I'll preface this review by stating--this was a blind date--a set up with a friend of a friend. I had been working in Wawa for the winter--crazy I know. And my lucky companion this particular evening was visiting from out of town--somewhere even further north. The reviews at the Kinniwabi Pines looked promising and we agreed to meet there. I was excited. It was a chance to meet someone new in this remote northern Ontario outpost. And frankly, I had been living on Mr. Noodles and frozen peas for the last few months--this was going to be a treat. When I arrived she was already there. A fit, if not thin looking young woman sat at a dark wood table tucked into the back corner of the restaurant. She was wearing a black v neck sweater, jeans and tall motorcycle boots. She looked over as I came in and gave me a half wave, with raised eyebrows. An auspicious first look--the kind that might have said, I hope the food is good, or, This is gonna get weird. The decor in the place was woodsy and homey--the kind of thing you'd expect up here in the north. It had that huntsman's chic upscale lodge vibe and it smelled fantastic--though it was hard to discern the combination of aromas. I sat down and half waved back, introducing myself and stupidly pretended to recall her name from some vast list of imaginary possible date names. I was wearing a grey button up and black wool trousers I had borrowed. They were too tight around the waist and accentuated my less than trim physique. If that didn't disappoint, taking off my ball cap, revealing my balding close cropped hair halo definitely did. She smiled politely. Generous of her I guess. The waiter came by and filled our water glasses. Neither of us could take our eyes off him. He was the most beautiful-looking person I'd seen in a long time. She clearly thought the same. And when he spoke with a vibrating baritone accent, goosebumps crawled up my forearms. She flipped her hair behind her ears. That's when I noticed the neck tattoo. To each their own I guess. Though, I can't imagine why anyone would do that. The menu looked interesting, eclectic to say the least. Curries, local fish, jerk chicken, vegetarian, pasta, and what looked like some south pacific dessert. We still hadn't said much and I think at this point there might have been a tacit understanding that we should just get on with the eating and at least enjoy a nice dinner if nothing else. We just weren't feeling it so we bowed our heads over the menu with some relief--we could skip the initial small talk. When the first dishes came out, we both stared at our server again until he was visibly uncomfortable. She ordered a fatoush salad and I got the samosas. At this point, the date turned around. The food was amazing. It might have been the best thing I ever tasted. Out of nowhere, she offered me a fried pita shard from her plate. Just taste this, she said holding out the chip. I entertained the thought of grabbing it with my teeth but rejected the idea quickly knowing we were not there yet, or would we ever be. We smiled at each other for real for the first time. That is so good! I told her, shaking my head in disbelief. Try one of these, I said, pushing my plate toward the middle of the table. One bite in, her eyes got wide, and I could see her chewing through an expression of delight and something possibly magical. Our mains came and after another gawk at Mr. Handsome, we sat in front of two dishes, I will have a hard time explaining. Not because they were complex or obscure, but because they were so affecting and profound. I do not have the words, but I will tell you, she ordered a duck curry and I ordered the jerk chicken. To say these were delicious would be a massive understatement. This food prepared for us transcended our particular tastes in people and elevated us to a shared plateau of appreciation, maybe even for each other. Here we were delighted together by this sublime culinary experience. We ate slowly, sharing bites; savouring the details, the depth of flavour, the olfactory ambiance. We talked about nothing but the food. It felt like we were cheating the date gods. We had a wonderful evening at Kinniwabi Pines. The whole adventure was unforgettable. And though we might never see each other again, I will definitely return to this special place. Five stars. read more

On Friday, June 19th, my wife and I along with two close friends visited Kinniwabi Pines Restaurant on highway 17 in Wawa Ontario. We were nearing the end of a great camping vacation and were treating ourselves to a "night out". We visited Kinniwabi Pines about 10 months ago and it was a good experience so we thought it would be a great place to stop. We had assured our friends that they would really enjoy it. Opened menus and there was a post-it note on the salad appetizer/entrée page stating that due to a staff shortage, none of these items were currently available. We all ordered drinks and began to decide on the rest of the menu. We all placed our orders and our meals were served in a timely manner. We were enjoying our food (I ordered Wiener Schnitzel) when I felt something "foreign" in my mouth. I reached in and pulled out a long hair (couldn't have been mine - I'm bald). Called the waitress/Manager over and she was apologetic and offered to replace the meal but I was a bit grossed out and had lost my appetite so I politely declined. Later when I went up to pay the tab, she told me that since I had only eaten about half of my meal before I found the hair, she was only going to charge me half price!! I told her that was unacceptable and that the meal should be no-charge. She insisted on charging me $10. Then she tried to charge us $12 for each beer that we drank, while they are clearly marked as $8 on the beverage menu (same can of beer sells for $3 at the LCBO). She said that their distributor goofed up and sent them larger cans rather than smaller bottles. Since there was no mention of it on the menu (not even a post-it) nor when we were ordering, I told her that $12 was unacceptable - I would pay $8 but not $12. After some discussion, I was charged $8. I paid my bill and left. We will not be back. This whole thing could have been handled by the manager in a much more courteous manner and I would have chalked it up to "mistakes can happen". But insisting on charging me because I had eaten a part of my meal and then trying to overcharge for beer was simply unacceptable. In the past, it may have been good but my most recent experience was absolutely unacceptable. Dine here at your own risk . . . . read more

