I admit, I had ZERO idea what bannock is, but my kid had heard of this small cafe and she really wanted to try it, so who am I to say no?!! Reading the other reviews, I see I'm not alone in stopping here en route to Penticton (it's a good mid-point for a break). There's a small parking strip on the side of the building. I love supporting smaller shops and cafes, and this particular one is indigenous-owned so it seems extra special! Love the motto, too: "Don't panic..We have bannock!". Cute! The cafe is small but clean, with Indigenous artwork on the walls. Of course we ordered bannock! I ordered a maple one, and my kid ordered a berry one (might've been the Saskatoon berry, I forget). I'll be honest, they were absolutely delicious, and fresh, and fluffy and sweet and glazed, but mine absolutely did NOT have much of a maple taste - like, AT ALL. It was like the glaze on a Krispy Kreme glazed donut. Delicious, yes, and sugary, but not maple-y. My kid's berry one was very subtle in its berry flavor. Again, excellent, but not knock-out berry-y. To me, these treats were similar to donuts without the holes. More like fluffy fritters. Delicious, but not as unique as I thought they'd be. As for the coffees....my maple latte, again, sadly, did not taste at ALL maple-y. But it was an excellent coffee: very smooth and flavorful. You could tell the beans were excellent. There just was no maple taste. But my kid had a berry latte (again, I forget what kind), but this drink was EXCELLENT and it totally DID have a distinct berry flavor to it, and it was wonderful! (We both tried both bannocks and both lattes, and we both agreed on this review). We didn't try the sandwiches but they looked quite good. They also had some cute Kekuli Cafe merch for sale. read more

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Wow! We came in for a quick snack on our drive back to Vancouver from the Okanagen and were blown away! We got the maple glazed, the Saskatoon berry, and a couple of cinnamon bitz and they were all amazing. I had to leave before I kept buying and eating more! So good. I would love to come back! read more

We loved the bannock (fry bread) and entree bowls at this Indigenous-owned cafe-- one of our best food memories from a trip to Banff National Park from the West Coast. Unique flavors and good vibes! read more

I've never had Bannock before and I'm glad this is where I got to try my first one! Obviously had to get a plain one, and then a cinnamon sugar and a Skor one. They were all equally delicious - light, fluffy and the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee. Will have to come back to try their savory options. read more

Kekuli Café - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Merritt, British Columbia

I came here for bannocks and they are so good! Way better than those I had in Yellowknife and at YVR. Maybe there are different types of bannocks. I had the Saskatoon berry bannock which is baked. Somehow it is similar to donut. Soft and fluffy. It has the berry cream filling inside as well as a thin layer on top. They also have their version of timbits called bitz. I tried the maple glazed bitz which was equally good. The maple latte was delicious and kept me awake for the drive towards the okanagan valley. Coming back, I stopped here again and got a Saskatoon berry lemonade. So pretty. The Saskatoon berries are small and you can suck the berries up the straw. Yay! Very refreshing too. I recommend coming here if you need to have a break from driving between okanagan valley and the lower mainland. It also has sandwiches and breakfast items. Street parking is available. read more

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I went out driving for the day and ended up in Merritt. I've never had fry bread or bannock before and really enjoyed it!

Stopped here for a quick bathroom break and WOW the bannock are delicious! Totally perfect snack for the road. There's a plethora of flavors available. Guy at the bar was super friendly too. read more

Wonderful stop on our way from Abbotsford to Vernon! Food and staff were wonderful. Fun to try something authentic and local.

I was told by a friend who lives in Merritt that I must stop at Kekuli Cafe for the Bannock. I haven't had good bannock for years and my ears perked up upon hearing about this cafe. So on my way to Kelowna two weeks ago, we did a pit stop and got my bannock! Bannock is a type of fry bread and a main staple in Indigenous cuisine. I ordered the Wild Salmon Breakfast Sandwich which had wild smoke salmon, fresh scrambled egg, havarti cheese and house made dill cream cheese. Simple delicious and so huge for $7.95. Their Spirt Bear Organic coffee was strong and smooth. One of the best coffee I've had in a long time. Service was prompt and friendly. Tables were spread out for social distancing so able to eat in and enjoy the air conditioning as it was warm outside. Free parking on the side of the cafe. Don't miss this place if your are passing by Merritt-it's worth the pit stop for good food, food coffee and clean washrooms. As John Catucco said "You Gotta Eat Here!" I enjoyed the bannock so much that on our way home from Kelowna, we stopped at the West Kelowna location and got coffee and the cinnamon and sugar bannock for the long ride back to Vancouver. read more

