Best Burgers Along the Rideau Canal
What says summer more than a freshly grilled burger served with fries, onion rings, an ice-cold beer or a hand-spun milkshake?
Ontario is home to 19,000 local beef farming families and many of the restaurants along the Rideau Canal use locally sourced beef and fresh produce to put together some of the best burgers around! Some restaurants also provide alternatives to beef by providing chicken and veggie options.
When luxury houseboating on the Rideau Canal you can pick up your own supplies and grill right on the boat or you can stop in at some of these restaurants that are doing burgers right, by only selecting quality, local products and serving up some outrageously delicious meals!
Smiths Falls
Lock Master’s Tap House
32 Beckwith St. S. Smiths Falls ON K7A 2A8 (613) 205-0448
Your houseboating vacation on the Rideau Canal begings in Smiths Falls. Take your first stop at the Lock Master's Tap House with its “legendary location and the best patio in town.” Their Classic Burger is made with two 3oz patties, flame broiled and served on a Kaiser with tomatoes, lettuce, onion and pickle. They also have The Kiwi Burger which includes bacon, avocado and a fried egg! https://lockmasterstaphouse.com/
Perth
Rocky River Café
8 Wilson St. E. Perth ON K7H 1L2 (613) 466-0777
Known in Perth for having one of the nicest backyard patios, Rocky River Café has three delicious burgers on their menu! First there is the Rocky Burger made from “100% Beef Never Frozen.” This 8oz burger can be topped with cheddar, blue cheese, bacon or sauteed mushrooms. They also have the California Burger with avocado, cilantro-lime mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion. Finally, their most unique burger is the Meltdown! This burger is served on grilled rye bread and has sauteed onions and Emmental Swiss cheese. All burgers are served with fresh cut fries!
Perth
CC’s on the Rideau
1030 Rideau Ferry Rd, Perth, ON K7H 3C7 (613) 267-6060
The perfect stop on your houseboat adventure CC’s on the Rideau offers boaters an accessible location, a great patio over looking the water and tasty menu options. CC’s features all your traditional pub food from wings, to tacos, to poutine and burgers! Their Canadian Burger, made in house with no fillers, is topped with bacon, cheese and crispy onions and is a strong favorite of their customers. Or try something a little different and go for the Portobello Stack, a veggie burger made from portobello mushroom, topped with roasted red pepper, zucchini, onion and arugula! https://www.ccsontherideau.com/
Westport
The Cove Country Inn
2 Bedford St, Westport, ON K0G 1X0 (613) 273-3636
The Cove Country Inn is open for outdoor dining and outdoor music! Every week listen to live music while enjoying a burger on their new and improved waterfront patio. The Cove has two great burgers on their menu. The Classic Cove Burger or their “Complete Burger” the Foley Mountain Burger, complete with crispy onion, dusted jalapenos, bacon, smoked cheddar, lettuce, tomato and a chipotle mayo on a toasted bun! This burger was the winner of the 2018 Burgerlicious Award. http://coveinn.com/
Kingston
Harper's Burger Bar
93 Princess St. Kingston ON K7L 1A6 (613) 507-3663Harper’s Burger Bar
Harper’s is “Kingston’s local burger joint.” Their burgers are made from family-farmed beef and they also have natural chicken and plant-based patties. Burgers are customizable or you can order from their unique burger menu, which include the “Umami” topped with brie, balsamic glazed onions, soya-glazed mushrooms and white-truffle aioli! Enjoy your burger with fries or onion rings, craft beer or hand-spun milkshakes on their downtown Kingston patio! https://www.harpersburgerbar.com/
Kingston
The Merchant Tap House
6 Princess St. Kingston ON, K7L 5P7 (613) 547-1313
