Curious what everyone’s favorite restaurants are on the way in or out of the BWCA or Quetico.

For me “At Sarah’s table” in Duluth is a must, if I am timing it right for breakfast “Vanilla Bean” and Two Harbors is also a favorite.

Once in Grand Marais “Angry Trout” is a win.

If you have any restaurants with good vegetarian options, that would be appreciated as well as a lot of my group are.

I’m interested in the Ely side as well. Only been that route a few times but good food before and after a trip really helps the whole experience.

Anytime I’m on the Gunflint Trail I eat at the Trail Center. It’s my all time favorite restaurant anywhere. The food is great every time, and Sarah the owner is a great person that does a lot for the community and takes care of her employees. Our two favorite places in Grand Marais are Hungry Hippie Tacos and My Sister’s Place.

Anytime I do a trip in the Sawbill Trail area I eat at the Trestle Inn. Always great food and it’s a cool location literally in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road.

My go-to place in Ely sadly doesn’t exist anymore. The Ely Steakhouse had great food. I’m still very bummed about that. For breakfast, nothing beats Britton's in Ely. There is a new place in Ely called the Frisky Otter. My 7-year old son and I ate there after our BWCA trip two summers ago and we really liked it. He wants to show the place off to his mom and sisters next week when we spend a few days in Ely.

In Superior/Duluth, the Anchor Bar is legendary for great burgers (bring cash!)

Britton's is hard to beat in Ely, but the Frisky Otter serves a great breakfast also. Insula is one of my favorite restaurants there, also.

Trail Center on the Gunflint Trail is excellent. My Sister's Place for lunch or dinner in Grand Marais is a good choice.

For breakfast in Grand Marais, I like South of the Border (aka SOB's). Cash Only.

I also really like Judy's in Two Harbors on HWY 61 for an excellent breakfast.

Tom

Not a true restaurant, but if you're looking for ice cream sundaes, malts, shakes, etc., the Portland Malt Shoppe in Duluth is a must!

We've eaten at a bunch of the Ely restaurants. The last couple years we've eaten on the patio at the Frisky Otter before we head in the BW and have enjoyed it. After our trip we used to go to the Ely Steak House(sad it closed, but the quality of meals went down after 2020). Our new favorite after the trip in now Insula restaurant. Insula restaurant has excellent drinks and even better food than the steak house. For breakfast Britton's was always great for sit down meal and Sheridan Street Delicatessen is great for taking a good sandwich for the road.

Favorites of ours which have vegetarian options and are more than the typical burger + fried food include:

In Ely
-Gator's (fancy grilled cheese)
-Thai Cuisine (food truck with freshly made Thai food)
-Burntside Lodge (kind of fancy, call ahead for reservations)

In Duluth
-Northern Waters Smokehaus (excellent sandwiches and smoked meats and fish)
-Sir Ben's (also excellent sandwiches)

Lockport in Lutsen: great breakfasts, great pancakes...

Not a full-on restaurant, but it does have indoor and outdoor seating and take-out: The Coho Cafe in Tofte. Good coffees, pastries, soup, breakfasts, etc. Always been pretty busy, too, when we stop in.

In Superior for breakfast “The Kitchen” is one block off my rout. It is not fancy or a chain. It is operated by hard working people and the majority of customers are local. Good prices good food.

We have been getting take out at one of the Sammy's locations on the way home from trips.

We go to the VRT every trip!

Vermillion River Tavern

Love it!

Like many folks I've had breakfast at Britton's several times when paddling out of Ely. The restaurant at the Grand Ely Lodge also has a good breakfast. My go to place for dinner is the Boat House; good food and a great selection of beer. On two occasions when I arrived back at the Fall Lake Landing after a wet and cold paddle I've stopped at Gator's for a bowl of chili and a grilled cheese sandwich. It's very good.

In Thunder Bay For Breakfast:
Kangas Sauna they have the best Finnish Pancakes with strawberries and whipping cream.
In Thunder Bay for Lunch or Super:
Bar Italia, The Tilted Turret Pin Ball Pub and The Foundry for Pizza & Panzerotti, burgers, poutine etc.
Masala Grille for East Indian & Thai They have a good buffet with lots of vegan options.

WHendrix: "Like many folks I've had breakfast at Britton's several times when paddling out of Ely. The restaurant at the Grand Ely Lodge also has a good breakfast. My go to place for dinner is the Boat House; good food and a great selection of beer. On two occasions when I arrived back at the Fall Lake Landing after a wet and cold paddle I've stopped at Gator's for a bowl of chili and a grilled cheese sandwich. It's very good. "

The Lodge does have a great breakfast. Nice folks as well.

When in Ely, the first stop on the way out is DQ. For all of our trips, the drive home meal is Betty's Pies. When up the Gunflint, we often stop at Trail Center before we put in and again after we come out.

