Gun Flint Tavern

Outstanding service. The servers and bartenders were friendly, kind, and had all kinds of information and knowledge not only of the menu, but also the surroundings. The beers were fresh and had a great local selection. The food came out quick and was absolutely wonderful! Highly recommended. A MUST STOP if you are in Grand Marais. We ate early lunch and a dinner there on our last time in the area.

The Gunflint Tavern is a great spot for some food and drinks. Their menu has some great vegetarian options! Their burgers are delicious, the French onion soup is fantastic, and the chili is always a go to comfort food! Their drink menu is great - the espresso martini and sours are perfectly crafted. The atmosphere fits Grand Marais perfectly. It’s a cozy fun bar with great table seating overlooking the lake. And lastly the staff and service is great! Our server and bartender were very friendly and gave us amazing service. It is disheartening when people leave negative reviews about the “bad” service. Grand Marais is a small charming town. Remember to slow down and enjoy the time with your friends, family and enjoy Grand Marais!

Today I visited Grand Marais for the first time with my friends. We were very hungry, so after checking some reviews, we decided to try this place. The restaurant wasn’t crowded, but the service was still slow. As a vegetarian, I appreciated that they offered several options to choose from. I customized one of their menu burgers by ordering it with a bean patty, cheddar cheese & mayo instead of sour cream. However, on my second bite I immediately felt something was wrong. At first, I thought maybe they had grilled the bean patty on the same surface as beef patties. But then I realized it wasn’t a bean burger at all, it was beef. This was extremely disappointing and honestly ruined my day. I politely explained the situation to our waitress and then left the restaurant. If you are vegetarian, please make sure to double-check your order with your server before eating.

The only place you wanna spend your time while visiting Grand Marais! Great service, cocktails and live music! The ''Tap Shack'' was my favorite beer up there

We had a frozen pizza (best I’ve had) on the top deck and watched the sunset. There was entertainment that evening which was very lovely. The bar on the top deck was fun, great atmosphere. Highly recommended, the next time I’m in the area I’m going to try the other menu.

Delicious food and drinks. Friendly servers. Highly appreciated their being open during the big storm! We went twice that day! I was able to easily find food I could eat with my lactose intolerance. And my friends all enjoyed their food too.

Tasty food and they still had good service despite being short staffed. Also a great location on the lake front with beautiful views. They definitely seem to be the only place in town that is open late. I had the Maui waui sandwich with pulled pork. It was delicious. Definitely a must-try for folks visiting. My dad had the grilled blackened walleye. It was flavorful and tasty. The walleye was also fairly large and worth the price. We also had the buffalo wings. Interesting way to serve them (see photos) with the sauce on the side like that because we didn't ask for that, but still very tasty. Definitely would come back.

I got an old fashioned and fajitas with smoked chicken. It was all tasty. I got their standard old fashioned. They offer middle or top shelf upgrade options for an additional $2/$4. Their basic old fashioned is good. The fajitas and their presentation were excellent. The portion is generous (4 large tortillas worth). The sliced peppers (red and yellow) were delicious in the mix. It comes with shredded cheese, sour cream and salsa. It would be better if they doubled the portion of salsa - and perhaps offer a medium hot option. The spice level is very mild as it is. The vibe of the Tavern is welcoming. It offers great views of the iconic harbor and Lake Superior out the large from windows. It’s a great place to meet up with friends or family. Free parking available on the street. I appreciate that they have nice tunes playing in the background and no TVs to distract from conversation.

This is THE place to go and hang out in Grand Marais. I think they call the top level the 'Raven's Nest.' Music every night, a friendly staff, and great beer and cocktails.

Found this spot and absolutely loved everything about it! We got seated at the perfect table overlooking the lake and made our experience even better. My husband and I wanted to try so much on the menu so we decided to split our meal to make room for drinks, appetizer and dessert! They had some wonderful cocktails on the menu. We tried the Pirate Punch, the Sangria and the Superior Mule - all super delicious! We started with the pork pot stickers and it was delicious! The sauce had a sweet and spicy combination that was just perfect. We then had the walleye dinner - the spicy blackened honey glaze option. It was so tasty and cooked to perfection. We topped off our meal with the Expresso Creme Brulee dessert and it was heaven! This place was vibrant, fun and so enjoyable - highly recommended!

