Looked promising from the outside and yelp reviews were solid, so in we went…read more To me, this was a 3.5*visit. Almost a 4, but not quite. It was not quite where I want a 4 rating to be for customer service. The food was solid, but the cost didn't quite match the delivery. We may have hit them on a bad day, don't know. It does seem to be popular with the town's people - lots of people visiting at other tables for a quick chat, which is nice to see.

The food made myself my husband sick. Unfortunately this is not a rare occurrence. Ive spoken to…read moreothers that avoid this restaurant do to either poorly cooked food, over cooked food or food that taste like it is going bad. We wanted to make are own judgment about this restaurant so we gave it a go. The rush to get home started soon after we left the restaurant. Its unfortunate because staff are so kind and helpful. I wish there cook or cooks were better trained. They may really make someone sick. Beside diarrhea and nausea that is! I have this restaurant 2 stars, it is for the wonderful wait staff.

Just a small shack on the side of Highway 169 as is snakes through the the south side of Bala…read more Small outdoor area with cool tree cover with seating for twenty. It's going to be a tight fit with just three tables of four. Hang on tight, it's a culinary delight of Canadian and American flavors! Start with the dry ribs. Amazing!!!!! Try some Jerk chicken poutine. Fantastic!!!! Another beer/wine/sparkling to cleanse the pallet. Your going to need it. Cesar salad to cool your tongue down, cold romain with house made dressing with just the right amount of anchovie for some light kick. Finished with fish and chips, light battered fillet atop a mound of fresh cut fries. Mac and cheese three with truffle oil and shallots. Flavor abounds! Fete du complete with their double chocolate brownie to end this flavor extravaganza. Wow.... How one Chef in a tiny cottage kitchen can produce this quality of food......I don't know how, but keep it coming. Outstandingl restaurant and staff.

Super impressed with Castle Blue. We've been coming to Bala for a few years now and for some reason…read morekeep passing by it unnoticed. Found it on yelp and decided to give it a try. Glad we did. Simple menus with something for everyone's tastes. We had the burger (which was indeed homemade), poutine (best in Bala), salad and the mac and cheese. Everyone was very pleased. When walking in - the small interior will throw you off but if the weathers right - the patio is awesome. Can't recommend this place enough if you're looking for affordable and something the kids will love. Service and food were top notch.

The Family Place is clearly a popular spot! There was a lineup out the door when we arrived for…read morebreakfast, and after eating here, we can definitely understand why. This is such a charming little restaurant, and we had an excellent brunch. Even though they were absolutely packed, the staff were incredibly kind and accommodating, especially when it came to our two little dogs. We were the only ones sitting on the patio, and although it was lightly raining, that didn't stop the great service or delicious food. I started with a Pineapple Juice Mimosa, which I absolutely loved. My wife's latte was probably the one average part of the meal, but thankfully, everything else was fantastic. I ordered the Meat Lovers Hash, and it was so good! Hearty, flavourful, and exactly what I want from a brunch hash. My wife ordered the Smoked Salmon Benny, and she absolutely loved it. The Hollandaise sauce was especially delicious, and the eggs were cooked beautifully. Between the excellent food, friendly service, charming atmosphere, and how welcoming they were to us and our dogs, we really enjoyed our visit. The lineup is definitely justified! For more food, travel, and travel reviews, check out our YouTube channel A&M Roam!

This is a bright and clean restaurant. The staff was very friendly and the food was excellent. Will…read moredefinitely come back.

Gord and I had brunch this morning at Bethune's Bistro…read more We both had the Classic Breakfast ... a nice old school brekkie for $10. The home fries seemed to be made from scratch and the bacon was really crunchy.

The classic breakfast ($9.95) consists of a choice of eggs, protein (bacon, sausage, or ham), home…read morefries, and toast. I'm glad to see their scrambled eggs are made with real eggs and not the boxed liquid ones; I could tell from the telltale flecks of white mixed in with the yolk and denser texture. Their bacon was also tasty: crispy, not too salty, and had a nice smoky flavour. If anything, the home fries could use more time on the flat top to develop a crispier crust, but they were still decent and would pair nicely with fried eggs to create a soft hash. I was excited to see the lovely caramelization on the house pancakes ($9.95 for three) but it didn't really translate into flavour. As pancakes go, they're nice and fluffy but also store-bought tasting, especially when served with packaged table syrup. Bethune's plain house burger ($9.95) reminded me of the ones I had in high school at Johnny Andersons. The beef patty is thicker than McDonalds, but also seems to be mixed with flour as it has a softer consistency. Still, it had a nice crust, and was adorned with all the classic fixings: mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and onion. The French fries are also a step up from the home fries - crispy, hot, and made with real potatoes. The low prices may partially be attributed to Bethune's lean (but not mean) staff. Even on weekends there's usually only one person out front and presumably one chef. Yet, service was efficient, and I've always felt taken care of and welcomed. If you're in Gravenhurst, I'd recommend skipping fast food and support local at Bethune's Bistro instead. While it's more aptly described as a diner or family-style restaurant (as opposed to a bistro), there's a friendly small-town charm to the place and you won't leave broke or hungry.

