Out To Lunch

Out to Lunch: Home Cooking with a Comfy Vibe & Specials That Surprise

Sure, on the outside you can tell it was an old Hardee's, but what's inside Out to Lunch couldn't be farther from the factory-produced greasiness that is fast food. What Rick and Ranae Roberts supply their patrons is homemade food from fresh, often local ingredients.

Bakery items are made from scratch by Rick daily, and there's always some tasty experiment to try as the weekly lunch or weekend breakfast special, such as banana bread French toast or a Bavarian Reuben, which is sandwich of grilled sausage and sauerkraut topped with pepper jack cheese, spiced up with a special horseradish mustard and served on a pretzel bagel roll. That culinary creativity makes it fun to eat there. You never know what Rick's cooking up, but you sure always want to try it.

The decor is about as far away from a fast-food restaurant as possible, too. The style is shabby chic and eclectic, due to the antiques and gifts for sale dressing up the perimeter of the space and the vintage and retro tables with mismatched chairs that give the place a homey, comforting vibe. Add that to the homemade food, and you've got a classic that people visit time and again.

"People come for the food," Ranae said, "but there isn't a day where someone doesn't walk in and say, 'Oh, isn't this cute.' 'Oh my gosh, this is just like home.'"

The Robertses mean it when they say their customers are like family. They have local regulars who come every day for coffee, and summertime brings people who camp here each year.

"It started out with about four of them when we first opened, and now I think their group is up to at least 22," Ranae said. "We see them outside the restaurant, and they know us and come up to us. It's pretty cool."

Regular business hours are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday (kitchen open until 12:30 p.m.), but Out to Lunch is also open in the evenings for special events and caters parties as well, from office parties to baptisms to wedding rehearsal dinners. In a hurry? People may also call ahead for takeout, which can be picked up from the drive-through.

The Robertses started the cafe in 2002, having previously owned Waseca's Old Towne Eatery.