We don't live anywhere near Fort Wayne. We're 2 1/2 hours away in Frankfort Illinois but we go…read morethere once in a great while to exchange grandkids with my son who lives in Hudson, Ohio a suburb of Cleveland so he picked this place Charlie's to meet us for a lunch repass and it was very good. They have a very short suite menu, but what I had was terrific I had a a salad with salmon on it and a lot of other veggies. It was terrific. The salmon was jerk, salmon, and the whole thing was a delicious repast. We had a appetizer of a couple bowls of their homemade chips. Unlike many places that don't salt them. These were salted just the right amount not too salty and I can't say anything bad about it. Our server was terrific and his name was Alex and the place is shaping up. I guess they just took it over from someplace else. The walls are a little bit bare needs a little more decoration and the ceiling is bare, but the chairs are very comfortable so it's an easy five star.

Charlie's Place - another place with a nice patio...and good to watch the game…read more I confess...the open and covered patios draw me right back to Charlie's place. If you want sun...sit out on the patio. If you want sunny shade and a breeze..sit under the outdoor cover/bar area or grab a table with an umbrella. You can't really go wrong here. Charlie's is also good for larger groups...and kids! Charlie's place is a large facility with lots of seating. The hosts are friendly. Making an on line reservation is easy. They always seem to have plenty of staff to serve and make you feel comfortable. Kudos to the team for developing a more attractive and welcoming lobby area! Sunday afternoon is brunch. They have a different menu than a normal lunch or dinner menu. Those menus are usually large and full of great choices. The brunch menu is much narrower and dominated by breakfast items. There are some non breakfast items...but not many. My wife had the breakfast tacos. She really liked the egg and bacon mixture. The sour cream and salsa sauces blended the tastes nicely. The Cobb salad was very fresh and tasty. There were lots of side ingredients such as egg, avocado, bacon, blue cheese, tomato and cucumber. The grilled chicken was plentiful and moist. Just enough grilled and seasoned taste to blend right in with the ingredients. The home made honey mustard dressing was consistent with what you would expect from honey mustard.

Spoke + Ivy (west Main Street, FW) - another locally unique dinning experience that deserves a try…read more Spoke + Ivy is located on west Main Street - across the parking lot from Redwood Inn restaurant, if that helps. This restaurant is set in an old building that used to house a pharmacy. It retains the character of the building via the hardwood interiors, tall ceilings, large window views of the street and concrete/industrial ceilings. The interior is nicely decorated with inviting green, brown wood and black accent colors. Table settings were very attractive as well. You can park in the small side lot or on the street. Reservations are easily made on line. The team is very friendly and welcoming. All set the stage for a fun and relaxing dinner experience. Spoke + Ivy has a very small food and specialty cocktail menu. This is the second time we have been here. Each time we found the food to be delicious and the cocktails are uniquely designed. Here is a run down on the food items we ordered: -Focaccia Bread: a mildly sweet, dense/firm bread, slightly airy with a touch of herbs to accent. It is cut into blocks so it is easier to share. The vodka sauce is thin in consistency with a smooth Italian seasoned tomato appeal. Both make for a deliciously simple starter. -Lobster Roll Rangoon: decided to give this a try. It comes out as one large Rangoon - not individual pieces. This means that you must awkwardly cut this shareable into pieces. The slightly crispy & oily wrapper is similar to most crab Rangoon pieces. It has a nice crisp. The inside has shredded pieces of lobster. It was not filled with creme cheese sauce like traditional rangoons - just plain. The green lemon parsley sauce was simply outstanding! It's very fresh, moderately thick and has a slightly tart taste. This added "the sauce" to what the inside of the Rangoon was lacking. -Milanese: nicely breaded chicken that was very moist. The breading is slightly sweet. The fresh bed of arugula salad is a nice add -Prime Rib Pho: this sounded really interesting. It's a smaller/healthier dish. The medium rare prime rib was sliced thin and tender. There wasn't many pieces of prime rib in this dish. The add-ins were fresh and much like you would expect from a Pho dish - just not as much volume. The broth has a chili oil base that gives it a spicier flavor. Overall we really enjoy this relaxed atmosphere and character of the building. The delicious food and cocktails are excellent.

