This is a decent place to stop for veggies, & prepared items. As it is a bit of a speciality store…read moremixed with local farm items & items from other locations. If you're like me with variable mobility days, this store is the perfect size to get in, shop & still leave before your too broken from a grocery trip in the winter. The vegetables & fruit are in the open but covered area & the rest, from speciality sweets, local products (I really enjoy grabbing That's My Jam & Hardy Honey) to a little deli of prepared items & meat choices. With a smaller store means there's limited options if you're shopping later at night. So do keep that in mind as well as that there is a bit higher cost to shopping here. I do that trade off with where my mobility days are in winter & distance to drive to the other grocery stores. There looks to be an enclosed seating area beside the deli (but I'm never there early enough to see if that's for customers or only staff), a pizza place just outside the market, beside (but associated with the market) is the cafe with delicious ice cream & doughnuts. And on the side of the cafe, a thrifting shop & outdoor area to sit. both buildings are friendly for all mobility aids entering but inside both places, I wouldn't want to navigate with a walker or wheelchair if it was busy. These places are smaller, so layout is tight. Cane users, just be aware you might need to side shuffle on the busier days & times. There always seems to be plenty of parking in the narrow but long parking lot. I also noticed people do park along the side road too. I can't say I ever see n handicap parking stalls closer to the market itself but there's clear ones by the cafe. Access off the main highway is quick & if you're on the outskirts of Duncan, this would be your first grocery option going into the city. If you're into randomly fun photo opps, there's some neat vintage tractors outside and the market is decorated with all sorts of things. Just be watchful of the traffic as the place is quite busy in the daytime. Last note. But for us disabled folks, a good heads up. I don't know if I randomly walk in the wrong doors or they really hide the baskets well, but never seem to notice where the baskets are placed. That fact itself doesn't bother me as I prefer to shop with my cloth bags being that it's easier for me to carry /I bump less things or people while using my cane & shuffling around. Plus, I avoid triggering my back pain pushing a random cart in a smaller space that often can be crowded. However, instead of ever being offered a basket to use or any help shopping, I have found myself to be subject of some very obvious watching. The last shopping experience (in fall 2025) was so beyond obvious that it reached the point being clearly cut off by staff while I'm trying to reach & look for items. Instead of ever just being asked to switch to a basket while shopping (this particular staff member seemed to have a lot of time on their hands & could of brought me one if they truly just wanted to keep an eye on what I was shopping for), I eventually was given really poor attempt of an apology at the till as I was packing up my paid items (apparently "there's a guy" that comes in randomly with the same bag that tries to shoplift & yet I had 2 bags, interacted with the few other staff & was thoughtfully choosing items from my list while moving at my very limpy pace...). Truthfully, I haven't been back since as it left a bad taste in my mouth. It's not the first time I'm profiled wrongly as a disabled person (my cane is my aid for over 6 years) but this was probably the worst level of assumption (& actions by what I think was even the manager the way he was talking). However, I have to say the regular market staff are always kind & helpful for any questions I have. Most offer to help me with searching for items if I'm standing too long in one spot (which I sometimes do for pain management reasons or to make sure my balance is ok before bending for something). Sometimes staff even get really excited about a product I'm looking at buying. The quality of premade items ranges from good to very tasty. I like there's an assortment of local, Canadian & international items. The market has a few short rows of random goods & treats in the far corner with international highlighted which is always fun to browse. They even support a lot of local initiatives, including selling the cookies from group of disabled bakers. Which comes full circle to how I'm confused to rate this place. So I'll leave it at 4 stars & I'm sure later on during my Island wintering time I'll revisit this market & add to my review.

The diving cow beef dip is AMAZING and a fantastic price! I LOVED it. 10/10 recommend. Would love…read moreto come back but was just visiting. Employees were super kind and store had a great vibe.

They have some really good salad dressing. I highly recommend trying it…read more The place is also a restaurant but offers to go items along with dressings.