The only place you wanna spend your time while visiting Grand Marais! Great service, cocktails and live music! The ''Tap Shack'' was my favorite beer up there

The question is... why would you not want to eat a delicious meal in an old bank? We've eaten at GFL so many times over the years and have never had a meal we didn't enjoy. The staff is fantastic, they are generally seasonal works who are really focused on delighting the customers. The food is always good and they have a good selection of vegetarian options for those of us who don't eat meat. They have a good beer selection however I wish they'd have more local beers on tap. The old bank has a great bar and rustic feel. Don't be in a hurry, enjoy the people you're with and the food you'll be enjoying.

Nice spot for a beer and select menu items. I had the loaded chips with queso and it ranks high on the worst "queso" I've ever had. By comparison the chili is surprisingly flavorful but I wouldn't eat here again. Still good for a beverage, you can relax up top on the roof where I saw many families and furry friends enjoying the space. Prime location and reasonable prices. Give 3.5 stars

Always an enjoyable atmosphere- good musical playlist and decent menu with interesting specials, plus affordable drinks with local options. We were lucky to get in a Grand Marais trip and visit the Gun Flint before they closed in late October. My southwest bowl got the job done. My wife liked her Cuban. Music and drinks on the rooftop bar is fun but we didn't have time this time. The wooden phone booth was a visual treat.

Good food, bad desserts. Fast to be seated, but took a long time to get our order taken. Drinks were good! Got the Cuban and Reuben sandwiches. Absolutely delicious! Meaty, savory, perfectly toasted bread. Desserts were pretty bad. Crepe Cake was dry and flavorless; Crème Brûlée tasted like scrambled eggs. Overall, go for the food and drinks, don't stay for dessert.

Cold drizzly day and stopped in for a bowl of creamy chicken wild rice soup and a beer. The soup was delicious but it was not as creamy as most wild rice soups are. We sat at the bar and the service was good. They have a great selection of tap beer.

we had a very delicious panko crusted walleye with creamy chicken wild rice soup and a garden salad. Food quality and service were outstanding!

Service was good, got seated pretty quickly. Place seems reasonably busy, not quite a dive bar but manages to feel rustic despite having some modern touches. As mentioned in another review, the wild rice soup is phenomenal -- I still think about it on occasion. The other dish I got was the blackened shrimp rice which was not bad, some clumps in the rice but flavor was good. Would give 4 stars if it weren't for that wild rice soup I'm still thinking about...

I was floored how busy Gun Flint Tavern was in the middle of the week during late October. Even talking with the bartender, she said that the night before there was a line out the door all night. Even thought it was busy, the bartender still made an effort to chat with us and It reminds me of that classic small town bar. The food was better than I anticipated and I was skeptical about a bar having good soups. They delivered, French onion and a chicken wild rice were both excellent.

Great food, nice atmosphere and location. Waitress got my order wrong but quickly fixed it (it was her first day). They gave us a discount due to the error. We will be back here again!

Very disappointing experience. The 4 of us spent well over $100 on a typical Monday evening dinner. It wasn't particularly crowded. The server treated us as though we were a burden. The food was horrible. I ordered their Tavern signature burger, and the silver dollar sized patty was overcooked and burnt. Same with my wife's dish. Both were garnished with a handful of generic chips with a haphazard drizzle of some sort of cheese. Our guests ordered the french onion soup. To be fair it tasted ok, but the presentation was shocking... (we looked at each other in disbelief the cook would serve such sloppy careless bowls). I've owned a nearby residence in Lutsen for many years, The Gunflint Tavern used to be a nice enjoyable place to enjoy a lunch or dinner. But it's no longer a place I'll spend my money. I hope the staff and management get back to focusing on customer satisfaction. If nothing improves, they'll likely still survive based on tourism and volume, but not quality and reputation.

The French Onion Soup was the best I've had in all of Northern Minnesota. Our server was friendly and very efficient. The restaurant is across the street from Lake Superior with great views of the lighthouses.

The Nest (roof top bar) is a great place for drinks sunsets and live music. The bartenders are great (especially Brian). A must visit place if you're thirsty and want to meet fun people.

The Wild rice soup is out of this world. Some of the waitstaff could probably use a refresher course on customer service but the food is great

The carol wrap with kettle chips. Happy belly. The Reuben is one of the best ever eaten per my mother. Can only confirm how beautifully delicious it looked stacked high with melty-at-the-table cheese. Has a few stairs to get into the building, in case you plan to come here with people that have mobility needs. We had really nice service and will be happy to come back to try other dishes.

I've had very mixed experiences at this restaurant which is why I gave it 3 stars. It's either the best of times or it's not. This time it was definitely not. The service was awful. There were two servers. One spent most of her time flirting with the male diners. The other server, ours, hid. The only time I was able to ask for something, I had to chase her down. And the food was bad. I had onion soup ... something that I'd had before and enjoyed. Not only were the onions not caramelized, I believe the cook used pickled onions. Which, of course, made the whole thing taste like vinegar. I won't be back. There are so many lovely restaurants in Grand Marais to chose from.

