Ox Narrows Lodge and Restaurant

Thank you Brenda and Ali for a fantastic weekend at the restaurant. The food was delicious, the rooms were cozy, and the hot tub was the perfect way to unwind after a day of hiking. Our group is grateful for your hospitality.

We had a great experience at Ox Narrows during our first and last visit. We typically rent a different cottage each year to discover new places, and Ox Narrows seemed promising. We made a $200 deposit payment over the phone using MasterCard when we booked. However, a few days later, an additional $200 charge appeared on our card, which we didn't notice until after our week-long stay. We settled the remaining balance upon departure, which was correct, but ended up paying an extra $200 on top of the $800 + HST rental fee. Despite multiple emails to Brenda, one of the owners, and providing evidence of the double charge, we only received one response promising to investigate, followed by silence. After calling in October to request a correction, I had to leave a message. It wasn't until two months later that I finally received a refund after reaching out again. Due to the lack of communication, I will not be recommending this place to others as I initially intended.

We had a fantastic dinner and were entertained by a fantastic live band at this cozy restaurant. The place was clean and the food was delicious.

Myself and my partner arrived to a fairly empty restaurant, and asked if we could sit on the patio. This was easily accommodated, as tables were available. The restaurant and grounds are very nice, clean and well-maintained. We ordered coke and water, and ordered food at the same time- the ox burger and the pickerel special last one! . The waitress said the special included veggies and a side, and offered side choices, one of which was soup. The drinks arrived 10 minutes later. 40+ minutes later, after not having seen the waitress in 20 minutes, my partner went inside to ask if our order had been forgotten. A gentleman the owner? came and sat at our table, and we were told that a table of 20, with children, had come in, and that it would have been unfair to expect the children to wait. While I understand this, having been a server in the past, it was unfair for us to sit and wait, knowing nothing and feeling hungry and forgotten. A simple hey- the kitchen just got super-busy, but we didn 't forget you would have sufficed. Even offering water top-up or a second coke would have been a start, but there was nothing. We let him know that we were in a hurry. 10 minutes after our query, the food arrived. The burger was good, lots of fries and toppings were fresh. My pickerel fillet was delicious, as were the soup and the 5 green beans. We ate in a hurry, as over an hour had passed since our order was taken, and waited for the waitress to bring the bill. She came by and took the ketchup, but did not remove plates or offer the bill. By this time, we had no choice but to laugh and wonder what prompted the shoddy service. It felt like someone much more important had arrived, and the server was done with us. On her next pass, we asked for the bill and indicated that we were, in fact, in a hurry, and could we come inside to pay? She said she 'd be right back with the machine. Not so much. As we were coming inside, after another wait, she met us and presented the debit machine, with the amount already punched in, and no bill, just a quick glimpse of the order slip with no totals. It seemed a little higher than I expected, but bills often do, and as this is a family place with good reviews, I didn 't question at this time, paid, and left a tip. She said you don 't need a receipt? I said I did, and asked again for my receipt. When I was only given the debit slip, I asked for my itemized receipt and had to ask twice, as the waitress did not seem inclined to provide this, telling me that it was on my bill ? . Returning to the car, I reviewed the receipt- by then, my spidey-senses were tingling and I was not surprised to find a charge added to the order, for soup. I went in to follow up, and was told that I had been given a large bowl instead of a side-soup, as the kitchen had made a mistake, so I had to pay for it !!??!! . I contested this, politely, and was given $3.00 back- a partial return, and more excuses for how they couldn 't give me a free bowl when I 'd been given a large instead of side. I reminded her that this had been the option she provided me when I ordered, and that I hadn 't ordered a large bowl. She explained that I had been given one, so I had to pay for it. Wow. Never to go back, despite the good food. Check your receipts. Not a great deal of money involved, but a very bad taste was left in my mouth.

Just returned from another great weekend at the Ox. The owners are friendly and accommodating. The restaurant is a piece of heaven away from our busy life in the city. This is the second time we have had the burgers wow! Probably the best burgers and fries we have had anywhere including at home in the city. We highly recommend a weekend away or a week of vacation in one of the cabins, the cottage or one of the lodge rooms. The historic lodge atmosphere is unmatched to anything we have seen up north yet. We have been all over Muskoka, South River, Rice Lake and now the Algonquin Highlands and Ox Narrows is by far our families favourite destination. It is a short drive to Dorset and the famous Robinson's General Store, Huntsville, and even for a day trip to Algonquin Park if you want to sightsee for the day. Come back to the lodge for dinner at the end of the day and feel welcomed back like you're family. Can't wait u til our next trip back to Ox.