We were driving through Two Harbors last week while on vacation and decided to look for a local restaurant for dinner. We came across the Vanilla Bean, liked the look and the name so we gave it a shot. I have to say it was such an excellent experience and dinner! I didn't catch our servers name but she was so helpful the whole time and was always right on top of things with drinks, food, etc. We started out with the Smoked Salmon Pate appetizer and it was fantastic! The outstanding spread with very tasty pita chips made for a great combination. My burger was excellent and my wife had the Lake Superior Trout, which I sampled and was seasoned perfectly. I have no idea when I'll find myself in Two Harbors, but eventually I'll get back and you can be sure I'll pay a visit to Vanilla Bean for some great food!
(5)
John G.
We decided to check out Vanilla Bean on our way up to Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse. Knowing this was a "mom and pop" type local joint, seeing it listed on the "find me gluten free app," and seeing positive Yelp reviews, we thought Vanilla Bean would be pretty close to a sure thing for an enoyable dining experience. Not so much. We arrived shortly after breakfast was over (11:40AM, breakfast ended at 11:30) and figured we'd either be able to still order breakfast or order lunch. The website clearly lists lunch starting at 11:30AM. We were told, rather rudely, at 11:40AM that the restaurant was "in recovery mode" from breakfast and we'd have to wait 20 minutes before we could place orders for lunch. We immediately felt unwelcome, not to mention a bit confused since people who had arrived mere minutes before us were ordering breakfast. I get it, we missed the breakfast cutoff, but at least let us sit down and order lunch. To hold us over until we could order lunch, we decided to order Mimosas. The server taking our orders looked at us like we were speaking some alien language. "Do we even have those?" She asked? We pointed to the drink menu to confirm that they do. She explained that they can't serve them until noon and was clearly trying to steer us away from ordering them until I insisted that they bring them out for us at noon. At 12:15 we finally received them, after having placed our lunch orders. At this point three different staff in the restaurant had come to our table and we were unsure who our server actually was. Given the small kitchen I expected the food to take a long time, which was the case (35-40 minutes after ordering). With that amount of time, there is zero excuse to overcook the burger I ordered to the extent they did. Our server said that they usually cook it medium well and had no problem with my request that it be cooked medium. There was *zero* pink in the burger - it was nearing on well done, and I also wasn't impressed with the quality of the meat in the burger. The chicken sandwich was tasty but featured a rather thin portion of chicken. I have a feeling we caught this place on a bad day at a bad time, after getting slammed during the breakfast hours (it was Grandma's marathon weekend). Still, we deserved far better service and more care in cooking the burger, particularly after our long wait.
(2)
Kim W.
Good food but extremely slow service. Don't stop unless you have an hour and a half for breakfast.
(2)
Marguerite A.
H E L L O N O R T H S H O R E ! What a cute, darling, funny, quirky , tasty, amusing, satisfing, and interesting place to stop for lunch! Easy access, lovely patio, and great people watching. What a delightful lunch we had. The coffee choices were simple: Regular Decaf and of course, VANNILA What else would a coffee shop called. VANNILA BEAN have? An added bonus was the fact that they also serve BOOZE Let me be clear: this is NOT just a coffee shop! One look at the extensive menu tells you that is NOT your gramma' s coffee klutch. The menu will astound you. Even the names of the items are amusing and creative. Someone has a wonderful sense of humor. More importantly, the descriptions of the food shows that all the dishes are equally creatively constructed. There are many Lake Superior fish on the menu, and all their salmon is house smoked. FRESH! In addition, they have embellished plain ole baked beans. I tried this at home and it is amazing: 1 can of your favorite baked beans 1 med apple,peeled,chopped &cooked down 1/2cup finely chopped pecans Mix together and heat There is a kids menu too, including Kraft mac and cheese, which is what the kids really want anyway. Many other truly kid friendly choices too. So my friend had the GLBT Sandwich. Guacamole, Lettuce, Bacon, & Tomato. He loved it, but what makes it extra funny is that he has a sister that used to be his brother . Yup, one of the first transgender reassignment patients at the U. He also had the Vanilla coffee, and being the coffee snob that he is, he approved it. I had the Cranberry Club, which they say is their best seller. and I can see why. Anytime you put turkey on cranberry bread, the result is phenomenal However , I looked at the. menu online, to refresh my memory and the price was listed as $10. My credit card receipt shows a $13 charge for the sandwich. Hmmmm... no likey Even though, I will for sure stop back on my next trip to the north shore. The only thing I would criticize is that the server going off duty sat at the table next to us to count out her money. I certainly would have done that in private! The patio is good sized, and the flower pots had herbs growing in them. How functional. And, you can buy the Vanilla Coffee BEANS on the way out. I left happy, burp, and full. P L E A S E CHECK OUT THEIR M E N U !!!!! P L E A S E
(4)
Ellen H.
Food was great!!!! Sourdough bread bowl was amazing. Gift shop was good!! Service was terrible. Took over 15 minutes for someone to even ask our drink order. Took over 20 minutes to get our food. Beautiful outdoors eating area. They bring a water dish for pets, pet friendly. Would go back, with the wait in mind. :-)
(3)
Bart W.
Very good breakfast. Had the Castle Danger hash, great taste. Very busy for a Tuesday morning.
(4)
Ashton M.
Delicious wild rice porridge, unlike anything I have ever had. Topped generously with pecans and cranberries. Delish!! My partner had a breakfast burrito and also enjoyed.
(5)
Becky B.
Go for breakfast and have the wild rice porridge. Best thing I've ever eaten. A burger and fries at dinner were average, but the porridge was awesome.
(4)
Haley J.
I had the wild rice soup, and it was delicious. My husband had the pork wrap, and it was tiny and pretty mediocre. Our waitress didn't seem like she wanted to be there. Only go if you like chicken wild rice soup, otherwise it's pretty meh.
(3)
Hillary K.
A good place for a traditional breakfast. I had the caramel roll, which was okay. My mom had a thick creamy oatmeal that she claims is unlike anything she has ever had! While the food was good, it isn't somewhere that I would HAVE to come back to if I ever find myself in the area again. The best part of the meal was when an older couple came up to us and asked if we were from TX and talked to us for a bit. I really enjoy those moments :) The staff was friendly, but not too personable; very professional. Overall it was good, but not something to necessarily write home about.
