. They had all you can eat chicken and the waitress did not even tell us it was $1 more to get that over the 2 piece. the Sirloin Tips were horrible gristle in every piece. This place needs to close. Slow service as well. had to beg for a second roll.

Written May 4, 2022

Heart of America Group

Thank you for informing us about your recent visit. This is not up to our Machine Shed standards and so we are disappointed to hear about your experience. I would like to express our deepest apologies for the food and service you received - I assure you we will be addressing these issues with our entire management and culinary team.

Written May 6, 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

chris V

1 contribution

Avoid, overpriced, low quality

Apr 2021 • none

I have been eating at this locale for years, it used to be a tradition that my aunt and I would spend the day together and this was where we would eat. After she passed away I still came here, about 5 years ago the food really started to take a dive, the meat went from flavorful, tender, and fair priced, to overpriced shoe leather. I cant tell you how many times things were served wrong, cold, undercooked, etc. I used to order the Cattlemans choice stuffed steak, and it was inedible the last 2 times I ordered it, I couldn't even chew it it was so tough, the veggies came out raw, the mashed potatoes tasted like dirt, because no one cleaned the skins before cooking, the wifes steak came out blue rare and cold in the middle, when she asked for medium rare, then received it back overcooked at well done, used to love the sheddar melts as well, but the last 3 times we ordered, they were greasy and gross, the oil used to cook them was too cold and they were awful. The front of house staff was very friendly and efficient, the food is the problem. After giving this place about 5 last chances, I won't come back. It's too bad too, this place used to be amazing.

Written March 29, 2022

Heart of America Group

Hello, we are disappointed to hear that your food the last several times have been disappointing. We are very sorry that your meals have not been up to our award-winning expectations that we have for Machine Shed. Please be assured that we will definitely be passing your feedback along to our culinary and management team at the Lake Elmo location so that we can work out these issues moving forward. Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback and bringing these issues to our attention.

Written April 1, 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Charlene E

1 contribution

Overpriced/tasteless food and thievery by an employee

Mar 2023 • none

Went there for lunch today with my grandson, not only was the food terrible and very overpriced, there were fruit flies all over My grandson forgot to grab his Apple ear pods off of the booth when we left and when we went back to see if they were in lost & found or if server (Frank) had picked them up or if bus/dishwasher found them they said no. However my grandson could look for them with his phone and they were detected but no one said they had them....world is just simply full of dishonest people. Very disgusted and dissappointed!

Written March 29, 2023

Lesley Von Tersch

Hello, I have spoken to the management team at the Lake Elmo location and it sounds like the ear pods were found and that you have already been contacted. We appreciate that you took the time to bring these other matters to our attention as well. Please know all of our feedback was shared with our executive team to review.

Written April 3, 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

J G

Metro Minneapolis-Saint Paul221 contributions

Not as good as it used to be

Mar 2022 • none

This used to be a fairly regular place to eat when my grandparents were still here. I had not been back in a number of years and it was not as good as I remembered it. I had the fish fry and it seemed more like the fish you would get out of the grocery freezer rather than the fresh hand battered variety you expect from a Midwest fish fry. The fish was more of a mushy processed texture rather than a light and flaky texture. Honestly, the fish fry dinner from Culver's is better (and I am NOT a fast food person). My wife ordered the stuffed baked walleye. She was given the wrong order so she had to wait double time for her correct meal to come out. The waitress was very frazzled (but friendly). My wife thought the walleye was ok. I had one bite and thought it was rubbery. The "family style" vegetables was a one serving size bowl. Not sure if that was a mistake too, or if that really is what they consider "family style." When we left, the waiting area was packed with people waiting for seats. Quite possibly we had a bad batch of fish and a server who was having a bad night, but we will not be back with so many other dining options to chose from.

Written April 2, 2022

Heart of America Group

Hello, it sounds like we were having an off night and we are very sorry that you and your wife's meals were not up to the high standards we have for Machine Shed. We take pride in our award-winning restaurant and are disappointed that we did not meet those expectations. Please know that we will be following up with our Lake Elmo location about your comments. We will make sure that the fish and the serving sizes our guests receive are always correct and meet expectations. Thank you for informing us about your visit.

