The Finding Nowhere Food Guide

From burgers and breakfasts to breweries and bakeries, these are the places we keep returning to across BC.

While we’re not a food show, we are certainly a show about food…or more specifically, where it comes from and understanding the true cost of it. Through hunting, fishing, foraging, and even a bit of farming, Finding Nowhere spends a great deal of time exploring those themes.

What we don’t spend nearly enough time exploring is our not-so-secret love of the local cafés, restaurants, breweries, bakeries, and roadside diners we discover between adventures.

These places are often the hidden gems of British Columbia. They’re the backbone of small-town culture and daily life…run by locals, supported by locals, and part of what gives each community its unique character.

No doubt some of our most memorable meals came from wild game cooked over an open fire, something we reflect on in our season finale. But many of our favourite meals happened around tables in these local establishments. Places where the ingredients are often sourced nearby, the beer is brewed down the road, and the people serving it have a story of their own.

So if you find yourself exploring Beautiful British Columbia along Highway 97, the Trans-Canada Highway (or the Numbee 1 as we call it) , or even the Alaska Highway, here are a few of our favourite stops from the road.

We’ll start in order. 

Dog and Suds

Big delicious hots dogs and nostalgic diner vibes make Dogs and Suds, right off the highway. Meat in tubular form is belove by those young and old and no one does it better than Dog and Suds! 

Solas Bar & Grill – Featured in First Time For Everything

One of Dawson Creek's standout dining spots, where local ingredients, creative dishes, and northern hospitality come together under one roof. We stopped in for the Cowboy Breakfast and quickly learned this is where locals gather after volleyball games, hockey nights, and long workdays. The local league, we're told, is equal parts friendly and fiercely competitive.

The Meat Doctor – Featured in First Time For Everything

While best known for catering and showing up at local events with the food truck, John and Marsha serve some of the finest AAA beef you'll find on either side of any mountain. Add their slaw and baked potatoes and you've got the kind of meal that reminds you simple food done well is hard to beat.

Hixon Take Out – Featured in Power Couple

Blink and you'll miss Hixon. Blink again and you'll miss one of British Columbia's great roadside burger stands. Open only during the tourism season, Hixon Burger serves towering burgers that would make most fast-food chains hang their heads in shame. It's exactly the kind of unexpected small-town gem we love finding.

Laughing Loon – Featured in Where's My Thing

A fine pub establishment and a mandatory “wateringhole”  stop whenever we're passing through Williams Lake. The elk sliders are a must, and the location—right off the highway—makes it dangerously easy to justify "one quick stop." The beer list features local favourites like Fox Mountain Brewing alongside some of the best craft brews from across British Columbia.

Bean Counter Bistro – Featured in Where's My Thing

We've visited charming cafés all over the province, but few rival the character of Bean Counter Bistro. The coffee is excellent, the pastries and breakfast sandwiches are even better, and the staff are as sweet as the baking. It's the kind of place that makes you wish your hometown had a café just like it.

Trench Brewing – Featured in Forest Salad

Known originally for its award-winning beer, Trench Brewing may now be equally famous among our crew for its iced tea-style hard seltzers, with Peach firmly holding GOAT status. As one of BC's original craft breweries, Trench has earned its reputation as one of the best anywhere in the province. The food is hearty, the atmosphere welcoming, and if you're feeling ambitious, the Meat Sweats platter is worth accepting the challenge.

The Open Door Cafe – Featured in Forest Salad

Ryan didn't know what a flat white was before grabbing a coffee here on the way out of town. Now he orders them everywhere. The Open Door has grown a lot since we first featured it as a small café operating out of a shipping container, but the Prince George charm, friendly atmosphere, and excellent coffee remain exactly the same.

Granville's – Featured in Joel's Winter

Granville's is everything a breakfast and lunch spot should be. Great staff. Quirky décor. Giant sugar-loaded baking. Outstanding sandwiches. And a loyal cast of regulars who seem to know everyone who walks through the door. A meal here won't just fill your stomach—it'll give you a glimpse into what makes Quesnel such a special community.

Barkerville Brewing – Featured in Joel's Winter

Barkerville Brewing has everything you want in a brewery. The beer is excellent—and we're not just saying that. The food is consistently good, the atmosphere is welcoming, and whether you're dropping in for an afternoon pint or settling in for the evening, it's the kind of place that makes you want to stay a little longer than planned.

Howlers – Featured in Sea Pups

Owned and operated by the incredibly welcoming trio of Amee, Con, and Ken, Howlers is Ucluelet's best bar. Full stop. The food—featuring plenty of local seafood—is delicious, the beer is cold, and the good times tend to take care of themselves from there. Add in billiards, arcade games, and enough quirky charm to transport you back to your first high school date, (can you say glow in the dark graffiti) and you've got one of our favourite stops on the coast.

Post & Row – Featured in The Boy Who Cried Elks

We loved this place so much we ended up eating there twice in the same episode. The beer is excellent, the spirits are equally impressive, and the menu delivers exactly what you want after a long day on the road. If you're heading north on the Alaska Highway, Post & Row is worth planning your schedule around.

Beans & Barley – Featured in The Boy Who Cried Elks

While our lattes and cappuccinos only made a brief appearance on screen, we started every morning of the trip here. The coffee is excellent, but it's the biscuit breakfast sandwich that keeps us coming back. Comfort “Breakfast” food at its finest.

Farmhouse Brewing – Featured in The One with Fire

Local hops and fire-cooked pizza are two things we can get behind, and Farmhouse Brewing delivers both exceptionally well. Tucked into the heart of the Fraser Valley farming community, it's an oasis of great beer, great food, and relaxed atmosphere. Whether it's the Fungi, the Diablo, four-cheese, or the Taco pizza, we've yet to find a bad choice on the menu. Pair it with one of their stouts and settle in.

Local Harvest – Featured in The One with Fire

Local Harvest is something of a legend here in the Fraser Valley. First and foremost, it's a farm market showcasing some of the finest organic produce in British Columbia, grown by local favourite Farmer Dan and his team. It's not a restaurant in the traditional sense, but between the wood-fired pizza, excellent coffee, local baking, and seasonal treats, it's the kind of place where a quick stop somehow turns into an afternoon. If you want a taste of Fraser Valley agriculture at its best, this is the place.