With thousands of restaurants in Minnesota, it takes a lot of thought (and money) to step it up to stand out from all the others to make this top 10 most beautiful restaurants list.

Only In Your State recently came out with their list of the "10 Most Beautiful Restaurants in All of Minnesota" and while central Minnesota is so often overlooked, this place would be tough to not have on that list.

Anton's Restaurant came in as the 5th most beautiful restaurant in Minnesota!

If you've ever entered the gates of Anton's (pronounced Ann-tones) in Waite Park, you quickly see that something is different about this rustic restaurant located on the Sauk River.

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Walk through the front door and the history of Anton's hits you with decor that you've never imagined would be in a restaurant in central Minnesota.

Anton's didn't always have that name. When it opened back in the 1920's, it was named "Bricky’s", after Cy Brick, who opened this speakeasy bar during prohibition. After prohibition ended, Bricky's was a hot spot for young adults to hang out, even though it wasn't legal to serve alcohol to the age group that hung out there.

They got their current name after the location was purchased in 1973 by Anton (Tony) and Lorraine Gaetz, who offered a small menu and featured live music on the weekends.

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Anton's has grown a little in size, but has a big reputation for their fine dining along with serving fine wines from all over the world. The atmosphere is quite different from anything you've ever experienced. From the cozy, rustic, covered-wagon wall booths to a mix of covered tables under wagon wheels hung from the ceiling. There are many other different themed rooms that include: River Room, East Wing, Upstairs, and even an outdoor deck in the summer overlooking the river. The walls are filled with memories of the old days and nostalgia of its existence since the 1920's.

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I've visited Anton's a few times and always choose the covered-wagon booth, it's our favorite. Don't forget to ask for a massive popover with sweet butter, which they're well known for.

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Congrats to Anton's for helping central Minnesota make this list of most beautiful restaurants in Minnesota!

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