This is my third year living in Brantford and being an avid foodie, as well as a lazy cook for myself, I have tried most of the restaurants in the area. There is a lot of different cuisines to try in Brantford and I’ve found that I was able to satisfy any craving I had at any time.Â
1. Zaaika Indian Cuisine This is a new find and a favourite. The restaurant is located at 46 Dalhousie Street which is directly across from The Expositor Building, and next to Rose and Thistle. The location of this restaurant makes it within walking distance from most student housing, both on and off campus. The food that I had here was definitely authentic and helped me curb that craving of home-cooked meals. There were so many options for different curries, appetizers, and desserts, it made me want to try it all! The food is also extremely affordable, especially for Indian cuisine. Each dish ranges from 5-15 dollars. Another reason that this restaurant stood out to me is the portion sizes. For the price on the menu, I was expecting a small portion of food, but there was enough for me to eat well and have leftovers. Zaaika Indian Cuisine also offers many different services, such as dine-in, take out, delivery, and a tiffin service as well (which is a weekly delivery of food for the week at one time). This makes it possible for anyone, in any situation, to enjoy their food. My favourite thing to order was the samosa chaat, which is an Indian style nacho made with a variety of different sauces and toppings laid on top of a bed of samosas.Â
2. AlDente AlDente, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated restaurants in Brantford. Located at 250 King George Road, it is home to some of the best Italian food I have ever tasted. It is a small restaurant that is extremely affordable considering the portion sizes. The ambiance of the restaurant makes AlDente an ideal date spot to visit when celebrating something. With plates ranging from 10-30 dollars, it is worth the money you spend. AlDente stands out because they pride themselves on making many of their ingredients – such as their pasta and sauces – in house. You can taste the freshness and high quality when you enjoy your meal. One of my favourite things to order is the three-cheese tortellini, accompanied with a glass of their sangria.Â
3. Zanders This restaurant is a pub and grill style located at 190 King George Road. While I haven’t yet gone myself, this is a restaurant I have been recommended to by many friends to try out. It is one of those restaurants that has something for everyone, serving a variety of different pasta dishes, to burgers and chicken wings. It is overlooked with competitors like Boston Pizza and Crabby Joes, but it is worth trying out. Meals at Zanders range from 20-30 dollars, and their variety of cocktails makes it next on my list for restaurants I want to try.Â
4. Joy Sushi Bar Joy Sushi is one of the few sushi places in Brantford, and their all-you-can-eat prices make them unique. For lunch, they offer all-you-can-eat sushi for 20 dollars plus tax, and for dinner, it is 30 dollars plus tax. However, because of COVID-19, they have stopped offering their lunch prices. Joy Sushi is worth it when you go with friends and are ready to eat your weight in sushi. Their iPad ordering system makes it extremely quick and easy to get your food. They have so many different options to choose from including sushi, appetizers, and rice or noodle dishes. It is located at 195 Henry Street and well worth the visit.Â
5. Sunset Grill Sunset Grill is well-known all around campus because it is definitely a Laurier Brantford student staple. Located at 50 Market St in the FreshCo plaza, and walking distance from campus and student housing, you can find it packed on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday mornings. For a full, proper breakfast, the plates at Sunset Grills range from 10-20 dollars. The service is so fast that you can be enjoying a meal in 10 minutes. This is one of my favourite places, and there are some nights that I am more excited about Sunset Grill in the morning than going out at night.Â
Hopefully, this article will inspire you to go out and try some new restaurants or if anything it made you hungry. Another great point about all of these places is that they offer take out or ordering with platforms such as Uber Eats or Skip the Dishes so you can enjoy the amazing food from the comfort and safety of your own home.