We went here a few times over Valentines week and had some interesting experiences. We are from out of town and it became obvious that outsiders are not very welcomed here. Staff and locals sit at the far side of the bar and glare at people when they walk in. On Valentines night I ordered the walleye and below is what I received. It was very oily and had almost like a gel on the outside. The presentation was terrible. We sent it back and the kind bartender took it off our bill. Skip this place for food.

Shady business practices, This restaurant surcharges for credit. In addition to this, they similarly throw a 20% "gratuity" on this. I'm not someone who doesn't tip, but it's not a tip when you didn't elect to pay it - that's just an undisclosed fee. The food was thoroughly average, overpriced, and meagerly portioned. The waitresses could be seen drinking on the job, while our glasses ran empty and stayed that way. I will won't come back and hope to see an honest business replace it.

Enjoyed a great dinner here after a day of hiking. We enjoyed the BBQ chicken wings as an appetizer. The soup which was spicy, I can't remember the name exactly. A pulled pork sandwich and a honey siracha chicken wrap which was also spicy. Gyro wrap and stacked enchilada. The cocktails were good too. Fancy homemade sangria. Great service.

The wait staff was very slow. The French onion soup had bacon in it. Was not a fan. My beer was good. Won't go back.

Overly Priced, and Poor Service. I wanted to like this place, but I just can't justify eating there again. The food was pretty expensive for how small the portions were, and the server barely checked in with us at all, and when they did they took our plates before we were even all the way done. They must have really been in a hurry to get us out of there! I understand being busy, as there was a longer wait for us to get in, but it still seems pretty rude to be like that. I think the place is over hyped, maybe consider finding somewhere else. I will add, that this doesn't include the rooftop bar. I didn't get the chance to try it during my visit, but I've heard good things about it. That may still be worth considering! I'd pass on the food though.

We checked this for the best bloody in grand Marais and this place came up so we had to go! Such great vibes and easy to find space to sit with levels and different bar areas. Great game day spot. The bloody is heavy with horseradish spice

Visited the north shore in Feb to take in some waterfalls and stayed in Grand Marais. Stopped in at Gunflint for a bite, and ended up going back several times that week. Off season so we got special attention. Great food, service, drinks. Great food. Did I say that???

In Grand Marais for the first time. We wanted outside seating while enjoying the coolness of the shore breeze. Sat upstairs at a table, then changed mind for table service and went down inside the restaurant. We were seated quickly, but acknowledged early on they were short-staffed, and lived with it. I opted for the vegan chili instead of French onion soup, and got a side of rice and beans. Daughter got Impossible burger with mushrooms, cheese and sour cream on brioche, with a side of mashed. The chili was indeed tasty, and daughter's burger and mashed clearly made from real potatoes were very good. The beans and rice - something was absolutely wrong with them. Daughter sampled first and said something was foul. I took a bite myself. The taste was neither of rice nor beans. She was right, something was foul. All I can figure is, the beans were moldy, unseen to the cook, and mixed with rice and served. Mold will not cause food poisoning, thank goodness, but something was horribly wrong. We even lifted the bowl to our nose, and it smelled foul. Overall, the chili, burger, and mashed were enjoyable for sure. Beans/rice inedible factor knocks the rating down, along with pricing a shade high.

Great eclectic food menu and three bars!! The rooftop bar is a favorite during the summer months, a front row seat to the GM harbor- watch the boats and sip on a cold one.

Good food and drinks. Friendly and accommodating staff! I need 85 characters to post?

Had the best burger here!! Bacon with strawberry jam and goat cheese! Amazing!! The smells and noises were a little overwhelming- wish we could eat on the roof!! (Only drinks allowed up there) Cannot wait to get this burger again!!

This might just be the worst restaurant that l've ever eaten at. From the outside it seemed nice, the service was great too. Once our food arrived I realized how big of a mistake we made. I paid $15 for a 1/2lb burger and rice, that's fine except our burgers were overcooked to the point that it was hard to eat. Also the burgers were very undersized... barley 1/4 lb. I'd be willing to look past all of that but the rice they served me was cold. The waitress offered to microwave it for me but it tasted completely repulsive. To top it all off our food took 45 minutes and it was not busy at all. I feel like I threw $15 away. Whatever you do, don't be fooled. It looks like a nice place from the outside... I've eaten at bad restaurants before but this was absolutely the worst by far.

