Dined here during Covid over Labor Day weekend. We didn't make reservations and were unable to dine outdoors on the lake view deck. We were able to dine outside in a small seating area off the main entrance. The service and food were excellent for a busy weekend dinner rush. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich with avocado, tomato, mozzarella and greens on a ciabatta roll with aioli sauce. The avocado was perfectly ripe and the bread was fresh and tasty. I ordered fresh fruit as a side, the melon was perfectly ripened. Desert was turtle cheesecake. It was amazing! Food was delicious, service was friendly and fast, flies outside were a bit irritating but that's to be somewhat expected when dining al fresco. read more

Bluefin Grille - Turtle cheesecake - New American Near Me - Tofte, Minnesota

The only good thing left here is the view. We have been here several times previously over the last 10 years. You could always expect great service, good food and a fantastic view. Now you just leave disappointed. The only thing left IMO is the view. Overpriced, subpar food, and service. The last time I had eaten here was two nights in a row in March of 2023. They were on their first nights of a new menu change, and the food was absolutely terrible. The service was ok. My drink from the bar was just ok. I talked to the bartender about the drink, and he told me that all their "special" drinks are premade on a pitcher. Tonight, we decided to give it another try, thinking they could redeem themselves, and they had to have just been having a few bad nights. I was wrong. We arrived without a reservation. The hostess checked her iPad for a few minutes and then asked if we (party of 2) wanted to sit at the bar. I kindly declined, wanting a table and aked how long the wait would be. She checked her iPad again and ended up sitting us right away in the downstairs dining room at a booth. The seat of the had food on it. I simply brushed it away, overnights happen. We were seated and given menus. No water, no drink menu. Our server came a little while later and seemed frustrated that we weren't set up. She brought us waters and a drink menu. My drink was terrible. Aperol spritz. I'm not sure how you can mess that up? Food was sub-par. My walleye had no flavor. I added a lot of salt and pepper. My significant other had a ribeye, which was ok. It's definitely not worth the price. The whole vibe in the place has just gone downhill. It just seems chaotic and loud. It's not classy and a little more upscale like it used to be. Thumbs down, and we won't go back. read more

We knew going in that they, along with just about every other restaurant and business, was short staffed so adjusted our expectations accordingly. Husband had the walleye plate and liked it. I wavered back and forth between the Brussels sprouts and Cauliflower salad and the veggie burger. Chose the burger but the salad might have been a better choice. There are two kinds of veggie burgers (three if you count the mass-produced frozen kind) and this one was a dry meat like imitation. I prefer veggie burgers that taste like veggie burgers! The toppings (pepper jack cheese, peppers, greens and avocado were the only thing that saved this burger for me. If you like newt imitation burgers you might have a different opinion if this one. The house made bbq chips were good but very salty - I was parched later on. The service was as attentive as could be for a short-staffed establishment and we didn't wait unreasonably long for our food. read more

Had the Breaker Burger and a salad with wings. Dry Rub wings were excellent, good flavor and good sized wings Burger was perfectly cooked, had great flavor and was filling. Loved the fries it came with. The dressing for the wings and the salad was very rich and a highlight. We had their house ranch and blue cheese both were very good read more

Our family ate our late lunch /early supper here as everywhere in Grand Marais was full and packed and Papa Charlie's didn't open til 4. My son and I shared Duck and Wild Rice Quesadilla. This was yummy. I ordered Wild rice soup and a house salad to go as there was nowhere to eat by Tofte/Lutsen. The view is so nice of Lake Superior. Husband had a burger and son had a sandwich and fries. Again this place is spendy, but there is nothing around this area. I'd come back but spouse liked burger at Muguls better. read more

Very, very slow service and poor service. It took an hour and a half to get an order and even with a reservation we got stuck outside on the patio where we were the only ones there and the wait staff did not really attend. The food was mediocre and over priced for what we got. We went here to celebrate a special occasion and I would not recommend this for special occasions. read more

Mike at the bar is an excellent bartender. Not only was he a master at the bar, he was also very familiar with the menu at the grille and suggested the scallops and pork belly appetizer which is one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. I ordered it two days in a row and would have ate it for breakfast if I had the chance. Do yourself a favor and order the scallops and a Moscow Mule (or four)...you won't be disappointed read more