Written April 6, 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jeff T

Liberty11 contributions

Machine Shed has gone wayyyyyyy downhill

Feb 2024 • solo

I've eaten here before when I lived in Minnesota, and it was great. I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn (connected to the Machine Shed) during a business trip. I needed a quick dinner to bring back to my room so I could keep working. I ordered online an hour before I needed the food. Thirty minutes later the restaurant called and stated that they didn't have the supplies to cook either of the items I ordered, so I ended up having what they didn't have (brisket) left off (there no discount). The person calling offered to substitute bacon for the missing items. When went to pick up the order, the place was empty with no employees and only a few customers in sight (this was at 6:00 PM). Someone finally came out of the back and went to get my order. I was then presented with a credit card receipt to sign that included a $3 "convenience fee." (OK fine; I'm hungry, so I'll pay it.) It wouldn't have been so bad, but the food itself was awful. I ended up tossing the fries because they were like hot Styrofoam. The potato skins were hard. The burger was not great and...you guessed it...no bacon. I won't be back when I can just cross the street and get a really good, under $20 meal to go at Texas Roadhouse.

Written March 4, 2024

HOA Marketing

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your recent visit to The Machine Shed. I would like to express our apologies for the slow service and food not reaching expectations. Please know that I have contacted the management team to share your feedback. If you have any additional details you wish to share with us regarding your experience, please email us at lvontersch@hoari.com.

Written March 7, 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

gpdem

White Bear Lake39 contributions

Fun Food Friday — Fish Fry

Mar 2020 • couples

We’re doing Friday fish fries this year Not just fries and slaw here. Mixed veg, cinnamon apples, huge dinner roll, mashed potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, applesauce bread, choice of deep fried or broiled cod. I feel like I’m missing something. Great service, fast&freindly

Written March 13, 2020

MKSparkman

Thank you for joining us for you all you care to eat fish fry! We hope to see you again!

Written March 17, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

BGreenfl

Blue Ridge15 contributions

Nice Find!

Sep 2022 • none

Overnight in the area enroute from Idaho to PA. Close by the hotel and menu looked good online. Not super hungry, so we got the chicken pot-pie and classic Reuben with sweet potato fries. My wife ate half the pot-pie and was full; I finished it, ate half my sandwich and took the rest for tomorrow. They also brought out "fixins" ... big dinner roll, pumpkin bread, coll slaw and warm applesauce. All really good! My wife would have preferred more cinnamon on the apple sauce. Service was quick and friendly!

Written September 7, 2022

Heart of America Group

Hello! We are so pleased to hear that your visit to the Rockford Machine Shed was up to expectations. We take pride in our award-winning restaurant and we make our food from scratch daily. We love hearing from our guests and we appreciate that you took the time to tell us about your visit! We hope to see you next time you are in the area.

Written September 9, 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Emmalee E

1 contribution

Worst food I’ve ever had

Feb 2024 • family

I honestly never write reviews but I couldn’t hold this one in. We were so excited to try this restaurant - we are staying at the hotel connected and it was the easy choice with our kids. The hotel also gave us coupons for 1/2 off apps and a free drink so that was a nice incentive. Unfortunately, though, the food was the worst food I’ve ever had in my entire life. Not a single thing was edible. Our baked potato was hard, our bbq platter was ridiculous (the ribs were SO dry, the brisket my husband said was OK but I refused to try and the chicken was disgusting), the spinach and artichoke dip tasted like burnt metal, the sides that come with the platter were OK (although my husband found a WHOLE hair cooked into one of the buns), and I didn’t even let my kids finish their food because I was so disgusted. We paid over $50 and are maybe 2 bites of everything. What a waste of money. The only good thing was the waitress. She was nice, but that does not make up for the horrible experience we had. Please do not come here.

