Reviews of The Grand Trunk Saloon (Winery)

Suzie Alexander

Great fried chicken and hot sauce! Also recommend the Trunkwich sandwich. Tender, juicy and comforting. Covid takeout/pickup process works fairly well. They open Tuesday-Saturday 4-8pm. They answer the phone as early as 3:15-3:30. Getting through the phone ordering system can take some effort but well worth it. I ordered, paid and reserved a pickup time over the phone. Pickup was easy, on time and had no crowds. Thanks for keeping the soul food coming! Looking forward to getting back into the saloon, which is a fun and unique atmosphere, once it opens up.

Ellie

They now have a little patio, that’s kind of a hidden gem downtown. Limited set of cocktails, but pretty delicious — they’re kind of famous for their coffee and cigarettes.

Shane McFadden

Saw reviews and some photos and had to try. Amazing food great service neat bar! A little pricey but the food was well worth it. As close to proper southern food as I have had here in Canada. Only real complaint was it had a very small menu.

Zachary Balloch

The people behind the bar are masters of their craft. The food is also absolutely incredible. Service has always been too notch as well.

Samo Szakal

Best chicken and waffles I've ever had! Cooked perfectly, and well seasoned. We also had a sweet potato, loaded with beans and other toppings, which is a fantastic vegetarian option. They also have fantastic cocktails; I don't typically get them, but I would absolutely go back for more.

Out There

Great little place to go grab a drink and some food, friendly staff and a interesting menu made for a great time

Nathanael de Boer

Great service, fantastic selection of custom cocktails as well as quality craft beers. We just went in for drinks but the Southern-USA-inspired menu looks great and we'll definitely be back to try it out.

Ella Pettit

This restaurant is so good! We got the fried chicken and it was such an experience. If you want high quality food for a good price, this place is worth eating at. The staff is friendly, too! Yummiest chicken around!

Marcus Eby

Absotutenlutely amazing. I love finding restaurants that surprise me. Especially in Kitchener. We had buttermilk chicken which is soaked in black tea and then buttermilk close to a day. It's super moist, tasty and a nice light crisp batter. Then we had kitchen toast. A staff snack that got put on the menu, goat cheese, veggies, and finished with a fresh white anchovy. Not too salty or sweet. Just perfect. Love this place. And it's my first visit. Served by Kacey who knew everything about the food. And didn't hover. Thx Matt (bartender) and Kacey.

Julia Kaitlyn

Best chicken I’ve tasted. Such friendly/attentive staff :)

Lucy Chai

Got the chicken & waffles + the burger. Reasonable prices and quite tasty. They provide chips instead of your usual fries with some slaw on the side for the burger, and it was pretty juicy with every bite. The chicken was tender and generously portioned with the waffles, which were a little more flat than what I'm used to but pretty good overall. You can choose for gravy or sweet/spicy sauce with this and we chose gravy but next time would probably try the other sauce instead.

Jaya D

Yee-Hawwww ???? If you're in DoentownKitchener , you have to visit the @kwgrandtrunk ! ???? The food was out of this world excellent & I absolutely loved the saloon theme. They apparently have burlesque shows if you're into that as well. I liked the fried chicken but B's favorite was the softshell crab. Totally unexpected but pleasantly surprised.

Sara Simon

We ended up picking this place because it was right across the road from the office but it turned out to be a really pleasant surprise! We were tempted to try the gator nuggets but instead I went for the Monday special, "chicken shack". Tender, juicy pieces of buffalo chicken with homemade pickles on a slice of white bread that soaks up the house made hot sauce. Definitely a good choice and I'm going to return!

Mat Horsman

Excellent drinks, great chill atmosphere, fabulous food ( fried chicken is amazing) and extremely attentive staff.

Matthew Patten

Absolutely delicious drinks. Highly recommend checking them out.

SIR REXINGTON J. ATTACK

One of the nicest atmospheres for a bar in Downtown Kitchener. It's great to see the new options for food, and the drinks are always delicious.

Paul Bisanti

This place was amazing. Might be my new favourite spot in town.

Chris Carew

Every part of my dining experience was perfect, from the friendly service, to the great food and large portions, to the s'mores dessert complete with campfire smoke. 10/10 would eat again. Try the chicken and white sausage gravy and cheddar biscuits. Also the sister bar Grand surf lounge down the street has top notch finely crafted drinks. Go there after your meal for some Tiki goodness.

Chris Koy

Great place the service is fast and the drink ideas there bar tenders come up with are awesome. Plus the atmosphere is something I really dig kinda a western vampire bar feel.

Shonna de greef

Their bucket-o-chicken. Let me tell you; that dry rub they have is an incredible seasoning/spice blend! Yum Hot sauce has an amazing smokey smell immediately when you open it and the taste matches. It has a little heat to it, and it's phenomenal to dip in after you have dipped your chicken in their habanero cane syrup sauce... This habanero cane syrup is something else, I seriously wanna dip it in everything. Super tasty; with a sweet taste at first soon to follow a very subtle, delicious ease of heat that will leave you mouth and lips wanting more.

sivaramakrishnan r

Best cocktail drinks made here. Friendly staff. Amazing customer service. Celebrated new year eve with a champagne!

