Enjoyable popular local spot! If you like Malts this spot is worth a visit. While the treats here aren't mind blowing they're well made and worth the few mins wait, especially if your sweet tooth is calling. With an overlook to Lake Superior right next to the order line, it's a great spot to snack and view. Make sure not to stand to the side of the order windows or you'll never hear them call your name when your order is ready. read more

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The Portland Malt Shoppe is SO charming! A cute, coastal historic building, with some tasty sweet treats. Perfect spot for a summer dessert and walk. The malt was delicious and super customizable. Love how cozy, quick, and sweet this experience was! read more

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We stopped with out of state guests for a Duluth staple. We each got a malt and although they were a bit pricey at $9.50 each, we all left happy with our selections and the view. The malts were made quickly and were all photo worthy!. We stop by once a year and we will be back next year! read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Peanut butter malt with chocolate peanut butter icecream. (Minus the cookie which was eaten prior to the photo) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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Super cute!!! The service was amazing and there were picnic tables off to the left. They DO take card/tap!!!! I heard they didn't but they do. I had a lavender tea malt, tasted exactly like boba tea! Super good. I highly recommend! read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Portland Malt Shop Building - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

What else can you ask for? It's a malt shoppe, I like extra malty treats. There's a great view and the service is very friendly. I visit every time I'm in town. I'm also very critical in my reviews so it's a bit surprsing that people are giving sub-fours. This is a malt stand. WHat's not to like? I usually get double malt powder chocolate and take a walk or a drive, or just watch boats go by on the lake. read more

Such a classic place. Long line- who cares? It's summer. Enjoy the weather and worth the wait. Sundaes, malts and cones all good. Nice kids work there! read more

While walking and enjoying the views in this area, I noticed long lines for this place and figured, "This place has to be amazing!!" Unfortunately I was very disappointed... There is paid street parking but if you are ok walking, you can park in a close neighborhood and walk for free. There are two lines, it doesn't matter which one you go into but today one of the lines was moving considerably faster than the other. The views here are gorgeous! There are two picnic tables to the left, but if you go to the right and walk down the stairs there are plenty of park benches overlooking the lake! There is no indoor seating. It took awhile to get through the line but they were busy, so I understood. The staff seemed stressed, I am guessing because they were busy? So service wasn't really friendly but seemed more annoyed. I ordered a strawberry malt, peanut butter fudge malt and a root beer float. The strawberry malt tasted ok but nothing special. It was slightly grainy, and I am thinking that was the malt powder? The peanut butter fudge tasted like a dark chocolate, really missing the peanut butter flavoring. The root beer float actually made me mad. They are serving Shasta root beer... WHY!? First of all, there are soooooo many breweries in the area, it would be super cool if they partnered up and had them do a root beer for them! Total missed opportunity! Second, I'm not even that big of a root beer snob but Shasta, seriously? Not even a Barq's, 1919 or A&W? Definitely not worth the money at all! The only positive thing was staring at the lake while waiting in line. Honestly there is an ice cream shop to the right of this place (Crank and Dasher) that blew these guys out of the water! Don't waste your money here read more

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I go to the mall shop often with my dog or my friends. I absolutely adore this little malt shop. If you're in the Duluth area, I would absolutely recommend checking it out! read more

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We were new visitors to the area and stumbled upon this ice-cream spot. We loved the flavor options and view from which to enjoy our malt. We ordered an Expresso Chip Malt with whipped cream (& cherry)- The taste was Amazing! The price for one malt was just shy of $10, so we decided to share a malt. The ice cream quality was excellent. Street parking can be difficult. Service was great. read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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When you are in Duluth MN a few blocks past Canal Park you will find a 50's style old fashioned ice cream parlor that will rock your world. With outdoor seating and a view of Lake Superior that is amazing you will wait in line with 20-40 of your newest friends to get scoops of incredible ice cream or one of their famous sundaes, shakes or malts. They have a florid list that changes throughout the summer and like many things in MN this isn't a winter time option. Absolutely worth this visit park on the street and walk back, it helps burn the calories you definitely will consume! read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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I wanted to like it more. Giving this place a 3. It was decent but not amazing. I had a Peanut Butter Malt with Cookie Dough ice cream. I felt there was too much malted milk in it. A bit gritty. The Dean's ice cream was just okay. Presentation was real nice and the service was pleasant and efficient. Of course the line was long but that's fine. Want a great malt? Try 5th Street Malt Shoppe in Two Harbors. That was amazing. read more

