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

Whenever I visit Duluth, the Boat Club is on my agenda. The staff, the food, and the ambiance are…read moreall well worth the experience. The view of the lake as you enter the main dining room is spectacular. If you are fortunate enough to visit on a good-weather day during the summer, the patio experience cannot be beat. Every time I have visited, the staff have been genuinely gracious and caring. Add a unique and generous drink menu on top of a delicious selection of meal options what more could you ask for? Many of the menu items are gluten-free or gluten-free on request. As with most of their menus, brunch options are unique and worth the visit. Lake Superior Hash is a unique and tasty recommendation. I cannot say much about most of the dinner menu, because I ALWAYS order the ribeye, though I have added the scallops on occasion. The quality and preparation of the ribeye are well above most restaurant standards. Don't miss it! I also enjoy just stopping in for a drink. I have struck up conversations at the bar with perfect strangers, while enjoying one of the signature cocktails (don't miss the Minnesota Old Fashioned). Be sure to make a reservation. This is the one mistake you can make at the Boat Club. With a restaurant of this quality, you cannot assume there will be an open table for a walk-up.

Table of 11 for a wedding no one came to check on us for meals, nor water fills…read more 4 of us would have sent our meals back. 2 had fish w/risotto- risotto crunchy and both fish overcooked. 2 entree salads were drowned in dressing. Since we were a group of 11, I presume they couldn't care less as gratuity was auto added.

Best salmon ever!!!!! Thank you. I stop everytime near Duluth. Service is exceptional too.read more

My own personal mistake should not be a ding against the excellence that is Russ Kendall's Smoke…read moreHouse. Those who listen to my cautionary tale may end up fairing better for themselves should you decide to make the trek and find yourself at this magnificent smoked seafood counter. But first, for the love of god, if you are here you are a stone's throw from Lake Superior which is perhaps one of the best places for fish in the country. You may like salmon. Russ Kendall may do a great job with salmon. But don't sleep on those fish that were plucked from these frigid waters. This mindset had me eyeing the walleye and the jumbo whitefish sections. I wanted to buy both, but this was just one of many smoked fish destinations on my list for the week. I hate wasting food, and there is only so much my family can eat. Despite what others may suggest, I am not about to freeze beautiful smoked fish. My hope was that pieces in the case might be able to be cut down. But those hopes were dashed. I get it. That's fine. Policy. Mess. Time. Workflow. Yadda yadda yadda. The walleye pieces were big, but the helpful clerk found a smaller one just for me. Now, as the fish selection process was happening, more and more people were funneling into the shop. My wife was getting antsy. She wanted me to make up my mind and leave. And she had a point. However, that smaller piece was from the meaty and lean tail end of the fish. In a panic I gave the piece a thumbs up, and the clerk wrapped it up for me. This was my one great regret. Not just of this shopping trip, but of my whole vacation. I should have opted for a larger piece that was fat and juicy. That same helpful clerk did indeed find me a gorgeous hunk of lake whitefish that was delightfully fatty, and eating it made me smile with delight. Of course, different people can prefer different pieces of fish. Just like there are some chicken wing lovers who prefer the drummette and others who prefer the flat. If everyone liked the same thing, the world would be a pretty dull place. I guess what I'm saying is don't panic. Know in advance the cuts in the case are the cuts that are available for sale. Find the pieces that call you. If it ends up being a little more fish than you wanted, so be it. This stuff is so good you'll find a way to get it down without denigrating it to the freezer. For those who need crackers, like my wife and kid, there are sleeves for sale. As far as I'm concerned, those crackers are just taking up space in my belly that could be used for more fish. One last thing. Okay, maybe a few last things. Let's call it a lightning round: This isn't a restaurant. It's a takeaway smoked fish shop. It's small. It's busy. It's efficient. It's a regional treasure. Get there. Eat local smoked fish. Salmon isn't local to Minnesota. Get it fatty. Do not fear heads, or skin, or bones. The good stuff takes a little extra work, but it's worth it! You've got this. Now eat well.

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.

Enjoyed Bruschetta with burrata and also the Polenta starter options…read more Side salad with Ranch dressing was delicious. Do know Outdoor seating parking lot is available which I really appreciated.

Excellent all around. Good, service and ambience. Good selection on lunch menu. I had chicken…read moretenders with their homemade ranch, hubby had beef sandwich. Both came with fries and great prices!

This place needs work, first of all "immediate seating" means find a random dirty table then wait…read moremore than 30 minutes for a server to walk over but everytime a server walks by they say "I'll be with you sorry it's busy." Then you see the same server refilling drinks for large tables and talking with large tables. Then the bartender has to come by and take a drink order, which we order waters while we look at the menus finally brought to us. The water is HORRIBLE it's disgusting well water that tastes like a dirty rain boot. Then the same bartender comes by to get our food orders but he had to ask if a server has actually seen us yet and apologizing for the wait. He takes our orders and now as I'm writing the review I've waited for the food for over 30 minutes. Ridiculous place with horrible service, food and dirty atmosphere. Would never recommend.

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!

Shoot, wish I could give a 5 star review but I wasn't a fan of the food, I'd give them another shot…read moreand try something else. But when I lived in the twin cities I've had much better Mexican food. What I ordered was, 1st off the salsa, queso, and beef taco salad. Big old no for me. But on the other hand my husband was a big fan! Service was excellent, cool bar and atmosphere was on poi nt.

We went here to celebrate my hubby's birthday and it did not disappoint! We all loved our meal. The…read morefresh chips and salsa were some of the best I've had. Prompt service and the inside of the restaurant was gorgeous! I ordered the seafood chimichangas and they did not skimp on the shrimp, sooo good. The strawberry margarita was on point! If in the area, and you want something not as busy around the Duluth area and have a hankering for some tasty Mexican then I'd add this to your list of places to dine at. They also offer a nice kids meal option which worked out great for our family.

Food is always delicious!! Service is always amazing!! And it looks so amazing inside. The…read moremargaritas are to die for as well.

We stopped in for dinner on a Sunday night and were able to be seated immediately. The staff were…read morevery fast to bring out our food! The free chips and salsa were great too. Fun and clean environment. The parking lot is a bit tricky to park in and quite small but ample street parking is available. Located in quaint downtown Cloquet.

My parents have come here for meals a few times and love it! They mentioned the menu has changed a…read morebit, but everything on it looked great. The seating area was fun and the vibes were great. We had a beautiful day and a beautiful view of the lake. Our server was kind and efficient. My mom and I both ordered the chicken and my dad ordered the Swedish meatballs. We had walleye cakes to share. The food was SO good!!! Everything tasted great. Good mixes of flavors and well prepared. I know my parents will continue to come here and I'm glad I had the chance to try it out. It is a really neat spot. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you're able!

Popped in for a lunch on our way to our camp site. Service was fast and friendly food was great!…read more The potato and meatball was the perfect amount, delish, and gluten free.

First, I am so happy the murals from Art's cafe are still on the walls. Thank you, El Alce, for…read morepreserving the building's history. El Alce food was authentic Mexican, delicious, and portions were enough to overfill us. (It was so good we kept eating even though we were full:) They gave us chips and salsa when we arrived, which is appreciated. Service was good with two servers working at a less busy time between lunch and dinner. Clean dining area and restrooms. We had sodas so I can't remark about the margaritas.

Come here for really good authentic Mexican food! Fast service and food came out fast. Clean and…read morecute little joint. The tamales and enchiladas were excellent as well as a flavorful red sauce. Please stop here!