Terrible have gone in twice only to be totally ignored! Waitress on both occasions looked at us and…read moredidn't even acknowledge.

Legit delicious!! I file this under hole-in-the-wall or dive-bar - and those terms aren't…read morederogatory in the least! This is on the edge of "the middle of nowhere" (unless of course you're one of the fine folks that lives nearby). But disregard all of that - the service and the FOOD were both top notch! Different daily specials every day (see the picture) and the regular menu is HUGE! Hubby had a Peanut Butter and Jalapeño Jam burger - big 1/2 pounder - with fresh fries. I thought the fries were a little soggy (literally the only negative) but they were deliciously seasoned. I had a shaved beef with Au Jus. Now I know that sounds dull but it wasn't! The roll was super-soft but lightly toasted with a buttery taste and the beef (I'm told by the VERY fabulous waitress) is sliced from their weekly prime-rib special. I had it with a slide of slaw and GOOD LORD they actually know how to make excellent slaw! Again - same fabulous waitress says that the dressing is house-made. It really, REALLY was good. Add three tap beers and our lunch was a sweet $33. I wish we had an easier more frequent reason to stop because the menu has me intrigued! I definitely recommend it!

This place is such a treasure, old school diner serving great food! Celebrating 70 years in…read morebusiness, I've been stopping in since I was a little girl and it always makes me smile. Today we made it for breakfast, large portions, yummy and comes out quick. Service with a smile always. And you have to get a piece of homemade pie to take with you.

Service was great, one waitress but she was right there. Bacon was great other than a little…read moreovercooked. I had the hash brown breakfast special while good it was plenty greasy.

As usual buffet great We do carry out buffet at-least once…read morea week Ordered off the menu is not as good

Smallest China or Asian buffet that I know of. Very good food, especially for the price paid.read more

By far my favorite coffee shop in Central Minnesota! One of…read morethe most important features of a coffee shop is the atmosphere, and The Local Blend does not disappoint! Mixing a tasteful blend of tradition and contemporary with wooden tables and chairs with brightly painted walls and their distinct "cosmic" mugs, enjoying a talk with a friend or focusing to study for that next exam has never been more enjoyable! Their coffee and tea selections are varied with local, organic blends that never fail to impress me! I specifically recommend their cold brew, whatever roast is available, with a touch of milk on a hot summer day! Finally, their pastries and food selections are always changing, with a steadfast dedication to incorporating local bakeries and baking scones, cakes, and other treats in-house. The almond croissants from Backwards Bread Baking Co. are to die for! You will not be disappointed with this quintessential Central Minnesotan local, organic coffee shop!

Wide selection of drinks and food items .. this is a place we have frequented for 15 plus years and…read moreusually not disappointed. Today the Cafe au lait was delicious however our Almond Croissant had to be days old as needed to be carved up to eat. I would recommend sticking with their in house scones or muffins. The croissant is from an outside bakery and I have had direct from them.. when purchased direct these are delicious.

I love this cafe, it has a small town feel with big city food! This is my go to for dates with my…read moregrandson, he gets breakfast and I try something new every time! The service is friendly, fast and kind!

Good solid breakfast…read more Super friendly staff. Ambiance is okay - it felt dark when I walked in but my eyes adjusted. Fair prices. Free parking along the street outside. Cute area in downtown Buffalo.

The staff are wonderful. The food is amazing( The house made Ranch dressing, it is so good!read more

I always like going to Pine Brook but the last time I was there I go they really need to have a…read moremakeover. It seemed dark and old. My daughter ordered a steak and it was quite hard for her to chew. I tasted it and it was tough. I ordered ribs and they did fall apart, but it was the type of ribs where the sauce was put on after it was cooked, so it was not into the meat while cooking. Also, there was a lot of gristle on the meat. I had more waste than I had meat. I am going to try a steak one more time and then I might have to change restaurants if that happens again. Many other other things are really good so maybe I should just stay away from the steak. Keep up making things yourself and not buying them frozen in a bag. I have been in Food Service and I know when that is happening and that really upsets me I stay away from those type of restaurants so don't lean too far. That way I'll be back.

