The food at this restaurant was actually incredible. I got the basil chicken sandwich and the kettle chips, and to drink, a Bloody Mary. The infused vodka for the bloody Mary was really good, and the sandwich was unbelievable. I also loved the chips, which I don't usually. Overall, the vibe in this place is excellent, and the service was fantastic. I will absolutely be back, and would recommend this place at the top of my list to anyone visiting the area. read more

The Good Life Cafe - Sweet Basil Chicken - New American Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

Food was delicious and really nice portions for the lunch time hour. Beer / beverage selection was just right! One order was the Turkey sandwich and other small salad w/ a side of soup.. both filling and excellent. Really cool vibe with the focus on living "The Good Life". As a customer you could feel that from the staff - dedicated to having fun & making sure you experience the same while walking away satisfied. read more

The Good Life Cafe - Turkey Avocado Club - New American Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

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This was a great little restaurant in the downtown of Park Rapids. It is american food with original flavors and menu items. it has a nice aesthetic vibe and is very charming. I also love that it has that conjoined ice cream and popcorn shop where you can get some local goodies. The cocktails were strong and delicious and a really great price. The price of the food was definitely a bit high, especially for classic american food items like salads and burgers. I tried the whiskey barbecue boneless wings and they were very tasty. A lot less sweet than many barbecue sauces. The pretzel bun burger was also very unique and perfectly cooked. The service was friendly. read more

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This was a great little cafe in Park Rapids! The decorations, the music, the waitstaff-all amazing! The food was great and I would wholeheartedly recommend the jalapeño popper dip! I will definitely be back! read more

Hands down my favorite restaurant in Park Rapids! The food is amazing, staff is friendly, and there is tons of seating! They also have a room for larger parties! read more

A year later, still love everything about this place. The only thing that could improve it would be bringing back outdoor seating. Service was quick and friendly. The house salad- still excellent. Love the fresh green mix. And the sourdough- tastes like sourdough! That should not be a big deal but so many restaurants claim they are serving sourdough and it tastes like a plain baguette. Not here! Sour, crusty, right amount of chewy texture! Perfect for dredging in the sauce with the gnocchi. And oh, they get gnocchi right. perfect airy puffs that are just a bit crisp from a quick pan fry. Lovely dining rooks- I just want them to bring back outdoor dining!! read more

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Great food, great music, great atmosphere. I love the 90s pop rock theme and the open layout. The lighting is and seating area varied enough to where you should find exactly what you want. I had the walleye in a way I never imagined with sides I would not have guessed and it was fantastic. read more

Cute place! We had a large group split between two tables and enjoyed the quick and friendly service and delicious food. Especially enjoyed the sweet potato fries with their dip. Great spot for lunch! read more

Oh my goodness. Just go. It was phenomenal. Stopped here when visiting itasca state park for dinner one night. The food was amazing and the interior is trendy and fresh. Got the wild rice hotdish - definitely star of the show. Also got to try the Smørrebrød and the wild bison meatloaf - all so delicious. The sweet potato fries and maple aioli were a good shared appetizer/side. But there were so many yummy sounding dishes on the menu that I didn't get to try. Really wish it wasn't so far away - it would definitely become a regular stop! But honestly considering traveling back to park rapids just for this place... read more

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Absolutely fresh, delicious food. Healthy unique choices, rustic novelties and fun twists on classics. Presentation is top tier. Full bar with quality spirits and fresh drink specials. Atmosphere is clean and modern but not sterile. Cozy. Service has always been consistently pleasant. It can get extremely busy- a good sign! It's a must try. read more

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Whoa!! Pull out your maps and reroute your trip if you are going anywhere near Park Rapids Minnesota!! This place is amazing!! Can you picture upscale North Wood meets rock-n-roll? Comfort food meets New York Bistro? Then this is your place! Northern classics with penché My husband and I were delighted with the food and beer selection. I ordered the Smørrebrød-a generous (with a capital G) portion of honey smoked salmon served openfaced atop a goat cheese & caramelized onion spread on rye bread with mixed greens. SPEECHLESS. This was soooo delicious! I upgraded to a side of sweet potatoes fries just so I could try the maple aioli dipping sauce and was not disappointed! Hubby had the whiskey bbq pulled pork topped with apple chutney served on a ciabatta roll with melted Swiss cheese. Delightful! The chutney added the perfect bump to make this an unforgettable treat! The beer selection was carefully curated to represent about every category you could ask for and supported local/ Minnesota craft breweries beautifully. I know I am gushing, but this place made an impression!! Be sure to stop in you are in the area!! read more