(4)
Ziyan C.
We appreciate that this place is open early on a Sunday morning! I go the Berry White Mocha (espresso w/ steamed milk, Ghirardelli white chocolate, raspberry syrup, topped w/ whipped cream). Tasty, definitely a strong berry flavor (though more of a berry syrup flavor, expectedly). They did not have a bakery/cafe as we hoped, unfortunately. Only a sit-down restaurant. They also have a cute little shop-like area with some mugs, clothing, and snacks.
(4)
Vee V.
Vanilla Bean is what I would expect for Duluth. It's cozy, quaint, and super cute. I've passed this place on several occasions heading north. I thought they were an ice cream shop...I'm pretty sure it has the "cafe" clearly on their sign. Oops. My boyfriend and I were on a mission to get a quick breakfast so we could get on a trail early before the sun came out and burned our asses. We thought we could grab sandwiches here, but when we walked in it looked so inviting we decided to sit and enjoy a nice breakfast. There was one server, this worried me since the place had about 6 tables already and people walking in for coffee every 10 minutes. It turned out to be no issue at all. Our server was fast, friendly, and efficient. I LOVED the wooden tables. They had little imprints of screws and horse shoes. I've never seen tables like that before. We were seated by the window facing the street. The window ledges had basil and other herbs I think, and flowers. It was darling. I feel like a little old lady saying that, but that's what comes to mind. We ordered an omelet with Gouda cheese, and a classic breakfast dish with eggs, hash browns, turkey sausage, and pancakes. The omelet was really flavorful, the cheese enhanced the mildness of the eggs and other additions in the omelet. I ordered poached eggs, they were cooked perfectly. The hash browns were crispy/crunchy, with the middle nicely gooey. The star for me was the house made berry jam. Next time I head north I need to ask if they sell that stuff in a jar. If not, I'm going to beg them to sell me a to-go container filled with that delicious jam. I will definitely be back.
(4)
Jonathan K.
Superb food and service! Breakfast food is amazing and the portions are huge. The omelets are amazing but you really can't go wrong...
(5)
Tanja J.
We stopped here on our way home from a weekend in the BWCA. Everyone in our group was SO excited for a hot meal that didn't start out dehydrated in a bag or consist of granola. Our server was nice enough, but she knew nothing about the menu because she was new (not an excuse, as staff should be trained and knowledgeable about the food). We finally all settled on our meals and ordered. The food came out timely. I ordered the fish tacos and subbed my side for a house salad...and that was a $2 upcharge. The salad was very tiny and definitely not worth $2 extra. Someone in our group ordered the pulled pork nachos and no one was very impressed with those either, especially the quality of the chips (thankfully you could drown the staleness in sour cream, cheese, and guac). Then our meals came out. Three people ordered the fish tacos, and as soon as I saw our server set down the plate at the far end of the table, I could tell the fish was completely dried out. I picked up my own fish taco and the soft shell taco was hard as a rock (literally I could break off pieces like a corn tortilla). The fish was dried and disgusting and no amount of lemon (which we had to ask for) or sour cream (which was left over from the pulled pork nachos) could make that thing edible. I've never sent food back before, but I felt like I had no choice. Thankfully our server did come over and ask how the food was tasting. When we complained about how awful our fist tacos were, she offered to get us something else. There was 1 person in our group that ordered the seafood pasta and said it was ok but not worth $19. The 5th person in our group ordered a burger and fries and said the burger was ok, but the egg he added was overcooked, and the fries were gross and cold. I ordered the salmon salad and the other 2 each picked burgers. The re-makes took a very long time to make and when they came out, the fries were cold and stingy (although the server did bring out a basket of straight from the fryer fries...which were still horrible tasting). My salmon was obviously from a can and not appetizing at all. What's worse is that since it was not a solid piece of fish, and instead was little shredded chunks strewn about my salad, I could not pick around it. So I ate a few bites of the salad that had no "salmon" on it and scarfed down the bread (which was delicious) and by that time, I'd had enough of the food. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Perhaps their breakfast is better (according to the other Yelp! reviews, that may be the case). But if that is so, they should offer breakfast all day long instead of subjecting people to the horrible food we ate.
(1)
He And She I.
What a nice place for breakfast! Swedish pancakes or crepes? Wild rice porridge or pancakes? French toast or marble rye? Friendly greeting, great fast service, and back on the road.
(5)
Barb M.
Stopped for lunch after visiting the local light house - it looked like a good local joint. I was pleasantly surprised to fine several vegetarian options for me and gluten free options for my mom, all clearly marked.The kitchen was rather slow, so don't Co elf you are in a hurry. I had the black bean burger, which was good, and my Mom enjoyed her hamburger with a gluten free bun. The service was good, though our server missed my order for a vanilla bean soda.
(4)
Nikki W.
Ate here with my two little kids for lunch. Service was good food was okay. Brunch/breakfast menu looks tasty may try this instead next time.
(3)
Leah O.
I'm going to admit straight-out that I would have given Pizza Hut four stars just for having heat on the particular morning I experienced Vanilla Bean. We were camping in early June in northeastern Minnesota which- overoptimistic women we are- we thought would be 100% fine. WRONGFACE. Not fine. Forty degrees and windy and raining. We needed a recovery breakfast, and Vanilla Bean came through. They totally saved us. The coffee was bottomless and strong and the amazing wait staff kept it coming. We ordered the Northwoods Traditional- 2 eggs, sausage/ham/bacon, breakfast potatoes/hashbrowns and toast- and it.was.incredible. The sausage was obviously home-made and was heavily spiced. The breakfast potatoes were perfect- crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, lightly spiced with pepper and not too greasy. The toast was soaked in butter and the eggs were cooked exactly as promised. Little sister got an extra set of toast for 50 cents. BOOM. More than that, the waitstaff was eminently patient and allowed us to charge our phones and simply hang out for hours while we thawed out. They poured round after round of coffee (I'm talking probably seven cups each?) while being totally pleasant. It was enough to get us charged up for the long bike ride ahead. This place has its own cupboard in my heart fo' LIFE.
