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Stone Road Grille
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
238 Mary StNiagara on the Lake, ON L0S 1J0
(905) 468-3474
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Stone Road Grille
Review Highlights
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"The foie gras poutine was the best dish of the night." In 3 reviews -
"Duck Confit on the other hand was just fantastic." In 3 reviews -
"...bar is first class, and they have a world class wine list." In 4 reviews
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Absolute B.
Ottawa, ON
4/16/2012 3 photos
I made reservations for Stone Road after reading the review on TA and looking over the menu online. When my wife and I arrive in NOTL and we passed by the place I was more than a little apprehensive...Strip Mall beside a UPS outlet and a Subway? Not that impressive; Don't worry, things are much better inside.
My wife loved her selection of oysters and we both agreed the mussels were the best we've ever had; whine wine, smokey bacon and a hind of mustard! Delicious!
My wife had the beast of the day which was roast pork with pork belly and Rigatoni. She really like it although I thought it seemed a bit fatty.
I had the steak frites with bacon and egg suace...Really will presented with the sauce served in the shell for you to pour...Now the one sour note. My steak was served blue rare (I truly could not cut it with my steak knife. I was not asked how I would like it cooked so i assumed that it was prepared mid-rare or how the chef felt best. Odd, but I'm not too fussy on how my steak is cooked-as long as it is.)
The waitress quickly removed the plate and a new one was presented shortly thereafter (with a complimentary glass of wine0 and it was perfect! The steak was mid-rare and juicy and the sauce was out of this world!
Great time and a great meal! -
Review from Alysse R.
Toronto, ON
2/21/2012
We read about Stone Road Grille online, and the first time we tried to go, it was packed! This time, we made a reservation - I'd recommend doing so.
We started off with the "Artisanal Canadian Cheese Plate", with three pieces ($12). We were actually surprised by how large the pieces were, and how delicious the bread was that came with the plate.
For our main courses, we both opted for "The Weekly Beast": Grilled Strip Loin/"Rootabeeta" Gratin, Sauteed Rapini/Sweet Potato Puree, 24 hour Smoked Brisket/Bacon Bread Pudding, Peppered Carpaccio/Wild Arugula/Truffle/Parmesan. It was the type of meal during which you keep exclaiming "MMM!" as you try each new thing. We both got the larger size for $32 each, although a smaller plate was available for $22.
We each had a glass of wine ($10 each), and the grand total for two totally satisfied (stuffed!) eaters was $115.26 before tip. This was a bit expensive for us, but we were so impressed that we felt it was worth it! -
Review from Monica S.
1/17/2012
This California girl is not impressed.
Service was ok.. Food was ok.. Came here after a day full of icewine tasting. The restaurant was super busy. I ordered the organic green salad. I must be spoiled because normally, where I'm from, a salad comes with at least tomatoes, maybe a few other veggies.. Nope this one is JUST lettuce and a smiggin of dressing. Really $9 for just lettuce? ridiculous! My steak was good but the sauce it came with was inedible - it was some creamy bacon sauce.. I've never turned down anything with bacon in it, until today! Not too happy.. :( -
Review from Alan D.
5/24/2012
Extremely noisy place - architect saved money by dispensing with a ceiling - not unattractive but allows a level of noise on a semi- filled night that ensures I will never eat here again
I had duck confit - best I 've ever had - very small - I suspect quite a bit shaved off for salads - $32.00!!!
Excellent wine list - so so service - all of us (4) offered the wrong entree -
Other places where the food is as good (Treadwell's) and the ambience is more pleasant -
Review from Debbie M.
Toronto, ON
5/6/2012
We were so excited to find this place - delicious! Original. Unique. Great service. My husband had the oysters to start - one of each of the options (4). Then we shared the charcuterie platter. The chicken liver mouse was unbelievable and the fresh breads on the side are awesome. I had the risotto and my hubby the duck confit. Their duck is superb. We finished off the dinner with their award winning bacon maple ice cream (I think it has a better name than that, but I can't remember) - cute plating (I won't describe, you'll have to order).
All in all, we had a complete disappointment the night before (Old Winery) and were really surprised at the great meal we had here. Would totally go again! Thanks for the great service too! -
Review from Ed D.
Fenwick, ON
4/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Perhaps one of the best charcuterie plates I've ever had! Nice homemade bread that came out before my meal. Only went for lunch, will have to try a dinner there!
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Review from Joel S.
Dundas, ON
12/22/2011
This resto has a comfortable, eclectic decor. The service is good. One of the servers in our section was doused in perfume, which was almost gagging in its potency. That was the only real strike against the service.
The food is amazing! We started our meal with the Charcuterie plate. The lardo was incredible, as were the chicken liver mousse and the smoked duck breast.