Bluefin Grille - Scallops and pork belly was awesome! - New American Near Me - Tofte, Minnesota

This restaurant was not what I expected for a small town. The food was uniquely tasty. Never had wild rice with blueberries nor a sweet dill sauce on the walleye The waiter was good although I received my soup minutes before my dinner. One of the complainants is there were two window seats open and when we were being taken to our seats I asked for one of them. The hostess stated that the server was over booked and we would not get waited on quickly. So we took the seats she planned for us. We sat next to a family with extremely loud kids that never shut up. Really distrusted the enjoyment of a nice dinner. But to top it off our server was the same server that waited on the window seats. What a disappointment with such a hostess in a nice restaurant. read more

Lovely ambiance right on lake Superior. Good food and excellent service.

We had a large party of 11. Had high hopes. Beautiful view. Helpful server. But multiple dishes were just meh. Our group ordered the chicken and sausage paella and another ordered the seafood paella. They just weren't any good. The roasted brussel sprout and cauliflower salad wasn't bad, but my Kobe nacho burger was nothing special at all. Didn't seem like waygu beef (and I've had Kobe beef in Kobe). But nice little spot, beautiful view, and hopefully we can come back to try the scallops or some desserts. read more

We came in for a few bowls of soup and chili, we felt bad because the kitchen was closing so we ordered 3 bowls for eat in and said we would be there in 5 minutes, now mind you that the bar is open for two more hours. When we got there our soup was in a bag and the woman at the front (Jordan) said "I made it to go, I hope you don't mind"?? You have to be kidding me, a $9 bowl of soup in a cardboard cup? I go to Kwik trip for soup in a cardboard cup, not to Bluefin Bay. I asked for flatware, she said there's plastic stuff in the bag...wow I won't spend another dime there! Btw, my Duck chowder didn't have a single chunk of duck. read more

Bluefin Grille - Crappy soup - New American Near Me - Tofte, Minnesota

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Just OK... Had dinner there this time. There was some good news... some not so great. The soup of the day was delicious, and the best part of the meal for sure. My husband ordered the hamburger. It came undercooked and sort of soft textured but the fries were very good. I ordered the "crispy" (not) chicken sandwich. Not at all fresh... seemed like something pre-prepared from a Cisco truck delivery. Not at all crispy, breaded piece of tough chicken. Also ordered the Cesar salad... nothing more than chopped romaine with a flavorless over done dressing. This review is meant to be a wake up call. We want to continue to support this business but you need to bring back the quality of your menu offerings. read more

Went for a late dinner while staying at Bluefin Bay. Service was excellent and food was really good. Decided to go for apps and share. Got small Caesar salad and small house salad. Both were very affordable and delicious! Then we shared mushroom bruschetta, fish sampler app, and artichoke dip. LOVED the mushroom bruschetta -phenomenal. Fish sampler was good if you like smoked fish. Artichoke dip was good but not my favorite. read more

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The food is good. We ate here two nights in a row. I had the broiled walleye po-boy and my husband had the scallops. He loved the scallops but the po-boy wasn't very good. The waiter, NEAL was great! The next night, we had a candlelit dinner and they were out of tomatoes. I had a pasta dish with vegetables and it was just ok. We had some fantastic creme brule and a bottle of champagne. Breakfast is great - I had the berry pancakes and my husband had the shore breakfast. All in all - it was a decent restaurant. read more

