A-Pine Family Restaurant: An Up North Tradition (and a Conversation with Rick)

Camp Nisswa
18 hours ago
5 min read

Just north of Nisswa on Highway 371, there’s a place that doesn’t need a billboard to get your attention — it already has one.

That giant A-Pine Restaurant sign stands on the corner like a true Up North landmark. And right nearby, Paul Bunyan is posted up like he’s been assigned the job of keeping the peace and keeping folks fed. You drive by it enough times and eventually you realize: this isn’t just a restaurant… it’s part of the drive.

If you know, you know.

And if you don’t — it’s time.

The kind of stop that turns into a slow-down

We made the trip up for breakfast after meeting Rick Beyer during Nisswa Winter Jubilee weekend. It wasn’t some long, planned-out thing. It was one of those quick conversations that sticks with you.

Rick started talking about the restaurant, the work, the history, and you could tell right away: this isn’t just a business to him. It’s his life’s work.

We’ve been to A-Pine before — and if you’ve had their smoked ribs in the summer, you understand why that’s worth mentioning. But this time wasn’t about racing in and racing out. This time was simple: grab breakfast, drink some coffee, and sit and chat like you would with family.

And honestly… that’s the most A-Pine thing you can do.

Meeting Rick: owner, worker, and “whatever needs doing” guy

We sat down, and Rick greeted us with menus in hand — because even though he’s the owner, he’s also the kind of person who is going to be involved in everything.

Not the “owner who checks in once and disappears” type.

More like:

greeting tables
helping in the dining room
running the show
and somehow still having time to sit down and talk

If something needs to be done, Rick’s the guy doing it. That’s the vibe. And it’s a big reason A-Pine feels the way it does — welcoming, familiar, and real.

Rick’s A-Pine story begins in September 1984

A-Pine has been around since 1965, which says a lot all on its own. Places don’t last that long without becoming part of the community.

But Rick’s story at A-Pine begins in 1984 — and it’s the kind of story that fits Northern Minnesota like a flannel shirt. He started out renting the place, then officially purchased A-Pine in 1986.

Rick told us how he came from New Ulm, worked at Perkins, and worked his way up over time — eventually into corporate. The kind of story where the main ingredient is simply showing up, day after day, and doing the work.

Then he saw A-Pine advertised as available and decided to go all in.

And when we say “all in,” we mean it.

Rick told us that he and his family took it over with what they had — enough to cover the first months of rent and supplies — and that in the early days they even lived in a mobile building behind the restaurant.

That detail sticks with you, because it tells you everything you need to know about how A-Pine became what it is today: not by luck, not by shortcuts — but by commitment and grit.

And while he was sharing all of that with us, you could hear it in his voice. The pride isn’t loud. It’s steady. It’s the kind you only get when you’ve built something that matters.

TIP: Be sure to look around for Paul Bunyan inside the restaurant — and if you get a chance, ask Rick about it. We don’t want to spoil the surprise, but there’s a lot of thought (and fun) put into it.

Walking into A-Pine feels like stepping into the Northwoods

Some places feel “rustic” because they bought the decor.

A-Pine feels rustic because it’s lived it.

When you walk in, you instantly get that Northern Minnesota, lodge-cabin feel:

wood walls that have seen decades of breakfasts
trophy fish on the walls
old photos and local details
Paul Bunyan references sprinkled throughout
the smell of home cooking that doesn’t ask for your opinion

And there’s a sense of comfort to it. Like the building has been holding onto stories for years — early mornings, late dinners, families packed in after games, regulars sipping coffee, visitors stopping for the first time.

It has that “glad we stopped” feeling before the food even hits the table.

Eggs Benedict at A-Pine Family Restaurant — one of the best breakfast plates in the Nisswa and Pequot Lakes area.

Breakfast: the Eggs Benedict you need to know about

We came for breakfast, and we’re keeping it simple:

The Eggs Benedict is one of the best in the area.

This wasn’t a “pretty good for a small-town diner” moment. This was a real-deal benedict — the kind that shows up hot, stacked right, and makes you slow down and actually enjoy breakfast instead of just eating it.

And if you’re the hashbrown type (we are), you’re going to be happy.

This is the kind of breakfast that makes you say, “Alright… we’re not rushing anywhere.”

Which is exactly the point.

And then we came back for lunch… because of course we did

A-Pine has a way of pulling you back in.

We stopped in again for lunch because we needed more of that home-cooked meal feeling. And we happened to time it right with a rib special.

If you know their ribs, you know there’s no debate. You order them.

It’s one of those menu items that has become part of their identity — the kind of thing people bring up when A-Pine comes up in conversation.

And after eating them again, we get why.

Why A-Pine is more than a meal

A-Pine is a reminder of what a true family restaurant is supposed to feel like.

Not fancy. Not complicated. Just good food, warm service, and the kind of atmosphere where you can sit a little longer and nobody’s going to make you feel like you’re in the way.

It’s a great stop for:

breakfast before you hit the lake
lunch when you’re passing through
dinner with the family
a cup of coffee that turns into “one more refill”

And honestly, it’s also a great stop if you just want to experience a real Up North business that’s been built the right way — with hard work, consistency, and pride.

We appreciated Rick taking the time to sit with us and talk, and we loved hearing how excited he was to learn about Camp Nisswa too. Conversations like that are exactly why we love doing what we do — because the Lakes Area is full of people building cool things, and A-Pine is a classic example.

If you’ve never stopped — go.

If it’s been a while — go back.