Probably one of the best places in Mercer area. Very nice inside and service is good.  I have dinner at Cranberries at least once every trip to Mercer and I typically order a steak.  I really like  the cranberry vinaigrette dressing with added blue cheese crumbles on my dinner salad.
If your lucky you will be there when Steve Swalve is playing guitar and singing.  He plays great folk rock, soft rock, pop and country songs and has a nice voice.  Last time I was there I grabbed a beer and sat and listened to Steve for about an hour  after my dinner.  Steve is a great guy and was happy to play song requests.
NOW THAT'S WHAT ID CALL A BAD RESTAURANT!!!
The atmosphere was someone's feeble attempt at "north woods decorating" by someone who had never been to the Northwoods! Â The service was really sad, but after we spent some time talking with our wait person, we found out how they're treated by the owners and then we understood!
We are accustomed to "city" prices and don't mind one bit paying high prices for good quality.... Â On the other hand, we really resent paying high prices for WAY SUB STANDARD FOOD!
We had brought some guests with us from Minneapolis, and they're now teasing us relentlessly about the "pretend" restaurant experience!
We have cabin in the vicinity but would never dream of going to this place EVER again!
Friday fish fry has been very good, but when we went with a party of 6 on a Saturday night,  for steaks, prime rib, it was not good at all.  Prime rib was very tough and "rubbery"  and had such a strong (garlic?) taste that you were overwhelmed with that instead of the meat. Steaks were just  o.k.  Veggies were strongly seasoned also.  Service was good.  But will not go back.  We eat out often, and our ages that night varied from 30 to 65.  Everyone was disappointed.  Will not be back.
Review Source:Nice try.
The rehab of the old 51 Club is nice but immediately it's clear, it doesn't have it. The layout of the main room is awkward with some tables too close to each other and others in odd places. The decorating tries to give off an authentic northwoods feel but doesn't succeed. The "paintings" are hung 1.5 feet too high -- a sure sign of amateurism.
Then there's the food. First clue is a menu with 2x as many items as a small restaurant can possibly do well. And sure enough, everything was average at best. Most items tasted precooked/frozen which is the only way a limited kitchen can do that many things. There was no sublety in the flavors, too much butter/oil and not enough attention to detail. The service was friendly but a bit slow.
That being said, it's probably the best restaurant in Mercer. We could use a better one.
We just went there for the Friday fish fry. You only get one piece, but it reaches from one end of the platter to the other, so no complaints about skimping from me! Potato pancakes could have been crispier, but had great flavor. And not a huge deal, but I asked the server if their iced tea was unsweetened, and she said it was. But it's the sweetened crap with all the stuff added.
I will go back, but not Friday. That's "Try Something Different" night. Since their menu looks good, I think it's worth another trip.
The Cranberry Inn is gorgeous. Â I love the extensive remodeling that they've done. Â Bar is big, spaceous, clean and well lit. Â Menu is varied and delicious. Â Can't wait to try it again! Â I'm waiting to get to eat in the remodeled dining area yet. Â We ate at one of the large booths in the bar area.
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