Such a fun place for a night out! We came on half price martini night where I got to sample a couple, they were both amazing. I had one that was spicy I think it was called The Pool Boy & another with lavender. They were some of the best martinis I've ever had. The singer was adorable & had quite the voice. We just really enjoyed ourselves all around! read more

We really like this place, it has a great vibe and the food and drinks are great. The only reason why I didn't give it a full 5 starts is because on Xmas eve my husband and I were looking for a place to have some drinks after Bentleyville and saw that your sign said that you were open. So we paid for parking and walked over to you location to find out that you guys were closed. I know that it is Xmas eve and all and most establishments are closed but it was just deceiving leaving on the open sign. Other than that we really like this place. read more

Black Water Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

1. Nice Place. 2. The food is good. 3. Can be a little loud at times if you are trying to have a conversation. Some of my favorite things to eat here are: Thai Chicken Flatbread Margherita Flatbread Fodue for 2 - Smoked Gouda dipping sauce which comes with tenderloin, chicken, grapes, crostinis, and Granny Smith apples make for a nice flavor combination. Bulldog Bites read more

This is my second time here and I just knew I had to share this little hidden gem with my husband, well maybe not so much hidden but a complete gem!! Great place for having a nice dinner, drinks & a relaxing evening. Love the music by Maxi Childs Trio & the service was exceptional!! Emi took great care of us and made our time here even better. An absolute must go to place!! read more

Black Water Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

We had no idea what to expect when we came to the Black Water Lounge for my birthday 'dinner'. Walking in you can see there are two different distinct areas, a lounge area with leather lounge chairs and small side tables next to them in a dimly lit area surrounded by murals and a beautiful fireplace. The second was a more 'family friendly' area with actual tables and chairs that was lit a bit more. We decided to sit in the lounge area. At first it felt a little awkward just because I'm so used to eating at actual tables but after a while it got better. I ordered an Ol' Blue Eyes martini which was delish, Stoli Blueberry with lemonade and other various ingredients. We did not know that they did not actually serve full meals but instead more of an appetizer menu. We ordered the Fondue and the Quesadillas. We got much more food than we expected and it was quite filling! The fondue had apples, grapes, grilled chicken, steak, and bread. I preferred the steak but it was all good. The quesadilla was a little spicier than I preferred but it was still very good and the salsa and cheese dipping sauces were perfect. For dessert we ordered the Red Velvet cake which was so big! We had to box half of it. It also came with some Vanilla ice cream, but I wish they had provided more ice cream. Overall the meal was great and the atmosphere was very unique! I quite enjoyed it. read more

Went here for my pals 21st birthday and never in my life have i had this bad of service. My friend had taken a drink of her boyfriends drink just to try it. The manager then came up to us and asked to see her ID. She had left it at home because she hadn't planned on drinking that night. The manager then went on to kicking her out because of that reason. My friend then cooperated and said "that's fine I'll leave, it's cool". In the most respectful way possible. The manager said no it's not cool you need to get out now. Overall a very disrespectful encounter from the manager. read more

Such a fun place. The cosmos are very smooth and my favorite food is the stuffed shrimp and the flatbreads. The live jazz music is exceptional. read more

We went for drinks and appetizers last night. Amy was our server and she is great! I'm looking forward to going back there very soon. The drinks and food were a good value and it's a great place for couples date night! read more

I would give this place 5 stars but I didn't eat there.... Pop rocks martinis?! The June in January is delicious and who doesn't love a martini that "smokes"? Mmmm! read more

I love Black Water and while we didn't always fit in the service was always great and the drinks are divine! Top Drinks in my book: 1. Lavender Martini 2. Cucumber Press - it is incredibly fresh 3. Ol' Blue Eyes They also have a great selection on local brews and their appetizers are phenomenal. I looked over the menu you today and I probably couldn't eat here now but it look delicious still. We would order the flat breads they are all very good. Overall I think Black Water is a great edition to Duluth nightlife. We definitely needed a place to dress up and go to after a date or to channel your inner Frank Sinatra and they did it up right! read more