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Great spot to have a milkshake or ice cream. Overlooking the lake and having a few benches there is perfect. The shakes were excellent read more

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Adorable place on the water. Right by Va Bene for dinner. Loved the options and menu. Super cute!

Very very good! Reasonable pricing for what you get, and lots of options to choose from. I think it is cool they repurposed that super old little building into an ice cream shop, and an awesome view as well! read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe is such a cute place for a treat! It has delicious ice cream! I got the blueberry sundae - highly recommend. We sat at one of the picnic tables outside with a beautiful view of the lake. Very friendly and quick service. read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Blueberry Sundae and Strawberry Shake - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

15 years ago this place was fire. Now it's mediocre at best. Sloppy malts and weak portions. The only thing they have going for them is they added the ability to pay by credit card. They have you form two lines so you can pick the wrong one and watch as other people get their overpriced ice cream way faster than you. No lie it took 30 minutes to get three weak malts that had ice chunks and non mixed vanilla ice cream. read more

Not a malt expert by no means but would highly recommend. Delicious for the newbie to malts. Literally the service by a couple of young adults was impressive. Coolest little establishment against some beautiful backdrops. read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Portland Malt Shoppe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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I feel bad leaving a second review that is bad, but the second time I came here the workers were pretty snotty. There was no line and our order got messed up, when we told them they were upset and said "yeah I realized that when I was making it". But still handed us the wrong thing. They ended up making the right sundae once we confronted, but much smaller the second time. read more

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Come on, bro. $8 for a malt!?! It's a cute building operated solely by very young ladies, perch on a precarious cliff overlooking 10% of the earth's natural water - so, I guess you're paying for the view? It's a good Malt, and they stick a Vortmann's cookie in the top as a garnish, but it wasn't no $8 good. Parking is EXTREMELY limited, so check your judgements at the door. Their menu is also EXTREMELY complicated; it took me like 8 minutes to figure out what and how to order. After 5 minutes or so, boom, a malt. It was strong, and good, but far too expensive. Still, you pay for what you pay for while in Rome, and when in Rome, doeth as the Romans do. Oh well. It's pretty good, just don't think about the price while you're taking in the serene waters of Lake Superior mere feet away - and 200 feet down. The view is worth it alone! But $4.50 for a double-scoop cone!?! Are you funkin' serious? read more

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Good stuff long lines but they work hard at continuing a quality product, reminder cash only

A must when staying in Duluth. Very, very teeny tiny establishment. They only take cash. Seasonal hours only. Service can be very slow & unorganized as teens are running the show. I still recommend. read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Dark chocolate peanut butter malt & blueberry sundae. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

A small, no grill malt shop that is a must stop when visiting Duluth in the summer. The view is spectacular and located right along the lake walking path. It's cash only and will cost you around $7 for a malt, but the malts are large topped with whipped cream, cherry, and a vanilla wafer. It's order at the window, and there are few picnic tables outside, but not a lot of sitting area. If you like peanut butter I recommend the peanut butter malt, it was delicious and the peanut butter really came through. read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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I love the location of this malt shop.....great vibe, 2 walk-up windows and the most perfect Duluth view and easy access to walk on the water or sit and enjoy your ice cream/malt. The selection of flavors is good, malts are one size for $7.95. It's decent size but not huge. The malt itself it good. It's not amazing, but a solid malt. read more