The Good Life Cafe - Pulled Pork & Apple chutney on ciabatta roll with Swiss cheese - New American Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

Today was our anniversary. We tried to go somewhere else, but they couldn't seat us for hours, so we ended up here. Happy accident! The food and the service were great!! We ordered the Thai PB Burger (Soo good) and the Walnut Cranberry Salad. Both were delicious, even the house made potato chips were good. For dessert, we had the Italian Lemon Cream Cake. It was pretty tasty too. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, as (it seemed) were most of the staff. We were so pleased to have ended up here for dinner. read more

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Just wow. We went here twice on our weekend vaca because this is the absolute best spot around. Lovely wait staff. Cozy atmosphere. It gets pretty busy so you might want to call ahead if you have a big party. Amazzing menu with so many veggie options. The first time I got one of the burgers with a black bean patty. Soooooo tasty! Only down fall is that the patty is pretty soft and just completely falls apart so a little difficult to eat. All the burgers default come with chips which seem like they are house made and SUPER crispy crunchy but could use some more seasoning they were a little bland. I would recommend upgrading to the sweet potato fries. read more

The Good Life Cafe - La The Falefse - New American Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

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This place was GREAT! We shared the Japapeno Popper Dip and then I had the Cheesy Californian Burger with the battered fries (I am a fry snob and these were 100% worth the calories...plus they gave me the onion aoli, ketchup and fry sauce for dipping.). Really enjoyed the burger too. When I'm in the area, I will definitely come back. The restaurant design was very well done and the service was excellent! read more

The Good Life Cafe - Cheesy California Burger & Batter Fries - New American Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

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Really great option for a meal in Park Rapids. Very creative, but approachable menu that has something for everyone. Friendly service and a warm, welcoming, and fun space. High quality food with little creative touches and that is well executed. Nice craft beer and cocktail list. More of a Gastro pub than cafe, but that is exactly what I wanted on my visit. Highly recommended read more

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We used to really like this restaurant, but the last several times we've eaten there we've come away disappointed. What we thought was a one time thing seems to be their new standard. During our most recent visit, a burger I ordered was meant to be a 1/3 pound. I was not asked how I would like it cooked, and based on the taste and appearance (it was somewhat dry, very well done, and pretty small), I would not be surprised if they are premade burgers. The cheese sauce in the burger was grainy and powdery. A dish we ordered that came with peppers and onions had those veggies cooked so overdone they were literally mush. Overall, everything was very "eh". The servers also tend to disappear for long periods of time. This time around, we waited over 15 minutes for our order to be taken (the restaurant was not busy), we were never asked if our food was alright (we had to go find our server to get a missing food item), and we eventually had to ask the hostess herself for our check and take home boxes when our server was in the back room again for more than 15 minutes. While servers don't need to be checking in constantly, they should at least be available to flag down if you need them! Overall, not a horrible experience, but when a meal for 2 costs over $50 (no drinks or desserts), you'd expect much better food and service. read more

Wowzers! What a gem! Super neat eatery in the lake town of Park Rapids, Minnesota. Very chill vibe with a thoughtful menu. Definitely recommend the Wild Rice Hotdish and the Pretzel Bites with Gouda. Don't miss it! read more

Comfortable and inviting modern decor makes this a great place for any type of meal. The bar features some craft bears and enough liquor to make the basics. The staff is prompt and helpful. The food is fantastic. Stopped in on my trek across the frozen upper Midwest. What a find, an eclectic menu at very reasonable prices. I went with the waitresses recommendation of the Artichoke Bacon Burger...amazing flavor, top quality beef and absolutely a mess to eat - but it was well worth it. Pub chips on the side with ranch. Ready for a nap!!! read more

The Good Life Cafe - Artichoke Bacon Burger - New American Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

We had dinner here on the suggestion of one our friends, they were right...this place was great. Mitch helped us out, and got us started with some MN beers in good time. We opted out of Apps and just ordered dinner. I had the Baked Walleye dinner and my wife had the Walleye tacos and both were fantastic. There's a little ice cream and popcorn shop next door so after we paid we went right over for some treats to top it off. All in all a great place, very well laid out and decorated with great food and very nice attentive servers. read more

The Good Life Cafe - New American Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

