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Angry Trout Cafe
Categories: Restaurants Seafood Restaurants Vegetarian Seafood, Vegetarian [Edit]
416 W Hwy 61Grand Marais, MN 55604
(218) 387-1265
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
51 reviews for Angry Trout Cafe
Review Highlights
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"...restaurant is right by Lake Superior, perfect on a sunny..." In 12 reviews -
"They know how to make wild rice, it's a must try." In 10 reviews -
"Try the Maple Mustard dressing." In 2 reviews
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51 reviews in English
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Review from Dean S.
2/4/2012
This is one of my favorite restaurants. I always get the fried fish plate with spinach fettuccine and fresh pesto. The salads are unreal, which makes sense since they only use local, in season ingredients. Maple mustard dressing is the best! The whole ideology behind this place is one I love to support. Sustainable and delicious!
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Review from Kelsey K.
Minneapolis, MN
Updated - 5/14/2012
While living in the cities on my visits back to my home town I try to make this one of the places we fit in for food. Now that I moved back I find myself dreaming about their salads and soup and making others go eat here with me all the time.
I adore their fish chowder...a light browthy creamy goodness. They have fried fish fritters that have a red pepper diced inside that I always get if I go with others (plus a homemade tarter sauce). If your at the trout...I would suggest getting a salad. If you like salads this one will feel like it was fresh pulled from someone's garden (always served with a slice of fruit or two). They have really quality homemade salad dressings. Try one or try them all. After being dedicated to Maple Mustard dressing for the past 20 or some years I finally branched out the other day and gosh the others are pretty darn good too! :)
I tend to swear by the soup and salad meal as it is in my price range at 12 dollars. Served with yummy focaccia bread. But really everything on the menu I am sure is pretty tasty. It will probably be prepared sorta simply and super fresh. Do note some meals here can get a bit more steep at like 18-20 dollars for an entree in some cases.
The trout is probably not your kind of place if your looking for overly done or fancyfied food or are expecting someone to drape a large napkin over your lap (their napkins are tiny and there to go boxes are plastic and have to be returned....to be greener).
This experience is about the view, the food, and keeping it simple yet yummy.
The wild rice salad is something that once mixed with Maple Mustard dressing becomes magical in my mouth. Very happy making.
They also serve some solid sides of pasta with pesto that I don't get most of the time but whenever I do I am always happy.
There is almost always a line to get into this place. I love it. I think you will be happy to wait. However if you have tiny hungry kids or like me a bf that isn't willing to wait Dockside right up the driveway does some solid fish too (but none of the amazing salad goodness).Listed in: Got a Date?, Treat, GM
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/29/2008
Its funny i never thought about rating the restaurants in my home town. Didn't think many people… Read more »
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Review from Lisa M.
1/17/2012
The Angry Trout is a must-do if you're traveling up the North Shore through Grand Marais. In summer, they have outdoor seating on a patio overlooking Lake Superior--breathtaking view!
Although they are spendy, their dishes are finely crafted and the fresh fish is impeccable. I remember ordering their classic Fish N' Chips and I was not disappointed.
After your meal, be sure to walk around Main Street Grand Marais to visit the cute shops or wander on down to the pier. -
Review from K D.
Hibbing, MN
4/19/2012
Good food, great location, but basically serves one meal -- your choice of Lake fish, wild rice, and a mixed greens salad with a flower on top.
Dh said it was just like having dinner at his hippy friends' house twenty years ago -- if they had a great view of Lake Superior.
There is a little place next to it, open during the day, we like better and always have lunch at when in GM. They sell fresh fish from the Lake (and some seafood) and also have a small menu featuring their fried fish -- herring, white fish, walleye. When we go back we make sure we bring a cooler to bring home fresh fish fillets from the Lake. Very friendly staff. Great view. They even sell foodie related souvenirs that are actually nice and not kitschy.
Anyhoo...if you are in GM, the Angry Trout is a place you should make time for. One meal, but they do a pretty good job of it. -
Review from Sarah G.