Food was amazing. Service was mediocre, and I understand times are tough to find staffing (they are closed mondays and tuesdays due to shortage) but there was a lot of lag time. We stood at the entrance for several minutes while the girl at the bar register didn't even acknowledge we were there. Then a gentleman came out and saw us and got us seated. Tables were quickly wiped and still had residual food bits. The menus were similar with food on them and the drink menu stained. Ordered an app and our meals. App came with the meals. Waited for water refills and then asked for a larger glass of water, but he just kept refilling the glass I was originally given instead of bringing out a larger one. Waited for a while for someone to bring us the check. While the food is great, I feel it is a little overpriced for the serving size and what they are. For three of us at lunch it was $75. (1 beer, 1 app, 3 entrees) I'd go again if a group of friends wanted to but probably wouldn't seek it out on my own.

Wonderful gem of a find! Great selection of tap & bottle beer, the food is fantastic and service friendly and efficient. I'll be back.

This place is horrible. Dirty, old and full of flys. Staff is crabby and really act like they don't want to be there. Stopped in for lunch. Service is terribly slow. Waited over an hour for a bowl of soup. Soup was cold when it arrived and a weird concoction of broth and mushy vegetables. Not what chicken wild rice is supposed to be in Minnesota ! I can Say with all honesty that this is the worst dining out experience I have ever had. Everything was bad, absolutely everything. Food, staff, and facilities all were horrible. Save your money, time and a lot of frustration by avoiding this place at all costs.

I'll start by saying that their French onion soup was very good. Service was also good. However, the quesadilla was pretty terrible. The menu described a quesadilla with beans, corn, and pickled onions. It came out as a tortilla with an inch of rubbery hard cheese in it and nothing else. When I asked about the missing filling, the waitress said "oh no, that comes on the side, they just forgot it." She came back out with a cup of flavorless rice/beans/corn. Never saw the pickled onions. We had a large group, some people were happy with their food but others were underwhelmed. It was just ok.

Great food and can't wait to get back! The Raven bar had a trivia night that was fun. Lots of locals enjoying the atmosphere. The burger I had seemed a bit underdone, but I also prefer well done. My other half said it was fine. Fast service and friendly staff.

Honestly I think I ordered the worst thing on the menu. I got the Jalapeño popper quesadilla, and it was...too much. Too much cream cheese even for me. I'm not sure how I even made it through two of them. My girlfriend got the Cuban though and that was absolutely amazing. However, I have to admit this place is...unthemed. The bar, the menu, the lighting, the seating. The entire time we were there we had approximately 0 percent idea what was going on. We waited for 20 minutes to get a seat, then waited another 20 to get a drink. Not sure what the hold up there was, but it wasn't great. We almost walked out. On top of that, this place is...confused. Completely confused, which is unfortunate because outside of the jalapeño garbage I had the food was amazing. The price, was not, the staff when they finally showed up was, the building was not.

Great place, like all other places in Grand Marias they suffer from lack of staff. Nice ambiance

Stopped in last Thursday night after hiking a few of the State Parks and enjoyed a great dinner. My husband and I shared the French Onion Soup and then I had the stacked enchiladas (pic) and my hubby had the Maui Waui Panini and both were great.

Careful - Your Racism is Showing One of the most disappointing service experiences of my life. Have been coming to Grand Marais for over 50 years to enjoy. A lifetime of joyful visits was grossly sullied today by the service my family received at gunflint rooftop tavern. My son, who chose to quietly spend his 21st birthday with his family, was asked for ID when he and his father placed their orders. This request was honored. Then from nowhere the bartender accused my very respectful son of having an attitude, as he stood there with his parents watching (no attitude was given). The next event will keep me from EVER placing foot in this establishment again. The bartender then began to mockingly speak to them in broken Spanish. A blatantly obvious racially motivated attempt to reduce and intimidate a customer. This was followed by the bartender warning us that "he will be keeping an eye on us". An eye on what? 4 adults enjoying a cocktail? Ridiculous !! Unlike the bartender, my family was respectful of the environment and others uninvolved that were present. We quietly consumed our drinks, processing and discussing with each other ... "Did that really just happen?" Yes - It did. Racism is alive and well at The Gunflint Rooftop Tavern. Our voice will be strong here and other review sites. Do not bring your business to this establishment . Do not support businesses that allow racially motivated negative treatment of clients !

