Zorbaz is where Gull Lake goes to be sociable. It’s right on the water on Lost Lake Road, a short drive from us, and on a warm evening in July it is one of the loudest, happiest places in the Brainerd Lakes.
The formula is simple and unchanged: pizza, Mexican food, a long beer list and a deck that runs down to a dock. Boats tie up, people climb out barefoot, and nobody dresses for dinner. If you’ve spent the day on the sandbar, this is the natural next stop — most of the lake has the same idea.
Expect volume. There’s often live music in summer and the deck gets genuinely busy from late afternoon onwards. That’s the appeal rather than a warning, but if you want a quiet meal, go elsewhere or go early. Families are entirely welcome in the earlier part of the evening; it skews later as the night goes on.
Best time to go is between six and eight, when the sun is on the deck and the lake is still full of boats coming in. Arrive by car and parking is straightforward outside peak weekends.
Sensible plan: eat here, then walk it off and head back. We’re minutes away, parking is free, and check-in is contactless, so a late one costs you nothing.