Angry Trout was obviously on my top three list of places to try on our recent trip to Gran Marias thanks to Yelp. It took the lead spot after a family friend recommended it as well and that's where we headed for dinner on a Sunday night.
I loved the local artwork, the regional cuisine, the sustainable concept... all that I bought hook line and sinker (pun!) But a couple things were off on our visit that made this restaurant drop to the bottom of the four places we tried in the area... first the lighting, since we opted to dine indoors the track lighting provided at the perimeter shone down on me like heaven was calling me home and resulted in my not being able to see out the windows or enjoy the nighttime skyline. I felt like I was on display.
Second, the service. Our waiter seemed pretty indifferent to the fact that we were obviously tourists (as most patrons here are) and wasn't very helpful or interested in our preferences, likes or dislikes. Snooty is how I would describe his attitude. Since awesome - or mediocre - service can often make or break a meal this was definitely a big minus.
And finally, the food. It wasn't my favorite. The fish fritters were by far the best thing we sampled, and that had a lot to do with the accompanying sauce. In fact, I ended up dredging my fish-and-chips liberally in any and all sauces I could find to get a memorable flavor... which now two weeks later eludes my ability to even describe or recall in depth.
For me, if I look back on a meal and the negatives stand out more than the positives, that doesn't bode well for a repeat visit. But I will say Angry Trout is in a great location (lake-side deck) and the interior art is a must-see. -
Review from Prachee M.
Minneapolis, MN
9/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm reluctantly posting 4 stars, I wanted to give it a higher rating. But I have been here twice and while the first time impressed the second time did not.
What is great is the emphasis on local and seasonal produce. The ambiance is casual and friendly and there's always a looong line over Fri-Saturdays. Sundays are easier.
Prices are reasonable. They know how to make wild rice, it's a must try. Can't say the same for sweet potato fries which were soft and needed more seasoning oomph. Grilled wild-caught shrimp was fresh tasting as was the salad but the tomato-basil drssing tasted neither of tomatoes nor of basil. Flourless chocolate cake was not as rich as expected which is how I think it should be. -
Review from Michael F.
Minneapolis, MN
10/10/2011 1 photo
I was 'that guy' on Hwy 61, passing all the geriatric leaf viewers in an effort to get to Grand Marais in time to have a nice supper at the Angry Trout on a Friday night in October. My apologies to the arm-flailing Subaru driver, but I had room to get past you and my dinner was, for the most part, worth it.
I had the grilled lake trout, spinach fettuccine, and salad, with a fairly decent glass of sauvignon blanc. The trout and pasta were fantastic, prepared perfectly and seasoned well. Unfortunately, they were forced to share the plate with a heap of greens and veggies. Someone added a picture of the grilled trout dinner; take a look at that heap of food on the plate. While I appreciate that I was given a bottle of dressing to apply my preferred quantity, it was nigh on impossible to avoid it running down into my trout and pasta. I ended up eating the trout and pasta first and then attempting to consume the salad afterward. I know they are all about saving the world, but I'd trade off the water required to wash a salad plate for a much tidier dining experience.
On the topic of saving the world, I had the feeling they were trying just a wee bit too hard on that front. The dirty old cardboard box menu lent a really unfinished feel to what is a nice, scenic place to have a meal that isn't particularly inexpensive. I can appreciate efforts at sustainability without being beaten over the head by it. -
Review from Benjamin V.
Rochester, MN
10/12/2011
Recently, we headed north to enjoy the fall colors. This was our last fall season in MN, so we decided to head all the way to up Grand Marais--neither of us had been. Clearly, it is peak tourist season, so all the restaurants were quite busy. Near the end of our day in Grand Marais we stopped by the Angry Trout Cafe which came recommended by friends from the area.
The hostess was very friendly (probably the only friendly person in the restaurant). We were sat without any difficulty. Our server approached and asked for our drink orders. In an attempt to be sarcastic, i think, he instead came off as extremely rude and almost offensive. Instead of apologizing for the mix-up his sarcasm caused he asserts that we should have been adult enough to know what he meant--??