Very dated menu. Appetizers were not available, neither was desserts. However everywhere else in Wawa is crap.

It's an eclectic space and an eclectic menu. Service is Slow, but the food is good and the view onto the Magpie River is beautiful. read more

Kinniwabi Pines Restaurant - The view from the restaurant patio. - Canadian (New) Near Me - Wawa, Ontario

Quaint restaurant with fantastic food and employees. The service was fantastic. I wish we had this restaurant where I live in the USA. read more

Kinniwabi Pines Restaurant - Canadian (New) Near Me - Wawa, Ontario

The menu is eclectic. I had the best homemade polish pierogis I have ever had! We stopped here because we needed some 'real food' on the Lake Superior circle tour. Don't be scared off by the exterior. Go on in and experience the amazing food! read more

Went here on my trip to Canada and was very disappointed. The servers are friendly however the wait was terrible with no line and the food was extremely over priced for the quality. The ambience was very nice and I had high hopes however if I make this trip again I wouldn't recommend. read more

Best looking restaurant in Wawa in August. They have a nice deck overlooking the river but it was too cold when we went around 7pm. We had the curry chicken and sweet and sour pork. Both were quite good. Meal came with bread and soup. Would recommend if in the area. read more

Last stop of our Lake Superior Circle tour before heading back into Michigan. Don't pass this place up. A bit higher end, but the environment is campy with white table cloths. My husband had the Lake Superior trout I had the White fish. Both served with a delicious lemony butter sauce with delicious vegetables and side potatoes. Fresh bread and homemade soup was served first. Excellent service. Our waitress was so helpful suggesting local outdoor lake destinations (Sandy Beach! Yes!). This placed rivaled our favorite places in Ann Arbor (The Earl) and Gatlinburg (Greenbrier). Give it a shot! read more

Kinniwabi Pines Restaurant - Lake Superior White Fish sautéed in a lemon/butter sauce. Perfection. - Canadian (New) Near Me - Wawa, Ontario

Don't be fooled by this restaurant's no-frills look or isolated location south of Wawa, Ont. This place is FABULOUS is every way! The fresh fish, particularly the pickerel and whitefish, are without equal on Lake Superior. The hospitality is classy and first-rate. Don't miss this place is you're traveling on Highway 17! read more

A white tablecloth restaurant in the middle of nowhere. I was skeptical, but we had a wonderful experience. We sat at a table over looking the sunset. The very oddly varied menu is due to the owners Trinidadian heritage. The trout was fantastic! read more

The food was mediocre here. I tried their sandwich for lunch and the meat tasted really old. The trout was cooked perfectly, but the whitefish was overcooked. read more

Such a delight to find this place, recommended by a random stranger at a falls viewing area. My wife chatted with them and asked about local restaurant recommendations. Turned out to be a wonderful. we both had fish and both of us were absolutely delighted. read more

We loved eating here on our recent trip up North. Really nice ambiance overlooking water, nice patio, we sat inside as it was too cool for dinner. Menu is higher end than almost all places we ate at during our 9 day trip. Definitely the restaurant to go to West of Soo and East of Thunder Bay. I had the Lake Superior trout and wife had the seafood pasta, both tasted awesome. Heard the menu has not changed much in years so it makes sense kitchen has perfected each dish over time. Relative to what's available in the area this is a five star review. Come here if you want a break from the monotonous. We will be coming back when in the area. read more

Kinniwabi Pines Restaurant - Seafood pasta and Lake Superior Trout as main dishes - Canadian (New) Near Me - Wawa, Ontario

We were lucky enough to find this lovely spot still open for lunch last month. I see they don't open till 5 now. I understand because we were the only patrons. The view was beautiful, service excellent and food delicious. I am posting a pic of our view and the wonderful roast beef on a croissant that I had. If you are anywhere near Wawa you can't go wrong with this wonderful restaurant! read more

My husband and I agreed that this is not only the best restaurant east of Thunder Bay but maybe the best restaurant anywhere! Incredible combination of flavors. Usually I steer clear of restaurants that are trying to do multiple cuisines because they generally don't do any of them fabulously but not in this case. Family restaurant and they are Chinese from Trinidad and have lived in Canada and run this restaurant for 25 years. They have amazing food with gorgeous scenery and great service. Don't miss it! My only regret is that we are only passing through Wawa and here for one night. read more

Best restaurant in the North! Excellent food and excellent service! A++ Very Happy diner!

