Very mixed bag. Had the cava-colada drink, which was really good! Ordered the fresh pasta at the server's recommendation and it was so bland and mushy I sent it back. I have never done that before, but this was inedible. It was replaced with a burger, which was fine. Not mind-blowing. Good fries, but unevenly seasoned. I was so excited to celebrate my birthday here and it was disappointing. My nephew had the mac & cheese and thought it needed more cheese sauce - but the hot dog he added to it was excellent. My mom's strawberry salad had no strawberries on it. When we asked the server, she said that it was a strawberry vinaigrette. When we double checked the menu, it looked like strawberries were one of the ingredients, and it was topped with a poppyseed vinaigrette. My dad had the white fish and was very happy with it. My sister had a pork chop and said it was good. Our server was really nice and gave no pushback on replacing the entrée. read more

we were up here for our annual anniversary getaway. This place is located a stones throw away from the lift bridge in the Dewitt Seitz building. Our experience started off on a bit of a sour note. We were a walk-up (no reservation), so we were put on the waiting list, which was fine. We said, 'That's cool, we will just have a cocktail at the bar.' The hostess stated, 'We can't.' We went over to the Mexican bar and waited. One thing I noticed was that there were three empty tables. We waited and came back, and lo and behold, the same tables were still empty, and remained so for basically the entire duration of our dinner. The food was fine, nothing really stood out per se. The steak was a bit under-seasoned, and the salad my wife had was ok. I would say that the cocktails were well-prepared. I completely understand that one is paying for the location, but I honestly would think one would get something a little better than what we were served. read more

Lake Ave Restaurant & Bar - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Such a beautiful place with innovative food and a rotating menu. Excellent service. We loved everything about it!! read more

Lake Ave Restaurant & Bar - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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Lake Ave Restaurant is one of my go to places in Duluth. I have been dining there for more than a decade and I'm not sure why I haven't posted before. They have a creative drink menu, friendly staff, and their ever changing menu always has something delightful to eat, even for the vegetarians and pescatarians in the crowd. read more

Lake Ave Restaurant & Bar - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

We stopped for lunch here the other day. I ordered the pork chop and my husband had the pork masala, with a bottle of red wine. Both were good dishes. The pork chop had more fat on it than I'd have liked, but tasted good...the dish has an interesting combination of ingredients and is spicy. Service was good. We parked on the street as we weren't aware we could use the lot. We would try this restaurant again sometime. read more

Lake Ave Restaurant & Bar - Pork chop dinner - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

The love that the staff has for great food comes through. They make everything themselves, in house. All ingredients are locally sourced, if at all possible. read more

As a local, I've dined here several times with mixed experiences. The food can be amazing and it can also disappoint. My latest dinner here might be my last... the reason? Fine dining prices with terrible service. I worked as a fine dining server for many years so I expect at least some resemblance to that when I am the customer. Our server did not have basic knowledge of wine service, pacing appetizers and main courses, and menu knowledge, but the clincher was when she started clearing and boxing up food at our table while I was still eating. It is so incredibly rude, so oblivious to etiquette and makes the diners feel that they are on her timeline rather than enjoying their rather expensive meal. Servers need to get a clue. Managers need to train their staff. Don't charge high end prices with servers who treat you like you're at Perkins. read more

Just had lunch here and it was fantastic! Had the warm walnuts and olives, short rib pasta and winter grains salad. Wow good. Excellent food and service and priced reasonably especially for what you get. Highly recommend. read more

This should be a 3.5, but here we are... We visited in high-tourist time. This likely influences our experience, but we found the service to be the best part. Overall, it was timely and courteous. The food was fine-- my red snapper was a nice variety of flavors but there are few times I would ADD salt! The tomatoes added some zing, but it shouldn't save the whole plate!! The caesar salad was okay-good, and the zucchini hummus had mixed reviews at our table. The table was sticky and silverware was dirty, so we felt it was subpar experience. Drink menu was a nice variety, but not extraordinary. Almost too much We'd probably go elsewhere next time in Duluth. Meh on our end, but maybe you will have better luck? read more

Lake Ave Restaurant & Bar - Red snapper - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

