5 stars for a good meal and a good drink We stayed at the Cantiever Distillery and Hotel in Rainer MN. The little town for the mast part was closed (off season). However this place was open for business. We had thier Smash burger with fries, I had a Old Fashion with Cantilever Bourbon a vary good, Smooth Bourbon. On the Burger and staff Our server brought us water and told us that there was going to be a large crowds order going soon... do you want me to place your order right away?? We took the hint and got it in ahead of thr crowd. Trust me I tipped him well that night. read more

Cantilever Distillery - This was my Smash burger with fries - New American Near Me - International Falls, Minnesota

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Cantilever does everything! They have a boutique hotel, distillery and restaurant altogether like a one stop shop. My friend and I first walked in here for their distillery tour. Luckily for us, we were the only one scheduled, so our guide was very flexible & was willing to accomodate to our schedule. When we got in, we had a great tour around the small facility that is their distillery. He took the time to answer any questions that we had and he was very knowledgeable about the whole process. Later, he sat us by the bar area where we got to do a tasting of the spirits. They were all very clean/strong tasting, so naturally we got food afterwards. I opted for a Flyin' Hawaiian Burger. It was a decently sized burger with a tangy twist and had ample fries. It was enough food to fill me up and soak up some alcohol before we headed out. Overall service was excellent - from our tour guide to our waiter. Everyone was really friendly & welcoming. read more

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3.5 stars. VERY cool venue. Neat cocktails. What looks like a solid menu Our dinner missed the mark. Fajitas and burrito. Creative but not well executed with soggy Spanish rice and some one-textured dishes overall. Super slow service but friendly. Worth trying again but I'd stick to the bar food not the Mexican dishes. read more

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While visiting Voyagers NP we stayed here also had dinner in the dining room. Hotel is very nice. Only thing right next to the railroad tracks. I'll use the provided ear plugs hope to sleep. Bed is comfy. They said they would have complimentary coffee in the morning. I thought I had read there was breakfast available in restaurant for purchase but it doesn't sound like it. Oh well we'll find something. We had dinner in the restaurant. We got the smash burger and fries. I ordered with out onion and special sauce. Was very good. Also want to shot out our waiter. He took our order and got it in before the big group which had the one room reserved. Thank you. I was hangry so I totally appreciated it. Also our service was good! read more

Cantilever Distillery - Old fashion drink. This is also a distillery - New American Near Me - International Falls, Minnesota

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This is the place I hit the one time a year I'm in international falls. Decent whiskey. I wish they had more expressions, but I like their rye enough I usually take a bottle home. He appetizers are huge, honestly I tend to just order one and call that my dinner. It's usually the nachos. Service is a little variable, sometimes very friendly, sometimes friendly but short staffed. They have wifi; sometimes it goes out and they're too busy to fix that. Realistically, though, it's the best food and serious cocktails in the area. Your other options are all classic dive bar or pizza joint. So, come up and enjoy! read more

We were going to be staying at the hotel and had a Minnesota Distillery passport to use, so decided to take in the full experience here with a tour and dinner as well. The tour was fun. It was a bit of a lower production time for the distillery, so not as much hustle and bustle, but we were able to ask a lot of questions and hear direct from the distiller. After the tour, we stopped in the restaurant/cocktail room for some beverages and food. Staff were friendly and the food was fantastic. One thing I would note is that portions are pretty generous, so you could probably split things. We had some chips and queso to snack on and got the tortellini special and stroganoff for our meals. We were stuffed! We had an amaretto sour and a tobacco old fashioned after our tour and a lavender martini and a ginrita with our meals. Drinks were all on point and really tasty. It was a nice enough evening out that the garage doors were open to let in some nice breeze and light. I can imagine it's pretty nice in the summer. Would definitely recommend stopping in if you're in the area! read more

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For being a small town distillery this place is great. Indoor/ outdoor seating, the bar was pretty busy when I got there at 7 but died down quickly. They only serve what they distill no beer. Blueberry lemonade packed a punch and the drunken pasta delicious and hot. read more