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Came here after going to Kamloops for a weekend. We wanted a quick lunch so decided to stop here in Merritt before the long drive back home. It was busy since there weren't too many places open on the labour day Monday. We got bbq chicken taco bowl and the apple, feta cranberry salad but I forgot to take a photo of it. We also got a Saskatoon berry bannock for the road. The chicken was tender and juicy. It was on top of salad and had salsa on top. The bannock was big and fluffy but not sure if it is worth it but then again, other places sell donuts for $4+ so why not. read more

@kekulicafebannock ft Saskatoon bbq chicken, beef frybread taco, venison taco, bbq chicken salad Dropped by this place for a quick lunch on our way to Penticton. Got to try venison taco the first time. Got a bite of all the different tacos and honestly thought all of them were really good. Their baked yeye bannock reminded me of a sweeter and less dense version of artisan rolls. Good price and a good portion. read more

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Love the freshness of the food, great service! The cafe is always neat and tidy. I especially like to buy their day old bannock that is on for a bit of a discountEd price! I was able to reheat in air fryer and tasted fresh as ever! read more

Worth the stop and all the hype. The bannock here is sooooo fluffy and delicious! Maple Canadiano's were delicious. There are so many different bannock options, sweet savoury plain you will find something you like. It was a busy sunday morning when I stopped in and they were getting folks in an out fast and efficiently. I love that the walls are covered in stunning art from nearby school kids. The signed headshots from famous Native folks are just chefs kiss! I also bought the saskatoon berry tea, chocolate covered berries and a dont panic we got bannock mug. Seeing people removing stars because their ignorant to what a frybread taco is borders on satire, google is free ( No one tell them about taco salads, they might shut down lol) I'm completely jealous this isn't available in Vancouver. Love love love! read more

I visited Kekuli Cafe las week to the Merritt location. I was very disappointed in the service at the till and long wait for the food which took about 30 min. The tables were dirty and although the cafe was busy the level of service etc. was very poor. The attitude when I asked for a lid to take my bannock home the waitress threw the lid across the counter to me. The Venison bannock taco I ordered was very poor and I was feeling ill later in the evening. I have always made a point of stopping at the cafe when travelling through and drove to Merritt on the long weekend just to go to the cafe and was very disappointed overall. I read more

Very happy to support this Indigenous business. They have tacos and bowls with a couple main ingredients - wild salmon, venison, ground beef, Saskatoon chicken. Mixed with salad, tomatoes, peas, and for the bowls - corn and rice. It comes with a base baked bannock, and they sell lots of yummy bannock varieties, like lemon, blueberry, and other sweet ones. Besides the great food, they have a really neat kindness tree where you can donate a coffee or something else. If you're in the area definitely drop by! read more

We stopped by here twice, both on the way to Penticton from Vancouver and on the way back. It was interesting to try the indigenous food and new flavors. We ordered: 1) Chicken & mushroom sandwich with havarti cheese It was super cheesy and delicious! Who doesn't like BBQ sauce + cheese? 2) Beef chorizo flatbread It was interesting to have chorizo and salsa together on a flatbread. Everything went so well together Both with a side of chilli The chilli was very meaty and flavorful The portion was on the smaller side considering the price. It's not cheap, but I'd stop here again on the way to Kelowna/Penticton If you're ordering a coffee or any hot beverage... BE CAREFUL because it's VERY hot! Our friend and the person next to us nearly burned their mouths because it was extremely hot... Overall I liked the indigenous decor inside and all the food we tried :) read more

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Stopped by here for coffee and was pleasantly surprised with the great coffee. Definitely worth checking out here. The staff were friendly too! read more