This restaurant is a real jewel of Duluth. It is farm to table with incredible sourcing for everything. Their bacon is to die for! We love their classic breakfast and my kid loved the French toast sticks. For dinner you can't go wrong! So many delicious items. The Mac and cheese is out of this world. But so is that other more artistic food. It has a friendly and attentive staff and great local owners. It has a patio and a beautiful room right next to Lake Superior walk and the famous Ariel Bridge. No wait and I promise you will have a relaxing meal. Plus the bar really knows what they are doing. It is a must visit restaurant! read more

Lake Ave Restaurant & Bar - Kids French toast, Breakfast sampler - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Wow, what a hidden gem! Everything was so delicious - you could tell it was made from scratch. Highly recommend the calamari, steak and the cheesecake! read more

Lake Ave Restaurant & Bar - Salt & Pepper Calamari (it's got a kick!) - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Came on a Wednesday night and was pleasantly surprised to learn it was "wine Wednesday" so all bottles and glasses of wine were half price! Friendly service, and good food. Gluten free and vegetarian items marked clearly on the menu. Easy parking for the entire complex the restaurant is in right next to the building, but would imagine this might be different on a Friday or Saturday night. Would absolutely go back if in the area again! read more

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I wish I could give this place more than five stars! The food was some of the best I have had in a long time. We started our meal with the elk fritters and as a main got the salmon dish. All of the flavors blended together so well and the dishes were very well executed. We almost ate here the second night again just because the offerings were very creative and it was close to our hotel. I wouldn't hesitate to come back here again. read more

Horrible. There's a reason there's no line. Terrible service, an awfully rude waitress, sub par food. For the one of the most expensive restaurants in Duluth, you'd think they'd put more care. The restaurant itself was drafty, plain, and full of hungry, disappointed people. Highly recommend spending your money anywhere but here. read more

I was very impressed with the breakfast burrito! It was upscale, and the brisket and potatoes inside were amazing. I wish it was a little more evenly distributed because the flavors altogether were lights out delicious! The lamb Shepard pie was great... although a little too rich to finish the entire dish. However, I love that the sweet potato was served savory. The cocktails were great and unique! read more

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Always great food and service! I always love Lake Ave for date night, and you can't go wrong with their homemade hot fudge sundae for dessert ! read more

Overall experience was poor and I will not go again. Firstly, service was absolutely terrible. I went with my fiance and son. My son got a kid's meal and my fiance and I both got appetizers and salads. The waitress never refilled our tiny glasses of water, so I left thirsty, and when I ordered food for my son I forgot to order his drink (his meal came with a drink), and she did not offer one, so we had to order one for him later. She never checked back to see if we needed anything. Second, I left hungry. Now, I'm 114 pounds so it's not difficult to feed me adequately, but the appetizer was two slices of bread and my "salad" was in the shape of a ball that could fit in my (very small) hand. I've never in my life left a restaurant hungry, even when my companions have. I will say that the kid's meal, which was actually reasonably priced, was adequate in amount. It wasn't huge, but it was bigger than our salads, so we both stole food from our toddler because we were so hungry. Finally, the bill came. Nearly $100 for two appetizers (two slices of bread and three shrimp), two salads, and a kid's meal. The one and only good thing I'll say is that the tiny amount of food that we did eat was excellent. That's the only reason I give this a 2/5 rather than a 1/5. So if you have a huge pocketbook and want to order everything on the menu, or if you're on a starvation diet and want to pretend you're eating, this is a great place for food. Otherwise, there are other places to go that cost less and don't leave you hungry. read more

We stopped in a few months ago and really liked the place. Went there tonight to eat and really check it out. The place was locked up. People inside, one looked at me and walked away. It was 4:40pm on a Thursday. My guess is they were setting up for an event. It would be really nice to put a sign out stating you are closed tonight. Incredibly frustrating... read more

Recommended by bartender at Bent Paddle. He was spot on!!! Entire staff was on point. Friendly, courteous and professional each one. Food especially the Duck Tamale was phenomenal! Deconstructed tamale was unlike anything I have ever eaten. The masa had foie Gras blended. The duck breast was perfect. The steak presentation on the menu was also beautiful. The blistered cherry tomatoes were delicious. They also make a wicked Old Fashioned !! Liked it so much we returned three times including Sunday Brunch during the week we were in Duluth! read more

