Enjoyed a birthday dinner for 2 at Caribou. The table was on the smaller side as the restaurant…read moreitself is smaller and tends to be pretty packed. The blackened pork chop was cooked to perfection - moist and juicy. I really enjoyed the apple sauce and vegetables, which paired really nicely with the pork. The Malfadine pasta was also nice. It was my first time trying rabbit - if I didn't know better, I would have believed it was chicken. It wasn't gamey in the slightest. The truffle flavour was more subtle than I expected. Though it's hard to critique the cook on either dish, I wouldn't say it was outstandingly delicious or unique. I am not necessarily eager to come back to try other things on the menu. To our surprise, the restaurant also gave us 2 desserts on the house! The cheesecake and tart were both very good and not overly sweet. Though I wish I had ordered their signature raspberry dessert instead of the lemon tart as it seems more unique. Overall, very good food and service. Would recommend for a special occasion.

Saturday night heading into Caribou after a long day of hiking and exploring Thunder Bay…read more The restaurant was a bit of distance from all the hotspots downtown and we were a little concerned with the location. Once we stepped in, we were warmly greeted with a lively dining room, and were quite surprised with the diversity and uniqueness of the menu. We started with Canadian old-fashions, and crab cakes. For dinner had their bus 16 oz steak special which was very nicely done, and the rabbi pasta. We Wish we had more room to try the pizzas because they looked great. We Finished it off with the peanut butter cheesecake. The waitress was charming and very helpful with making our decisions, even though she was supporting a very busy room. A real gem for thunder Bay, great place and great value. It's well worth the five minute drive away from the touristy downtown choices.

Food was not great. Overcooked lobster, burrata that was unlike any I've ever had (not in a good…read moreway). Service was slow. Just not a great experience, particularly for the price.

Amazing food and consistently delicious. We've never had a bad meal and the service is so attentive…read moreand friendly. Quiet and relaxing ambiance. I definitely recommend Seler not only for supper but lunch is also amazing!!

On a recent trip, we decided to give this place a try and boy are we glad we did!…read more Parking: Street parking but free Ambiance: SO COZY AND CUTE! This is not an overly large restaurant, so if you want to really get a great seat inside or out, going during non-peak hours! There is a wrap around pouch and this is dining right on the water! Everything was clean and they use pottery dishes that were made specially for them! Super cute! Service: Friendly and quick! This is a very LGBTQ+ friendly spot! Food: We started with an IPA that my boyfriend said was great! I got their house made maple cream soda. It was very light in flavor, so I wouldn't get that again. We started with the Trout chowder and holy yum!!! The flavor was so tasty! It had large pieces of fish and veggies! Definitely worth trying! We both got the fish and chips with coleslaw. It was super tasty! The fish was fresh and had a crunchy exterior! Their tartar sauce has a yummy dill flavor! I would buy a bottle if you could! To end we had the Kladdkaka! THIS IS NOT TO BE MISSED! It was rich and decadent! I really wish they served it with real whipped cream because it deserves it! If you are anywhere near this area, stop in!!

For our first meal on the North Shore and during our stay in Grand Marais, we decided to visit…read moreAngry Trout Cafe. It seemed like a completely chef driven restaurant with items on the menu displaying some creativity and with many of their ingredients locally sourced. We settled in on a Monday evening, right after a thunderstorm had passed the region. Since the outdoor dining area was closed, the wait was probably longer than normal. For our party of 2, we were quoted 35 minutes. Our wait ended up being 1 hour. Right when we were called up, a family of 4 was quoted a 1 hour wait, and this was 30 minutes before they closed! There's no way the staff aren't pissed off at having to stay hours after close due to management inefficiency. At some point, restaurants need to turn away guests. This is the first restaurant I've ever visited where 20% of the displayed menu price goes towards tips and isn't retained by the house. This is the reason the prices seem so high - no additional tips are expected. Herring Fritters (Complementary, normally $17.50) - We ordered the wild rice fritters but were brought these instead. I was confused about the texture and taste. The server confirmed our order had been incorrect. To their credit, they comped this dish, then brought out the correct fritters. These fried fish balls are interesting, almost similar in texture to a Chinese fishball, but less homogeneous and bouncy. Inside is a dense batter mix of thyme, peppers, onions, and small chunks of really tender fish. (4/5) Fried Wild Rice Fritters ($17.50) - These are totally different from the fish fritters. They are lighter inside, more like fried yeast dough donuts, chewier and studded with peas, shiitake mushroom, and some snappy broken wild rice. (5/5) Lake Trout Chowder, Bowl ($14.50) - This is a thinner chowder that isn't particularly creamy or rich. The flavor is nice, with plenty of herbal and umami elements. There are lots of potato, carrot and celery chunks, not to mention a huge number of fish chunks all around. It's all very fresh, so there are no sign of fishy off flavors that I've experienced with other fish chowders. The bowl is served with two pieces of baguette, sliced on a large bias. They have clearly been sitting around in a high humidity environment given how leathery they are. (4/5) Grilled Whitefish Dinner ($39) - Angry Trout prepares their fish perfectly - it's one of the best fillets I've ever eaten. And yet it's so simple - a couple of minutes spent grilling, giving a magnificent charred flavor, yet leaving the fish flawlessly tender and flaky. There's a depth of flavor here beyond just the typical salt, pepper, and butter. It's like they liberally apply an herbal glaze on top that saturates the fish. It comes with some simply grilled asparagus, a side salad, and then a scoopful of wild rice. I believe the rice is high quality, probably hand picked and parched. It isn't as curly as some of the cultivated varieties I've eaten, but still gives the pleasing bouncy and springy snap. The flavor is clean and I especially love the hazelnuts on top for an extra nutty crunch. (5/5) This fish at Angry Trout Cafe was easily one of the best meals I had on my entire trip. With that being said, there's something seriously wrong with this restaurant in service, management, and ethics. I already mentioned the issues with wait times above. In terms of service, every single table around me got at least one thing wrong. One table asked for hot water, the server brought over cold water. Another table asked for bowls of chowder for every person at the table, the server inexplicably brought over lentil soup for one person. The server then forgot the bread for the chowder for another table. The last table complained about the chowder not having anything in it - it was all broth! Once I received the check I was flabbergasted by the credit card fee tacked onto the bill. This is not noted anywhere on the menu or inside the restaurant. This seems to be against Minnesota law, in particular statute 325G.051. To add insult to injury, I was able to pay in cash to avoid the surprise fee, but then I got stiffed a nickel on the change. It's only a nickel, but it's really the culmination of all these things that really makes my blood boil. Due to the initial wait and the error prone and extremely slow service, we were here for a total of 2.5 hours. When we finally left, it was an hour after they closed. Angry Trout Cafe seems like it's run by a chef who knows how to prepare a great dish, and is a great cook/trainer of cooks, but is a complete disaster on the management and business side. I have no idea how a business can be operated like this. I'm honestly surprised this place has been open for two decades. It would have gone out of business quickly in my market. Bathrooms - Two all gender rooms Food: [4.5/5] Service: [--] Other: [--] Final Rating: 1/5