The special was the "Weekly Beast" (pork 2 ways) the 2 ways being house cured ham and a sausage. it was served with potato puree, sauteed fiddle heads with pancetta and morels. GREAT!
We also had the ricotta gnocchi, is an cream sauce with asparagus and morels. MMMmmmm!
To finish we shared the slow baked chocolate mousse cake, with salty caramel ice cream and nuts. Also VERY good.
I can't wait to return and try other menu items that piqued my interest!
Order: Charcuterie, Weekly Beast (pork 2 ways), ricotta gnochi, slow baked chocolate mousse cake -
Review from Simon S.
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
8/25/2011
I have eaten here a number of times.
The menu is constantly changing which means that even if you are local you will not get bored with the great food that is on offer. The staff are helpful and attentive and the wine list has a great selection of wines, both local and international.
Thoroughly recommended. -
Review from Steph L.
4/4/2011
Popular amongst tourists and locals, the Stone Road Grille exudes NOTL charm.
You know what is cool? This modern eatery is located in a tiny plaza. It's a buzzing restaurant serving up delicious food where you would expect a dollar store to be.
Eclectic artwork hangs from vibrant red painted walls, this venue is intimate, cozy, and non-pretentious.
It's great that only Niagara region wines are offered here. The waitstaff was able to make recommendations based on your order.
We were excited that there were oysters available. There was a good selection of East and West Coast oysters.
My dining partner ordered the confit leg of duck with pork belly cassoulet and foie gras jus. The duck was good but I wasn't a huge fan of the cassoulet (stewed lentils)..too many soft textures I think... but the duck was fantastic.
I ordered the risotto with ox tail, marrow, and saffron.
The oxtail was tender and tasty but I found the risotto slightly undercooked and I didn't taste much of the saffron. With the marrow I would have expected my risotto to be heavier than it was. It was a nice entree but not more than three star worthy.
For dessert we shared the chocolate mousse cake with salted caramel ice cream. It wasn't bad but there was nothing standout about this dessert.
If you are in the area, it's definitely worth checking out but I'm not convinced it's the best meal I'll have in NOTL. -
Review from Francine K.
4/28/2009
What a wonderful little place!
Though we had some trouble finding it -- as others have noted, look for the "Rest" sign, not the miniscule "Stone Road Grille" one -- we had a wonderful meal in a cozy location. The restaurant was bustling, the owner was incredibly friendly, and the menu focused on seasonal, local fare, including the best local wines, which were paired with the dishes.
I had the organic green bouquets, a very light and leafy salad option, and the puffed mushroom crepe, which was incredibly delicious. The prices were really reasonable, too, and the entrees are all available in half size -- and at nearly half price -- so you can try out more than one, or just have a lighter dinner.
Definitely worth the drive for the friendly and knowledgeable service, relaxed and elegantly quirky atmosphere, and scrumptious food and drink. -
Review from Sanjay K.
Kitchener, ON
8/4/2009
We heard great things about this place. Called ahead to make sure that there are vegetarian items on the menu. Got a reservation for the same night. So far so good.
There was literally one vegetarian item, which I am not surprised and normally wont hold against a restaurant in this context. However, on ordering a soup that was suggested as veg - found that it had shrimp in it. The main fare, which was a corn based crepe was so so ...
In any case, this might've been a mix of high expectations and average service. But, not going back there next time we are in NOTL :) -
Review from Neil T.
Toronto, ON
7/6/2009
First of all, this place looks G-H-E-T-T-O from the outside. It's in a small plaza and the entrance looks like you're walking into a greasy spoon. Luckily, the interior is quite a bit better, some would go as far as saying it's classy. Definitely unique -- all the tables and chairs are different from one another. Hmm....
The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, though I do sense a little bit of arrogance. Maybe it's me or maybe it's because one of the servers said dinner requires a 5 to 7 day advance booking. In this economy, I doubt they're filling the place on a Monday night that would require such advanced notice. But I digress....
We had lunch here, which was nice. I had a couple of fresh oysters, which were very nice since Niagara isn't close to an ocean. The side salad was a very small portion consisting of spinach, smoked salmon, and goat cheese. Tasty though. The main was the 'quacky' pizza -- a thin crust with duck confit, caramelized onions, and mushroom. Washed it all down with maple sugar cotton candy for dessert, which was neither here nor there.
If I was a wine drinker, I'd probably give this place 4-stars. Their selection was very extensive. -
Review from Alon G.
Toronto, ON
7/21/2010
No doubt, the food at this restaurant was good. The decor inside the restaurant was definitely a surprise, as I found it really hip and dark (considering it's in a strip plaza).
However, I found the food way overpriced. Once again, the food was good quality and prepared very well. However, I found it expensive for the quantity provided and the choices available.
