April 26, 2019

Falls Overlook Cafe by Stensland opened today at Falls Park.

After hosting a friends-and-family event Thursday night, “we opened the doors and just said, ‘Let’s do this,’ ” said Leah Moller, a family owner who manages the retail operations and marketing for Stensland Family Farms. The business, which has a dairy farm in northwest Iowa, was approved as the city’s new operator for the restaurant earlier this spring.

In addition to Stensland’s ice cream, the restaurant will offer a full menu over the lunch hour, grab-and-go items all day and sharable plates all day “that will be good with a glass of wine or beer” in the evening, Moller said.

Soups, sandwiches and paninis featuring Stensland’s cheese will be available only from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The sharable plates include a cheese and meat platter, humus platter and shredded pork nachos — all in full or half-sizes. Diners also will be able to order 12-inch sourdough pizzas all day.

The grab-and-go case is stocked with salads, wraps, cheese curds, mini charcuterie trays and humus and veggie platters that will be great for taking outside in the park to enjoy, Moller said.

The ice cream case has 12 flavors that will rotate depending on the season and what’s popular, she said. In addition to the hard-dipped ice cream in a dish or waffle cone, customers can enjoy milkshakes, floats and ice cream cookie sandwiches.

“We’re hoping we’re bringing back that family-friendly vibe there,” Moller said.

The cafe offers several wine and craft beer choices.

Falls Overlook Cafe will open daily at 11 a.m. It will close at 8 p.m. Sunday, 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

It can be rented for private events, so visitors might find that it’s closed occasionally.

In addition to its retail store on West 41st Street, Stensland Family Farms is opening another site on East 41st Street. Construction work isn’t done yet in the retail center east of Sycamore Avenue, but they’re hoping to open the third weekend in May, Moller said.