You might have to wait on a Saturday or Sunday morning maybe 20 minutes or less, due to the…read morepopularity of the restaurant --and the fact that it's the only breakfast restaurant in downtown Elk River. When you do get sat, the service is fast-- your coffee is always filled and hot! The food comes out fairly quickly and is always hot and delicious. It actually can get pretty loud in there. It is a very old building with an open floor plan, so when a lot of people get in there then start talking it can get to a medium roar, but nothing too loud. It's not like you have to shout at the person across the table so they can hear you. The prices are reasonable and comparable to the prices around the area, and bonus **if you have purchased an Elk River Football card, (and you have the card with you) you can get five dollars off your meal!

Love the servers here! They are always very nice and a little sassy! The food is always good. I…read moreusually get the Paul Bunyan breakfast sandwich. Their omelettes are always good too! Sour dough toast is the best! It gets busy on the weekends. Great breakfast and lunch spot in downtown Elk River!

So I came here to work on my laptop. The vibes are pretty midwestern, it's fine. Internet speeds…read moreare fast at 237.6 Mbps down and 47.7 Mbps up. I would rate this place higher if my $16 sandwich didn't taste like a $6 sandwich. Decently busy on a Saturday with the drive thru slowing down the wait times a bit. I gave the barista a nice tip (thank you to all baristas!) cause you could tell she had that look of, "I'm smiling cause I'm at work, but I'm dying inside because I have 6 customers that I need to help right now." Caribou up the road has better coffee. Dunn Brother in Elk River has better vibes. Ember in Big Lake is much better if that's within distance for you. Overall rating: Expensive for what you get, yet they have fast internet and are a local business.

Cute place, but the coffee here is SO AWFUL. I hate to say this, but it might be the worst coffee…read moreI've ever had...and that's saying a lot. I got a latte with lavender and it somehow simultaneously tasted too sweet but also incredibly acrid and bitter and fake? Like gas station coffee that had been left in the machine way too long. I couldn't even drink it.

I stopped for a quick late breakfast, noticing the sign on the door said they would be closing by…read more11:00 am (since it is Christmas Eve). It was 10:20am, and the place was PACKED. Merlins is a family restaurant with breakfast all day plus lots of other options. I was seated within minutes. Knowing I would have to be quick, I ordered the Bennie Skillet, which is a layer of hash browns topped with English muffin, your choice of ham, bacon, or sausage, plus 2 eggs over easy, and your choice of cheese sauce or hollandaise. I chose bacon and hollandaise (duh!). I didn't wait more than 5 minutes and the food was delivered, piping hot. It was tasty and my waitress was quite lovely and attentive. I only subtracted one star because the bacon and hash browns could have cooked a bit longer (bacon was chewy in a couple of bites and no color at all to the hash browns). I highly recommend this restaurant, the people are fantastic, and it's an obvious beloved place due to how many patrons there were. I also got a caramel roll to go (it was the last one available) since they were going to be closed for Christmas, and I didn't want the bakery items going to waste. The waitress scraped every bit of extra caramel out of the pan for my to go roll, so I gave her an extra tip on the tip. Go support Merlins when you are in the area, and even if you are not in the area, it is well worth the drive.

First timer! We had family visiting from out of town and…read more decided to grab breakfast together. There was a wait with about five parties ahead of us, but I was honestly impressed with how quickly they moved through the list. We were seated in less than 10 minutes on a busy Saturday. I tried one of the featured breakfast sandwiches, the Breakfast Denver Sandwich. It was $13 and honestly delicious. For the price, though, a side of hashbrowns or fruit would have been appreciated. The biggest reason I'm leaving 3 stars....service. I genuinely felt bad for the wait staff. They were trying, but were so clearly understaffed, especially considering they advertise they recently renovated their space to add more tables. It took over 10 minutes for us to be greeted, or offered a drink. Once our order was in, our waiter tried to be attentive, but simply couldn't keep up. Would I give Merlin's another chance? Sure. We thought the food was great. But, I wouldn't go out of my way, or rush back.

I never thought I would write a 5 star review about a bowling alley - but there is a first for…read moreeverything. I have been here many times, trying many different menu items, and I am never disappointed! From the pizza to the meatloaf - you can tell a lot of the items on the menu are made from scratch. The servers/bartenders are incredibly friendly and prompt. There are many different seating options from booths to high-tops which makes it accessible for everyone. The inside is spacious and allows for large parties. Great place to meet up for a great meal (and maybe a little bowling)!

We come here 3 weekends a month. Good food. Bloody are good. Service is great. Good sports bar,…read morewith a family friendly vibe..