Very strong produce aisles. Filled with a great variety of fruits, veggies, greens and more. I was…read morethere in mid-August, so cannot speak to other months, but it was all super-fresh and kept well in the fridge and counter for the following week. Solid selection of cheeses and deli meats. Plenty of options for just about everything else too. Prices seem reasonable. Lots of parking.

I was at the store on a Saturday morning, in the first week of December. It struck me as I walked…read moreacross the front of the store, looking down each Isle for my wife, I couldn't help noticing the crisp displays on the shelves. I did find her but took a few minutes to actually look at the Christmas displays and the seasonal products along the front of the store. We continued on around the store and it remained just as crisp. My experience tells me that the store didn't come to look this neat by one good nights work and a few dedicated employee's. Everyone working there must be a part of the whole look. I have been an infrequent shopper at this store but I have to recognize the effort, it means this store cares about what I buy and take home.

Went into the hair salon in the Walmart, while I was getting my hair cut, the lady cutting my hair…read morecalled over her manager and the manager proceeded to say I had head lice. I asked my friend (we both work at a camp we do lice checks on staff and campers every week) to look at my hair and all she found was dandruff. She yelled at my friend telling her she couldn't do that in her salon. And she yelled at me and said that if I knew I had lice, I shouldn't have come to her salon. The lady cutting my hair rushed through it, it was all uneven and they didn't even bother to blow dry it. I have never been treated so horribly during a hair cut. Would not recommend this salon...

Awesome (and only) General Market of Port Sandfield. BEST local sweet corn around!! Silver Stream…read moreis accessible both by car and boat. On a hot summer day we love tying up our boat under the bridge and walking up to the store for an ice cream cone. Not only does Silver Stream have corn and ice cream, they have a room full of produce, a meat counter, dairy refrigerators, a bakery, all the Canadian candy you would ever desire, a magazine and newspaper wall, cleaning supplies, and pharmaceutical items.

Bala Freshmart has the look and feel of a big chain grocery store, but has the distinction of…read moreactually being one-of-a-kind. It's an independent supermarket, the only one of its kind in Bala. When you need ketchup, Clamato, or paper towels, BF is it. Its only competition comes from Don's Bakery, The Cottage Butcher, and the produce stands around town. While BF is much smaller than chain supermarkets, its stock is quite comparable. They don't carry *as much* here, but the variety is there, and much of the produce comes from local farms or greater Ontario which means greater freshness and flavor. Also, they carry the generic Canadian brand "no name (sans nom)", in its distinct black-and-yellow packaging. And while this isn't unique to the Bala Freshmart, seeing the no name brand always tickles me. Prices can be high, and there's now a $0.05 plastic bag fee if you don't bring your own. But BF is the only grocery going in Bala, and rather than resting on those laurels, they've opted to step-up their game and provide excellent quality and service. Good on you, BF.

Small town grocery store with everything you need! More importantly service with a smile everyone…read morewas pleasant and helpful! Caleb overheard that we needed to get our groceries to a boat down the road and offered up his car to shuttle is there, such a nice gentleman !

We wanted a non-chain cafe with some yummy coffee and this was it! Service with a smile and honest…read morefood details made it first-rate. They serve local roasted beans from Muskoka Roastery Coffee Company and I ordered a French press of hazelnut vanilla coffee which hit the spot. They had several grain-free (and gluten free) options for sweets and I ordered a delicious brownie which was perfectly vanilla-heavy and fudge-like and not too sugary. All freshly baked too! Hubs ordered a butter tart which was generous and flaky while my toddler enjoyed a trail mix style cookie. She certainly enjoyed it and I hope you will too! There is a small market-style grocery attached which has very fresh produce.

Super cute little market in Washago…read more Seems to offer anything a cottager or local would need - prepared foods section at the back, small fresh produce area at the front, bakery at the side with amazing baked goods, and various other foodstuffs in between. Ended up grabbing a few bags of chips, along with other snack items. I also grabbed an incredible freshly baked croissant from the bakery next door, so good!! Could have spent a lot more time in here browsing/drooling but alas the lake (and my trunk full of booze!) were calling! Until next time!

