A friend and I recently ventured to Bedford on a rainy Saturday afternoon that turned into a sunny Saturday afternoon in true Nova Scotia fashion. The main purpose of our trip was a visit to the True North Diner. My friend had been there once before and I had read about the diner online while reading The Coast’s archive of restaurant reviews. I have long had an affinity for 1950s-style diners and malt shops, so I was anxious not just to try the food, but to see the place.
Having spent my HRM years thus far living in South End Halifax and Downtown Dartmouth, Bedford is not a place I’ve spent much time, and having traveled the distance by bus, we made an afternoon out of the trip. Wanting to be good and hungry upon arriving at the restaurant, we first made a stop by the Sunnyside Mall. I was pleasantly surprised by the place, not having visited since I was a teenager. At Sunnyside, you can get fresh, locally made Great Canadian Bagels, as well as your grocery order at Pete’s Frootique. Plus, they have Stokes, Cucina Moderna, and Backyard & Veranda all under one roof!
After exploring the mall, we were hungry, so we made our way across the street to the True North Diner. The restaurant is larger than I expected. It’s size and high ceilings make it a little less cozy than the diners of my imagination, but the owners have done a great job replicating the look and feel of a 1950s diner with red upholstered booths and bar stools. The highlight has to be the vintage jukebox stocked with old 45s. I selected “And Then He Kissed Me” by the Crystals and Lesley Gore’s follow-up to “It’s My Party”, “Judy’s Turn To Cry”. All the money collected by the jukebox goes to the IWK. The downside of the jukebox is that it only plays two songs at a time, so unless someone has paid their quarter, there is no music in the joint.
I’m someone who appreciates a nice restroom, particularly in a restaurant (two of my favourites are in New York at Five Napkin Burger and Park Avenue Cafe). As noted in Liz Feltham’s review for The Coast, the bathroom at True North leaves a lot to be desired. It needs a renovation and if this is done, it should be made to match the theme of the restaurant. As it stands, the 1950s experience is incomplete because when you go to wash your hands, your dragged back to roughly 1996.
The menu is large, especially for a place that prides itself on making things fresh. I decided on the bacon cheeseburger and a strawberry milkshake while my friend ordered the meatloaf with mashed potatoes. The burger is moist and tasty, as is the meatloaf. Too few restaurants make their own French fries, which makes True North a real treat. The milkshake is large and delicious with chunks of real strawberry that occasionally get stuck in the straw not in a frustrating way, but in a “this only happens if your milkshake has actual strawberries in it, so I’m fine with this minor inconvenience” way.
For dessert, we (rather unnecessarily) ordered the Brownie Sundae. This must be split between at least two people if you’ve just eaten a meal. Despite being quite full, I ate enough of the sundae to say it was delicious, but I could have done with about a quarter of it. The brownies were warm and homemade and accompanied with a good helping of chocolate sauce and whipped cream. I spotted some cans of whipped cream in the refrigerator, which is disappointing to see in a place that prides itself on using fresh local ingredients whenever possible.
Overall, the True North Diner was well worth the (surprisingly easy) trek from Dartmouth to Bedford. I will definitely be back with extra quarters for the jukebox.
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