This is the first time I've been to Duluth so light dinner bites were a blind shot in the dark. It is kind of confusing when you first get in-- there are no signs saying to seat yourself? No hostess stand either. Stood around for a bit looking forlorn and confused. But once seated, their late night menu was delightful and easy. It was Saturday night and the vibe was 'fun'. Plenty of good-looking people mingling at the bar area. There was a really cute, elevated lounge area too but I didn't wander up there. Service was nice, albeit a tad slow, but it was 1030pm on a Saturday night so I can't complain. The waitress took a bit too long with a drink and took care of that for us which was very nice of her. I have had better sushi (esp at their pricing) but it wasn't terrible. The appetizers were delish though!!!! And the cocktails were really good. Haha. You'll be all right if you skip the sushi. Everything else was good. Cute place, yummy small bites, nice crowd, and good drinks. Perfect for a night out on the 'town' or for a group of women on their night out. I would suggest dressing up. It's very... 'loungey' and 'cocktail attire' feeling. :) read more

I have never witnessed a waitress act so disrespectful towards a group of people trying to celebrate a birthday together. She was so unbelievably rude to one of my friends, that our entire table was in silent shock at how nasty of a tone of voice she took with her. Absolutely ridiculous. I know that the service industry is tough, but it isn't hard to be a nice person to others. Especially when we were practically the only people there on a Tuesday at 9! We left after only receiving our drinks and will not be going there again. Not worth my time or money. Another restaurant can enjoy our money. read more

The place has a feel of stepping into a 1940/1960s swanky bar. A touch of Mad Men per say. The wait staff....girls are dressed in...let's just say tight fitting attire. The food is quite good. They have flat bread pizzas, bacon wrapped dates, coconut breaded chicken, sushi and now a small dinner menu. The drinks are fancy dancy. They have a martini and mojito menu, along with several wines. I am more of a beer and whiskey guy. They have both and a small scotch menu. I would recommend this place for a date with that special someone or with a group of friends. read more

Black Water Lounge - Lavender Martini - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Food is good (sushi and pizza)! Drinks are good (i love pretty as peach). Music and atmosphere are good too. The only problem is the service is very slow. It always take a long ti me for a waiter/waitress to take an order and serve drinks. If you want a relaxing night without any rush, it is the perfect place to go. read more

Black Water Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Atmosphere was great. Music was great. Thought this might be a new weekend hangout spot but the attitude of he red headed Ariel the mermaid looking bartender was off putting. Barely charismatic, rarely spoke to me, didn't even attempt conversation, looked uncomfortable the whole time serving me, and when asked if she could hold my seat while I stepped out to my car to get something she answered yes. Came back in I kid you not, 5 minutes and someone else was in my seat. Her attitude is the reason I will never come back. read more

I've been to Black Water Lounge dozens of times over the years since it has opened. The food and martinis are truly the best part of this place. The service is not. It seems to have gotten worse over the years. I was in on a recent Saturday night with a group of 13. It was not busy at the time we were there. We sat at a few adjoining tables and placed an order for drinks. One member of our party placed an order of shots for the table as well, which we received. We asked where our drinks were and the waitress said she canceled our drink order because we ordered a round of shots. That didn't make much sense. Additionally, the costumes they make the cocktail waitresses wear are pretty dated. Lose the black corsets, please! read more

This is hands down my favorite martini bar! The under lighting in the bar is beautiful as well as the ambience and decor. All this sets the mood for some spectacular martinis. The Pool Boy martini was out of this world! And my absolute favorite was the Key Lime martini. I've never tasted a drink so delicious. The best time to go is during Happy Hour so you can test several!! read more

Classy, romantic, a trip back in time! We discovered some of our favorite drinks at this place, kudos to the bartenders! Love the atmosphere - dark, jazzy, a place to kick back and relax. Impressive menu, have yet to try anything but drinks here, but if the food is half as good as the martini's, we'll be in for a great time. read more

We walked in a whim, and are glad we did! Dim lighting, classy atmosphere, and live jazz music. A huge selection of cocktails and martinis to tempt your sweet and boozy tooth. Our beautiful waitress in a very cute corset was charming and patient as it was our first time. I'd say it's a good date spot for the more experienced couple of love birds. read more

