Dining Aboard A Historic Railcar

There's over 125 years of history at the Tatamagouche Train Station Inn. And the Tatamagouche train restaurant might just be the most memorable dining experience in Nova Scotia! 

This blog post is brought to you by MOM! My mom treated us to dinner at the Train Station Inn and this is the fantastic meal she enjoyed, the pasta of the day. But it was the garlic bread that I found the most irresistible.

There's a fantastic scene in one of my favourite TV shows, The Big Bang Theory, where Sheldon and Amy enjoy a weekend away with the highlight (or lowlight, depending on your point of view) being a meal and ride on a historic train-turned-dining car. While their particular experience had lots of funny ups and downs, it's easy to see the appeal of enjoying a gourmet meal in a memorable setting.  Fortunately, when we ate at the Train Station Inn in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, there were no sitcom worthy fiascoes - just lots of delicious food! This is what it was like to dine at the Tatamagouche train restaurant.

All aboard! The steps to the dining car are narrow, as things are as historically accurate as possible.

Unlike the train from The Big Bang Theory, the dining car at the Tatamagouche Train Station Inn is no longer traveling the rails. The last train to pass through here actually didn't pass through at all - it got stuck in the snow in 1986, 99 years after the station was built. By that time, regular passenger service had been suspended for over 25 years. Within a year, however, restoration work would begin. Before long, the Train Station Inn was on everyone's list of where to stay in Canada - and I bet that the Tatamagouche train restaurant is going to be every foodie's list too.

My salmon was blackened with a crust of brown sugar, herbs, and spices and was perfectly done.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to stay at the Inn but we were able to enjoy a delicious meal in their beautifully restored dining cart. While I have no photos to prove my point, I have to say that the homemade biscuits that accompanied our meal were perhaps the best I've ever had. In fact, we sheepishly had to ask for a second basket. They really were divine! (And I'm told that the chief biscuit maker has won prizes for her work at the summer fair). 

Ryan's meal of local pork medallions, potatoes, and vegetables.

With great determination we stopped stuffing ourselves with biscuits in order to enjoy our main courses. I had an amazing dish of perfectly blackened salmon with a brown sugar, herb, and spice crust and mango salsa, while Ryan had the roasted pork medallions. Our food was absolutely delicious and our experience was the perfect mix of Nova Scotia hospitality and cuisine with a truly unique historical experience. I've honestly never had a dining experience like I did on the Tatamagouche railway dining car.

A clothesline is strung between the station house and the train cars.

If you're unable to visit for dinner, the dining car also serves lunch. The adjacent Jitney Cafe, inside the station house itself, serves breakfast and has coffee and cafe treats throughout the day. Both establishments feature organic, fair trade, locally roasted coffee and the dining car offers Nova Scotian wines from the nearby Jost Vineyard. The Jitney Cafe also has Wi-Fi, which isn't always the easiest thing to find in this part of Nova Scotia! But be warned - the dining facilities are closed in winter. You'll have to wait until May to eat here.

The station house is home to the Jitney Cafe as well as a gift shop.

The many train cars of the Train Station Inn make the property a fun and interesting place to walk around. Be sure to keep an eye out for the Inn's own vegetable garden, where you can see the fresh produce before it lands on your dinner plate. I think it's fair to say that the Tatamagouche railway dining car is a true farm-to-table experience.

Visiting here is a fantastic experience. It's equal parts beautiful and delicious and I would highly recommend it for a special meal to help make your Nova Scotia vacation memorable. 

PS: 2022 update! This property now offers live music with bar service and outdoor kitchen on every Monday, Wednesday & Friday evening, weather permitting from late June to late September.

Trains, planes, and automobiles - sometimes travel food can have a dubious reputation but this was one memorable meal. Where have you found your most unique travel dining experiences? Have you ever had a meal on a historic property like this?

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