This cafe is located right off the main street as you are driving north through Two Harbors. My hubby and I were at the Superior shores resort for 3 days and ate at this establishment for the two mornings we needed to eat breakfast. Good meals at reasonable prices. I tried the vanilla pancakes and my hubby ordered the five piece french toast breakfast. Both were very good. Nice atmosphere, pretty fast service and like I first mentioned located on the main street so it was very easy to get to. Both days we were seated in the main diningroom as you walked in the door but it looked like they had an additional room that could accomodate groups. read more

Came here for brunch on a gorgeous Saturday morning. Ample patio seating, but apparently it's only for "take out" orders. Strange... So, we got our food served in plastic to-go containers and ate it on the patio. The plastic silverware worked well and the checkered paper (you know the kind) soaked up the eggs and turned it into a tasty pulp, mmm. As annoying as the experience was, the food was pretty good. A bit heavy on the salt, and lacking in creativity, but definitely tasty! I'd eat here again inside on a cold or rainy day. read more

We stopped here on our way home from a weekend in the BWCA. Everyone in our group was SO excited for a hot meal that didn't start out dehydrated in a bag or consist of granola. Our server was nice enough, but she knew nothing about the menu because she was new (not an excuse, as staff should be trained and knowledgeable about the food). We finally all settled on our meals and ordered. The food came out timely. I ordered the fish tacos and subbed my side for a house salad...and that was a $2 upcharge. The salad was very tiny and definitely not worth $2 extra. Someone in our group ordered the pulled pork nachos and no one was very impressed with those either, especially the quality of the chips (thankfully you could drown the staleness in sour cream, cheese, and guac). Then our meals came out. Three people ordered the fish tacos, and as soon as I saw our server set down the plate at the far end of the table, I could tell the fish was completely dried out. I picked up my own fish taco and the soft shell taco was hard as a rock (literally I could break off pieces like a corn tortilla). The fish was dried and disgusting and no amount of lemon (which we had to ask for) or sour cream (which was left over from the pulled pork nachos) could make that thing edible. I've never sent food back before, but I felt like I had no choice. Thankfully our server did come over and ask how the food was tasting. When we complained about how awful our fist tacos were, she offered to get us something else. There was 1 person in our group that ordered the seafood pasta and said it was ok but not worth $19. The 5th person in our group ordered a burger and fries and said the burger was ok, but the egg he added was overcooked, and the fries were gross and cold. I ordered the salmon salad and the other 2 each picked burgers. The re-makes took a very long time to make and when they came out, the fries were cold and stingy (although the server did bring out a basket of straight from the fryer fries...which were still horrible tasting). My salmon was obviously from a can and not appetizing at all. What's worse is that since it was not a solid piece of fish, and instead was little shredded chunks strewn about my salad, I could not pick around it. So I ate a few bites of the salad that had no "salmon" on it and scarfed down the bread (which was delicious) and by that time, I'd had enough of the food. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Perhaps their breakfast is better (according to the other Yelp! reviews, that may be the case). But if that is so, they should offer breakfast all day long instead of subjecting people to the horrible food we ate. read more

We had a very nice lunch -- the half sandwich and cup of soup. Delicious and reasonably priced. Our server, Jackie, was cordial and efficient. The best chicken wild rice soup I've ever eaten (except for my own). It was SOUP, not wallpaper paste. The cranberry bread the club sandwich was assembled on was really good! I'd go back in a heartbeat. read more

After a morning of hiking, was going to stop by Northshore Pizza, but it was closed (seasonal?), so we hopped nextdoor to Vanilla Bean Cafe. Originally thought it'd be just a coffee shop, but the sign outside said serving breakfast lunch and dinner so we gave it a try. A bit small so I could see it getting busy during peak times perhaps, but it was calm at the time we went. Full-menu restaurant, not just a few cafe food options. read more

We stopped for a late lunch on our way back to Duluth. It was very good. I've driven by is a lot of times but never stopped. I had a Rueben that was really good and my wife had a wild rice burger she said was excellent. We will stop there again read more

Great, friendly service! The Swedish pancakes were fabulous, tender and the lingon berries were nice and tart.