What an amazing place, it's even got us thinking of franchise options as we'd love one in Vancouver. The food is a bit pricey, not bad, but a bit on the higher side but well worth it for the freshness and quality. The buns for the melts were soooo fresh and tasty. The melts were sooo good. The bannock taco could have used another piece of bannock but lesson learned I will order another piece next time. The smoothies looked amazing, I saw this person with the Saskatoon smoothie and it made me want to go back into the line to try one. Such a refreshing place. read more

Kekuli Café - Bbq chicken taco 5/5 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Merritt, British Columbia

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First time visiting this place coming from America and we love it. We had one little issue with one of our sandwich orders which the manager quickly corrected it. The latte and caffeine drinks are excellent. Really cool Town and awesome views from the restaurant. Super friendly staff and delicious ingredients. We will be back. read more

Kekuli Café - Canadian rack bacon. Grapevine really good eggs fresh tomatoes and excellent Canadian bacon. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Merritt, British Columbia

A unique culinary experience! I'd say a must visit if you pass by the area. When I travel, I try my best not having a chain-restaurant food. I prefer to eat at locally-owned restaurants to support small businesses. We were having a road trip of Western Canada. I'd like to have some foods as we had a really late lunch. Browsing through Yelp and found this pretty much like your regular coffee shop but it's different due to the Bannock. Kekuli is bringing Indigenious cuisine with a modern twist. It seems quite popular among locals. Amazing looking bannocks that are sold with appearance like doughnuts. On the savoury side, they serve into a taco-like. Unfortunately, I ordered a big portion so no room was left for a sweet bannock. read more

Kekuli Café - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Merritt, British Columbia

We stopped just passing through town and they have pastries and lattes! The Saskatoon berry was one of the best I've ever had.

If you're on your way from Vancouver to Banff(or any other place on the way) would highly recommend a pit stop here! There is a good reason this place has so many good reviews. First and foremost we could tell this is a good place from the locals coming in as soon as it opens. We arrived 15 minutes before opening and had a nice chat with another party while waiting for the doors to open at exactly 9am. It goes without saying that you have to try the bannocks which is what they're known for and are delicious! We got the cheese bannock and blueberry bannock. We leaned more towards savory and got another serving of cheese bannock. Also tried the Veggie Bannock Sandwich and was as good. I loved the balance of flavors in the lavender matcha latte. Other coffee drinks were good too. Plenty of parking at the side of the building and gas station right opposite. Decent vegetarian options and good drinks, perfect break before continuing our road trip. read more

Different, clean, friendly, unique, comfortable. So this is sortof a SBucks meets Native Food sort of place. If you have never had Bannock, Id say this is the place to tey it. You will forever compare sll others to this and they will most likely fail. I had the bison flatbread and found the bbq sauce on the bison way too sweet for me. But I guess you could get it without the sauce if you ask. Other than that the rice was delish and the meat tender. All in all it is totally worth adding to your bucket list of cool and or unique places to visit for your foodie passport. read more

Kekuli Café - Bison flatbread - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Merritt, British Columbia

Like many tourists, the reviews got me driving straight from Kamloops to Merritt - 88 Km/55 miles - for an exciting lunch experience at Kekuli cafe in the beginning of September 2022. My dish called PowWow socket salmon taco, was presented in a paper bowl in a form of a mixed salad topped with a piece of socket salmon (probably cooked in an oven) and a fried bread cut in halves also called bannock. From the US, the taco word was misleading because there was no tortillas in the dish. The food taste was absolutely bland! No salsa and very little vinaigrette. I also got 4 bannocks to go as I thought it was the exotic bread the indigenous population made in Santa Fe or Taos a region I visited in 2019. I payed $4 for one fried bread or bannock ( it is a form of donut ) which would be worth of 3 croissants in Paris, France. read more

Recently on a road trip, my gal and I stopped in Merritt specifically to eat at Kekuli Cafe. We got Saskatoon berry and cinnamon sugar bannock, venison Indian taco, and venison flatbread. That cinnamon sugar bannock is genuinely one of the best things I have ever eaten, and if a franchise is ever opened in the Lower Mainland, you bet I would be there every week. read more

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Merritt doesn't have a lot of coffeeshop options but this is a solid pick. There are a lot of bannock "doughnut" options, a few breakfast-type bannock sandwiches and a few bowl meals. My husband ordered the back bacon sandwich. I didn't try it but he said it was good. I had the smoked salmon sandwich and despite being almost 3x the price of the back bacon sandwich was excellent and worth the price IMO. Cappuccino isn't on the menu but they will make you one. Lots of hot drink options with average prices. The place wasn't the cleanest but the staff was very friendly. We will definitely return. read more

Food was absolutely mediocre. The venison taco is not actually a taco, it's a bowl. The venison was just ground beef.

