On a recent trip up to the North Shore, we decided to take a break from the camping and hiking and spend a night in Duluth. Â Immediately, thoughts of craft beer and good food entered my mind....so it was off to Yelp to see what I could find. Â Ultimately it came between Fitger's and Canal Park Brewing...but the better reviews for Fitger's made it the winner. Â While it isn't located right on Canal Park, it's a fairly short jaunt north up the boardwalk. Â When we arrived, we were seated in a backroom that offered views of the brewers and their brewery equipment - cool! Â We ordered a flight to sample 7 of their beers, and I ended up getting a glass of their Gooseberry Gose, and wanting to get some fish - the whitefish burger.
Positives:
-Awesome location. Â It's not smack in the middle of the touristy Canal Park, but a close walk if you're in that area.
-Fantastic and unique food. Â The whitefish burger was fresh and crisp...very tasty. Â The Elk burger sounded good too, but I'll have to save that for next time. Â Beer battered fries were quite good as well.
-Great beer and wide selection. Â If you're a big beer guy like me, Fitger's is heaven...and they have a gose beer, which definitely is not a style you see a lot of.
-Head downstairs for a brewery tour, or go to the shop to buy a growler and some Fitger's shirts.
Negatives:
-None....this is exactly what I'd want in a brewpub.
Great food and brews within walking distance of Canal Park? Â Fitger's has made my list of must-stop places while up on the North Shore.
I seriously can't get enough of this place. Every time I head north, whether to the beautiful city of Duluth or further, Fitger's is always ALWAYS a stop. I love the hip atmosphere as well as the neat retail building it is a part of. The servers are young and cool always with excellent customer service.
I must start with the beer obviously, which is fantastic! They have very clever brew masters who know how to whip those hops and wheat into shape!
They usually have 12-14 beers on tap (and one root beer!) with about half of them never changing. They offer a few cask choices as well as one tap on nitrogen. The beers are $5 unless it's happy hour (which may have changed from 241s to just a buck off), but they are worth it.
Some of my standard favorites include the Wildfire Ale-beer infused with chilies (not for the weak), Apricot Wheat-yay fruit, and El Nino IPA- just perfect. I've had countless others that rotate, the most recent one being Red Wheat and Blue, a beer created using 500 pounds of blueberries and raspberries, it's like sparkling juice with a kick!
They have some good whiskey and wine choices if beer isn't your thing, but I suggest you try a different place if you aren't going to get beer at a brewery.
Oh now the food, while I really haven't ever tried anything else here, the Wild Rice Veggie Burger is probably one of the best foods I've ever eaten. It is big, thick, flavorful and amazing. You can choose three different styles, I've had the Gale Force-blue cheese, jalapenos, onions, garlic mayo, and greens, and the Pub Style-mushrooms, onions, swiss cheese, and the best ever chipotle pepper sauce. Both freaking awesome and completely different. A huge side of beer-battered fries comes with it (but you can sub tortilla chips w/salsa, salad, veggies for no cost). These are the only fries I will eat anymore, they are just so damn good. All this for $9.99, yes.
On top of all this, they have a stage, usually with calming blues or folk. Charlie Parr plays there all the time! Very intimate and romantic for late night.
Aw, beer, blues, and Lake Superior.
Out of a party of 6 everyone loved their lunch except me.
Wish I would've gotten the wild rice burger.
Had the Lake Superior Whitefish burger. It was thin and dry. It is a new menu item that isn't on the website. Maybe they will fix it? I will post a photo.
I was told the beef burgers where fabulous along with the cobb salad and ultimate nachos. The fries are really good. No kidding. Don't skip them.
We ordered two different desserts. One was the carrot cake, and I wish we would've tried the Chocolate Stout cake instead. Just didn't have that special something... The size of the chocolate chip cookie sundae was a surprise. Â Warm cookie took up the entire dinner plate and had 2 + scoops of Haagen Daz ice cream in the middle. Now that was good!
2 out of 3 liked the house brewed root beer. The third said it was too sweet.
Wish I could comment on the regular beer, but alas, we were halfway on our drive up north.
Our server and service were good and we enjoyed sitting in the window seat by the kitchen. We could watch the staff work hard or peek outside at the passerby's on the sidewalk and patio. We were originally sat in a side room to the left of the bar that seemed dark and an afterthought. They were happy to move us when I requested.
