Stopped by here on the way back from boundary waters and was not disappointed. Nice location and…read moreplenty of indoor and outdoor seatings. Staff was nice and lots of different sandwich choices. Parking lot right next to it which was convenient. I got the slamin Gordon and it was good. The greens were a strong would have liked more salmon but the flavoring was good.

Northern Waters Smokehaus is one of the most recommended restaurants in Duluth. Located…read moreconveniently in the center of Canal Park, we stopped by on a sunny Wednesday early afternoon, hoping to score some of the best sandwiches in town. Even though this was well past lunch time at 2PM, the outside patio was packed and there was a line of 10 people or so to contend with to order at the register. Due to how busy it was, our food took about 20 minutes to arrive. The Squealy Dan, Porketta ($16) - Unlike most other restaurants with Iron Range Porketta, Northern Waters slices their porketta thinly instead of pulling the pork apart. It has a pleasant spiced flavor and the texture feels as if it's cured rather than roasted. It's relatively tender, and while they give a decent amount of meat, it's completely overshadowed by the heavy spicy quality of the black pepper and the acidity and vegetalness of the crunchy pepperoncini. There's a bit of melted gooey provolone on top of the porketta. While nice, there's not enough to balance out the peppers. This is all on a crusty almost baguette-like hero roll, toasty and warm. The sandwich is served with a side dip that's essentially black pepper and pepperoncini water. Definitely not needed given how overwhelming those elements are in the sandwich. (3/5) Pastrami Mommy ($19) - I haven't had bison pastrami before. Now I know why it's not very common - it's way too lean and dry compared to beef pastrami. Still, it's nicely spiced and peppery, and there's not much of the bison gamey flavor since it's cooked out from the curing. There's a little bit of mayo underneath and some mustard on top, but it's not enough moisture or fat in my opinion to counteract the leanness of the bison. While there are some slices of provolone above the meat, they are served cold. I feel like melting it with the pastrami on the griddle would do wonders to help develop some more unctuousness. It's also served on cold rye - perhaps toasting with some butter would also help. Otherwise, the sandwich is just too dry and lean for my tastes. (3/5) I feel like I ordered the wrong items. I probably should have gone with some of the seafood sandwiches, but I found it strange they only serve Atlantic salmon rather than local lake fish. In the end, I appreciate that Northern Waters Smokehaus makes most of their meats in house, but after trying their food, I feel like it's more hype than substance. Bathrooms - Larger ones located upstairs, shared with the rest of the businesses in the mini mall. Note: Northern Waters Smokehaus charges a 3% credit card fee. This is disclosed on a sign at the front register. Food: [3/5] Service: [ ] Other: [+] Final Rating: 3/5

Service was great!!! Our waitress was knowledgeable and…read moreoffered suggestions. The food runner guy was funny and took care of a mixup on the order immediately (mac&cheese vs potato salad on one order). The ribs were excellent. Good flavor and very tender and moist. The brisket was moist and had a good smoke. Sides: order the potato salad, awesome. The greens are very good and are on the sweeter side. The mac&cheese is tasty with the Mac not being over cooked. Would definitely return if in the area.

Sat on the big patio with the dogs. They even offered a water bowl and gave them dog treats!…read more Great smiley service! Tasty food.

You want a romantic meal with delicious food in Duluth? Look no further, but plan ahead! The food…read moreis amazing and the service is fantastic, but you've got to get a reservation (even last minute ones pop up!) My favorite in Duluth, hands down.

This was one of the few places we made a reservation for on our trip to Duluth. It's a small place…read moreand it's very popular, so that's why. We had to wait a little for our reservation but it's fine. You can't make people get up and leave. We enjoyed watching the two guys in the kitchen work and I perused the gelato case. They brought us to a nice two top on the covered part of the outside of the restaurant. Spectacular views of the lake. Service was prompt. I had wine and Jeff had a cocktail. The cocktail menu did not appeal to me; my wine was fantastic. Of course I had to start with the meatballs. They were so good. For dinner I had the salmon fresca- a pasta dish, which is not my typical dish (i usually get beef!) but it sounded so good. I was very pleased with it and my husband loves fish so he was thrilled and shared with me. He also ordered the mahi mahi which comes over risotto and loved it. We were grateful for the complimentary bread and dipping sauce. Yum! They told us their desserts were homemade so we shared the cheesecake. It was better than I expected! I'm not a cheesecake fan, but I had a couple bites! What a wonderful date night for us. Thank you! We took our leftovers to go. I want more of those meatballs! Be sure to order them.

