ABOUT US
Welcome to Bernie’s, a delicious wonderland that celebrates the cuisine of East Grand Forks, Minnesota. This cozy Midwestern farm town is filled with Scandinavian flavor and church cookbook recipes that are all you want to eat during its long snowy winters and short hot summers- we are here to showcase that. From crusty rustic sourdough, to homemade knoephla soup, from perfect bologna sandwiches to bring to the lake, to steamy hot hotdishes topped with local tots, we’ve got it all!
Located on the banks of the Red River, Bernie’s is housed in the historic former home of the beloved Whitey’s Wonderbar, a space that served East Grand Forks for almost 100 years. When local farmer Nick Hagen and his wife, Food Network host Molly Yeh, learned that it would soon be available, they heard their calling to take over the space. After a fresh coat of paint and a good deep clean of the original and iconic 93-year-old horseshoe bar, Bernie’s was born with a menu that pays homage to the old while bringing in the new.
Bernie’s is named after Nick and Molly’s daughter, Bernadette, who is named after Nick’s great great grandpa Bernt (who came over from Norway and settled the Hagen farm) and Molly’s great grandpa Bernard (a Hungarian native who found his way to New York). Conveniently, “Bernie’s” can be spelled using letters that are all present in “Whitey’s Wonderbar” so repurposing letters from the original Whitey’s sign felt like an obvious choice.
Bernie’s café menu is available all day in addition to a rotating selection of baked goods. Fresh breads like crusty sourdough, potato challah, and country white pullman, and sweets like donuts, bars, and big craggily cookies populate the horseshoe bar. Our table service café specialties include a beloved pickle grilled cheese, bright colorful salads, seasonal pizzetta and quiche, and a rotating selection of hotdishes. Don’t forget to order cookie salad on the side!
Within the café you’ll find our market which is stocked with frozen hotdish to go alongside specialty pantry ingredients, cooking tools, and Bernie’s merchandise.
Beverage-wise, the horseshoe bar pours a mix of local breweries, like Half Brothers and Drekker, alongside standby faves like Busch and Grain Belt, of course.