Yummy bannock breakfast with Saskatoon wildberry smoothie, staff are attentive. Will be back to try other food. read more

Kekuli Café - Bannock breakfast with Saskatoon wildberry smoothie - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Merritt, British Columbia

Tasty bannock and nice open layout so that my mother was able to get in easily with her power wheelchair.

The coffee is fantastic and the brekky bannock was very relish! Highly recommended++ Friendly and no push for a tip, which prompted me to tip after I ate. read more

We stopped at the Merritt location for lunch and it was soooo good! The cook took a liking to our kid so he brought out extra bannock and showed him different ways to eat an Indian Taco. We had different items but the biggest hit was the cinnamon sugar coated fry bread. Will have to check out the one closer to home in West Kelowna! However, the service was nice and friendly, busy but worth the stop! read more

We stopped at Kekuli on our way back from Osoyoos to Vancouver. They make the best Bannock at this restaurant, just to mention Eggs Free. I was excited that finally I can have something good to eat with no eggs. Great place for a small town like Merritt. Nicely surprised. They have deserts and soups as well. read more

Kekuli Café - coffee to go - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Merritt, British Columbia

Wow, amazing food, I am so happy we tried this place. We had the Venison bannock sandwiches with sides of roast potatoes and salad. The quality of our meals was great even durring the labour day lunch rush. Merrit is so lucky to have this place. My 8 yr old cleaned her plate, which is a first. read more

Food is awesome! Service is great! Great location. You gota go just for the bread omg the bannock!

I've never tried bannock before so when passing through Merritt this cute little spot came up on Yelp and we decided to try something a little different from the usual McDonalds/Tim Hortons fare that travelers usually eat. I'm so glad we tried it! The bannock here is soft with a faint sweetness and just a hint if the right kind of chewiness on the exterior. My husband had the smoked salmon sandwich and I enjoyed the pulled pork sandwich. In retrospect we could have tried the tacos. Portions are generous and eith plenty of fillings in both sandwiches. Kekuli Cafe is definitely on my list of spots to return to next time I'm passing through Merritt! read more

Great ambiance and decor! This place would kill it anywhere in the fraser valley. Some of the best coffee in Merritt! And the bannock. Omg. The bannock. If you stop in Merritt this is a must stop place. Fairly priced and the bannock is just fu*king awesome. If you don't stop here, you're missing out on the best coffee shop around. So do yourself a favour, take a detour and enjoy a sit down with a cup of java and one of their amazing flavoured half bannocks or even full sized ones! read more

An absolute must visit! The frybread was insanely delicious - crispy, light, super soft on the inside. The sweet options were better than any donut I've ever had. The icing was like a cross between buttercream and whipped cream. Light and sweet, but not too sweet. I had the skor and it was a must try. The skor iced coffee drink was similarly delicious. The lavender lemonade was refreshing and a welcome departure from regular coffee house beverages. My partner got the bannock taco, and it was good, but you really should come here for the bannock. I recommend skipping everything else to make more room for all the flavours of frybread possible. read more

Authentic traditional indigenous food with an amazing selection of Bannock flavour and options. Wish there were more locations and could expand to the lower mainland! read more

What an gem! The service is great. The bannock is amazing. It is such a treat. I have have tried the breakfast ones and the sweet ones it is just all GOOD. I highly recommend you give this one a try. Plus breakfast for $7 hard to beat! Can't wait for my next stop there. read more

I can't say enough good things about this place. I love love love everything about it and the food is always great. Make sure you stop here for a meal or bannock. It's the best!!! I wish there were more places like this in Vancouver read more