(click here to find location on the map)
To reach the Anchor Cafe you are going to go to Port au Choix. Take exit 430-28 west. You pass through Port Saunders before arriving in Port au Choix. Just follow your nose through town on the main road. You will come up to a harbour on your right and then a large blue-gray building which is the fish plant. The Anchor Cafe is directly across the street from it.
The first thing you will notice is the front of the restaurant has been made to look like a fishing boat. When you enter the lobby, it has been decorated to look like the bridge of such a vessel. A sign welcomes you, telling you not to be alarmed if the place is not full of people when you are there. It has been in business almost 25 years.
(click photos to enlarge)
If you are anywhere along the coast you cannot go wrong ordering chowder. Depending on the season and the area, different seafood will be used to create a local version. We have not had a disappointing chowder yet!
The Anchor Cafe is a gem in every way. The decor is very warm and inviting with high quality folk art through out. The artwork of Ben Ploughman features prominently. Everything is gleaming in here. The attention to detail provides a visual feast. Then the waitress arrives.
Staff are friendly and quick to answer any questions you may have. Service was fast and efficient. The chowder was excellent, as expected. We ordered the bowl the first time and it is a meal unto itself. The cup size makes a great appetizer. The cod and chips were really good, the chips the best I have had on the rock.
At The Anchor Cafe even a trip to the washroom is an experience! As you go down the stairs (there is a handicap washroom on the main floor) along the hall and into the washroom itself you are walking through a collection of artifacts, photos and articles. Before you head down make sure your travel mates know you will be busy for a while! It did not feel right taking a camera into the washroom so you will just have to take my word on this.
(click photos to enlarge)
