Zeitgeist Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Duluth

First, I want to state that I was upset due to the cross-contamination of vegan food. This was a significant issue for my guest, who has a food allergy to red meat and pork. To be fair, they should have informed the staff when ordering, but they didn't, assuming that ordering a vegan dish would be safe.

The service was good, and the waitstaff did what they were supposed to do when I brought the issue to their attention. Part of our vegan dish was cooked on a grill where animal products were also cooked. Our waitress informed the cook about the problem, and he confirmed that the bread had been cooked on the same grill as meat.

When I spoke with the cook about this, I tried to convey my concern over the potential cross-contamination. I mentioned that either the food was being mislabeled as vegan due to the cooking methods, or there was a risk of cross-contamination that should be addressed. The cook didn’t seem to think it was a problem and wasn’t really open to discussing it further. I understand that he might have seen it differently, but I believe this is something important that needs attention.

According to the Vegan Society food guide for food providers: "Caterers that want to describe products as suitable for vegans must avoid cross-contamination for the description not to be misleading. They should adopt sensible and reasonable practices in food storage, preparation, and cooking, including not using the same grill, fat fryer, etc., for both meat and vegan products because of the real risk of cross-contamination."

As for the restaurant's cleanliness, we arrived at 4:45 PM, and there were only six customers in the restaurant at the time. While all above-floor surfaces were clean, the floor was filthy, with thick black buildup on the walking paths and crumbs throughout. This level of uncleanliness, especially with so few customers present, was disappointing.

The food tasted fine, and the presentation was very good. I would recommend that the cook not water down the bisque, as texture is a conductor of flavor, and adding water, which has no flavor, is not a good idea.

For others considering this restaurant, I would suggest a rating of about 3.5 stars as a fair assessment of the food quality and cleanliness—higher for food quality, but lower for cleanliness.

Needless to say, I will not...

Very disappointing, portion sizes way too small for the high prices, bland food, staff seem uninterested in their jobs.

The reviews for this restaurant looked great so we got reservations for a Friday night. When we arrived, there was only one other table occupied in the entire restaurant. On a Friday night the place was empty. The waitress brought over menus and we ordered 2 drinks and 2 orders of the whitefish pot pie. The drinks were good but the food was shockingly bad. The potion size was tiny for the $30 cost. I couldn't find a single whole piece of whitefish in my food and although the ingredients seemed fresh, the food was bland. We paid the bill and left. The staff were all standing around the bar chatting and nobody acknowledged us as we left. We ended up leaving hungry and went through the Taco Bell drive through on the way back to the hotel, which is not something you should have to do after paying $120 for dinner. This place seems new, but they clearly have some kinks to work out. If your potion sizes are so small, you should probably serve some bread with it, or something more substantial. If I had known I was paying $30 for less than 1 cup of pot pie and a piece of puff pastry, I never would have eaten here. If your restaurant is dead on a Friday night, bring in some happy hour specials or consider lowering your prices. For what it is worth, several of the restaurants down the street...

Read the mission statement description on the menu title page that includes the words"Deversity, Equity, and Inclusion". Sounds good, but why does this always include staff with brightly colored hair and too many ear/nose rings? Why does it feel like we are being judged by staff in these places like we may not be good enough to associate with the mall? All of this is good and fine until you sit down with your family of four for dinner. Your family begins to eat, finishes their meal, and you or I am still waiting for our steak. Curious, I walked down the stairs near the kitchen to hear a conversation that my meal was not started at all. Well, or at least at the same time as my family's, gr! I waited about thirty odd minutes. My family done with their meal, I received my meal(see attached photo full pate and empty plates) The floor manager was great dealing with their mistake taking my meal of the tab. The bartender was not very understanding, making a comment, "Well, working in a restaurant you would know what it can be like." My point is; Food was great, most staff had good intentions, but if a person doesn't focus on their basic job, all efforts are for not. Their mission statement, the nice restaurant, the staff, the discounted meal, etc. means nothing when my poor experience is all I can remember. Always focus on the very important details of your job/mission and your goals will always fall...