Stopped in for a coffee on a Friday morning at the recommendation of a nearby business owner and I…read morewas not disappointed! The space itself is HUGE with tons of seating - I was in shock. My friend described the coziness of it as "your grandma's house". We got in line right in time because it filled up right after we ordered. They have tons of coffee and tea options as well as baked goods and hot food of the day items (quiche, frittata, etc). They also do beer and wine and had a solid tap selection. I had the dovetail latte and my friend had an iced vanilla latte and we both loved our coffees. They also have a small craft and trinket section from local sellers which was so cool and made the space feel so homey. It was so good we ended up doing back later that weekend as well. Recommend if you're in the area!

Great coffee shop in Duluth! Plenty of seating area to read, study, or chat with a friend. I…read moreenjoyed their little gift shop area with beautiful creative items. Coffee was tasty as well! Make sure to check it out if you're in the area!

It's incredible to find a Vietnamese restaurant serving such delicious food in a small city like…read moreDuluth. Whether you are Vietnamese or not, you should definitely give this place a try--I'm certain you won't be disappointed. Be sure to try the Vietnamese coffee, too.

WARNING!!! Our experience was extremely disappointing. The server spilled soup all over my dad and…read moredidn't even apologize. To make matters worse, we were overcharged for side plates of bean sprouts and basil, which are normally included with pho. When we politely pointed out the billing error, instead of correcting it professionally, the staff threatened to kick us out of the restaurant. If you decide to eat here, I strongly recommend checking your bill carefully before paying. Based on our experience, both the customer service and the way our concerns were handled were unacceptable.

FIVE STARS FOR SURE - The location has free parking (which is rare in Duluth). The hostess was…read morepolite and greeted us with a smile and quickly sat us. The menu has a lot of variety with many items to choose from. The server was just top notch like took time to get order right, answer questions, come back and check on us and smile and super professional the whole time. My beverage was amazing and food was great, one of the people in our group said the homemade vegetable soup was the best soup they've ever had. To be honest the food was really good but the staff was just amazing. The hostess, server, even person who walking by answered a question and wasn't our server were all just beyond top notch. Like the service you'd get at a upper end steak house (but even better than that). I think the food is great, the servers are TOP NOTCH and for sure recommend. I'd give six stars if I could.

Stopped by Lake Ave for a late lunch today after poking around in the shops in the building…read more We got a seat out on the patio, which was small and cute. They also have a window into the kitchen, so you can see the chefs cooking! Our server was very sweet and attentive! It was their first day too!! Woohoo! I got the Rise of the Phoenix mocktail, which was so yummy! Perfect for a hot day! Had a good amount of vegetarian options, which is always lovely to see! I ended up getting the Wild Rice Hot Dish because it felt so quintessentially Minnesotan. I didn't end up loving it. I thought it needed more flavoring and spicing it up, but I know that that is NOT quintessentially Minnesotan. But my whole group thought it could have used a little something-something. BUT we also got the Mac and Kim-cheese and that was so good and flavorful! Such a fun combo! Would definitely get that dish again!

Lincoln Park is hip and with it--insert Macarena here. Corktown and its sister restaurants, OMC…read moreSmokehouse and Duluth Grill--the latter serving breakfast through lunch--are the neighborhood's dining anchors. I came for the Reuben and the delights of smoked pastrami, of which life offers far too few. Yummy. It is the yardstick against which all other Reubens should be measured. PRO TIP #1: Here is a secret only a full-time drinker would notice: Drinks are two-for-one if you sit at the bar--all day, every day. Those must be some seriously forlorn bartenders. PRO TIP #2: Park in the Duluth Grill lot or behind the restaurants. It is a bit confusing the first time through, presumably to discourage the unhip. Finally, the restrooms are top shelf, which is the first--and last--thing old-timers like me notice.

He Ssaid: Duluth is a wonderful place to visit. The…read morelandscape is beautiful and there are several good foods places to choose from. Corktown has a good selection of both meat and veggie dishes. I ordered the falafel plate and I enjoyed the plate, immensely. Our waitress was really kind, too. She asked if we were there to fish (we were). The waitress offered to share some good fishing spots. Awesome. Pros: - Nice spot that offers quality dishes. - Smoked meats are good Cons: - I would rank other Duluth restaurants over this place, but Corktown is still a solid choice.