I had a squash sandwich (picked it up before a hike) it was very delicious…read more Would definitely return. Be sure to check out the cute book store in the same building.

As my wife said, A great find. No recent reviews here so I figured I'd better let folks know they…read moreare still around, and still great! Amazing scone, got us thinking we gotta try baking some ourselves, and the curry meat pie was very flavorful. We are also taking leftover mango chutney home it's that good. Oh yes lattes also great in fun big cups, and friendly staff. We sat in the couch by the big window so we could watch parents and kiddos walking to school. A great hip cafe in Duncan, who knew :)

Love this place. Lots of yummy selections, sweet treats, satisfying coffee in a relaxed and…read morefriendly atmosphere.

The service is top notch! Very friendly people. The coffee…read moreand food is excellent. A bunch of us meet there once a week, so it must be good!

Not a bad little place to stop at if you happen to be in downtown Duncan. I had a turkey spinach…read moresandwich and a cup of their medium roast coffee. The service was great, both girls were quite friendly and attentive. They heated up the sandwich for me on a panini press and it was tasty, it also came with tortilla chips on the side. The coffee they use is organic and fair trade and the brand is called, Spirit Bear. I believe that it is a local coffee roaster. The coffee was good but definitely nothing to write home about. Would I go back? Sure, if I happened to be in the area again killing time. At a friends house later on they brewed me a cup of coffee using beans from Drumroaster Coffee (another local coffee shop/roaster) and that was some of the best coffee I've ever had in my life. So maybe if you're in the area hit up Drumroaster instead.

Our pastries were delicious and the customer service was outstanding and very friendly. We highly…read morerecommend True Grain!

I'm in love with this bakery! I asked permission to take photos and told the lady at the front…read morecounter that I was jealous she gets to work in this beautiful bakery!! They are friendly and welcoming! They have so much stuff, from baked goods to teas to coffee! I bought organic stone ground rye flour and am so excited to bake with it! We tried a few of their pastries - cranberry and orange scone, cinnamon bun and cheddar twist; and coffee. If you expect fancy lattes, this is not the place for it. But if you wanna go crazy with organic breads and pastries, this place is for you!

We had a nice lunch here yesterday. This place is located in a hotel and overlooks the harbor…read more Lovely views that included boats and a bald eagle on the dock. The service was ok, not stellar, but certainly adequate. The food was pretty good. My husband had the fish tacos and loved them. I had the Katsu Chicken Bowl. The Bowl wasn't as good as the tacos. It was badly under seasoned. The chicken was quite dry and overcooked too. All in all it was quite bland. I wouldn't order this again. Our friends had the Miso Salmon and the Bison Spaghettini. Both of them enjoyed their food. If I return to Cowichan Bay I'd consider going again but skipping the Katsu Bowl.

After reading several negative reviews about the service at The Cook & Butcher, I wasn't sure what…read moreto expect--but I'm so glad I gave it a chance. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted warmly by the hostess, who was incredibly friendly and accommodating. I didn't have a reservation, but she still found a table for me without any issue. My waitress was absolutely amazing--attentive, welcoming, and made sure everything was perfect throughout the meal. I ordered the clam chowder, the steak, and a cocktail called the Guava Fizz. Every bite (and sip!) was delicious. I'm honestly surprised by the poor service reviews, because my experience was fantastic from start to finish. If you've been hesitant to try this place because of what you've read, don't be--I had nothing but great service and great food. I'll definitely be back! The views are also amazing!

I've come here a handful of times when I've visited my brother. It's a very busy spot, so…read moresometimes there are long waits. They have a great brunch menu with lots of delicious options for breakfast or lunch, as well as daily specials. I've loved everything I've had here, from egg dishes to cubano sandwiches. The best part is that they have caesar and mimosa flights. The juices used with the mimosa flights are always changing, and delicious. They have a nice big patio and lots of indoor seating. A very cute spot.

I'm not a fan. Felt rushed. It's a trendy place with a close following. I felt out of place there…read more It was expensive.