The Woodpecker Fresh Dining and Lounge

We went for lunch today - and were surprised. We'd been hearing people in town talk about how great it was, and we really wanted to try it out. Oddly, it was closed Sunday and Monday - odd for a weekend focused town, so we tried again on a Thursday.We wanted to sit outside on their beautiful patio, but a photographer was there taking pictures (with the crappy weather all week, it was the ideal day to take pics of the stunning/quaint outdoor patio). Instead we sat inside on big cozy chairs - it was meant to be a temporary sit, but we were so comfy, we just stayed.Food was great...we shared a cheese fondue appetizer (more bread please), and for lunch we had build your own sandwich, smoked meat sandwich, burger and mussels. All delish. Our family joked that absolutely nothing was left over - not even a garnish. Our server was great too. She had a lot going on and handled it like a pro! Can't wait to go back!.

This was our first visit to the Woodpecker, and we did not know what to expect. We had a wonderful evening! We chose to have dinner on the patio even though it was a little on the cool side. The staff made sure we were comfortable with lighting the heaters and offering us blankets. The food was all well prepared, beautifully presented and delicious. We shared a chartreuse platter between the four of us, with crackers made in house to start. The main meals were salmon with lavender and honey glaze, hunter chicken, veal scaloppini, and lobster tail. We then finished off our meal with a variety of desserts, Irish whiskey and coffee. The meal was well paced, well presented and well served. We will definitely be back.

Looking for an early dinner in Port Elgin, we stopped by the Woodpecker for a bite. The place was empty (it was Wednesday after all), but when we got upstairs, there were Reserved cards on many of the tables. By the time we left, the place was packed! And no wonder!The hosts are new owners of the restaurant and are tasked with improving an already successful eatery. They seem to intuitively understand fine dining and hospitality: they get it. In addition to dinner seating on the second floor, they serve lunch on the first floor and have a large deck/patio off the dining lounge.The menu has good options for every taste and the wine list has a good variety of new and old-world wines at quite reasonable prices.I ordered the Salmon special while my companion chose the Beef Tenderloin. Presentation was lovely and the proteins were perfectly prepared. A special shout-out to the crispy baked prosciutto on the salads - a perfect touch. Excellent service rounded out a very nice evening.We'll certainly return the next time we're in Port Elgin.

Gather here with friends for a great lunch or dinner. Well prepared by experienced chef. Nice drink selection. Dining alfresco on the roof patio is a great experience. Fabulous menu.

Lunch was delicious, great burger and Montreal smoked meat sandwich. Cheese cake was incredible. Looking forward to going back to try the dinner menu. Will be back for sure.