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Best spot in northern Minnesota hands down!! I had the pleasure of stopping at Cantilever Distillery on my way up to Canada and honestly I might just have to make a trip back here. Their drinks are amazing, we tried a bunch of them and even got the flight to see which one we wanted to order. I loved the lychee drink the best! For food, I got the hot maple wings and they were cooked perfect and had amazing flavor! We also got the tacos, shrimp, Buffalo wings, nachos and burger and again, all amazing and great quality! Their restaurant is decorated stylish and comfy! Must stop for all in the area!!! read more

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What a gem on the Minnesota/Canadian border! Great food...not your all to often fried food joint! The distillery had fine bourbon, rye & gin. Looking to north again for their gin. read more

I'm from Southern California and happened to be in town for my birthday so I decided to have my birthday dinner here. This place did not disappoint. Everyone was so pleasant. The service was fantastic. The food was delicious. The drinks were amazing! Happy to see the locals having a chamber mixer during my visit. Nice to see folks in the community support an event. Picked up a bottle of Woody's whisky only to see Woody himself sitting at the bar. Love the vibe. 10 out of 10, highly recommend. Thanks for making my birthday memorable! read more

Stopped here for dinner last night and we enjoyed it! The food was great - fish tacos and the smash burger!

Ambiance was great , service was good. The food and drinks are excellent, I wish I took photos of the food but we ate it too quickly lol. Great portions and very fresh. Make sure you try the Shrimp pasta. The Greek salad was also very good. The drinks pictured are the elderberry gin and tonic and the vodka blueberry read more

Cantilever Distillery - Cocktail hour - New American Near Me - International Falls, Minnesota

Amazing amazing! 4.5/5 taking 0.5 off cause they keep running out of menu items. The tacos were great! The cactus sauce to go with it is mind blowing! Great carne asap fries! The spirit tasting was amazing- juneperous gin is outstanding! I also stayed at this distillery and had a fun experience. Includes hot tub and sauna- very relaxing after a day at voyaguer national park read more

Walleye appetizer was awesome! A full fillet on a bed of lettuce and red bell peppers. Wasabi dressing was a great accompaniment

Recommended to me by a friend, I dined at Cantilever Distillery at the end of June following a long day exploring Voyageurs National Park. I was definitely parched and ordered the NA Lavendar Lemonade which was delicious. Not too sweet, not too bitter. I wish I ordered more than one, haha. In terms of food, the menu looked great but my server, Joe, recommended the Smash Burger and I obliged. No regrets there, the burger was great and cooked to order. As my server implied, the French fries were equally as tasty. The service was great and prices were reasonable, especially being so close to a National Park. I also felt like I was in the middle of no where...! Anyway, I left Cantilever feeling very, very full. I did not realize there is also a hotel on property and took a few minutes to explore a bit. Looks like a nice place! I will definitely recommend Cantilever Distillery to friends, family, and National Park lovers visiting Minnesota! Thank you for a great dinner and experience!!! read more

Cantilever Distillery - New American Near Me - International Falls, Minnesota

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This place is a gem! The food, service, and ambience were all fantastic. We just ordered a couple of cocktails and the carne asado nachos, but we were so impressed. I look forward to going back here next time I'm in the area. read more

Cantilever has a fantastic vibe which makes the visit. Cool open-air bar area, outside seating for those who prefer to sit on patio. We sat at the bar for cocktails and dinner. Great bartender. Helpful, friendly, checked in with us. Food was pricey for what it was. Either high cost of restaurants these days or tourist town, but definitely overpriced for what was served. Still, our sliders and Woody's special tasted good. The walleye was the best of woody's special. Suggestion to keep menus up-to-date. Three things we tried to order (two of which were cocktails) were unavailable. In one case it was because it was a seasonal fall drink which was not yet available in August. In the other cases they were out of ingredients. Overall, our visit was very enjoyable and this is a great place to enjoy a cocktail or meal while visiting Voyageur's National Park. read more

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An unusual review for this place. We stayed at the hotel with our dog so we ordered food from the restaurant and ate it in our room. I had the smash burger with fries and my wife had the Caesar Salad with steak. Both were well presented. The burger was very tasty, juicy and fresh. The salad was also fresh and a nice portion of steak. Had we had it in the restaurant I'm sure it would have been even better but overall we enjoyed the meal. read more