On the way up, our group tradition is to stop at the Dawg House in Canyon MN. During Covid we had trouble finding a place to eat and ended up here. It's pub food, but surprised us in a good way. Have been stopping ever since.

Britton's and the Boathouse in Ely are traditions as well, though we've been forced to hit DQ and Subway a few times due to closures.

If we go the northern route, we usually go to the Outdoorsman, though we have gone to a little outdoor burger joint (I forget the name). Breakfast is hard to come by there. We've eaten at about every place you can find in Atikokan at one time or another.

Try to make poplar haus on the way in and trailcenter breakfast on way out. Maybe a stop to Clearwater for a pie. Fisherman’s daughter almost a guarantee if I’m passing through grand Marais and Cascade restaurant is also a treasured place. Not really sure of any bad places actually. WBD if leaving from GM early.

Boathouse Brewpub has been a go to when in Ely. Used to like Sir G's before it closed. Have not tried Insula or Frisky Otter, but have read positive reviews here.

Wow! I to take more BWCA trips so that I can try these places out!

Caministigoyan: "In Thunder Bay For Breakfast:
Kangas Sauna they have the best Finnish Pancakes with strawberries and whipping cream.
In Thunder Bay for Lunch or Super:
Bar Italia, The Tilted Turret Pin Ball Pub and The Foundry for Pizza & Panzerotti, burgers, poutine etc.
Masala Grille for East Indian & Thai They have a good buffet with lots of vegan options."

We love Bar Italia in Thunder Bay. Not to be missed!

Poutine at the Boathouse in Ely. Gunflint Lodge for the GF Trail side. And to keep the wife happy I need to swing by Betty's Pies and pick up the Great Lakes berry whole pie on the way home.

Poplar Haus on the Gunflint Trail. They grind their own burgers; delicious.

MichiganMan: "

Caministigoyan: "In Thunder Bay For Breakfast:
Kangas Sauna they have the best Finnish Pancakes with strawberries and whipping cream.
In Thunder Bay for Lunch or Super:
Bar Italia, The Tilted Turret Pin Ball Pub and The Foundry for Pizza & Panzerotti, burgers, poutine etc.
Masala Grille for East Indian & Thai They have a good buffet with lots of vegan options."

We love Bar Italia in Thunder Bay. Not to be missed!"

My main go to for Panzerotti you can see the recipe on my sisters blog littleredsaid.blogspot They don't have some local dishes which are kind of regional like Coney Dogs, Finnish Pancakes & Panzerotti in Prince George, BC.

On the way up its usually Sir Ben's for lunch. I usually get a draft South Shore brown ale and the English onion soup is great. The "Sir Smoke" sandwich hasn't been on the menu for a while but I'm always hopeful.

If we eat in GM its usually Fisherman's Daughter or Voyageur.

Up or down some joe at Java Moose is always good.

On the trail its hard to beat Trail Center. Having pizzas ready at VCO is always a solid option, too.

When heading back home we try to hit World's Best Donuts. Rustic Inn is 1000% better than Betty's. We used to hit up Fitgers and still do occasionally (Apricot Wheat is my old standby), but the food can be meh.

Nowadays we usually get the wood fire pizza at Ursa Minor, go to 6PM Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary cathedral, hit Portland Malt Shoppe for ice cream, then head south on I-35 craning our necks until the lake is out of view.

Ely is a different animal and most have commented on the options there. Good to see some new places taking root. Northern Grounds and Insula are good, and Britton's is a time capsule - hasn't changed much in the 30 years I've been going and that's fine by me.

Coney Island Hot dogs: Coney Island,McKellar Confectionery,The Hodder Avenue Greeks, Nipper’s Coney Island Hot Dog Restaurants. For Coney Island style hot dogs I think McKellar Confectionery is the oldest in Thunder Bay @ 1926 places it around 100 years old as far as Coney Island hot dogs go in Thunder Bay they are about the same time period of Chicago and New York. Check with other sources and see this to be time correct with recent publications of Minnesota Wild. Please check this with other publications to verify the 1926 date @ McKellar Confectionery across from the McKellar Hospital in Fort William (Thunder Bay) in 1926.

oldzip: "Lockport in Lutsen: great breakfasts, great pancakes..."

It's for sale, you could have all the pancakes you want! If you have a spare $1.5M laying around that is... Just don't burn it down for insurance fraud later.

Don't forget Gordy's Hi-Hat in Cloquet!

In Thunder Bay:
The Burger Barn for home made Burgers and Fries
The Stanley Hotel just before Kakabeka Falls for home made Burgers and Fries
Merla-Mae Ice Cream for Twin Flavor Ice Cream Cones

If the timing is right going to or from a trip, we're partial to Good Ol' Days in Tower on the way to Ely. Great breakfast. Don't forget to grab a $1 Hamm's.