Was staying at Bluefin Resorts for our vacation so we knew we had to try Bluefin Grille at least once. Looking at the prices, we opted to pick dinner as our meal out here and knew it would not be inexpensive. You're paying for friendly service, beautiful lake view, good drinks, and some decent food. We started off with an app of artichoke/spinach/kale dip.. but honestly I only saw artichoke and maybe parsley? Unless it was white kale and no spinach.. not sure I tasted either of the latter. The bread was nicely toasted and buttery so whatever the spread was, it tasted OK. My husband opted for the house burger and added fried eggs on top. The chips were good, uneven with the saltiness. He said the burger was fine. I was recommended the scallops (Coquilles St. Jacques), which were well-cooked but didn't really seem like the classic French dish for which it is named. Felt like the dish was very separate components. The wild rice was very good on its own-- loved the pairing with the blueberries and carrots! But I didn't get the steamed vegetables. You have this really great wild rice, good scallops.. and then this weird side of steamed veggies. If I have a $30+ dish... I sort of hope for it to go together or at least try for something creative. Maybe like a roasted veggie along with the rice. Or instead of the rice and steamed veggies, doing a nice salad + roasted veggies with the scallop. Anyway. It was a confusing dish for me. We decided go big or go home, so finished off with dessert + after-dinner drinks. Dessert was the chocolate chip cookie with ice cream, nothing fancy. App 3/5 Drinks 4/5 Burger 3.5/5 Scallop dish - overall 3.5/5 (Definitely A-OK but the sides are just as important to me as the protein-- scallops 3.5/5, wild rice 5/5, steamed veggies 1/5) Dessert 3.5/5 We tried a lot of different things at Bluefin Grille and stuffed ourselves full with food and mostly drinks. We did beer, wine, and after-dinner cordials. We still consumed back the calories that we hiked away and then some. However overall would give 3.5 stars. Other than the wild rice and the view (which you can find many different places), there wasn't anything that we were super excited about. If you're staying nearby, I'd give it a try at least once. read more

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Ordered a chicken, tomato, avocado, and mozzarella sandwich from here and it was absolutely disgusting. Not going to lie I didn't expect much from this place, but I honestly couldn't even finish the meal. This was the most bland, poorly cooked meal I have had in a long time. Even the fries were bad. It's sad what places can get away with when they're one of very few food options in a tourist town. read more

Made reservations for 11 at 745p. Our party finally got seated at 815p, after 3 attempts to get seated and host was rude. 3 items on the menu were unavailable. After ordering waitress had to return and info that more items were unavailable. Reservations are required but no indication of requirement is posted. Food, once we received our orders, was good, medium steak was more on the rare side. We got served after 9pm. The restaurant closes at 9pm. read more

Fantastic. I had the honey glazed salmon and the game hen, and I couldn't recommend this place more. Excellent atmosphere with beautiful views of Lake Superior, attentive friendly service and everything was absolutely delicious, cooked to perfection and reasonably priced. Truly a memorable dining experience that won't destroy the bank, I will certainly be returning here when I'm back in the area. read more

The Bluefin Grill is part of the Bluefin resort. The dress is casual. We stopped here after learning that the Cascade Lodge restaurant was closed on a Saturday afternoon in late September. We watched Gopher football on the television. My wife had the walleye sandwich and I had a burger. Her walleye sandwich came tepid while my burger was hot. To say her walleye sandwich came tepid is an understatement. It was almost cold. It looked and tasted like it had sat for two hours waiting for someone to pick it up. We shared the duck and bacon wontons. If you were thinking wontons would have duck meat and bacon in them, you are mistaken. They came with neither - at least none that were visible to the naked eye. But they tasted good anyway. After sending my wife's sandwich back to the kitchen, we enjoyed good conversation while peering out at Lake Superior. It was a cold and rainy day! By the way, our waitress and hostess (manager) were very friendly and accommodating. The second walleye sandwich took almost as long as the first one. We had hoped it would be moved up in the order, but evidently it was not. I was done with my burger by the time she received her sandwich, which was much better than the first, although not outstanding as we had hoped read more

We saw mixed reviews beforehand, but decided to give it a shot! Service was good. We were seated in a quite booth on the lake facing side of the restaurant. We ordered the Spinach and Artichoke dip to start. Tasted great! Came with crostini and Lots of extra cheese melted on top. It was quite oily, but we just mixed it up. My husband ordered the half chicken with wild rice as a side. The chicken was herb rubbed and the skin was so crispy and flavorful. Chicken meat was tender and juicy. My filet minion was cooked to medium, as requested. It was grilled perfectly and soooo tender. Mashed potatoes and seasonal veggie were okay. Overall we had a good experience and would visit again! read more