What stop to Duluth would be complete w/o a stop at the Malt Shoppe?? I hardly ever get malts, but they are pretty good. Just more than I can eat in one sitting. I've been coming to the PMS for years and years. No longer living in Duluth, I only get to this place once in a while whenever I am up there, and it brings back so many memories. There's something about the location, the gale force winds whipping up from the lake as I stand there and shiver out my order. Historical fact: the building opened up first as a gas station. They have a tiny 3-car parking lot, but might be best to parallel on Superior Street Be aware: this is not a place that makes their own ice cream or anything gourmet (might even be Kemps for all I know) but it's all about the location, and just the joy of walking up to a historic building and getting some ice cream. read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Menu - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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Terrible. Was looking forward to this two nights in a row. The hours are wrong on yelp FYI. However when we came the workers were very rude and told us to leave immediately. Such a disappointing experience... Employees need an attitude change, no Minnesota nice here. read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Walk up window - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

I give a 4 star based on so many of others comments as well. One of the most charming buildings, locations and views. Live music by a street performer. Malt was the best I've ever had. Had two--going and coming on my trip. Coffee and peanut butter. Not a peanut butter fan usually as it is overpowering, but I shared with my sister because she is. I think I drank more than she did. I shared each time because the malts are very highly priced. I didn't see the necessity to sanitize the counter after you simply set my malt on the window sill, but many are Covid crazy in those parts. read more

I randomly found this ice cream place on my weekend trip to Duluth. The location is by the lake which is awesome to go for a walk with ice cream. I ordered the pecan ice cream in waffle cone. The taste is awesome!!!!! It is not too sweet and delicious. Hope I can come back. read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

A true Duluth institution located right off the lake walk and scenic Superior street, the malt shoppe is always a great place to stop. However, expect long lines and very slow service. Their frozen treats are good, but feel very average. read more

I came here with my boyfriend and his family after dinner on a Sunday evening. Located along the lakefront, the shoppe is small and is just window that you walk up to. It's tucked back from the road behind some trees so it's easy to miss if you're just driving by. There are a variety of flavors and options of how you want it served. They have malts, ice cream cones and cups, and floats. They list select flavors under each option but you're not limited to them, you can choose any of the flavors that are available. I ordered a strawberry malt and my boyfriend ordered a cookies and cream float, both were delicious! Prices aren't cheap (I paid $7 for my malt) but portion size was decent at least. It is CASH ONLY! However, there's an ATM next door at Fitgers if needed. Staff are unprofessional but they're also all teenagers. It took awhile to get up to the window and when we were there, it took awhile for someone to come take our order. They were all goofing around and were too busy talking to each other instead of the customers. Fortunately, the orders didn't take quite as long. I'll most likely come back if I'm back in the area! read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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4 stars for great atmosphere, better then average ice cream for a price that knocks them down a star :) I would walk the street with a love, stop for ice cream and enjoy the experience! read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

As a lot of people of said 7.50 for a malt is pretty steep. It's a good malt lots of a malted. Cool location and building. But I don't know if I would go back given the cost. read more

I've heard about the Malt Shoppe for years but never stopped in. Went this spring for a very underwhelming experience. Wait was about an hour to serve the 15 people in front of us. Malts/shakes/ice cream were nothing special, same quality you would get at a diner. Save your time for enjoying the lake and skip the Malt Shoppe. Other reviews state young employees run the place and they need some decent management. After waiting 30 minutes they opened the second window and instead of the employees helping who was next everyone at the back of the line just cut over to that window. People were served before us who just walked up. read more

Great location right above Lake Superior and a short walk from Fitgers Brewhouse. In summer, expect a line, but the later you arrive, the better. We came here just after 9 pm on a Friday and the wait was about 15 minutes. I had the razzmatazz ice cream in a cake cone. It was a mix of vanilla with a raspberry swirl and raspberry truffles. It really hit the spot on a warm summer evening. The main downside was the mosquito attack while waiting in line. This is common on evenings near the lake in the summer months, but if you're not from an area that has skeeters, be prepared! read more

