Lake Avenue Restaurant & Bar

Lake Ave is my family’s go-to spot when we’re celebrating something or just feeling a little fancy on any particular day. I had the steam buns back in December (celebrating holiday break kick-off) and I haven’t stopped thinking about them since. My family was thrilled to see them on the menu when we visited this past weekend (feeling a little fancy on a Saturday).
We’ve been many times — I guess we like to celebrate/feel fancy — and we always leave content. Portions are always just right, presentation is supreme, the service is top notch, and despite some low key fancy vibes, it is very much a “come as you are” type of place.
I love the menu changes that are made periodically, as it highlights the creativity of the chef and the Lake Ave team. This is especially true for their vegan options (pot pie is 💯, steam buns are dream-worthy). This is a feel-good establishment and I am so glad to have them nearby.

By far the best food in Duluth. They have a weird twist on the espresso martini where they do it with cold brew, but it works.

Eat everything, it’s all good. The steamed buns for some reason were my favorite and the blueberry crème brûlée was like nothing I’ve ever eaten. Amazing.

Went here for Mother's Day brunch. Great food, great service! We had the LA MkGriddle and Classic Breakfast.

Fresh, local and friendly. The seasonal menu is always tasty! We had the “rotating roll”which was a savory biscuit with braised beef, pickled jalapeño and cheddar- absolutely delicious! The pork verde fry bread came in at a close second- to be clear, they were both neck and neck for flavor. Our server was an absolute delight and only added to our wonderful experience.

The steak was ordered rare, so overdone by the picture. But the flavor was great, so hard to demerit it too much. The cocktail was excellent too, as was the hummus.

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!

Food was scrumptious. The cocktail menu was super interesting with some flavors I've never seen in drinks before, like szechuan sauce and spicy peppers, green tea & herbs, cool stuff. Our server really knew what she was talking about, she had plenty of recommendations for us when we asked. The atmosphere is nice, dim lighting, good colors, just could be updated a little.

The waitstaff was wonderful! Went to brunch to celebrate our friends birthday and bachelor party. They were so nice and really made the stay enjoyable.

Big portions, you get what you pay for!

Would go again!

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.

Absolutely wonderful cafe! So laid back and casual, but with a touch of sophistication. It's pretty much fine dining, only without the all the pomp and circumstance. The plates are served with the presentation you would expect to see at the finest restaurants. They have a great menu with a nice variety of dishes that are prepared with the best, and freshest ingredients. The handcrafted cocktails are wonderful. All the staff is so friendly and professional, and provide great service. This delightful restaurant is one of the best in the entire Twin Port's, and shouldn't be missed when visiting Canal Park.

Absolutely fantastic experience! My husband and I made reservations last-minute for our wedding anniversary this evening. We were seated promptly and given water. The server was very friendly and quick to take our order. He did inform me that they were out of the mussels which was a bummer but we already knew what we wanted for entrees so we decided to skip appetizers. My husband had the steak pizza and I had the grilled squid and both were PHENOMENAL! Truly one of my favorite dining experiences of all time! The food was very flavorful and beautifully presented, it arrived fairly quickly and was hot and fresh! I’m really hesitant to try new things so the squid was a risk for me but it definitely paid off. I ate every bite of it and was too full to even consider dessert. All in all I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for something a little more unique and flavorful than your average restaurant!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

Excellent friendly service. We had the dinner special, cod. The pace of service was perfect. We did not feel rushed or ignored. Food was so tasty. Good wine. It was a snowy Thursday night and the place was hopping! Good vibe. Good atmo.

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!

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!

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.