We ordered the chicken and fries for a light afternoon snack. The server not only got the side wrong, but he also never brought us the extra side we requested. To top it off, in an effort to chase away a rogue duck (we happened to have named her Gladys during our wait) they ran her down the dock where patrons were sitting, so she took off in flight right through a crowd of eating customers.
This may be a popular place in Grand Marais, but this type of service would not be acceptable any where else. I certainly will not be recommended this place to anyone. The only reason I'm giving this two stars instead of one is that the chicken and the fries were decent. -
Review from Neil P.
Orlando, FL
8/20/2011
Visited from out of town... WAY out of town (Orlando, FL to be exact). We took a refreshing summer vacation up in the North Shore of Lake Superior and heard about this hidden gem - so we had to check it out.
I like everything about this place. From the rustic charm... to the beautiful waterfront view... to all the fresh, delicious locally-caught or grown foods... and the honorable mission of sustainablity. And the service was excellent - especially considering we came in with a large group of 14 (we were broken up into two tables, but didn't mind).
I had a flaky, tender fried whitefish - served over tasty Minnesota Wild Rice - alongside flavorful greens and seasonal vegetables. The home-made salad dressings were a nice touch.
Overall, a very pleasant dining experience... worth the trip if your up that way. We'll go back if we ever return to the North Shore. -
Review from Jennifer P.
Nashville, TN
7/7/2011
Fried eggplant and sweet potato chip apps were very good. I thought chicken and chips was a fun idea... A take on fish and chips...but it was a little dry.
I did think the teeny tiny politically correct micro-cloth napkins were silly. We ended up asking for extras since our meals were messy...so did we really save the planet? Nope. -
Review from Tegan B.
Minneapolis, MN
7/24/2011
My partner is a fish fanatic in general, and had heard good things about this place from one of his friends before. We went in and found out that it was a place devoted to sustainable fishing and locavore foods. Right up our alley. The fish that they were serving were two of their typical three that come straight from Lake Superior, and we decided that even though they had other things on the menu, we needed to try their local fishes.
He got the grilled halibut and wild rice dish. My best friend got the grilled trout and pesto pasta. And I got the fried trout and fries so I could have local fish 'n chips. Everything came with ginormous salads, and there were a bevy of salad dressings that we tried with them. The fish tasted like it had just been lifted from the water. Out of all the sides, I think we agreed that the pesto pasta was definitely the best, though they were all quite good. I was also surprised by how light the fish tasted even though it had been fried. I like the delicate touch they take with it there.
I can no longer remember his beer, which was from Wisconsin, but I do know that BF also had a Minnestalgia wine, which is local and usually fruited. I think hers was the raspberry mead. I got a glass of the Alexis Bailey Seyval Blanc. Both are on the sweeter side, but they were styles we were looking for that day and definitely enjoyed. -
Review from M C L.
St Paul, MN
7/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good coffee - yay! I could become addicted to the tarter sauce. Had fish and chips, which were perfectly done. The potatoes (chips) were waffle fries.
I'd go back. -
Review from Joey J.
10/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
Welcome to the new North Shore. When I was younger, you wandered into the Boundary Waters and your reward for wandering out alive was a huge slice of pizza. Now? Maybe you hit the trails, maybe you just head over to the local spa and afterward you can select from several restaurants with locally sourced ingredients trying to have as minimal environmental impact as possible. Let's hear it for progress.
We chose The Angry Trout as a lunch destination after a day of driving along Highway 61 soaking up views of Lake Superior. I ordered a chicken sandwich, which was solid fare. The woman had the fish and chips, made that day out of herring. I don't eat fish, but the homemade tartar sauce had to be sampled so I dipped a fry in it. It might have been the best tartar sauce ever. My urge to try the hand-crafted colas was strong, albeit not as strong as my urge not to get scolded for consuming sugar while recovering from disease. All in all, the food rated somewhere between really good and exceptional, which I believe makes it really, really good, really.
All in all, I could get used to this new Grand Marais. -
Review from Rick L.
