The Leeky Canoe — Restaurant in Meaford

I’ve been a loyal patron of The Leeky Canoe in Meaford for some time now, and while the food has always been good, last nights experience left me deeply disappointed, primarily due to the unprofessional behavior from the staff.

The evening started with a phone call to inquire about a reservation for two. I was told that this establishment operates on a “first come, first serve” basis, which is fine, but the conversation quickly became awkward when I was told they weren’t busy—something that felt unnecessary and dismissive. When I asked if it would be possible to have a spinach dip ready for our table, or at least to have the order set for the kitchen at 8:30 PM when we’d be arriving, the staff member seemed confused and responded with, “Why would you want that done?” I understand that this may not be a common request, especially for a place that doesn’t take reservations, but the response put me in an uncomfortable position, especially considering I have successfully made reservations at The Leeky Canoe in the past. As a paying customer, I should not feel the need to justify a request aimed at improving my dining experience.

Despite this odd exchange, we arrived at the restaurant and were seated without issue. The food was enjoyable, and we had a nice meal, spending over $60 and tipping generously—20%, making our bill nearly $80 for two people. Up until this point, we were happy with our evening. However, the entire experience took a turn for the worse when my girlfriend overheard our waitresses making rude and unprofessional comments about us while they were setting up utensils nearby.

The staff apparently assumed we were from “the city” and openly mocked us for what they felt was a small bill for “people who think they’re so important.” Ironically, I am from a small town of 35,000 people, an hour and a half north, and I visit Meaford every weekend. In my town, making reservations is often necessary, as restaurants can be booked weeks or even months in advance, so it’s not uncommon for us to plan ahead. They even made fun of how we said “thank you” too much, something I always make an effort to do as a sign of respect and appreciation for service staff. I had even written “Thank you!” with a smiley face on the receipt.

It’s extremely disheartening that after what seemed like a nice night out, we were essentially ridiculed behind our backs by the very staff who were supposed to ensure we had a good experience. While the food was up to the usual standards, the lack of professionalism and outright disrespect from the wait staff have left a sour taste.

Customer service is just as important as the food itself, and being judged or mocked by the staff completely ruins the atmosphere. I hope management takes this seriously and addresses it with their team, as no guest should leave a restaurant feeling belittled or...

Absolutely worst experience I've ever had a restaurant establishment and I wish I could give it negative stars. Upon arrival we were told there was a wait which was totally ok. We were seated and it quickly went downhill from there. Ordered drinks and apps before our actual meals. It was 40+ minutes to receive our entrees from the time we got our apps, however, we had to ask the waitress how much longer to which she said it was very busy and every other excuse in the book. Once we asked where our food was it magically just appeared at the table and obviously had been sitting for a while. Once the food arrived, sides were cold, guacamole was missing, two orders of gravy missing. We told the waitress and it just seemed like we were a nuisance. My mom ordered a refill of hot tea and asked for a 2nd teabag and the waitress gave her attitude and told her she'd have to charge for another teabag because every restaurant she had been to does that, no other place charges for another teabag but nice try. We get the bill to which we are shocked when we're told that the tip is automatically applied to the bill as we're a large group. We were a group of 9 and 4 were kids. Not once have we gone out elsewhere where the tip is automatically applied - this is not disclosed upon being seated or even mentioned in the menus itself. My mom paid for all of us and I told her to fight the bill because sure enough we were charged for gravy we never received and the automatic tip was another $40. The waitress had the nerve to argue with us even after we told her we'd just do separate bills but then insisted the tip would still apply. In the end the tip was removed. This place is not worth and while the food was mostly good, the service and staff truly are lacking. I refuse to tip if I feel the service doesn't deserve it and the fact that she just added a tip, without disclosing it tells me this place is money hungry. I personally will never return, especially being from out of town. This place left a horrible taste...

the new owners are going to run this place into the ground. I know a handful of people who won't go here anymore because of all of the poor updates they've made. the mandori grilled chicken wrap had a flavour I'd dream about, but it's not like how it used to be. I now expect to pull out a bunch lettuce because they put too much in, and in a grilled wrap it all wilts and really makes the texture something unbearable. there is significantly less sauce than there used to be, as well. favoured menu items aren't there anymore - like the kiowana chicken wrap or the bruschetta. the gravy is obviously some kind of Sysco - just add hot water - beef gravy. it's very, very cheap and not good. I think McDonald's uses the same gravy. the menu prices continue to increase, while quality goes down. I was here about a month ago for just a drink and it was $13. today, the same drink was $14. it's very disappointing that new owners come in and change so much stuff that has been beloved by locals for over 20 years. these new owners have a reputation for taking over pre-existing restaurants and ruining what made them great. I hope they don't just "hear" what the locals are saying, but actually listen. very...