Gallagher Lake Café
“Move over Belgium, there’s a new waffle master”
This year, I’ve recommended food from restaurants, food trailers, food trucks, wineries, and even gas stations. Now, I’m adding an even stranger location to the list: a self-storage business.
The Gallagher Lake Café, just down the road from The Flealess Hound (one of my earlier food adventures), serves a breakfast and lunch menu so good that it’s worth the short drive from Oliver – or even the longer drive from Osoyoos. And for me, there’s really only one reason you need: the best waffle you’ll ever eat.
I’ve been to Belgium, and I’ve had breakfast in nearly every European country. Without a shadow of a doubt, The Gallagher Lake Café has nailed the perfect waffle. I rarely make absolute guarantees about food, but I’m completely confident you won’t find a better waffle anywhere they’re sold.
I spoke with owner Lace Walters, who started out serving for previous owners Keith and Johanne (who also manage the Gallagher Lake Campground across the street). When the café got busier and needed more hands-on time, they offered to sell it to her.
Despite having no prior restaurant experience, Lace took the plunge. Since then, she and her chef have run the place as a two-person team, occasionally calling in Keith when things get hectic. Lace admits she’s “learning on the fly,” but with support from Keith, Johanne, and her loyal customers, the café is thriving.
The menu isn’t sprawling like Denny’s or Smitty’s, but it offers more than enough variety for picky eaters. That said – if you don’t order the waffle, you’ve made the wrong choice. It took countless trials to perfect the recipe, but the result is a golden, crispy exterior with a soft, chewy interior that disappears from your plate faster than telling Lace you want another.
On weekends, the chef also offers Eggs Benedict with house-made hollandaise sauce – real hollandaise, not the disappointing powdered version most restaurants serve. The smart move? Order their most popular dish: the eggs benny waffle. It’s a best-of-both-worlds experience that will ruin you for ordinary breakfasts forever. Go ahead and “Leggo your eggo” because you won’t be needing those frozen breakfast waffles anymore.
Space is limited – just five tables inside – but don’t let that stop you. Lace does everything she can to accommodate guests, including setting up extra tables outside when the weather allows. If you’re not in the mood for a full meal, you can still enjoy Wolf Tree Coffee, specialty drinks, fresh soups, and baked goods.
I can’t recommend The Gallagher Lake Café enough. Lace is doing a fantastic job learning the ropes and growing into her role – not just because she deserves support, but because the food and service have genuinely earned it. Many restaurants come and go, but I believe she can succeed year-round, especially with her goal of staying open through the winter when so many other places close. And selfishly, I want my perfect waffle to remain on the menu.
So, if you want to taste waffle perfection – or you think you can prove me wrong – head to The Gallagher Lake Café and order what is no longer Belgium’s pride and joy but Oliver’s. If it’s the weekend, order the eggs benedict, too. And when you do, tell Lace that Sheldon sent you.
Gallagher Lake Café is open Friday to Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m and is located at 8360 Gallagher Lake Frontage, Oliver.
Sheldon Herman is the author of the multi award-winning, international best-selling book The Tortured Traveller: How I Survived the Worst Vacation Ever, and has eaten his way through over 60 countries. This review was written independently and without compensation. Have a restaurant you’d like featured? Email [email protected].
