Spud Boy Lunch

All the old timers sit there from open til close so there are about 2 spots in the rotation for seating.

Great little old diner car on the main drag in Lanesboro. Nothing fancy about this place, which is perfect… just good old American meals for cheap with friendly service. Since the place is only 8 – 10 wide, Gordie cooks about a foot in front of you and Val squeezes past him to serve everything. Fridge, coffee grinder, stove, etc fit the ambiance because they are all probably at least 40 years old, which to me means they take care of their stuff the right way. Val told me the car started in Ohio then went to NY then somewhere else before ending up in Lanesboro, kind of a unique thing. Friendly people and good food, my omelet and cold glass of milk (which was a very generous size) was a total of $ 9.

Don’t complain that they don’t take credit cards, they don’t. Don’t complain that they don’t serve breakfast after 11, that’s the way it is. If you don’t understand that this is a piece of Americana that deserve respect, run by the owner and his family and the occasional employee because that’s what they do, close the door and quietly back out. There’s someone right behind you waiting for one of the few seats in this amazing, authentic diner car experience.
Enjoy the breakfast, have a waffle. Enjoy a cup of coffee or if your really lucky a piece of pie baked in that old oven under the stove. Say hello to Gordy while he cooks it for you. He’s right there 12 inches away. And if he grumps at you, grump back. He’s working hard. Give him a break. Better yet talk about old diners in other towns. He’ll probably know them.
The bacon is great, smokey flavored. The waffle is to die for. Don’t ask for a poached egg. Really, don’t. This is Minnesota, this is the heartland. Enjoy it. Or go home.
It’s a great little diner in a great little town. Gordy closes early when he has a baseball game, he’s the Hurler for the classic baseball team. Go for a bike ride. Enjoy this town. Go Fly Fishing. Enjoy the leaves in fall.

Great breakfast stop! Fits perfectly in this little burg along the Root River, waffle was one of the best, cheese omelet tasted like real eggs & cheese (and it was), all made in front of us by Gordy, had a pc of rhubarb pie (day old) but still great. Unique place in a unique town, both worth a visit!

Unicorns poop rainbows. This place poops charm, friendliness, great waffles, excellent coffee, & other good breakfast foods. It was fun to watch the big guy cook from the counter seats. It was really entertaining. The waitress worked so hard, was so efficient, yet remained friendly. The functional coffee grinder is from the 1930s. The whole town is neat. Go there before Lanesboro gentrifies too much. It reminds me of the show Northern Exposure.

These folks are very friendly. Will gladly comment on all of the appliances that are in the car. This was added. This was original. Definitely worth the time to stop. Be sure to get in before they close. They open at 6 am and close in the early afternoon.

Great food, esp given the limitations of this unique set up. Hashbrowns were great. Cook was hand-​shredding the potatoes. Cheese omelette, also great. Waffles are the old-​fashioned kind (flat with lots of tiny squares) vs. Puffy Belgian style with deep squares, but was surprisingly delicious. A little cramped, the coffee is weak, but it’s a diner car on a small town. What do you want?

We had a great breakfast! It was a Sunday at 7:15 a.m. And we were the first ones in the little two booth and counter diner. The owners told us that despite opening at 6 a.m., Lanesboro wakes up a bit late on weekends :). Many customers followed us. Decent coffee (even the to go would have been in yucky styrofoam!). Between us we had fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, veggie omelet and waffle and all were happy!

Unique. Local owners. Good diner food.

Ambience, uniqueness & story make this worth the visit. It is in an updated wooden serving railroad car that is still on wheels and sits between two buildings. We sat in a corner booth and the view out the window of the town was very cute. We had breakfast (westerb omelet and a waffle). Food was good. Note — they only take cash and they stop serving breakfast at 11am. They only serve breakfast and lunch.

Fantastic diner experience. Burger was fantastic, deserts were wonderful, and the fries couldn’t be fresher. Will be returning whenever in Lanesboro.

As I walked up the steps of the diner, I saw the «cash only» sign. I patted my pockets and realized, «Shoot, I spent all my cash on yesterday’s Amish tour». I promptly turned around, jogged back to the car located 3 blocks away to grab the cash hidden in a secret compartment, set-​aside for emergencies.
I quickly returned, sat down and let out a sigh of relief from my little jog. I asked about breakfast. The server flatly said, «We stop serving at 11 a.m.» I asked, «What time is it?» She curtly replied, «It’s 11:02 a.m.» Aside from the fact there was no ventilation and I had to smell the grease and oil of the morning’s meals and that there were only 2 other customers, I could feel the no-​nonsense black and white dare of her standing silence ‘Go on Miss, challenge me on two minutes so I can roll my eyes and make sure you know how much a pain in the ass you are to me this morning. If you only knew how much I hate tourists.”
Hmmm, how awkward. Do I grovel and plea tor a much-​desired breakfast omelette? After all, I am two minutes late. Sigh. She scared me and I think the cook and dishwasher felt the same because they all remained mute with silence looming above the sizzling pans and running fans. There were no warm fuzzies from yesteryear here. The heat of the cooking was symbolic of the pressure and tension I felt from the staff. I weighed my options (my life quite frankly) and politely set my menu down, excused myself, and left never to return or look back for fear I’d turn into a razor-​toothed round-​bellied Spud Boy raucously laughing as he bullied his insecurities onto others.

This darling diner opened in April of 2012 after being lovingly restored and moved from PA. The 20 stools and two booths make it a cozy and quaint place for breakfast or lunch. Breakfast options include eggs however you wish, waffles, egg sandwich, sausage Bacon and toast. While it isn’t fancy the food is served hot by Val (cooked by Gordie) and truly is a great meal before walking or biking.
I recommend this as a wonderful place to stop and eat while in Lanesboro.