Foodie spots in Leamington: Freddy’s Restaurant, Sweet Retreat, and Bradt’s Butcher Block

If you enjoy trying out different types of food then you will really enjoy the amount of choices available in Leamington. We checked out three different and unique spots when we were exploring Leamington; Freddy's Restaurant, Sweet Retreat, and Bradt's Butcher Block. 

Freddy's Restaurant close to Point Pelee National Park is a family friendly restaurant. We loved the unique flavours of the dishes we ordered for our dinner after a fun filled day at Point Pelee National park; plan to visit the restaurant anytime you visit the park, it would make for a memorable stop during your travels.

When ordering don't forget to tell the waiters your dietary restrictions as they are very accommodating and have a variety in their menu including plenty of vegetarian and seafood dishes. We found the restaurant's atmosphere friendly, inviting, and relaxing where the meals can be enjoyed either inside or outside in their patio over looking Lake Erie.

The beautiful presentation of the starters and meals made the food very appetizing. Each dish we enjoyed had distinct flavours with the right amount of seasoning making them unique. We liked that the meals are made with fresh ingredients which was apparent when we were enjoying the different dishes like their tabbouleh, salad, and fish. It is always pleasant to enjoy food that are locally sourced; Freddy's seafood menu includes locally sourced yellow perch and yellow pickerel from Lake Erie.

We liked the well thought out combinations of the dishes such as the Perch taco with the slightly tangy coleslaw and homemade tartar sauce, and the Coconut perch with the delicious sweet and spicy sauce. The shrimp sautéed in a flavourful sauce was delicious and satisfying. They also have different specials each day such as the perch burger with a choice of salad or soup. 

We tried a couple of Freddy's Lebanese themed dishes like the tabbouleh and stuffed grape leaves that were flavourful. This casual and friendly restaurant serves exceptional food giving us a feel of fine dining but with good portion sizes and reasonable prices.

It is nice to see this family-run restaurant which started off three decades ago expanding, while keeping their Lebanese heritage and values alive through their flavourful food, atmosphere, and friendliness. We plan on stopping at Freddy's for a meal when we visit Leamington again; they are open from March to December check their website for the detailed menu and when they are open.

On one of the evenings we were at Leamington, we stopped for ice cream at Sweet Retreat. We were super excited that our favourite Kawartha ice cream was available in Windsor! Sweet Retreat is a super cute ice cream parlour, which is also the home of the owners Pat and Bob. It is a fun experience going to the beautifully decorated parlour to enjoy our ice cream. 

The backyard with plenty of comfortable seating, flowers, and Koi pond was totally a "sweet retreat"! They also have seating in the front of the shop and inside if you rather enjoy the ice cream or other goodies like a banana boat indoors. Pat bakes the cookies for ice cream sandwiches and makes the ice cream cakes fresh. Sweet Retreat has all the different flavours of Kawartha Dairy ice cream made with 100% Canadian cream and milk. They also have London Ice Cream, lactose free options and vegan soft serve. 

The creative and colourful entrance to the shop is made for easy access by wheelchair. This home/ice cream parlour is a peaceful and beautiful place to enjoy ice cream any time of the day; they are open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. It is easy to miss this cool spot because it is in a residential neighbourhood, so add it to your list of places to go when you are in Leamington.

We had a vegetarian meal to-go from Bradt’s Butcher Block to have as a picnic at Point Pelee National Park. This family owned and operated company specializes in selling locally raised meats that are cut fresh daily. They make their own store made beef burgers, sausages, and kabobs. We liked the variety we saw at the store – there is a deli counter, meat and cheese trays, fruit trays, sandwiches and more. 

The meal that was prepared for us to take for the picnic was a healthy vegetarian meal. We loved the simple, yet delicious meal. The healthy sandwich was packed with fresh local vegetables. There was a box of fresh cut vegetables and pita bread accompanied with garlic sauce, store made hummus, and a bean salad. The picnic lunch also had a package of kettle corn popcorn, paper plates, napkins, and utensils to take along. 

These are some of the foodie spots that should be on everyone's list when visiting Leamington.

Disclosure: This post is created in partnership with Tourism Windsor-Essex. Please note that all opinions and thoughts expressed are my own. All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2010 - 2019. Please Ask First