Gateway Lodge and Resort

Most Recent Comments

• January 2024 by Natalyn Jannene
  Try the scallops, walleye and lobster are amazing. Trust me, it’s fresh!
• January 2024 by Mathieu Labs
  For our New Year’s Day dinner we gave Gateways Restaurant a try and they exceeded our expectations. From the service to drinks to food nothing was disappointed. Even “Jersey” the Golden Retriever was fun to hang out with. If your looking for wonderful service, give this restaurant a try.
• October 2023 by Barbara Winkler
  Good Prime Rib and sweet potato. Prompt pleasant service.
• July 2023 by johnhill1966
  We stayed on 10-15 July. I highly recommend the Aspen cabin. It is not owned by the Gateway - it’s privately owned and very well maintained. The owners are located just east of the cabin and are super friendly and helpful. The owners allowed us to fish off their private dock which was very nice.The location of the Gateway lodge is pretty convenient. It’s on a paved county road and is only a little over 5 miles from the Trail 17 intersection if you plan on riding your side by side.Although the Aspen cabin itself is great, it’s not located on the “property proper”. You have to access it via a private driveway that is about 100 yards past the Gateway bar. This isn’t so bad, but no one tells you this and (upon arrival) you have to scout it out to figure how to find it. Additionally, if you bring a trailer, you’ll have to back down a long, narrow driveway or park your trailer across the road. Not a big deal, but the Gateway should probably e-mail you a map of how to get to your place. You’ll also have to walk across an abandoned property (that isn’t mowed) to access the restaurant/bar, docks, etc. The only 2 cabins that are actually situated on the lake inlet with pull up parking are the Honeymoon and the Hunter’s Den. When I mentioned my concerns to Missy (who I’ll get to later) that a map would’ve been nice, she was uninterested to say the least.I never met Wayne (the co-owner) in person. We only communicated via e-mail. Let me just say that communication isn’t one of his strengths. Prior to arriving, I had several questions and one small request…that he provide me a receipt after he received my payment. None of my questions were answered and I never got a receipt. He did tell me that he received my payment a week after my check cleared my bank and after I had to ask him for the 3rd time.We did get a chance to meet Missy (the other co-owner) on Thursday afternoon at the bar. I want to be as nice as possible here….she’s just plain grumpy and unattentive. She seems like she could care less (or even put off) that you’re a paying customer. My wife and I were the only ones in the bar and the dog greeted us by licking our legs before she even acknowledged we were there. Finally she took our order for 2 Bush Lights (don’t judge..ha ha) and not so promptly served us 2 Coors Lights. She seems so put out and never engaged us in any way. We did tell her we were staying in the Aspen and at that point (4 days into our stay) asked us to fill out our check-in paperwork. Wow! How was this going to happen if we didn’t walk into the bar and approach her? And with one day left to stay, why did it matter at that point? Either way, it seems that Wayne and Missy have a lot to learn about running a small business. We didn’t eat at the restaurant so I can’t comment on the quality of the food, but I’m sure it’s good after reading several positive reviews. I can tell you that you won’t find a place in the area that charges higher prices. We found that the restaurant at the Great Northern Hotel in Mercer was about the best deal around. Around the Corner pub was also very good.The parking is limited and like I mentioned earlier, if you bring a trailer, you’ll be asked to unhook it and park it across the road. The Aspen is great, but the 2 small cabins on the lake (Honeymoon and Hunter), which are fully owned/maintained by Missy and Wayne, are a little rough. I can’t speak to the larger, more expensive 2 story place (Pine Tree), but it looks newer.Wi-Fi access was constantly in and out of service.If you’re bringing your boat, the docks are pretty flimsy and I only located one working power outlet. There’s a gravel/sand grade that goes into the water but it’s not suitable for launching. You’d have to put in at the State Park which is just around the corner about a ½ mile. We were here for an entire week and no one rented any of the Gateway’s boats.If I had to sum it up: The Aspen is great, the location is good, the facilities are satisfactory and the customer service is poor.