Still a five-star joint and just getting better. This year the butcher's stock was even more…read moreamazing, and not just the meats. Don't tell anyone, but I fell off the veg wagon *hard core* during our stay in Bala this year. I couldn't resist, and I was soooo glad I didn't. This year's meaty samplings included whole, marinated chicken; beef kebabs; pork tenderloin; jumbo tiger shrimp; sea scallops; beef burgers; lamb sliders; and prime beef steaks. The quality of meat here is blow-your-mind amazing, and most of it is cut, filleted, or ground right before your eyes. You can pre-order rarer meats, too, like bison, duck, elk, and rabbit. Also available are a selection of amazingly delicious cheeses including real smoked cheddar and black truffled goat. As well as gourmet crackers, chips, dips, and spreads. Not to mention tidbits like addictive Milford Bay smoked trout, brie wheels, charcuterie, and homemade frozen cookie dough to take back to the cottage. Insane. Staff is wonderfully friendly, a local family who loves what they do -- we visited nearly every day for 9 days, and they always recognized us, chatted with us a few minutes, and thanked us profusely for our business (I think we're putting the youngest through uni). And they're still trolling the lakes on their adorable pontoon boat, delivering your orders or stopping by your dock if you flag them down to let you browse that day's selection. This place has to be, without a doubt, one of the best butcher shops and gourmets on the planet, let alone Bala.

This place is not inexpensive but you get what you pay for. This place is filled with premium…read moremeats, seafoods and cheeses. Premium comes at a price. But this is Muskoka cottage country and why not splurge. I have never bought a bad product here. The lamb, beef and fish has always been very fresh and very good. They have a great selection of frozen items as well. Also a place to get really good cheeses. A small selection but all of them top grade.

We liked this place so much we returned the following day…read more The first visit I had a quite good iced chocolate chai. (I'm always excited to find chocolate chai.) The berry scone was amazing as well. I wished the tea place we went to the day before in Gravenhurst (Blue Willow Tea Shop) made their scones as good as this. Farmer's Daughter's scones were sweet and didn't need jam. The chocolate chip cookies were fantastic as well. I liked the husband's edamame avocado bean salad. The son got a pasta combo for $18.99. I really liked his mac and cheese; the pasta salad was fine. I wasn't a fan of his peanut butter chocolate chip cookie (too much pb, not enough choc) The daughter really liked her potatoes dauphinois. Her side of roasted cauliflower, mushrooms, and broccoli were fine, but the pierogies were exceptional. This place drains your wallet little by little. I suggested it because I thought it would make sense to have a cheaper lunch but I'm not sure it was. Especially by the time we got dessert. (But it was worth it!) The next day the husband and I had the lentil wrap - he ordered it the first day and was a fan. It was kind of like Amy's brand of samosas but better and fresh. It definitely grows on you. The daughter was not as into her chicken with cornflake breading. The son got the lasagna but thought the previous day's mac n cheese was better.

Lovely little gourmet grocery store and cafe. We picked up a few very tasty homemade rice krispy…read moretreats, a delicious coffee, and some homemade strawberry plum jam. Service was friendly. If they stayed open a little later they could get a lot more service. I walked in 5 minutes before closing and they locked the door behind me. My husband said 6 or 7 people walked up and were turned away in the 10 minutes I was in. Sandwiches looked good, I wish I could spend more time. Lovely baskets and plants as well.

Great store. We always stop in here for supplies when heading up to the hunt camp each fall. The…read morestore is well laid out and has tons of selection. The produce section is really nice.

Great average grocery store-- perfect for picking up staples. Noticed this year that the deli…read morecounter had a greater and nicer offering of deli meats and speciality salami and cheeses.

Similar to the metro in liberty village Toronto reviewed by me. However this time there is food…read morestains linoleum and a pervasive sense of cold that probably is a test of your hardy Canadian-ness. Regardless the food selection is expansive as usual, of good quality and easy to find