Written February 10, 2024

HOA Marketing

Hello, we are disappointed to hear that your most recent visit with us was not up to our typical award-winning standards. We appreciate hearing from our guests, good or bad, about their experience and we are sorry that we missed the mark. Please know that your comments have been shared with our team so they are aware. If you would like to speak to a manager, please email Dee Dee at dmann@hoari.com.

Written February 13, 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Cindi B

1 contribution

Honestly just BAD

Dec 2023 • friends

The only reason I gave this review 1 star is for Kristi our server. Otherwise I would have given -5 ⭐ I feel so bad for her. She did her job and as a fellow server I know the struggle. We were part of a very large group she worked this evening. She knew the specialty drink (the autumn sangria) I wanted to order with out the menu in front of me. I will say it was good, I had a 2nd. Other than that, I have NOTHING ELSE GOOD TO SAY. Honestly food was mediocre at best!! Very small portions for the price. Much of the food tasted old and or sour. The spinach and artichoke dip was runny and tasted like sour milk. The ribs tasted like week old meat that sat in the fridge. The amount of sugar on the sweet potato fries made them inedible. I sent more food back than I ate. My husband ordered the pork combo and it was cold and sour, just gross. We wouldn't even take the scraps home to feed to our dog. My daughter had the brisket Mac and cheese that was so bland. No seasoning at all. Even the chicken tenders that my teenage son had were blah. The French fries were probably the best thing we had. Pretty sad. I can not stress how bad the food was, obviously not worth half the price we spent. Of course the food quality is not the servers fault. I feel bad (for Kristi, our server) leaving such a poor but honest review, but I am being honest. I would never recommend this establishment and will never plan to eat here again.

Written December 30, 2023

HOA Marketing

Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback, and we sincerely apologize for the disappointing experience you had at our restaurant. We appreciate your kind words about Kristi, and we're glad she provided excellent service. However, we're truly sorry to hear about the numerous issues you encountered with the food. Your feedback is invaluable, and we take it seriously. We understand your reluctance to return, but we hope you might give us another chance in the future to provide the exceptional dining experience we strive for. Thank you for bringing these issues to our attention.

Written January 2, 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Greg B

Saint Paul1 contribution

Breakfast is a complete bust!

Apr 2023 • none

Food was terrible. Mom and wife both ordered eggs benedict. They couldn't even cut through the muffin. It was tough and burned on the bottom. Brought this to the attention of the waitress. Said she would notify the manager. He never came over to apologize or even ask about the food. They both even complained about the hash browns. They were cold and not completely done. I had their breakfast buffet. My experience was a bit better, but less face it...have to try really hard to screw up a buffet. Surprised that when we asked for ketchup for the hash browns...that they didn't bring out a container of ketchup, but a small plastic container that was only half full. Wasn't even enough to cover the hash browns. Bad experience all around. Manager visited the two tables next to us. He appeared to make it a point NOT to even come over. Will not be back. Should of taken pictures for this review, but didn't think of it at the time.

Written April 29, 2023

Lesley Von Tersch

Hello, we appreciate you taking the time to provide us with the details of your breakfast. We are very sorry to hear that you did not get the true Machine Shed experience. We take pride in our restaurant and are disappointed to hear that the situation was not handled properly. Please know that we will be sure to share this with our entire management team at our Lake Elmo location so that we can ensure our standards are being upheld. Thank you for bringing these issues to our attention.

Written May 1, 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

melissa f

Omaha1 contribution

Bland and expensive.

Jul 2022 • family

Had potato soup, fried chicken dinner, spinach and artichoke dip. Also had the Mac and cheese. All very bland and runny. The banana cream pie had one tiny piece of banana in it and was mostly whipped cream, but did taste pretty good. The graham cracker crust was good. This was not worth $100.00 for sure. I really felt like I was eating cafeteria food.

Written July 17, 2022

Heart of America Group

Melissa, we are disappointed that your experience was not at all up to our award-winning expectations and we apologize. I will be sure to pass your feedback along to our culinary team to make sure we are always meeting our usual standards. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Written July 22, 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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