By far the best place on our circle tour for dinner. The food was delicious & the view amazing. Our motel owner recommended this place & we were not disappointed! read more

Unbelievably high end food out in the middle of nowhere. Check it out. Best food for miles around. Check it pit. You will love it!

The menu isn't amazing... But it is Wawa not Toronto. I asked for the Greek salad with Jerk chicken breast ( instead of plain); it was delicious. A bit too heavy on the dressing, and oddly had green grapes in it.... But they tasted good. The guy was there on his own, serving and cooking, so yes as others posted, the service is slow. The coffee is GREAT! Really great. Seriously. My hubby had Jerk-BBQ wings, delicious and BIG! It had just been raining so the patio was closed, but the view even from inside was lovely, overlooking the Dead River. read more

Kinniwabi Pines Restaurant - jerk-bbq wings! - Canadian (New) Near Me - Wawa, Ontario

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Kinniwabi Pines is a somewhat upscale restaurant for the area with linens and silverware service and a cozy Trinidad atmosphere. I had the Walleye dinner which was served with a starter vegetable soup and fresh bread. The Walleye portion was quite large and I was excellently prepared. All in all quite an enjoyable meal. I would recommend read more

Kinniwabi Pines Restaurant - Starter vegetable soup - Canadian (New) Near Me - Wawa, Ontario

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Good. Had the pickerel dinner. It was solid. Not the wow suggested in other reviews but a good dinner option given the location. Would go again if I was staying near Wawa. read more

We arrived expecting a different experience than roadhouse style food, or a burger joint/diner experience, but were not prepared for the terrible service we experienced. We checked out the restaurant and the menu when we checked into our motel, and made the decision to come back for dinner after we saw what Wawa had to offer before it got dark. We returned for dinner about 7:30-ish and were told that we would have to wait for a table (2 of us) even though there was an empty table. We were okay with this thinking they wanted to put us at a table for 2, which would soon be cleared. The table for 2 was cleared and reset, but we were put at the table that had been sitting empty the entire time we were waiting. While waiting, my husband was reading through the comments left in the guest book... most giving glowing reviews, so we were expecting a good meal. But then, he saw one that said "don't order dinner. It takes too long". We chuckled... but then after being seated, we sat at the table for 30 minutes with no interaction with the staff other than the menus being presented to us when we were seated and 2 glasses of water being poured. We were not even approached to see if we would like to order a pre-dinner drink. Another couple arrived about 10 minutes after us, a single fisherman, and 2 other single men about 20 minutes after we had been seated. The two last arriving singles had their orders taken,... yet still no server followed up with us to take our order. We gave them 30 minutes from the time we were seated and given our menus, and finally left. We went into town and went to another restaurant... admittedly, did not get the quality meal that we were hoping to have received at the Pines, but we got attentive service and a hot meal. We did a drive-by of the Pines on the way back to our hotel 1 1/2 hours later, with full bellies, and saw the 5 people who came in after us still waiting for their food, or just beginning their meals. We noted that most people in this restaurant were travellers. The owners need to understand that not everyone is prepared to spend 2 - 3 hours on dinner after long hours on the road. Service needs to be improved, dramatically. Cannot comment on the food... sadly we could only experience the wonderful aromas. We did note, also, that the menu is too big! They offer too many choices, which I believe causes delays in food prep and serving. Several menu items should, and could, be removed from the menu. You may wish to check out this blog: https://yesshewentthere.com/2018/11/19/kinniwabi-pines-restaurant-in-michipicoten-ontario-canada/?fbclid=IwAR2egQOvvWGOSliGuLy1j2yfMmWk1g_6pEpo-KGuNnC28Ny2q0R-lsWTc14 read more

Ate here twice, dinner and then three days later, lunch. Excellent food both times, restaurant was busy with small staff, so service was slow. Near the end of their season. I would go back anytime. read more