After my last review of Black Water Lounge I was contacted by Katie, Event and Marketing Director, from the New London Corporation. While she was very friendly I was rather surprised by the ineptitude of the marketing department of this organization. Katie spoke of how the Black Water Lounge's food poisoning incident was unfortunate and that they didn't have the opportunity to make remarks to it. This was utterly mind boggling to me. Crisis management 101 is that you get out in the public to contain the story. Public apologies are made for the wrong doing with a promise not to make the same mistake again by the implementation of new policies. Apparently this is beyond the grasp of the New London Corporation. Then again this is a company that thinks placing an advertisement for wedding services over the toilet in the women's room is not only a good idea, but isn't necessary to remove after poisoning a wedding party. I also spoke to Katie about the misinformation on the website, menus, and the tables regarding services. Katie tried to sell me on many benefits of their membership card (give me a break!) while also admitting that they were advertising services they no longer offered. She told me that they were updating the website that very week. This was roughly 6 weeks ago when we spoke, but the website still hasn't been updated. I mentioned all of this because it leads up to my second, and last, Black Water Lounge experience... A severe craving for a Chopin martini drew me back here one last time. I would have gladly gone elsewhere, but I and didn't know of another bar that sold Chopin. I trepidatiously reentered the disappointing establishment on a Wednesday evening around 6. With exception of a small group in a booth in the upstairs area it was a ghost town. I ordered my drink and then perused the menu. It was atrocious. There was literally a piece of electrical tape holding one of the pages in the menu and not to my surprise the menus still had information on them regarding their no longer offered services. Enter my drink. It tasted off. Something about it wasn't right. I had another sip. For good measure I brought it up to my lips for one last try when I noticed a large crack through the glass. Not only was the glass cracked, but there was a large chip out of the rim of the glass that would have cut my lip open if I hadn't noticed it. I then sat around waiting for my waitress to come back and actually wait on me so I could return the drink,. In the brief time I was there she came very close to monogamously serving the only other table in the area. This left me irked to say the very least. When I finally did flag her down-Yes, I did have to actually call out at her to get her attention-she offered me a replacement. It was difficult to not scream "God, no!" with a revolting shudder, but I opted for a tamer "no thanks." She again asked and once again I declined. At that point I didn't feel safe enough to even have a glass of water at the Black Water Lounge. The manger then came over to inquire of my well being and offer apologies. He informed me that he had only begun that week and he was happy I wasn't hurt. Who's afraid of a big, bad martini? If it's from the Black Water Lounge then I certainly am. I took the free drink coupons he gave me, but gave them to a friend, along with a public health warning that should be posted on the doors of the Black Water. There are so many things wrong with the Black Water Lounge that I don't have enough room in my review for my opinions. It's an utter shame the shape this place is in. It's such a great sized space with excellent potential. If the Black Water would hire a top notch management team to run and support it then this business could truly thrive. Until that happens though I say save yourself the doctor's visit and make those martinis at home. read more

Live music was great and classy. LOVED IT. Went on a Thursday eve with some friends for the half price sushi. Sushi was okay, not the best, but not bad. More western in influence, than traditional. Other apps we ordered filled our stomachs, but didn't wow. Drinks were good. I had an old fashioned, which is pretty fail-safe. All my friends loved their half price martinis too! Service was good. Especially considering how busy they were. Prices were reasonable. Ambiance is great. Much needed in Duluth! I'm sure I will be back. A couple of issues I have with this place. First, the corsets. Why? How? Who thought this was a good idea? Black corsets over t-shirts. NOT CLASSY. Not innovative. Not ergonomically friendly, I'm sure. Sexist, although they probably signed a clause in their contracts saying they'd wear them, so that's okay, right....NO. Its like someone was like, "hey lets be real classy and sexy. Lets only hire pretty, young girls and have them wear corsets! That's sexy and old-timey, right?" NO. Not classy, not sexy. Maybe without the t-shirt. Now that's sexy, or under clothing so that they actually serve the purpose to accentuate their waistline. Its like you're trying too hard, Black Water. You are cheapening your wait staff and sending a signal that the look is more important than the quality. Second, the furniture/decor. Its okay. Its high quality. It looks good. But, damn is it hard to get around in there. Everything is too tight, too close together (I suppose that's your general motto, haha). Those chairs are huge! Sure, they're comfy, but they could be spaced out a bit. Also, some of the tables in the upper level are far too large and too close to the height of the seats. 3 inches higher and a foot smaller would be much more comfortable. As for decor, there are a few too many decorations that indicate we are obviously not in an old fashioned lounge, but are desperately attempting encourage the idea. Simplify, Black Water. Overall, I like this place, I love the idea of it, but its execution comes off cheap at times. You have to be aware of crossing the line between kitsch and classic. You're close, Black Water. I would LOVE to talk to someone at Black Water regarding my thoughts. Because I have many more. read more

