Italian Gardens at Grand View Lodge

Nice selection of food! I enjoyed how everything was spread out throughout the ballroom so it never felt crowded. The turkey was very moist and probably the best I've had!

Wow is a good way to describe our experience. This was the most lavish Thanksgiving buffet that we have experienced. Better than anything in the Twin Cities area. Every conceivable item from the carvers section including duck and pheasant. A great seafood selection, huge selection of desserts and more. The new venue is not as nice as the Heritage Room but was ok and makes it easier to handle the large number of people and family groups. The only detractor were the children and some adults touching things without taking them and licking their fingers. Some of the children were allowed to roam unsupervised, however, we witnessed numerous instances where the child was standing right next to the parent and touching everything in sight-repeatedly. We don't usually go to buffets. Is that the usual behavior? The food was great, good service for what was needed and a very friendly staff made for a reasonably pleasant time.

The $60 carbonara for two was far from perfect. Guanciale was burnt, egg and parm sauce was overcooked and chunky. The meatball app was ok.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 3

Nice, cozy interior and very quick and friendly service. The food was terrible though and the prices don't make sense. We went with our kids whose $9 pasta order was the same size as the $60 sharing portion my wife and I got. All the pasta was overcooked to the point of being mush. No idea how you can serve that at an Italian restaurant.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 5

I was incredibly disappointed with the food I received, especially considering the cost. I paid $450 for what should have been no more than $120 worth of food. For example, I was charged $100 for just five slices of lasagna, when I would have expected at least a full pan for that price. The value did not match the cost at all, and I left feeling frustrated and unsatisfied.

We had high hopes for the family style Italian experience while staying at Grandview but it just wasn’t that great. The food was pretty bland - there was a lot of it - but bland all around. We also were disappointed that we had called ahead to determine what was dairy free for one in the party with a dairy allergy. We were given a specific recommendation but when we got there, was told it had cheese in the sauce. She ended up only having an option to have spaghetti noodle with olive oil on it - very underwhelming. The service was equally mediocre - was never asked about drinks (we would have ordered) and salads came with the main entrees. The cottage is cute and it is convenient if on property but I would temper your expectations (or better yet - grill out at your cabin…)

We came here tonight for my parents’ 49th wedding anniversary. We had never been here before, sadly. My mom has Parkinson’s and so do ing out isn’t easy. We were seated at the most accessible table for her. The staff was beyond amazing and so well trained. Extra special praise to our server, Mallory.

Great Easter brunch at GrandView! Perhaps the best brunch buffet ever! Great selections, always fresh foods, excellent service. Very happy to dine there!

Great food

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This place is really cute and the food is AMAZING. I have been telling all of my friends to try it if they are in the area. Best Carbonara I have ever had.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Beautiful quaint restaurant with a nice selection of family style meals. Portion sizes can feed 3-6 people. We have the kiddos and 2 of their flatbreads easily fed them all. Loved the atmosphere - it feels like a little escape into some small European city. Bonus they had gluten-free options which is always a hit for me. The family enjoyed our visit as we were just driving through...we weren't staying at the lodge.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Wonderful place. All fresh and homemade. Not a fan of Italian food but didn't matter. They do it very well.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Cannolis, Meatball

This place is a hidden gem! The menu has a broad selection to meet everyone’s Italian tastes.

The portions are quite sizable so be prepared to bring home some food.

Lasagna has a low “Minnesota hot” spice to it. A very good meal for Lasagna lovers.

Chicken Marsala had a light breading on the chicken and was just slightly on the salty side. But still a good dish to try.

Cheese-stuffed Manicotti is fantastic! Light and creamy with a lot of Ricotta. This was the table favorite.

A very good wine selection and the staff were on top of their game.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Loved the idea of the igloo, unfortunately Freddy's under delivered this time around. We were celebrating a special birthday and called ahead to order a platter that needs 24 hours advanced notice. They seemed confused about this when we arrived and asked about it. Igloo was short two seats, (only had seating for 4) and our server never returned to help us so we had to get our own chairs. Restaurant was clearly under staffed and our server was doing her best in the situation, but we felt it. Thankfully we were only planning on happy hour, so we left without ordering any additional food/beverage after the first round. Felt overcharged for the experience we had. Probably would not return or recommend to a friend. Too bad as the setting has the potential to be magical.

Cheese curds were fried to the point there was barely any cheese left in them. Steak salad with some weird flank steak.. not appetizing.