Want some beer with those eggs?

The 411

Always known as a popular place for late night drinks, Reservoir recently began to add food options and a brunch menu on weekends. You can still order beer with breakfast, something I’ve always wanted to do, but all drinking jokes aside Reservoir serves up some very original plates and is a place you should check out.

At 1st glance

Reservoir has always been a hit for a good pint and a good time, and now that it offers brunch it takes its somewhat laid back feel and applies it to a nice weekend morning. To begin with it is wheelchair accessible with a ramp to get in, and although the slope is steep and the washrooms are not wheelchair accessible, they get points for at least trying which is more than other places do. The decor is nice, not too fancy, but comfortable with classic wood chairs, tables and a big bar with a micro brew behind glass. There are big windows that in the summer open up and let you see and hear what’s happening on Duluth. There is a 2nd floor with an open air terrace, although it was closed when we went. We got there at 11:00 and found a nice spot by the widow, although not even 30 minutes later an increasingly long line started to form, so make sure you don’t show up too late or you are likely to wait.

Food

The menu is very different from other places I have been to. The emphasis is less on classic egg based plates but more on fish and or meat based plates with breakfast touches. I would say it leans more towards a mix of dinner and breakfast. Some plates had blood pudding, while others had cod or even tuna as a main ingredient. Don’t be scared off by this as there are some classic breakfast staples like a 3 “thick” pancake stack ($11.00) with a sweet sauce on it, and a brioche or Dulce de Leche ($5.00). We had the more classic omelette ($11.00) with eggplant and veggies. There was also a yogourt with an apple sauce and a thin brownie slice for $5.00 (this is a good option and you should definitely try it). One interesting plate was the 2 eggs with sweet bread and smoked lard ($12.00). Although the thought of smoked lard may seem disgusting it was actually quite good and not too salty and wow was it thick. I took a close-up picture of it below, and as you can see it basically looks like a massive piece of bacon. There were no free refills on coffee ($2.50), which would of been nice, and the fruit juice was fresh but not worth the $5.00. The omelette was really good, the yogourt was amazing, and I enjoyed the 2 eggs plate; if you’re going to get the 2 eggs plate and plan to skip the smoked lard you should just order something else as the rest of the plate may not fill you. I should also mention that you can have beer with the food: we split a pint of white ($5.00) and as odd as it seemed to have beer for breakfast it works here, so if you haven’t had you fill from the night before no need to stop in the A.M.

Service

Service was really good and they did an excellent job of explaining the menu. They were, however, severely understaffed and the place was jammed pack, although they did pass by and right in time for us to get the bill. One should also note that payment is done at the bar and not at the table, so you need to wait for someone to be free to help you, which could take some time if they’re busy.

Vegetarian

This place is vegetarian friendly and the omelette is a good choice as well as the pancakes. Only a few plates really have meat in them and some plates have fish so if your pesco-vegetarian you’re safe. Vegans on the other hand have likely very little to chose from and I don’t even think they have a fruit cup on the menu.

Wrap up

Reservoir gets points for its original menu, ambiance and the fact you can order beer with your meal. Although the price is a little more than what I’m used to you do get quality food items like fish, which is naturally more expensive so it does makes sense to charge a little more. Truth be told, other places charge more and don’t justify it on the plate like Reservoir does. I would like to see one or more classic breakfast items as the classic list is limited; now don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that they think outside the box on the menu, it’s just that I’m a touch old school with my brunch.

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Price	$$$	<$15
Overall		3.5/5
Wheelchair Access		1/3

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