Betty's Pantry - Ottertail

I didn't have high expectations, but we all ended up really enjoying this restaurant. I ordered the country fried steak, and I'm pretty sure the gravy is made in-house; it had a generous amount of sausage in it, which I loved. The hash browns were good, but I would personally ask for them to be extra crispy next time. I really appreciated how they prepared the scrambled eggs, and they used real butter on my English muffin instead of the cheap margarine that many other places use.

We had breakfast there last weekend, and while the omelet was decent, I was really disappointed by the $5 extra charge for the "fancy hashbrowns." They were anything but fancy—no cheese or special toppings at all. To make matters worse, they were a bit dry. Overall, we definitely won't be returning.

As for the food, it was pretty average. I ordered the hangover hash browns, but they were undercooked. The outside was browned, yet the inside was a mushy mess. The peppers and onions were similarly overcooked. The cheese sauce, which had a béchamel base, was poorly executed—you could still taste the flour, indicating it was rushed. Additionally, the service was extremely slow. I think the restaurant needs to rethink its seating arrangement and capacity to ensure a smoother flow and serve as many tables as they can handle within an hour. I told the server that the food was fine, mostly because I didn’t want to go into detail about all the things that were off. This place needs a thorough cleaning, fresh ingredients, and proper training for the kitchen staff. They’re nearly there, but they’re missing some crucial elements. We plan to return, possibly around Labor Day, and I’ll update my review after that visit.

The food was delicious and we will be coming back. Service was great also.

Great staff, good atmosphere and solid diner food. Definitely worth stopping by.