Nice place to stop when you are going through Duluth or shopping the Fitger's mall. Not as busy as Grandma's in high tourist traffic Canal Park and probably better food.
the bad:
so busy that the waitress was not super personal. Â she got the job done but that's it.
the good:
the food!! Â we had the wild rice veggie burger and my husband and i both agreed that it was the best veggie burger we'd ever had! Â we weren't expecting to have such a pleasant vegetarian option (usually have to scan the menu for what would still be good even if they hold the meat). Â it had great flavor & texture and was not too mushy like some veggie burgers can be. Â the beer-batter fries were also really great, as was their root beer. Â my husband was very impressed with his choice of beer. Â
we are overall huge fans of fitger's.
even though it was really busy, the waitress was still efficient and we were not left waiting too long at any point.
The best place to eat in all of Duluth for one delicious reason....
the Wild Rice Burger!!
Among other vegetarian offerings and a wide array of beers comes the stand out star of the Fitger's menu.
The Harvest Moon Wild Rice Burger which according to the menu is "a secret blend of Minnesota wild rice, herbs and spices make this veggie burger one of a kind. Served on a multigrain bun."
It is served 3 ways:
Classic - Topped with cheddar cheese, sprouts, tomatoes, red onion and garlic mayonnaise.
Pub Style - Topped with sauteed mushrooms, onions, Swiss cheese and our homemade chipotle pepper sauce.
Gale Force - Topped with Amish bleu cheese, jalepeños, red onions,
garlic mayonnaise and field greens.
It's delicious and by far the best "veggie burger" you will ever eat. (And it comes with amazing beer-battered fries!)
Fitger's Brewhouse is in the Fitger's complex with other shops and dining.
They also have an Inn if you are looking for a place to stay (however I haven't stayed so cannot review the hotel)
We headed North early and hit this restaurant just as it opened at 11 on Saturday. I sense a new tradition. This is a beautiful restaurant. Although a huge menu, I opted for a whitefish salad. It comes with a smoky type dressing, yet I got a maple vinegrette that worked perfectly. They align the salad ingredients very artistically, with a row of fish, eggs, and carrots on top of the delicious greens. First I got the Saturday soup which is Italian sausage corn chowder. It was as good as it sounds. So many are attracted to the variety of beers. They are also generous with the non drinkers and offer the most delicious rootbeer I've ever had, on tap of course. Only complaint, it was just cold enough. Needs to be colder, and I would never add ice to rootbeer. Basil had a burger that looked fabulous, but I was so satisfied I had no desire to try it. Service was just as good.
Review Source:Hipsters. Waitress is so anxious to close out her tab that she hustles us to finish and run the card. Fine, I get it. Then she hustles me for the signature. I'm pretty sure you already ran the card and it's linked to your tip-tab as I see your name on the receipt. I could probably sit here all night and then sign it and I'm 99% sure you'd still get your (measly) tip because the check is now under your name. But whatever. I now have to order my drinks at the bar five feet away. Oh, you want to see my ID again? After I just sat right in front of you and drank a few pints plus that whole beer sampler. Well, okay. An F for situational awareness. Oh, you closed it out right away? Then I guess I won't stay for a while and drink. Maybe if I had a mohawk/dreadlock combo look going on or wore thicker-framed glasses I would complete the "vibe" and all would be well? Whatever, I'm only here for the weekend and there are way too many other places to check out to justify coming here again.
Review Source:Stayed at Fitger's Inn during our trip to Duluth so this was our first stop for happy hour after checking in. The layout is odd but the atmosphere was good, noisy and vibrant. The wait staff was very helpful, checking on us often and giving great advice on the beers. We only had a hummus appetizer which was good, but nothing special. The real reason for the visit was to sample the beer offerings. We started out with a flight of seven beers. Although their lineup is laden with pale ales, there were also several very out of the box beers including a saison brewed with peppercorns, an apricot blonde, and a couple cask ales; one brewed with hemp and the other aged in red wine barrels. Every beer I tasted was quality. This place is a must for craft beer snobs.
Review Source:I've eaten here close to a dozen times and have always had a great experience. The food is excellant. I usually get their fish tacos, which can only be topped by their other place, Burrito Union. The last two times I've ate there I had their new Drunken Cowboy burger. It's cooked to perfection. Juicy burger with some sort of really tasty sauce and the crunch of the onions. I highly suggest it. Their home brewed root beer is perfect. Their beers are really good and they have a great variety. There's really not much to complain about except the occasional wait to come in, but that's because it's a good place to dine.
Review Source:Really nice but small space. A coworker and I visited during a business trip based on some  hype from locals. I ordered the cowboy burger, the reason why was because it uses highland cattle beef which is supposed to be tastier. They did a nice job with the burger I must say. My coworker had the fish and chips, he loved them mainly because he hardly gets fish at home.
We sampled various brews, in particular was one that was brewed with chilies! It was a spicy drink, thank you our dear server for having us try it prior to ordering a full glass! If you are in Duluth I recommend this place.
Went for lunch...
 My first time here.
 We were seated immediately.
 We sat in a loft space above the regular seating area.  Even though there were fans, it was super-hot and really dimly lit (at least too dim for 1pm!).
 The service was super fast and we got our food quickly.
 Food was good, not great.  Although I didn't have it, my cousin's favorite is the Chicken Caesar salad.  I had a burger.
I love going to this place. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed and the beer is amazing. My favorite is either their oatmeal stout or apricot wheat. $5 for a tall glass. Have yet to try one of their brews that I haven't liked. There is usually some sort of indie-folk type band playing. One complaint is that it's usually hotter than Hades in the upstairs area, but I'm one of those people that is always cold so I enjoy the warmth.
Also, the poles around the bar plastered with stickers and taped-up school photos are pretty entertaining to look at.
Wild rice burger & homemade root beer- spot on. I was super hungry and it filled me up. I did not need a side appetizer....
Tried a sip of the apricot (?) beer, and it is delicious. The price is great. My only really complaint was the lighting, but I am not letting that affect my rating.
Second time I've had the wild rice burger and it was deeelish! Â Waitress didn't hesitate to accommodate our requests for a side salad and cold slaw instead of fries and didn't charge extra. Â The side salad was really good too! Â My husband had the elk burger and he loved that too. Â We did have to wait an hour but it was hubby's birthday and this is where he wanted to go. Â Very nice wait staff and waiting in the Fitger's hallway provided good people watching opportunities on a Friday night!
Review Source:I love when a place lives up to the hype. Â
We chose our hotel based on the positive reviews of Fitger's. Â Not much I can add that hasn't already been said. Â This has to be one of the best brewery/eateries I've ever been to. Â Do yourself a favor and get a pint of whatever they have on cask. Â Not many places serve cask beer and it is a real treat.
Food was great and well priced. Â It was busy but our service was good. Â The staff was really hauling ass to get the job done. Â I can't wait until I am in town again to swing by and have another pint.
Great restaurant to stop in for a beer and a good burger or sandwich. Fairly large selection of the amazing Fitger's beers, seasonal taps, and above-average burgers.
The food came quick, but the wait service was slow on my visit. Even though it was slow in the restaurant, it took a long time to even get my drink order after being seated. The service was very friendly though, it just could have been a bit more attentive.
There are several burgers and sandwiches on the menu. The elk burger was outstandingly juicy and the bourbon mustard was mouthwatering; I just wish the burger was larger than 1/3 pound (large enough as it was but I wanted more!), and a side of that mustard for dipping would have been fantastic. If you are a fan of sweet potato fries definitely try them here; not greasy in the least and crisp on the outside while tender on the inside.
They have a beer for everyone, ranging from light to dark and everything in between. The seasonal brews are amazing so don't pass up the opportunity to get a pint of the specialty.
Desserts are enormous and the carrot cake is amazing. But if you are a fan of chocolate on chocolate try the chocolate stout cake (large enough to share with your entire table).
The restaurant is nested in the Fitger's complex and an attached parking ramp is available. The restaurant validates ramp parking for up to 2 hours but metered street parking is also available. In the complex is also the Fitger's gift store that has clothes and goodies.
To this day still my favorite brewery! Â The mix of great food, wonderful location, delicious beer, and often times live blue grass by Mr. Charlie Parr makes this still one of my favorite spots in Duluth. Â Added bonus because it is often times so cold in Duluth you can't imagine leaving your house or going down to the lake, they will deliver growlers right to your door!
Their Apricot Wheat is out of this world! Â All the beers are great though so try flights. Â The food is bar fare with a twist; they don't want you to have the same old thing every time. Â A must-try while you are in Duluth but don't be surprised when there is a wait. Â Grab a drink and relax you'll be happy you did! Â Or you can always check out the other shops and bars in the plaza to kill some time.