Wow!! We were driving through to Thunder Bay, and wanted some dinner. I read the Yelp Reviews; but sadly no website with a menu. We were instantly affronted with the "not a burger stand" atmosphere. The meals were not cheap, but were correspondingly better quality than 90% of the diners along our Canada-wide drive. The clientele ranged from a group of hunters, some weary not-dressed for this type of restaurant people like us, and a few couples who were dressed for it. The meal began with complementary soup and home-made bread. Then the food! It was very tasty and quite flavourful. The service was friendly. The food is definitely high end, but the menu while having a variety of items is possibly not suited for kids - especially picky eaters like my son. But if it's just the grown ups, and you are sick of burgers - this is a fabulous spot along the Northern Ontario #17. read more

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Best restaurant in the Wawa area. Amazing View of the Michipicoten River. Interesting mix of cuisines. Chinese, Trinidadian, European & our very friendly server pointed out that there were over 45 entree choices on the menu. Place has potential I think if they focus on quality, not quantity, both in number of items offered and on the quality of each dish. My posted pictures of the three dishes we had tell a thousand words. read more

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Food is actually pretty good. I have a lot of diet restrictions (liver issues and type 2 diabetes) so it's challenging for chefs, and you cant just serve me something full of fat and salt to make me happy. I had the trout grilled, and they changed the sides from potatoes and stuff to a veggie stir fry with no starchy veggies... it was all very tasty. Be prepared for a wait. I talked to some locals about it and they say they KNOW when they go there that this is the norm. They offer you a fee bowl of veggies soup (tasty) to curb your appetite. But order a glass of wine, go with friends, bring a book, etc -- there NO WIFI, none. read more

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We came here for dinner (& to escape the rain) before driving to our campsite in Lake Superior. Our meals were both pretty tasty & they gave us complimentary soup & bread/butter, which was nice. I had the Lake Trout ($22) and my partner had the Sweet & Sour Pork ($20), which he said was one of the best he's ever had. I thought some of the menu items were a bit pricey, but the food is good so you're getting what you pay for. Service was spotty and the bathrooms were horrid (both men's & women's looked neglected), but the food was good and the atmosphere is picturesque so it's probably one of the better restaurants in the area. read more

Lovely setting, but the food was disappointing. Our grandkids really did not like the food. Cheeseburgers were good, but my oldest grandson got a terrible stomach ache afterward. The fries looked delicious, but tasted terrible! like sawdust! They refuse to eat there again!The adult meals were better, but only basic. Our server was a nice woman and tried to be helpful with my dairy allergies. Overall, if you try it, dont complain after you've read this! :-) read more

We had read that this restaurant provides the best food east of Thunder Bay on the Superior Circle Tour. We agree! I had the pickerel (I know it as walleye) and it was perfectly prepared and delicious! It came with stir fried FRESH vegetables and delicious dill potatoes. I LOVED it! The waiter was kindly and efficient. PLUS, a beautiful view. What could be better? read more

What a fabulous little restaurant. The food was outstanding, the owners were charming and extremely friendly. A definite highlight of our trip through Wawa. Highly recommended. read more

Decent for Wawa, Ate there for breakfast. It was very clean, and each table was well-set with fresh flowers from the garden. When we got there we couldn't find the staff so we asked a man who was standing just outside. He seemed put-out by our request and almost begrudgingly came inside and gave us menus. The actual waitress was lovely when she came in. The food was fairly greasy. read more

Easily one of the best meals we had on our Lake Superior Circle trip. I had the whitefish. My wife had the pickerel (i.e., walleye). Both were excellent. Dinners came with pork egg drop soup, which was very good, a little sweet, and homemade bread plus dill potatoes and stir fry veggies. The restaurant overlooks the river. read more

We were very surprised by the quality of the food and the variety of choice. The restaurant offers Caribbean, Chinese and also Polish dishes. I had the cabbage rolls and the pierogies and my friend had the peach and cream chicken. It was delicious! Even the vegetables in the side were good! I would recommend this restaurant if you stop in Wawa. read more

Great little spot. Good food made fresh. Had the combo platter with Sweet n Sour Pork and the Pepper Beef. Very good. Partner had the Walleye and she loved it. Vegetables were excellent. Great service. Have to thank a friend for their recommendation when we get back home - spot on! read more

I loved this place. The friendliest owners and great food. We are doing the Lake Superior Circle Tour and by far this was the best meal on our trip. I had the pan-fried Whitefish dinner. Fish is local. Came with soup, stir-fried veggies and dill potatoes. I wish I could go there again, but likely will be my last trip to Wawa. I thought the portion sizes were excellent. read more

Had dinner here last night after a long drive. The restaurant is always spotless, the people friendly and welcoming. Had Caribbean food three weeks ago so I opted for German. Fresh bread, hot soup and great schnitzel. Homemade desserts always top notch. Worth the five hundred mile drive any day. Trinidad baked pork next visit for sure. read more

My favorite restaurant anywhere. Great variety and all well done but 2 out of three time I get the curry.