Tobermory Brewing Company & Grill — Restaurant in Tobermory

I’ve been a long-time visitor to Tobermory and a frequent guest at the Tobermory Brewing Company over the years. I’ve always enjoyed the patio — beautiful views, great food, excellent beer. But this week’s experience was so frustrating and absurd that I feel compelled to leave this review.

On a cold, stormy evening, my brother, a friend, and I decided to eat inside the restaurant for the first time. We were told there was a 30-minute wait for an indoor table, which was understandable. Since the patio was mostly empty (I counted 21 available seats just on the front porch), we asked the host if we could grab a few drinks outside while we waited.

Here’s where things went downhill — fast.

We were told we couldn’t sit outside to have drinks while waiting for our indoor table — because, according to the host, if we sat outside, we’d have to commit to eating there. Even though it was stormy. Even though only a few patio tables were taken. Even though we were just trying to spend money at the bar while we waited. When we asked what he expected us to do during the wait, he suggested we sit in our car.

Sit. In. Our. Car. Instead of ordering drinks and giving the business our money.

Still baffled, we walked over to the indoor bar and tried to order a flight of beer. There was only one stool free, so we stood at the bar and asked the bartender if we could order. He said yes — then ignored us for 5–10 minutes while cleaning glasses. When we politely followed up, he suddenly changed course and said he couldn’t serve us unless we were seated. We were being denied service both standing inside and sitting outside. Truly the epitome of lose-lose.

At that point, my friend took the only available stool at the bar and asked, “Now can I be served?” That’s when the manager finally stepped in — not to apologize, not to offer a solution, but to tell us my friend was “making a scene.” She said she didn’t want a disturbance in front of other guests (who were already watching this ridiculous display) and would now allow us to sit outside with our beers while we waited.

So after all that — the refusal to let us sit on the empty patio, the rejection of service at the bar while standing, and being told to wait in our car — we ended up exactly where we started: outside with a beer. Except now, the experience was soured beyond repair.

This place is clearly being run by young, inexperienced staff following rigid, illogical policies with no common sense or customer care. I’ve supported this business many times over the years, but after this debacle, it’s hard to justify going back. Hospitality should be about making people feel welcome — not chasing them off with red tape and eye...

Try the TBC Classic Burger!

I stopped in for dinner as part of my stay in lovely Tobermory. They have plenty of patio space, but I elected to eat in the cozy inside dining area. I was seated quickly, but there were some delays with the service throughout my stay...nothing serious though, and the server was actually very friendly and pleasant.

The menu had mostly the usual, popular pub-like items, so I decided to simply try the TBC Classic Burger. I wasn't expecting much, but I was extremely pleasantly surprised right from the very first bite of the burger! It's made with prime rib beef and the premium beef really shines through! The bacon on the burger wasn't too crispy, nor was it undercooked or stringy...it was just a perfect smoky compliment to the delicious beef patty. It was topped with cheddar cheese, onions, tomato, lettuce and pickle. I added ketchup and mayonnaise to suit my taste. The burger was clearly cooked on a flame grill, because the delicious char really came through with each bite! Not to be outdone, the brioshe bun was the perfect compliment and provided an excellent burger-to-bun ratio. Overall, the burger was perfectly juicy, but not sloppy and each bite had me wanting more and more! I want to be clear here that this was IMO truly one of the best hamburgers I had ever had in my life!

I upgraded my side to poutine and it was quite good. The Quebec cheese curds had really good flavour and the fries and gravy were done really well.

I accompanied my meal with a delicious, local dark ale.

To finish off this delicious meal, I had the Turtle Cheesecake for dessert, with a shot of Bailey's Irish Cream on the side.

Overall, the meal and experience were outstanding, but that TBC Classic Burger was the showstopper! I will be dreaming of that burger until my next visit...

If you are visiting the area, we HIGHLY recommend you treat yourself to some drinks and a meal at the Tobermory Brewing Company!! My husband and I ate here every day of our trip. We are not beer drinkers, but overheard other patrons compliment the selections they chose. The bartender did make a mean Caesar though! I had several just to make sure they were consistently good, they were! ;) The food was exceptional! I had the Korean Ribs and they were crispy yet moist, very flavourful. My husband loves a good burger and said it was one of the best he has had. Do yourself a favour and end your meal with the lemon mousse. It is perfectly flavoured without being too sweet, or too tart. I am glad to not live close enough to have one every day, or else I surely would! I saved the best for last here….the owners and staff. Although the place was hopping busy, and it’s no wonder why, every person that was working had such wonderful energy. The hostess, the bartender, all the waitstaff, and the owners we were fortunate to meet. We had Ty as our server 2 nights in a row. Given the fact he was extremely busy between all his tables, he still had everything done in a timely manner, and was extremely personable. He also shared in our good humour and silly witty jokes. He is a gem. We also had the pleasure of meeting the owners Laura and Matt. What a lovely, hard working team they are. We thank them for creating such a great place that contributed to our amazing Tobermory getaway! (Wishing your daughter a great season of hockey!) We WILL be...