I have no idea what the food tastes like. It smelled wonderful but we walked in to have lunch and it was crowded. We waited patently to find out how long it would be. After over five minutes of being ignored, we left and went to Judy's up the street AND IT GETS BETTER....... read more

Love this place. Its a diner. There's very few frills but the service is great, the people are friendly and accomodating, they keep the pace moving when its busy (not rushing people but not leaving people hanging who want to pay and go). The food is above average diner food with some hand/home made items mixed in (sausage, deserts, etc). read more

We caught this place in the off-season (December) and loved it. We were coming back from Gooseberry Falls, and wanted to stop for lunch. It was already past 2pm when we hit Two Harbors. We decided to try this out once we spotted it. Small, only a few tables. One person manning the front (the owner we later discovered). He was very polite and seated us quickly. The kids were going to order the mac n cheese because the kids menu said homemade, and he was quick to point out they had to switch to boxed mac n cheese because most kids preferred that and that perhaps my kids would want the homemade mac n cheese from the adult menu instead. They did, so that was a good save. I got the pasty and my hubby got the fish tacos. All were excellent. The mac n cheese was so creamy and good I almost stole it from the kids. They said nary a word for a good 20 minutes because they were so busy eating, it was that good. The pasty was good (only my second time trying one, ever), and my hubby really enjoyed the fish tacos. The coffee was fantastic to help warm us up from our walk around the frozen falls, and the owner was cheerful. He let us know they get crazy busy during the summer months, but I think we'll try it again next time we are staying in Duluth anyway, It seems worth the drive! read more

Breakfast the way if was meant to be! Blueberry pancakes were scrumptious, the coffee good and service friendly. The art in the ding room added to the atmosphere and made the place feel special! My only regret is that we won't make it back for dinner which looks really great as well! read more

Ate at the vanilla on recommendation of a friend. Found the menu extensive and the breakfasts (served only until 11:30) plentiful and varied had the straight-up eggs/toast/hashbrowns. Food was good but the service was VERY slow - waited to be seated even though there was no line and tables open, and food was slow coming out of the kitchen - maybe more help? read more

Food was very good, but the service left a lot to be desired. We waited over 45 minutes for our food with no apology. When the food did come they brought the wrong type of pancake for my son. Our waitress said she was sorry for that and handed me the bill... read more

Great coffee and food. Perfect way to start the day when you are volunteering for the Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon! Thank you for sponsoring this fantastic race. It is always a highlight for coffee whenever I get the chance to go north. read more

I attended the Valentine's Day dinner and Beer Dinner at The Vanilla Bean in the same week. Both were amazing, but the best part of both nights was the desert. Red Velvet Cheesecake and Black Forest Cake were beyond delicious. The baker at the restaurant has amazing skills. Unbelievable. read more

This is a favorite of ours and we eat here once a year during our annual North Shore crawl. The wild rice burger was very moist and tasty and included a side salad for a small up charge. Food is fresh and because of that and the fact that the place is very popular, menu items are subject to availability. Highly recommend this North Shore gem. (Service was friendly, relaxed and attentive.) read more

Very good breakfast and service! Love supporting local restaurants! We will definitely be back when we're back in the area!

Stopped for breakfast, had passed it a few times because it just didn't look fancy on the outside but the name was interesting. They were very busy but the service was great, and the food was sooooo very good. I wish I had stopped in those other days we went passed it so I could have eaten more. When I go up North again I will be stopping by this little gem of a restaurant. read more

We have been here twice . Both times the service was very sloooow !!!!!! My wife had French toast which she said was very good , I had an omelet that was really scrambled eggs with stuff in it , we were very unhappy with the whole meal . Then we gave it one more try. We went for breakfast again wife had blueberry craeps with whipped cream , No whipped cream and bland , I had corned beef hash which was more like hash browns with very little beef and the meat that was there was like rubber. So we were again not happy !!!!!!!!!!!! I want to like this place and I will give it one more try then I might give up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Visited the Vanilla Bean over the holiday weekend. Charming restaurant with friendly and professional staff. The breakfast menu is comprehensive and clever...not to mention delicious. I ordered the pesto eggs Benedict, a nice twist on a classic. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the pesto sauce was beautifully flavored. I also had the privilege of tasting the porridge...this is to die for!!! I took several bites before returning the bowl to is rightful owner and will be back for my own bowl next time. read more