I hardly ever get to hear live music in the Cities, so this was a great find. We went to the Blackwater our first night staying in the Duluth area. It was a Thursday, which is their 1/2 price sushi and martini night. The place was hopping! I loved the energy. Their jazz band is awesome, by the way. We got a corner table right by the band and was able to experience it fully. The ambiance was sexy, romantic, sophisticated, and cozy. I loved the decor in this place. It seems so intimate, especially in the room off to the side on the second level. There is a fireplace there, plus comfy circular booths and armchairs for conversing casually. If you want to hear the music but still be able to talk, this is the place for you. There is also a more open floor and a bar on the other side of the restaurant if you prefer that. We ordered several martinis, some sushi, and the red velvet cake. The martinis were good and strong despite the 1/2 price tag. The sushi we got was something I believe was called the dragon roll and I thought it was OK, but not as good as some of the sushi I've had around here. The cake was delightful, however. I am not a huge fan of red velvet, but I devoured this. Awesome, awesome, AWESOME! About the waitstaff...our waitress on Thurs was very attentive despite being slammed with patrons. She even recognized us on Friday when we came back and welcomed us and stated she was glad we were there again. So thanks for the A+ service, guys. All that being said, I would recommend going on Thursday. It is rather expensive otherwise, and it was almost kinda dead when we went back on Friday. The atmosphere just wasn't the same, and the drinks we ordered actually seemed kinda watered down (why when they're full price?). I was not impressed with the menu, either...not a huge variety and $$$. I guess they have the live music Thurs-Sat 6-10 PM, so make your way to this place if you happen to be in Duluth during that time. (I'd definitely aim for Thursday, though.) read more

ALLERGY ALERT! If you have a food allergy, this might not be the place for you. There weren't a whole lot of options on the menu for people who don't eat animal products (have you checked the latest World Health Organization report, people?). We ordered a salad without the gorgonzola cheese and it came with the cheese crumbled all over it. When I pointed this out to the waitress, she nicely apologized, took the salad presumably back to the kitchen, and came back with it later. And guess what! There were still bits of gorgonzola cheese left on the lettuce. Rather than assemble a new salad, someone in the kitchen just picked off the bigger pieces of cheese and sent the salad back out. That's pretty tacky, don't you think? I mean, if someone has a dairy allergy, the last thing they need is to still find cheese on a salad after sending it back to the kitchen. What were they thinking? Black Water tries to pass themselves off as a classy place, but that wasn't a very classy thing to do. And the corsets . . . showing us the boobs of the staff. I cringed at how much female chest is exposed at Black Water. The litmus test is: would I want my daughter working there? Would I want a whole bunch of people seeing that much of my daughter's breasts? The answer is "no". I think that place would cheapen my daughter. I've never been accused of being a prude, but Black Water dances close to the line between "sexy" and "cheap". (Black Water is probably not the restaurant/lounge for me.) Also, I found the place a little bit too dark. I don't hate Black Water. I've actually been there twice. The servers are so nice, and the pool boy martini (habanero vodka and mango juice) was exquisite, but I can't see going to Black Water again unless I'm with a group that insists. read more

Love getting dressed to the nines for half price martinis on Thursday's! Fun noir atmosphere and friendly service! (Though from pretty girls in corsets, possibly controversial, do what you may with that info.) it's super close to the Zeitgeist complex, good for dinner and a show. read more

Sorry, this my least favorite place in town. Why oh why do we need to have all the young gals dressed like this? Come on, we're much better than this! read more

One of my favorite places to eat out. The sushi is great, fun martini flavors, and delicious chocolate fondue for dessert! It's a fun place to go with the girls to dress up. read more

We came here for a VIP event with the company. The service was amazing and the atmosphere, though intimidating, was phenomenal. Makes you feel really important. We had an endless supply of champagne, appetizers (which tasted AMAZING), and chocolate fondue. It really made a nice performance opening night feel amazing. I extremely enjoyed this event, and enjoyed being here. I recommend it, highly. read more

Black Water Lounge has everything you could want in a jazz club. They've got live jazz, mood lighting, cushy seating, and a huge selection of martinis. I'd recommend coming for the happy hour, especially on Thursdays when they have the best happy hour deals. read more

Very cozy atmosphere and attentive staff. I ordered a vodka martini dirty and it was probably the best martini I've ever had out. Perfect amount of olive juice, nicely shaken over ice and they went the extra mile stuffing their olives with fresh blue cheese. The freshly stuffed blue cheese olives really made me think that this place was serious about making a good martini. I've only been once and haven't tried all of the food on the menu yet. So far I had the, "Blackened Roquefort Medallions" and the meat was cooked perfectly, very moist and tender. I also enjoyed the jumbo cocktail shrimp which were presented with dry ice, crostinis, lemon, horseradish and cocktail sauce. The cocktail sauce was good, perhaps too large of a portion for only 5-6 portions of shrimp. The crostinis I could have lived without, I just want to eat the shrimp. Overall this place got a 4/5 for good food and freaking fabulous martinis. I would have given this place a 5 but the contemporary decor was not for my taste (I prefer a bit more modern and original) although fitting for the name. They also have a fine selection of scotch which I have yet to enjoy. I will be going back, maybe even tonight... read more

