DINING

Sweet North Bakery

BAKERIES

Satisfy your cravings with a treat from a local bakery. Many have been around for decades and many more have opened up in recent years and each has their specialty; whether you’re seeking cookies, cakes, pastries, breads, doughnuts, cinnamon rolls or the Thunder Bay classic persian, our local bakeries have got you covered.

BARS, CLUBS AND PUBS

Throughout the city you will find a variety of bars, clubs and pubs. Many are gastropubs featuring a menu of tasty dishes ranging from traditional pub fare to upscale cuisine; much made with local ingredients. Get together with friends at a sports bar to catch the game over a plate of wings or relax and unwind at a wine bar sharing a charcuterie board.

COFFEE SHOPS AND ROASTERIES

For many, coffee is a requirement for life and those folks will be happy in Thunder Bay. Local coffeehouses can be found across the city. Local roasters have popped up in recent years and are providing fresh, locally roasted beans to local shops. Grab a bag to take home with you.

CRAFT BEER

We may be biased but in Thunder Bay we believe that Lake Superior water makes the best beer and there are a number of craft breweries in the city for you to try. Most local bars and restaurants will feature one or more local beers. There are also taprooms at local breweries where you can sample beers right at the brewery and see how it is made. Sleeping Giant Brewing Company beers are available for sale at their retail store and at LCBO locations in Ontario.

Quite possibly the best way to sample the quality and variety of craft beer from Ontario is at BrewHa! – the annual craft beer festival held on Thunder Bay’s beautiful waterfront.

DELIS

Locals know that when you need lunch on the run a sandwich from a local deli is just what you need. Choose a classic from the menu or go custom – choose your bread, meat, cheese and toppings and make it as big or as small as you want and pay by weight.

FAMILIAR CHAINS

Thunder Bay is home to many of your favourite franchises. Pizza, coffee, fast food and restaurant chains can be found on the north and south sides of the city as well as in the Intercity area.

FAMOUS FOODS

Some of the most well-known things about Thunder Bay are the persian and the Finnish pancake and both can be found at many locations in Thunder Bay. The Persian is a local favourite and has a long history in the city – a cinnamon-rolllike treat topped with a sweet berry icing. Finnish pancakes are thin, buttery delights that have crispy edges that hang over the sides of the plate. Both are must-tries.

BrewHa!

© Patrick Chondon

FARMERS’ MARKETS FOOD TRUCKS

While you might not expect to find a rich farming community near the boreal forest on the Canadian Shield, the farmers and producers in and around Thunder Bay will change your mind. Find local produce, meats, dairy and cheeses as well as hand-crafted items, art, crafts, natural products and much more at local farmers’ markets. There are markets at various locations in the city throughout the year and the Thunder Bay Country Market, the area’s largest market is open year-round, Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings in the Dove building at the CLE grounds.

© Epica Pictures In the warmer months you will see mobile food vendors on the streets of Thunder Bay. Serving everything from hot dogs and burgers to salads and tacos, lunch from a food truck is a great way to enjoy the sun while still enjoying a delicious meal.

RESTAURANTS AND EATERIES

From vegan to barbecue, greasy spoon to upscale bistro and everything in between, Thunder Bay is home to well over 100 restaurants and eateries offering something to please every palate.

© Epica Pictures

USE THE ONLINE DIRECTORY AT VISITTHUNDERBAY.COM/EATANDDRINK FOR A SEARCHABLE, FILTERABLE LISTING OF THUNDER BAY’S RESTAURANTS AND FOOD BUSINESSES.

Jerk Meat, Curry Meat, Sides & More! CATERING FOR ALL OCCASIONS 807-767-7838

570 Red River Rd Thunder Bay, ON. P7B 1H3 Open 10:00 am – 8:00 pm Monday to Sunday

years of FOOD

BY STEPHANIE REID

The cities of Port Arthur and Fort William had a few memorable food moments during their histories – the invention of the Persian in 1940 and the Bon Bon spare rib 6 years later – but nothing compared to the modern culinary renaissance that Thunder Bay is currently experiencing. Over the last 50 years, food in Thunder Bay has stretched far beyond its humble beginnings to a place where locally-made food products are sold around the world. How did we get here?

In Common

© Epica Pictures

70’S & 80’S

As a blue-collar town in the 70’s and 80’s, the restaurant scene in Thunder Bay consisted mainly of a few local spots with hearty, “homestyle” meals, steakhouses, fast-food restaurants and coffee shops. Local hotels offered some “fine dining” options for special occasions but as the millennium came to an end, the beginnings of what has become an incredibly diverse culinary scene were born.

THE LAST 25 YEARS

It was the mid 90’s when things really started to shift; a small handful of restaurants had opened with unique menus and an interest in locally produced ingredients, farmers ramped up production and new local producers (including what was at the time Ontario’s first gouda farm, Thunder Oak Cheese Farm) opened. The growth of the scene was slow but steady and as more local products were available, more restaurants opened and as more restaurants opened, more local products were available.

