Restaurants
Enjoy Ely’s excellent dining options! Most are an easy walk from Ely Outfitting Company.
Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant – 47 E. Sheridan St., Ely – 218-365-4301. This is Ely’s microbrew. They serve their own specially crafted brews. Their restaurant menu includes general American fare. Four blocks from our shop.
Brainstorm Bakery – 402 E. Sheridan St., Ely – 218-235-6161. Home of the world famous Crapola Granola. Features baked goods and fabulous gluten free cookies, coffees, teas and smoothies for sitting down or carrying out. Some of the best scones in town. One block from our shop.
Britton’s Cafe – 5 E. Chapman St., Ely – 218-365-3195. A hearty “greasy spoon” breakfast diner that won’t leave you hungry and opens at 6am. A cherished pre-trip tradition for many Boundary Waters travelers. Cash or local check only. Six blocks from our shop.
Ely Steakhouse – 216 E. Sheridan St., Ely – 218-365-7412. If you’re looking for steak, go to the Ely Steakhouse. Their Bucky Burger is also a local favorite. You will not leave hungry. This is a great choice for the meat and potatoes crowd, and a good spot to celebrate after your canoe trip. Three blocks from our shop.
Gators Grilled Cheese – 955 E Sheridan St., Ely – 218-365-7348. Gators is a restaurant focusing on grilled cheese, sandwiches, mac & cheese, pizza, baked goods and more. It’s an excellent breakfast and lunch spot. Four blocks from our shop.
Grand Ely Lodge’s Evergreen Restaurant and Antler’s Lounge – 400 N. Pioneer Rd., Ely – 218-365-6565. Hearty breakfast options are a good choice in the restaurant. For dinner, sit on the deck and dine overlooking Shagawa Lake. The full restaurant menu is available in the lounge. The chicken wings in a variety of flavors are a local favorite. About a mile from our shop.
Insula Restaurant – 145 E. Sheridan St., Ely – 218-365-4855. Insula is a beloved local favorite – and a “foodie” favorite. Insula is chef-owned and serves “fusion American dining” with locally sourced products. There is sometimes a wait for dinner seating, and they do not take reservations. Three blocks from our shop.
Northern Grounds – 2 W. Sheridan St., Ely – 218-365-6010. Single origin coffee roasted on site, 50 fine wines by-the-glass, craft beer and cocktails on-tap in a renovated historic building. Coffee, pastries, bagels, soups and sandwiches. Five blocks from our shop.
Stony Ridge Café – 60 W. Lakeview Place, Ely – 218-365-6757. Stony Ridge is within the city limits, but you’d hardly know it. They have indoor seating, but the outdoor seating on the shores of Shagawa Lake is the place to eat a burger outdoors in Ely. And to say they have burgers is an understatement. Pick from dozens of varieties of the best burgers in Ely – some say the best burgers in Minnesota. About a mile from our shop.
Attractions
You may want to plan extra time in Ely before or after your canoe trip.
Ely is home to the International Wolf Center (1396 MN-169, Ely – 1.6 miles from our shop) and the North American Bear Center (1926 MN-169, Ely – 1.6 miles from our shop). Both are research-based institutions with resident animal packs. They are educational, interesting and worth a visit. If you can only visit one, pick the animal that intrigues you the most.
Renowned National Geographic Photographer Jim Brandenburg has an impressive gallery (11 E. Sheridan St., Ely – five blocks from our shop), and there are many interesting shops to peruse around town.
Dorothy Molter was the last non-indigenous resident of the Boundary Waters, and is affectionately known as the Root Beer Lady. She lived 15 miles from the nearest road and portaged and paddled in supplies to her homestead to brew root beer for passing canoeists from the pristine waters of Knife Lake. The Dorothy Molter Museum (2002 E. Sheridan St., Ely – about a mile from our shop) celebrates the life of this legendary local resident. Tour her original log cabins and learn Boundary Waters history.
You may also experience some of the area hiking trails; relax at expansive Whiteside Park (a block from the shop); and check out the lovely city beach and hike the short trail to Big Island at Semer’s Park (Directions here – 1.3 miles from our shop).