My wife and I were on vacation in upper Minnesota. We decided to stop in at the Bluefin Grille due to its proximity to our hotel and it looked to be a very nice place. Well, first off we tried to make a reservation by phone and unfortunately nobody ever picked up. So we decided that we would see if we could just go there and get a table. When we got there the hostess asked us if we had a reservation to which we explained we tried calling but nobody picked up the phone. She appeared to be very frustrated with our response. But we were able to be seated within 15 minutes which was no problem. So we had her server come to the table to which we ordered some martinis and looked over the menu during this time. Then we noticed that there was a fly insect problem as they were all over the place our table and the tables surrounding us, it was very distracting. When we got our martinis somehow there was a mistake and we were giving the wrong order. The server corrected the mistake and apologized so we decided to order dinner when we received our meals unfortunately neither one was hot they were warm at best. We probably should have brought it to the servers attention but at that point I just wanted to get out of the restaurant. I know that with Covid it's hard finding good service and we experienced that a lot of times during our vacation I hope it does get better because the place is very nice. read more

Overall the food was good. The kobe kimchee burger itself was very good as a patty, but there was absolutely no kimchee, and for $19 I expect at least some kimchee sauce. The salads were very good, and shrimp salad bowl was good. The duck chowder was very good, but we had to go back to pick it up because they left it out of the order. Overall the food was good quality, but it was a bit disappointing. It was good enough that we would try it again, but it fell short of the mark. read more

This was very disappointing on alll levels. We ordered the Walleye which came mushy. A terrible chef job for $32. We also ordered the $42 rib eye special. It was a Perkins quality cut smothered in some lame sauce. Who does that? There was no bread with this meal either. Two entrees for $74 and no bread? I am sure it would have tasted better than the fish and fatty steak. And baked potato. You DONT wrap a potato in foil. That is a steamed potato. The GM, Executive Chef, maintenance Man or whoever runs the place needs to head to culinary school. On top of that, we waited 60 minutes for our food while others who came after us ordered, ate, and left. When we made the required Covid reservation they asked if it was a special occasion. We said yes, our anniversary. Yet, they didn't do anything special so why ask? Save your money cause this was bad, bad, bad. read more

Amazing food. Decently priced. I had the Nashville hot chicken sandwich, simple but done so right. The sauce was so good I would eat it on its own. The crispy chicken tastes like fresh battered, it was all white meat and had none of those weird chewy stringy things that chicken sometimes has. My husband got the filet mignon cooked to perfection. This was the first time in a long time we have been this impressed with meat from a restaurant. Beautiful views our table was right next to a window overlooking superior. We will be back anytime we can. read more

A tad spendy but tasted good. The battered fries were delicious and the view was great!

Perhaps we expected more because people really talked it up. We got take it sandwiches and burgers one night, which were just fine so we were really looking forward to eating in and having a special night out during our stay. The scallops were the only thing on my plate I bothered to eat. There were a few grains of undone wild rice in the lump of otherwise overcookedand tasteless rice side, the sweet potato puree was ice cold and the seasonal veggies were clearly a bag of frozen blend. The staff was very friendly and polite but offered no apology when they cleared my full plate of uneaten food. Stick with the burgers here - not fine dining. read more

Great ambience and view! The menu is extensive and wide range given we were a party of 7 with 3 kids under 12. Wings were awesome, cheese curds mediocre, Green salad as expected. The wild rice burger was a bummer, the turkey burger was good, and signature burger was superb. Service was good - not great. Cocktails were disappointing. All in all- good. Worth a look. read more

This place seems a little fancy for it's own good. The restaurant is nice, right on Lake Superior with a gorgeous view. The food was disappointing. I got a prime rib French dip sandwich. It was borderline inedible. I don't mind a little gristle here and there-- I'm really not picky when it comes to food. But this was bad. It was super fatty. Towards the end of my sandwich I was so disgusted that I just dipped the bread in the au jus and didn't eat any of the meat at all. Kate got the club sandwich, she wasn't impressed either. Another bummer? Their sides for the sandwiches are sweet potato fries or fruit. I'm sorry, what? You either love or hate sweet potato fries, and Kate and I are not fans. And really? The other option is fresh fruit? That has to be a joke. I was hoping maybe chips or coleslaw or just regular fries, but no. So I choked down the sweet potato fries and Kate chose to upgrade to onion rings for $2 more. The prices here are HIGH! So don't be surprised when you spend $20 at lunch. I'd say there are better places for you to try around the Lutsen area. read more

