Getting out to The Cabin on Woodstock Road is a bit of a long haul and would be even worse for students without access to a vehicle. This is probably the biggest reason why I never made the trip to eat there before, despite my love for nostalgic diners.
The tiny room had maybe 15 tables in it and its walls were plastered with a mix of the new and old. There were some rustic wall signs local crafters sell at the market and signs with cheeky phrases printed across them. There were also 45s, old licence plates from across Canada and posters of iconic 50s and 60s celebrities and cars.
The highlight of the atmosphere were the tiny jukeboxes at each table. A few were out of order, but the vast majority were still up and running. To my surprise and delight, they featured hits by everyone from The Monkees to Fergie.
The menu was sparse – only four pages long and two of them were dedicated to breakfast and dessert.
Because these types of diners traditionally pride themselves on having delicious burgers, I settled on the burger platter. The waitress helped me decide on my side – onion rings.
There were plenty of staff working for such a small space and the food hit the table within just a few minutes.
The burger was on the smaller side and while it comes fully loaded, I opted out of most of the extra trimmings. My tiny burger didn’t look like much and the bun was clearly store bought, but the patty was juicy and flavourful. It was simple yet satisfying and kind of kept with the whole nostalgic feel of the diner.
The mountain of onion rings also made up for the small burger and I felt pretty full by the end of the meal. The whole thing came to just under $10 before tax and tip.
Even though I was full by this point, I couldn’t leave just yet. When the waitress checked in on us, I ordered a bread pudding for dessert. Not just any bread pudding, but one their menu boasted as “world-famous.” I felt the need to challenge that claim. I can’t attest this delicious little slice of heaven is world-famous, I can’t even say it’s the best out there. What I can say is that it was totally worth the $5.50 plus tax I spent on it, as was the disgusting, over-stuffed bloating I suffered afterwards from forcing down every last satisfying bite.
While my supper hit the spot, I know for a fact there are better burgers around Fredericton and the onion rings were good, but pretty standard too. This doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend The Cabin, because the real star of the show was the dessert. (I should note their dessert alone would get four stars and it did bump up their overall food rating.)
Also, while I quite enjoy the lost in time, hole-in-wall atmosphere, be wary if you decide to venture down as some may find The Cabin a little on the sketchier side. I would definitely be inclined to go back sometime, if only to hang out in the fun nostalgic atmosphere and nibble on some desserts or maybe try one of their milkshakes or floats.
Food ***
Service ***
Atmosphere ****
