The Blue Water Cafe is exactly what it appears to be, a simpler dining option in Grand Marais. The menu is very large and has a lot of options, it's kind of a downfall since some things they are very good at and some you should try to avoid. For breakfast go for the omelets. They aren't anything special but solid diner fare. For lunch I highly recommend the turkey club. One of the Blue Water's nightly specials is turkey dinner so they always have leftover turkey which they use in the clubs. It tastes just like the turkey sandwiches you make the day after Thanksgiving. For dinner I will agree with the other reviewers and point you towards the broasted chicken. It's very good chicken and the menu has options for whichever and however many pieces you want. They also offer the "picnic pack" as a take out option that is perfect for a family of four. What to avoid: The salads: really disappointing. All the ingredients are cut up and put on ice who knows how early in advance. By the time it gets to your table it tastes like nothing. The Appetizer Sampler: This is a really sad way to start your meal. It consists of a handful of random unrecognizable fried items, avoid at all costs, it's below bar food. Desserts: I would never tell anyone to skip desert but if you are here during the summer walk down to Sydney's Custard about two blocks away, get it there and you will not be disappointed.
(3)
Jason F.
Good but not great. The broasted chicken was good but the mashed potatoes had an off flavor. My wife says the Northshore was really good.
(3)
Ken W.
Always good! Great home cooked food and friendly staff. I've been eating here for 30 years and the food is always good! Hot open face sandwiches are AWESOME!
(4)
Valerie S.
After finding out that Gunflint Tavern's prices were so out of my league- We decided to give Blue Water Cafe a try. Walking in, I immediately made friends with the staff. I'm not sure if I've been to an establishment and felt so welcome. As for the food.. As a city getaway, I was SO ready for some straight up 'white people food' so I ordered the open faced turkey sandwich with garlic mashed potatoes and gravy. Exactly what I was looking for. The only disappointment was that it was a bit on the cold side. Other than that... it tasted great. The broasted chicken is a MUST try. MUST. You can't get broasted chicken like this many places anymore so take advantage!
Went there for breakfast. Coffee was passably OK. Great omelet selection. Ordered the standard fare- eggs, meat, potatoes, toast. Large portions, very tasty. Hard to mess up basic breakfast, friendly staff, quick with the coffee always tips the balance.
(4)
Sean S.
This was my first time in Grand Morris. I was on my way to Canada with some family & friends for a trip. We decided to stop here for some breakfast. The food was really good and the place was very clean. I decided to order the Galley Breakfast off the menu with some coffee. It was very good. The Galley Breakfast comes with Hash Browns, Eggs, Toast or Pancakes with a Choice of Bacon, Sausage Patties or Ham. It was very good! Staff were very friendly but service was kinda slow. Overall I would definitely recommend this restaurant to others. I will be coming back if I am ever in the area again.
(5)
Drew G.
After a big day of skiing the day before I was looking for a nice breakfast that would put me through another morning of nordic skiing. I really appreciate quality homemade food with real ingredients and the Mexican scrambler was just that. The eggs and veggies were great. The server was super nice and attentive [even brought our other hot sauce that was hotter - just what I wanted]. The blueberry pancakes that came with this meal were awesome. Great flavor and tons of berries in them. Everything was hot off the grill and crafted with care - really appreciate that. This place has a large menu and a variety of diner food. Breakfast served all day every day. A fair amount of vegetarian options for breakfast -- NICE !
(4)
Debby T.
Walked into this cafe, first time to the area. The sign said to seat yourself. We sat down and two female servers saw us, didn't acknowledge our presence waited thinking they would bring us a menu. The young blonde server kept talking to the older customer. The brunette server was sweeping and a female and two children were promptly given menus and children's coloring activity. We promptly exited this establishment. This should be a negative star raring. Horrible service. They had tables and 2 at the counter, no excuse for not providing basic level of service. Had to select 1 star, to continue. I will not recommend to anyone.
(1)
Ben R.
Good affordable traditional small-town cafe food. Plenty of hearty breakfast options or standard sandwich combos. Prices are very reasonable and a good alternative to higher-priced places in town.
(3)
Megan B.
Skip this place. There are many good restaurants in GM and from my experience this was not one of them. Go someplace with fresher ingredients and that makes food from scratch with some level of care or creativity. I ordered the Denver sandwich with a side of Mac n cheese (a $2 add-on) and am 99.9% certain they served me Kraft Mac n cheese out of a box. I was really looking forward to some homemade Mac n cheese! The sandwich itself was very dry with no remarkable flavor. I had cheese added at an extra cost which didn't help. I would have ordered an omelette instead of the sandwich but the omelettes only come with one side and I wanted a side and toast which would have cost an extra $2.5!! For toast! We started the meal with walleye fingers which I tasted like they came out of a box in the freezer, as did the vegetables on my husband's plate.