I sit quietly gazing out the window on this Autumn afternoon. Sail boats dot the horizon. The cool blue waters of Lake Superior, a blanket as far as the eye can see. The crowds have thinned out. Serenity encapsulated. If that wasn't a good enough reason to come, perhaps the just-right spicy bloody mary is, or the cold craft beer on tap, or maybe you just want some good food. I suggest all of the above. The crab dish has changed since my last visit. Not a complaint by any means. I found the crab leg take on the dish easier to eat, more filling and to be a better value. The pricing is moderate, portions are plentiful and the food is always fresh and delicious. All of this with an incredible view in a fantastic environment. Service was near perfect to boot, especially since 1 person in the party took over an hour (not kidding) to select a dish. The patience (and appetizer) is much appreciated!

What makes this place great is its location. What makes it mediocre is its food. There's a rooftop bar with the best view in downtown Grand Marais. Like all restaurants in Grand Marais, they struggle with staffing. Stick to the basics here and you'll be happy.

I am giving this a two star rating based on the service. The food was good but the service was horrible. We waited at the door for almost 10 minutes to be seated, that should have been the sign to leave but we didn't. Finally seated and then we waited and waited and waited almost 20 minutes for our server to arrive to say she would be back. I then watched her walk over and wait on the table seated after us. Another 5 minutes and she finally came to take our order, 35 minutes after we walked in the building. While we we were waiting I noticed at the end of the bar was a group of young girls that I am guessing work there or are friends with everyone that does because it seemed every server and person from the kitchen made their way over to sit/stand and chat with them, their service appeared to be amazing, but for paying customers not so much. Our food arrived and was hot, fresh and very good, too bad the service was not even close to the food. Our food was served and our waitress never came back to check until she showed up to clear plates, I wanted a second beer but she, like everyone else was too busy with their friends at the end of the bar to even care. Just know if you go here be prepared to wait and wait and wait. . . . Would NOT recommend

Great food and drinks! The walleye sandwich is one of my favorites. The staff is very personable and accommodating.

My mom and I grabbed dinner at the Gun Flint tavern after having drinks at Voyageurs. I wish we had stayed at the brewery. The burgers were lackluster and my burger was delivered without cheese. When they took it back to add cheese, the bottom of the burger patty had been warmed where bacon had been cooked (it was on my moms burger). It was pretty gross in my opinion. The chips with the drizzled sauce was horrendous. Only giving it two stars for the nice bartender. I would advise others against eating here.it would be better to go without a meal than to pay $14 for a terrible burger.

They are short staffed so service is slower than you'd hope. But our food was great. Our table had a Burger, Cuban, Cesar salad, chips and queso. Would recommend.

Stopped by for a late dinner. What we learned quickly about Grand Marais is that most places close by 8 so we were limited in choices. Thankfully gun flint was open past 8 and we were able to squeeze in for dinner. This place can get very busy since it seems to be one of the only places open past 8 pm so make sure to put your name in to ensure you can get a table! What really seems to sell are the sandwiches. I decided to go with the Cuban and really enjoyed it! Good mix of flavors and very filling. They also have a good list for beer, wine, and cocktails.

Very very sad and disappointed. I've been here many times before. But this one- well won't be back. Service- well lacking. Sat at the bar- took 5-10 min for anyone to acknowledge us, and the place was dead. Maybe 2 tables. Finally menus.... water.... nope.... help..... nope...girl filling glasses with ice smack-dab in front of me and doesn't knowledge either of us. Looking over the menu - chips and queso $14. What... no pricing for drinks which is a sure put off. Plus here's the kicker I came back because I wanted one of their signature drinks. Susan's Sangria. Which in the past I would of said it was good. Yet when I read the snippy description... that went kinda like Susan won't ever give up the recipe even when she's dead... so stop asking... is pretty much what it comes down to. Hmm Well - I can make my own red wine sangria and you can be assured I won't spend my $$ there. Rude service, expensive... no thanks

We had dinner there on Sunday evening and everything was very good. I will DEFINITELY visit again on my next trip to Grand Marais. Our server was very friendly and helpful with the menu. He had great people skills! The food was good bar and casual type food with a nice menu. I had the Carol in a Wrap with a couple of pale ales and it was delicious. The view was nice, the restaurant was clean and attractive. Overall a very enjoyable Sunday evening in GM. Thank you!

Stopped here after a week in the Quetico, craving beer and a burger. The Tavern satisfied on both accounts. I thought the prices were a little high, but probably typical of Grand Marais. Service was quick and friendly, our much-needed beer arrived promptly. I had the burger: lots of bacon and very juicy, cooked as requested. Everyone left full and happy with their meal. Ambiance was nice with a great view of the harbor. Overall we were pretty happy with our choice!