This is the restaurant on the MAIN level, NOT the speak-easy in the basement. We were there at 5:30…read moreon a week night. We were seated in a very awkward corner table for two where the tables were really close together. Since it was our Valentine's celebration, I would have been uncomfortable with the tables next to us having people at them because it didn't give you any privacy or space for private conversation. We did not get drinks or appetizers. Our meals were very good (salmon and chicken). The server was good but didn't refill my water and that' a big deal to me. Also, it's supposed to be an upscale place and they were out of paper towels in the bathroom. I feel like that is just basic service they should check on regularly.

I parked under the bridge and walked across the street to Tolon on a cold winter night. As a…read morebusiness traveler I am looking for great restaurants that are not chains and provide a feel for the town I'm in. This restaurant was recommended to me by two people. One who travels frequently for business and the other who is in town frequently with their family. Both recommended Tolon as a wonderful place to sit down and have an excellent meal. I'm happy they did. I walked in the door and was warmly greeted by the hostess and asked to sit at the bar. The bartender greeted me immediately when I sat down and grabbed a bottle of water and the stainless steel cup for the water and poured me a drink. She provided me with the menu and the cocktail menu and gave me space in time to make my decisions. I went with a glass of Malbec, and the deviled eggs as a starter. My main course was another small plate: the beef short rib with polenta cake. The deviled eggs were phenomenal and had a unique flavor and we're just right sized for one. The beef short rib dish was excellent and maybe a little more than I could handle it once after the deviled eggs. Every person that brought food to me or that chatted with me while I sat at the bar was kind and welcoming.

There are a surprising number of excellence restaurants in Fort Wayne! During my recent visit, this…read morewas the last new one that I came to try. Next time I visit Fort Wayne, it will be the first one I go to! Much of the food is locally sourced, and the chef seems to be extremely good at what he or she does. I wasn't particularly hungry so I just ordered a salad. But what I didn't realize is that the salad that they brought me was an absolute masterpiece! And it was kale! I don't even like kale! But this was fantastic. I also had the whipped feta cheese with roasted pita bread as an appetizer. This place also had the best service of any restaurant I've been to in town. This is a definite go to location!

I've been here two times, and both times have honestly been very good. Definitely enjoy their menu,…read morethe food doesn't disappear, and the service was fantastic. The environment was modern-esk with a nice warming atmosphere attached.

Went on a not very busy Saturday and had a reservation where we listed we were getting together for…read moresomething special. They sat us in a pretty cruddy spot even though nice comfy booths were available but we couldn't ask to get moved because they ditched us at the table. Then somehow they sat us with the same server who had just gotten a huge party. I was willing to move on and we had managers taking care of us so it was OK. We got brunch food since we were there at that time. We got the breakfast tacos and they were fine. Also got the breakfast burrito. It was fine too but nothing amazing. Ordered the extra potatoes for $5 and got a few on a plate. They brought out hard boiled eggs basically when my daughter ordered poached and thankfully a manager checked and got it fixed after a while but then her toast was cold and chewy. The beer was fine, again nothing to bring me back. I guess I would just say it all was "ok" and I don't regret going but I don't know that I would go back.

10/10 the steak sandwich I had was amazing and would recommend time and time again. the deviled…read moreeggs flight was also amazing. quick service and ambiance was all there

We went at 5 pm on a weeknight and were the only guests outside of one other person. The service…read morewas wonderful. She made great recommendations and helped us decide based on our time constraints. She was attentive and gave us a lot of information about the food, live music, DJ and art for sale on all the walls. We weren't super hungry, so we tried the flatbread - sooo good. I will be back because the whole menu, including the drinks, sound wonderful. They offered zero spirit, GL and other substitutions if needed which is nice. The atmosphere has a moody, darker hang out vibe to it. I loved it and can't wait to bring some friends and family back! She recommended reservations on the weekends, especially on "First Fridays" as that's when they do events and an art crawl on Broadway when the weather is nice. We parked on the street in front of the building so I'm not sure if there is a parking lot. They do have outdoor seating as well in the front of the building. I remember when this location was a food co-op waaaaaaay back in the day. They did a great job transforming it into a relaxing bar and restaurant. We will go back and I highly recommend you check it out!