(5)
Nate D.
I used to like this place. Nothing stood out or made me crave it, but it was good. With my expectations firmly in the "meh" range, I had lunch there yesterday. And all I can say is my god. They destroyed my expectations by serving up some of the best food I have ever found along the shore. My reuben was spot on, and my wife's walleye sandwich was so good, I almost ordered one to go so I could be guaranteed a meal that would exceed whatever my family would be serving at the cabin for dinner. Seriously. If you want a high quality meal at cafe prices, this is the place for you. If, on the other hand, you want boring food at inflated prices, you're in luck. Everywhere else in town seems to serve that up in abundance.
(5)
Connie C.
Revisited this spot a couple days ago due to good memories of eating there a couple years ago. Maybe we caught them on a bad day, but the overall experience was so poor that we will not return. The service was extremely slow and non-helpful. My daughter ordered white bean chicken chili, which seemed like a signature dish there, but it looked nothing like what we all think of this dish as. It was more like a thinned out can of tomato paste with some white beans and chunks of chili. She sent it back. I recommended the pasty to my son, as I remembered that being especially good. It was bland and tasteless this time, with an oddly colored crust, and what I had remembered as a rich brown beef gravy was this time a pale, pasty gravy devoid of taste. We had planned to order dessert, but no one came to clear away our lunch plates and ask if we wanted any, so we finally flagged down a guy who looked like the manager, and said we would like our dishes cleared and wanted to order dessert. He took a couple plates and did not return. About 5 minutes later, our waitress reappeared and slapped down our tab and walked away without a word. Needless to say, we passed on the dessert, paid and left. Other diners were restless at the slow service as well. Big disappointment overall!
(1)
Jessica A.
I had a real good breakfast here this morning; I found this place thanks to all the great reviews here on yelp. I was craving a French Toast combo, and the server allowed me to substitute a slice of French Toast for the pancake in Mick's breakfast special. It was the perfect amount of food for me... and I can't believe it was only $6.50! Service was excellent, excellent! I overheard the server speaking with another table about how all the pew benches are from a church in Southern Minnesota and all the light fixtures (or atleast the hanging ones) are from an old schoolhouse in Minnesota. If I was going through Two Harbors again, I would certainly stop back here.
(4)
Dave W.
Very impressed with the quality for such a small town. Lingigan berry burger with house-made kettle chips and cappuccino! Very kind and helpful wait staff. Could use a interior/decor update.
(4)
Rhonda G.
Don't judge an old, pink building by its cover like I did. The deciding factor before we left town was $1 off coupon each for 2 entrees. I loved the decor of this cafe that's deeper on the inside than it looks outside. We both got the special philly cheese steak omelet. The steak pieces were small, but it was one of the best omelets I ever had. It was like a flat frittata. A generous size and buttery... Not one bite of guilt of this low carb beauty. Judging by the rest of the menu, carbs or not, I'm coming back. I joined the vanilla bean club, and I'm collecting on that free piece of bread pudding next time around.
(5)
Dean S.
I have no idea what the food tastes like. It smelled wonderful but we walked in to have lunch and it was crowded. We waited patently to find out how long it would be. After over five minutes of being ignored, we left and went to Judy's up the street AND IT GETS BETTER.......
(1)
Jolene L.
We caught this place in the off-season (December) and loved it. We were coming back from Gooseberry Falls, and wanted to stop for lunch. It was already past 2pm when we hit Two Harbors. We decided to try this out once we spotted it. Small, only a few tables. One person manning the front (the owner we later discovered). He was very polite and seated us quickly. The kids were going to order the mac n cheese because the kids menu said homemade, and he was quick to point out they had to switch to boxed mac n cheese because most kids preferred that and that perhaps my kids would want the homemade mac n cheese from the adult menu instead. They did, so that was a good save. I got the pasty and my hubby got the fish tacos. All were excellent. The mac n cheese was so creamy and good I almost stole it from the kids. They said nary a word for a good 20 minutes because they were so busy eating, it was that good. The pasty was good (only my second time trying one, ever), and my hubby really enjoyed the fish tacos. The coffee was fantastic to help warm us up from our walk around the frozen falls, and the owner was cheerful. He let us know they get crazy busy during the summer months, but I think we'll try it again next time we are staying in Duluth anyway, It seems worth the drive!
(5)
Sadie S.
Complete disappointment. We wanted to grab coffee & some baked goods to go, but apparently they're not a bakery. Coffee was mediocre. Stayed for breakfast, but they were no longer serving breakfast. I had the fish taco because the description sounded good, but it sucked. Fishy tasting deep fried fish with a little cabbage. No flavor other than fishy. My boyfriend had the wild rice soup & it was quite good. I'm continually surprised how people can maintain restaurant businesses when they're just doing a half assed job.
(2)
Colter S.
Meh. It's ok. House made breakfast sausage was bland. Specialty French toast was... Interesting. Don't put your name down for a table and step outside, you'll be skipped!
(2)
Jim J.
We visited the Bean for Saturday breakfast on 10/06/12. Coffee was delicious (especially the signature Vanilla Bean coffee: subtle, and not overpowering), and the service was very good. I had blueberry pancakes, which were piping hot and very flavorful. The only disappointment was the syrup (Okay, I'll admit: a pet peeve of mine). The menu states: "Two plate-sized buttermilk pancakes with blueberries served with our vanilla butter & maple syrup." This was NOT maple syrup. It was the typical tasteless colored corn syrup that most restaurants pass off as pancake syrup.
(4)
Mike E.
We stopped at Vanilla Bean on our way back to the Twin Cities from a trip in the Boundary Waters. I had the Wild White Moose sandwich (smoked turkey and bacon) w/ kettle chips, and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor. Great sandwich. As for the rest of the group, they all rated their food "okay." This included two people who ordered the Classic Reuben, one w/ the Bistro Burger, and another w/ the Cranberry Club. It's a convenient stop on your way through Two Harbors and the staff is very friendly. We received prompt service and the cost was reasonable. All in all, a good option in Two Harbors.
(3)
Patrick S.
Got the Scandinavian breakfast and it was amazing. Some of the best breakfast sausage I've had and the vanilla coffee is delicious too.
(5)
Emily T.
Really well kept nice place. I just made a quick stop and got some soup and a latte to go. Hy hubby thought the clam chowder was really good, and if you like a hearty red chili, theirs is great. The latte was good too. I hope to actually have a sit down meal here another time.
(4)
MoMo A.
There is nothing uptight about this place. Best breakfast my partner and I have ever had! Super cheap for extremely tasty food. I had the veggie oven-baked omelette (they substituted broccoli for spinach without a question. My partner, he had a Scandinavian breakfast. Our bill came up to only 20 dollars and change. Best birthday breakfast
(5)
Anders B.
The Herring Taco is great!
(4)
Mihir P.
One of the best breakfasts that I've had in a long time! Perfectly cooked eggs over easy and bacon. The hash browns are the best I've had - very crunchy and not greasy. Even the toast was thick and a rick texture. This place is a must.
(5)
Glennae M.
We were greeted and seated promptly, and food arrived as expected. I had the portobella sandwich which was pretty tasty. My husband ordered the walleye meal which he described as mushy and "not terrible, but not awesome". We did not order drinks or dessert. Our water glasses were kept full, however, our waitress did not check on us until our meals were finished. Cleaning needs to be improved... my husband found a dead fly stuck to the bottom of the coffee artists' table card. Then we noticed 3 more laying on the windowsill. :(
(2)
Annie P.
Had baked Mexican omelet and hubby had baked sausage & mushroom omelet. Both were decent, not great.. Swedish pancakes were more like crepes and no big deal. I'd maybe give this place 3 -3.5 stars but our server was so nice I will go with 4.
(4)
Carly M.
I was really disappointed by our last Vanilla Bean experience (but we came after breakfast, so maybe that is the key). The two kids wanted mac & cheese, which was clearly labeled as Kraft in the menu. . . but for $5 they're making a tremendous profit. . . and my kids hardly ate any of it (they're spoiled with Annie's organic mac & cheese, so the Kraft was a huge bummer). My husband ordered a walleye filet sandwich, and I had a BLT and both were exactly "Meh. I've experienced better" and again, at nearly $10 for a BLT I expected better. The bacon was rubbery and they mayo tasted off. For what we paid I would've expected at least fries with it. So the moral of this story. . . when I am an old woman living in Two Harbors I will eat my breakfasts at The Vanilla Bean and make my own damn BLTs.
(2)
J S.
Ate at the vanilla on recommendation of a friend. Found the menu extensive and the breakfasts (served only until 11:30) plentiful and varied had the straight-up eggs/toast/hashbrowns. Food was good but the service was VERY slow - waited to be seated even though there was no line and tables open, and food was slow coming out of the kitchen - maybe more help?
(3)
Robert A.
excellent food. nice restaurant. good service
(5)
Matt T.
This place is over priced for the food you get. I got the walleye and it came with a small condiment size container of baked beans, a cold slice of bread, and 2 child size pieces of fish.
(1)
Kim B.
Had lunch for 4 here 1/2/12. Nice wood booths, antique bar area, old paneling - cuter inside than out. had soup and sandwhich special, veggie burger, and regular burger. All good. Reasonable prices for this area, which runs high. Recommend as a good lunch stop
(4)
Gabriel S.
Ok my main problem was the omelet. It was very good but I feel it needed cheese to be an omelet and mine didnt. I got the vegi one and it was very good but I was annoyed that they didnt say it didnt come with cheese and that it didnt. I have never had this experience before. My mom had the vegi burger that was very good and the soup was very good. Ok Overall the food was great and the coffee is very good. They have nice art work and the staff is friendly. I just wanted cheese and I was annoyed that I didnt get any but then again I didnt ask. I will go there again. Maybe for something different.
(3)
Bill W.
Food=average; service=slow; ambiance=very clean, nice. Over all, nothing special. Our waitress was slow and didn't even run down the specials for us.
(2)
Beth F.
If you want gourmet, you won't find it here. But if you appreciate simple food with fresh ingredients that have been prepared with care, this is the spot. We stopped here for lunch over the weekend with my parents and I can't wait to come back! It's in a super location (on the right side of the road when you're driving north on Hwy 61 up the north shore), the servers are genuine and friendly and the food was great. I had the pesto chicken sandwich. The chicken breast by itself was nothing special (it was moist, but somewhat plain). But the homemade honey oat bread that was perfectly toasted sent me into a fit of carbolicious heaven and the combination of fixings were perfectly in sync with each other: a fresh, sliced tomato, creamy pesto sauce, crisp spinach leaves and crumbles of feta cheese. Yum. My mom ordered the pasty and loved it. My dad ordered the wild rice chili (!) and loved it. My fiance ordered the Cobb Salad with a side of the wild rice chili (!) and loved it. He let me taste the wild rice chili (!) and I also loved it!! And then the four of us split their specialty dessert: the caramel pecan bread pudding that is topped with a burnt-sugar caramel sauce, whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon. It was very rich and quite good. But I'm glad we shared because it probably would have been too much otherwise.
(5)
Carrie D.
Oven baked omelets are the BEST! My boyfriend couldn't even finish his there is so much food (he couldn't remember ever not finishing a meal at a restaurant) Just when you think it can't get any better the toast is their own homemade bread. WOW. Would be 5 stars but dinner was so-so. Go for breakfast.
(4)
Kristina K.
If the food hadn't been good, this would've been two stars. When we arrived, there were several couples ahead of us waiting to be seated, even though there were multiple tables open. The staff were a bit short with us and did not seem to be in much of a hurry (more in a disorganized way than a small-town way). I had the pumpkin pancakes and that made me feel much happier. Delicious! Seemed to be more tourists than locals eating there.
(3)
Susie R.
Yes the breakfast menu is unique enough to peak your interest in trying something new for Eggs sake, Wait staff could have been more attentive and more little townish. It is more of a grown up type place but is ok for family of 3 or less
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Breakfast Parking : Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Tom H.
