Restaurants in Forest Lake

The Quad Community Press featured Classic Cadillac Diner:

Metal fences extend above a brushed metal bar, where platforms hold custom hogs––motorcycles decked out with flames and thick, silver rims. If the bikes don't paint a picture, how about staggered biker signs dangling from the rafters, or a homestyle menu of flame-kissed favorites? Fatboys was formed in 2004 as a place for bikers to compare tattoos and crochet helmet cozies, but as time passed, a more diverse clientele began streaming in for the food and ambiance.

Amid neon signs and the clack of pool balls, black lacquered tables populate with golden-fried apps, meaty sandwiches, and the signature Fatboy burger––a full-pound of USDA Choice beef with three kinds of cheese and four strips of bacon. Warm weather triggers the opening of an enormous V-twin patio, where patrons can sip a brew while watching barbecue-slathered ribs slide right off the bone.

In addition to supporting charitable organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Fatboys hosts events such as karaoke, live music, and the Biker Babe Bike Wash, which allows bikers and rebellious chariot drivers to have their wheels shined to a pristine sheen.

Wintergreens Bar provides a sanctuary for fairway-weary golfers of all skill levels, who can improve their game in indoor comfort on four virtual-golf machines. Featuring 30 different courses displayed in all their verdant glory, clubbers can practice their swing without the hassle of defending hats from dive-bombing birds or shoes from swarms of sand-trap-dwelling crustaceans. Players can create digital divots using clubs borrowed from Wintergreens, or the iron they always carry in case of rumbles between their argyle gang and plaid rivals. A game-ameliorating sampler tray brings onion rings, mozzarella sticks, and toasted ravioli to the stomachs of ravenous golfers, and a pitcher of beer provides a convenient excuse to propose toasts to high scorers.

Brothers Brent and Brian Pilrain pay homage to the prevalence of the Roman Empire in Europe during its heyday by combining Italian fare with cuisines from France and Germany, using ingredients and premium meats including certified Sterling Silver beef hand-selected by chef Brian himself. Inside the kitchen he gets to work by firing pizzas in the wood-burning brick oven and baking tender beef wellington. Mirroring the chef, the dining area's mural depicts a stone carving of cooks flipping disks of pizza dough in front of fiery ovens, and the nearby bartenders pour glasses of red and white wine, and pass out cold bottles of craft and imported beers. Adjacent to the dining area stands a dark timber archway, which opens to a European deli's glass display cases stocked with Boar's Head–brand gourmet meats and cheeses, lobster cannelloni, and hand-tossed calzones.

The crew at Cobblestone Cafe has manned crackling griddles and grills for more than three decades to forge a menu of time-tested diner fare. Around the forest-green eatery, patrons at outdoor tables feast on egg skillets, pancakes, and breakfast wraps or enjoy fresh air not purchased from corrupt park rangers. As the sun rises higher in the sky, plates clatter with loads of meatloaf, burgers, and french-dip sandwiches.