Big fan of FeastON® restaurants so was hoping to arrive in Thunder Bay from the west to be able to…read moregrab dinner here at Tomlin. Walked in around 7pm and were promptly greeted and asked if we wanted to sit at the bar or dining room. We chose the dining room so we walked down the narrow wooden floor hallway to a back area where their dining area was. The table already had drink menus on it which makes sense as reviews say this restaurant is great for cocktails and they have a huge selection of wines. Our server soon brought over water for us and food menus. She asked if either of us had any food allergies, which we didn't. Also explained which section was appetizers/shareable plates and which were mains. Also mentioned that the menu is seasonal and everything on it currently is so good. After giving us some time to choose, she took our order. We ordered one shareable, Tuna Crudo. It was well balanced being sweet, sour, creamy, fresh, and with a tiny little kick. It made it evident that the mains would be really tasty as well. Server came back to not only take away the empty plate, but also swapped out our small plates and cutlery for new ones. Both of our mains arrived at the same time, descriptions of what ingredients were in each. Portion size was definitely fair (not too little and not huge) so we left satisfied and full, but not stuffed. Only regret was that we were only a party of 2, otherwise would have loved to order their Family Style Tasting (the table next to us had it and everything looked delicious). In terms of ambience, seating is cozy, as there isn't a whole lot of space between tables, but it's workable. As well, the lighting is pretty dim for our preference, but can understand why others might enjoy it. We walked over from our hotel, but looks like there is street parking in the area. Overall, had a very pleasant dining experience and service and hospitality was top-notch.

If you ever find yourself in Thunder Bay -- Tomlin is absolutely a MUST. Arguably the most upscale…read morerestaurant in town, it doesn't have a pretentiousness that you encounter at some places. Rather, the friendly service, innovative cookery, and high quality, locally sourced ingredients speak for themselves. I was in town to celebrate my birthday and this place was so special. Also if you want something a little more casual, they have a pizza place a few blocks away tucked inside a brewery, which is also fantastic!

Stopped by on a whim. I was staying nearby and looking for a cold beer and something to eat. It was…read morealready a bit late in the evening, and I was worried I wouldn't get any food after a long day of travel. I sat at the bar, and the bartender made a delicious suggestion for both a beer and food. As a Texan, it was odd to me to be eating a BBQ pork sandwich in Canada, but it was delicious. It paired well with my beers, and was a different BBQ taste experience than I had tasted before. The bartender, Oner, turned out to be the owner, and he made a few suggestions for other places to eat at while I was in Thunder Bay. Both were excellent selections as well! Appreciative of great hospitality, cold brews, and warm food. Thanks for a great experience! ***cash only, but there is an ATM inside (didn't take my US card) or a bank next door (which did take my US card).

Black Pirate's Pub is my favourite bar to go to in downtown Thunder Bay! They always have great…read morebeers, and drinks. There is always a big list of events for each month with bands that range from punk, metal to folk/alternative rock to dance and club music!

The days of the bar lounge appear to be numbered, so it's nice when you happen upon one that is…read morequaint and is slightly upscale. The Portside Bar in the Prince Arthur Hotel (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/prince-arthur-waterfront-hotel-and-suites-thunder-bay) is a fantastic place to unwind from the day, relax and have a cocktail. This quiet secluded section of the restaurant though brightly lit, has the impression of intimacy, in that the small cocktail lounge tables and the 60s-style chairs bring you and your party close together. This is not a drinking hole, but a meeting place to start an evening. There's one beer on tap (Coors Light) so don't bother. Find something of a bottled variety or cozy in with a mixed drink. Though not nearly as elegant as the King Edward cocktail lounge (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/le-meridan-king-edward---cocktail-lounge-toronto), it still puts me in mind of the place. Connected to an old-style hotel in a landmark building, I guess it's got a bit in common with its Toronto cousin. Just don't tell it that. Toronto and Thunder Bay don't get on well.

Finally. A place that can make a proper martini!! 2 oz of good gin and crystal clear (stirred as…read moreit should be not shaken) always good service.