Where to eat in Chatham
A short list from the front desk, what's good, what to order, and how long it takes from your room.
Most check-ins end with the same question. Where's a good place to eat?
People come in tired from the 401, they don't want to scroll through TripAdvisor, and they want a real answer. So this is what we tell them.
Everything below is within ten minutes of the front desk at 420 Grand Avenue East. Chatham is a small town. If your phone says somewhere is twenty minutes away, ignore it, it's twelve, tops. Your phone is probably routing you around something silly downtown.
If you'd rather walk
Big Chief Drive-In is on Grand Avenue West, a five-minute walk from here. It's a 1950s-style drive-in. Onion rings, vinyl booths, the works. The Large Marge burger is sixteen ounces; nobody finishes one alone. Closed for the off-season, so don't walk over in February expecting it open. We get asked.
That's the only sit-down spot you can reach on foot. For everything else, take the car.
Dinner downtown
Centro Wood Fired Kitchen, on King Street. Wood-fired pizza, a decent wine list, a room that feels a notch nicer than the prices suggest. Six minutes by car. Park on King or behind in the alley.
For something more careful, walk a couple of blocks over to Lavender & Honey tucked behind Book Brothers, across from Sons of Kent Brewing. Smaller dining room, smaller menu, more attention on each plate. Reservations on weekends; otherwise you won't get a table.
If there's one more drink in you, head across to Sons of Kent. Local craft brewery. The taproom gets loud, the staff is friendly, and there's usually a guest tap from another Ontario brewery on rotation.
Breakfast worth setting an alarm for
Chatham Breakfast House & Grille, about eight minutes east of us. Eggs benedict is what guests mention when they come back. Big portions. The line builds around nine on weekends; go before, or go after.
If you've only got fifteen minutes, the lobby coffee will do the job. If you have an hour, this is where you should spend it.
The no-decision dinner
Kelseys at 804 Richmond is the safe roadhouse pick. Full bar, summer patio, a menu that's stayed mostly the same for twenty years — and that's the appeal. About seven minutes by car.
Chuck's Roadhouse is nearby too. A toonie or two cheaper, similar idea. Either one works for a group dinner where nobody wants to argue.
A drive worth making
Bayside Brewing, in Erieau. Twenty-five minutes south on flat farm roads with almost no traffic. The patio sits right on the water. Pick a clear evening, the drive back at sunset is the actual point, not the beer.
A few things worth knowing
- Most kitchens in town close by nine on weeknights. If you're rolling in late, ask at the desk, we'll know what's still open.
- Downtown is fine to walk in the evening, but it isn't lit the way a bigger city is. After ten, drive.
- Almost every room here has a fridge and microwave, which means leftovers come back with you. There will be leftovers. We've yet to send a guest to any of these places who returned with an empty container.
Want a room?
If you haven't booked yet, rates and availability are on the home page. We'll save the rest of these recommendations for the front desk when you check in.
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