Bent Anchor Bar & Restaurant Reopening June 2026! — Restaurant in Madawaska Valley

I was invited to this place from friends while on vacation up in Barry's Bay. From pricing, to service, to the food this place was an absolute blast and was one of the most unique experiences I've had at a restaurant in a very long time.

If this is your first time there, on the face of it, this restaurant will not make sense. You can park anywhere, you'll see a giant teepee, a butterfly mural and if you're confused, that's okay, everything gets better.

Imagine Jeff Spicoli decided to open a beach bar in northern Ontario, except he only had $1000 and a dream. With that dream he said to himself, "We don't need plates, we don't even need metal cutlery, so long as we have great food, cheap drinks and great tunes, whats the difference man?"

I was served some of the best tacos I've ever had, and the portions were fairly big. The beer was really inexpensive (I really liked the Tyskie in the large bottle) and if you order a ceaser understand you are about to get a massive stick of meat and pickles and more (almost a meal!) with it. To top it all off the servers were super friendly and just awesome.

Lastly, try the deep fried cheese sticks, but beware these are not deep fried cheese strings, this is literally a massive block of deep fried cheese and it is glorious.

10/10 can't...

This review is specifically for the owner. The staff were lovely—no complaints there—but the experience overall was terrible, largely due to the owner’s shocking lack of professionalism.

I called ahead to reserve a table for my family and our dog and was told it wouldn’t be a problem. About 5–10 minutes into our meal, our dog barked briefly—for less than a minute.

The owner approached our table without any greeting, courtesy, or attempt at basic decency. No “hello,” no “how’s everything going?” Just straight to, “If your dog isn’t quiet, you can’t stay.”

His tone was cold, rude, and completely dismissive. It wasn’t about the dog—it was about making us feel unwelcome. No one around us seemed to care, but it was clear we weren’t locals, and that seemed to be enough.

And on top of it all, the FOOD WAS QUITE FORGETTABLE —definitely not worth the attitude.

TO THE OWNER: If you’re going to run a public-facing business, try showing the same hospitality your staff works so hard to offer. You may own the restaurant, but you clearly have no idea...

I have been driving past the Bent Anchor for many years and I decided to visit after I heard it was purchased and owned by new management. As I drive past the bridge to the Bar I see a huge flamingo in the water and boats docked on a sandy beach. There is definitely some beach bar vibes with the music and set up. I ordered myself a Tiki Tequila and enjoyed the vibes as I scanned through the menu. I opted for the Bent Burger with cheese and Bacon and fries. The drink was exactly what I needed to quench my thirst. As I waited for my burger I played some ping pong with my friends. The food arrived and it was a very delicious burger and the bent sauce has a nice taste too it. The fries were by far my favorite thing. Hand cut blanched the day before and fried to order.

Oh yes I forgot to mention that while it was busy the friendly staff took the time to explain how the fries were made to be amazing.

Good vibes will definitely be...