Immediately greeted with genuine and warming customer service. Made me feel welcome, informed and comfortable right off of the bat. Atmosphere is clean, crash and eclectically decorated to the appropriate season. New game room is awesome! Pull tabs, game room, full bar and unique menu. Apps and meal deliciously fresh, generous portions and picture perfect presentation. I'm surprised but pleased that this is a new establishment- very professional owners who have quickly dialed in a worth while experience. Give this hidden gem a try. Like myself and the terminator, "you'll be back." 5 shooting stars read more

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The food was fresh and very good! The one disappointment was the limited sauce provided - all sauces were either packaged or pre-portioned out. The patio is super cute and the service was quick. The Minnesota theme is perfect for the Dorset area. Overall it was a good lunch. read more

218 Venture Bar and Eatery - Chicken tenders and sweet potato waffle fries - Desserts Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

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We have been visiting this business in most of its prior iterations- The Chicken Coop most recently and the Dorset Cafe since the early 1980s. We were excited to learn it was being revamped and given new life. We visited after it had only been open a week, so naturally we understand it may not have found its flow just yet. Food was average- 3 of 5 stars. We had the Walleye Fingers with Chipotle sauce (or as the waitress called it "Chi-POLE-tay" sauce. They were pretty decent, nothing to write home about, likely frozen. but we appreciate the nod to the north country by incorporating that in the menu. We tried to order Spam bites, but they were out of them. We also got the BBQ pizza. It was also just average. The crust needed to have been cooked a bit longer, but the toppings were good. Service was quick and friendly. Everyone seemed a bit nervous or else not quite yet knowing what to do, but that is understandable in their first month. While we admire the new boat theme on the patio and the beautiful new decor, it was missing the Northwoods nostalgia we have come to love and appreciate about this place. We can certainly respect change and improvements, but it was missing the warmth and welcoming feeling it once had. I think the updated decor, while to many would seem like an improvement, seemed to leave us the most disappointed. A little bit of Dorset or Park Rapids memorabilia would go a long way in a place like this. Little details still need to be ironed out- like offering coasters at the bar, and having real menus instead of photocopies. We will come back and update our review as they settle in. read more

The food and service was great best mushrooms with burger I have eaten and the longest time it brought me back to way back in the day when I was growing up the real thing in the scenery. There are so much to look at. It is an actual nice place to be read more

Best burger (218) in a couple of years! My son had the Wings and they were very good, too. Great service. We'll be back!

Still weird on the payment style Food was better Beer was cold ( They had Busch Light this time ) The chicken sandwich was good that I had Place was clean Staff was good read more

I want to understand why this place remains open. It appeared from the beginning that running a restaurant was getting in the way of the owner's desire to do other things. So, they close and post various reasons for each closure leaving the reader suspicious of the explanation. They started serving breakfast. That lasted about 8 weeks before they decided they didn't want to do that anymore. So they stopped that program, changed the hours, and now they are closed on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. They are open three days from 4-8 and a little longer on Saturday. The food is good and it could be a 4 or 5 star restaurant but it probably will never be. read more

Our first time here and WOW!!! We ordered Walleye Fingers, 218 chicken wings, fries and jalapeño poppers. The walleye is huge, lots of tender meat and the breading was a little thick but needed to be to hold all the flaky walleye. Some of the best I've ever had. Fries were the thin type and i always order extra crispy and these fit the bill. The wings were nicely cooked and crispy and the 218 sauce is addicting. Its like a smoky oniony sweet and sour sauce that pairs perfectly. The jalapeño poppers had chopped peppers with a cheesy cream cheese and then batterer and deep fried. Really tasty. We sat at the bar and had the pleasure to talk with both owners who are busting their butts to deliver outstanding service and food. They did a great job remodeling the restaurant into a welcoming up north destination. If you're within :30 of Dorsett its worth the ride. read more

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Buddy and I stopped in for breakfast Saturday. Both of us had omelets, I followed the recommendation of our very friendly server and had the hashbrowns stuffed into it - chefs kiss. GREAT place! The only thing better than the food and perfect Bloody Mary (made exactly as requested) was the service. The 2 gals working (assumed to be owners) were very sweet & attentive. My group will definitely be back during snowmobile season. Go out of your way to stop in if anywhere near this place. Bonus points for the boat & car themed decor. read more

The best place for food and fun around! Come up and visit the best place in the area! Tina and Kim are the best!

I have eaten at this location for over 30 years in its various forms, and it was something we always looked forward to when we came to the lake in the summer. When the former owners of the Chick'n Coop (as it was known then) announced the sale to the new owners, it was said that the broasted chicken would still be available. It is not - and neither are several other great menu items that were formerly served. Instead of the former "Northwoods" food (and decor), it now has a trendy menu, and mostly rather generic decor. And, the former dining room is now a game room. Overall, it is just a totally different place then what we came to know and love. Very sad to see another traditional Minnesota restaurant & bar go. We won't be back. read more

Good food & service is not an idea that the owners thought up as they would have you believe. It is a basic quality that customers demand of every restaurant. Does the 218 have it? Maybe! In order to prove the 218 is going to be a successful restaurant, the owners need to get over the "Hey look at us" phase and get to the "L at this stage" in showing the food & service quantity by advertising with photos in Facebook and the paper. Also customers need to know the hours the business is open and have a menu to read at a minimum. Specials and features should be posted to keep the interest fresh all the time. So communication needs work. It is considered a rule to open early in the week and work toward the weekend fixing issues as they make themselves known. That did not happen. What happened was a bit of chaos with more business that they could handle. Things will get better going forward! I'll be back and so will you! Here's hoping for a better experience next time. read more

Tina and Kim are amazing hosts. The decor is unique and has a great lake/cabin vibe. Our favorite things to order are the Mother Clucker and the 218 burger. The selection of tap beers is very good and everyone is very welcoming and friendly. Give it a try - you will not be disappointed. read more

We wandered in on a quiet Friday at around noon. The place seems very clean and well decorated. The bathrooms are VERY clean. The service was appropriate. The server brought us a basket of popcorn (pretty good) and returned quickly with a drinks menu. There is a large selection of draft beers. The menu is your basic bar food selection. This is not a criticism just explaining your choices. The food was very good: fresh and well made. I had the chicken sandwich and Boyfriend had the walleye sandwich. Fries were fresh. Sandwiches were large. The server was helpful but not bothering us too much. The restaurant has a lovely outdoor dining area that would probably fill up if there were some umbrellas or shading. Maybe it fills up after the sun goes down. Overall a great bar-restaurant with good ambiance for lunch. I'll have to go back in the evening to check out the night life. :) We will definitely go back. read more