Restaurants in Kitchener

Shoeless Joe’s beckons to passersby with aromas of tasty grill fare—roasted chicken, ribs, and burgers. Named for White Sox outfielder Joe Jackson, who famously made a home-run catch with a bare left foot, Shoeless Joe’s pays tribute to the world of sport, supplementing AAA sirloin steaks, thin-crust pizzas, and pasta dishes with regular broadcasts of baseball, hockey, football, and UFC fights. Guests can wash down their dinners with drafts or cocktails from the drink menu, which boasts classic concoctions as well as inventive creations tinged with ingredients such as maple syrup, blueberry puree, or bacon.

Blue Nile’s vibrant orange dining room hums with energy as the aromas of meat and spices waft in from the kitchen. Patterned tablecloths, flowers, and colourful art decorate the walls, just as colourful spreads of lentils, split peas, and collard greens decorate plates. Using a pancake-like bread called injera, guests scoop up earthy bites of Ethiopia’s national dish—a type of stewed chicken called doro wat—or other flavourful foods. They can can pair the hearty food with sips of a traditional pot of coffee known as jebena buna or with fruit juices such as mango or guava.

The cooks at Fresh Sandwich Shop elevate the simple combination of meat, cheese, and bread by making several of their ingredients in-house, from concocting their own sauces and vinaigrettes to curing their own salmon onsite. This attention to detail yields creations such as a club sandwich that combines pulled pork with bacon, chicken, caramelized onions, barbecue sauce, and roasted garlic mayonnaise, or the shaved striploin sandwich with provolone, red onion, roasted red peppers, and roasted-red-pepper sauce.

Though Fresh Sandwich Shop is an ideal spot to stop in for a quick bite, cup of organic coffee, or staring contest with an unwitting stranger, the eatery also caters meals. Patrons can build their own sandwiches from spreads of smoked ham, pulled pork, or veggies with all the fixings, and nosh on sides such as maple-glazed carrots or Guinness and aged-cheddar soup.

Steven Karataglidis spent his childhood scampering through the kitchen of his family's restaurant, soaking in cooking tips and techniques as his father whipped up Greek specialties. Pulling from his culinary upbringing, Steven opened Off the Hook at the ripe age of 22, enlisting the help of his dad to fry up baskets of fish ’n’ chips and build seafood sandwiches. Nowadays, Steven and his father preside over two locations, whose fryers sizzle with fish and shellfish cloaked in gluten-free and organic batters. Diners can dip their seafood in housemade tartar sauce, green pesto, and curry mayo to procure what Steven described to reporters of Post City as his "all-time favourite flavours." Each casual meal is served in a basket alongside dollops of Steven's signature sauces and smatterings of sweet-potato fries and coleslaw.