Whistle Stop Cafe — Restaurant in Florence Township

The Whistle Stop has been one of my favorite restaurants for years. The food is always great, and prices are always reasonable. Kari, the owner (and more often then not our server), has always gone out of her way to make customers feel welcome. Until recently, I didn’t even know she owned the place because that’s how humble and down-to-earth she is. She always remembers us right away, remembers everything that we order, even down to how we like our eggs. We love that. The whistle stop offers something that many restaurants don't nowadays, it offers that small town "Cheers" vibe, you know the one, "where everybody knows your name." So naturally, I was quite saddened to see a recent review calling for a boycott over a misunderstanding about ice in a drink. The reviewer mentioned autism as part of their complaint. And I can't dismiss the implications of that. As someone who has only recently been diagnosed with autism, I want to point out that it’s not something a person can see or instantly know. And if it were there wouldn't be so many late diagnoses of people later on in life. Autism isn't easy to see like somebody missing a leg, or someone in a wheelchair. Furthermore, I point out that Kari has never seen my autism, and yet she has always treated me with kindness and respect, just like she does for everyone who comes in. As an interracial couple, my fiance and I have never felt anything but welcome in that establishment. And that includes times that I have been there just on a simple date with my fiance, and also when we bring our loud children. She's always a sweetheart. And the restaurant is not discriminating on anyone that I've never seen. And because it's such a small town, I'll admit that I have braced myself for it every time just in case, because we do run into it other places, and yet, despite being ready for it if need be, it's NEVER happened to us at the Whistle Stop. NOT ONCE. This was not discrimination. It was a simple situation about a soda and ice that was offered to be fixed by a busy woman who on a daily basis is often taking on the roles and tasks of multiple people in her restaurant while making it look easy, and In my opinion she did try to resolve it in a reasonable way (by providing a spoon and glass to remove the ice). Turning this into a call for a boycott, especially from someone who holds a position on the Human Rights Commission, feels like an unfair misuse of influence. This honestly had nothing to do with autism. And respectfuly, that's not that type of advocacy that we need for autism right now. Small businesses work hard to survive. Disagreeing over a drink is not a reason to try to damage the reputation of a place that so many in our community love. If you want great home-cooked affordable food served by an amazing owner in genuinely one the best restaurants in South East Minnesota, I encourage you to visit The Whistle Stop in Frontenac Minnesota and see for yourself why so many of us keep coming back. We eat here often. Not fancy decor, but the food is on point, the service is great and the prices are even better. Big portions. Pancakes and omelets are huge.

One satisfied customer, Amber Dawn Plank Advocate|...

The food is good, the price is good, the location is good but two thing really ruin it. The first is minor, they only take cash. Now if this were a food truck or a seasonal, down the path cafe then that might be excusable, but they are by the highway and get a lot of business. It is 2017, time to accept cards, it's unfair to customers to make them pay the ATM fee if they don't have cash. The major thing that needs to be improved is the customer service, there is no greeting or welcome to customers unless they are regular. Every customer should be reconized and welcomed. When I was there there was a lack of politness that I feel should have been there for a popular, local, nice place. I got no "Thanks for coming in" or "Hello, how are you" or anything else. When I ordered a shake the server half-rolled her eyes and made it. Apparently the shake maker wasn't working properly that day and she was annoyed I wanted a shake. When she brought the shake out I said "Thank you." and instead of a "You're welcome." I got; "What else do you want?" Seriously?? That's no way to talk to a customer. Just because you are having a bad day doesn't mean you get to pass it along. Don't get me wrong the food's good but I've gotten better service at fast food...

We stopped by the Whistle Stop Cafe along the way to Frontenac State Park smack dab in the middle of the Sunday rush - each table was completely filled, with several people already waiting when we arrived. This may seem a nightmare to some, but for us, it was a sign we had picked the right place. Business like that generally indicates a place worth stopping, and we were not wrong. Staff were great, patient despite the chaos, and we were seated relatively quickly in the backroom of the restaurant.

We both ordered breakfast, having been craving a solid omelet our entire drive, and we didn't regret that one bit. The omelettes were hearty, generous, and delicious, spilling out their contents from a bursting egg exterior. The coffee was FANTASTIC, piping hot and so darn good I can taste it even now.

I hope some day, I can live a life where I am able to visit such a wonderful place regularly and with...