What's not to like? Lu Lu Beans coffee shop in Willmar is one of the cutest coffee shops I've ever…read more"bean" to. Ha, ha. The small sign outside says "Welcome home friends" which hints at the overall atmosphere you'll experience at this popular Willmar coffee shop. Old guys with bald heads and white chin beards gather around a small table on the patio to sip coffee, discuss their golf game and gripe about the rising cost of home owners' insurance. Nearby, a couple of moms in yoga pants catch up before launching into their busy day. Inside, a 20-something works remotely at a table not much bigger than her laptop. And there's me. A not-so-young-anymore dad from the cities with nothing better to do than hunt for a good espresso and write wordy Yelp reviews. I ordered a daily brew, my usual, which was fine. TBH not any better than coffee out of my Keurig. They had an espresso category on their chalkboard menu but I didn't see that a simple cup of espresso was an option. I could be wro Nevertheless, it's the vibe of the place that makes Lu Lu's so special. Set in an old house? Gas station? Country store? I don't know, but I love the friendly, homey feel. The different rooms have your usual tables and chairs, but also comfy oversized chairs, couches and love seats. Want to work remotely? No problem- tables and chairs of all sizes. Want to hang out and chat with your bestie or curl up with your favorite book (or electronic device)? Check! Looking for a cozy patio surrounded by potted plants? Got you covered. (Literally, the patio is covered by a lattice pergola covered in vines that crest a nice shade on a sunny day). I also love that the walls are covered in employees' artwork. Some of it is even for sale. The decor is well curated country chic with lots of live plants, cute antiques and I feel like there's got to be a cat quietly snoozing the day away somewhere around here. (Probably not really, but it wouldn't surprise me to feel something furry brush up against my leg). Lu Lu Beans coffee shop is as if your oddly hip grandma was a tattooed, big city barista who decided to start a new life in Willmar after working for Martha Stewart. It's a good thing.

I was looking for a nice latte for my morning fix. Lu Lu beans was close to our hotel and I headed…read morethere. Such a cute place. It's a former home turned into a coffee shop. Intimate rooms allow you to enjoy your coffee or do some work. Many were sitting out on the patio enjoying lively conversation. Staff was very friendly. My latte was nice and hot and flavorful. I bought some beans and found they source their coffee from Uproasters in the Twin Cities area. Great stop.

Very friendly staff love the environment you can go inside and have a meeting while enjoying a nice…read morecoffee

Great smoothies and coffees. Love the vibe. The variety is great with lots of beverage options.read more

This place is a step above the rest. Great latte, great chicken pesto panini, and excellent…read moreservice. Decent amount of seating - a good maybe 6 or 7 tables along with set of sofa and lounge chairs. Food was good, but service is what made it.

Had a bizarre, unfriendly encounter. It's such a cool place but the gal behind the counter was…read moreunusually unfriendly. Zero hospitality, zero personality, zero greeting. I'm lucky she asked what I wanted. I believe this person hates humanity and loathed my presence in their shop. Though I'm not sure why as there was only one other person there on a Thursday at 2pm. I gave a $5 tip on my $4.50 coffee and there was absolutely no thank you or acknowledgment whatsoever. No 'have a nice day' or anything. This is completely inappropriate behavior when working at a non-corporate owned coffee shop.

I get it--it's a small town, it's for locals, and Minnesota isn't known for its food, but holy cow…read moredid they fail. On a roadtrip, stopped by after checking out the Airbnb because we were hungry and needed food. Saw this place, looked sketchy, but it's the best we were going to find. It's an old diner with a church basement-activities area vibes Someone asked for the omelette and they had melted a kraft single slice on top of the thin omelette. I asked for hashbrowns and...well, please see the picture I shared. The defrosted hashbrowns were unreasonably undercooked and sad. Just sad. Nothing was salted, I added hot sauce to the hashbrowns to make it edible. The waitress was a young lady who was probably confused to see us there but was polite and nice the whole time. Sometimes when we travel, we sometimes run into a time where places like this are the ONLY option, believe me THIS place has mediocre food, but I'm still giving it 5 stars because I see that the locals love this place. Travelers are visitors into their small town world, and even if we don't like the food, plenty of other people do. So come patronize this business Some tips-#1 ask the waitress to ask the chef to leave the food on the grill a little longer, this will ensure that the food is cooked all the way #2 don't get the omelette #3 do ask for coffee, they use folgers and sometimes that's all you need while road tripping #4 everyone will stare at you as you enter, pick one person and just stare back, they will look away and the other patrons will quickly realize that you stare back and they'll try harder not to look #5 eat pancakes and syrup. Safe Travels everyone!

What an amazing small town cafe for this city boy! Great breakfasts staring their hash browns. We…read morecame back for lunch because they had a beef commercial on the specials board. It didn't disappoint. Pricing was fair and service was friendly. Time to table was great. We were greeted by a table of six sugar beet farmers as we walked in and plan on returning next week when our work brings us past there again!

We had a bit of mixed reaction with our food. All of our main dishes were great! We tried the…read morechicken burger, the shrimp burger, and a chicken pesto sandwich. Both burgers were very tasty and the accompanying fries were fresh and tasty. The chicken was a little on the dry side but the pesto was great. The tater tot side upgrade was a bad choice. They were overdone and pretty awful. We all opted for desert and the pies were soooo good. The lemon cloud was so refreshing and the strawberry peach was sweet and tart. The carrot cake was good but the frosting was too sweet and lacked flavor. The service was quick but the servers have a lot of tables so the waitress was not overly friendly or inviting. We felt like we were a task and not a guest. Would we go back? Yes but.....I would order differently and stick with the things that they are best at.

Sorry I didn't take pictures, but it was wonderful!! The steak and eggs with hash-browns and toast…read morewere delicious!! A great serving size to fill me up. Steak was cooked perfectly and everything tasted great! The service was wonderful! She was prompt and communicative, and she checked on us several times. It's a great mom and pop spot. Very cozy and comforting! Glad we chose them!! Now, belly is full, time for a catnap haha

For a small town diner, this place really delivers on great food - for a cheap price! - and very…read morefriendly service. We came in on a Saturday morning for a family brunch and were taken care of right away. I ordered the BBQ Benedict, which seemed unique and like something I can't get just at any breakfast joint. Also got a single slice of French toast. Both were delicious! Other unique breakfast items to check out: French toast fritters and wild rice brats. Others at my table got those and raved about them.

Hands down our favorite restaurant in the Alexandria area. Worth the drive to Garfield. Our family…read morefrequents this restaurant for weekend breakfasts as well as weekly during their evening hours. It is always great! This is a must try for everyone. You won't be disappointed!

They have awesome beverage options, delicious food and incredible staff!!…read moreI aways look forward to going there!! I would highly recommend them and they will continue to have my business!!

Great lattes and delicious bran berry muffins that were heated up for us and sweetly served with…read morebutter, napkin and silverware ! Cheerful homey atmosphere; we could imagine the town being grated for this local cafe!

Super friendly service, generous portions of delicious, home cooked food and I appreciated their…read moreefforts to accommodate a food allergy I have. Highly recommended -- a gem for hungry travelers passing through this way.

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.

This is a great place! My dad and I stopped on our way out of town after a recommendation from a…read morefriend. We shared the hashbrown omelet and the French toast special, everything was delicious and I got a side of bacon which was perfectly cooked. There was a little bit of a wait but they have a pager system and we got seated fairly quickly. Service was quick and food came out fresh. Parking can be tricky because it is a small downtown but we lucked out with a spot right out front.