I came here for lunch while I was in town for a funeral. The Old Station is located on the main strip in Bracebridge and was easy to find. There's free parking behind the government building just a few steps away.
I have to preface this review by saying that I think the ratings on this place are waaaaay beyond what they should be, especially if you spend any time eating in Toronto. This is a solid 3-star establishment but the reviews on google would have you believe its a 4.5 or 5 star restaurant. Perhaps in Bracebridge it is, but overall, as someone who enjoys dining out, it was a 3.
I came with my parents, we were seated right away and asked for a table a little further away from other patrons and the hostess did her best given how small the place is. It took a bit for our waitress to come by but she was very friendly when she did.
My dad wanted a draft beer and they only had three beers on tap - scratch that, two beers on tap. The one he ordered was out and so he had to have something else. A bit disappointing, I would have expected them to have more beers on tap or more selection.
I got the chicken and waffles for lunch and they were very good. They had a chipotle maple syrup which was tasty and then the chicken with white bbq sauce on top. I would have liked to have been given actual syrup too so that I could add more. Fried chicken and waffles requires LOTS of syrup for me and I wanted more. The chicken was nicely done and the whole plate was a good size, not too much and not too little.
My primary complaint is about the temperature of the restaurant itself. We arrived and it was a cool day and we sat down, took our coats off and realized that we were still chilled because the restaurant was cold. There's two doors you walk through to get into the restaurant; the outer door tends to get left open by patrons who disregard the very clear 'please close the door' sign and then a cold draft wafts in pretty fast. The second door isn't really much of a door as it is a screen door or something so it lets lots of cold in. My dad had to get up twice to shut the door - the staff didn't seem to care about shutting it. I watched the hostess look up at the door and then go back to what she was doing as if it would close itself.
All in, our meal was pretty good. I'd suggest avoiding this stop if its cold outside, the cold drafts really impacted my enjoyment of my lunch. But the food was good, everyone enjoyed their meals and we'd be back if we're in Bracebridge again. Note that this place is small; it probably couldn't seat more than 20-30 at one time, so if you're going with a group, call ahead. read more