We were driving through Two Harbors last week while on vacation and decided to look for a local restaurant for dinner. We came across the Vanilla Bean, liked the look and the name so we gave it a shot. I have to say it was such an excellent experience and dinner! I didn't catch our servers name but she was so helpful the whole time and was always right on top of things with drinks, food, etc. We started out with the Smoked Salmon Pate appetizer and it was fantastic! The outstanding spread with very tasty pita chips made for a great combination. My burger was excellent and my wife had the Lake Superior Trout, which I sampled and was seasoned perfectly. I have no idea when I'll find myself in Two Harbors, but eventually I'll get back and you can be sure I'll pay a visit to Vanilla Bean for some great food!
(5)John G.
We decided to check out Vanilla Bean on our way up to Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse. Knowing this was a "mom and pop" type local joint, seeing it listed on the "find me gluten free app," and seeing positive Yelp reviews, we thought Vanilla Bean would be pretty close to a sure thing for an enoyable dining experience. Not so much. We arrived shortly after breakfast was over (11:40AM, breakfast ended at 11:30) and figured we'd either be able to still order breakfast or order lunch. The website clearly lists lunch starting at 11:30AM. We were told, rather rudely, at 11:40AM that the restaurant was "in recovery mode" from breakfast and we'd have to wait 20 minutes before we could place orders for lunch. We immediately felt unwelcome, not to mention a bit confused since people who had arrived mere minutes before us were ordering breakfast. I get it, we missed the breakfast cutoff, but at least let us sit down and order lunch. To hold us over until we could order lunch, we decided to order Mimosas. The server taking our orders looked at us like we were speaking some alien language. "Do we even have those?" She asked? We pointed to the drink menu to confirm that they do. She explained that they can't serve them until noon and was clearly trying to steer us away from ordering them until I insisted that they bring them out for us at noon. At 12:15 we finally received them, after having placed our lunch orders. At this point three different staff in the restaurant had come to our table and we were unsure who our server actually was. Given the small kitchen I expected the food to take a long time, which was the case (35-40 minutes after ordering). With that amount of time, there is zero excuse to overcook the burger I ordered to the extent they did. Our server said that they usually cook it medium well and had no problem with my request that it be cooked medium. There was *zero* pink in the burger - it was nearing on well done, and I also wasn't impressed with the quality of the meat in the burger. The chicken sandwich was tasty but featured a rather thin portion of chicken. I have a feeling we caught this place on a bad day at a bad time, after getting slammed during the breakfast hours (it was Grandma's marathon weekend). Still, we deserved far better service and more care in cooking the burger, particularly after our long wait.
(2)Kim W.
Good food but extremely slow service. Don't stop unless you have an hour and a half for breakfast.
(2)Marguerite A.
H E L L O N O R T H S H O R E ! What a cute, darling, funny, quirky , tasty, amusing, satisfing, and interesting place to stop for lunch! Easy access, lovely patio, and great people watching. What a delightful lunch we had. The coffee choices were simple: Regular Decaf and of course, VANNILA What else would a coffee shop called. VANNILA BEAN have? An added bonus was the fact that they also serve BOOZE Let me be clear: this is NOT just a coffee shop! One look at the extensive menu tells you that is NOT your gramma' s coffee klutch. The menu will astound you. Even the names of the items are amusing and creative. Someone has a wonderful sense of humor. More importantly, the descriptions of the food shows that all the dishes are equally creatively constructed. There are many Lake Superior fish on the menu, and all their salmon is house smoked. FRESH! In addition, they have embellished plain ole baked beans. I tried this at home and it is amazing: 1 can of your favorite baked beans 1 med apple,peeled,chopped &cooked down 1/2cup finely chopped pecans Mix together and heat There is a kids menu too, including Kraft mac and cheese, which is what the kids really want anyway. Many other truly kid friendly choices too. So my friend had the GLBT Sandwich. Guacamole, Lettuce, Bacon, & Tomato. He loved it, but what makes it extra funny is that he has a sister that used to be his brother . Yup, one of the first transgender reassignment patients at the U. He also had the Vanilla coffee, and being the coffee snob that he is, he approved it. I had the Cranberry Club, which they say is their best seller. and I can see why. Anytime you put turkey on cranberry bread, the result is phenomenal However , I looked at the. menu online, to refresh my memory and the price was listed as $10. My credit card receipt shows a $13 charge for the sandwich. Hmmmm... no likey Even though, I will for sure stop back on my next trip to the north shore. The only thing I would criticize is that the server going off duty sat at the table next to us to count out her money. I certainly would have done that in private! The patio is good sized, and the flower pots had herbs growing in them. How functional. And, you can buy the Vanilla Coffee BEANS on the way out. I left happy, burp, and full. P L E A S E CHECK OUT THEIR M E N U !!!!! P L E A S E
(4)Ellen H.
Food was great!!!! Sourdough bread bowl was amazing. Gift shop was good!! Service was terrible. Took over 15 minutes for someone to even ask our drink order. Took over 20 minutes to get our food. Beautiful outdoors eating area. They bring a water dish for pets, pet friendly. Would go back, with the wait in mind. :-)
(3)Bart W.
Very good breakfast. Had the Castle Danger hash, great taste. Very busy for a Tuesday morning.
(4)Ashton M.
Delicious wild rice porridge, unlike anything I have ever had. Topped generously with pecans and cranberries. Delish!! My partner had a breakfast burrito and also enjoyed.
(5)Becky B.
Go for breakfast and have the wild rice porridge. Best thing I've ever eaten. A burger and fries at dinner were average, but the porridge was awesome.
(4)Haley J.
I had the wild rice soup, and it was delicious. My husband had the pork wrap, and it was tiny and pretty mediocre. Our waitress didn't seem like she wanted to be there. Only go if you like chicken wild rice soup, otherwise it's pretty meh.
(3)Hillary K.