I noticed this place as I was driving up towards a planned stop at Leif Erickson park. I never knew this even existed before and now Im wondering how that's even possible. This building, formerly a gas station until about 10 years ago, is an amazing little malt shop with outstanding views of Lake Superior right behind it. The building is half of the reason to visit The Portland. It's tiny, almost like one of those stand-alone Dairy Queens that just have exterior windows to place your order. The architecture is quite interesting (see photos), and the area surrounding it is quite breathtaking. There are two picnic tables to enjoy your frozen treats--they overlook the lake. And on the other side of the building is a stairway down to lake level, and an elevated observation area. *There are 4 parking spaces for customers but it can be quite a chore backing out of there onto the busy street--try to turn around in the little lot if you have space before pulling out. I only sampled one thing, but it was pretty darn amazing. The honey shake was very tasty--one of the best shakes Ive had. Then again, how can you go wrong with a honey shake? They top them with whipped cream, a cherry, and a piece of sugar wafer. I should also mention that they are cash only, so if you need to pay with a credit card you need to go next door to the gift shop and purchase certificates for whatever menu item you want. Pros: Easy to get to off the main drag in Duluth, lots of nearby attractions and scenery, great architecture, tasty shakes Cons: A little pricey, located in Duluth--not exactly close by for those of us city dwellers read more

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Unique looking ice cream shop overlooking Lake Superior. There are 2 walk up windows to make things go quicker. (Our wait was still 20+ minutes). We ordered the Peanut Butter Malt and the Strawberry Malt. The flavor is very good and you get a vanilla wafer cookie with it! They also are actual malts, not just a shake. The main knock I had was that they only had once size malt - and it was huge; we couldn't even finish them. We got two to try multiple flavors, but could easily have gotten away with one. They were also $7 for each malt. But the flavor is worth a stop. read more

I agree with others that say the customer service was non existent. And the malt, not amazing for the price.

First place I stop by when in Duluth. Grab a malt, sit down and look over Lake Superior and enjoy life....

They keep everything so simple. No cards, cash only! You can use the ATM at Fitger's. The treats are to DIE FOR. Great thing there's a running/walking patch right down the stairs for you to burn all those calories read more

The Portland Malt Shoppe - Strawberry malt. With a beautiful view. If this ain't life y'all I don't know what is - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

The place is very cute and hard to find in the city. It had a very nice view and was right across where the sailboats were out in the water. The flavors were okay, not amazing. But it tastes great on a hot day and when you want a nice cold treat. I would recommend it as something to try if you're visiting in the city but would not come here as a regular. read more

Dropped by while I was on the lake walk today. This was an adorable little ice cream shop that overlooks the lake. The place is housed by an old brick building which gives it some charm. I've been meaning to visit it ever scene last year when I was told about it by a few of the locals when I was visiting from California. If you look into the side window you can see the employee's making the drink inside. There is an amazing view to the side of this place. Although I have to admit that I was just a little disappointed with the seating. I would liked to have seen some outdoor bistro tables or maybe some modern furniture where we could sit and enjoy the view of the beautiful lake behind me. Instead, there were two very old picnic benches that had been worn down by the rain and snow. People had crowded into the benches and some were standing as if they were waiting for a seat. The selection was actually decent. There were a lot of choices and different flavors. I ended up with a cookie dough malt which was above standards. My only regrets with ordering a cookie dough malt was that the clumps of cookie dough had not been blended very well. The cookie dough and chocolate chips were actually clumping and clogging the straw. I also found that most of the cookie dough fell to the bottom of the cup and did not blend very well. I will probably try again with something less clumpy during future visits. The price was a little more then I wanted to spend, especially when Bridgman's was right around the corner. It was around $7 for a malt. The service was fast and friendly and there was a bit of a line. It was a good experience though. I might come back and try again for a 5 star review. read more

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