Our group of six recently had an absolutely phenomenal dining experience at Copper Spoon in…read moredowntown Fort Wayne. We were hosting a special guest visiting from China, so we really wanted the evening to be perfect, and Copper Spoon delivered on every front. The food and drinks were outstanding across the board. We started with fresh oysters and delicious house breads, and our main courses--specifically the ribeyes and the salmon--were cooked to absolute perfection. As great as the food was, the absolute highlight of our evening was our waitress, Kate. She went exceptionally above and beyond to make sure our experience was nothing short of wonderful. Her attentive service, warm hospitality, and professionalism truly elevated the entire night for our group. If you're looking for an unforgettable meal with top-tier service in Fort Wayne, go to Copper Spoon and ask to sit in Kate's section. Highly recommended!

Great whiskey selection!…read more Servers were friendly and attentive. The environment was relaxed and the music was a perfect volume!

Black Canyon has a great casual but classy upscale ambiance. Warm welcoming greetings by hosts as…read moreyou enter. Tasteful decor, albeit the bar, patio (seasonal, of course), or main dining area. Choice of booth or table seating. Can be a bit noisy, when tables of patrons forget they're not the only guests in the room, but not to the level that drowns out your own table conversation. Service is usually impeccable and Kiersten (our server the past 2 visits) exemplifies that: knowledgeable, attentive but not intrusive, kind, efficient, pleasant. Hubby had the not-your-ordinary wedge salad as a starter (pictured). Bacon, tomato, bleu cheese crumbles, hard boiled egg, and a creamy balsamic dressing. Very tasty! Me, always a sucker for good French onion soup (pictured), which I always order with no bread or croutons. Broth has authentic rich flavor with just the right amount of simmered onions. The only thing that might have made it even better would have been the use of Gruyere (or Swiss, instead of what seemed to be mozzarella) for the cheesy melt topping the delicious soup. Our chosen entrees tonight were the cashew crusted Mahi Mahi (pictured) served with orzo and fresh green beans, and the seared tuna (pictured) served on an umami blend of Napa cabbage and broccoli lightly dressed in sesame ginger, just-right heat, and peanuts. SO good! Oh...and you can see by the pics that the portions are well presented and generous enough to have some for lunch the next day! Truly a local fav! Great place for lunch or dinner!

Black Canyon (Dupont & Lima Roads) - consistently good dinning experience…read more Black Canyon is located on the very east end of the strip mall located near the Dupont & Lima road intersection. It can be found across the parking lot from Buffalo Wild Wings. There is always plenty of parking near the door. The restaurant is large with an inviting & modernly decorated bar and dinning area. The team here is very friendly and professional. They never disappoint. Making reservations on line is easy. I would definitely recommend reservations! On this night we were seated in the indoor-outdoor dining area. This area is more open, well lit and less intimate than the man dinning area. There were two large groups (12 and eight) seated in this area - nice for larger gatherings. You have a nice view of the lit outdoor fire place. BC has a very large menu. There is something for everyone. Overall BC is rather pricey but not as expensive as some. We started with our favorite corn bread appetizer. It's a simple 2-3 person dish. The bread is more like a southern cake than a traditional corn bread. The inside is soft, sweet and moist. The whipped butter is fluffy, smooth and makes a delicious accent to the corn bread. My wife ordered the southwest grilled chicken salad. She said the chicken was perfectly grilled and moist. The lettuce and fixings were very fresh. The dressing was very light and had a hidden cayenne pepper kick. The salad seemed to grow as you got to the bottom of the bowl - lol. My house salad was also very fresh. Plenty of side items to accent the lettuce. The buttermilk ranch dressing is somewhat unique. It has a smooth and light buttermilk texture without a strong buttermilk flavor. There are hints of ranch dressing flavors. Nicely done! I ordered the BC meatloaf. This was a mountain of deliciously blended types of meats, onions, peppers & spices. You could pick up the short rib, brisket, bacon and ground chuck flavors. The collection was moist, nicely spiced & seasoned and delicious! There was plenty of fresh and perfectly steamed broccoli - nice crisp. The Mac & cheese side was done to perfection! Nicely cooked noodles along with a very smooth & creamy white cheese sauce. It was so delicious that I had to scrap the sauce from the bottom of the dish. Overall, Black Canyon is an outstanding place to dine. You always feel special whether it's a special occasion or just dinner out. Time in and time out...food & service are outstanding!!

