This place has the best hamburgers in the county. I think the toasted buttery buns are what makes them so amazing. For breakfast, I highly recommend an omelette -- they are huge and fluffy and come with delicious buttery toast. Now that I'm well into adulthood I try to avoid donuts most of the time, but I make an exception when I'm in Fairview. The coffee shop's donuts are the best you'll find ANYWHERE, hands down. The cream filled long john will melt in your mouth, and their cinnamon rolls come close to perfection as well: huge, gooey and very cinnamon-ey. The pizza is also very good; it is much improved over the former owners' recipe. The incident involving the truck crashing through the restaurant in 2007 was tragic (and almost took out my parents and an aunt of mine), but if there is a silver lining it is that the interior of the restaurant has been completely remodeled. Prior to the accident, the place looked like it had since the 1960s (or perhaps even earlier). It now has a wonderful northern theme going on with lots of handcrafted knotty pine decor. NOTE: If you are an animal rights activist, you will want to avoid this establishment, as there are a lot of taxidermied animals hanging on the walls. My only critique is that I wish the menu was a bit more creative. Most restaurants in the northern woods aren't really taking the kinds of risks with their menus that food joints in more urban areas are able to do. But for its standard fare, and for the population it typically serves, the Fairview Coffee Shop is as good as it gets!
(4)
Jen M.
Very friendly service. Had a great burger on homemade bun w fries. My husband enjoyed his burrito. Wish we had tried the homemade pizza based on the ones we saw on nearby tables. Next time.
(3)
Mark M.
The food is currently as good as it has ever been in this long-time eatery/bakery. The burgers, as others have said, are really good. Also, fresh baked goods every morning if you're into doughnuts and such. I was not very impressed with the pizza, and I had a calzone recently that was a flop (no pun intended) but most of the menu is excellent. Parking is limited as it looks like the grocery store actually owns what seems like it should be the restaurant's parking lot. That said, there is street parking and it's not that big of an issue.
(4)
Lester G.
The coffee shop is worth a stop, either on your way farther up-north or a destination. We live nearby and stop here regularly. The bakery section is small, but fresh every morning. Give the apple fritters a try. They have a nice breakfast menu, good sandwiches and soup for lunch, and really special pizza crust. Don't miss the pizza.
(4)
Kait G.
I've eaten at here on and off for the past 25 years. It's gone through many owners, some do a great job and others should be horse whipped in the town square. When I was a kid, the glazed donuts were huge, fresh and sugary sweet. These things would have put Krispy Kreme out of business. Their breads were fair but nothing topped their donuts. They had a well rounded family style menu which was in place over the years. I ate there last year and was sad to see how dark and dreary the restaurant had become. It's run by one of my high school class mates and I'm not sure what happened but he's one who deserves a horse whipping. I ordered take out, daily specials and the food was average. Not made with the love and fresh ingredients I remember as a kid. Gone were the real mashed potatoes, meat loaf and roasted turkey. This was all GFS out of a can. If I ever decide to return home, I'd buy this place for the sole reason that it could be great again!
Jon L.
This place has the best hamburgers in the county. I think the toasted buttery buns are what makes them so amazing. For breakfast, I highly recommend an omelette -- they are huge and fluffy and come with delicious buttery toast. Now that I'm well into adulthood I try to avoid donuts most of the time, but I make an exception when I'm in Fairview. The coffee shop's donuts are the best you'll find ANYWHERE, hands down. The cream filled long john will melt in your mouth, and their cinnamon rolls come close to perfection as well: huge, gooey and very cinnamon-ey. The pizza is also very good; it is much improved over the former owners' recipe. The incident involving the truck crashing through the restaurant in 2007 was tragic (and almost took out my parents and an aunt of mine), but if there is a silver lining it is that the interior of the restaurant has been completely remodeled. Prior to the accident, the place looked like it had since the 1960s (or perhaps even earlier). It now has a wonderful northern theme going on with lots of handcrafted knotty pine decor. NOTE: If you are an animal rights activist, you will want to avoid this establishment, as there are a lot of taxidermied animals hanging on the walls. My only critique is that I wish the menu was a bit more creative. Most restaurants in the northern woods aren't really taking the kinds of risks with their menus that food joints in more urban areas are able to do. But for its standard fare, and for the population it typically serves, the Fairview Coffee Shop is as good as it gets!
(4)Jen M.
Very friendly service. Had a great burger on homemade bun w fries. My husband enjoyed his burrito. Wish we had tried the homemade pizza based on the ones we saw on nearby tables. Next time.
(3)Mark M.
The food is currently as good as it has ever been in this long-time eatery/bakery. The burgers, as others have said, are really good. Also, fresh baked goods every morning if you're into doughnuts and such. I was not very impressed with the pizza, and I had a calzone recently that was a flop (no pun intended) but most of the menu is excellent. Parking is limited as it looks like the grocery store actually owns what seems like it should be the restaurant's parking lot. That said, there is street parking and it's not that big of an issue.
(4)Lester G.
The coffee shop is worth a stop, either on your way farther up-north or a destination. We live nearby and stop here regularly. The bakery section is small, but fresh every morning. Give the apple fritters a try. They have a nice breakfast menu, good sandwiches and soup for lunch, and really special pizza crust. Don't miss the pizza.
(4)Kait G.
I've eaten at here on and off for the past 25 years. It's gone through many owners, some do a great job and others should be horse whipped in the town square. When I was a kid, the glazed donuts were huge, fresh and sugary sweet. These things would have put Krispy Kreme out of business. Their breads were fair but nothing topped their donuts. They had a well rounded family style menu which was in place over the years. I ate there last year and was sad to see how dark and dreary the restaurant had become. It's run by one of my high school class mates and I'm not sure what happened but he's one who deserves a horse whipping. I ordered take out, daily specials and the food was average. Not made with the love and fresh ingredients I remember as a kid. Gone were the real mashed potatoes, meat loaf and roasted turkey. This was all GFS out of a can. If I ever decide to return home, I'd buy this place for the sole reason that it could be great again!
(3)