Charlie's Alpine Bistro — Restaurant in Lutsen Township

Worst restaurant experience I have had in some time. We arrived on a Saturday morning after checking out the fall colors and were excited to grab some breakfast in what appeared to be a warm and comfortable atmosphere. Arrived around 10:00 AM and the place was about 40% full. The hostess table said "Wait to be seated" and, after waiting for a few minutes, a young man asked if we were there for breakfast. We replied yes, and he then asked if we could just grab a few menus and seat ourselves. After sitting down we waited about 10 minutes before the server returned to take our order. We ordered two waters, a mocha, the eggs benedict, and a breakfast sandwich. After placing our order, it took 10 minutes before the waters came out. After the waters, it was another 10 minutes before the mocha arrived. We continued to wait for 45 minutes and our server just checked on us once to say "sorry for the wait, I am still waiting too." Our ten-year-old son was getting very hungry at this point, so we politely asked to pay for our mocha as we would not be willing to continue to wait (our food hadn't been started at this point either since you can see what is plated with their open kitchen concept).

I have experience working in the food service industry, and I understand things happen and at times places are under-staffed, but I think the cook was making one thing at a time, as plates were only coming out every 10-15 minutes or so. Tables also were not being cleaned and other tables were waiting the entire time we were.

After paying for the mocha and leaving the restaurant, the biggest surprise came. THEY SEPARATELY CHARGED MY CREDIT CARD FOR FOOD THAT WAS NEVER PREPARED, SERVED, OR CONSUMED!!!! I have two transactions on my card, one for the mocha and another for the food, so the staff here made a conscious decision to separately charge my card for food that we never received or consumed, and after we asked for them to cancel our order. I have since tried to call the restaurant to have them refund me for these charges, but have had no luck in reaching anyone. I cannot believe they charged us for food that we never got, nor did we ever sign for or authorize for this charge on our card. ...

NOTE: This review is for the NEW Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, NOT Papa Charlie’s. Don’t be fooled by the low rating as this profile is tied to the OLD establishment which was very different.

My wife and I spent four days in the area for our anniversary and chose Charlie’s twice during that time. The first night simply because it was within walking distance from our room at the resort; the second because we were so impressed that we wanted to try more.

What hit us immediately was the decor and aesthetic of the place. It was very clean, giving high class vibes. At the same time, no one was condescending or dismissive, but instead all were welcoming and accommodating.

We were told that they had just reopened the previous week after having to rebuild the restaurant because of a fire. Their goal was to distance themselves from the previous Papa Charlie’s and take the place more up scale. I would say they’ve accomplished a real “upscale casual” feel. Want quality food and drinks in a posh atmosphere? Don’t want to dress up to get it? Charlie’s fits the bill. While some have remarked that the open kitchen takes away from the atmosphere, I’d argue that it adds to the ambiance without being too distracting. It’s also a common feature in modern restaurants.

I had the Alpine Chop with veggies and wild rice. The chop was cooked perfectly, and seasoned extremely well (which seems to be difficult for many). The veggies were al dente, and the rice was uniquely cooked to add texture to the tender pork. The rest of the menu is well rounded with plenty of classics with some vegetarian options mixed in. I’m sure anyone could find something to fit their appetite.

The staff were completely bent on taking care of their guests, and were very attentive to us and seemed happy to be there. No one rushed us or gave a pushy vibe, and our food was brought out in a reasonable time.

Overall, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro would be a great place to try if you’re in the area. While they have some kinks to work out after their recent opening, I’m confident they’ll do just that in...

Took a 4 day vacation to Lutsen to celebrate our 1 year anniversary, canceled our reservations at Lutsen Resort Dining Room for a more casual experience with live music at Papa Charlie’s. The Bartender/server was terrible. Asked when music started, he responded 7:30 we stayed until 8, no music. We ordered a ribeye with pappardelle pasta; when we asked if it was a good choice he elaborated with “its good”. He didn’t ask how we wanted it done, he was very short and not personable, acted like he didn’t want to be there; keep in mind it was not busy. We also ordered a cup of tomato basil soup, he did ask if we wanted the soup before our meal, we said yes, but it was brought out with the rest of the food. The food was also terrible. For $33 we got a 1/4” thick ribeye that was half fat and some cold noodles that had been sitting out for several hours with shards of rubber Parmesan on top. The soup was so acidic and metallic tasting it seemed like they dumped a can of marinara into a cup and heated it up, not edible. The meal also for $33 did not come with a salad/soup or bread. The only positive thing I can say about the meal is that the steak was done to temp. For the poor food and service my husband gave a 12% tip which the bartender quickly snatched up as soon as the ticket was signed and then loudly began yelling at my husband that he was not satisfied with his tip. As someone who has 10+ years as a manager/bartender/server in the food service industry I couldn’t imagine doing this to a customer. My husband and I got married at Eagles Ridge Resort and we and my family spent thousands and thousands of dollars with the resort and at Papa Charlie’s. This was an extreme disappointment and we will never be back. This bartender thought regardless of service and quality of food he was entitled to a good tip and his behavior was so ridiculous, like nothing I have every...