• July 2023 by John H
  We stayed at the Gateway Lodge from 10 - 15 July in the Aspen cabin. There were a lot of good things and some not so good things. I’ll start with the good. I highly recommend the Aspen cabin. It is not owned by the Gateway - it’s privately owned and very well maintained. The owners are located just east of the cabin and are super friendly and helpful. The owners allowed us to fish off their private dock which was very nice. The location of the Gateway lodge is pretty convenient. It’s on a paved county road and is only a little over 5 miles from the Trail 17 intersection if you plan on riding your side by side. The small cove/inlet that the Gateway is situated on is very scenic and quiet. Unfortunately, there are a lot more things that aren’t so good. Although the Aspen cabin itself is great, it’s not located on the “property proper”. You have to access it via a private driveway that is about 100 yards past the Gateway bar. This isn’t so bad, but no one tells you this and (upon arrival) you have to scout it out to figure how to find it. Additionally, if you bring a trailer, you’ll have to back down a long, narrow driveway or park your trailer across the road. Not a big deal, but the Gateway should probably e-mail you a map of how to get to your place. You’ll also have to walk across an abandoned property (that isn’t mowed) to access the restaurant/bar, docks, etc. The only 2 cabins that are actually situated on the lake inlet with pull up parking are the Honeymoon and the Hunter’s Den. When I mentioned my concerns to Missy (who I’ll get to later) that a map would’ve been nice, she was uninterested to say the least. I never met Wayne (the co-owner) in person. We only communicated via e-mail. Let me just say that communication isn’t one of his strengths. Prior to arriving, I had several questions and one small request…that he provide me a receipt after he received my payment. None of my questions were answered and I never got a receipt. He did tell me that he received my payment a week after my check cleared my bank and after I had to ask him for the 3rd time. We did get a chance to meet Missy (the other co-owner) on Thursday afternoon at the bar. I want to be as nice as possible here….she’s just plain grumpy and unattentive. She seems like she could care less (or even put off) that you’re a paying customer. My wife and I were the only ones in the bar and the dog greeted us by licking our legs before she even acknowledged we were there. Finally she took our order for 2 Bush Lights (don’t judge..ha ha) and not so promptly served us 2 Coors Lights. She seems so put out and never engaged us in any way. We did tell her we were staying in the Aspen and at that point (4 days into our stay) asked us to fill out our check-in paperwork. Wow! How was this going to happen if we didn’t walk into the bar and approach her? And with one day left to stay, why did it matter at that point? Either way, it seems that Wayne and Missy have a lot to learn about running a small business. We didn’t eat at the restaurant so I can’t comment on the quality of the food, but I’m sure it’s good after reading several positive reviews. I can tell you that you won’t find a place in the area that charges higher prices. We found that the restaurant at the Great Northern Hotel in Mercer was about the best deal around. Around the Corner pub was also very good. As far as the logistics and appearance of the Gateway facilities, the photos and descriptions that you find on their web page might be leaving out a few details. The parking is limited and like I mentioned earlier, if you bring a trailer, you’ll be asked to unhook it and park it across the road. The Aspen is great, but the 2 small cabins on the lake (Honeymoon and Hunter), which are fully owned/maintained by Missy and Wayne, are a little rough. I can’t speak to the larger, more expensive 2 story place (Pine Tree), but it looks newer. Wi-Fi access was constantly in and out of service. If you’re bringing your boat, the docks are pretty flimsy and I only located one working power outlet. There’s a gravel/san
• July 2023 by Biological Angler Productions
  Terrible service. 2 bag ice maximum is ridiculous. Edible food. Best thing about this place is the fuel. Would not recommend.
• June 2023 by Derek Anderson
  We stayed at one of the cabins for a weekend and rented a boat as well. REALLY nice cabin, nice and close to the bar and the slip we rented the boat from. The bar had pretty good food options as well!
• April 2023 by thehunter9924
  Great food great people I always love coming here with my family
• March 2023 by Mike M.
  Be careful of the establishment. credibility of what can be deceiving especially with gambling and raffles.Ambiance is wonderful. Beer cold. Bathroom clean. Pit stop only. The End.