Well it has been almost a year since I was back at Bluefin and the menu has changed entirely. There seems to be a heavy influence of linganberries and a sorta Norwegian and Scandinavian theme. The salads listed this time around weren't anything I would be interested in and the burgers sounded a bit weird. But that being said I went back the next night on my request to do 2 birthday dinners here. The first night I had a warm and cozy artichoke dip sampler...it was more creamcheesy than anything but with a little cracked pepper it was good. The bread was excellent (most likely from coho). For dinner I had the risotto...and BAM! I will order this every time and anytime. It was creamy but also fresh and rich with mushrooms but also citrusy. That all doesn't sound as good as it was. I mean I drove 30 plus mins each direction to eat hear two nights in a row if that helps clarify things. The second night I added a chicken breast to the risotto because they were out of scallops. It really was the perfect dish! For dessert I oped in for the chocolate ganasch tart with a marmalade and marcapone. It was odd but awesome odd. I also ordered this two nights in a row...they were slightly different each time but very likeable. Sangria tasted like cough syrup...stick with the moscato punch if your wanting a sweet sip instead. Both times we missed their happy hour that ends at 6....if I could would try to go during this time...one because it is super dark out after 5 around here this time of year and the view just isn't as good when it is pitch black. Two because I like cheaper things. read more

The setting is beautiful. I can't say that enough. When you walk in and see the view, it is breathtaking. The food is pretty good. I had the Cuban which did not taste like a Cuban at all but it was good for what it was. Families with kids... the kids meals are expensive and the sandwiches are on a multigrain artisan bread. They looked awesome and my kids did eat them but I thought my son (the picky one) might stage a coup over seeing all the grains and spices in his bread. Thankfully they ate it but I think 75% of kids would freak. The service was slower than slow. Our waitress was odd... like really odd. She would leave to get something, be gone for a long time, come back and not have the item she left for. She was also scolding my kids and me about what sauces etc. they should try, at least take one bite, etc. She was... odd. And the prices were high. Really high. Even higher than you would expect for a tourist area especially when you order a sandwich and chips for 12.50. Kids meals are really high. So to sum up.... high prices, odd waitress, slow service, adult food was good but kid food may cause a rebellion. read more

Through and through this is just a great restaurant. My wife and I have been here over a half-dozen times and always enjoy it. We've had most of the appetizers, the steaks, the fishes, all of them great...some better than others but never a bad meal. They recently updated their menu in early 2018 and so far so good. It's a very cozy feeling restaurant, both in the seating area and in the bar area. The views of the lake from nearly any seat in the restaurant are gorgeous. I've read a lot of reviews that sometimes the wait is too long to get seated or the food takes too long. What you need to understand is that this is one of the best places to eat along the north shore and it's a smaller (relatively) sized restaurant so it's always going to be busy - and that's a good thing! If you get a chance, chat up Mike the bar-keep, he's a hoot. Talk with the locals and out-of-towners, have a signature cocktail from the list, it's all good. Cheers! read more

Our server was very knowledgeable of which items were gluten free and most of them were which was fabulous and gave me many options to choose from. I also enjoyed their apple cider/champagne drink... can't get mad at a flavorable, easy going down, cup of awesomeness. I thoroughly enjoyed the salmon dish as well. I never knew what beets tasted like and always assumed that because Dwight's family owned a beet farm, they couldn't be that great, because he's an odd man. But even before I had the opportunity to get my salmon on, I enjoyed some GLUTEN FREE WINGS! HELLLLO, gluten free wings... that alone deserves 5 stars! The waitress was awesome, the food was awesome, and the portions were good! read more

Food was great, staff was very friendly as well. Our waitress Bobbie was so funny and friendly, makes you feel right at home!