There aren't that many restaurants in Niagara-on-the-Lake. I feel that this restaurant purposely charges more just to give itself an upscale image in a city with not too many upscale restaurant options.
Finally, you have to remember that this is wine country. Therefore, all the wines on the menu are the VQA's from the wineries in the surrounding area, and clearly marked up $$$. There's no house wine (for a cheaper option), and even wine by the class is 50-100% marked up.
Unfortunately, if I were to come to this city again, I would not eat here. -
Review from Alicia W.
6/1/2011
Stone Road Grille was possibly the worst restaurant experience I've ever had. Upon arriving at Stone Road Grille, my fiance and I were told that there would be a "seven" minute wait. We had made reservations, but a 5-10 minute wait is not a big deal. We browsed the wine list, and while we waited, two other couples and a family of four arrived. As tables opened up over the course of the next 45 minutes, we watched the manager seat all three of the groups that had come in after us. The restaurant is tiny, and we were waiting directly in front of the host stand, so there was no possibility that the manager could have forgotten about us. Finally, after 40 minutes, the manager comes up and tells us that it'll be just a few more minutes. We gave him 5 more minutes, and when no tables showed signs of leaving anytime soon, we finally decided to leave.
On our way out, I told the manager that we were leaving. Instead of apologizing for the wait or trying to get us to stay, the manager just said "fine" in an indignant tone. I then asked him why he sat all three tables before us, and he said that they had earlier reservations than we did. Since we had been at the host stand when each group checked in, my fiance quickly replied that that was not the case. One couple had the same reservation time as us (but had arrived after us) and the other two had later reservations. The manager sort of sarcastically apologized, and that was it.
I have no idea why were treated so poorly at this restaurant. We were dressed appropriately and were extremely polite and friendly up until the very end. I am less irritated by the amount of time we had to wait than the fact that the manager clearly chose to treat us worse than the other guests. I am not sure if they were locals or if there was something else going on, but the manager was horribly rude and disrespectful. I would definitely not recommend going to Stone Road Grille, as there are many other wonderful restaurants in Niagara on the Lake where the service is incredibly friendly. -
Review from Jojo S.
6/16/2011
We have picked Stone Road Grille for the early dinner during out brief stay at the NOTL based on Yelp and Tripadvisor reviews.
Our experience was very good - small but beautifully decorated dining room, exciting menu choices, well-prepared meal and great service. Do not let the obscure location (next to the gas station in a small plaza) and the uneventful exterior fool you, the interior is quite lovely. We very much enjoyed the ambiance of the dining room.
We arrived for quite an early dinner ( 5pm) on a Tuesday, and only one table was taken, though later on the restaurant got packed rather quickly. The manager was very nice to us, and let us look a the menu and take our time picking our seats.
STARTERS:
While waiting to make our order, we enjoyed the delicious breads. They were hearty and fresh out of the oven. Then we tried out the soup of the day (cream of artichoke, which had an excellent complex flavor), charcuterie plate form the specials menu (it had some truly exciting selections of meats, sausages and pates, each one delicious), roasted bone marrow (well-seasoned and succulent exactly what you want in a bone marrow) and foie gras poutine (i'm a big foie gras lover, and these little bits were cooked perfectly). All recommended accompanying wines were nicely match to our food choices.
Perhaps the only option i didn't find as exiting or appealing from the tasting plate was Crispy Pork Belly (personal preference). We also ordered a side of Foie Gras and, although delicious, i found a quarter-sized portion to be ill-matched for the price.
MAIN DISHES:
We went for small portions of Confit Leg of Duck and Steak Frites. Steak was pretty good , though not great. I found the half portion (3 slices) to be rather on the tiny side, so again price/portion relationship didn't seem good here.
Duck Confit on the other hand was just fantastic! Definitely one of the best i've ever tried. The half portion (one leg) was rather large compared to the steak. Full of flavor, soft, juicy and so well-complimented by the lentils and the Foie Gras/Watercress sause. Again, recommended Pinot Noir didn't disappoint. Duck Confit dish was definitely the highlight of the dinner.
Deserts were also very very good. The creme turned out perfect, and the rhubarb souffle was out of this world.
Service at the table was impeccable.
Overall, we had a great experience and mostly terrific food. Definitely recommend. -
Review from David D.
Niagara on the Lake, ON
4/3/2009
I'm a local and I love this place. Keep in mind that there are two parts to this restaurant, there is the take out part and the sit-down-restaurant part--and their menus/selections are quite different. Most of my experience is in the take-out part.
The menu sit-down-restaurant part is always changing. The chef there is always doing something new. The decor is slightly retro slightly industrial. I don't have much experience with the sit-down part of this restaurant.
