The gang at Lifehouse Coffee in Pine River provide an extremely friendly and cordial setting for grabbing a very good cup of coffee and pastry. They are affiliated with the Riverside Church located right behind their building.
Easy five stars for the warm welcome and engaging manner of the two guys manning the espresso machine and the register. Being a small town, you don't get the frenetic slam dance barista mode found in big cities where efficiency and speed are the overwhelming driving factors. The guys at Lifehouse take the time to make you feel genuinely welcome, even as they professionally and proficiently dispatch their duties.
I chose, from their nicely extensive menu, a massive mocha that added caramel (in the 20 oz range I think) and a blueberry scone. The mocha was delightfully flavored; rich & robust, complex & sweet. While the scone was smaller than most, it was only a couple bucks vs the usual $3-$4 cost. So the value ratio was good. They source these locally, so it indicates their community commitment. They also had some large muffins in the case that looked good.
There was plenty of seating and the premises were clean. This is obviously a regular spot with locals, given the friendly greetings and banter I witnessed.
So if you find yourself in the North Woods with a need for some caffeine jack-me-up, stop into Lifehouse Coffee in Pine River and let the very friendly folks behind the counter put some shine in your day. read more