"We came up to the area for a long weekend, and I was seriously beginning to think there were no good dining options here. Everything we ate everywhere was salty, made from a mix and overpriced. The only safe options were fast food chains. But who wants to go on vacation only to patronize McDonald's and Culver's? And I mean seriously, when McDonald's and Culver's are the NON-SALTY options, something is seriously wrong. Of course, Saturday rolled around and the brunch monster inside me was screaming to be fed, so we went looking for the best local brunch place we could find. The Merrifield Diner seemed like the best option, but based on its online presence, it was really hard to tell where it was, or if it was open or closed. None of the phone numbers we found worked. So let me help everyone out and clarify. As of this writing (6/18/16), the diner IS indeed open and it is so, so worth the drive. If you punch 21735 Co Rd 3, Merrifield, MN 56465 into Google Maps, that'll get you there. I've also submitted an address correction here on Yelp, so hopefully that gets updated soon. Summer hours appear to be Tues-Sat 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., with breakfast served till 11. Sunday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., breakfast all day. Closed Mondays. The menu said Uptown Griddle but the sign outside and all online references we could find called it the Merrifield Diner, so I actually am not sure what the restaurant is currently called. We did hear one of the servers talking with someone about a recent change in ownership, so it could be that it's changed in ownership and name. Whatever it's called, the food is delicious. The Merrifield Diner was my oasis of good food in this forsaken wasteland of bad food. OK, that might be slightly dramatic, but that's how it feels. The place isn't fancy but it was clean. We were greeted warmly and invited to sit anywhere. I ordered the biscuits and gravy, full order. My husband got the corned beef hash. First the B&G. Holy ****. If this place was in the Twin Cities, I would become a regular for this B&G alone. The full order comprised of two biscuits split in half (so four halves) absolutely smothered in what was clearly homemade sausage gravy. Unlike almost every other B&G gravy, it was clearly NOT from a mix, made with real cream, high-quality sausage and deliciously peppery. The biscuits were nice and fluffy. My only minor complaint was that the dish came with no eggs. If I had realized, I would have ordered it topped with two poached eggs and died and gone to heaven right on the spot. Next time. B&G plus eggs. The corned beef hash was right up there with the best I've ever had. This was corned beef hash where the first step of the recipe is make a delicious corned beef It was full of huge chunks of melt-in-your-mouth corned beef, potatoes, caramelized onions and was delicious. It came with toast and two perfectly poached eggs, which of course gave me egg envy from across the table. We also got a side of bacon, which is bacon. It was thick and delicious. What more do you want? It was very clear that everything is made from scratch to order. Thank you, food gods. Our server was friendly and did a fine job. One thing I noted was that they technically only serve breakfast until 11, but we ordered breakfast probably pretty close to noon, and the staff didn't blink an eye. They just let us order what we wanted and filled the order. I really appreciated that and gave a big tip as a thank you. Overall, prices were a bargain. We paid $24 for two Cokes, two entrees and the side of bacon. Considering we dropped $70 the day before on a more mediocre meal, I was thrilled. Now I'm pissed that our trip will end before I get to go back. One more note: I am not sure if they take credit cards. We paid cash just to be easier but I did not see a card machine. Fellow Twin Cities Yelpers and foodies, get ye to this little diner and enjoy their good eats! If we are ever back in this area, we will definitely be back."
