We weren't planning on eating at Chocolate Moose, but after a mishap with the wifi at our hotel and…read morenot having much cell service in the area, we to give to give the first restaurant we saw on the way into town, Chocolate Moose, a try for dinner. This is a larger restaurant located right across from the Days Inn. We arrived pretty late, but even at 8PM on a Saturday everning, the place was packed. Luckily there was a table open and we were seated immediately. We ended up only getting one item to share because we had just eaten a ton of cherries and were not that hungry. The server was happy to accommodate. Fried Chicken Dinner ($20.99) - The dish first comes with a side salad, which since we decided to share, came split on two plates. It's a basic salad with some cucumber, iceberg lettuce, and shredded cheese, and is served with two whole small cups of dressing. Our choice was Ranch, which is surprisingly delicious. It's slightly tangy with that classic Ranch taste. It's served cold and is clearly superior to regular bottled dressing - I believe they mix their dressing in house. The fried chicken took about 30 minutes to arrive. It includes four pieces of chicken that are tiny - the smallest pieces I've ever seen other than Cornish game chickens. The chicken seems to be hand trimmed from a whole chicken, then hand battered and fried. The breast actually still has a piece of neck attached and the cut ends are quite messy. It's a homestyle, classical fried chicken, so it's fried hard until somewhat dry and chewy inside. The exterior gives a robust crunch, not quite cornflake/thick flour batter style, but a thinner crunchy coating. The chicken is bled thoroughly so there's no sign of extraneous myoglobin bloody areas that I sometimes see in homestyle fried chicken. It's salted and seasoned well on the exterior. The chicken comes with a bread stick. It's soft, fluffy, and chewy and is brushed with an appropriate amount of salted butter to liven things up. For the side, we went with the wild rice, which was our first try of this dish on the trip. The wild rice is really interesting. It's all curled up and popped open. It has a texture that's really snappy and bouncy, kind of like a hot dog in snappiness, but with the bounce of beef tripe. The taste is nutty similar to barley. We were so enamored with the texture that over the next couple of days, we actually visited multiple grocery stores and trading posts to pick up the various types available to cook at home - cultivated, wood parched, air boat harvested, and wild hand picked. (4/5) Given the tiny size of the chicken, the half chicken meal probably only feeds one person. It was enough for us, though, since we were not that hungry. I was quite surprised at the quality of the food at Chocolate Moose. I expected most of the restaurants in International Falls to be Sysco-reheated-food type establishments, but Chocolate Moose actually makes at least some (maybe most?) of their food in house. Bathrooms - Two larger ones with multiple stalls. Food: [4/5] Service: [+] Other: [ ] Final Rating: 4/5

Tried this place because it was right next to our hotel. My frnvh toast and hashbrowns were great,…read morewife said they have the best oatmeal she's ever had!

What a great find! Really fantastic breakfast burrito and BLT that we took to go to eat at the…read morenational park. Friendly service! Browse the books while you wait. Highly recommend if you're in town.

Slightly confusing on how the seating works when you walk in…read more.. I couldn't explain it again, so i won't try. The ordering process added to the confusion for me. Once you are past that.. it's a great place. As the name would suggest, there are books everywhere and that added to the overall fun of being there. Forgot what i had, but i enjoyed it. Really wanted to order a coffee for the road, but the line to order was pretty long.

Surprisingly good hotel restaurant! My creamy chicken…read moremarsala was delicious, the turkey burnt ends mac and cheese was really good too. Small menu that I think changes sometimes. Not a chain and not a standard hotel/bar restaurant. There is outdoor seating here. Seemed to get a fair amount of local customers along with us tourists.