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We booked here while exploring Duluth; menu had something for every member of our diverse family (GF, vegetarian, 2 generations). Some of the items, however, were not as advertised: the "Aperol Spritz" on the menu was actually made with Amaro, not Aperol; we were not advised of this when the order was placed, only when we noted that the drink tasted wrong. Server tried to explain that this was a "draft menu" which simply doesn't make sense! Salmon added to pasta order arrived nearly raw in the middle; another egg dish came with bacon mixed in, even though I had requested the meat on the side. "Salads" were excessively arty - therefore hard to eat. Our server was gracious and helpful throughout, and took the wrongly-prepared items off the bill, for which we were grateful. Our suspicion was that she was not well served by her kitchen (service was very slow) or by the menu which described many items falsely. read more

Food was amazing, the biscuits and gravy were the best I'd ever had. Service was also great!

The food was average. The service was mediocre at best. Waitress was inattentive, and rarely checked on us. First and last time for us.

Food was pretty good, we are gluten free and they were very attentive to meeting our needs. Kitchen took a while but service was good. They made homemade gluten free bread which was delicious. Biggest complaint was the price. It was $100 for lunch. read more

Great location! They have a parking lot which makes it convenient visiting near Canal Park in Duluth. Hostess and waitress is friendly and courteous. The interior definitely feels lake cabin-like. Food was great! We enjoyed the variety and flavors! Get the nopaloma if you're looking for a great refreshing non-alcoholic drink! read more

Lake Ave Restaurant & Bar - Short ribs Korean style (apps) - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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disappointing mediocre and tasteless. cold food, poor service, hard seats. this was once a nice restaurant, not anymore

Wonderful service, food, and a nice location! The burger was cooked to perfection, and I loved the soup of the day, a fabulous carrot soup that had a hint of curry - it was amazing, and the raw pumpkin seeds on top added even more dimension. I would travel back to Duluth just for that soup! Haha Prices are a little on the high side, but the quality of the food was worth it. read more

Lake Ave Restaurant & Bar - Perfectly cooked burger - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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Nice place for a casual family lunch while visiting college kid. Bustling and busy it behooves you to make a reservation which we did! The food was really good. Seems like it would be only a sandwich, burger place, but they also had pad Thai and couscous bowls and other yummy healthy options. read more

On a business trip and looking for a restaurant with vegan options. While there were only three, the one I ordered was fantastic. I would definitely return even if I just ordered the same dish! Service was impeccable. Host was friendly. All around great experience! read more

Very nice people and servers but every meal was extremely expensive and not many allergy friendly options. Not impressed at all!!!

An eclectic menu from breakfast to dinner. The food was probably some of the best I had while in Duluth. Service was great. Small restaurant with what feels like a homemade touch. I recommend this 10 times out of 10. Must visit and must eat if in Canal in Duluth! read more

The food at Lake Ave is amazing and unique. Definitely a must try!! Great craft cocktails and wine list! Our server Mark was terrific!

We really enjoyed our dinner at Lake Ave. we were seated immediately, served promptly. The burger was picture perfect. Fish of the day was Arctic Char served with baby bok choy, wild rice and kimchi. Delish. The restaurant was a bit chilly. Service was professional. Nice ambiance, conducive for conversation. read more

I sat at the bar top adjacent to the kitchen the service was good. For a Friday evening it was kinda quiet and weird....... Wine selections are below average The kitchens is completely open and visible from the bar, the kitchen staff have beards, ponytails and dread locks and wear filthy aprons and skate board type apparel. The food was good ...... I have a few suggestions for this establishment that will certainly increase their sales and repeat business Weekends have some live music.... Perhaps Acoustics ??? The kitchen staff should be wearing white chef's jackets/shirts if they are visible to the patrons. White kitchen apparel is intended to signify cleanliness and is generally worn by highly visible chefs and kitchen staff. GUARANTEED THESE FEW CHANGES WILL INCREASE SALES & TIPS FOR THE EMPLOYEES and generate additional income for the owners. The staff was great and professional read more