We live near Two Harbors, and have been to the Bean years ago. Since there is new management, we decided to try it. The special that night was Superior whitefish. I ordered the Canadian walleye. I think I was served the whitefish. There was no taste at all. Totally bland. I tried salting it to hopefully bring out some flavor. Nada. The expresso machine in the kitchen was so loud that you could not carry on a conversation with someone siting next to you. We each had a glass of wine, and the bill came to $50.00. Service was fine, but for the amount of money that we spent, and the lousy tasting food, next time I will go to the Blackwoods. At least there I get a bit more quiet, cloth napkins, and good tasting food. read more

I had Swedish pancakes and they were very good. My wife had bread pudding and said it was fine. The wild rice/cranberry/pecan porridge was very good. Service was incredibly slow and not particularly friendly. Not sure if we would bother going back. read more

Slowest service I have EVER had at a restaurant. Waited 15-20 minutes just to put in our order then waited an additional 40 minutes just for the to make 2 sandwiches. Food was OK. read more

I was so excited for their Duluth location to open as we've loved the Two Harbors location but it's not easy or convenient to take trips up there frequently. We tried to go with a group for brunch and were told it would be a 15-20 minute wait and after that time elapsed we were told it would be another 20 minutes at least as a group just called to make a reservation bumping us who had been waiting there in person already. When one of our group asked to speak to a manager we were told an entirely different story so someone changed their story and was one of the worst customer service experiences I've had. Either the staff is not clear on reservations policies or it truly is their policy in which case I should have just gone out to the parking lot to call in a reservation to get in. Either way being up front about the actual time it would take to be seated was important as we had a member of our o party with health/medication timing issues and would have just chosen a different restaurant had we been dealt with appropriately. Don't think I'll be going to any of their Vanilla Bean locations or The Boat Club. read more

It's one step up from a greasy spoon with an interesting menu. We had lunch there. I eavesdropped on medical talk between two couples on their last legs at a nearby table. I say that with all respect, since I'm no spring turkey myself. Because I was scheduled soon to present a writing workshop at the local Carnegie library, I had the chopped salad, to keep it light. It was chopped and it was salad, so that was good, with turkey and ham but no tomato or hard-boiled egg, despite the naming of same on the menu. It was what the doctor ordered before a presentation when I wanted to be alert. My wife had one of their baked omelets, sort of like a quiche and quite tasty. The water we had with our meal was clean and crisp, excellent tap water that made me proud to be in the Far North of Minnesota, where the winds blow heavy on the borderline, and they were certainly blowing this day. We drank all the water, breathed in the diner's good, clean diner air, and paid our bill, leaving a tip for the waitress, who was tipsy on life. Would we go back again? Maybe, maybe not. We like to take the road less travelled by, and this one is now familiar to us. read more

Revisited this spot a couple days ago due to good memories of eating there a couple years ago. Maybe we caught them on a bad day, but the overall experience was so poor that we will not return. The service was extremely slow and non-helpful. My daughter ordered white bean chicken chili, which seemed like a signature dish there, but it looked nothing like what we all think of this dish as. It was more like a thinned out can of tomato paste with some white beans and chunks of chili. She sent it back. I recommended the pasty to my son, as I remembered that being especially good. It was bland and tasteless this time, with an oddly colored crust, and what I had remembered as a rich brown beef gravy was this time a pale, pasty gravy devoid of taste. We had planned to order dessert, but no one came to clear away our lunch plates and ask if we wanted any, so we finally flagged down a guy who looked like the manager, and said we would like our dishes cleared and wanted to order dessert. He took a couple plates and did not return. About 5 minutes later, our waitress reappeared and slapped down our tab and walked away without a word. Needless to say, we passed on the dessert, paid and left. Other diners were restless at the slow service as well. Big disappointment overall! read more

We haven't been to the Vanilla Bean for 10yrs and my how things have changed. We always stopped in for breakfast on our way up to Lutsen and on our way back. You couldn't get a better breakfast(as far as we're concerned) anywhere on the north shore. Boy were we disappointed this visit!! Not only were the omelettes of poor quality, but the service was as well. How do you run out of vanilla bean butter for pancakes or toast? As advised, "when it gets close to lunch time we just throw the remaining butter out". Wow...still serving breakfast and you throw the butter out. How stupid does that sound? The omelettes were the same thickness as the pancakes and lacking the ingredients I paid for. The size even shrank as well! Maybe people in Two Harbors think this place is special, but this is one consumer who won't be back. We'll give our business to Betty's Pies or some other restaurant in the Duluth area. Stay away unless you would like the double bubble: Poor food and service! read more