Hidden Pines Bar and Grill
I don’t know where to begin. There is so much to say about Hidden Pines Bar & Grill. After opening in May of this year, the restaurant is quickly growing its customer base through word of mouth. And there is lots to talk about. The menu is filled with comfort food items. Many of the offerings will not be found at other area restaurants.
Hidden Pines is at the Zumbro Valley Golf Course, located on the second level of the club house.
The owners are Miguel Aguilera and Danika Hodgman. They became business partners after Danika started working for Miguel in Rochester.
Danika grew up in Mantorville. You will remember her as a K-M basketball star. During college she had the opportunity to work in different restaurants, where she became interested in the industry as it related to her college major.
Miguel grew up in Rochester and started at an early age, working in a relative’s restaurant. Over the years, he took on increasing responsibilities and worked at different high-profile restaurants in Rochester.
Hidden Pines is one of five restaurants with a Mantorville address but is the only Mantorville restaurant that is open seven days a week. Danika and Miguel are currently back up to 20 staff members. They open at 11 a.m. every day of the week. They close at 9 p.m. on Sunday and Monday but are open to 10 p.m. the rest of the week.
The thing that stands out at Hidden Pines is flavor. For example, their salads get a lot of word-of-mouth publicity because of the flavorful ingredients. Most of the salad dressings used at Hidden Pines are made in-house. Miguel told me that they have had so many customer requests to purchase their salad dressings, they now make all their “homemade” dressings available for purchase.
I asked Danika what stood out to her after being open for four months. She said that she is overwhelmed by the amount of support from the people in the area. Their new customers not only patronize the restaurant, but they also provide valuable feedback and suggest changes to Danika and Miguel.
One of the planned changes involves the acoustics within the restaurant. Hidden Pines has a large capacity and can get loud when filled with customers having a fun time. The plan is to make some undisclosed changes to the interior of the restaurant that will soften the sounds created by a happy gathering.
The young owners are looking for ways they can help the youth in our community. Danika told me about this past summer when teens would finish a round of golf and then come into Hidden Pines to order chicken nuggets and hang around to socialize with each other. As she talked about the kids hanging out, Danika was visibly touched by the fact that she and Miguel could provide a venue for youth to gather.
After reviewing suggestions received from their employees and customers, Danika and Miguel are finalizing some menu changes. This fall and winter you can expect to see some new soups and pastas added to the menu. They are also planning to start opening for breakfast on weekends. I will be watching for that announcement.
If you’re into sports, you can watch the game on one of the televisions by the bar. When a big game is being played, they will project it on to a big screen in the dining area.
Hidden Pines welcomes take out orders. To order, just call 507-635-7163
On your first visit to Hidden Pines, don’t be worried if there are a lot of cars in the parking lot. The restaurant has a large capacity and there is seldom a wait to be seated.
The easiest way to enter the second level for Hidden Pines is to enter the Club House entrance on the ground floor (the Bunker Bar door) and then take an immediate right to go up the stairs to Hidden Pines. When the golf course closes for the season, you will still be able to use the club house entrance to get to Hidden Pines which will remain open all year long. Handicap access is at the back of the restaurant. Just drive up the concrete ramp and park in back of the building. Then use the wheelchair ramp to get inside.
If you are using a navigational device to get to Hidden Pines, the official address is:
25202 615th Street, Mantorville MN 55955
The Zumbro Valley Golf Course is a short distance east of Hwy 57 between Kasson and Mantorville. Just take County Road 15 from Hwy 57 and watch for the golf course entrance on the north side of the road.
Next week I will be writing about some exciting events coming to the golf course club house this fall and winter.
Terry Eckstein is a local business person and president of the Mantorville Chamber of Commerce.
Photo: Submitted Photo Miguel Aguilera and Danika Hodgman.