Lou’s Fish House in Two Harbors, Minnesota. I instantly fell in love with the fish neon.
Written by Brad Iwen
I came across a story about a 19 year old woman who owned a smoked fish market in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Being a huge advocate for the entrepreneurial spirit and, of course, being a lover of all things smoked, especially fish, I immediately added this fish house to my list. No, her name is not Lou, but as it turns out, there indeed was a Lou. He started smoking fish in the early 1970s in Duluth and decided to move the business to Two Harbors not long after. He achieved a lot of success over the decades and decided to sell the business in 2018.
Smoked fish case at Lou’s Fish House in Two Harbors, Minnesota.
Spreading some brown sugar rub on Sockeye Salmon.
Enter Ashleigh, the then 16 year old who had developed a passion for all things business in her DECA club at high school. She was really really into it, so much so that when the opportunity arose, she found a way to purchase the business and make a go at it. She said that she comes from a long line of entrepreneurs and her family is making things happen in Two Harbors as well. Her parents own a motel (right next door to Lou’s) and her sister owns a candy store (right across the street from Lou’s).
Ashleigh Swanson, owner of Lou’s Fish House in Two Harbors, Minnesota.
Eddy, the general manager and head smoker at Lou’s.
Eddy, the general manager/fish smoker/super nice guy, drives up from Duluth every day to smoke fish and make people happy. He walked us through his daily routine and showed us his process for smoking fish. He talked about brining the fresh fish, but no amount of arm twisting would get him to reveal what was actually in the brine. “It’s a trade secret”, he said. Lake Superior-caught Whitefish, Herring, and Lake Trout gets delivered by local fishermen every Friday during the busy season. But what about all of this delicious-looking Salmon we’re seeing getting prepped for the smoker? They have a special relationship with a local fisherman named Forrest Johnson that spends two months every summer in Bristol Bay, Alaska fishing for Sockeye Salmon. All of the Salmon at Lou’s comes from Forrest.
Forrest Johnson of Knife River, Minnesota holds a freshly caught Sockeye Salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Forrest supplies Lou’s with all of their Salmon.
They do a really nice brown sugar Salmon and a cajun smoked Salmon. The latter was both Eddy’s and Ashleigh’s favorite product that they sell. The rub is made by a local spice shop. I had both and I loved both. They are also famous for their smoked shrimp, local cheeses, and beef jerky, all of which can be ordered through their online store. They also have a nice selection of ice cream and assorted souvenirs.
We gathered up some smoked Lake Trout, Herring, Salmon and some local cheeses from Lou’s and had an amazing spread of food on the shores of Lake Superior.
Lou’s famous cajun smoked Salmon and smoked shrimp.
There are surprisingly few smoked fish markets on the North Shore between Duluth and Grand Portage, but this one should definitely be on the top of your list. And if you can’t make it up there for awhile, give Ashleigh or Eddy a call and get some of that delicious smoked goodness delivered right to your door. Click here for online ordering.