Draculion

Amazing cocktails. Highly suggest "New kid on the block" as well as their chicken and waffles.

Alex Kinsella

Can never say enough good things about Grand Trunk - but I will try. From the food to the cocktails, it is one of the best joints in all of Southwestern Ontario. Looking forward to sitting inside again one day, but for now, have takeout and Coffee & Cigarettes in a bottle.

Troy Dettwiler

After a bad first experience, this place totally redeemed itself. The cocktails and food were both amazing. The environment was also cool and just formal enough to not feel like DTK (but also not feel like it was trying to be Toronto). I will be back. I do hope the menu gets changed up with a few new options on the healthier side once and a while.

Brenden McNair

The food was perfect, the drinks were incredible as always and the service was fast, friendly and accurate. I would not have changed a single thing!

Steve D

Great cocktails, great soul food, great atmosphere, and great service. You can't go wrong with this KW staple.

Shyun Atøwn

A really cool spot. Great Mac and cheese, chicken and waffles! No one does it like them!!

Mi De

Chicken and waffles and all the side dishes are completely delicious! Can't wait until we can dine-in again!

J

Amazing food amazing service! My partner and I went here for the first time a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it. The service was fantastic; fast and efficient. I believe our server was the owner of the establishment (Darryl?) and he was awesome. So friendly and passionate about the place. The food was amazing. We got the soft shell crab appetizer to start, and the chicken and waffles & mac and cheese with lobster to share. By far the best chicken and waffles Ive ever had. The lobster mac and cheese was great too, could have used just a tiny bit more sauce, however. Other than that everything was fantastic. Loved it and will be returning for sure!

Sarath Chandrasekheran

This place is awesome. I don't normally go overboard with praise, but this is really a great place. We went in to have a beer on a sunny day and ended up having a bucket of chicken (10 piece 20$), though I suspect it was 12 or 13 pieces. The craft beer was just perfect and our hostess was a delight. 100% will visit again if I chance upon this town.

Linyue Clem Qiu

A bit pricey but the food is really good!

Melissa Janzen

The food here is insane! You'd better come here hungry because you are going to want to try as much as you can. I've tried the Low Country Cheddar Biscuits, Octopus and Grits, and the Jalapeno Hushpuppies and they were all delicious! Not only do they have delicious food, but they also make classy artisan cocktails. With such an extravagant bar, I'm sure they can make almost any drink you could think of.

Cas

We got the bacon mac and cheese, bucket of seitan fried chicken, fried brussel sprouts, and the pickles and everything was phenomenal. The brussel sprouts are my new favourite food. If you don't like vegetables or brussel sprouts, please just try them, they are the best thing in the world! The seitan was really good! Texture freaked me out a bit because it was very meat-like, but still very tasty and very filling. The pickles are so good as well, I loved the watermelon and wished there was more! We'll definitely be back :)

Ryan Collier

Not your typical bar. Tell the bar tenders what flavors and notes you like in your drink amd they will create a unique cocktail just for you, while explaining the details of the mixology to you personally. You can learn a thing or two.

Marina T.

Came here for lunch and enjoyed their Cesar salad and house sweet tea. A good portion of salad for $12, tasty bacon and plenty of parmesan. Only complaint, the "craquelins" were some sort of crouton, not the crispy pork belly I'm used to them being. Still tasty, but not what I expected. Service was good, not pushy. Atmosphere is cosy in a masculine lounge sort of way.

Roger Psutka

Great cocktails! A bit pricey. Lovely service but slow. Makes you chill.

Nicholas Armstrong

Grand Trunk never disappoints - the cocktails are amazing, and somehow the food is even better! Each visit brings something new, with frequent menu updates, new cocktails, and daily features. Tonight's was a Halloween-themed take on a Negroni, with blood orange and cherry dripping down the side of the glass for a creepy-looking cocktail. Very tasty, too!

Jacquie Kimmel

Ate in the restaurant at Grand Trunk, the first time I've eaten in since Covid. Very pleasant experience, tables were nicely distanced, only a couple other tables had guests, sanitation was great, Service was good,Tuesday night fried chicken was delish!

Paul D

Chicken and waffles were the highlight the burger was good as well....but it really comes down to basically just get the chicken

Luana Garrido

Good place for have cocktails. The selection of craft beer was pretty fair as well. The service and food was good.

Julie Craig

My boyfriend and I absolutely loved this bar! Great cocktails and apps - we tried the seitan chicken, Brussel sprouts and cornbread - all delicious, with the cornbread definitely being the highlight. We can’t wait to come back for dinner sometime!

Josh Rajasansi

Absolutely incredible!!! Back for my high school reunion. No one showed up!!! Lol. Actually, Justin changed the rules so I could come back. Almost 18 months since I have been in Canada. Glad that this place took it to the next level!!!! Oh and Helena our culinary/cocktail consultant listened to what I liked and made awesome suggestions. Customized a cocktail that was amazing! Thanks GT Saloon!

persis newton

Delicious chicken, and an excellent deal on a Tuesday! The hot sauce with it was A+ as well, not too hot, just right. Also enjoyed the homily frites!

