Tracking down the best dishes, most unique foods and many foodie pilgrimage spots in Hamilton Halton Brant just got easier. To help with your gourmet scavenger hunt, here is a list of the top ten must-eats in the region including budget-friendly options, local finds, can’t miss comfort food, and signature flavours you won’t find anywhere else.
Goat Cheese from The Udder Way Artisan Cheese Company, Hannon
Udder Way Cheese claims to be the only goat cheese factory to produce French-inspired goat cheese pyramids sourced from Ontario goats, offering their specialty in five flavours: Snow Peak, French Peak, French Lawn, Chili Billy and Gruner Berg. In addition to their French style soft bloomy rind goat cheeses, these artisan cheese makers also sell delicious cheese curds and buffalo milk cheeses at their location outside of Hamilton.
Fried Chicken at Memphis Fire Barbecue Company, Winona
This delicious barbecue joint has been given the You Gotta Eat Here! thumbs up, and offers its signature Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tuesday through Thursday nights to legions of fans. Order it in the chicken n’ rib combo to try the award winning baby back ribs, available with a traditional smokehouse Western California or a thick classic Kansas City style barbecue sauce.
Waffles at Cannon Coffee Co., Hamilton
For a great breakfast or brunch pick, you can’t go wrong with the celebrated waffles at Cannon Coffee Co. This spot in Hamilton’s Ottawa Street North neighbourhood is waffle central, with options like the classic (top it with chocolate sauce and whipped cream), the in demand California waffle sandwich, and daily specials like carrot cake and banana bread waffles. Get here early before the lines form and fuel up for treasure hunting in the antique shops that dot the street.
Soup at The Burnt Tongue, Hamilton
The Food Network’s “You Gotta Eat Here” raved about the Moroccan Lamb Meatball soup, and WestJet magazine calls its Chicken Mulligatawny one of the top 10 dishes to try in Hamilton. The Burnt Tongue has clearly elevated the humble soup with its small batch recipes and always changing daily soup menus that span from the classic (Chicken Noodle and New England Clam Chowder) to the exotic (Samosa, Ancho Black Bean and Chicken Wing). With more than 3,000 different soups offered to date, The Burnt Tongue is the place to go when you’re looking for the ultimate comfort food.
Coffee from Detour Café, Dundas
A quaint café is the perfect showcase for Detour, one of Canada’s earliest specialty coffee roasters, and a cup enjoyed here is certain to elevate your coffee experience. Not your usual mindless morning fuel, these highest quality green coffees are sourced by Detour and roasted fresh to order.
Vegan Dishes at Community Restaurant, Oakville
The recently opened Community quickly established a reputation for its wide range of tasty plant-based options. Even meat-eaters are raving about the crabless crab cakes and tempeh-based dishes. Want a burger and fries? Get it with almond parmesan and mushroom gravy. Feel like pasta? Try the beet ravioli or Beyond Meat sausage and peppers fusilli. Weekend brunch? Order a mimosa to go with your cauliflower florets topped with dill and cashew tzatziki.
Chicken Wings at Memphis BBQ and Wicked Wings, Milton
For more than 20 years, this mom and pop restaurant has doused its smoked wings in their signature BBQ sauce and their popular Hot Creamy Parm. Known as the best wing joint in Milton, this spot has also been recognized for its smokin’ BBQ (ribs, chicken and sauces) at over 50 BBQ Championships and in the Toronto Star, Sun, National Post and Toronto Life.
Apple Blossoms at Chudleigh’s, Milton
Everything apple is the draw at Chudleigh’s Farm. Visits here have been an annual ritual for generations of kids and their families who come for wagon rides and apple picking, but one of the biggest treats is on the menu at the Farm Kitchen. Their signature pastry Apple Blossoms come in three flavours – Crumble Crunch, Apple Berry and Apple Caramel – and beg to be topped with ice cream, sprinkles and chocolate or caramel sauce.
Ice Cream at Dairee Delite, Brantford
From mid-March to late September, just look for the line-ups around the parking lot. Dairee Delite is an iconic, 50s style roadside ice cream stand that makes the list for top ice cream parlours in Ontario. This beloved Brantford gem has been around for over 60 years and has every cool treat you can think of, from sundaes to twist cones and milkshakes to banana splits. A must-try is the Peanut Butter Delite, featuring their proprietary peanut butter sauce topping, or go for a dairy-free or vegan option like pineapple dole whip and vanilla.
Burgers at Burger Barn, Ohsweken
You can’t go wrong with a burger featured on The Food Network’s “You Gotta Eat Here.” The 7oz prime rib burger is ground in house daily from fresh Canadian AAA corn fed beef – with no eggs or bread, just meat. Regulars top off their patty with roasted garlic mayonnaise, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickle and red onion and add a traditional strawberry juice on the side. Burger Barn is a convenient 20-minute drive from Brantford or Hamilton in Six Nations Ontario.
