The Goofie Newfie

105 Queen St W, Fergus, ON N1M 2L3

If you have never been to Elora, a charming village in southern Ontario, Canada, I recommend that you visit it someday. It is home to the Elora Gorge Conservation Area, which has limestone cliffs surrounding the Grand River, and guess what? You can go tubing down it. Elora also has the Elora Quarry, a former limestone quarry that is now a swimming hole with clear, turquoise waters. With global warming, it’s like being in the tropics!

Onto the food now…when my husband and I went to Elora last summer, we wanted to go to a dog-friendly patio for lunch since we had our dog with us. While wandering around Fergus, which is a 10-minute drive away from Elora, we came upon The Goofie Newfie. I have to admit that one of the reasons why I wanted to go to The Goofie Newfie is because of the name – I like that it has “Goofie” in it and it rhymes; the other reason is because the patio surrounded the restaurant and overlooked a river. It is not surprising that The Goofie Newfie had a line-up when we were there.

The Goofie Newfie had an extensive menu and many fish options. Since I am a crustacean lover though, they had me at Lobster Roll and Lobster Poutine 😍. I ordered the Lobster Roll with fresh-cut fries and my husband got the Chicken Fingers. The Lobster Roll was meaty and the bread was perfectly toasted and buttered. The fresh-cut fries were tender and were some of the best fries I have ever had. My husband’s four decent-sized Chicken Fingers with a tangy plum sauce were also really good. They were lightly battered and flavourful, and the meat was tender and flaky. 

The Goofie Newfie is a seafood lovers’ paradise. Combine it with Elora nearby, and you have a great day trip idea from the Greater Toronto Area. A quick tip: If you have room for dessert after your meal at The Goofie Newfie, I Love Chocolate! on the main street nearby has good ice cream. You should try the Bear Claw flavour.