Sue S.
Yelp
I never visited this location in its previous form when it was the Windigo Lodge. But from what my husband tells me, it was quite a dump with no windows (which makes no sense give the gorgeous lake outside). But I can tell you this: in its current form, the Poplar Haus is completely worth the stop and also completely surprising. The Gunflint Trail is not where I expect to find amazing cocktails that we would happily pay $10 a pop for, nor one of the best cheeseburgers I have ever had. But that's totally what we got.
So first, the space. It's lovely. There are gorgeous huge windows facing the lake and outside seating if the weather and the bugs want to cooperate. There's lots of woodwork, a huge fireplace, the coolest coffee table made of driftwood and art from some of our favorite local artists. It's very tastefully done and very elegant. There's also a bar dog!
Second the cocktails: everything we had was so good that we basically ordered a second round immediately. My husband had the mule (some variation of the Moscow mule, I can't remember what it was called). My brother in law had the old fashioned and declared that it was excellent. And the mango margarita was also a hit at our table.
And finally, the food. I ordered the cheeseburger, which is juicy, flavorful and somehow feels like the cheese is melded throughout the meat. It almost was like a Juicy Lucy but without one big glob of cheese in the middle. The bun was perfectly toasty and boy was that a good burger. I upgraded to the parmesean tots, which were SO good (though the curry ketchup was not my favorite - I just used regular ketchup). My mother in law got the salad which was humongous and totally gourmet. And the soup of the day, which was a walleye chowder, was also declared to be delicious. The only other thing I remember is the brussell sprouts (awesome) and the fries, which were unique and almost like thick potato chips that were still potato-ey in the middle. YUM. The menu isn't big but man is it good. No room for dessert.
It's a delight to know there is such a high-end meal available on this part of the Trail. Service was great and the bar staff was super nice and friendly. We will surely be back.