Grand Marais, MN
10/11/2010 2 photos
The saying is "you haven't been to Grand Marais until you've been to Sven and Ole's". If you love food, and why else would you be on Yelp*, it should be "until you've been to The Angry Trout". The Angry Trout has much better food and is perfect example of what Grand Marais is, for better or for worse. Instead of a Scandinavian pizza joint the Trout is a restaurant that focus on fresh local products and sustainability.
The fish is from Lake Superior (besides the Salmon flown in from Alaska) your salad will include whatever is in season, they are closed during the winter. If you choose a burger the beef comes from a Minnesota farm. The desserts are made by Lola's Sweet Life Bakery just a few blocks up the hill. If the Carrot Cake is available, do yourself a favor.
A few tips:
- If it's nice, sit outside. Remember to factor in the wind.
- Don't get the fish and chips. They are better and cheaper just next door at Dockside Fish Market.
- I recommend the grilled fish salad. Order it off the lunch menu, it's about $10 less and the only thing it's lacking from the dinner version is a small portion of pasta.
- If you get a salad. Try the Maple Mustard dressing. It's tremendous. -
Review from Kim R.
9/7/2010
We stopped by the Angry Trout while visiting Grand Marais over Labor Day weekend. The restaurant setting is awesome, especially their patio that overlooks the lake. Definitely sit on the patio if it's not too crowded (or too cold).
We ordered the fresh fish sandwich and chose the grilled Lake Trout. The fish was light and fresh and served with homemade potato chips. Some of the chips were a little soggy, but overall it was a great meal. We also tried their sweet potato appetizer, which was sweet potato rounds that are quickly fried and served with a lemon garlic aioli sauce and a creamy dill sauce. The sweet potatoes were good, but a little greasy in my opinion and not really worth the $7.
This is a great restaurant to stop if you are in Grand Marais and want some fresh seafood with a great view. Also, make sure to stop by the Dockside Fish Market next door to the Angry Trout. -
Review from Elizabeth B.
Andover, MN
11/3/2011
Absolutely the BEST HAMBURGER I have EVER put in my mouth. It brought me sheer joy just to eat it! I also love, love, love the garlic pesto pasta. It is too die for. The service, both times, was mediocre and left a lot to be desired. If it wasn't for the food I would not go back, but I will put up with the service just to eat that burger again! It was also very pricey.
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Review from Elise S.
9/23/2009
For our honeymoon, my husband and I went to the north shore. We stayed in two different places (Beaver Bay and Silver Bay for those of you playing the home version) and would meander up and down the shore. A friend of mine who is up north frequently recommended the Angry Trout saying that it is among the best places north of Two Harbors to eat.
Well, a 45-minute trip later, we had arrived at the Angry Trout. I ordered a medium beer (three local microbrews are offered as light, medium, and dark) and we both ordered the fish and chips. (Hey, fish and chips is the universally-accepted safe bet, particularly for someone like me who usually shies away from fish.)
My heavens! The fish was incredibly fresh and the coating on the outside was sturdy enough to adhere to the fish, but didn't overwhelm it. As an added bonus, instead of the usual industrial, fake-tasting coating on the outside, this was clearly a cornmeal base with just the right amount of seasoning. The fries were quite good and the coleslaw featured tart dried cherries.
Now, I hate making excess trips in the car, but about three days later, we decided that another trip to the Angry Trout was in order.
This time I ordered the grilled fish salad (trout, although they were down to a small filet so I got a small amount of trout and whole filet of whitefish!) complete with fresh baby greens, crisp cucumbers, sweet beets, a whole baby carrot, achingly fresh raspberries, snappy pea pods, a slightly sharp cheddar, and the maple-mustard vinegrette. I was seriously in heaven. My husband ventured away from the fish and ordered the chicken filet burger. I'm not sure how it tasted since he enthusiastically inhaled it before I got to try it, so I'm guessing it was great.
Angry Trout also has a nice connection with a local baker, Lola. We were there in mid-August and if you find yourself there at the same time next year, you have an obligation to try her blueberry pie. Betty's may be the standard for north shore pies, but Lola's was nothing short of incredible.
