Many people from Charlottetown make the trip on a regular basis to satisfy their burger cravings

by Alain Bossé

This past May I found myself in rural Prince Edward Island on business, and when lunch time rolled around I was a bit concerned about where to find a good meal. During the tourist season, PEI is host to countless fabulous restaurants, but once October comes around many close until the following season. We don’t opt for fast food when we can avoid it, so where to eat?

We were in the rural Village of Tyne Valley when we happened to stumble across Backwoods Burger. Formerly known as The Landing Oyster House and Pub, the bright blue exterior seem to call us in out of the cold. The interior was warm and inviting, the menu is heavy on comfort foods, which was exactly what we were looking for.

The proprietor of the establishment, Erica Wagner was formerly a dishwasher at the Oyster House and loved being part of the team and working together towards the common goal of giving a great customer experience. Some years later, Erica had just graduated UPEI and didn’t feel like she was made for an office job. When she heard that the Oyster House was for sale, she wrote a business plan for funding, then bought and operated The Landing Oyster House and Pub for six years. Two years ago, Erica re-branded to Backwoods Burger Craft Beer Cookhouse because she wanted to remain open year round and to appeal to locals as well as visitors. 

We asked Erica what influenced her to open a burger joint. “I always loved getting burgers and crinkle cut fries at the dairy bar in the summer,” she says. “Something about that combo just seemed so fun and carefree to me. I just love how accessible that kind of food is: you don’t need a knife and fork to eat it. You can get really inventive with both burgers and fries so there’s lots of space for creativity which, as a team, we love.”

For lunch I decided to try something creative, so I chose the Cluster Cluck, which consisted of a very generous fried chicken breast, pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, a spicy remoulade, Doritos, lettuce and onion all on a toasted bun. I’m a burger lover and this was by far one of the best tasting burgers that I have ever had. My lunch companion decided to go for the house specialty, the Dam Burger, consisting of an Island beef patty, American cheese, red onion, tomato, lettuce, bacon, and their own dam sauce, with all of this deliciousness served on a toasted potato bun. When I make a return visit to Backwoods Burger, I can promise you this is on my hit list.

If burgers aren’t your thing might I suggest the Sticky Garlic Chicken Bites, the Honey Sriracha Clams, or the Fish Tacos. If you have dietary concerns the kitchen staff is happy to work with you to create something fabulous.

Many people from Charlottetown make the trip on a regular basis to satisfy their burger cravings so that speaks volumes about the food!

Keep in mind that a reservation might be a good idea, especially during peak season. Any party larger than six must reserve via phone or through Facebook Messenger.

Erica is mom to two small children and therefore strongly encourages families with children to dine in the restaurant: she and her staff provide colouring books, crayons and games to help keep kids occupied and there are plenty of high chairs or booster seats available. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible.