Lake Avenue Restaurant & Bar

Delicate, simple, delicious, and enigmatic. This place leaves the taste buds wanting for more. There is a contentment only brought on by what seems like an eclectic mix of fusion and down home classic cooking. The bisque was delicious, the seviche sparked my pallet, and the duck tamale was cooked to perfection and balanced with a mix of the Minnesota wild. Definitely come here and bring a friend, it'll be a long lasting memory that will leave you wanting for more!

Great spot to eat and drink! Unique menu items with friendly service, and bread loafs for sale. We purchased a blueberry sourdough and it was amazing the next day, too. Try the tree sap liqueur!

Spectacular!! They were able to accommodate a table of 15 hungry, thirsty, sailors after a long race. Our server, Jimmy, was phenomenal!!!! The food was outstanding!! The red snapper ceviche, with coconut milk, cilantro, and jalapeños, was out of this world! My pasta puttanesca wad made to perfection. All 15 of us agreed that our meals were absolutely delicious! If you have been here, then you know. If you have not, you must go asap, this place is a gem!!!

We have never had a bad meal at Lake Ave and it's always one of our first food stops when visiting Canal Park. They can make a simple food like carrots taste like one of the fanciest, tastiest foods you've ever had. And their seasonal mocktails are always incredible!

Every summer, we spend a couple days on Madeline Island and it's a tradition we stop in Duluth for a day or two on our way home. Our cat always requests a whole smoked whitefish from Russ' near Knife River. Driving around eating a pizza, we were craving lamb and found this place. We weren't disappointed. Order the lamb and get a side of wasabi aioli to go with it. So delicious. We ate here twice. On our second visit, they didn't have any open tables, but they managed to fit us in. The food was great and service was too.

The inside is tasteful and charming. This was the best meal we had in Duluth all weekend. The bread was baked fresh, the ingredients are all fresh and perfectly cooked. Each season the menu changes and I’m looking forward to trying more. The flavors and textures are all so perfectly combined. The chefs are excellent at what they do and the head chef designed a unique and tasteful menu. This is not an over priced meal, the quality goes above and beyond expectations of a $30/plate meal.

We only wanted a light meal, so we ordered a side salad and a bowl of soup to share. They were surprisingly good and quite filling. We had a Mediterranean chick pea soup. We ordered the pineapple vinaigrette dressing which we really liked. Will come back for a full meal some day.

Came here around 8:15 on a Thursday night, sat on the patio and enjoyed excellent food from our server Sean. Would highly recommend for anyone looking for non traditional food in Duluth, flavors that actually excite! We had the duck tamal and sob noodles with steak — so good.

We had a delicious lunch here yesterday and enjoyed every bit of the food. The wonderful Cuban soup, the elote and the sandwiches were absolutely amazing. Food was fresh and service was phenomenal. Will come back on our next trip back to Duluth. Highly recommended!

Wonderful atmosphere. Nice attentive staff. Food was PHENOMINAL!! only thing I wish different is that the red snapper was the entire fish head on and scored. Most places that serve red snapper do the entire fish. Here it's only 1 fillet. The fish is not quite big enough to do only one fillet. But it was delicious! The calamari was some of the best I've ever had and im from florida and eat a LOT of calamari!

A very unique menu! Some American classics with Asian twists to them. Many pickled items in the menu, if that’s your “thang.” Intriguing cocktail menu too. Friendly servers and a cozy yet chic ambiance. 👏🏼

We love Lake Ave Restaurant and Bar! The service and food can't be beat! The food options are inspired and the drink list offers local (and not local) beer and spirits as well as fine wine and fun mocktails. We really enjoyed the patio with it's lovely design and hanging plants. It is in the shade in the morning and gets sun in the evening. A must-go if you are anywhere near Duluth!

Wonderful! The food was delicious, waitress was kind, and drinks were great! My husband and I visited on our honeymoon and we are so happy we chose here. Food was fresh and presentation was incredible.

Never have I ever had a steak as amazing as this waygu. These chefs really know what they're doing in the kitchen....not to mention they love to switch up the menu every week with new ingredients and made from scratch. The variety of meats and seafood they use is mindblowing and so unique. Everything from Mussels to rabbit to your comfort poultry and beef. This restaurant is way-too-guood!

Absolutely phenomenal food. Delicious, fresh flavor, some unique flavors and combinations. The staff are also incredible. The vibe is similar to Duluth Grill, with quaint handmade coffee cups and delicious local coffee. Get the breakfast pizza!

Got the pork belly hash and it was very good. I did have to put some hot sauce on it for personal taste but nothing against the dish, it was very well prepared and plated. Service was very good as well, our bartender checked in consistently and made sure we were taken care of. Highly recommend.

I the food was perfect!!! Apps, drinks, entree and dessert was all top notch. The server was super sweet. Remember to make reservations. We were lucky enough to eat up by the bar but they are busy.

Our waitress had the right balance of presence. The food was well prepared and plated. Don't feel shy to order some of the different types of foods they have on the menu. The curry pizza is definitely worth getting!

MAMA MIA THATS A TASTY BRUNCH! Okay but seriously, it was delicious and the vibes were perfect. All the staff were (was?) so friendly and made great suggestions. I enjoyed a Morning Schooner cocktail, which was refreshing and creamy at the same time. The pork belly hash was so tasty! I don’t remember what sauce was on top but it was so good! Definitely a good choice for a savory brunch. Thanks for having us! We had a great time!

Very nice setting, the atmosphere was wonderful. The food was great, and the drinks were also amazing. I highly recommend the Hurricane. Rio was our server and he was very polite and had a good sense of humor. I will be coming back here in the future.

Everything about our dinner was absolutely excellent. Friendly, attentive service from all the staff. Each dish was crafted to perfection and it's so clear that the chef is knowledgeable about how flavors and textures work together. Delicious bottle of Rose. We can't wait to return, thank you so much!

One of the best meals you can find in Duluth. Fresh ingredients, handmade, amazing service, great atmosphere. I can't wait to head back to try more. The menu is fantastic.

What a chef! Some of the most flavorful food I've had in my life, and that is no exaggeration. I can be a harsh critic - this food was phenomenal. Definitely a bit spendy, and the portion sizes are smaller than you typically see at restaurants, but you aren't paying for the amount of food. You're paying for the quality and flavor. I will absolutely be coming back. We spent about $150 for one appetizer, two entrees, and a few drinks. We had a reservation, which I would recommend since it's not a very large restaurant. Wait staff were very friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere was top tier. 10/10 experience. Thank you Lake Avenue!

Reo the bartender was a fantastic mixologist! Our wine pairing was dead on, as well as the Negroni and martini. The mushroom dish was out of this world. The black is was to die for.. ga

Had the red snapper and it was delish with the pesto and pickled red onions. The white bean puree with the dish could have a bit more flavor, but pairing with everything else was good. Also had the queen bee cocktail, would highly recommend for the gin lover!

Had a wonderful dinner, the vibe at lake ave is always on point! Lexi was a great server super attentive and personable! The carbonara was great and cocktails are always a hit. Thank you to Derek and the team!

I ordered the red snapper with white bean purée for my entree and it was fantastic. We also shared the pork lettuce wrap with bulgogi sauce and kimchi, also super tasty and I highly recommend. We had as appetizer but it could be a lite dinner or lunch entree.

The food was good however not spectacular. I had the red snapper ceviche and the pork belly sandwich for dinner with a black sesame cheesecake for dessert. The sandwhich was amazing but the fries were plain.The ceviche was watery (if that makes sense) but still good, and the cheese cake was average. The wait staff was incredible however and I would definitely go back.

Had a nice dinner here with my wife. They have a smaller menu but what they do, they do good. I had the steak (mr). It was an American Waygu Tri-tip. It was slightly overcooked for a medium rare but incredibly delicious and the veggies that came with were very good as well. My wife had the mussel pasta and it was very tasty. We shared the brownie band cinnamon ice cream which was a great combo. Our service was great, not too much, not too littlebamd very polite. The place is a bit smaller than I had pictured but it's still very nice and it gives it a bit of intimacy. I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

Lake Avenue Cafe has that creative and "that's original" menu food items. The staff and management were friendly and attentive. There are plenty of windows and an open view of the kitchen, so if you like to see and be seen, it's a win-win. The pickles dish we tried was a stretch for our taste pallette wish strong vinegar, salt, and earthy flavors within. The brisket sandwich had some thin outside pieces that were slightly overdone , so the bite stopped me from pulling the sandwhich away easily.

I would certainly recommend the restaurant, but not the shrimp & grits. The ambience, staff and location are amazing. Plenty of great options on the menu and appreciate seeing more "foodie" places in the area. Husband liked the fry bread entree but felt the bread was fried too long making it hard yet chewy. I went for the shrimp and grits and while I finished my plate, wouldn't order it again. The grits were stiff and bland. Bland to the point I don't think even salt was used. If you've never had grits and had these for the first time, you'd probably never have them again. The shrimp Cajun seasoning was done well, but it was like the shrimp was pre-cooked, then cooked for this dish with the seasoning making it very tough and overdone. Like needing a sharp knife to cut through and what little pink was left was only in the thickest chunk. The cornbread was dry and to the level of nature valley crumble. The collards were cooked well, though the sweetness stood out so much only because there was not much other flavoring on the dish with the Cajun seasoning strictly with the shrimp. Again, I finished my plate, was just underwhelmed and would not order this dish again, but excited to try other dishes and find what they really shine in.

Service was good including food. My husband loved his quail and was very happy with his dish. He kept complimenting how delicious it was. I tried a bit of it and I agree! It was delicious! The waygu was good too although I didn't expect it to be presented the way it did. Different with the kimchi and slightly grilled bok choy.