This small-town gem serves bar and grill favorites that are a cut above the rest. Big flavors, great presentation, and a welcoming vibe make it a true local gem. read more

I am a local, I have been to Cantilever multiple times and never had any issues. The food has always been great and the service/environment wonderful. Yesterday was a different experience than usual. We arrived on Sunday at little after 12pm, party of 4. We were the first ones in the restaurant. Our server was lovely, this is certainly not a review to hate on her. Our server informed us that the only food items available were the starters and the mids, and entrees were only available after 4pm. We ordered our food and the service was pretty slow. After about a half an hour of waiting, my mom and I got our food. My mom ordered the Flying Hawaiian burger and raved about how good it was. I had the shrimp and guacamole tostones; also amazing. However, those were the only two food items that came out, and my dad and my boyfriend were still waiting. Our server said it would just be another minute, as the other items were taking a bit and she didn't want to let our items which were already done sit in the kitchen. After another 10 minutes of waiting, my dad got his Baja Fish Tacos, again very delicious. At this point, our server said my boyfriend's Tuna Poke Bowl was taking longer because it was an entree and they didn't serve that until after 4pm , but they were making it for him anyways. Both my dad and my boyfriend said no, it was a mid, and she doubled down and said it was an entree. After another 10 minutes of waiting, my boyfriend's Poke bowl finally arrived. The presentation was phenomenal and my boyfriend said he really enjoyed it. At this point, my mom and I were finished eating. I've attached screenshots of the menu which prove that the Poke bowl was a mid on the menu, as well as the poke bowl and how pretty it was. Overall, the food was great, and service was slow but okay, and the timing of the kitchen could use some work. As a small business in my hometown, I will always continue to go to Cantilever, but I believe in honest reviews for improvement. read more

Cantilever Distillery - Menu showing Tuna Poke bowl on the Mids - New American Near Me - International Falls, Minnesota

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Prices are a little on the steep side, but there's definitely no question about the quality of the food. Have tried quite a few things from their menu and never really that disappointed (I'd say maybe 1/8 times where I regretted my menu choice). The staff is also usually pretty friendly as well which is nice. read more

Cantilever Distillery - New American Near Me - International Falls, Minnesota

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The is a cute little distillery and restaurant connected to a hotel in "downtown" Rainier, MN (by downtown, I mean 5 buildings). While The Cantilever might not have earned five stars if it was located in Minneapolis or another big city, it's an amazing experience considering that its location is so isolated and that its quality is so much higher than many of the other places around it. This was actually the first time we had "eaten out" in over three months. We are fairly concerned with safety related to COVID, and we only chose to eat here after checking it out. We were able to eat outside, there was no one seated within at least 10 feet of our table, and the server wore a mask. However, people were not really spacing themselves properly inside of the actual building in the bar area, and some of the workers inside were not wearing masks, so it wasn't perfect for COVID safety. While we had a good experience, we felt like you might need to remind them if you are concerned about distancing. The food was good and the portions huge. The deviled eggs are a must-order. The burger was pretty good; not the best I have ever had, but tasty. The ribs were a TON of food and super tender. The drinks were mostly good. We liked our first round of gin drinks, but I was not a huge fan of my second drink, an old fashioned. I felt like it was just two shots of bourbon with an orange peel thrown in. All in all, we would stay at this hotel and eat here again. After dinner, the town is pleasant to walk around, especially the riverfront. read more

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The hotel has a great atmosphere, as one reviewer states it is on the freight tracks, but we didn't notice the trains, they are moving so slow. The food and drinks were wonderful, but the best were the 2 two young ladies behind the bar. Very attentive and made for a fantastic experience. read more

Cantilever Distillery - Espresso martini. One of many great drinks from the weekend. - New American Near Me - International Falls, Minnesota

Amazing service! The drinks are fantastic and the hotel room is so spot on!!! Can't wait to return read more

Cantilever Distillery - Logo for Bar/Hotel - New American Near Me - International Falls, Minnesota