A good place for a traditional breakfast. I had the caramel roll, which was okay. My mom had a thick creamy oatmeal that she claims is unlike anything she has ever had! While the food was good, it isn't somewhere that I would HAVE to come back to if I ever find myself in the area again. The best part of the meal was when an older couple came up to us and asked if we were from TX and talked to us for a bit. I really enjoy those moments :) The staff was friendly, but not too personable; very professional. Overall it was good, but not something to necessarily write home about.
(4)Ziyan C.
We appreciate that this place is open early on a Sunday morning! I go the Berry White Mocha (espresso w/ steamed milk, Ghirardelli white chocolate, raspberry syrup, topped w/ whipped cream). Tasty, definitely a strong berry flavor (though more of a berry syrup flavor, expectedly). They did not have a bakery/cafe as we hoped, unfortunately. Only a sit-down restaurant. They also have a cute little shop-like area with some mugs, clothing, and snacks.
(4)Vee V.
Vanilla Bean is what I would expect for Duluth. It's cozy, quaint, and super cute. I've passed this place on several occasions heading north. I thought they were an ice cream shop...I'm pretty sure it has the "cafe" clearly on their sign. Oops. My boyfriend and I were on a mission to get a quick breakfast so we could get on a trail early before the sun came out and burned our asses. We thought we could grab sandwiches here, but when we walked in it looked so inviting we decided to sit and enjoy a nice breakfast. There was one server, this worried me since the place had about 6 tables already and people walking in for coffee every 10 minutes. It turned out to be no issue at all. Our server was fast, friendly, and efficient. I LOVED the wooden tables. They had little imprints of screws and horse shoes. I've never seen tables like that before. We were seated by the window facing the street. The window ledges had basil and other herbs I think, and flowers. It was darling. I feel like a little old lady saying that, but that's what comes to mind. We ordered an omelet with Gouda cheese, and a classic breakfast dish with eggs, hash browns, turkey sausage, and pancakes. The omelet was really flavorful, the cheese enhanced the mildness of the eggs and other additions in the omelet. I ordered poached eggs, they were cooked perfectly. The hash browns were crispy/crunchy, with the middle nicely gooey. The star for me was the house made berry jam. Next time I head north I need to ask if they sell that stuff in a jar. If not, I'm going to beg them to sell me a to-go container filled with that delicious jam. I will definitely be back.
(4)Jonathan K.
Superb food and service! Breakfast food is amazing and the portions are huge. The omelets are amazing but you really can't go wrong...
(5)Tanja J.
We stopped here on our way home from a weekend in the BWCA. Everyone in our group was SO excited for a hot meal that didn't start out dehydrated in a bag or consist of granola. Our server was nice enough, but she knew nothing about the menu because she was new (not an excuse, as staff should be trained and knowledgeable about the food). We finally all settled on our meals and ordered. The food came out timely. I ordered the fish tacos and subbed my side for a house salad...and that was a $2 upcharge. The salad was very tiny and definitely not worth $2 extra. Someone in our group ordered the pulled pork nachos and no one was very impressed with those either, especially the quality of the chips (thankfully you could drown the staleness in sour cream, cheese, and guac). Then our meals came out. Three people ordered the fish tacos, and as soon as I saw our server set down the plate at the far end of the table, I could tell the fish was completely dried out. I picked up my own fish taco and the soft shell taco was hard as a rock (literally I could break off pieces like a corn tortilla). The fish was dried and disgusting and no amount of lemon (which we had to ask for) or sour cream (which was left over from the pulled pork nachos) could make that thing edible. I've never sent food back before, but I felt like I had no choice. Thankfully our server did come over and ask how the food was tasting. When we complained about how awful our fist tacos were, she offered to get us something else. There was 1 person in our group that ordered the seafood pasta and said it was ok but not worth $19. The 5th person in our group ordered a burger and fries and said the burger was ok, but the egg he added was overcooked, and the fries were gross and cold. I ordered the salmon salad and the other 2 each picked burgers. The re-makes took a very long time to make and when they came out, the fries were cold and stingy (although the server did bring out a basket of straight from the fryer fries...which were still horrible tasting). My salmon was obviously from a can and not appetizing at all. What's worse is that since it was not a solid piece of fish, and instead was little shredded chunks strewn about my salad, I could not pick around it. So I ate a few bites of the salad that had no "salmon" on it and scarfed down the bread (which was delicious) and by that time, I'd had enough of the food. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Perhaps their breakfast is better (according to the other Yelp! reviews, that may be the case). But if that is so, they should offer breakfast all day long instead of subjecting people to the horrible food we ate.
(1)He And She I.
What a nice place for breakfast! Swedish pancakes or crepes? Wild rice porridge or pancakes? French toast or marble rye? Friendly greeting, great fast service, and back on the road.
(5)Barb M.
Stopped for lunch after visiting the local light house - it looked like a good local joint. I was pleasantly surprised to fine several vegetarian options for me and gluten free options for my mom, all clearly marked.The kitchen was rather slow, so don't Co elf you are in a hurry. I had the black bean burger, which was good, and my Mom enjoyed her hamburger with a gluten free bun. The service was good, though our server missed my order for a vanilla bean soda.
(4)Nikki W.
Ate here with my two little kids for lunch. Service was good food was okay. Brunch/breakfast menu looks tasty may try this instead next time.
(3)Leah O.
I'm going to admit straight-out that I would have given Pizza Hut four stars just for having heat on the particular morning I experienced Vanilla Bean. We were camping in early June in northeastern Minnesota which- overoptimistic women we are- we thought would be 100% fine. WRONGFACE. Not fine. Forty degrees and windy and raining. We needed a recovery breakfast, and Vanilla Bean came through. They totally saved us. The coffee was bottomless and strong and the amazing wait staff kept it coming. We ordered the Northwoods Traditional- 2 eggs, sausage/ham/bacon, breakfast potatoes/hashbrowns and toast- and it.was.incredible. The sausage was obviously home-made and was heavily spiced. The breakfast potatoes were perfect- crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, lightly spiced with pepper and not too greasy. The toast was soaked in butter and the eggs were cooked exactly as promised. Little sister got an extra set of toast for 50 cents. BOOM. More than that, the waitstaff was eminently patient and allowed us to charge our phones and simply hang out for hours while we thawed out. They poured round after round of coffee (I'm talking probably seven cups each?) while being totally pleasant. It was enough to get us charged up for the long bike ride ahead. This place has its own cupboard in my heart fo' LIFE.