Okay, so this was an incredible experience. The prices remind me of the late 90s, and early 2000s…read more I honestly wasn't expecting much because of that. A pint of beer was still something silly like $5, and a burger and fries was only $9. There pasta was incredible, with way more sun-dried tomatoes than I ever could have imagined. And, their ridiculous dessert was a real treat. I don't think I have been able to go to a restaurant, fill myself and my partner, each of us have an alcoholic beverage, enjoy a dessert together, and leave a 30% tip (because of those prices if you're not increasing the percentage, the wonderful wait staff really get let down) all for under $60. Will I be back? I will. Honestly, if you were just going for lunch, it's hard to make a feeling lunch at home for the same price as you can get it there.

Scroll down for the TLDR version…read more Stopped by Huntsville for a quick lunch before heading back out to the road. This was one of the rare places around the area that opened at 11 AM on Saturday so that was nice. The place provides the option of indoor dining, patio seating (weather permitting) and is pet friendly. (Some places unfortunately don't allow pets even with a patio so always good to call ahead to check first). The server was nice and attentive and offered my friends dog some water without us asking. The only downside when it came to service was the wait time. When we got a seat it was only us and one other table but we still had to wait quite some time for our food. The food itself was quite yummy. I had a strawberry pecan salad with grilled chicken while my friend had their burger with a side of gravy. The ingredients in the strawberry salad was fresh, the nuts were nicely candied and the chicken was juicy. It was refreshing to eat on a hot day and I felt quite satisfied after. In terms of the burger and the ingredients that went into making it, it was simple but once again, the ingredients were fresh and that's what makes a great burger. The gravy was that came on the side with the burger was additional $1.50 but in my option it was well worth it and went amazing with the fries. I would definitely come back if I was in the area again but if I was in a rush I would just order take out. TLDR: Attentive service, delicious food and fair prices, slightly longer wait time for food (If in rush, order take out)

More than just burgers. Had burger anyways was really good. Milkshake was old school awesomeness…read morethey even gave me the mixer cup so I got every bit of the milkshake. Service was great. Old school burger ice cream shop vib. Ambiance isn't the word you use it's a burger shop.

Very tasty burgers - I recommend the Valentine. Great…read moreatmosphere, especially on the weekend afternoon. Very polite and caring service.

Looking for the best smoked beef brisket? You'll find it at Smokin' Birds. This casual, outdoor…read morepicnic table or take away only eatery has perfected the most tender and juicy beef brisket. While waiting for your order, you'll often be treated to a front row seat to their smokers that are cooking constantly. You get the full sensory experience. Though it's a bit on the pricier side (beef is expensive!), this is a must stop in Bala.

A perfect hiking day ended with dinner at The Smokin Birds. We had the beef brisket, ribs, sausage,…read moreand chicken--everything was flavorful and perfectly cooked. Their BBQ is top-notch, and every bite was delicious. The restaurant is near the train station, and we even saw a train pass by while we were there. The staff were super friendly and welcoming. I'd definitely return next time I'm in the area!

With an oven on display and a significant portion of the menu dedicated to wood fired pizza, I had…read moreto try one. The classic pizza ($22.50) seemed like the ideal choice, essentially a pepperoni pie. While it wasn't terrible, it also wasn't good - the crust too hard and the tomato sauce tasted canned. It's certainly not the thin blistery Napoli pies their menu describes. If anything, it's something you'd find at Boston Pizza. At least it was covered with a decent amount of mozzarella to make it nice and gooey. Their lunch special, a Korean fried chicken sandwich ($20) was a popular choice. If they just charged a couple dollars more to use a thicker slice of chicken it'd be delicious. Unfortunately, the thin cutlet was too dry and the sweet sauce overwhelming. Even the coleslaw couldn't counteract the sugariness of the glaze. If anything, the potato wedges were the best part of the dish - an abundant portion of the hot and crispy spuds.

Just got back from a weekend getaway in Huntsville. We decided to try The Mill On Main. Friendly,…read morecomfortable atmosphere, good service and the food was excellent. My wife had the mac n cheese and I had the loaded Dirty Burger, made it a double. The burger was fantastic! Interestingly, they serve it with potato wedges instead of fries (and lots of them!), nice change.