We were fans of Fitger's beer long before ever stepping foot in the brewery because we'd had the chance to sample it at a few beer festivals. So we were excited to be able to go to the source. We made it just in time for last call and had apricot ale, which was as excellent as I remember and even better fresh on tap. The bartender was very nice and had a really great easy-going rapport with everyone in the place from first-time customers like us to regulars to the entertainment.
Unfortunately, we barely made last call, so we didn't get much time to hang or to try anything else. But the place radiated cool. I would love to spend some more time there or maybe see someone amazing play there. Sure we will be back.
As vegans, we think this is a great place to dine. Â We usually get their bean burritoes without cheese or sour cream and we're not disappointed with the flavor. Â I'd like to see them add vegan sour cream or Daiya dairy-free cheddar to their offerings, but the burrito is still good without them. Â We pay extra and get some guacamole. Â Their lettuce salad with mushrooms is also great.
Review Source:We just love this place and make at least one visit when in Duluth. Stoked that they are opening a location in MPLS. Â The bloody marys are wonderful and they come with a snit!
The food is fantastic; sandwiches, wild rice burgers, salads. Â Everything is great!
The staff is wonderful. Â
They have flights too! I think there are seven snits in a flight!!!! Â The El Nino is a great IPA but the seasonals are always fun to try!
A great place to meet old and new friends.
I am in love with Fitger's. Â My guy and I went up to Duluth for the night, and we ended up going there for lunch...having WAY too many (delicious) beers, and then staying for dinner.
Come for the beers (The IPA, Double IPA, Oatmeal Stout, and Apricot Ale were amazing....the Wildfire (habenero infused beer, anyone??) was worth a sample for those who like a little--a lot--of heat. Â
The views are nice. Â The bartenders are very friendly.
The food was awesome. Â We started out with a plate of battered fries and the chili dip. Â Tastetastic. Â A few hours (and a few friends made and delish beers drunk) later, we had dinner. Â
HAVE THE FISH TACOS. Â THEY WERE A PARTY IN OUR MOUTHS!! Â (sorry for yelling, but this place makes me emotional--in a good way). Â My BF had some sort of fish wrap. Â We both thought it to be kinda gross....but that was kind of his fault for not ordering what people recommended. Â (fish tacos and wild rice burgers).
I wish we could have a place like that nearby--but I'd go broke developing good-beer alcoholism.
This place is an absolute must if you're in Duluth. Â They have a great variety of beer, and I've loved every one that I've tried except for one - described as having a "warm finish" and made with chiles, it tasted awful and was like drinking hot sauce. Â That experience notwithstanding, Fitger's is a great spot. Â The food is above-average bar food (great wild rice burgers).
Pick up a growler of your favorite beer(s) to take home too.
We stopped at Fitgers on the way back from a weekend up north. Â The layout of the building is very confusing, and once we found the actual restaurant (there are separate bars and a gift shop all owned by the same brewery as well), we had to wait quite a while for a table. Â Luckily the beer in the meantime did not disappoint. Â I was glad to learn that Fitgers also brews its own root beer-I had one of these as I was driving. Â
The fries' reputation preceeds them, so we were sure to order some and they did not disappoint. Â Likewise the onion rings and nachos were pretty good, especially with homemade ranch. Â My barbecue chicken patty melt was decent, but nothing to write home about.
Overall Fitgers has solid food offerings and my friends were pleased with the beers.
We were searching on Yelp for a good place to grab a bite and found Fitger's had a ton of great reviews.
We made our way there and found a place to park on the street. Â We asked for a table and didn't have to wait since there were only two of us (there was a list of names that had 3 or more, it was Grandma's weekend). Â
We decided on the Pub Burger (w/fries) and the Harvest Moon Wild Rice Burger (sans bun w/chips & salsa). Â
The burger was awesome! Â Tasty, juicy, flavorful and well balanced. Â The seasoning was just right with grilled onions, mushrooms and melted Swiss; it could've used more chipotle pepper sauce though (needed a little more kicked). Â The rice burger was great for those that want a meat alternative. Â It was tasty and moist, not dry like many other vegan burgers out there. Â
Nothing to really complain about here! Â Good and quick service. Â I got extra fries since a bunch of my fries decided that the floor was a better place to hang out.
You've got to hit this place for good pub food and a great pint of local brew.
