This fixture of Blue Acres has been around for longer than I've been present on this plane of…read moreexistence, so it's with deep shame that I admit that it was only this spring that I tried it for the first time. While looking for a quick lunch on a sunny Saturday, I was right behind a few other people who just got their food as I was ordering, putting me at the front of the queue. Owner and sole staff member Donna guided me through the highlights of her menu and I settled on the hamburger platter. Several minutes of wonderfully pleasant chit chat with Donna followed while I watched her prepare my food like a well-oiled machine. My food was soon ready, coming tightly packed on a heaped paper plate for me to eat in my car, although you can get it secured for a trip home or elsewhere. The crinkle cut fries, while unsurprisingly from a bag, were spot on, with shatteringly crisp exteriors and light, fluffy interiors. The burger was diner-style par excellence - steamed bun; a beefy, hand-made, griddle-cooked patty; melty cheese; sauteed onions, and some bite from mustard and relish. I should have nixed the ketchup to dial back the sweetness, but this was still a great little burger. A cup of house-made coleslaw was of the creamy variety, but still had a bit of tang to it, which helped cut through the rich meal a little bit. On my return visit, I went with the fish and chips. While it's a box that a lot of restaurants feel they have to check, and they do so poorly with from-frozen, pre-battered fish, I heard that Donna batters it in-house, so I was looking forward to trying it. This was a very good order of F&C. The batter was light and airy, and the two-piece was a good amount of food, with the pieces like the half filets that you'll see around, rather than the one gargantuan piece of fish that pubs often have for shock value. The fish was firm, but tender and flakey and I don't know if tartar sauce was forgotten or isn't offered, but I truly just enjoyed the fish on its own. Ceilidh Drive-In is among a dying breed of old school greasy spoons that do the simple stuff well, and while it took me a while to get there, it won't be long before I'm back.

One of the enduring strengths of food trucks is their versatility, allowing epicurean entrepreneurs…read moreto set up shop where there's a need for their wares. Industrial wasteland? Food truck. Random parking lot? Food truck. It's the latter that Shawn's Burgers & More puts to use, and in rural Nova Scotia at that. Brick and mortars are a big financial commitment, and while not exactly cheap, their mobile cousins are a great option when seasonality is a big influence on your customer base as well. I made a little detour to get to Shawn's on my way back to New Glasgow, enjoying a scenic autumn drive down the 376. Parked at the Lyon's Brook Rite Stop, it's only a few minutes away from the rotary. While burgers are in the name, when I asked the gentleman running the show (presumably named Shawn?) what a first timer like me should get, he didn't hesitate in saying their fish and chips. Using fresh fish, their own batter and even house-made tartar sauce, it was and easy "yes". After a short wait in my car while taking shelter from the rain, I soon had my heaping plate back in my own inglorious, mobile confines. The fish looked really good - a large filet, with a deep, golden brown batter. But would it live up to the hype and visuals? As this is a restaurant review and not a TV show that can do cliffhangers, simply put: yes! The batter was as crispy as it looked and had a great flavour that reminded me of my childhood and getting fish and chips with my mom at the West Side Family Restaurant. The fish itself flaked easily into distinct, tender flakes, and overall it was so good I mainly saved the tartar sauce for the fries! Said tartar sauce was excellent, putting places that serve Kraft packets to shame. Prominent chunks of chopped pickles dotted the vibrantly yellow sauce, which I'm not sure came from mustard thrown into the mix or a very yolk-heavy homemade mayo. The fries had the vibe of the skin-on, from-frozen type, as they were more uniformly coloured than most hand-cut fries are, although if they are hand-cut, kudos to your blanching skills Shawn! Regardless of their origin, they weren't as crispy as you'd want. Not limp and soggy, but not nearly the heights reached by the fish and tartar sauce either. Having just moved out of the county, I don't know if I'll ever be back to Shawn's, but I am very glad I did swing by.