Mike Bentley

Drinks and meal were awesome . Great service

Michelle Bellamy

Fantastic cocktails and food.

Caroline Cosentino

Cute little neighbourhood spot! Staying up the street at the Wallper☺️ hotel! Amazing Paloma , fabulous homemade cesare salads… and the Mac and cheese with 1 piece of chicken! ❤️

Brandon blueberry

I was a frequent costumer at this place but last night when I ordered food for pickup I realized they put the prices up by a lot, good food but definitely not worth the money. There are plenty of other places in kicthener that has just as good food which is either cheaper or worth the money. Instead of going here check out the Lancaster smoke house.

Courtney Gagnon

Amazing, unique cocktails and great food! A definite recommend!!

Luka Thiessen

Phenomenal Drinks. Best fried chicken in the world. Highly recommend.

Frances Carson

I got the Chicken and Waffles club sandwich with a side of coleslaw. The chicken was crispy, yet super juicy which really worked well with the sandwich! Definitely the star of the sandwich. No issues with the waffle or the rest of the sandwich. Portion was on the bigger side for me, but that just means extra leftovers for later over! Indifferent to the coleslaw, but overall, love the chicken, the service and the vibes of this place! Would recommend!

Eric Teh

Nice little cozy place with good food and good service.

Kirti Lad

I got the Chicken and Waffles club sandwich with a side of coleslaw. The chicken was crispy, yet super juicy which really worked well with the sandwich! Definitely the star of the sandwich. No issues with the waffle or the rest of the sandwich. Portion was on the bigger side for me, but that just means extra leftovers for later over! Indifferent to the coleslaw, but overall, love the chicken, the service and the vibes of this place! Would recommend!

Chris Randall

I had their fried chicken on a Tuesday which is when they feature it at a discounted price to pick up and it didn't disappoint. Worth the trip to Kitchener.

Scott Wenderoth

If you’re going to advertise beautiful lobster rolls with lots of lobster maybe when you’re preparing them it at be a good idea to give me an actual lobster roll not a chicken scratch of meat if I wanted so much salad with a lobster roll I would’ve ordered a salad don’t waste your time on this

Kieran Hussey

Very impressed with the quality of the cocktails here. Unique and delicious drinks. The atmosphere here is also quite pleasant. Will be coming back to try more of the cocktails here.

Sara Mitchell

The best Fried Chicken in the area. I have travelled extensively in the Southern US, the fried chicken here is very bit as good. The only addition I would make is honey and biscuits. It is worth every penny charged. As a plus, or perhaps cautionary note, the chicken reheats marvellously in the oven, so get more than you think you can eat!

ReXx Effects

I was visiting some friends in kitchener and they recommended that we head to The Grand Trunk Saloon for dinner ... the place looked great ... a lot of detail went into the design of this location ... the atmosphere when we walked in and were seated was electric ... the menu was filled with fantastic sounding items and I was excited to try anything I would have been served ... our server was great and very helpful ... so why 4 stars ? There was an expediter/floor manager/I don't know who, but some guy that dropped off our food wearing a blazer who proceeded to pretentiously tell me how the flavours of my food would mix in my mouth as I ate them when he served the appetizers, it was really annoying as not everyone will experience food the same, I didn't enjoy being told how it would be enjoyed, it threw the whole thing off for me, and also I personally feel that the portion size of the mains was not equal to the value of the price.

Andy Greene

Must have caught this restaurant on a bad day because the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. I've struggled with giving 3 or 4 stars because the staff was extremely friendly and amazing (I could be wrong, but I believe the young lady that helped us was named Kelsey or Candice?) along with a few menu items that tasted amazing. However, the shortcomings were too much of an issue and I hope this catches the eye of management/ownership because when I was there, on Aug 3, there was a lot of room for improvement. Here is my synopsis on our meal: Catfish slider - awesome dish from start to finish Biscuits - good flavour, could use a little more salt, but cold in the middle--butter couldn't melt and that's a big disappointment. Hushpuppies - very tasty and cooked well. mac and cheese - I'm sorry for being frank, but it was flat out awful. The worst mac and chese I've ever eaten. It lacked salt and had no cheese flavour. A little parmesan on top or some cheap chedder in the sauce would have enhanced it. It was basically macaroni in a bland white cream sauce. Chicken & Waffels - one of the best chicken and waffles I've ever had--and I've eaten plenty in Nashville and other southern states. Habenero syrup - really good for the most part. The sugar cane added some great flavour, but when I see habanero, I expect heat and that was lacking. Again, the staff was great and maybe I caught them on an off day. I know the industry is struggling with staff and managing their costs because of the closures. It can't be easy. There were some gems (catfish sliders & fried chicken) and I'd still eat there again.

Dunn Kruger

I didn't love it...I think that is my fault though! Don't get me wrong, it is super great but the issue was that it was just so built up for me and I had heard all about them. However, when I had it and it was just really good instead of mind blowing I was slightly let down. So, great food, just didn't live up to the hype in my mind!

Chris Engelhardt

Amazing cocktails and excellent service. One of the greatest hidden gems of downtown kitchener.