(5)Nate D.
I used to like this place. Nothing stood out or made me crave it, but it was good. With my expectations firmly in the "meh" range, I had lunch there yesterday. And all I can say is my god. They destroyed my expectations by serving up some of the best food I have ever found along the shore. My reuben was spot on, and my wife's walleye sandwich was so good, I almost ordered one to go so I could be guaranteed a meal that would exceed whatever my family would be serving at the cabin for dinner. Seriously. If you want a high quality meal at cafe prices, this is the place for you. If, on the other hand, you want boring food at inflated prices, you're in luck. Everywhere else in town seems to serve that up in abundance.
(5)Connie C.
Revisited this spot a couple days ago due to good memories of eating there a couple years ago. Maybe we caught them on a bad day, but the overall experience was so poor that we will not return. The service was extremely slow and non-helpful. My daughter ordered white bean chicken chili, which seemed like a signature dish there, but it looked nothing like what we all think of this dish as. It was more like a thinned out can of tomato paste with some white beans and chunks of chili. She sent it back. I recommended the pasty to my son, as I remembered that being especially good. It was bland and tasteless this time, with an oddly colored crust, and what I had remembered as a rich brown beef gravy was this time a pale, pasty gravy devoid of taste. We had planned to order dessert, but no one came to clear away our lunch plates and ask if we wanted any, so we finally flagged down a guy who looked like the manager, and said we would like our dishes cleared and wanted to order dessert. He took a couple plates and did not return. About 5 minutes later, our waitress reappeared and slapped down our tab and walked away without a word. Needless to say, we passed on the dessert, paid and left. Other diners were restless at the slow service as well. Big disappointment overall!
(1)Jessica A.
I had a real good breakfast here this morning; I found this place thanks to all the great reviews here on yelp. I was craving a French Toast combo, and the server allowed me to substitute a slice of French Toast for the pancake in Mick's breakfast special. It was the perfect amount of food for me... and I can't believe it was only $6.50! Service was excellent, excellent! I overheard the server speaking with another table about how all the pew benches are from a church in Southern Minnesota and all the light fixtures (or atleast the hanging ones) are from an old schoolhouse in Minnesota. If I was going through Two Harbors again, I would certainly stop back here.
(4)Dave W.
Very impressed with the quality for such a small town. Lingigan berry burger with house-made kettle chips and cappuccino! Very kind and helpful wait staff. Could use a interior/decor update.
(4)Rhonda G.
Don't judge an old, pink building by its cover like I did. The deciding factor before we left town was $1 off coupon each for 2 entrees. I loved the decor of this cafe that's deeper on the inside than it looks outside. We both got the special philly cheese steak omelet. The steak pieces were small, but it was one of the best omelets I ever had. It was like a flat frittata. A generous size and buttery... Not one bite of guilt of this low carb beauty. Judging by the rest of the menu, carbs or not, I'm coming back. I joined the vanilla bean club, and I'm collecting on that free piece of bread pudding next time around.
(5)Dean S.
I have no idea what the food tastes like. It smelled wonderful but we walked in to have lunch and it was crowded. We waited patently to find out how long it would be. After over five minutes of being ignored, we left and went to Judy's up the street AND IT GETS BETTER.......
(1)Jolene L.
We caught this place in the off-season (December) and loved it. We were coming back from Gooseberry Falls, and wanted to stop for lunch. It was already past 2pm when we hit Two Harbors. We decided to try this out once we spotted it. Small, only a few tables. One person manning the front (the owner we later discovered). He was very polite and seated us quickly. The kids were going to order the mac n cheese because the kids menu said homemade, and he was quick to point out they had to switch to boxed mac n cheese because most kids preferred that and that perhaps my kids would want the homemade mac n cheese from the adult menu instead. They did, so that was a good save. I got the pasty and my hubby got the fish tacos. All were excellent. The mac n cheese was so creamy and good I almost stole it from the kids. They said nary a word for a good 20 minutes because they were so busy eating, it was that good. The pasty was good (only my second time trying one, ever), and my hubby really enjoyed the fish tacos. The coffee was fantastic to help warm us up from our walk around the frozen falls, and the owner was cheerful. He let us know they get crazy busy during the summer months, but I think we'll try it again next time we are staying in Duluth anyway, It seems worth the drive!
(5)Sadie S.
Complete disappointment. We wanted to grab coffee & some baked goods to go, but apparently they're not a bakery. Coffee was mediocre. Stayed for breakfast, but they were no longer serving breakfast. I had the fish taco because the description sounded good, but it sucked. Fishy tasting deep fried fish with a little cabbage. No flavor other than fishy. My boyfriend had the wild rice soup & it was quite good. I'm continually surprised how people can maintain restaurant businesses when they're just doing a half assed job.
(2)Colter S.
Meh. It's ok. House made breakfast sausage was bland. Specialty French toast was... Interesting. Don't put your name down for a table and step outside, you'll be skipped!
(2)Jim J.
We visited the Bean for Saturday breakfast on 10/06/12. Coffee was delicious (especially the signature Vanilla Bean coffee: subtle, and not overpowering), and the service was very good. I had blueberry pancakes, which were piping hot and very flavorful. The only disappointment was the syrup (Okay, I'll admit: a pet peeve of mine). The menu states: "Two plate-sized buttermilk pancakes with blueberries served with our vanilla butter & maple syrup." This was NOT maple syrup. It was the typical tasteless colored corn syrup that most restaurants pass off as pancake syrup.
(4)Mike E.
We stopped at Vanilla Bean on our way back to the Twin Cities from a trip in the Boundary Waters. I had the Wild White Moose sandwich (smoked turkey and bacon) w/ kettle chips, and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor. Great sandwich. As for the rest of the group, they all rated their food "okay." This included two people who ordered the Classic Reuben, one w/ the Bistro Burger, and another w/ the Cranberry Club. It's a convenient stop on your way through Two Harbors and the staff is very friendly. We received prompt service and the cost was reasonable. All in all, a good option in Two Harbors.
