The gravy on the poutine is made from the brewery's own stout, and the haddock in the fish and chips arrives battered in one of the beers poured a few steps away. At Sawdust City Brewing Co., the kitchen cooks with what is on tap. The place is a brewery and saloon on Muskoka Road North in downtown Gravenhurst, where eighteen taps anchor the bar and a full kitchen turns a tasting stop into a sit-down meal. The beer brings people in; the kitchen is built to keep them through dinner.
The food leans into the brewery rather than away from it. The Skinny Dippin' Poutine buries squeaky cheese curds and herbs under a gravy built from Skinny Dippin' Stout, and the fish and chips sets Little Norway-battered haddock over Kennebec potato fries with house tartar. The Sawdust Smash Burger stacks two seasoned beef patties with pimento cheese spread, house pickles, a nippy garlic mayo, and shredded lettuce on a seeded bun. Around those sit shareables with more going on than the format suggests: cheeseburger spring rolls filled with seasoned beef, pickle, onion, and cheddar and served with Joppie sauce; a Reuben on marble rye with house-fermented sauerkraut and pastrami; gnocchi with spicy chorizo, spinach, and garlic cream. Comfort plates round things out, from a house meatloaf with garlic mash and mushroom-onion gravy to bangers and mash in a juniper red wine gravy. Even the salad gets a pun — the Sawaldorf, with Ontario greens, Granny Smith apples, grapes, and roasted sunflower seeds in a lemon-thyme vinaigrette.
The Saloon's eighteen taps make beer the centre of the visit, with core, seasonal, collaboration, one-off, and guest pours listed alongside a broader bar program.
The Kitchen menu is casual and comfort-driven, but dishes such as Skinny Dippin' Poutine tie the food back to the brewery through stout gravy and stout caramelized onions.
The official story, local setting, and merger reporting all point to continuity: Sawdust City keeps its Gravenhurst location and brand while retaining its brewery-saloon identity.
Eighteen taps let the visit lead with Sawdust City beer first, then move into food. Core, seasonal, collaborative, one-off, and guest pours give the Saloon more range than a simple pub bar.
Skinny Dippin' Poutine is the clearest food expression of the brewery because stout gravy and stout caramelized onions put Sawdust City's beer identity directly into the dish.
The Kitchen is strongest when it stays in hearty pub territory: poutine, a smash burger, fish and chips, wings, loaded fries, meatloaf, and bangers and mash all fit a beer-led meal.
Sawdust City works for a full evening because Saturday music, later weekend bar hours, a full bar, and a deep tap list all sit beside the kitchen. Come for dinner early, then let the Saloon carry the rest of the night.
Groups can start with poutine, wings, spring rolls, fries, and nachos before moving into mains. Parties of eight or more should expect one bill and automatic gratuity, but the food format fits a casual brewery gathering.
Share the nuances of your visit to Sawdust City Brewing Co. in Gravenhurst — the standout dishes, the room, the service.
Write a review