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Visiting Lake Itasca with wife and son and stayed in Park Rapids a week ago. Looking for a local place and found "The Good Life Cafe" on yelp. Summary: Food ok to good. Maple Old Fashioned good and not lacking in alcohol (maybe a little too strong.) Service - meh. Sadly, we don't live nearby, so likely won't be back. In fairness, they have a lot of stuff on the menu that looks good, and this is just a one time experience. The owner states at the beginning of her description of the restaurant: "Welcome to the Good Life Cafe, where you're a stranger only once. Because eating out is about more than just food, we ask you to slow down, enjoy your surroundings, and allow us to show you Up North hospitality. " We walked in and the decor was impressive and modern. Gave me a feel that the food was going to be exceptional as with the service. Unfortunately, the service was matter of fact, if I'm being nice. Appears the servers were highschool teenagers or very young college students with attitudes. Our waitress was efficient but gave me the impression that it was an honor for me to have her as my waitress (I've had teenage daughters with attitudes and that's kind'a what I felt like. ) Certainly, if that "North hospitality", not sure I want more of it. They weren't rude, but close to the precipice of getting there. I had Smoked salmon on toast with goat chesse, arugula ( i believe) called the Smørrebrød. Came with chips (appeared to be house made.) Nothing else was suggested - just "are you ok with the chips?" Normally I'd ask for other options, but she seemed put out to offer other choices. Price - $19.75. Now I know smoked salmon is expensive, and the quality of ingredients was good. I enjoyed the sandwich - but one piece of toast with some goat cheese and salmon and chips for $19.75? My Maple Old Fashioned ( I think that's what they called it) was good - plenty of whiskey and no complaint there. Wife had pulled pork sandwich - good. Nothing to write home about. Son had Cheesy Californian burger - good. First time there, so don't want to be too rough. Lots of 5 star review - possibly a bad day for the restaurant. If the service had been better, would have given a 4 star. read more

Don't judge a book by its cover. Being a nearly lifelong summer resident of Park Rapids, I waited too long to try out The Good Life. It definitely isn't so much a cafe as it is a hip, trendy restaurant with a city vibe in the middle of small town lake country. Their menu is definitely on trend, with some try unique offerings. I've enjoyed everything I've had here. My only criticism is that the several times I've been seated at the bar, there hasn't been a dedicated bartender. Service has been friendly, but somewhat impersonal compared to other places in the area. That's the main reason I'm giving four stars instead of five. I appreciate warm fuzzies from the staff, and I've never really felt it here. That said, I recommend this place to everyone who asks me where to eat in the Park Rapids area. read more

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Every year we stay at a resort nearby and I'm always excited to stop back at this place. The food is very high quality, drinks are great and probably one of the best Bloody Mary's I've ever had. The highlight for me are the jumbo chicken wings. You won't find a crispier wing anywhere and they are still very juicy. Easily in my top 5 of all time. The beer battered fries are also about as good as you can get and the walleye blt was excellent. Can't wait to stop back again next year! read more

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The Good Life Cafe is one of only a few places in Park Rapids to find from-scratch, labeled vegan food. This large, friendly and modern bar-restaurant offers a vegetable risotto ($15) which can be modified to be vegan. I loved its hearty and rich flavor and the interplay with the candied walnuts they put on top. Who would have guessed? This thing comes together well. The homemade vegan blackbean burger ($13.75) was bland, however. While I love that they make this from-scratch (which is an uber-rarity in the era of Beyond and Impossible burgers), I wish they had seasoned it with something---chipotle? Paprika? Garam masala? Anything, really. Sadly, they don't have a vegan dessert, but their beer selection was respectable. Check out Good Life Cafe for something the most interesting food in a 100 mile radius. read more

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Love each time we come here. It's the best food and variety you're going to get for a long ways! We go frequently!

Menu looks good! We came at 5 and waited 35 minutes with no service at all. Asked host multiple times and we watched as everyone else got service. Even an acknowledgement would have kept us waiting. Super bummer we were looking forward to it but had to leave. Serious operational problem would make me concerned to eat their food. read more

Friends recommended this restaurant for the bacon Mac and cheese, which can be made vegan according to the menu. However, when I ordered it I was told it couldn't be vegan after all even though it said so on the menu. The waiter was sympathetic and helpful. He recommended a veganized turkey avocado sandwich which was good. However, the false advertising in the menu was unacceptable. I will never eat here again. read more

Really pleasant staff and a clean restaurant located on Main Avenue. Based on a quick look at those having lunch when we arrived it's obvious the restaurant is a favorite of local folks who work in the downtown area. It's a good choice. I ordered the Beer Cheese burger with Pretzel bun which arrived promptly. The burger was overcooked, the pretzel bun was definitely not fresh and the presentation was definitely not careful (see the photo). The jalapeno/bacon crumble topping definitely added some flavor to the dish but it wasn't enough to make the selection exceptional. The house made chips were well cooked and lightly seasoned. Easy to find location, good street parking, clean restaurant and restrooms, interested/helpful/smiling server. Food was just OK. Based on the number of options in the immediate area I'm fairly certain we'd try The Good Life when in town again but it could have been better...maybe with another entrée choice? read more

