Once-Popular Steakhouse Now Has Just One Location In Minnesota

It was once a very popular steakhouse chain in Minnesota but today only one still remains in business in the Bold North. 

Once a sizzlin' steak empire with over 80 locations, this classic Minnesota steakhouse is now down to a lone location that wraps its steaks with a side dish of nostalgia. While the steak knives may not be as busy as they were in the 90s, this last lodge stands as a delicious reminder of the chain’s heyday here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

When it comes to nostalgia, few things bring up as many fond memories as those once-popular restaurants that now are gone for good. To start walking down memory lane, all you have to do is think about some of those places your parents took you when you were a kid that are now long since gone.

SEE ALSO: Speaking of Steaks, Here's the Story Behind Ruth's Chris Steakhouse's Strange Name

And one of those places here in the North Star State is this classic 90s steakhouse. It was a chain that started back in 1991 in Burnsville as Minnesota Steakhouse. It hit its heyday in the late 90s and early 2000s when the chain grew to 85 different locations sprinkled across our neck of the woods and from New York to Arizona.

Which classic restaurant are we talking about? That would be Timber Lodge Steakhouse. This classic 90s restaurant would serve you just about any cut of steak from prime rib to ribeyes, New York strips, and filet mignon along with the traditional steakhouse side dishes, all in a decor that looked like you were in a cozy cabin up north. Here's a TV commercial the chain used back in the day:

But after a rapid expansion throughout the 1990s, the chain ran into numerous problems, and locations started to close. Locations in St. Cloud and Rochester, Minnesota, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin, all closed.

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Some of those locations have found new life as other restaurants, like the former Rochester, Minnesota location which today houses a Broadway Bar & Pizza. While the inside has been remodeled, the exterior of the building has still has the familiar Timber Lodge Steakhouse look.

This Wikipedia entry notes that when the chain filed for bankruptcy in 2008, there were only 18 Timber Lodge Steakhouse locations. When the Bloomington restaurant finally closed in 2019, there was only one location left in the entire state.

SEE ALSO: Another Classic 80s Steakhouse Now Has No Locations Left in Minnesota

Today, the only remaining Timber Lodge Steakhouse still in business can be found in Owatonna, Minnesota, just off Interstate 35 about 2 miles south of the Medford Outlet Centers. Though the business was apparently put up for sale back in 2020, it's still open today.

According to the Timber Lodge Steakhouse website:

You'll enjoy great food, warm hospitality and excellent service. Our primary goal is to exceed your expectations. We do this by serving you the highest quality ingredients in a warming lodge atmosphere creating a memorable dining experience.

It's always interesting to see the rise and fall of brands that were once extremely popular here in Minnesota. I'm glad at least ONE Timber Lodge Steakhouse location is still open. Speaking of brands that were once popular but now only exist in our memories, keep scrolling to check out 50 beloved retail chains that aren't around anymore today.

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