The wait can be a bit long, as they don't take reservations, but take the time to explore the area a little bit-there's a nice fish house next door that makes great smoked trout- or just sit in the lobby and take in the north woodsiness. -
Review from Andrew W.
Minneapolis, MN
8/27/2011
Best trout ever. Salad awesome. Dedication to organic just right. Local artisan items abound. Wonderful.
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Review from Caitlin G.
Chicago, IL
9/1/2010
Now, here's the thing about fish and chips: It's fish and chips. It's fish. It's breading. Throw in some fries. Badda-bing, badda-boom. It's pretty simple. However, just because it's simple doesn't mean it has to be boring. And unfortunately, I thought the fish and chips at the Angry Trout was boring.
I've had fish and chips elsewhere, in fancy Chicago restaurants and smalltown Michigan dives, that crunch at first bite and then melt in your mouth and have successfully converted this non-fish-eater into a fish-lover. The Angry Trout fish and chips tasted very run of the mill and were not what I expected from this place--particularly because fish and chips is marked as one of the menu's best items.
That said, the waffle fries were delish. The chicken wild rice soup was not like gramma makes it, but good nonetheless.
Be warned that the soda is made in house, so the flavor will be different. I expected that, but the two Diet Cokes I had were also flat.
Friendly service and a great view makes the Angry Trout definitely worth visiting. Be sure to try something else on the menu other than the fish and chips. -
Review from Zac S.
9/6/2008
ahhh yes
we sat by the window, which was open, and it got a little breezy.
I had to ask for help closing it once my wild rice blew off my fork on the way to my mouth.
delicious.
fresh.Listed in: My Own Guide to the North…
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Review from Dee T.
Royal Oak, MI
6/8/2009 5 photos
A few people told us that we had to go to the Angry Trout when we visited Grand Marais. I wasn't too sure it was open at first because it was still pretty chilly and I didn't see anyone out on the deck tables. That's because I couldn't see the huge sunroom out back, hidden from the street. The sunroom faces the harbor and is a perfect way to feel close to the water without freezing the tuckus off.
Ditto everything that everyone has mentioned already. I did not know that northern MN is apparently the wild rice capital of the world, because we had a few meals in town that all featured it. It was a little more obvious why fish was a big player on the menu. Again, emphasis on regional, organic products, which is always nice. Our meals were huge - we both got grilled lake fish (I got the trout, hubby got the herring), which came served with a hefty portion of wild rice studded with cranberries and a side salad with some asparagus. Dessert was a mis-call on my part; hubby was tired of rhubarb anything so I got the maple buttercream cake, with dried-out buttercream and dried-out cake, unfortunately.
Three beers on tap (light, medium, and dark), all regional microbrews. Small wine list, oh and whoever mentioned the small napkins is right - they are miniscule. Big heart and big goals, though...feed them and they will come. -
Review from Maureen C.
Saint Louis Park, MN
5/25/2009
FYI, there are two listings for this place but all the reviews are on this post.
I was up on the North Shore doing some camping and my friend's insisted we try this place out. It was fantastic. The restaurant is right by Lake Superior, perfect on a sunny summer day. The fish was fresh and fantastic. Be sure to try the dill tartar sauce, yum! -
Review from Kari L.
Minneapolis, MN
7/9/2009
Went here twice on a trip to Grand Marais, once we sat indoors and once outdoors. We think we deserved a pat on the back sitting outdoors- it is July at like 3pm and the sun was shining bright, but damn was it cold.
Excellent food. Everything possible is local, they are extremely careful not to produce much waste.
Highly recommended! -
Review from Elizabeth S.
Minneapolis, MN
6/30/2011
Incredibly well-done fresh fish entrees, friendly service and a perfect view of the lake. I don't think there's a better place to eat in Grand Marais.
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Review from Alec G.