(1)
Brady F.
We were going to pass this place up because of the other reviews, but we are glad that we did not. I had biscuits and gravy and it was one of the best breakfasts I have had a while. My wife had the Swedish pancake and it was really good too. We would definitely recommend it to anyone!
(5)
Edward P.
Nothing fancy but solid good food. Friendly staff, I'd do it again if I wasn't just passing through.
(3)
Paola M.
After reading the menu on-line over and over again and after walking away several time because the place looked empty and sad, we finally decided to venture in and have dinner there. The place was much more welcoming than I expected from peeking in from the outside windows. Clean, comfortable and bright. I guess it would be even more welcoming in summer possibly early on when the sun is still shining through the huge windows.. BF had the meatloaf dinner and I had the broasted chicken dinner. Food was good and there was plenty. Dinner comes with choice of potatoes, soup and bread rolls. My chicken was good, juicy and crispy. BF was also happy with his meatloaf. I think we will be back when we come up north!
(3)
Russel S.
Amazing breakfast chef Dan known his breakfast you won't be disappointed this is family owned by Dan and Mel riddle
(5)
Tim A.
I cannot believe I did not give a review for the Blue Water Cafe when i wrote one for my hotel. Well i want to fix that right now. I was traveling with my 2 sons and they really found the whole town fun. The Blue Water Cafe was the secret to a happy family that week. Please try this place, I ate at the blue water 5 times in 3 days the kids made friends with all the staff and I still have fond memories of the broasted chicken, The staff was so good to my kids and made our stay so fun with all the places they suggested we visit. Made the trip the best. The whole menu rocks and its all fresh. The map that yelp give for this place is off a bit the cafe is right off lake Superior in downtown Grand Marais kitty corner from the Benjamin Franklin store.
(5)
Dee T.
I haven't eaten here for dinner yet but after reading Paola and Tim's reviews for their broasted chicken, I think that I picked the wrong time to dine here. We went for breakfast once and found it just fine, nothing stellar. Pretty typical diner breakfast.
(3)
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Address :20 W Wisconsin St
Grand Marais, MN, 55604
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Rick L.
The Blue Water Cafe is exactly what it appears to be, a simpler dining option in Grand Marais. The menu is very large and has a lot of options, it's kind of a downfall since some things they are very good at and some you should try to avoid. For breakfast go for the omelets. They aren't anything special but solid diner fare. For lunch I highly recommend the turkey club. One of the Blue Water's nightly specials is turkey dinner so they always have leftover turkey which they use in the clubs. It tastes just like the turkey sandwiches you make the day after Thanksgiving. For dinner I will agree with the other reviewers and point you towards the broasted chicken. It's very good chicken and the menu has options for whichever and however many pieces you want. They also offer the "picnic pack" as a take out option that is perfect for a family of four. What to avoid: The salads: really disappointing. All the ingredients are cut up and put on ice who knows how early in advance. By the time it gets to your table it tastes like nothing. The Appetizer Sampler: This is a really sad way to start your meal. It consists of a handful of random unrecognizable fried items, avoid at all costs, it's below bar food. Desserts: I would never tell anyone to skip desert but if you are here during the summer walk down to Sydney's Custard about two blocks away, get it there and you will not be disappointed.
(3)Jason F.
Good but not great. The broasted chicken was good but the mashed potatoes had an off flavor. My wife says the Northshore was really good.
(3)Ken W.
Always good! Great home cooked food and friendly staff. I've been eating here for 30 years and the food is always good! Hot open face sandwiches are AWESOME!
(4)Valerie S.
After finding out that Gunflint Tavern's prices were so out of my league- We decided to give Blue Water Cafe a try. Walking in, I immediately made friends with the staff. I'm not sure if I've been to an establishment and felt so welcome. As for the food.. As a city getaway, I was SO ready for some straight up 'white people food' so I ordered the open faced turkey sandwich with garlic mashed potatoes and gravy. Exactly what I was looking for. The only disappointment was that it was a bit on the cold side. Other than that... it tasted great. The broasted chicken is a MUST try. MUST. You can't get broasted chicken like this many places anymore so take advantage!
(3)Ryan S.
This is a no frills no nonsense good ole American café. You won't find any crazy items on the menu just homestyle American fare such as broasted chicken, hamburgers, and fish at a fair price. The interior hasn't been updated in decades but I'm sure you will want it to be as it adds to the character. There seemed to be a lot more of the locals in this place dining than tourists which should tell you a lot.
(3)Bre N.
