Leader

My twin sister and I went for breakfast this morning to celebrate our birthday and I am so glad we did! The ambiance is great with a laid back and cheery feel. Our server, Rachel, was simply incredible. She has an extensive knowledge of the menu and was extremely pleasant and efficient. The barista made me an incredible macchiato (and I’m very picky) and the food was exquisite. The popovers with cinnamon butter melt in your mouth. The eggs were the fluffiest eggs I’ve ever had, and paired perfectly with the potatoes. My sister got the ham breakfast sandwich with the hollandaise fries and was very pleased. I can guarantee I will be back and I will be recommending to all my pals!

The service was great. The food however was below subpar. The swedish meatball and egg noodle dish was cold. There was no flavor to the dish. The pork belly was overcooked and dry. The sweet potato was charred. It was not appeasing to the eye or pallet. The two dishes that were fresh and tasty were the deviled eggs and ham and pickled tots. I would not recommend Willards.

Nice ambiance and decor. Updated with spacious seating options. Service was slow, could of been better for it was not very busy. They were out of cornbread which was a big disappointment. Ordered the Frisco Melt and the Bacon Cheeseburger. Specified the Bacon Cheeseburger to be cooked medium. Burger was very dry and very small. The beef patty was way smaller than the bun it sat on. Frisco melt was also very dry and the onion jam was too much and took over. Expected a better dining experience considering the cost and portions. Good try but far from hitting the mark.

Excellent food, the portions were a bit smaller than I expected though. It is worth the stop if you are traveling though / near Cambridge. If I was a local i'd probably come here all the time though

**Long, detailed review**

I was excited to try Willards based on recommendation of others. Atmosphere was casual, modern and comfortable. Upon arrival in front door we weren't sure if it was seat yourself or hostess seating (it was shortly after 4pm on a Friday afternoon). We waited a moment or two and finally a server came to seat us. Once seated she brought us water….tepid, tap water - no ice. We had to ask for ice and straw. The menu has many delicious options. We had several questions about some of the different items to which the server seemed annoyed to have to answer. Both of us decided on the Reuben sandwich (the menu states no modifications or alterations). At this first time visit I have a full arm cast and am unable to use my entire left hand and arm. I politely asked the server to please have the chef cut my sandwich in quarters to make it easier to eat. She stated that she couldn't do that. She was VERY adamant about no modifications to menu (INCLUDING cutting sandwich in quarters)...that the entree had to be served in such a way to be pleasing to the eye; that it will be plated how the chef deems best. I tried to explain why (as if she couldn't see the huge cast) I was making the request. She was uncaring...so I just let it go.

Once our food arrived, it definitely looked delicious and was served on a wood plank. The fries were (I'm pretty sure) hand cut, fried and seasoned well with flake salt and fresh chives. They were just the right crispness for me but too crispy for my companion. Ketchup was served in a mini ketchup bottle which was adorable. The Reuben itself was huge and could have been split. Because of my recent arm surgeries (and the servers refusal to put in my request to the chef) my companion had to try to cut the sandwich into quarters for me. This was no easy task for a few reasons: the serving plank was full of food, platter had no sides, we only had a butter knife and the bread (artisan bread) was grilled so that the crust was nearly impossible to cut through. It would have made much more sense to just have the chef cut the sandwich - really a simple and NOT unreasonable request. Because of no sides on the plank, tough meat, dull knife and such a large portion of food we ended up with food spilling onto the table...sloppy and completely avoidable.

The artisan bread was slathered with butter and then grilled...the bread was a sponge that ended up being mush inside and out because of the amount of butter. The crust was very hard (not unexpected in artisan bread). The braised cabbage didn't have much for flavor (no tang like a traditional sauerkraut, which I didn't expect it to have as it is described as braised) The meat itself had good flavor but had too much incredibly chewy (inedible for me) fat on the edges. The "good" meat was tough - difficult to cut with just a butter knife. The Russian dressing was good.

Menu pricing was comparable to other like establishments: Reuben and fries $14.00. My small (probably 8 oz) ice tea was $2.50 with no refill (free or not) offered. A can of Diet Coke was $3.00.

Over all experience was disappointing to say the least. Most of which was due to the rigidity of sticking to the "no modifications" to the menu. I will try another visit as many of the items on the breakfast menu sound delicious. Hopefully today's experience was the exception to the norm. I will post an update when I try breakfast.

Leader is definitely a hidden gem. Food is great, coffee is amazing and the experience of Leader is one you don't or will forget. My wife and I love coming here on our last minute lunch or breakfast date without the kids. Service is always great, menu is breakfast and lunch. Fresh bread!! New menu looks and tastes great so far. Don't forget to ask about the latte flavors they have. I like the smores.

Really neat spot in an old department store downtown Cambridge,MN. Its awesome to see somone have a vision xof a place like this. Open and rustic. The front staff was really friendly. This place grinds and mixes thier own burgers in an all scratch kitchen. I had the Fried chicken sandwich on a biscuit bun. Awesome. In coming back forbthe burger somtime. I could have eaten a cup of the mayo it was super good and pulled the whole sandwich together.

Beautiful spot! Must go - especially for breakfast. Sabine, the pastry chef is amazing at her craft. Thank you, Leader for great food and service.

This is the best restaurant in town!! Everything on their menu is amazing!!! The service is exceptional and I love how they always have a new cocktail of the night. The drinks are refreshing and homemade. My husband and I always choose Leader for date night, brunch/lunch with our family.

Great concept and unique menu. Small town ambience meets upscale eatery. Smoked brisket dinner was a real treat. Not only was the beef delicious, the sides of baked beans, potatoes, and cabbage were really additive. Interesting cocktails with their own spin. Highly recommended and worth a drive.