Saint Paul, MN
7/12/2009 1 Check-in Here
If you find yourself near Grand Marais, you MUST make a stop at this place. You are guaranteed to leave full, happy, and guilt free (at least in terms of your eco-consciousness, maybe not your waistline). The Angry Trout has a distinct focus on organic, local, and sustainable dining. It is nice to really know where your food is from, especially when it is from the lake you are sitting about 5 feet away from.
The food is fantastic. They always have a fish of the day from Lake Superior you can order simply grilled. The last time I was there we both had salads; the grilled halibut and the smoked trout salad. Both fish were from the lake and both were of the highest quality and perfectly prepared. They also have several salad dressings that they make in-house. My personal favorite is the mustard-maple!
For dessert they offer several choices, but I decided to go with a simple 1 oz shot of pure, warmed maple syrup. It sounds a little weird at first, but once you try it you'll wonder why why you don't end every meal with this treat!
The prices are a little on the high side, but the great atmosphere and food are well worth it.
One caveat--as some others have mentioned, there can be a fairly long wait here on a Friday or Saturday, but they are pretty good about bringing you great Duluth brewed beer while you wait, so no loss there! -
Review from Erik D.
Minneapolis, MN
8/26/2010 6 photos
This is, bar none, our favorite place to eat in Grand Marais. Every time we come to Grand Marais, we eat here at least once; if we're here for a week, we usually budget so that we can eat here several times.
They do not take reservations, but you can call ahead (15 minutes or so) and put your name on the list.
The restaurant is intentional about its impact on the environment, so (for instance) the napkins are small to save on the water used for laundering; if you need a second one, just ask. The menus covers are recycled cardboard boxes.
There is seating on the dock--RIGHT by the water-- which sometimes opens up faster than indoors. However, if you're open to that, also realize that you are on the shore of a very large, deep, cold lake, and the breeze blowing past will be brisk. So: wear jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt, and maybe bring a cap-- dress for a breezy autumn day-- and then you'll be warm enough and fine. (I say this having eaten outdoors in August and been somewhat chilly.)
Also, if you do get chilly, order a hot cocoa. The hot cocoa is excellent.
We have not seen the menu change appreciably-- which is OK because the stuff on the menu is excellent-- but the stuff on the "specials" board does change.
Also, if you get the dinners, they come with a salad and either rice or pasta; those salads vary depending on what's in season. If blueberries are in season, there will be fresh blueberries on the salad. If green beans are in season, you may get a couple of those on the salad. If strawberries--- well, you get the idea.
The salad dressings are worth noting. We think the best one is the "buttermilk blue cheese" but we also love the tomato-basil one. All the dressings come on the side in little jugs, so you can ask for several if you want to try more than one.
I've never had any meal here that wasn't outstandingly tasty. It's not *fancy* food; it's just really good, fresh, local, seasonal ingredients prepared simply and well.
The pasta that comes with a dinner is garlicky and good.
The fried fish is good; the grilled fish is AMAZINGLY good.
My partner had pork and, this time, since their seasonal element was blueberries, he got a little tiny bowl of blueberry-ginger . . . compote? chutney? Something. It was VERY tasty.
Finally-- dessert. While desserts are not often made on-the-premises at restaurants (and this restaurant is no exception), Angry Trout gets their sweets from a local source, Lola's Sweet Life Bakery. So far I have had Lola's five-layer carrot cake (YUM) and Lola's peach pie (YUM). So save room for dessert; it's worth it.
To sum up: Not cheap, but great local food with a view you can't beat. We will DEFINITELY be back. -
Review from Emily B.
Minneapolis, MN
9/4/2011
The Angry Trout is one of the main reasons we head up the north shore every summer. We have never had bad food there and their commitment to supporting the local economy and sustainable practices is awesome. I love their pottery plates and tractor seat chairs.
I'm not a big fan of breaded fish in general, so this last visit I had the grilled Lake Trout. It was divine. I am continually amazed at the quality of the cooking. Also, the salads are always so colorful and flavorful. I am definitely one who likes unique things in my salads (shredded beets, berries, etc), so the Angry Trout hits the nail on the head for me. They have some great dressings too, my favorite is the Bleu cheese.
