It's not easy to be out of sight, out of mind in a small town, but Whistleberry Market was that…read morekind of place for me. Every time I'd drive by, I'd remind myself that I should finally go there, but it was only once we were in our waning days of living in the county that I made the effort to get out there.
It's a big, airy space, with lots of wood paneling that ups the country market vibe. I was really impressed with the broad assortment of products - fresh fruit and veg (local and imported), locally- and house-made pickles and jams, deli products, frozen meats, desserts, pantry goods, and more!
What also drew us in were the hot food offerings, which include breakfast, lunch and dinner items. While I opted for the burger, my wife went for the pork chop dinner. You don't see pork chops on a lot of menus, let alone smoked pork chops, and at a country market at that, so it was too intriguing to pass up.
Everything is cooked to order, so if you're getting hot food, I'd suggest ordering it first and browsing the grocery items while you wait. There's a good-sized seating area at the far end of the market with several booths and tables, as well as several picnic tables outside.
The burger was really, really good. The patty was a bit too compacted, but it had a great char from the flame grill. You get your choice of toppings, and I pretty much went for the works. They were top notch in quality, with house-made pickles, a slice of real cheddar, and super fresh lettuce and tomato. The bun seemed to be house- or locally-made, with a lightly crisp crust and a soft and supple crumb that held up well against its fillings. A coating of black and white sesame seeds added a nice bit of flair too!
The fries are crispy-coated ones, so while not hand-cut, they were an easy win, and plentiful. All of this, plus a drink was only $13.50, which seems like a steal these days for non-fast food!
As impressive as the burger was, my wife's pork chop was definitely the winner. It was a *big* chop - easily an inch thick, even after being cooked. The smoke flavour was fantastic, but the chop wasn't dry and overcooked from the double-cooking of the smoking and grilling. There was enough pork chop and fries that my wife had leftovers for lunch the next day! At $15 for the meal, it feels like a steal in 2024.
With a great selection of local products and produce, and delicious hot food at reasonable prices, I'm so glad that I finally tried Whistleberry Market, and look forward to future visits when I'm back in the area.