Black Water Lounge - Black Woods Lounge (Taken from their website) - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

An adult bar where you can relax after a hard day or just hang out with people who's company you enjoy. Live and piped in music is adult classy, not loud and obnoxious, so you do not go home hoarse because you had to yell to talk. Bar service far better than floor service so you do need to get your floor servers name so you can get their attention if you need them. Service sections my be too large for many to handle. read more

The martinis are weak and for 8 dollars they should pack a punch. We ordered the fondu and crab wontons. Fondu was ok the could offer more than just cheese to go with it. Wontons appeared to be not homemade something you would order from shwanns. The servers are all blonde and wear corsets they have 3 responses for sure absolutely and ok. If the women have to wear corsets the men should wear tank tops and a nut enhancer. read more

This is a classy place, especially for Duluth but that's what I like about it. I mean, they even have a no hat policy. Great drinks, good looking waitresses, very nice ambiance and great live jazz music while you drink your scotch. read more

Great place that I take up space every time upon returning to my home town. Comfortable setting, great staff and of course I enjoy a good Martini which is not always easy to come by outside of my Bar. Look forward to being there soon with Son Nicholas III read more

Romantic place for a date, would also recommend for ladies nights. My boyfriend and I had the fondu for two, rock and roll, and the mystery dragon roll. We enjoyed all of the food and some amazing martinis. Strongly recommend the lavender martini! Overall the prices are pretty good. Sushi ranges from $10-$13. We will definitely be coming back the next time we are in town! read more

Worst service I have had in a long time. Manager is very rude, they "forgot" our reservation and weren't at all accommodating. In fact, they made us push tables together ourselves for our party of 12 while our waitress watched. I would rather eat at McDonald's. Also got approached by a homeless man while leaving and he flicked us off when we wouldn't give him money, seems like a bad location. read more

Great for girls night out! My friends and I frequented this place for ladies night on Thursday nights - fun, creative martinis for $5 and half-priced tasty sushi! It's really one of the few places in Duluth that gives you an excuse to dress up a little for a fancier night out. The live music is a nice touch as well. The service has never been great. There have been a few times where we felt the waitresses (the employees are 99% females, I think I've maybe seen one guy there) were somewhat neglectful (i.e. our waitress never came by our table, we'd wait a long time to be greeted, etc.) and seemed to pay more attention to other tables. The food has never been well-timed either. On one occasion, my sushi came out an entire half hour after my friend's did. The waitress kept coming back with different excuses for why it was taking so long but really no apology. Additionally, there was one time when I found a glob of gum on my appetizer plate - yes, someone's chewed-up gum was stuck to my plate! Ick. When I flagged down our server and asked for a new plate, she wasn't really apologetic but came back with a new plate. I've worked in food service myself and I understand that mistakes happen, people forget orders, whatever, but at least own up to it. Like I said, never exceptional service. The only thing that has kept me coming back are the drinks and the deals. read more

Best gem during my visit to Duluth. Came for the live music (approx after 7pm) that did not disappoint, they played some classics and covered some new pop music. Seat yourself, dark, almost smokey atmosphere. It's the type of place you would go if you want to casually eat stuff with close friends, or lovers. The entrees are pretty much finger foods - mini pizzas, flatbreads (get the thai chicken!). I am not much of a drinker, I can tolerate an apple martini but I would much rather settle for a tasty soda. The drinks here? Oh mama, I could pick up a bad habit or two hanging out at BWL. Their martinis have a perfect ratio of alcohol to flavor, each sip is smooth and leave you wanting another. Get the Lavender martini if you like a more sour profile. read more

This place is AMAZING. I absolutely loved it, even though I was skeptical of the fondue. You HAVE to try it, the gouda is delicious with the steak, chicken, grapes and green apples. I totally loved the decor, the service, the food, the drinks, the music. It's definitely a classy and dressy place. read more

Great drinks. Great atmoshere. Many cozy areas to sit. Service was not fast or slow.

Rock n roll Sushi. Very nice. Best cocktail selection. Music is perfect for conversation or just to sit back and relax. Definitely would recommend to anyone that respects the finer things in life. read more