(3)Patrick S.
Got the Scandinavian breakfast and it was amazing. Some of the best breakfast sausage I've had and the vanilla coffee is delicious too.
(5)Emily T.
Really well kept nice place. I just made a quick stop and got some soup and a latte to go. Hy hubby thought the clam chowder was really good, and if you like a hearty red chili, theirs is great. The latte was good too. I hope to actually have a sit down meal here another time.
(4)MoMo A.
There is nothing uptight about this place. Best breakfast my partner and I have ever had! Super cheap for extremely tasty food. I had the veggie oven-baked omelette (they substituted broccoli for spinach without a question. My partner, he had a Scandinavian breakfast. Our bill came up to only 20 dollars and change. Best birthday breakfast
(5)Anders B.
The Herring Taco is great!
(4)Mihir P.
One of the best breakfasts that I've had in a long time! Perfectly cooked eggs over easy and bacon. The hash browns are the best I've had - very crunchy and not greasy. Even the toast was thick and a rick texture. This place is a must.
(5)Glennae M.
We were greeted and seated promptly, and food arrived as expected. I had the portobella sandwich which was pretty tasty. My husband ordered the walleye meal which he described as mushy and "not terrible, but not awesome". We did not order drinks or dessert. Our water glasses were kept full, however, our waitress did not check on us until our meals were finished. Cleaning needs to be improved... my husband found a dead fly stuck to the bottom of the coffee artists' table card. Then we noticed 3 more laying on the windowsill. :(
(2)Annie P.
Had baked Mexican omelet and hubby had baked sausage & mushroom omelet. Both were decent, not great.. Swedish pancakes were more like crepes and no big deal. I'd maybe give this place 3 -3.5 stars but our server was so nice I will go with 4.
(4)Carly M.
I was really disappointed by our last Vanilla Bean experience (but we came after breakfast, so maybe that is the key). The two kids wanted mac & cheese, which was clearly labeled as Kraft in the menu. . . but for $5 they're making a tremendous profit. . . and my kids hardly ate any of it (they're spoiled with Annie's organic mac & cheese, so the Kraft was a huge bummer). My husband ordered a walleye filet sandwich, and I had a BLT and both were exactly "Meh. I've experienced better" and again, at nearly $10 for a BLT I expected better. The bacon was rubbery and they mayo tasted off. For what we paid I would've expected at least fries with it. So the moral of this story. . . when I am an old woman living in Two Harbors I will eat my breakfasts at The Vanilla Bean and make my own damn BLTs.
(2)J S.
Ate at the vanilla on recommendation of a friend. Found the menu extensive and the breakfasts (served only until 11:30) plentiful and varied had the straight-up eggs/toast/hashbrowns. Food was good but the service was VERY slow - waited to be seated even though there was no line and tables open, and food was slow coming out of the kitchen - maybe more help?
(3)Robert A.
excellent food. nice restaurant. good service
(5)Matt T.
This place is over priced for the food you get. I got the walleye and it came with a small condiment size container of baked beans, a cold slice of bread, and 2 child size pieces of fish.
(1)Kim B.
Had lunch for 4 here 1/2/12. Nice wood booths, antique bar area, old paneling - cuter inside than out. had soup and sandwhich special, veggie burger, and regular burger. All good. Reasonable prices for this area, which runs high. Recommend as a good lunch stop
(4)Gabriel S.
Ok my main problem was the omelet. It was very good but I feel it needed cheese to be an omelet and mine didnt. I got the vegi one and it was very good but I was annoyed that they didnt say it didnt come with cheese and that it didnt. I have never had this experience before. My mom had the vegi burger that was very good and the soup was very good. Ok Overall the food was great and the coffee is very good. They have nice art work and the staff is friendly. I just wanted cheese and I was annoyed that I didnt get any but then again I didnt ask. I will go there again. Maybe for something different.
(3)Bill W.
Food=average; service=slow; ambiance=very clean, nice. Over all, nothing special. Our waitress was slow and didn't even run down the specials for us.
(2)Beth F.
If you want gourmet, you won't find it here. But if you appreciate simple food with fresh ingredients that have been prepared with care, this is the spot. We stopped here for lunch over the weekend with my parents and I can't wait to come back! It's in a super location (on the right side of the road when you're driving north on Hwy 61 up the north shore), the servers are genuine and friendly and the food was great. I had the pesto chicken sandwich. The chicken breast by itself was nothing special (it was moist, but somewhat plain). But the homemade honey oat bread that was perfectly toasted sent me into a fit of carbolicious heaven and the combination of fixings were perfectly in sync with each other: a fresh, sliced tomato, creamy pesto sauce, crisp spinach leaves and crumbles of feta cheese. Yum. My mom ordered the pasty and loved it. My dad ordered the wild rice chili (!) and loved it. My fiance ordered the Cobb Salad with a side of the wild rice chili (!) and loved it. He let me taste the wild rice chili (!) and I also loved it!! And then the four of us split their specialty dessert: the caramel pecan bread pudding that is topped with a burnt-sugar caramel sauce, whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon. It was very rich and quite good. But I'm glad we shared because it probably would have been too much otherwise.
(5)Carrie D.
Oven baked omelets are the BEST! My boyfriend couldn't even finish his there is so much food (he couldn't remember ever not finishing a meal at a restaurant) Just when you think it can't get any better the toast is their own homemade bread. WOW. Would be 5 stars but dinner was so-so. Go for breakfast.
(4)Kristina K.
If the food hadn't been good, this would've been two stars. When we arrived, there were several couples ahead of us waiting to be seated, even though there were multiple tables open. The staff were a bit short with us and did not seem to be in much of a hurry (more in a disorganized way than a small-town way). I had the pumpkin pancakes and that made me feel much happier. Delicious! Seemed to be more tourists than locals eating there.
(3)Susie R.
Yes the breakfast menu is unique enough to peak your interest in trying something new for Eggs sake, Wait staff could have been more attentive and more little townish. It is more of a grown up type place but is ok for family of 3 or less
(4)