Portage Grill - Algonquin Park — Restaurant in Unorganized South Nipissing

Whether you’re driving through the Park, camping along the corridor or looking for a great day paddle, The Portage Grill on Canoe Lake is a necessary stop. Formerly the Portage Store and Restaurant until 2022, it’s now run by Algonquin Outfitters. Their new website lists the trademark tripping packages and gear rentals along with three restaurants, The Portage Grill, Cafe & Grill at Lake of Two Rivers, and Hailstorm Cafe on Lake Opeongo. I’m reviewing the new Portage Grill after years of finishing my paddling trip with a beer and burger at the former place.

I always start by putting my P&H sea kayak in at Smoke Lake, paddling along Smoke Creek to Tea Lake for a swim at the campground beach, then on to the Tea Lake Islands for lunch, playing and praying. The next stretch takes me to Bonita Lake along the Oxtongue River, with the final jaunt to Canoe Lake for a beer and burger supper, which meant, before 2022, the Tom Thompson burger or the Tripper burger, flushed with a cold beer crafted by Lake of Bays Brewing Co.

In 2023, I searched the new Portage Grill menu with hound-like eyes. No Tom Thompson or Tripper anywhere. Gone was the famous Canadian painter’s name synonymous with Canoe Lake. I felt like someone shoved a camping knife into my heart. Like paddling into a headwind, I persevered, saved by a Lake of Bays beer. I found two burger options, the Canoe Smash and the Classic Smash, with sufficient add-ons, my server told me, to create my own Tom Thompson. So I did, pondering what the heck “Smash” means. The new burger captivated my taste buds just as the old one did. But the death of the Tom Thompson burger remains as mysterious as the death of the painter who inspired the Group of Seven. The rest of the menu has some delicious, heart-healthy items. A favourite is the Wilderness Kale Salad. The dining room has the same views of Canoe Lake, with large photos of Algonquin’s Iconic history covering the walls. There’s one addition that’s a mistake. Upon entering, my eyes broke down in pain at the sight of barstools and TV screens as if I missed a turn, landing at a Boston Pizza to watch the Leafs conquer the Habs.

One feature has not changed. The new Portage Grill has the same welcoming, smiley and chat-friendly servers willing to talk about Algonquin’s splendour in any way you experience it. I did my Smoke Lake to Canoe Lake trip on Thanksgiving Monday, having first checked to learn when the last order time is for dine-in. I made it 15 minutes before the deadline and was told that I’m too late. I persisted enough to have the manager, Courtney, come out to deal with my lack of obedience. Her smile, brighter than the Canoe Lake diamonds dancing on the water from the sun’s warming rays, made me repentant in a nanosecond. Humbly, I wondered how I could be so foolish arriving late on Thanksgiving Monday, when half of Toronto’s population was visiting the Park. She escorted me to a window table with a joyful word, “I’m happy to serve you tonight.”

Courtney’s intrinsic hospitality, warmth and conversational character instantly healed the dagger-to-the-heart wound caused by the death of the Tom Thompson burger. Courtney is a gem who will paddle the Portage Grill smoothly through any turbulent water, simply by her presence in the boat. No words are necessary for her to make you feel like a famous painter who just entered the...

What a hidden gem right in Algonquin Park….and great food at great prices in an amazing setting! How can you gripe??? Sure the place probably gets crazy busy as the tour buses roll in and staff become overwhelmed but we were newbies. It’s a Monday and most places are closed but we read the menu, checked the photos and thought ‘YES’! Service was amazing and I’d wished I’d gotten the names of both our servers (change of shift as we arrived at about 3:00). The price of everything was so reasonable we were double amazed to see how large the portions are!

We started with the calamari appie and it was huge and we could have probably stopped there, but so good! So glad we didn’t….Portage has some of the best fries you’ll find and when we both asked for gravy, they included it….again, really good gravy, not the canned stuff! Did I mention that our portions were HUGE? The Fish’n’Chips was excellent, lightly battered and some beautiful Haddock, not the mushy cod you usually get. However, our fries and gravy were so good that we never got into the Turkey Club but you could see large amounts of real turkey breast, generous amounts of bacon and so much more….we decided to take it home for tomorrow’s dinner along with 1/2 the fries and 1/2 the fish.

Staff was super attentive and when our glasses were low, they were right there! We were not rushed through our appetizer and our mains didn’t have the texture and taste of having sat under a heat lamp to keep them warm.

Sitting with a beautiful view slightly above the water we could imagine just how bustling this would be during the summer and just how amazing this would be with Fall in full colour!

We’ll definitely be back and big thanks to the staff...

A fabulous addition to the canoe rental building since I used to canoe with our once-young kids!!!! A smartly decorated restaurant which is amazingly popular in off-seasons and especially in the summer. That popularity, especially in the fall colours season can cause some long wait times but it is worth it....usually. Not a bad ten minute wait for us at a Thursday lunch but they had run out of some of the beers we had wanted. Also with the lunch crowds the (under-staffed???) servers are rushed off their feet and the kitchen can get slow so expect a wait. My friends had an excellent CHICKEN CAESAR WRAP and CHEESEBURGER, but my CLUB SANDWICH was a massive disappointment. Although jammed with the usual ingredients, the three slices of bread were MUCH TOO THICK Texas Toast-type which had sat on the servery counter too long and they were ROCK HARD!!! In addition, it was served as two sections rather than the usual four, which just made it totally awkward. The GARDEN SALAD was fresh but needed twice the dressing for the amount of greens. I guess two outta three ain't...