Manitoulin Island Restaurants Serving Up Manitoulin Beef

As beef farmers, it is really important to us to see Manitoulin Island restaurants serving up local beef.

Disclosure – This post was written in partnership with Canada Beef.  All thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are my own.

Supporting local businesses has always been important, and with over a year living in a pandemic, it is even more important than ever to support local businesses.  We’ve made sure to buy from small shops on the island and do most of our shopping here.  We’ve also made sure to order meals from restaurants all over Manitoulin Island. It’s our mindset that a community that supports its members is a community that thrives together.

When I searched for local eateries that served local beef, I was pleased to see their offerings. Most restaurants here serve Canadian Beef, which is fabulous – it’s ‘local’ beef, but seeing Manitoulin beef on the menu was especially uplifting!

New Grain Bread

The thing I love the most about New Grain Bread in Gore Bay is that they showcase and incorporate ingredients sourced right here on Manitoulin Island.  This somewhat new bakery includes ingredients like fresh produce from local farmers, and they also include meat from the island.  New Grain Bread’s Greek Picnic is absolutely delicious.

Here is how they describe their fabulous Greek Picnic:

With grape leaves at the perfect time for picking, this week we are introducing our new Greek box. Inside you will find hand-rolled Dolmadas (tender stuffed grape leaves) using organic young grape leaves from Nic’s Farm and Vineyard stuffed with rice, Grandview Farms beef, raisins and spices, New Grain Greek Salad made using organic rainbow cherry tomatoes and cucumber from Three Forks Farms Manitoulin, red onion from Farmer Ted’s, kalamata olives and fresh oregano. Tzatziki made with organic yogurt, wild mint, cucumbers from Three Forks and fresh garlic from Ted. Greek stewed greens using rainbow chard from Three Forks Farms, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Grandview Farms beef koftas rolled in Veronika Bingaman’s raw honey and toasted almonds and fresh rosemary, and freshly made flatbreads. Finally, for dessert, homemade baklava with raw honey from Veronika and a toasted nut blend. This is a very filling meal for 2, could feed 3, or could be a wonderful picnic or party box for 4 or more.

Garden’s Gate Restaurant

Another eating establishment we love supporting is The Garden’s Gate Restaurant in Tehkummah. New owners, Kevin and Sheina have kept the philosophy of sourcing as many local products as possible. Much of their produce comes from across the road. Micro-farmer, Boo Watson supplies greens and other vegetables for the meals on Garden’s Gate’s menu.

Their Big MacDowell burger includes locally sourced all beef patties topped with house-made Thousand Island dressing, pickles, onion, local lettuce, and cheese, all on a freshly baked bun.

Buoys Eatery

Buoys is located in Gore Bay and they have been supporting local farmers for years. Their meat is from Burt Farm and Chef Richard, owner and chef at Buoys Eatery makes a really good burger! My husband’s favourite Buoys burger is the Anger Burger. The Anger Burger is a bacon cheese burger with hot peppers and topped with a spicy aoli called Anger Sauce inspired by Chef Anger. Of course, the patties are made from local Burt Farm beef

Another popular menu item at Buoys is their Max Pizza. The Max Pizza was inspired by none other than Burt Farm’s Max Burt. This pizza has local roast beef, garlic, mushrooms, red onion, four cheese blend, and cooked to perfection.

Rockin JJ’s

In Little Current, you can find Rockin JJ’s.  All of their burgers are made with fresh Manitoulin beef from Burt Farm. Their Double will make any burger lover really happy. They have their Manitoulin Beef Burger and their Tribute to the Original North American Burger, the Smash Burger. They also have their Patty Melt, which is only available for a short time and includes JJ’s Rockin Burger Sauce.

If you find yourself on Manitoulin Island (or even if you live on Manitoulin) and want to eat local Manitoulin beef, check out these eateries. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve eaten at any of these places and what you think!