I am a local and I often go to the take out part of the restaurant. I love their thin crust pizza. I often get the Reuben sandwich there as well. There is also usually some hot chili and/or soup that I would recommend trying. They also have regular (non-thin crust pizza) which is okay. -
Review from Christopher M.
9/10/2008
After a day of wine tasting, this is THE place to go in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Supposedly it's a 'locals' hang out, and it's known and frequented by all the wine connoisseurs. And its reputation is well deserved.
Service is first class, the bar is first class, and they have a world class wine list. The menu changes frequently, but if they have the Kobe steak, I'd HIGHLY recommend it (and this coming from a guy who's very particular about his steak). And ask the owner to come over and recommend a wine paring with your meal.
If you're looking for a sign that says "Stone Road Grille," you'll never find the place. Look for a cheesy looking sign that says "REST" towering over an average strip mall. That's the sign for the Stone Road Grille. -
Review from Steve H.
East York, ON
6/6/2010
Second time here and still impressed. Food is excellent. Had steak and halibut. Service was wonderful and suggestions were great on food and wine.
The place is always hopping so book ahead. -
Review from Kevin D.
Toronto, ON
4/22/2009
'REST' IS BEST IN N.O.T.L.!
Neatly tucked away at the corner plaza of Mary Street and Niagara Stone Road is Niagara-On-The-Lake's best local eatery.
The Stone Road Grille offers exceptional service, warm decor and creative dishes to whet the palate. Their wine list is exclusively Ontario VQA, a point of pride for the restaurant.
The menu is ever-changing, so it's difficult to pin down a 'favourite dish'. However, they are one of the only places in town offering fresh oysters and Ice Wine Martinis.
Try a bottle of Le Clos Jordanne Pinot Noir with your meal- tell 'em KD sent you! -
Review from Vivian W.
Sorry for whoever likes this place, because I'm disappointed with their food served on Feb 5th. Maybe it's all the articles, reviews they have on Toronto life, lcbo mags, local wine mags that have raise my expectation. We ordered the foie gras poutine and vegetable purée to start. The foie gras poutine was the best dish of the night. The soup was a bit salty in my opinion. For entree, we ordered a braised beef risotto and duck confit.
The risotto was too salty again, where the duck confit itself was nice, but the side dishes were crap. They used canned beans as the bed for the duck confit and just some boiled baby cabbage around that. The duck confit itself was good, while the sides are just too saucy and salty, presentation was not appealing at all. Finally, we decided to give them a one last opportunity to amaze us. We order the chocolate mouse cake (the safest choice). It was not too bad, but I still didn't like it too much.They paired with some salted peanuts...and I thought they were too big and the texture does not go too well.
But again, they always change their menu, so should give this place another try...
Services were good ... No issues there. The host hung up our jacket and let us pick where we like to sit ... -
Review from Chris E.
Toronto, ON
11/2/2009
I knew I was at the right intersection, but nearly left in frustration after failing to find this place. FINALLY! Yup, easy to miss, especially when you're looking for a nice-looking exterior but see only boring mall storefronts.
Wow, what a little gem! Amazing menu. I had a charcuterie plate that was delightful. LOTS of local wines (in fact, I remember only local wines). Pretentious-looking waiter, but was actually a really knowledgeable, friendly guy. I'll definitely visit again next time I'm in town.Listed in: Restaurants
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Review from Robyn N.
12/30/2010
I went here over a year ago and this is still the best meal I've ever had, and I've had a lot of great meals. Fresh ingredients, inventive seasonal menu, dark romantic ambiance, extremely attentive host and waiter... I would go back to Niagara on the Lake just to back to this restaurant!!! Although it was super crowded, the host was able to seat us early (we arrived 40 minutes before our reservation)!!!
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Review from Vy L.
9/16/2009
Not sure about the food at all. The staff was horribly rude. We waited 15 mins to be served and when our waitress took the orders for the TWO tables seated after us, it convinced us they did not want our business. Ridiculous.
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Review from Chris M.
6/24/2011
Was directed to this place by a guy at one of the wineries we had stopped at. So we stopped in but they were closed between lunch and dinner. We decided to grab a sandwich from their togo shop next door. Great Idea. My wife and I split the Thai Chicken Sandwich which was great. Big chunks of chicken and veg in a peanut sauce on fresh whole wheat bread. Word of caution, this sandwich is hard to eat while driving! Our friends split the meatloaf sandwich which looked really good and they said it tasted even better. This is a good choice. Tried a piece of their pizza too. Very good!
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Review from George S.
7/26/2010
Hard to find, but worth the effort. Food was great and the atmosphere is just funky enough to be enjoyable. The staff was attentive and rather proud to explain the intricacies of the menu