If you go for dinner, expect a wait, its a popular place. Also, to be totally honest, this is our most expensive dine out when we go to Grand Marais, but it has always been worth it for us. -
Review from Ashley S.
Minneapolis, MN
7/14/2011
Fresh, flavorful food. The veggie sandwich was super fresh. Worth the drive for sure!!!
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Review from Scott R.
Rosemount, MN
8/24/2011
Not sure about of all the reviews raving about the food. The kids fish and chips were delicious, as stated by my 10 year old. I had the tenderloin and my wife had the whitefish. Again, both were good, but not oustanding. Sides were limited to wild rice, chips, or french fries. While the food came out promptly, follow up service was slow. Good draft beer, wine selection m'eh. I'd recommend it if you like good comfort food, but not for the adventurous.
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Review from Wendy M.
Minneapolis, MN
9/15/2009
I am not a fish person, but the menu covers all the bases, and the fish I tried was delicious!
I loved the local art in the restaurant, the environmentally friendly touches.. it's a great place for a casual lunch or to stop by on your Lake Superior road trip! -
Review from Terra C.
Minnetonka, MN
6/23/2010
Probably the best place to eat north of Duluth!
Local, fresh, delicious, and wholesome....with an amazing view. SCORE! They also make their own sodas, get amazing pies and cakes from a local bakery, and serve food on super great pottery. I usually order the grilled fresh fish and salad. The fish spread appetizers are worth coming hungry for and the chowder has a fresh dilly light creamy broth.
Cool factor: they give you Tupperware for your leftovers..you just have to bring it back. Genius! -
Review from RICK L.
Saint Paul, MN
7/6/2009
We're big fans of the Angry Trout, hitting it at least once and sometimes more on our weekend jaunts to Grand Marais. Over July 4 weekend, we had dinner there twice. On Friday night, even with getting on the waiting list, our wait felt long -- at least 30 more minutes after arrival. But as they say, it's worth the wait.
As usual, everything was fresh tasting and artfully presented. My wife enjoyed the fish of the day platter (fish + salad + pasta), I had the fish of the day lunch portion (fish + salad), one daughter had the chicken nuggies and another had pasta. We were all happy.
Note that portions are huge so order conservatively. Your takeout portions will have to go in returnable containers and this may not work for people who are going right out of town.
Our return visit on July 4 was even nicer because our wait was shorter, and we had a table inside but next to a window (perfect breeze through the slightly open window). We picked similar menu choices to the night before, except I had the spinach fettucine with pesto. Loved it. As my wife said, we don't know why their pasta is so much better than elsewhere, but it is. Homemade or locally made?
I have no complaints; my only wish is that one could vary the menu combinations somewhat, for instance so that I could have ordered fish + pasta or wild rice (instead of salad). But I didn't ask -- maybe they would have let me. -
Review from Jenae B.
St Paul, MN
6/11/2011
Amazing food and great service. This place defines house made, local, fresh food. I wish that we lived closer than 7 hours away, we would love to add this to our regular dining spots.
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Review from Java M.
Cincinnati, OH
6/27/2011
Dinner was absolutely amazing! The pottery which it was served on was as beautiful and creative as the food. The grilled white fish, pasta side, and fresh salad were worth going back for a second night. I highly recommend the location as well!
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Review from Alyssa M.
Saint Paul, MN
6/15/2011
I usually love this place and I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt because we had a very squirrely/unhappy toddler with us. The staff is always wonderful and friendly and the food has great organic and fresh ingredients. My whitefish sandwich was yummy and the tartar sauce with
lots of dill was a great addition. My maple cream soda (housemade) was more cream than maple but still good. My husband on the other hand was more than happy to leave behind his "bland/lacking any seasoning" fish and chips to take our crying daughter outside. He is not a picky man and I felt guilty I had hyped the place up so much. It was the one place I told him we HAD to eat at.