All these suggestions are great. I’m in bed but now I’m super hungry.

scottiebaldwin: "All these suggestions are great. I’m in bed but now I’m super hungry. "

+1

This thread has confirmed a thought thought of mine that the Restaurant going in and or out is just as much part of the whole experience as is the canoeing itself.

CanoeViking, you are spot on with that thought. I do plan the meal before and after the trip right along with everything else. It's part of the process now (wasn't when I first started tripping).

With that said, Ely Steakhouse was an end of trip go to as was wild rice chix soup at the old that was just outside of Pirigis. Last several years I've been in through GM so it's now Poplar Haus (duck wings!!!) or Gunflint lodge along the trail or Hungry Hippie Tacos, Fisherman's Daughter, World's Best Donuts, or even Voyageur Brewing on the way out.

Sez MN_WILD32: "Nowadays we usually get the wood fire pizza at Ursa Minor, go to 6PM Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary cathedral, hit Portland Malt Shoppe for ice cream, then head south on I-35 craning our necks until the lake is out of view."

Well, make sure you don't eat that pizza within an hour of communion at Mass! :) :)

Armstrong Station, Ontario: (Wabakimi Park, Caribou Lake or Little Jackfish Area) :
The E&J Restaurant & Gail's Grill & Bakery (The Wilderness Cafe)
Burger's Fries, Hamburger Nip, Hot Sandwiches with fries gravy & coleslaw, Fresh Home Made Pizza

Armstrong Station, Ontario : Chester Fried Chicken in the Mini Mart
Jellicoe, Ontario: J&D Sausage And Fries Burgers, Fries
Beardmore, Ontario: Fry Way 11 on HWY# 11 Burgers, fries , Poutine

Anchor in Superior and if you happen to travel near Biwabik. The TNT Bar/Vis Pizza and The Biwabik Pizza Company.

Skal!

You got that right Viking, about the meals on the drive to and from being part of the trip.
I love the favorites provided. Have tried many and took notes on new ones.
Agree with Insula and Briton’s (old school diner tho), and would add Alto Pino in Duluth. Mediterranean.

In Minneapolis Saint Paul Minnesota Cajun Frog legs look great you will not find them this far North. Maybe at Grand Portage you will hit it right and find a Cajun Crawdad boil at the Gambling Cosino during Cajun Week. They make a great Louisiana Cajun Crawdad gumbo if you’re there during the season usually have singers and a good outdoor performance check with Grand Portage for times.
Not many offer this menu very hard to find Louisiana Cajun..

God help me but the best cooking I have ever seen was in Bastrope Louisiana if you like Cajun Cuisine during the winter you all can enjoy canoe camping in Louisiana. The major Airport is Monroe, Louisiana and you can fish the bayou in Richland Parish Louisiana for Large Mouth Bass Glamping from places along the way..Come Summer check out the menu as you drive around Lake Nipigon Armstrong Station to Auden Station and back to Thunder Bay Round Trip by road testing lake/river on the fly w/sat phone.

Port Arthur Texas on the Louisiana Border to Mallet Brothers Bayou’s in the south west corner of Louisiana. Some nice crawfish stands w/fries especially if you are a Coon Ass from Acadia Canada . Similar to Quebec Cooking but much spicier and with a lot more depth,flavour much more going on in Louisiana. Especially with wild rice, and fish, Aligator,turtle, Frog, snake, etc. Louisiana cooking is hands down the best in the world my opinion but then I am a Coon Ass too. Just do Louisiana!

This is for people coming up from Wisconsin. I am usually going up 51 to 2 and I hit the Hurley/Ironwood area around lunchtime. There is a some of the best BBQ in the Midwest at Up In Smoke in Ironwood. Its 4 or 5 blocks out of the way, but well worth it. Its a permanent trailer with outdoor picknick tables, and the food comes relatively fast. The wife always expects me to bring home some bbq after the trip.

Otherwise, I like the Anchor Bar in Superior, Grandma's Saloon and Grill in both Virginia and the North end of Duluth (only a block or two out of the way) and the Boathouse for our after trip dinner. Great beer choices and good food.

I came back to say that my wife and daughters said the Frisky Otter was a hit when we brought them there last week.

I’m also going to add Burrito Union in Duluth to my list. We never stop in Duluth on our way home from the bwca, but we always eat at Burrito Union when we stay in Duluth.

Poplar Haus on the Gunflint just down the road from Trail Center is excellent for lunch dinner.

No love for the Gunflint Tavern in Grand Marais? Excellent food!

For my group, we love stopping at Gordy's Hi-Hat Drive in Cloquet when going to Ely. If going to the Gunflint area we stop at Betty's Pies just outside of Two Harbors.