Reviews for The Good Life Cafe in Park Rapids, MN
What a fun place for my mom and I to enjoy lunch on our visit to Park Rapids this Labor Day weekend. The GL cafe is located in... the downtown among many shops and a yummy popcorn ice cream place right next to it. The place is cheery and warm inside. Theservice very fast and organized and friendly too. I ate a dish very new to me. I had sweet potato falafel wrapped in lefseserved with a very fresh bunch of greens and veggies. There was also Tzatziki sauce on the falafel. My mom had walleye fishtacos and she liked them. It was a nice place to visit see lots of people. Even though we were hardly the only people there---itwas fairly crowded-- we could still talk and hear each other and I didn't feel overwhelmed by all the other diners the tablesnicely spaced and big picture windows. The wood work and interior of this restaurant also very nice to look at. There was a bitof a wait for restrooms though. The GL cafe prices also reasonable. I also enjoyed my hot orange spice tea. I would recommendthis place to anyone for lunch in Park Rapids it's good healthy food and excellent service. Read more
Really impressed me and my husband and honestly I consider us rather difficult to impress! Great atmosphere, great staff,... diverse menu with not your run of the mill ingredients. The most impressive part was the prices! These are hard economic timeswith ridiculous prices but this Cafe has manged to keep their prices and portions very reasonable. Great job Good Life Cafe! Read more
Have been coming here for years. They have grown from and flourished to a beautiful space with plenty of tables, but still may... have a wait time on bust weekends! Yes, the food is that good. The vegan/ vegetarian offerings are quite good even as someonewho does not follow those dietary restrictions. A surprising gem with a menu like you'd expect to see in a major metro butstyled and located in a great Lakes area town. We will plan weekends with explicit plans on hitting up The Good Life for alunch. Read more
This place is a bit deceptive on the outside. It could just be a place to grab a not so special sandwich. A quick bite to eat as... you shop the downtown. But it is so much more! Their cocktail list alone makes me wish it was just a thirty-minute ride and nota 3-hour road trip. I had a fantastic raspberry sangria made with cabaret, peach schnapps, lemon lime soda, and pureedraspberries. I've found sangria can be hit and miss, but this one, albeit with out fruit floating in it, was a definite hit. (Itwas garnished with a slice of orange and a cherry.) I then ordered the parparelle --am I spelling that right?-- basically a widefettuccine noodle -- in cream sauce, with roasted Brussel sprouts, chicken, and prosciutto. Mamma Mia, it was good! I don?t evenlike Brussel sprouts; that's how good it was. (So glad I didn't see them listed on the menu or I would have missed out. Like Momalways said, just give it a try.) They served the entree with a half loaf of salted garlic bread, still warm. It didn't looklike a lot of food, but I had to get a box to take half home. You know why, of course. I was thinking about the dessertlist! The lemon cream cake caught my eye. Took that to go, too. Hey, it's not like I wasn't going to be hungry later! Thecream was definitely tasty, but the cake was a little dry. Ah well, I'm not complaining. I've got my lunch all set fortomorrow. Oh, and terrific service. They seem to have a good team. Note: You'll splurge if you go here. $43 bucks with tip. Andif I wasn't driving, I definitely would have had a second sangria. I gotta feeling it would be even better than the first. So,nope, not a sandwich shop. But worth it. Yum. Read more
The "Good Life Café" is a gem that hits all areas. If you like Good drinks, great food, and a sleek, modern feel, this is the... place. Food: Not a massive selection, but carefully crafted recipes that have their own niche to fill. Walleye BLT and BisonPhilly are both excellent items and just several of the creative options. The potato chips are HOUSE MADE, and for once I lookforward to having chips; a little salty but not too much. Drinks: A standard-sized but strong selection of wines, cocktails,and beers that satisfy that craving. 4 reds, 4 whites, and a lot of beer! The wine is also chilled at a nice 54-56 degrees(depending on how many times it was opened) that keeps it cool and refreshing, really bringing out the flavor more; it'sgreat. Price: Good price point for everything surprisingly with its more modern aesthetic and more unique menu combinations. Mycabarnet glass was 6.5, the walleye Philly was about 15.5, which for a fish dish is a standard price point, but a deserving onefor the quality. Overall worth the cost. Service: Servers aren't over the top or anything; they're authentic. However that is aplus, as they are authentic while being attentive and courteous but industrious. If anyone is sitting around, they're cleaningsomething or with a customer, so if your wait time for a check smis a bit longer, you know why. Atmosphere: Sleek, classy andmodern. Angular, earthy colors on straight, angular countertops, unassuming wooden tables with cushioned booths, minimalisticdecoration, with indie-title band art adorning one particular corner and some occasional greenery that adorns the walls. It'soverall a very spacious but pretty look; one reminiscent of downtown Minneapolis/Saint Paul. Overall, I recommend for thecurious foodie or for a local, alike. Read more
We had lunch 8/28/21 at the Good Life restaurant and what a pleasure that we randomly dropped in on Molly our server and Ally... the chef and I do mean chef, not cook. Molly shared some of her suggestions on their N/A beer selection which resulted in metrying and thoroughly enjoying a new favorite. The menu had very wide selection of interesting options. Our first choice was thecheese plate appetizer, glorious, what Ally has done with the selection of goat cheese and the added sauces, a must try. My wifeordered the black bean burger, switched out the chips for sweet potato fries and the accommodating sauce, another must try andone I would order the next time we visit. My selection was the salmon open faced sandwich on rye, (first photo in post) it wasdelicious served with pickled onions and capers, and who ever would of thought of cucumbers on the side of salmon, genus! Fordessert we ordered a light lemon cream cake, oh my goodness, light, airy, refreshing, settling so gently on our tummies so asnot to make us feel uncomfortable as we ventured on our way back into the real world. Now as for the coffee, I like mine almostlike an espresso, strong, dark, rich and in this area this wonderful establishment fell a little short. Much better than mostrestaurants but not quite as strong as I like. I think you can guess that we will be back, our lake home is in the Hackensackarea and the 35 mile drive will certainly not be a hindrance to a return visit. To Ally the chief, Molly our server, and Mollythe owner thank you so much for a midday celebration of our tastebuds. Read more
Found this spot along our road trip route and stopped in for lunch. We were delighted by the menu options and enjoyed the... well-crafted meals along with the atmosphere and friendly staff. I think this will become a must-visit when we are near ParkRapids! The Smorrbrod sandwich was phenomenal. Read more
Metropolitan elegance in a small town. Stopped for a weekend lunch, upon walking into the restaurant- the set up is impressive.... Loved the booths with windows makes eating feel private yet spacious. Food and drink menu features locally sourced items andhouse created cocktails featuring items from local and nearby distilleries. It's important to note this is a Midwesternrestaurant tailoring to Midwestern taste. If your reading any bad reviews - that is a misunderstanding from the perspective ofthe reviewer. However our meal was beyond excellent. Fries are cooked to perfection. Food is HOT and hearty Midwest portions.Pictured is the Ruben with battered fries and the Bison Philly with sweet potatoe fries. Post dinner shopping at Molly Poppinsmakes this restaurant a great destination. Read more