I'm going to try the place out again when we visit next year because it's been consistently the best meal of my past trips up north. I'm thinking our circumstances might have influenced our moods and I don't want to give up on this place. It is kid friendly so we didn't feel the need to leave but my husband was trying let the other diners enjpy their meals and our little one was distracted long enough by the seagulls outside. -
Review from Tina C.
Stillwater, MN
5/30/2011
The Angry Trout Cafe in Grand Marais, MN. was our first stop when we arrived in the North Shore retreat town on Friday night. We had been wanting to try this restaurant since we were in town July of 2010. We were not disappointed. It was worth the drive and worth the year wait.
The view from the dining room makes you feel as if you are sitting on the dock, right on the water. If it had been warmer we would have enjoyed the patio. Everything they serve at the Angry Trout is locally sourced and/or made in house. Service was great, nothing exceptional.
We started with the Fried Sweet Potato appetizer. The sweet potatoes were cut in rounds and were not too crispy, not too soft. There were two sauces to dip in and both were fabulous. Hubby ordered a bowl of the Whitefish Chowder, I ordered a bowl of the Gingered Cauliflower Chicken soup and our daughter order the Whitefish with spinach pasta and salad. I can't remember what wine and beer we ordered, as soon as I do I will update the post.
Everything was beyond our expectations for flavor and satisfaction. My Gingered Cauliflower soup was everything I hoped it would be, the ginger was perfect with the right amount of chicken. Hubby loved the whitefish chowder. I think he might have licked his bowl clean when we weren't looking.
We all had several bites of daughters whitefish. It was the best piece of fish that we had ever tasted. It melted in our mouths. Daughter loved the spinach pasta. She usually skips the carbs, but ate it all up and couldn't stop talking about how good it was. Hubby and I split daughters salad, she was full from the pasta. We dressed it with the house made tomato basil dressing. The dressing was fresh and light and lovely.
It was a busy memorial weekend. we would have liked to stop at the Angry trout one more time before we headed home, but our schedule did not permit. We are already planning a weekend trip back to Grand Marais before the summer is over to visit the Trout again. We also hope to stop at Lemon Wolfe in Beaver Bay on our next trip to the North Shore. -
Review from Kate L.
Berkeley, CA
5/8/2011
Hands down my favorite place to eat in Grand Marais. The food is fresh, the service is friendly, and who can argue with that view?
I highly recommend the fresh fish salad with maple mustard dressing (the tomato basil dressing is another great choice). The desserts are also consistently outstanding. -
Review from CL S.
Portland, ME
9/9/2009
A shout out to the Trout! Friends recommended, no, DEMANDED that we make the trek to Grand Marais while staying in Duluth for a long weekend. They further suggested (REQUIRED) that we find the Angry Trout, and we're glad that we did.
I had the burger, which was done perfectly, and waffle fries (neither greasy nor salty). My wife had the fish and chips, which was similarly grease-free and remarkably tasty for, you know, fish and chips.
The view was even better than the food, and we really liked the "story" of the restaurant. Local friendly (even the table was made in Grand Marais), green - small cloth napkins to cut down on waste and laundry. The food was organic and/or locally grown. We ate like pigs and felt good about ourselves doing it!
The prices were reasonable, the service quick, and the waiter attentive without being annoying.
I definitely recommend this place. -
Review from Rachel K.
Baltimore, MD
8/19/2010
We went here based on the recs from yelp and I thought it was good, but didn't live up to the expectations. The view was incredible, but everything else gets a B-. The server would not recommend anything and just kept saying, "it's just what you want." Okay, but you've eaten here a million times lady. Have a freakin opinion. Loved that everything in the restaurant is eco-friendly. The food definitely tasted farm fresh in that it was good, but there was no real pizazz. Deconstructed meals with wholesome ingredients. Overall it was good.. but not that good.
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Review from Drew W.
Minneapolis, MN
10/18/2010
Molly was fantastic! Overall the food was very good. We tried the grilled shrimp and the fish n chips. Both had generous portions. Nice location and view of the lake. Menu seems a bit short on seafood entrees to offer, being a fish or seafood restaurant i thought there would be a few more.
