As we continue our motorhome journey, we are staying in Grand Marais for three nights. Nice walk…read morefrom campground into town. We decided to go up to the Raven's Nest. Was surprised to see some live music taking place. The guitar player was so good, we closed the place. The bartender was very good. I started with two Old Fashions and his pours were very good, but this comes with a price. Cant remember the exact price, but considering the pour, not a bad deal. We ended up having several more drinks...we were into the whole vibe! Had some great conversations. Here's the kicker...got up the next morning and I was missing a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses. I looked everywhere. When we walked into town, I go into the Gun Flint and ask the bartender if she could check to see if anyone had found them. My wife and I were saying "right, in this day and time, who turns in a pair of found Ray Bans". The bartender, i think her name was Jennica, took the time to check in the office and then go upstairs to the Nest. I was in shock that she came back with my sunglasses! The guy who cleans up at night (Lennie?) found them and turned them in. The music was great, the drinks were great. Service was excellent.

We spent Friday and Saturday evenings at the bar for dinner, and what stood out most wasn't just…read morethe great food--it was the people. My husband loved the walleye, and everything we had was excellent. Sitting at the bar gave us a chance to watch your team in action. The food runners were so jolly and so interested in making sure you got exactly what you ordered. We noticed the same dishwasher working incredibly hard both nights, and it was obvious that every person plays an important role. The friendly bartenders, servers, kitchen staff, and support staff all worked together seamlessly with genuine pride and teamwork. Great restaurants don't happen by accident. It's clear the manager has built a culture where everyone supports one another and truly cares about the guest experience. We travel extensively, and seeing a team like this is rare. Gun Flint Tavern is a place we always recommend to anyone visiting Grand Marais, and after another wonderful weekend, we'll continue doing exactly that. We can't wait to come back!

A big reason for my 5 stars is the incredible patio they have. It's covered and heated so it…read morebasically feels like you're inside. Dog friendly patio too! Our food was great, the aioli that came with the French fries was delicious! The service too was great, very friendly and overall a good experience.

Neither of us drink, but we were intrigued with Voyageur Brewing Company and their promise of…read morehomemade bread made from the leftover spent grain from their brewing process. We decided to visit after a light lunch for some additional snacks on an early Tuesday afternoon and this place was not busy at all. I think there was only a single other party inside other than us - this is definitely more of a dinner and evening establishment. Cheese Curds ($12) - An order comes with a small pile of perfectly battered and fried cheese curds. The batter kind of sticks multiple curds together into clusters, but the glue comes only from the batter, not from the cheese. None of them leak out or are gooey at all. Instead, the interior is warmed through and only melted a bit, allowing the firm texture of the cheese curd to come through. It's even slightly squeaky from how fresh they are. They have a good light crisp on the exterior and great overall texture. The curds come with a side dip that's sweet, fruity, and slightly smoky. I'm usually fan of a fruity or acidic side to balance out how fatty the fried cheese is, but I don't think this one requires the sauce at all. (4/5) Bread ($2) - This is essentially an extra order of bread for the Voyageur Picnic Board. Luckily we were able to order these as a side. And they were totally not worth it. An order includes 5 slices of a small baguette-style bread that's really dense and chewy. It's served cold and tastes completely like dough conditioner - think cheap grocery store-style bread. It honestly is so strong of a taste that I don't believe that it's homemade at all - and if it's homemade, it's one of the worst homemade breads I've ever eaten. It's clearly not meant to be eaten by itself. I can't help but think we were dumb to visit specifically for the bread. Considering this is not on the actual menu and we had to special order it, I'm going to pretend this doesn't exist and not include it in my final rating. (1/5) Again, we don't drink at all, so I can't comment on the quality of the beer served at Voyageur Brewing Company. I did quite like the cheese curds, so I'll be leaving this as a 4* review. Bathrooms - Two larger ones Note: Voyageur Brewing Company charges a 2.92% credit card fee. This is disclosed on their menu. Food: [4/5] Service: [ ] Other: [ ] Final Rating: 4/5