The Good Life Cafe - The Beer Cheeze with Pretzel bun burger. It no longer resembles the photo posted by the business but was an O.K. choice. - New American Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

We were looking for a place with something more healthy than a burger or deep fried walleye (not that there is anything wrong with that but we needed some change). Good life has options for vegetarians and the food is fresh and yummy. The place is very clean and eco friendly. We appreciated biodegradable agave straws and all gender restrooms. Our server was super polite and knowledgeable. read more

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The food is delicious, the wait staff friendly and efficient and the ambiance is good. We take all our family and friends here when they come to spend time at our cabin. Check it out you will not be disappointed. read more

Food tasted good, cool atmosphere looked neat. Only downside a little expensive in my opinion. But the food is high-quality for the price. If you're local to the area or passing through it's worth stopping. read more

We had both lunch and dinner at The Good Life Cafe on our 30th anniversary Twosday 2-22-22. We wanted the best place for lunch on our special day and it was very good. Dinner was not planned here, but it was really the only place in town open on a snowy winter Tuesday. We planned for dinner across the street at the Italian restaurant but they decided to not open at 5 pm because of the weather. So, we came to also experience dinner - the food was very good. And yes, I owe my wife a nice Italian dinner when we get back home later in the week. I read some of the reviews were disappointed with the wait time for The Good Life but anything good takes some time to prepare. Thank you Good Life Cafe for making our special day a little better. read more

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Friendly staff, cute restaurant and delicious food! I come to park rapids every summer for a large family gathering and the Good Life cafe has become a staple in our week. Highly recommend! read more

My husband had the bison meatball Philly and I had the Rachel super yummy! Plus we had drinks which were spectacular. The best part though was Alicia who was absolutely the best server ever. Had a great afternoon. Thanks!! read more

Amazing service, Amazing food, Amazing music, overall an amazing place! Y'all have to try the jalapeño popper dip, actually life changing Beer Cheese Burger was SO GOOD! read more

One of our favorites! We are missing their kind staff and tasty treats during COVID. We can't wait for you to open back up and support your business. Hang in there! read more

They serve GF BLT's they are amazing they serve popcorn next door too. Like a stop shop. Get delicious healthy food. And friendly atmosphere

I don't even know why I look at the menu. Get ya some meatloaf made with bison mix. Have a special old fashioned too, they do that right with Four Roses and some rye so it's not too sweet. And have you ever had one made from a batch that they put on tap? Beats the heck out of whipping up every one from scratch if you are a tender and it softens the edges nicely. Good stop when you are here. read more

The Good Life Cafe - Old fashioned, thank you sir may I have another?!!! - New American Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

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We stopped in for dinner and had a fabulous experience. Great ambiance, great personable services during terrific food! Healthy menu options and husband was pleasantly surprised with comfort food options as well! Grace was our friendly bartender and highly recommend, even if just to see Grace! read more

This place is a break from the bar and grill places I have frequented recently. Very nice little place in downtown Park Rapids with plenty of street parking. I decided to splurge and go a little over my preset average meal spending. The interior is nicely done and they have an outdoor patio. The menu is a bit more creative than most of the eating places I have encountered on my long vacation. I had to try the jumbo wings as an appetizer in the sweet chile version. The wings were jumbo and very flavorful, almost worth the $ 14 price for 10 wings. I also ordered the apple pulled pork sandwich that was very average but the fries were good. The service was spotty and I didn't get the impression the staff wanted to be there on such a beautiful day. All in all it was a good meal in a very nice setting with spotty service. I would go back for the wings and skip the entree. read more

The Good Life Cafe - New American Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

A surprisingly good and refreshing find in the town of Park Rapids. Not sure what our options were, when we ventured into Park Rapids, after a long day at Itasca State Park. A quick look at the menu, and we decided to give this place a shot. Place was packed on a Saturday evening, but we seated in a booth by the entrance. Service is fast and friendly. A full bar and lots of beer to choose from. Staff was kind enough to even provide a sample when we were unable to make up our minds. Large menu with lots of delicious sounding stuff to choose from. We opted for a Salmon Burger and an Artichoke Bacon Burger. With sides of pub chips and battered fries respectively. Pretty impressive, with the salmon burger being the better of the two. Fries were good and not soggy. Ambience is very nice and this place is a great change from the usual that one can expect in small towns. If you are in the Park Rapids area, give it try... We'll probably be back again. read more

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