After recharging on Big Island beach one weekend, my wife and I stopped in to Your Place Eatery for…read morea late lunch, since they've basically got a lock on hot food in the area. The menu has a lot of familiar food truck items, but it's a bit larger and a bit fancier. But not *too* fancy - this is Lower Barney's River, after all. There's several different burgers, chicken sandwiches, subs, deep-fried apps, and even some donairs! My wife's hunger lured her toward the first thing she saw on the menu - the bacon cheeseburger poutine - and I went for the Little Mess burger. There weas only a couple people ahead of us mid-afternoon on a Sunday, so we had our food in quick order and set up shop on one of their picnic tables. The Little Mess burger is the smaller version of their spin on a Big Mac, the Big Mess. Both have shredded lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and a house-made special sauce, except the Little Mess has just one 1/4lb patty instead of the Big Mess' two. All the familiar flavours worked well together, with the added benefit of much, much better beef than the burger's corporate inspiration. I didn't see much of a crust on this smashburger, but it was quite good nonetheless. Having gotten my burger a la carte, I had room for the inevitable portion of my wife's poutine that she wouldn't be able to finish. And to be fair, no one person should be crushing a hefty poutine on their own, especially sober. While Your Place's regular poutine has cheese curds (bonus points!), the bacon cheeseburger poutine leans into its theme, going with shredded cheddar and a cheese sauce for that extra hot 'n' cheesy mess factor. The bits of burger and bacon amped up the flavour and savouriness, and the fries that weren't completed doused in cheese seemed to be well cooked. Not even the crispest fry can withstand this onslaught of cheese! Given their location, Your Place could coast by doing the bare minimum, standard chip wagon food, so it's really cool that they're putting in the effort to offer the area more and they're doing a killer job at it!

It's a local bar. Good burgers and nice servers. It's loud but there's live music. Kara was sweet…read moreand helpful. It has a strong local feel.

Great food Great timing…read more Great service , very friendly. Little loud but didn't feel unwelcome.

The best burgers in town by far. The tense and juicy burgers are cooked on the grill as you wait…read more Every bite is mouth watering and full of flavour. The falafel and chicken shawarma were to die for according to my middle Eastern Aunts. No regrets-plan to make this spot a regular choice!

From the owner: Come try us , you won’t be sorryread more

The service was terrific- room was made for us even though we read they were booked the day before…read morearrived. We had a crab meat and lobster sandwich, delicious, scrumptious sweet potato fries and delicious salad with a wonderful vinaigrette dressing. Sticky date pudding and coffee rounded things off. The fried fish and chips were beautiful and three patrons having them said it tasted great. What a treat!

This is 100% one of PEI's little gems. Fantastic food (try a burger you will see) great staff and…read moreyou can't beat the location. If you are visiting PEI you wont be disappointed in making the stop. Keep it up TISP!! Cheers, Tom

Amazing food drops from this local roadside shack. Friendly…read morestaff gave us guidance, we decided to go with Lobster poutine and Incredible Hulk burger. Neither meal lasted long as the flavor kicked us in the taste buds! Don't pass this establishment by!

Stopped by for some food to go as we we're headed to the beach to camp nearby.There are a couple…read moreoptions in the area. The menu is very diverse-Chinese food, snack bar food (burgers, chicken strips, poutine, and some seafood (lobster rolls! Among others). Look at the menu I'm posting! We got bacon lover's pontine, a lobster roll, and had to try their homemade egg roll and spring roll. The lobster roll was delicious, as were the fries. Poutine was very good and toppings were generous. I'd prefer my bacon more crispy but I know that's personal preference and should have asked prior. Egg roll and spring rolls were good but lived in the shadow of the lobster roll. So I'd skip them next time. There's a screened porch or outdoor bar to dine at and watch the scenery. Owners were friendly and welcoming. They also have a large ice cream menu but I didn't photograph it. I'd definitely do it again!

Great food, fresh, local and tasty. The service was great and a very comfortable air conditioned…read moredining room. They also have an ice cream stand and outside seating available.

Stopped here for lunch after biking a portion of the confederation trail - I saw it was recommended…read moreon a cycling webpage. It was good - service was quick and friendly, restaurant had lots of seating , the menu had lots of options. I had a burger and fries, it was quite good - tasted fresh! The value was pretty decent as well; honestly no complaints.

