Recently found this lovely little restaurant. Super friendly atmosphere. Not a huge menu but great…read morefor sharing and everything we tried so far was up to snuff. And everything is very reasonably priced! Also note they have a much more varied wine selection than several local upscale establishments.

Based on the name and website description of this restaurant, I expected to find a trendy wine bar…read morewith delicious small plate offerings. There was an advertised dress code when it opened but am unsure if it is still there. I think the restaurant is having an identity crisis. If you went to this restaurant based on the name/description you would be disappointed. If you knew that it was a Vietnamese restaurant with a lovely owner and pretty good food, then you would be content. Diners who want Vietnamese don't know it's there, and the guests who visit based on the name Vineyards will be disappointed. The restaurant is still under reno and the tables/seating/atmosphere leave a lot to be desired. This restaurant may be the only place in town that has banh mi and I think they would do well to advertise that. I would recommend that they change their name, advertise the food offerings (banh mi, dim sum, noodle bowl, rice rolls) and change their hours to accommodate the surrounding businesses Tues - Sat opening at 11. Their website currently states 11-11 Thurs to Sat. They only open at noon the days I have been there. The food is alright, but the atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired.

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.

Very nice restaurant with good service. I ordered the oysters which were properly cleaned and…read morefresh. They have a decent cocktail selection and a well-stocked bar. Our waiter Alex provided us with great service the whole time. The shrimp and scallop linguine was his recommendation and I enjoyed it. If you are in Thunder Bay this is definitely the place to go for a nice dinner!

The service was great. My server Britney was extremely attentive, and a joy to converse with. The…read morebartender was a great bartender also. Good atmosphere, and the food was delicious. Just the fact I got bed bugs from their restaurant. :-( The only place I visited while in Thunder Bay for the night where I sat down, then it was back to the hotel. So, unfortunately I have to give it a one star. Good thing I found out about the bed bugs before I got home. (Was able to bag all my travel clothing, and stop the problem before even entering my home). Otherwise, I would have given it 4.5 stars.

We came here on a cool Friday evening and were seated outside as it was the first available…read moreseating. The owner should consider adding kerosene heater to the patio area. Lake Superior can be very fickle and heaters would certainly extend his capacity. There were also metal seats at the tables. We found folding plastic seating leaning against the building which were much more comfortable. I have only positive things to say about our server Tabil. He was very attentive to all patrons' needs. He brought out our fish chowder soon after it was ordered because of the chill in the air. It was 56 degrees. He took my husband's soup back in to heat it up to a higher temperature at his request. The chowder was hearty with large pieces of vegetables and fish. It was delicious! The salad was colorful and well made with fresh ingredients. The dressings were homemade and tasty. The bread that accompanied the meal tasted like it was restaurant made. Well balanced. All in all a wonderful meal served quickly and efficiently. Thank you!

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

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!

A couple of friends and I went for lunch the other day. The hostess set us at a table, then we…read morewaited at least 20 minutes before the server came by the table. There was maybe two or three tables in the section. Server was not friendly. I felt like we were inconveniencing her. I feel that if you are in the hospitality industry you should make an effort. Once our food was ordered it took at least another 20 minutes. We ordered quesadillas and flatbread. Asked for guacamole, but it was forgotten. Asked again... And a third time. We were asked how we would like the bill, and we said separately. The items were mixed up. The server said, "She entered it in wrong." Who entered it? Don't you enter it? Anyhow, she didn't offer to fix it. Going to a restaurant is not all about the food - it's the experience. Food was fine, experience was not. Will not be back.

Food was cooked well. Waitress was attentive and courteous. Restaurant was very clean.read more

Awesome restaurant - great vibe with fun indoor trees. Tasty food and Caesar's - casual but…read moreupscale. Lovely place to unwind on our road trip.

Great food. Great drinks. Great service. The ambiance is friendly and welcoming. My wife and I were…read moredressed casually, but would have been just as comfortable had we been dressed up a little. This place was a great surprise and a real find for us. For some reason it does not come up as a "restaurant" (for me, anyway) on the Yelp search. It did come up in a search for "pub". They definitely have a nice selection of beers, but a lot more. They have a full bar, with several specialty cocktails. The menu lists their House Caesar as being made with tequila, but our friendly server told us we could order it with gin, or vodka, which we prefer. The drinks came quickly. They were tasty and spicy, but not too spicy. The rimmer was a unique concoction created by the bar staff. The food menu offers way more than pub fare. In addition to the pizzas and burgers, they also have excellent pasta selections, soup, salads, chicken, steak, and more. My wife ordered the smoked salmon salad with veggies and blue cheese. I'm pretty sure she really liked it, because she did not offer me a taste, which she usually does. I ordered the fish and chips. I fully expected to get those over-battered, deep-fried frozen triangle fish things so many other places serve. What I received was a whole fresh filet, which was lightly breaded and pan-fried. It was accompanied by house-made tartar sauce, and crispy hot fries. My meal was delicious. I enjoyed it, but not so much that I did not offer some of the fries to my wife (she accepted them gladly. Maybe the best part of our dinner experience was the service. As I mentioned, our server was very friendly. She was patient and attentive, but not overly attentive. Just the right amount of attentive. She gleefully answered all our questions about the menu, and the restaurant. We got the impression she was very proud about what the place offers to its patrons, and was happy to be a part of the operation. I don't often write Yelp reviews, but feel compelled to share this outstanding experience.

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.