Not so Hidden anymore thanks to Valley Eats App Food Delivery
Here’s the thing. We love food. We’ve travelled to different cities and even countries to try new foods, the best foods, and the wildest foods. There’s something to be said for expanding your taste buds. There’s a thrill in finding new places to try with friends and family, a new spot that you love and can’t wait to share. Well you no longer have to venture far and wide in search for yummy eats, we have a whole lot of options right here in the Ottawa Valley. Now, no one loves the crepes at the Nook more than we do (especially on Pierogi Crepe day), or the cheesecake from the Courtyard. And honestly, if you haven’t tried the garlic cilantro sauce at Janna and Kerry’s on literally any of their Tex-Mex options you should add it to your to-do list, like this week, or like, right now. But we’re here today to share a little bit about some lesser known spots in the Ottawa Valley. The hidden food gems of our community. And BONUS. You can order them all to your front door thanks to the Valley Eats App delivery service! So put on your stretchy pants, get your Valley Eats App ready to order, and taste some of the best foods the Valley has to offer.
1. Sizzle Jacks Smoke House and Grill
Picture, if you will, the ultimate BBQ and Street Food experience. Now, let us paint that picture for you. It’s located at 640 Nelson Street in Pembroke, ON, it has everything from BBQ to gourmet hot dogs, to tacos and burritos, and it’s called Sizzle Jacks. Our first experience at Sizzle Jacks was enough for us to know that this place is the real deal. With a carefully crafted menu that combines both staples menu items and some wilder options, there is literally something here for every craving. One item we tried (and loved) was the “Cooney Island Dawg, “ an in-House Smoked All Beef 7" Frankfurter, Cowboy Chili, American Cheese, Crispy Onion Rings Served on a Toasted Brioche Bun. Sorry, let’s break that down. You’ve got chili. You’ve got onion rings. You’ve got cheese. You’ve got what street food dreams are made of. Some other yummy menu items to note, their single, double, or triple stacked burgers, the chicken Caesar wrap, or their smoked trio platter (because you shouldn’t have to choose just one delicious barbequed meat option). The reality is that all the menu items are delicious and you’re going to become a repeat customer once you try it. Sizzle Jacks, Pembroke Ontario’s premier smoke house and grill, your new fave BBQ and street food joint.
2. Kitchen Eatery and Catering Company
Literally hidden away in the HGS building located at 100 Crandall Street in Pembroke Ontario , the Kitchen is a local gem with a big menu and some of the best lunch options available valley wide. When we think of the Kitchen, we first think of pickles. Dill Pickles. Because every Thursday, it’s Dill Pickle day at this restaurant. We’re talking dill pickle soup, dill pickle wraps, and our personal fave, dill pickle macaroni salad. With daily features, specialty salads and unreal sandwich options, we promise hunting this location down will not be an action you regret. Our go-to menu items are the Hercules grill, (beef gyro, feta, pickled onions, swiss, tzatziki, grilled to perfection) and the Kitchen Klub. Oh! And did we mention they offer keto options AND family dinner orders?! Plus, some of the yummiest muffin flavours around. Give them a try and join the club of those who know about the Kitchen Eatery and Catering Company and those who are quite clearly missing out.
3. Bistro 900
Third on our list of hidden gems is Bistro 900 . Located inside the Clarion at 900 Pembroke St. East in Pembroke Ontario, this restaurant offers a variety of pub and comfort food that you can now order straight to your doorstep. Sometimes overlooked for its in-hotel location, the Bistro 900 has some yummy options that will make you wonder why you’ve never eaten here before! What’s better than a good burger with a side of fries?! Bistro 900 makes their burgers in-house and they have a variety of burger options including the Canadian with maple brushed peameal bacon and the MI-6 with secret sauce and white cheddar. They also have soups of the day to warm you up during the blistery autumn season and classic pub fare including Fish and Chips and wings. Pick a day and treat yourself to a meal from Bistro 900. You’re welcome.
4. Valley SmokeHouse
Located inside the Ultramar at 2991 Petawawa Blvd. in Petawawa Ontario, the big flavour of this restaurant’s food won’t stay hidden for long. Don’t let the location fool you, Valley Smokehouse's food is incredible, the flavour combos are inventive, and the poutines are the hero. Now, we’re pretty simple when it comes to Poutine, so we love the classic Poutine option but they have a poutine for everyone. Smoked pulled pork poutine (yum!), deep fried pepperoni poutine (ok? Yes!), Donair Poutine (Drool!). With a sandwich menu, ribs, and gluten free options, there’s a large selection of foods for you to order for your lunch and dinner needs. Do yourself a favour and add a couple of the items of their “Extras” menu to your order. The donair egg rolls or the deep-fried mac & cheese bites are the perfect add-on to your meal. Confession, we always get a double order of the mac & cheese bites. We cannot get enough!
5. Thai Gardens
Last on our list of hidden gems, but far from the least, is Thai Gardens. It can be found in downtown Pembroke Ontario at 88 Pembroke St. W. Thai Gardens is the restaurant we order from when we want a guaranteed, no questions asked, incredible experience for our taste buds. Serving authentic Thai food, the only wrong choice, is not ordering more! Let’s start with the classic Pad Thai, traditional stir-fried rice noodles with big flavour and big portions, you’ll love taking the leftovers for lunch the next day. Other noodle dishes that are frequently on our order list include the The Pad See-Ew (rice noodles and soy sauce) and the Singapore Noodles. Thai Gardens also offers a number of curry options, served with white rice, and if you’ve never had a curry, you’re in luck. You’re starting with the best. We love the Gang Garee Gai (yellow curry) and the Gang Kaew Wan (green curry) and especially love that not only are they yummy, they’re packed full of veggies! We definitely recommend starting your meal off with spring rolls or rice paper rolls and ending your meal by deciding what you’ll order next time!
These are only a few of the hidden food gems of the Ottawa Valley and certainly only a small portion of the incredible culinary experiences our community has to offer. Are you hungry? Order the food from the restaurants listed above (and more!) from the Valley Eats App. If you don’t have it yet, you can download it here! To see our full list of restaurant partners visit valleyeats.ca and make sure you’re following us on Instagram and Facebook to get our latest updates and food delivery deals. Order your food off our app, get it delivered to your door, and dig in!
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