• January 2023 by Ryan LaSee
  Nice place. Great food. Great service. Very much a northwoods bar. Beautiful wood decor.
• January 2023 by Heather Smith
  It was great Wayne and Missy are two of my very favorite Mercer peeps .....Iowa chops were great and Italian beef was great as
• July 2022 by John Schultz
  The Gateway to a myriad of issues! Please know when reading this is an honest and thorough review of our vacation experience. We stayed week of 7/2/22-7/9/22. I rented 2 cabins the Aspen and the Honeymoon and the pontoon boat Paid in full, in advance and recommended by friends who live in area. It’s July 26th and have yet to receive my refund for $2070.00 on a boat deposit. The Boat It’s not what you see in the picture! Definitely not new or well taken care of! The prop was dinged up. The speakers on radio were so blown just better bring a Bluetooth speaker. The depth finder/fish finder was ripped off when we got the boat. Was asked if we wanted one when we received the boat, but we were not fishing so it was a non issue. The seats need to be scrubbed, mildew everywhere! Other reviews have said this and I will too! Take pictures of everything, and return the day before! I did all of this and videos. When returning the boat they don’t give any post trip inspection and tell you the guy who inspects the boat isn’t around. I asked if they signed off everything is ok and missy said no we don’t do that. “We will let you know”. I had to ask for a copy of the pre trip inspection paperwork because they don’t give you a copy of that when renting it! The charge for deposit is not a hold on your card like a normal place. They run it as a liquor sale through the bar. Again I have yet to receive my deposit return! It’s July 26th almost 3 weeks after our check out. The Cabins Check in was great they let us check in early a couple hours. They said if we need any extra sheets to let them know. We found out why later when the sheets in both cabins were dirty! Aspen- is great, no air conditioning or Wi-Fi but other than that really a nice cabin. The sheets in one room were dirty upon arrival. We notified management immediately and was told no they are clean! Missy the manager said “I will come and look at them” which never happened we found out the owner of the Aspen cabin is actually living next door. When she heard the sheets were dirty she immediately gave us new sheets and was very kind and genuinely attentive to our issue. The Honeymoon- If I was on my honeymoon and stayed here I would surely feel like my marriage will be cursed. It has a futon that is supposed to be able to convert but is screwed together with drywall screws so it’s just a couch. The shower drain is disgusting and a the shower head is worthless, a hose pumping from the lake would be better. We addressed the drain issue to Missy and was told they can pour some drain cleaner in it. That also never happened. It’s was full of hair and nasty stuff. Everyone showered at other cabin because it was just gross. Bed Sheets were dirty! We went to dollar general in town and bought new sheets! We also washed the existing sheets at laundromat so they were clean for the next unlucky guest. This is not a bad cabin just need some serious cleaning and maintenance. It should be called the bachelor because it’s well suited for that! Overall Property impression- The property itself has some potential but is really in need of professional and competent management. It is a property that has a few cabins and several other private properties whose septic field you cross to access your cabin. There is no laundry on site. No fire rings anywhere! They will tell you there is a community fire pit, but we never saw a fire other than charcoal in our bbq for a week! Really disappointing not being able to sit by a fire while in the north woods. There is no Wi-Fi again they have some pathetic reason why it doesn’t work. It’s the year 2022 they have no reason to not make that happen. For those with children. This is not a kid friendly place. There is not really much for them to do. There is a huge uninviting playground next to overflowing dumpsters. There is no sandy beach and really not much for them to do other than count rocks in the parking lot. Pros- All appliances work, the water is hot and the toilets flush. They do have boat docks and boat fuel.
• July 2022 by Rodney Sleeth
  Good pizza. Close to Lake of the Falls county park where we were camping.
• June 2022 by Peter Thaler
  We stayed here for Memorial Day weekend and it was a great time the cabins were very clean and everything worked well the food at the restaurant was great and the owners were very kind and inviting as well we will be coming back in the future
• February 2022 by Douglas Gehrke
  This is our "go to" place to eat. The decor is beautiful and the food is excellent. Doesn't take long to understand how much pride goes into their culinary work. Owners are very nice with welcoming personalities.