The server was friendly and attentive. It was a nice space and they were accommodating and ready…read morefor our large group. On to the food - We had a table of 11 and unfortunately 6 of us had the walleye. It was not fresh. It was quite fishy tasting and there was a lively debate on whether it was actually walleye. However the older, stoic fish ordering folks wouldn't dream of complaining or wasting. They ate their fries and pretended everything was fine. The uneaten fish was shoved into a container for either the dogs or the pigs. I would have insisted on a refire or replacement. My husband had the ribeye. It was unusually thin and surprisingly flavorless. It was accompanied by waterlogged chopped vegetables and tasty fries. I was one of the lucky ones. I had the gnocchi with beef and pork ragu which was delicious. The coffee was good and the caesar salad was fresh and tasty. Others were satisfied with their shrimp tacos, chef salad and philly cheesesteak. The most disappointing thing is the fact that they KNEW that fish wasn't fit to be served. No way you couldn't know unless you're just going through the motions. Thank god no one got sick. My suggestion- just do a few things but do them well. Taste your food occasionally, especially fish items.

Yet another wonderful meal at The Thunderbird. Walleye can't be beat. The chicken n wild rice soup…read morewas so good too. The view is worth the trip for sure.

To me, best food on the lake. The Parmesan crusted walleye for breakfast or dinner is the thing to…read moreget. Get extra hollandaise sauce to go with it as well.

We popped in for a celebratory beverage and had a great experience. The bugs were too bad to sit…read moreoutdoors so we grabbed a seat at the bar. The gentleman who served us was super knowledgeable and fun to watch prepare our cocktails. All fresh fruit syrups made in house - the cocktails were amazing. I loved the Lime Tea. An excellent experience and we'll 100% be back the next time we visit!

Excellent meal with a beautiful view of the lake. Probably the best French Dip I've ever enjoyed…read more The wild rice soup was very good. Highly recommend.

The best Reuben sandwich I've ever eaten. Seriously. We ate here twice and second time I had the…read morefish sandwich. It was good, a little on the small side if you're really hungry. The people are really sweet who work here. It looks like what you think lakeside dining in the woods should. Check out the salt and pepper shakers.

Fun little local dive, within walking distance of several resorts in Kabetogama. Servers are…read morefriendly, and we especially enjoyed chatting with local diners. Draft beer selection is small but good, and the food is super fresh and tasty. The deep-fried green beans are a must-try! They're flash fried and still green inside, and totally addictive. The fried shrimp is also awesome. The fry bread tacos are unique and definitely worth trying. We took our leftover tacos home, and they reheated well.

I think i drove by several times looking for the name, as i had the address correct, but the name…read moreis pretty small. It's got a perfect coffee shop vibe, and i would camp there to work if i had time. They didn't quite understand 'give me something local' However, the white choc raspberry scone was superb and the coffee they made was pretty good as well. Tried to go back, but closed on Sunday

A surprise, an expansive fresh made menu, tasty in house roasted coffee and a laid back vibe. I…read morehear all the comments about waits and likely they are true, but chill people. This isn't New York or Chicago, take some time, have a conversation, enjoy yourself and your fellow travelers.

This place was the only place around the area that served breakfast and it is excellent…read more The first day my husband had the corned beef hash and I the small stuffed hashbrown. So glad was small because if was a huge and delicious side switch of cheese, ham, and onions. My husband truly enjoyed the ash. The homemade strawberry was delectable, so good I could not get enough The second day, knowing the servings were big we shared an omelet, which was also delicious and I asked for the jam. The servers were very friendly and helpful This place is fantastic for breakfast and we highly recommend it.

While the main menu is basic, uninventive diner food, their breakfasts get a five star. The stuffed…read morehash browns are the best a.m. splurge on The Trail. I like really crispy browns, so I usually ask for that, as it's not always consistent. The cheesy stuffed layer with the thinly sliced ham is decadence (you can substitute the meat, and their sausage is also really good). They are usually spot on with their egg prep, which is a rare thing these days. Try the cranberry wild rice toast as the side, or the swirly rye; yum! Their French toast is nicely toasted and not at all gummy; too bad they don't have real maple syrup to top it all off. The pancakes are delicious as well. Service is always personable and cheerful. Tuesday night bingo is also a fun small community experience and a hoot. Reserve early or you won't get in. Sometimes the bingo night one-pot meal of the night is fine (pulled pork sandwiches are a safe bet), and a bar pizza is another choice. The resort has a loyal following of long-timers, and it's been in the family for over 70 years.