Riverside On the Root

Gave this two stars for ambiance and rustic setting. Service and food would have been only one star. Has great potential will try one more time but the owners have work to do.

We left feeling underwhelmed, but not completely disappointed. This place claims to have been voted best patio in SE Minnesota, so we had high expectations. The patio… eh. At best. We started with bruschetta, which wasn’t great, so our expectations were immediately lowered. The entrees, however, were pleasant. I mean, if you can describe food as pleasant. The primed rib was excellent, tender and flavorful — a bit small for a king cut. The salmon was great. The wild rice was extremely overcooked & under-​seasoned. The corn on the cob was… as good as boiled corn can be…
We left still hungry, and underwhelmed.

The pickle burger is absolutely amazing. Definitely try to sit on the side porch with a view of the river. My only suggestion is more beers on tap.

Went to Lanesboro for a getaway with my hubby. Damion our waiter and was amazingly delightful. So fun having someone really care about their customers. My hubby loved the local brew that Riverside makes themselves. The wine was yummy too. Had prime rib and it was tender and super flavorful. Thanks for the live entertainment. It was a delight being outside and enjoying good food, music and atmosphere.

Good food and friendly staff! The pizza was great and so was the Reuben sandwich. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive!

Nice friendly restaurant on the trail head and overlooking (‘tween the trees) the Root River. There’s a nice outdoor patio plus a covered porch on the first floor. Second floor has a small bar with a few tables and two narrow porches — one overlooks the main street and the other has the same view as the first floor porch.
Great place to kick back with a decent wine list and 4 – 5 beers on draft plus other bottled beers. (The Schell’s Heffeweisen tasted especially good after each day’s rides while sitting on the porch overlooking the street and our hotel across the way)
Food was good and well-​prepared. The first night we had pork tenderloin and second night we shared a Hawaiian pizza. Service both nights was pretty good and they had only three servers the second night.
I’ve read a few reviews elsewhere and some complaints about the food, service and «pours» of wine. Based on our two nights there, I can’t agree with the criticisms … our experiences were great.
Maybe part of the difference is expectations. We’ve been to Lanesboro before and it’s on a slower «clock» than other similar towns such as Stillwater (MN) or Ephraim (WI). It’s a bit more laid back and most of the visitors seem to like it that way. However, we did see a few groups or couples who seemed to have expectations that would be better met at Stillwater.
We like both places — but especially liked our stay in Lanesboro as we wanted a much more comfortable and casual time for our short get-​away.