Caribou Restaurant & Wine Bar

Our favourite restaurant

Caribou restaurant is our restaurant of choice. Whether it is just a small group of us or a large group in for a party Caribou is the place to be. Personally I manage a local hotel and we send our guests there time after time. The food is excellent and consistant whether it is just their gourmet pizza's or full dinner entre's. Desserts are to die for especially the creme framboise. The service is always personable and efficient. Their wine list is the best in town and they have won many awards. Its a great dining experience.

Terrible service. No black olives, no gluten-free pasta or gluten-free soya sauce!

The Caribou Restaurant was busy so host sent us to the bar to wait for a table. The bartenders made eye contact with us a multiple times but none asked us if we wanted anything. We sat at the bar for over 15 minutes watching the bartenders walk by. Every time they would look at us yet, they didn't stop to even say hello, much less take a drink order. I finally called to one of them and asked if anyone was going to help us. He looked a bit ashamed and apologized and asked what we wanted. My wife ordered a cosmopolitan (she said it was nice) I asked if they could make a special martini for me. They said 'sure' so I asked if they had any black olives. They said no. Even the kitchen didn't have any (!!?). A supposed 'top quality bistro/restaurant' in Thunder Bay without black olives? Anyway, I didn't get my custom martini. I instead chose an Argentinian Malbec. It was very nice especially for the price. The table was slow in coming so we asked the bartender to take our food order. He did and we waited. ..and waited. ... and .... oh, finally our appetizer arrived. It was prosciutto wrapped shrimp. A nice start, very flavorful. We ate it at the bar. Our entrees took another 40 minutes. The host came by to take us to the table. We had to carry our own drinks (to the table). We waited some more. Finally our waitress introduced herself and took care of the rest of our dinner. I had the seafood paella it was nice -a little dry and not flavorful enough. I make a nicer one at home. My wife had a spicy chicken. Nothing outstanding. It was supposed to be an East Indian dish. It somehow tasted 'dumbed down' for western appetites. Dessert was a creme brule with berries on top. They comped that for us because it was my wife's birthday. Other places I've enjoyed have comped two desserts or aperitifs on an occasion such as a birthday. Somehow I felt not appreciated. We didn't complain. Paid our bill. Gave a nice tip (Always tip well). And left. I'd eat there again only because I live in Thunder Bay and the choices for world-class food is pretty much nil. So, Caribou gets more of my business than I'd like because they're one of the best of a poor selection of places to eat. Be warned: This place has NO PRIVACY. It is LOUD. and there are no buffer zones between the tables. It's a small town so people will interrupt your meal to say hello or introduce you to a friend or business interest. If you want quiet and intimate go somewhere else (good luck finding it in Thunder Bay) or stay at home.

OVERPRICED

I have dined here twice and feel it is completely overpriced for the portion size and taste factors. I have dined in other establishments that fared much better...I know my food and the qualities in taste and was disappointed both times, and the portions very small. Love the wines though, great selection, staff is always great and atmosphere very, very appealing.

Every year my boyrfirend and I go here for the...

Every year my boyrfirend and I go here for the Valentine's dinner, and it is ALWAYS delicious! The crab croquettes are to die for and their mushroom chicken was absolutely delicious. We've only gone there once outside of this since we're students and don't always have the money to eat out somewhere like Caribou, but we were quite suprised when the bill was only about 40 dollars! For a delicious meal that is not bad at all! I highly recommend it for a laid back yet sophisticated dinner date!

Been there several times before. Unlike a friend...

Been there several times before. Unlike a friend of ours who goes there two to three times a week, we go there less often but every time, we have enjoyed the food, the service and the ambience. Very lively. I like the fact that they keep changing the menus. Surprisingly their wood-oven pizzas are excellent (my daughter ordered one). I had their lamb and my wife had the chicken. Everything was great. Our friends had the wine and they thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely, a reliable place to go for good food and great ambience.

the food is always great.. the service is even...

the food is always great.. the service is even better! i love the athmosphere. its a great place to get together with family and friends, to catch up over a wonderful meal :)

Fabulous!

Haven't been in a while but they impressed again! New menu items were wonderful (duck, yucatan pork and veal saltimbocca). The wine list is amazing, the drinks fantastic and the service great. This is one of my favourite places to entertain out-of-town guests to show them that Thunder Bay can kick it up a notch!

Very nice

Nice place. First time. Should have booked ahead. Thursday night and had to eat at the bar but very comforatable and the staff made the night. Ahi tuna starter with wasabi jus was very nice. Duck was cooked to perfection. Choc torte was good but needed more custard as was a bit dry for my taste. Jewel of TB.

I have been there numerous times, and I had...

I have been there numerous times, and I had always enjoyed my food, but there is nothing special about it, especially for the price. The servers have varied, some were nice, others were snotty and they seem to think that they shouldn't care about the tables who have young adults seated at them because they probably assume that they won't get as large of a tip (which isn't true). There is no problem with the food, just boring. They also have the same exact menu as they did about 4 years ago, which doesn't make people want to continue to come back. Overall nice setting, but it is boring, there are better places for less money.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the friendly...

I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the friendly prompt service we received at the bar and once at our table. Loved the food. Scallops were slightly underdone but were tasty. The seafood linguine was superb. I really liked the martini menu. This was my first time to dine at Caribou but definitely not my last. I will definitely visit again.

Excellent food. The calmari was so good as well...

Excellent food. The calmari was so good as well as the fillet. I would order again and again. Every time I have come to the Caribou it has been an excellent time. The waitstaff are wonderful. We had an excellent server, she was sweet without being too annoying and fake friendly. Excellent time and time again.

I love Caribou. It is one of my favourite fancy...

I love Caribou. It is one of my favourite fancy lunch or dinner out. The food is superb, service impeccable and atmosphere fabulous. Had a lot of lousy service & food in TBay but Caribou is fantastic.

We had a lovely meal, good wine, but the prices...

We had a lovely meal, good wine, but the prices are WAY too high!! Everything was very tasty and the atmosphere was fab!!!

Wow. This restaurant looks a lot more impressive than the dining experience it produces. When we asked the bartender at the Keg what the best fine dining establisment in Thunder Bay was, he recommended The Caribou. (it wasn't until later that we discovered they are both owned by the same people) Service was slow and unattentive, pizza was tough and tasteless, pasta gummy and way over-salted. We did enjoy the wine and free hummus offered before the meal. We should have stopped there. The dessert was nice but not enough to make up for a wasted night in Thunder Bay.

We entered an atmosphere that was way to loud waited for 15 minutes to get a drink order we were then informed by the wait staff that the wine we choose they didnt agree with as a pairing with our entree the waitress was rude and condessending the service time was atroshise and the food was over cooked and under seasoned i will not return when you spend over a hundred an dinner you have expectations and they were not met very dissapointed and i will never recommend this place ever

we arrived really nice atmosphere and it took along time for our server to come and seat us and when ordering a wine the server told us it was a bad choice and tried to up sell us an a more expensive bottle and we were informed the server did not even drink the service was terrible and it was as if we were not even welcomed in this establishment the food could have been so much better the plating was nice but that was the only thing

only one word to describe the food, service and the wine. AMAZING!

The Caribou on this evening and basically every time I go there was perfect. I cant remember what I ate but I remember it was a great experience the night of my Birthday.

Because the staff, after much consulting, could not find our reservation for 6PM(made 3 days in advance) we waited in the lobby while they came up with a seating for us, about 20 min.I was considering leaving and going to another restaurant.They did appologize and manage to get us seated.We did not start eating until 7PM.The Crab Cakes were not objectionable, the soup was a little bland with crunchy asparagus pieces in it.The salad was hot with garlic, just the way I like it, and the Salmon was excellent. The Barramundi came with 2 types of sauces, very tantalizing. The deserts were worth savoring over coffees.The last time we went for an 8PM dinner and had to sit at the bar for an hour before being seated, it seams to be aproblem. I would recommend it for the food and the wait staff were very friendly and attentive without being intrusive.

Food was great and the service was wonderful, however the price of the food was crazy.