Wow. We had some high hopes for this place. The outside was cute, they had live music playing on…read morethe patio, and their menu was promising. However, half our order wasn't even correct and we didn't have anyone consistently waiting on us, as they were so short staffed, and our waiter was very unprofessional. I ordered a Tom Collins, but received a Sex on the Beach, I'm assuming, based upon what I could taste. The waiter brought it out, he noticed it wasn't the correct drink, so he brought it back to the bar, and thirty seconds later, brought out the exact same drink again. I gave up trying. We ordered two appetizers, and only received one. My husband's main entree was cold, I ordered the southwest chicken bites as an entree, and only received chicken tenders. No one came to check in on us consistently, no one refilled water glasses, the waiter looked and spoke to us unprofessionally (like, would literally leave in the middle of speaking to us), and the only other worker I saw looked so stressed out. The place looked so run down too. The women's bathroom literally had a whole tub in it, the sink was rusted, and the hot water tap in the sink didn't even work, so I hope the employees have another sink with access to hot water so they can properly wash their hands. Management needs to update the decor and the bathrooms. They also either need to get their asses out on the floor to assist, or turn people away if their servers are overworked and untrained like this. I love supporting small businesses, so I hate making reviews like this, but this was the worst meal we had our whole trip. Disappointed to say the least.

We were recommended to try this restaurant and it was so interesting! The history of this mansion…read morethat was turned into a restaurant was super interesting to read about. Based on the decor and some of the original structure, you can tell that it used to be a home. As for the food, it was nice and quite satisfying. My husband had the ribeye steak and I had the salmon. Both were very good! Our server was very nice and friendly. We were celebrating my birthday and I was given a tiramisu birthday cake on the house! That was super kind. Will definitely come back to try other things on their menu!

Our dinner was excellent and the atmosphere and staff were warm and welcoming. We highly recommend…read moreRaven Rock Restaurant and when we return to the area in the future Skyport Lodge seems like a wonderful place to stay.

Great stop off find on our way from our cabin stay to grand marais. It was our first time visiting…read moreand the bartender was also the server for the bar tops. He did a great job on a very busy shift. He handled all our requests and provided good insight on the menu. Food was excellent (both our kids ate their full meal which is a win!) and they had a small but solid beer list. We will definitely be returning next time we are in the area. Highly recommend! *of note, plan for a wait on busier nights. They have a game room and had a bonfire going and poured drinks for us while we waited. Wasn't an issue for us, but the wait was about 40min and climbing.

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

Such a gem up in the gunflint area. Friends and I stopped by for lunch after hiking Magnetic Rock…read more We have a variety of dietary restrictions (gf, df, and vegetarian) and EVERYBODY was happy! Their drinks are fun and delightful, the service was solid, and they have a beautiful back porch area that you can sit on and enjoy the stunning views. They've also got board games if you really want to park and hang for a little while! I'm excited for the next time I'm in the area to get to visit this gem again.

Menu limited, food took too long, Bryan needs manners and a gym membership. Server saved the day…read morebut funny man owner is going to wise crack himself out of patrons.

Online reservations only allowed us to make a 5 and 4 person reservation. We were out and about so…read moredid not call. When we arrived they were able to accommodate us all at one table even though we were willing to split. Everyone's meal was amazing. Some great cocktails too. Highly recommend the Steak Oscar. Our server Ryan was Top Tier. So friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. He had a voice like butter to boot. He made our night perfect as 3 generations celebrated our mother's birthday.

Great service and food was very good. Make Reservations…read morebecause they can get busy. We had reservations, showed up early and we were able to be seated.

Drove quite a ways off the highway to come here to eat - open until 10 and we were told oh sorry we…read moreclosed the kitchen at 8 (it was 8:20). It's not there are a many places to eat in this area (like none). Won't ever consider this crappy joint again. Mad hot and hungry.

A pleasant surprise in the middle of the woods. Entrees great, sides an afterthought though but…read moreprices reasonable.

Great spot to enjoy some good food, views, and vibes! We enjoyed the Parmesan garlic fries, pizza,…read moreand walleye sandwich a long with some beers and hard ciders! There is both indoor and outdoor seating and it has a very cozy laid back vibe which is exactly what you want while up north! Despite being laid back, the service was prompt and everyone was so kind and helpful. The food hit the spot after a long hike!

This place was definitely a happen place. Lots of people. And we heard the. Fries are good. They…read morefries were good I wouldn't say the best. The pizza was very good I am from Chicago so nothing compares but for north woods. I would definitely go again for pizza burger was a burger. This was a very busy place and staff was doing the best they could. They were nice and friendly. Think this could be a nice local hang out also. They had darts and pool table. Worth checking out. We will be back

We visited with a group for lunch and unfortunately it did not meet our expectations. The food took…read morea very long time to come out (around 45 minutes) and it seemed to mostly be frozen food items made in the fryer - very institutional tasting. Maybe the breakfast is where they shine, but I'd recommend looking for somewhere else to have lunch in the area.

Food was great. Cute place with great staff. Locals are very friendly and fun.We even stayed for…read moreBingo