Located downtown on the waterfront and set in a historic building from 1836, the Merchant Tap House is the place for beer and burgers! Choose from over 25 draught beers and one of their four unique burger options. There's the Red Hot Chilli Burger topped with jalapeno cream cheese, fresh chili peppers, pickled banana peppers, chili mayonnaise, bacon, lettuce, tomato with choice of side. Try their Blues Brothers Burger with danish blue cheese, crispy prosciutto, lettuce, apple butter on a warm brioche style bun with choice of side. For a classic option, go with the Kiss Burger with dill pickle, lettuce, tomato, red onion, mustard, local white cheddar. Add bacon $8. Add second patty $8. Finally, you can't go wrong with the Whisky Bacon Cheese Burger house made whisky barbecue sauce, bacon, cheddar, fried onion ring, chipotle mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato with choice of side. https://www.merchanttaphouse.com/
Kingston
Chez Piggy
68 Rear Princess St. Kingston ON, K7L 1A5
Looking for a fancy brunch or lunch option? Kingston’s Chez Piggy has the burger for you! Their Enright Chuck Burger is made with beef from Enright Cattle Co, located in Tweed ON. This fourth-generation family cattle farm is committed to preserving the land for their cattle to feed on so they can feed their community with quality meat! Chez Piggy serves this burger with lettuce, onion, tomato, burger sauce, house made dill pickle, 3-year-old cheddar, house cured bacon and served with cabbage salad and fries! https://chezpiggy.com/
Merrickville
The Goose and Gridiron
317 St Lawrence St, Merrickville, ON K0G 1N0 (613) 269-2094
Beautiful downtown Merrickville is home to the Goose and Gridiron. Enjoy a burger and a cool pint of their patio this summer! Their charbroiled, half pound burgers are all made on premise and from 100% Angus chuck. They also feature chicken or veggie burger options. Make sure to try their BBQ Beer Burger with Apple Butter Mesquite BBQ sauce, beer braised onions, Canadian bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and a pickle! http://thegooseandgridiron.ca/
Manotick
Black Dog Bistro
5540 Main St. Manotick, ON K4M 1A6 (613) 692-3779
Another great place for local and fresh food on the Rideau is the Black Dog Bistro in Manotick. Enjoy your burger with a craft beer or a signature cocktail. They feature a Veggie Burger made with a nut-based patty, avocado, mango pineapple chutney and arugula, as well as Crispy Chicken burger and an Salmon Burger. Their Black Angus Burger is made from “AAA” in house ground beef and can be topped with BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, goat cheese, brie, feta, bacon, caramelized onion or mushrooms. https://blackdogbistro.ca/
Ottawa
Just minutes away from where you moor your Le Boat cruiser in downtown Ottawa is ByWard Market- a buzzing hub of outdoor farmers’ market stalls and specialty food shops selling Canadian cheese and maple-infused chocolate. It’s also known for its colorful street art and hip stores filled with crafts and clothes by local designers and also home to the icon BeaverTails (sweet fried pastries in the shape of a beaver’s tail), great restaurant and desert cafes.
Bite Burger House
108 Murray St. Ottawa, ON K1N 5M6 (613) 562-2483
Bite Burger House is a “high-end twist on an old-concept.” By using local meats and cheeses and in house made sauces, Bite is elevating the burger bar experience. With several burgers on their menu, they are known for their unique and sometimes outrageous toppings, like the Mac Daddy Burger which is topped with panko mac & cheese, double smoked bacon, and cheddar whiz. They are all served with fries, or you can upgrade to poutine, mac & cheese or even truffle fries! https://biteburgerhouse.com/
Zak’s Diner
14 Byward Market Square Ottawa, ON K1N 7A1 (613) 241-2401
Known as Ottawa’s Best Diner, Zak’s Diner is open 24/7 in the beautiful Byward Market. Experience a classic diner with all-day breakfast, burgers and milkshakes! Their menu has all the burger classics and a few special ones too, like the “Cheeseburger in Paradise” with brie, Swiss, cheddar and garlic sauce or the “Zak Attack” with two patties, bacon, Swiss, cheddar and 1000 islands dressing. https://www.zaksdiner.com/eat-at-zaks/