I visited The Windermere Pub during my stay at Windermere House on Lake Rosseau Muskoka. The hotels spacious Pub is located below the Rosseau Grill and also features an always busy patio which is incredibly popular in the hot summer months. The Pub has been a Muskoka favorite for locals and cottagers for many years now, serving up creative pub fair as well as weekly live music acts. Recently Toronto’s very own Oliver & Bonacini took over the reigns in the kitchen. I am happy to announce the Pubs long time favorite deep fried pickles are still on the menu!
I had actually eaten at the Pub as a child several times so it was sort of nostalgic for me to now be sitting on the patio with my camera and note pad scribbling down my notes on each dish. It was a great pleasure to eat at the Pub with Erin as she used to manage the space and it was clear to me that she had so many fond memories of the parties and celebrations that took place here. We visited the Pub on two separate occasions, for a fatty lunch on the patio with spiked milkshakes and for a dinner inside on a rainy evening.
The Pub has a few hits and misses. Spiked milkshakes are a novelty worth sharing at the table and it would be criminal to enjoy a meal without the Pubs famous fried pickles. Other highlights included succulent honey garlic chicken wings, the perfect poutine, a tower of nachos and excessive beer mug brownie. Two of the dishes that stuck out to me as “signature,” were the Doritos Mac and Cheese and Muskoka Monster Burger. The Muskoka Burger arrives at the table with a massive steak knife so I will admit it offered a good photo opportunity. The sandwich was far too complicated and an absolute mess to eat. We opted to mostly eat around the burger, sampling the Pubs perfectly crispy sweet potato fries. The Pubs rendition of Mac and Cheese was not at all what I would have expected from the team at O&B. The sauce is made of a four cheese blend which is entirely diminished by faux fromage chemicals on their chip crisp.
We sampled:
Fuzzy Peach Float
peach schnapps, stewart’s orange ‘n cream, vanilla ice cream
Good Morning Muskokan Float
kahlua, bailey’s, vanilla ice cream
Cotton Candy Float
butter ripple schnapps, grenadine, vanilla ice cream
Fried Pickles
dill and garlic sour cream dip
Poutine
cheese curds and gravy
Muskoka Monster Burger
flame broiled 100% chuck beef, Canadian bacon, maple bacon, fried egg, jack and cheddar cheese, served between two grilled cheese and pulled pork sandwiches
Doritos Mac and Cheese
jalapeno, aged cheddar, jack and mozzarella cream sauce topped with crushed doritos
Texas Style Nachos
jack and cheddar cheese, chipotle fried chicken, jalapeno, pico de gallo, cowboy caviar, sour cream, avocado and cilantro
Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
veggies with smoky bacon and blue cheese dip
Beer Mug Brownie
chocolate brownies layered with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate drizzle
#352 restaurant reviewed in Ontario since moving to Toronto in 2010.