LOCAL PRODUCERS

In 1995, the Thunder Bay Country Market first opened in a much smaller building with only 11 vendors. 25 years after first opening its doors, today thousands of visitors make their way to the Dove building on the CLE Grounds every Wednesday and Saturday to shop for local meats, cheese, eggs, produce, baking, meals and crafts from over 100 local vendors. Many of the products made in Thunder Bay have found fans in places far outside city limits. Prime Gelato, Shumka Dust & Wolfhead Coffee can be found in most major grocery stores throughout Northern Ontario, Sleeping Giant Brewing Company craft beer is available throughout the province at LCBO stores, and Heartbeat Hot Sauce is spicing up plates around the world. Made-in Thunder Bay products make great souvenirs and gifts for friends and family.

© Goh Iromoto

DIVERSE RESTAURANTS

In the last decade the number of restaurants in Thunder Bay has grown substantially and the diversity of the offerings is truly incredible. In the Waterfront District alone, you’ll find many restaurants and eateries offering up mouth-watering menus including the upscale yet comfortable Tomlin Restaurant, the northern-inspired flavours at Silver Birch Restaurant, BBQ, burgers and a large craft beer selection at Red Lion Smokehouse, unforgettable Thai cuisine at Thai Kitchen, gastropub fare at The Foundry and The Sovereign Room and Asian Fusion at King Ghidrah among many other great spots.

Sleeping Giant Brewery

Thunder Oak Cheese Farm The Madhouse

© Epica Pictures

In the Bay & Algoma neighbourhood you’ll find the worldfamous Finnish restaurant – The Hoito, but the tastes of Bay & Algoma stretch far beyond pancakes and mojakka. Design your own giant salad at Rebel Salad, grab a smoothie from Growing Season, or sit down to enjoy a locally brewed beer at Madhouse. In the central, intercity area, visit Bistro One and Caribou Restaurant – two pioneer restaurants in the development of the Thunder Bay culinary scene – both have been open since the 90’s and have great wine lists. On the south side, start your day with a breakfast sandwich on a persian at Blue Door Bistro, grab a snack at Excuria before a hockey game at Fort William Gardens, finish up with a classic Italian dinner at Giorg Cucnia é Barra or head to Westfort Village for a taco at The Sal. While Thunder Bay has always been known as an outdoor adventure destination, its emerging reputation as a food town is well deserved and you’ll see why as soon as you arrive. We promise you will not leave hungry.

Red Lion Smokehouse

© Epica Pictures

King Ghidrah Both Hands Wood-Fired Pizzeria and Bakery

VISIT VISITTHUNDERBAY.COM/EATANDDRINK FOR A LISTING OF ALL RESTAURANTS IN THUNDER BAY.

HEARTBEAT HOT SAUCE

You might’ve seen it in Chatelaine magazine or in the 2019 L.A. Times Xmas Gift Guide, in your local Winners or Homesense store or on the wildly popular YouTube show, Hot Ones – Heartbeat Hot Sauce is taking over the world.

What began as a passion project for local entrepreneurs Al Bourbouhakis and Nancy Shaw has in a few short years become an amazing success story.

The first bottles of the original Red Habanero sauce were made in 2016 and 5 short years later Heartbeat Hot Sauce can be found on store shelves across North America (and it ships worldwide).

A hot sauce specialty store in Brooklyn, NY responsible for choosing the sauces on the YouTube show Hot Ones (where celebrities are interviewed while eating chicken wings coated in increasingly spicy hot sauces) selected Heartbeat to appear on the show. Two of their sauces have been chosen to date – the Red Habanero in season 6 and the Pineapple Habanero in season 10.

Be sure to pick up a bottle while you’re here!

SHOPPING GUIDE

© Patrick Chondon

Pick up a gift for a loved one or treat yourself with a variety of shopping throughout the city. Find great deals at major retail outlets, discover locally made items, handcrafted pottery and giftware, and much more at local shops.

ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES

Go treasure-hunting at one of the many antique, consignment, thrift and used stores in the city.

BOOK STORES AND COMICS

Looking for something to read? Visit one of the many book and comic book stores in the city with new and used books to enjoy.

CLOTHING BOUTIQUES

The fashion-conscious will find many options in the city. Locally owned clothing boutiques can be found in the north and south side of the city.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Feel good about using the products and services from local health and wellness businesses. Sweat it out in a sauna, relax at a spa or get a new hairstyle. Fuel up with juices, natural supplements and health foods.

MALLS AND SHOPPING CENTRES

Local neighbourhoods offer unique shopping experiences. Find locally owned clothing boutiques, gift shops and other stores in the Bay & Algoma neighbourhood, the Waterfront District, the Westfort Village and in the Fort William south core.

Malls and shopping centres can be found throughout the city. The largest of these areas is found in the intercity area: Intercity Shopping Centre and the stores at the Thunder Centre. Here you’ll find dozens of familiar stores in one area.