The food tastes great! But the portions are small. The staff is friendly. But they make weak drinks. It's worth a try to see what you think

Nice atmosphere, friendly servers. The drinks were ok. We both had the brisket sandwich. The brisket was exactly what you wanted, but almost never really got. The bread was delicious and the brisket was flavorful and tender enough to cut with a fork.

When I went last night, at first glance it seemed like it was going to be a very solid restaurant. The factor that drew me in was the fact that it claimed to be a seasonal restaurant, I was expecting a fresh and tasty vibe to the food. When the food arrived was quite the opposite, it left me feeling empty and wanting more from the dish especially at the price point of a 32 dollar bowl of ramen. The ramen was one of the worst executed bowls of ramen I’ve had, I was expecting for it to be a nice broth filled with umami, instead the broth was overpowered by the chilli they added and made it feel like a bowl of noodles in chili water with a “pickled” egg that tasted like they dipped in vinegar and then straight to your bowl. The service. The service felt like the bare minimum, friendly enough when they wanted to take your order but nothing more, and when the food didn’t shine, the service stuck out.

Great service, fresh ingredients, unseasoned food. The wings were good but the pork bolognese was watery and flat. For the prices the food should be fantastic, but it ended up being like hospital food with a gorgeous presentation.

I've not left a restaurant with such a deep understanding of its city like I have with Lake Avenue. Duluth's urban renewal is charming in the same way a childrens' soccer match is, in that there is an earnest attempt regardless of the result. The same cannot be said about Lake Avenue. A rotating menu will always be bold, and I would have commended them for this had the execution not been so poor. In the images I've included, you'll see the Tofu Masala ($24), the Mac and Cheese ($20), and the Steak Dinner ($53). While I cannot be certain which ingredients were used to push these dishes to such a steep price, I know salt was not one of them. The keen-eyed gourmet will undoubtedly spot the great unifying force of the culinary world, fresno chili and pickled red onion. The unnecessary inclusion of these in both the Tofu Masala and the Steak Dinner unfortunately speaks truth to Lake Avenue's attempt at being something it is not - a restaurant worthy of its prices. Neither the Steak nor Tofu Masala benefit from these flavors, but if your menu is on rotation and you lack the culinary experience to accommodate this, it does provide a universal shock to the palette that might distract your guests from the dish's lack of cohesion. In other circumstances, I would not be so harsh, but the $120 (pre-tip) bill my partner and I paid makes that irresponsible. This is Duluth, Minnesota; leave Lake Avenue, walk 20 seconds in any direction and you'll wind up in a T-Shirt shop or a Bar & Grill. Lake Avenue is not fighting the expectations of its patrons, but the ones that it sets upon itself. Find what works and do it well. No one is asking for anything else.

I had high hopes based on reviews. I’m not sure if it was just an “off” day or what, but it was a bad experience for my whole party and I. Our server was downright rude. I can handle mediocre food of the service is good, but we experienced neither unfortunately. The duck in the tamales was tough, undercooked and flavorless. That sounds harsh, but true. The calamari dish was okay. The green curry was good, but spicier than the menu and server mention. We got the ceviche as our appetizer (it was tuna this day) and it was incredibly fishy tasting. I couldn’t eat it. Presentation of the food was gorgeous, but it ended there. We dine out a lot. Sadly, I’ll never go back nor recommend to friends.

Mildly warm entree on a Saturday night where there are several open booths and tables. Not worth the hype and price. A few others at my table report their food was hot, several of us had warm/cool pasta. See

We came as a group of four adults and two children. We ordered food and specifically asked for the children’s meals to be brought out right away. For the kids, we ordered the simplest dish — scrambled eggs, two slices of bacon, and bread. A meal that takes no more than 10 minutes to prepare was brought out after 40 minutes. The children were hungry and restless, and we had to entertain them for almost an hour. After one hour and twenty minutes, only two sandwiches for one couple arrived at the table. My husband and I still had nothing. After one hour and forty minutes, the rest of the meals finally came, but my husband was served a completely different dish instead of the steak he had ordered. Why couldn’t they say right away that the steak wasn’t available? To make matters worse, the other couple received a dish with a hair in it. After pointing this out, they had to wait another 30 minutes for a replacement. By the time almost two hours had passed, no one wanted to eat anymore — everyone was angry and frustrated. The service from our waitress deserves a special mention. She completely ignored our table: never checked in, never refilled drinks, never asked if we needed anything. When my husband tried to speak to her, she literally walked away. It felt like she was deliberately avoiding us, knowing our order wasn’t being prepared. The only act of kindness came from a waitress at another table, who brought crayons and coloring sheets for the children. We are very grateful to her. In summary: • we waited almost two hours; • the children’s simple meal took 40 minutes; • my husband received the wrong dish instead of his steak; • one dish was served with a hair inside, and the replacement took another 30 minutes; • no compensation, no apologies, no effort to make things right; • service was zero, food was average, portions were small; • the bill was almost $270 for four adults and two children. We left angry and disappointed. Of course, we didn’t leave any tip — which was still far too soft a response for this level of service. This restaurant deserves a 1 out of 10. We will never return and do not recommend it to anyone.