Since burgeoning central/northern Nova Scotia food and drink empire Nook and Cranny opened their…read morethird branch in Pictou last spring, I'd had drinks and snacks on their patio, but never had a proper meal inside until recently. It was quiet on a Monday evening, and being Pictou County, we were lucky they were open at all. The space is quite open, with thick wooden beams stealing the show, while grey laminate flooring is an almost jarring contrast of modern, lowest price tag renos against the sturdy old bones. We were promptly looked after by the friendly staff, and while I was tempted by some of the monthly specials, I stayed onside with their regular menu, to get a feel for how their regular items. The menu rides a fine line - it's not too small (there's several each of apps, soups/salads, sandwiches and mains) but not so big that it's overwhelming or you're thinking that everything is just coming out of a Sysco freezer bag. While pub standards like burgers, fish and chips and a club sandwich all appear, some effort definitely went into the menu's creation. You're not going to see jackfruit tacos, brisket grilled cheese and mushroom "bruschetta" everywhere! I went for a more standard item, the Mushroom Jack burger, on my aforementioned mission to gauge their kitchen, while my wife opted for the Cranberry Coconut Chicken. With the Monday crowd (or lack thereof), our food was soon before us, and none too soon, given our appetites! My Mushroom Jack burger was quite well executed - honestly, it was much better than I expected it would be. What can I say, a string of mediocre-at-best pubs in Pictou County over the years have left me jaded! The patty was thick (8oz) but not overcooked, or too densely pressed. The mushrooms had an herby hit that paired well with the savoury truffle aioli, and spinach brought some vegetal vibrance. The Monterey Jack cheese lent its salty goodness, while the toasted bun held up well against its messy contents. Across the table, my wife's Cranberry Coconut Chicken was an impressive-looking plate. The dish is gluten-free, which means that the Chex (yes, the cereal) coating on the chicken is gluten-free. Go Chex? Life-long learning, people! Stuffed with herbs and goat cheese, it was definitely more flavourful than your run-of-the-mill chicken breast. A rice pilaf and roasted veg rounded out the dish, while a thin cranberry and citrus sauce brought sweet and tangy notes for contrast, although by the last few bites were swimming in it. On a return visit on a more lively Friday night, it looked like the menu had gotten a refresh, with a whole new slate of tempting items. I stuck to a traditional East Coast offering though - the fish cakes. I checked to make sure they were made in-house (they are), as although I have a perverse love of the High Liner, from-frozen, 99% potato, "fish" cakes, that's not what I want at a restaurant. The fish cakes came on a hefty portion of maple baked beans. No skimpy 2oz cup of beans here! I'm no baked bean connoisseur, and if I were I would deserve to be mocked relentlessly, but these had a good balance of sweet and savoury, and were nicely cooked - they weren't dry and grainy, nor cooked to mush. As for the fish cakes themselves, the respectably-sized cakes had a wonderfully crisp breading, which housed a plesant mix of fish and potato, with discernable shreds of haddock. The flavour profile had a noticeable fish flavour (unlike our friend High Liner's) without being *fishy*. The side of house-made green tomato chow provided a lightly tart and sweet foil for the savoury elements of the dish, with a chunky consistency that puts the store-bought chows that are mainly sugar and vinegar to shame. With food that follows through on the menu's promise of better-than-average pub grub, I can see why The Nook and Cranny is spreading across my neck of the woods, and I look forward to return visits on their patio on warmer days PS. Extra points for maintaining great social media communications and an up-to-date website, which most small town restaurants are decidedly *not* good at.

The Staff were really friendly . We decide to eat on the patio over looking the water. We started…read morewith a starters of nacho kettle chips . Which was amazing . My wife had the pan fried haddock. Which was tender and tasty. Our friends had taco which were also amazing . I had the mussels which were meaty tender in white wine and garlic. Which was amazing with a basket of fries . Which was amazing . This was a fantastic dinner and strongly recommended The Nook and Cranny. We will be back - this is where the locals eat

My wife and I stopped in for lunch while in the area on some errands. There's not a ton of seating…read morewhen the patio isn't open/the weather isn't great, but we were able to snag the last table. The menu isn't big, likely due to a small kitchen, with a handful of breakfast and lunch options. Most are fairly standard diner/cafe fare, although British items like their sausage roll and Cornish pasty stuck out as unique offerings. I went with the daily special, a Caribbean-themed breakfast. The salt cod and provisions (slang for local fruit and veg) ties in well to Maritime cuisine thanks to shared colonial roots and the historical shipment of salted fish from the here to the Caribbean. It was served skillet-style (sans skillet) with chunks of potatoes, tomato, plantains, green onion and more topped with two sunny-side-up eggs. The salty hit of fish paired well with the savoury bowl and a little bit of heat added further depth. A roll on the side may or may not have ben particularly Caribbean, but it was great for sopping up the tasty sauce. My wife is an infamous fan of sausage rolls, so that was an easy choice for her. Paired up with one of the day's soup specials - roasted red pepper - it became a proper meal. The meat-to-pastry ratio was quite generous, and the light char at the end of the roll reminded me of the burnt end/open-ended egg rolls in Ottawa. Some mushy peas completed the ode to Britain. The roasted red pepper soup was velvety smooth and delicious. It's easy to see why Stone Soup Cafe is popular with both locals and tourists alike, with a little bit for everyone, and a creative flair to keep things interesting, while nailing the execution.

One of the best flatbreads ever!! Service with a smile, lovely dining room and a warm welcome from…read morethe owner. Will be back soon!!