What a lovely place. What an eclectic menu! This is an oasis for foodies and we loved it! There wasn't a bad dish all night: Pheasant Pate; Confit Pheasant Salad; Wild Boar Bolognese; and a Poached Pear in Bourbon desert. Thank goodness we shared some of these dishes. They were all very good. The cocktails were too. The Wild Boar Ragu was superb. Holy mole! The pasta, the sauce - superb and delicious!! Some light misses though. The Pheasant Pate promises foie gras, but nary a taste. The same dish and the salad promised "confit pheasant" but it wasn't a traditional confit - or something seemed amiss - because it was very dried out (akin to overcooked chicken). I was expecting something more succulent personally. Now, it WAS good - just not exactly as expected. We love menus like this but interestingly we saw two different couples leave shortly after sitting down. I suspect They just didn't know what they walked into. Finally the staff was as wonderful. Thank you!! read more

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This place is excellent! This was our 2nd visit. I got the Cheesesteak and my wife got the Muffuletta. Both dishes were great. Good coffee too. 100% recommend, we will be back. read more

Some real quirks getting a reservation or even determining how they seated people for dinner on a Saturday night. We were told 8p for earliest reservation, called back to hold a table, got hung up on, called back again, and were told we could be seated at 6:45 (which was 20 minutes). Nevertheless, the food and drinks were outstanding. Our appetizer was the carrot hummus with olive tapenade and warm pitas. A good choice! My brother had one of the best porkchops I've ever tasted or looked at (I had the smallest bite possible and it was smoky and perfectly cooked). The fruit compote and pepper on top were the two other components to the Chop Trifecta, so said my brother who created The Perfect Bite. My sister-in-law enjoyed a heaping pile of mussels with a generous piece of Italian bread with which to sop up the juices. My dish was the noodle bowl: a delectable mix of house noodles, mushrooms, Kim chee, greens, a soft egg (OML), all in a savory broth. I ate it all and mourned the end of my meal. I found it interesting that such a variety of foods could all be so good in their own traditional way. (Could that be a general commentary on Utopia?) anyway - I wish they would figure out the reservation situation bc we nearly didn't eat there due to the confusion. read more

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The food was fantastic. The vegan and gluten free food . The drink many options. The service were friendly and fast . The ambiance was nice and cool artwork. The small gift shop too read more

We are there for lunch. The atmosphere is modern with local art and big windows that let in lots of natural light. It's located in the heart of canal park. The food range was $15-20 for meals. The soup was $8 for a bowl with a homemade cracker. The presentation of food was clean and stylistic. The food itself had wonderful complex, but not overpowering flavors. Portions were perfect for a lunch. Staff was attentive, friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. They have a full bar and a nice variety on their wine list. I'd recommend this place for a business meeting or a date night. read more

Lake Ave Restaurant & Bar - Soup of the day, pork and pinto bean chili - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Heard a lot about this place prior to arrival in Duluth. It seemed to appear on most lists of top restaurants in the area and had several significant awards. Sadly, lunch here was quite the letdown. Service was average - not great, not terrible. The cocktails, especially the Lake Ave vs. Manhattan, ended up as the sole standout of the visit. The menu itself had several items that sounded interesting, but I settled on the Grilled Pita Wrap. Essentially what should have been a glorified gyro. Well, there was no glory to be had. The lamb was bland and not tender. The tzatziki not quite as pungent as it should. The lettuce, too much for the pita. All in all, it was a very poor showing for this menu item. The fries were good, which ended up being the majority of what got eaten. Maybe the dinner menu is more appealing and really kicks it up a gear... but sadly I don't know. read more

Lake Ave Restaurant & Bar - Grilled Pita Wrap - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

First of all, the menu on YELP is completely inaccurate. This place is NOT a seafood restaurant. It is vegan at best, with an Asian flare. They were out of Coors, so we had Michelob Light. They were out of the special at 7:15... the only seafood offered other than squid. That was the scallops and pasta Alfredo. So.... We had sandwiches. Steak Philly (24$) and Muffaleta (22$). With fries. And a pickle. The place is super loud because of the concrete floors and ceiling. I'm surprised anyone can hear. So, unless you are just dying to spend a fortune on over priced sandwiches, ramen, or Mac and Cheese, skip this place. read more