Kroll's Diner Serves North Dakota Comfort Food With a German Twist

A plate of pancakes and a bowl of cabbage soup may seem like they belong to two different restaurants. At Kroll's Diner, they fit comfortably on the same broad menu, along with hash browns, burgers, roast beef, shakes and the regional specialty that many travelers come hoping to find: the runza.

This is old-style diner food with a North Dakota accent. The kitchen moves easily between familiar American meals and German-influenced dishes built around cabbage, hearty fillings and the sort of brown gravy that can turn a plain plate into a serious comfort-food lunch.

It works for a simple road-trip stop, but it also rewards a little curiosity. You can order the breakfast you know you like, then notice cabbage rolls, kloiphia soup or breakfast poutine farther down the menu and start making plans for another visit.

Breakfast is a major reason to pull into Kroll's. The choices cover the dependable diner standards—eggs, hash browns, omelets, French toast, biscuits and pancakes—without making a morning meal feel limited to one style of plate.

The pancakes have a reputation for being properly done, and the biscuits are notably light and fluffy. Those are small victories, perhaps, but they matter in a diner breakfast: a good biscuit should not arrive like a floury doorstop, and pancakes do not need a lot of fuss when the griddle work is right.

There are named breakfast plates, including the Clara special, for diners who would rather order a complete combination than build one piece by piece. It is an easy setup for a table where one person wants eggs and hash browns while another is already thinking about French toast.

Then there is breakfast poutine, a dish for the appetite that has skipped lunch entirely. It is especially filling, substantial enough that a single order can be difficult to finish. This is not a dainty brunch garnish; it belongs to the satisfying, gravy-friendly end of the breakfast spectrum.

Kroll's is not exclusively a German restaurant, and that is part of its appeal. The German-influenced choices sit alongside the diner classics rather than pushing them aside, so a mixed group can eat together without anyone having to negotiate the menu.

Runzas are a natural place to start. For diners with Upper Midwest family connections, the warm, familiar flavor can carry the pleasure of a food not eaten in years. For everyone else, it is an inviting introduction to the regional style: simple, substantial food made for a full meal rather than a snack.

Cabbage soup has earned its own following as a memorable lunch order. It is one of those dishes that can sound modest on a menu but has enough personality to become the reason someone comes back.

Cabbage rolls offer another route into the same tradition. Kloiphia soup, with its distinctive flavor and texture, is a less familiar choice that gives the menu some welcome range beyond the usual steak-and-eggs diner routine.

Brown gravy receives the sort of enthusiasm usually reserved for the main event. That makes sense here. A good gravy has plenty of jobs in a diner meal: it can settle over a roast beef dinner, pull a breakfast plate together or make an already-hearty order feel even more generous.

The roast beef dinner is known for a substantial serving, including a senior portion that can arrive larger than expected. It is a reminder that the food at Kroll's generally aims for fullness, not restraint.

For a more conventional lunch, the patty melt and fries keep things straightforward. A burger can also be ordered to the preferred doneness, which is a useful bit of flexibility in a place where the menu ranges from soups and cabbage dishes to classic grill fare.

Shakes are a recognizable piece of the Kroll's picture. After a plate of pancakes, a runza or a roast beef dinner, one may be enough to share—or simply a reason to come back at a less ambitious hour.

They also suit the diner setting nicely. A shake alongside fries or a patty melt needs no explanation, and it keeps a meal rooted in classic American counter-and-booth territory even when someone else at the table is working through a bowl of cabbage soup.

The room has the casual, old-fashioned diner character that makes booth seating feel appropriate for a solo meal, a catch-up with friends or an unhurried family breakfast. When the dining room is not busy, it can be quiet enough for easy conversation.

Service is often described as friendly, attentive and efficient. Kroll's has also handled larger breakfast tables smoothly, including a party of 10, with staff checking in along the way. That gives it more range than a quick coffee-and-toast stop might suggest.

Free parking is available in the lot, a welcome practical detail for travelers coming off the road. Breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner all fit the menu, so the timing can be as flexible as the appetite.