Went there for breakfast. Coffee was passably OK. Great omelet selection. Ordered the standard fare- eggs, meat, potatoes, toast. Large portions, very tasty. Hard to mess up basic breakfast, friendly staff, quick with the coffee always tips the balance.
(4)Sean S.
This was my first time in Grand Morris. I was on my way to Canada with some family & friends for a trip. We decided to stop here for some breakfast. The food was really good and the place was very clean. I decided to order the Galley Breakfast off the menu with some coffee. It was very good. The Galley Breakfast comes with Hash Browns, Eggs, Toast or Pancakes with a Choice of Bacon, Sausage Patties or Ham. It was very good! Staff were very friendly but service was kinda slow. Overall I would definitely recommend this restaurant to others. I will be coming back if I am ever in the area again.
(5)Drew G.
After a big day of skiing the day before I was looking for a nice breakfast that would put me through another morning of nordic skiing. I really appreciate quality homemade food with real ingredients and the Mexican scrambler was just that. The eggs and veggies were great. The server was super nice and attentive [even brought our other hot sauce that was hotter - just what I wanted]. The blueberry pancakes that came with this meal were awesome. Great flavor and tons of berries in them. Everything was hot off the grill and crafted with care - really appreciate that. This place has a large menu and a variety of diner food. Breakfast served all day every day. A fair amount of vegetarian options for breakfast -- NICE !
(4)Debby T.
Walked into this cafe, first time to the area. The sign said to seat yourself. We sat down and two female servers saw us, didn't acknowledge our presence waited thinking they would bring us a menu. The young blonde server kept talking to the older customer. The brunette server was sweeping and a female and two children were promptly given menus and children's coloring activity. We promptly exited this establishment. This should be a negative star raring. Horrible service. They had tables and 2 at the counter, no excuse for not providing basic level of service. Had to select 1 star, to continue. I will not recommend to anyone.
(1)Ben R.
Good affordable traditional small-town cafe food. Plenty of hearty breakfast options or standard sandwich combos. Prices are very reasonable and a good alternative to higher-priced places in town.
(3)Megan B.
Skip this place. There are many good restaurants in GM and from my experience this was not one of them. Go someplace with fresher ingredients and that makes food from scratch with some level of care or creativity. I ordered the Denver sandwich with a side of Mac n cheese (a $2 add-on) and am 99.9% certain they served me Kraft Mac n cheese out of a box. I was really looking forward to some homemade Mac n cheese! The sandwich itself was very dry with no remarkable flavor. I had cheese added at an extra cost which didn't help. I would have ordered an omelette instead of the sandwich but the omelettes only come with one side and I wanted a side and toast which would have cost an extra $2.5!! For toast! We started the meal with walleye fingers which I tasted like they came out of a box in the freezer, as did the vegetables on my husband's plate.
(1)Brady F.
We were going to pass this place up because of the other reviews, but we are glad that we did not. I had biscuits and gravy and it was one of the best breakfasts I have had a while. My wife had the Swedish pancake and it was really good too. We would definitely recommend it to anyone!
(5)Edward P.
Nothing fancy but solid good food. Friendly staff, I'd do it again if I wasn't just passing through.
(3)Paola M.
After reading the menu on-line over and over again and after walking away several time because the place looked empty and sad, we finally decided to venture in and have dinner there. The place was much more welcoming than I expected from peeking in from the outside windows. Clean, comfortable and bright. I guess it would be even more welcoming in summer possibly early on when the sun is still shining through the huge windows.. BF had the meatloaf dinner and I had the broasted chicken dinner. Food was good and there was plenty. Dinner comes with choice of potatoes, soup and bread rolls. My chicken was good, juicy and crispy. BF was also happy with his meatloaf. I think we will be back when we come up north!
(3)Russel S.
Amazing breakfast chef Dan known his breakfast you won't be disappointed this is family owned by Dan and Mel riddle
(5)Tim A.
I cannot believe I did not give a review for the Blue Water Cafe when i wrote one for my hotel. Well i want to fix that right now. I was traveling with my 2 sons and they really found the whole town fun. The Blue Water Cafe was the secret to a happy family that week. Please try this place, I ate at the blue water 5 times in 3 days the kids made friends with all the staff and I still have fond memories of the broasted chicken, The staff was so good to my kids and made our stay so fun with all the places they suggested we visit. Made the trip the best. The whole menu rocks and its all fresh. The map that yelp give for this place is off a bit the cafe is right off lake Superior in downtown Grand Marais kitty corner from the Benjamin Franklin store.
(5)Dee T.
I haven't eaten here for dinner yet but after reading Paola and Tim's reviews for their broasted chicken, I think that I picked the wrong time to dine here. We went for breakfast once and found it just fine, nothing stellar. Pretty typical diner breakfast.
(3)