Gordy's Hi-Hat

I can see why this place is a hit. Had a double cheeseburger, cheese curds, and a four berry shake called the Quad. The burger was tasty and amazing melt in your mouth good. The cheese curds were standard. The shake was thick, yummy and loaded with fresh fruit. Kept getting clogged in my straw so recommend using a spoon and then flossing real good afterwards to get all the seeds out.

All American delicious diner food. Plenty of seating outside. You can tell this place is "the spot" in town when you drive by. My wife and I loved finishing off your meal with a banana and a raspberry shake! So good!

Brought wife and kids there on Mother's Day for lunch, It was busy but we were served quickly. Had the fish and shrimp basket and it did not disappoint, good size food portions but drink size was small. All in all great place and will go back before they close over winter.

Loved the food we ordered in here. Worth every cent spent !

FANTASTIC!!! Been going here since I was a kid and now as an adult it is a must when I am in the area. Great food all around, love the malt and shakes. Great place to take the family or a date night. Bring the whole family too with their other building with ice-cream and playground add on. Great family business and highly suggest.

Best, best, best place to go. Diner food at its best. Friendliest staff; courteous, helpful, attentive. That's just the beginning! The food is absolutely amazing!!! Best burgers in the Northland! The fries, so good. The onion rings, to die for! I highly recommend Gordy's Hi-Hat for serious food lovers...only.

Review: Gordy's Hi-Hat Drive-In - Cloquet, Minnesota

I recall passing through Cloquet with the dogs on the way to a Canadian island. We never stopped to eat there because we had already stopped at Tobie's in Hinckley, Minnesota, to stock up on treats for island time.

We decided to do some pet-friendly day-tripping, and Gordy's was our first drive for the 2021 season.

About
Gordy's checkered floor and red stools have beckoned travelers with battered fish and hand-pattied burgers laden with onions since 1960. Diners can order sides such as cheese curds and homemade onion rings, big malts, and lighter fare like the strawberry salad with house poppy seed dressing.

Gordy's remains a family affair. Founded by Gordy and Marilyn Lundquist, the business is currently owned by their son, Dan Lundquist. As you roll in, notice the Warming House year-round coffee and ice cream shop sharing the parking lot with the Drive-In. This building is where Gordy and Marilyn used to live.

As Seen on TV
You'll also see menu items featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, milkshakes, Double Cheeseburgers, Coney Dogs and Chili. The restaurant has a tagline, too: "You just gotta get to Gordy's!" (Open daily between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM. This is Minnesota, so pay attention to the seasonal aspects, opening in springtime and closing before winter begins.)

Dog Play Area
There is a fenced area for dogs to romp at the edge of the parking lot, near the entrance. You'll see it when you're in the double lanes to speed up ordering. We did not use the fenced area for the dogs but walked our dogs along the grassy edge of the entryway. (We did use the trash cans in the dog play area for our poop bags.)

Ordering
Once we rolled into line (it was a Wednesday morning, so not jam-packed), we were promptly directed to a spot near the iconic road sign. A carhop appeared quickly with a pad of paper and jotted down our order. We gabbed with some of the other patrons, and our food arrived quickly. Rather than sit in the hot parking lot, we took our meals to a local park along the St Louis River under the watchful eye of a fiberglass Voyaguer statue.

What We Ordered
Onion Rings $4.99
Cheese Curds $4.99
Cole Slaw $1.29
Milk Shake $4.49
Double cheeseburger (for the dogs) $5.99
Cheeseburger $4.69
Roasted Chicken Burger $5.99

The Meals
The food was adequate, not spectacular, and not disappointing.

The onion rings had a delicate coating and were not overly greasy - no hints of any other flavors from the deep fryer, which was a pleasant surprise.

Cheese curds are definitely a "get 'em while they're hot" menu item. The first few reminded us of the piping hot versions at local fairs, then they cooled, and even the dogs were questioning our choices. (The dogs did eat them, but more reluctantly than if they had been warmer.)

Coleslaw was a wee serving and had a bit more dressing than we prefer, but the taste was okay.

The milkshake was standard fare, and I would anticipate something similar at almost any drive-in or drive-through line. We did not try the blackberry shake, and perhaps that would have been more delightful.

A double cheeseburger was ordered for the dogs, so no onions. It looked good, and the dogs enjoyed sharing it. They liked this much better than the cheese curds.

The regular cheeseburger came with all the fixings and a wedge of dill pickle too. The buttery fried onions are an excellent addition to the burger.

The roasted chicken burger was confusing. Somehow when reading "burger," I thought it would be that size or perhaps ground chicken. It came on a bun and was a big hunk of chicken breast. Yes, that is healthy as proclaimed on the menu, and I was utterly unable to eat it in the bun. I deconstructed it into the takeaway box and ate it with my fingers. It was good enough, but I wouldn't order it again.

This day trip was a fun diversion, and I feel like we have completed a meal at a Minnesota icon.

By far one of the best burgers I have ever had. Cheese curds, onion rings and shakes were great as well. It's a few hour drive for me but will definitely be back. Was busy the day I went but the wait wasn't terribly long.

Excellent service, it doesn’t get any better. I got a wild rice burger with a gluten free bun, so a non traditional menu item. I really didn’t expect much. The bun was good and the burger was amazing! I will be back!

It is an odd way to order, stand in line and then quickly move to the counter. They take your order on a pad, give you an order number and they call you back to the counter to pick it up and pay.

However it is probably faster than McDonalds!

Hamburgers are hot and fresh off the grill. Huge servings of French fries too, for a regular order.