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In my mind, this establishment outshines the competition. The historic, refurbished building has all the right touches. The industrial decor looks amazing. This distillery makes a tasty product. Husband really liked the bourbon and I liked the mixed lemonade made with vodka. The restaurant menu is eclectic with different selections. Try the homemade chili over cheddar biscuit. It was the best. The tempura shrimp was well presented and delicious. Finally, our room was superb. It was so clean and beautifully decorated. The beds were very comfortable and perfect. The bath has boutique Molton Brown products that may be purchased. Our short stay in Rainer was quick but memorable because of our stay at the Cantilever Hotel and Distillery. The owners and staff were friendly and clearly focused on making their guests happy . I would highly recommend this place to those who want a unique place to stay. read more

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Stayed at the hotel and ate at the restaurant. Picked the hotel because it had a restaurant which was hard to find up there. Online there were a number of entrees but the menu ended up having only 5 entrees and most were burgers. Super expensive restaurant for what was realistically bdubs. Room was okay, towels were stained brown. Lady at the front desk was nice but otherwise we were met with staff who seemed very unpleased we were there. Also the parking lot is like the public beach parking alongside the railroad tracks. It was gravel and full so I had to park down the street. read more

Last weekend was my first ever trip up to International Falls and the Cantilever Hotel was such an amazing stay!! From the staff, to the decor vibe, to the amenities and cocktails- everything was fabulous! Really enjoyed a distillery tour from Robert and rooftop sauna in particular! Definitely would recommend this place to anyone venturing to that area and most definitely a place I will be returning to with friends and family! read more

Wanted to get away for a couple days for our anniversary and came to stay here! Wow! It's such an adorable boutique hotel! The ambience is a cozy industrial with amenities such as an exercise studio, hot tub and sauna. We enjoyed our room and the staff was friendly and helpful! We also had drinks in their cocktail room, an open space connected to the cute little lobby. I recommend their specialty drink, the ginerita, which is slightly spicy and not too sweet. We ordered our food to go and ate upstairs on the outdoor patio where we enjoyed the sun setting to the west, Rainy lake to the north and the sound of trains passing by. If you are a light sleeper, bringing a sound machine may help as trains pass by quite frequently through the night. This is a quaint little town where people know each other's names and welcome newcomers with warmth! read more

Cantilever Distillery - Outdoor sign - New American Near Me - International Falls, Minnesota

A group of us went here for drinks and appetizers. The appetizers were slightly upscale. I would recommend the short rib nachos. If you like bourbon this is the place to go. Their Manhattan is a whole new experience. I've had several at various places during my life but this was perhaps the best. My friends tried their gin drinks, which I tasted, and they really didn't appeal to me. They liked them so to each their own. read more

They have delightful cocktail menu!! This is such a cute place. The fries are perfectly crispy and the burger was good too. I loved the onions. The service is good and the restaurant has a good atmosphere. read more

Cantilever Distillery - Blood orange, rosemary, gin and tonic and raspberry lemonade - New American Near Me - International Falls, Minnesota

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Clearly the best restaurant for miles. Modern and upscale restaurant attached to a boutique, hip hotel. It is both a restaurant and distillery and the drinks are fantastic. For me, the food not as much- some things were much better than others. The vegetarian offering of the evening was chili which I ordered for my main. It was very ok, it didn't taste any better than a store bought packaged veggie chili, it wasn't flavorful or particularly substantive. My husband ordered the blackened walleye filet which he liked and I thought was, again, just ok. It was accompanied with fries which looked hand cut and were not too thin or too thick- just right, and mixed veggies which I swear were from the freezer section of the local market- awful. The highlight for us was the appetizer cauliflower, outstanding. Though I had been looking forward to either the bourbon sundae or the bourbon brûlée for dessert, based on the relatively lackluster food I decided not to risk further disappointment. The waitstaff was very nice. The patio was roomy enough. Bad for both us and our waitstaff- we were seated at a table elevated about a foot and a 1/2 or more off the ground...not easy for us to get up to and down from, but even more difficult for the servers carrying meals. read more

Cantilever Distillery - Vegetarian chili, cauliflower, walleye dinner. - New American Near Me - International Falls, Minnesota