Love the farm to table experience. The menu is always changing and has interesting…read morecombination/flavors. The skewers were very good, personally enjoyed the steak ones more than chicken. Fried carrot pakora was delicious! Highly recommend trying. The radish dish was ok, has a strange aftertaste but the fried capers were good. The pastas were both flavorful with homemade noodles. We went during happy hour, which is a great deal. A bit expensive if you don't go during happy hour. The beet spice cake was warm, flavorful and the syrup on top you could drink! Our server was very friendly and accommodating. Can get quite cold in there as the main doors opens directly into the space. Love the idea of the community table too.

Everything about my dinner at Rune was amazing. Every little thing. This is officially my favorite…read morerestaurant in Fort Wayne. I guess I'll skip to the end when I got my check, and was completely shocked to learn that I had a fantastic meal and an excellently made spritz, plus dessert, for a shockingly low price. I even double-checked the check, to make sure they didn't accidentally leave something off. No! How could it be? It turns out that I was visiting Rune during happy hour, which is Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 6 p.m. This could be why my bill was so agreeable. So, if you're looking for a great meal for a great price, visit during happy hour. So, the spritz. Literally every table ordered the spritz while I was there, including me. It was a great choice, and it looked especially pretty and ombre in a glass with ice. Like any good spritz, it had just enough alcohol to make things sparkle a little, but was also refreshing and hydrating. I made a note in my phone to remember that the bartender used words like "vegetal" and "herbaceous" when talking about some of the cocktails to the people sitting at the bar. I love a good vegetal, herbaceous drink, and it made me want to order another cocktail. Instead, I ordered the green spaghetti from the happy hour menu, which is a paired down menu, but has a lot of the items from the regular menu. The spaghetti was bright green from a pesto made from ramps, nori butter and parmesan, and there were also bits of clams throughout. It was rich and buttery! Ramps are one of those things that I have to get when I see them on a menu during the spring. They're only around for a short time, so they're precious. For dessert, I went with the pot de creme, which was flavored with pho spices (cinnamon, anise, coriander, cardamom, fennel, etc.) and had peanuts and chocolate on the bottom. Holy fudgy bottom! This was the smoothest, most balanced dessert I've eaten in a long time. Smooth, but with the occasional peanut here and there to make things interesting. The service was excellent. I was dining by myself, so I got seated at a cozy little table, lit with a candle, that was off to the side but also in the center of everything, so I could people watch, which is one of my favorite things to do. I wanted for nothing the entire time, but was also left the eff alone. It was perfect. It was one of the best dining experiences I've had that I can remember.

The sidecar is perfect tonight. Good vibes, good weather, good drinks. A Fort Wayne staple…read morehopefully for a long time to come. Quick service at the bar! Updated menu!

The menu offers a lot, the bartenders were not rude or pretentious despite their skills. Tables and…read moreambiance were cute and summery. Our drinks were all tasty, and strong. The only downside, was the weather that day was HOT. So you have to be hardcore to go there in summer when they have no indoor option. I suggest sprinklers which really do a lot to cool it off on a patio. Or a big outdoor fan.