As an alum of UMD, I couldn't wait to bring my craft-brew-loving boyfriend to the Brewhouse on a recent visit to Duluth. Â It wasn't as good as I remembered - it was even better.
In college, Fitger's Brewhouse was a cool place to hang: good beer, life-altering battered fries, quality music (gotta love Charlie Parr nights!), and an ambiance that makes you feel cooler than you are. Â Years later, all of these things are still true.
On our most recent visit, the BF & I both dined on Fitger's famous wild rice burger, pub style with fries. Make no mistake: we're both meat-loving farm kids, but this burger is well worth going veg. Yum! And if you haven't already gathered from the other reviews DON'T SKIP THE FRIES!
We were celebrating the BF's birthday, so we also indulged and split a (very large) slice of carrot cake. Word to the wise: these desserts are large enough to share with an entire table of friends.
One thing I appreciated even more than I did as a Duluth resident: the beer!  My beer knowledge has expanded drastically since I was an undergrad, and Fitger's brews will satisfy even the most discerning beer lover.  We started sipping at the neighboring Red Star (while waiting for a table) and continued with dinner. Between the two of us we tried almost everything on the board: Starfire pale ale, apricot wheat, El Niño double-hopped IPA, Witchtree ESB, Peerless porter, Old Red Beard barley wine, and Big Boat oatmeal stout. While all were fairly tasty, we enjoyed the apricot wheat and oatmeal stout so much we took a growler of each home. (Fun fact: Fitger's has both traditional glass growlers and special Nalgene growlers, made for places where glass isn't welcome.)
Fitger's Brewhouse is a must-stop spot when you're on the North Shore. Be prepared to wait awhile (and have a brew while you do), but expect to leave full & happy.
If you ever find yourself in Duluth make sure to make a pit stop at Fitger's Brewhouse to grab a bite to eat or enjoy one of their many microbrewed ales. Â My friends and I stopped in here while passing through Duluth for a quick lunch. Â There's a parking ramp right next to their building (which they'll validate for you) or you can park in a metered spot on the street.
For lunch I ordered their chicken patty melt which was excellent and served on a buttered/toasted bun. Â I'd never guess that chicken would make a good substitute for a beef patty but this sandwich was really good. Â I also ordered the beer battered fries with my patty melt which also tasted great. Â Because it was the middle of the day (and we also had to drive afterwards) I only ordered one pint of Fitger's Lighthouse golden ale which went great with my sandwich. Â
Fitger's serves good food, has great views of Lake Superior and is far out of the Duluth's downtown core to not be a hassle to get to. Â Definitely worth checking out if you're on the North Shore.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.
Get the Wild Rice Burger - Pub style! It is the only thing I ever order... it's that good. And it comes with the most deliciously crisp beer battered french fries.
Many nights they have live music (which is always a treat). It gets pretty busy on the weekend so expect a wait, but they are nice enough to let you walk around the building and shop while you wait and they can give you a call when your table is ready. ( and the building has some great shops to check out)
And they brew their own beer with an ever changing selection. The servers are very knowledgeable about all of them.
Parking is always easy as the complex has a parking ramp, and The brewhouse will validate. :)
Can I eat & drink here everyday? Â Yikes, this places makes delicious food & brews ever better beer. Â Fitger's Brewhouse is located in downtown Duluth, overlooking the shores of Lake Superior. Â They typically carry a rotating combination of 20 of their beers (between the Brewhouse, Red Star Lounge & Burrito Union), producing over 100+ styles each year!
My boyfriend and I went here for lunch, starting off with their 7 beer sampler, as we wanted a real taste of what they had in store. Â All of the beers were very unique, and my favorites went to the seasonal Apricot Wheat, and the El Nino Douple Hopped IPA. Â We ended up taking home a growler of the IPA, since we needed to keep drinking its deliciousness later on in the day.
And now onto the food. Â We both opted for fish, with myself going for the special of the day: Smoked trout on ciabatta bread, with lemon aioli & beer battered french fries. Â Talk about delicious! Â My boyfriend opted for the smoked fish salad, complete with wild rice, smoked trout, and a smoked dressing. Â I personally was not a huge fan of this dressing, but my boyfriend seemed to be very content.
I can't wait to make it back up here for more delicious eats, to refill our growler (& possibly buy another variety), and try out a few different seasonal beers!
Note: Parking can be a little bit of a pain, as its generally metered parking all around this area. Â Either park farther away to enjoy a nice walk, or make sure to bring quarters!
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