Holy cow. This place is amazing! Who knew you could find such a gem in Ranier! First off, the atmosphere is really cool. Prohibition era building inspired by the cantilever bridge that used to bus liquor to the US during the prohibition. Music selection is great. The drinks are great. They distill all their spirits in house. We got the ginrita, old fashioned, cantilever club, and Ranier Mule. All fantastic. We also got their burger and walleye dinner entree. Both came with fries. We really enjoyed everything. Overall, this is a necessary stop if you're in Ranier. They're super ahead of the game in this town. They also supplied the entire staff with masks for COVID, and are encouraging social distancing & masks when not at the table. Come here now!! read more

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My husband and I stayed there for three nights while in town for a wedding this summer. The hospitality was wonderful as was the food. My husband was sad about no beer, but apparently it's the law at a distillery. Happily it is across the street from a brewery, so everyone got what they wanted. (I also recommend the ice cream shop across the other street!) If I had one complaint it was this horrible trend of having a barn door for a bathroom door. But why? Do you want to hear your significant other doing every bathroom thing with utter clarity?! No, you do not. If we have occasion to come back to the area, we'd absolutely stay there again! read more

A hidden gem in Rainier! I stayed here for a quick weekend solo trip to explore Voyageurs, fish, snowmobile and ski and I'm so glad I picked Cantilever! The food was good and the drinks (featuring their in-house spirits) were great, but the quaint, boutique rooms were the greatest appeal. I highly recommend any housemate cocktails, they're amazing! Definitely planning to return for a romantic getaway! read more

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We attempted to walk in, like a normal restaurant, and asked if we had reservations. And in the most snootiest way they said "We don't have room for you." The gal with the face piercings was not helpful. Needless to say, there were 6 open seats inside, and 12 open seats on the patio but they were unwilling to sit us. Then lastly as we stood there discussing what we wanted to do, the gal and guy stood behind us talking about "umm, they didn't make reservations" as if we were looked down upon. Never again. read more

Great place to dine or wet your whistle. Unique beverage menu. Annie was spot on with suggestions and service. Definitely recommend.

We are Sunbirds (leave HOT Gulf Shores AL summers in our motorhome & explore.) We visited Rainer in Aug 2021, dropped in for a couple drinks and lunch. Wow !! Fell in love with Cantilever & decided to come back to experience winter. Took us 3 plane changes to get here in Feb 2022 & if we could give Ed, his team, hotel, food, drinks, atmosphere and OUR ROOM 10 STARS, we would. The hot tub with snow and 10 below temps was truly an experience. Their hand crafted cocktails are crafted with their own locally distilled spirits & are award winning !!! Food is outstanding. Ice Fishing, Galentine's Day For Ladies, Valentine's Day dinner, snowmobiling, walking around Rainer in snow! Would HIGHLY recommend Cantilever to everyone. read more

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We ate outside and enjoyed the cool breeze. The food and service were good.. I had the salmon and my husband had the chicken.

A must go during Covid summers. We had our 9lb dog and were very hungry. We didn't want to leave the dog in the car. She had lunch with us on the elevated patio. Great customer service from the person who answered the hotel phone, to the host and waitress. It was a very cozy, classy, clean hotel. The patio was welcoming and very clean. Staff all had on masks. We ordered the whiskey sour, traditional to start. Drinks were balanced and strong. Husband ordered the blackened walleye. He loved it. I tried it and it was fresh!! I'm not a huge fish lover. I loved this walleye. I wished I had ordered it. I had the chicken, chorizo, alfredo pasta.. it was beautifully presented with curls of parmesan cheese. It was spicy, comforting, nicely seasoned. My dish came with a delicate green salad. I felt bad about the salad. I only picked at it since the pasta was so warm in my belly on this crisp fall day. Please support this business owner for doing business right! read more

The Cantilever Distillery is wonderful. Well appointed rooms with comfortable beds, claw foot soaking tubs, and rooftop patio with sauna and hot tub- overlooking Rainy Lake. The food, service, and craft cocktails in the main level tasting room were all top notch as well. Always a 5 star trip to Cantilever. I especially love trivia on Wednesday night. Cantilever and Ranier are perfect. The prices are great too, especially considering the quality of food, atmosphere, and service for this small town! read more

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