Service was intentional: Hosts, bartenders, servers, and bussers, were all helpful. Belle was an…read moreawesome server! Environment was pretty fun: Small and cozy, yet didn't feel crowded. Food was fantastic: from the Wings, to the burgers and sides - everything's flavor was amazing and textures were perfect. Be careful - "spicy" is pretty hot!

Popped into Burger Paradox right at the tail end of dinner rush and we got a fresh table. Our…read moreserver (Taylor) was quick, knowledgeable, attentive, and gave great suggestions. We started off with KBBQ Spouts & Buffalo dill pickle fries and they both were excellent. After a bit of a wait our burgers and fries came out hot and ready to get smashed. We all ordered different burgers (Table of 4) and after the appetizers we knew we were in for a treat. All in Burger Paradox was stellar and I'm now I'm a food coma writing this review. Damn. 5 Stars

When your server responds to "How are you?" with a "Too blessed to be stressed" positive attitude,…read moreyou know you will have excellent service. The portions are massive, and the hollandaise sauce reminded me exactly of the old Sunny Side Up that is missed so much from Uptown in Mpls... The food was excellent - the service was top notch - hands down HIGHLY recommended!

LARGE portions beware! Super friendly staff and they all help each other with the service so there…read moreis very little waiting. We sat at the counter and it was clean and wiped down quickly after each person left. Many food choices and we were told the menu was recently updated so they keep things new. Worth a visit!

Intrigued by their homemade wild rice burgers, we decided to visit Fitger's Brewhouse for a dinner…read morewhile in Duluth. When we arrived a bit after 7PM, we had quite some trouble finding parking and ended up having to park a couple of blocks away after circling for 20 minutes. Walking in, the place wasn't too busy, perhaps 50% capacity. We were interested in ordering the fried cheese curds, but the server told us they weren't battered in house, so we passed on them. Smoked Fish Salad (Market Price, $18.99) - This is a pretty salad - all ingredients are arranged in rows along the dish. Mixing things together is a bit of a pain, but I appreciate the dressing on the side to add to preference. The dressing is an interesting blend of mayo and other ingredients, perhaps BBQ sauce, that make it slightly tangy and very sweet. There's an undertone of smokiness throughout, which tastes somewhat like liquid smoke rather than the dressing actually being smoked. It is on the sweeter side of dressings. Other than greens, there's a row of wild rice, dark and snappy, completely broken cultivated rice. There's also a bit of house smoked trout, nice and smoky. (4/5) Classic Wild Rice Burger ($16.99) - This is one of the tallest burgers I've seen in quite a while, mostly due to the inclusion of fresh vegetables including onion and tomato, and alfalfa sprouts. For some reason instead of using larger tomatoes, they use small roma tomatoes, including three small slices. They also used red onion that's chopped into a variety of different shapes instead of whole slices. It's really strange - I guess this saves on cost? Unfortunately smaller pieces means things fall out while eating. The patty is larger than the bun. It has plenty of broken wild rice bits giving some additional crunch and that signature wild rice taste. It's charred on the griddle well and it keeps its structure, not falling apart or becoming mushy at any point. I love how it's distinctively a rice burger and doesn't try to be a meat substitute. Two slices of American cheese are melted on top that gives some fattiness to the dish. The bun is toasted without butter and there's a flavorful garlic mayo spread on the top. It would be nice if they had also applied the sauce to the bottom bun as I found the patty to not have enough moisture or fat incorporated. The burger comes with some thin commercial fries. There aren't any issues with the level of fry and they are otherwise unremarkable. (4/5) Fitger's Brewhouse serves some solid good old fashioned Midwestern American food. Not much else to say. Bathrooms - Larger ones shared with the rest of the business in the building Food: [4/5] Service: [ ] Other: [ ] Final Rating: 4/5

Absolute 5 star experience here. We entered right at they opened at 11 on a Saturday. I told our…read moresever that I had an event coming up at noon so we'd be ordering right away, and by golly, the staff took care of us. Drinks, followed by poutine 5 minutes later, then food about 10 minutes after that. We were all done within 30 minutes! The food was fantastic, too. Delicious poutine, with oozy gooey squeaky cheese curds. I had the smoked fish salad; it had the right amounts of everything and felt like a distinctly Duluth dish. My husband had the fish and chips. I had a bite of his fish, and it was perfect, with great batter and flavor. I would happily come here again on a visit. I can see why this is a city institution.