We love the Bluefin Grille. We were so sad that due to winter hours they were not open for breakfast on weekdays this trip so we had to eat at the not so delicious Coho Cafe. Obn previous trips we have had amazing breakfast delicacies while enjoying the morning sun on Lake Superior. On one night we ordered burgers to go. They are a good quality burger with excellent toppings for about $10.95. The fries are nothing special and I wish they would up their game and make fresh, hand cut fries rather than the frozen ones. Our last night was the splurge part of our trip and we decided to just go for it and not worry about the cost. Started with a Belvedere Dirty Martini. I asked if they had Blue cheese stuffed olives and Sue said she would take care of it. She went to the kitchen, got some amazing Minnesota blue cheese and and hand stuffed my olives. Amazing. We started with the Lake Cakes as an appetizer and they were incredibly fresh and flavorful. The Creamy Duck Chowder was good, but needed a little more seasoning. The multigrain bread was served warm with butter. For entrees we had the broiled walleye and the pan roasted duck breast. The fish was perfectly prepared and the tartar sauce with the fish was so awesome that I used the leftovers on my breakfast the next day. But I could eat the duck every day of the week. Pan roasted with béarnaise sauce. It was heaven. Really great mashed potatoes and nice vegetables completed the entrees. We had no room for desert but they sounded really yummy. Great service from Sue and the rest of the staff. In summary-you can eat great food in a variety of price ranges here. Perfect for burgers and beer or a romantic dinner for two. read more

Decent food but prices could be a bit cheaper. Beautiful views of the lake from the deck.

I visited the Bluefin Grille midweek in early January. I arrived early for dinner after a day of skiing at Lutsen Mountains and was looking forward to a cocktail and filling supper. I had been told the view was fantastic but while this is true, get there early to enjoy it. By 4:30, it is too dark to see that great view well. I was there early and there was a special appetizer menu and 1/2 price drinks for happy hour (4-6 if I remember correctly). However, the Manhattan I ordered took explaining and 2 different people to mix. For an upscale place, this took me by surprise -- a Manhattan is a pretty common cocktail. What was worse was use of Tribuno vermouth; it ties for last place along with Stock for my least favorite brand. There is little excuse for not having better. Supper, on the other hand, was good. I ordered Coquille St. Jacques, a meal I rarely find on a menu and usually order when I see -- it's a favorite of mine. Here it was executed well enough with a good sauce but in my opinion lacked the finishing touches; most noticeably absent were the breadcrumbs followed by a good toasting. Regardless, the scallops were cooked properly, the sauce was great and the accompaniments complementary to the main dish. Broccolini was cooked on the right side of underdone, perhaps too underdone for some but I was pleased. The wild rice medley was a combination of wild rice, wheatberries, brown rice, carrot, celery and a few other elements (quinoa, maybe?), all sized to be similar by dicing and cooked to the tooth. The food was good, the service fair, cocktails sub-par. I felt the pricing was fair; others may feel it is high. That sums up to a 3-star rating in my book, even factoring in the fantastic view. read more

The bluefin Grille at bluefin bay on the north shore of Lake superior is an excellent dining facility. From the staff to the food to the preparedness and presentation you cannot go wrong with this classic eatery. The scallops and pork belly are to die for and should not be missed! An additional bonus the entire dining room faces lake superior through huge bay windows. The full moon rose through our meal across the lake it felt magical. read more

Everything about this restaurant is amazing! Everything we have tried here is always been above expectations. The atmosphere is modern and has beautiful view of Lake Superior. I would say this is the best all around restaurant on the north shore. read more

Bluefin Grille - New American Near Me - Tofte, Minnesota

12 oz ribeye not very tasty. Get something else. Also, their paper pamphlet says they deliver for guests.... however when you call they say they only deliver after 5 pm!!! Put that in your information. Who wants delivery after 5pm!?!? Breakfast room service is what most people want! Waitstaff was good though and offset the bad food and bad delivery/food service. Definitely don't try the 12 oz ribeye!! Not good. read more

Prepare for Clash of the Clans--restaurant edition! Alright, perhaps that last statement requires a little explanation... In my opinion, the main draws of the Tofte area are the beautiful lakeside scenery, afternoons spent wandering the North Shore, hiking through Gooseberry Falls, and climbing the close-to-4-billion stairs at Split Rock lighthouse. So, after coming in for the evening with wind-burnt cheeks, damp socks, and frizzed-out hair, I'm looking for a cozy leather chair, a crackling fireplace, and a plate full of comfort food. Unfortunately, the tedious menu and trying-too-hard atmosphere leave me feeling more "stuffy" than "stuffed." Don't get me wrong, the food is good--even borderline-great at times--but the ambiance is all wrong. So if you're coming up for the weekend, don't shy away from the Bluefin Grille, but remember to pack more than your hiking boots. read more