Kempster’s Cookhouse & Eatery

I go here with work for the occasional get together, they have good food, and not all expensive. The staff here are friendly and always willng to help out with food selection. The staff are very polite, which always makes it a pleasure to come back and enjoy another meal.

Came here for lunch on a rainy Monday in November with a work friend. I hadn’t eaten here for at least 15 years prior, and remembered the atmosphere well, but not the menu. The parking lot out front was quite full this visit, but the restaurant itself inside was only half full at best. Several tables and booths to your left when you come in the door, the kitchen and cash register in the center, and a larger dining area on the right. I would guess a capacity of close to 100? Casual, simple family feel. Friendly, prompt service. I tried the chocolate milkshake which was very good and VERY filling. Served in the traditional ice cream sundae style glass, with whipped cream and a cherry. But also provided with the remainder of the shake that was leftover in the stainless steel. thingie…so was really two entire shakes by the time I drank it all. Their veggie omelet (mushrooms, peppers, tomato, onions and mixed cheese. 9.49) was very good, light and fluffy with standard home fries and toast. My coworker had the bacon cheeseburger (lettuce, tomato, onion & pickle. 11.49) and said that it was definitely better than average, with a good homemade patty. Have been back a couple of times since and had the veggie quesadilla, which was good/​standard. The veggie breakfast skillet was good as well, and very filling. Overall, you are getting your money’s worth here with a full belly, not necessarily anything memorable, but it does what it needs. LOL I’d go back anytime if someone suggested it, but it’s not something that comes to mind on my own.

Okay so let’s just start this review by saying that I have never been here before so I had 0 expectations. Just wanted a Sunday hangover breakfast.
The service was unbelievably slow. Maybe we just got a bad waitress, but my god. The dining room wasn’t even half full and we waited for over 15 minutes just to get our starting beverages. I’m literally typing this review as I wait for my breakfast plate. At least their music playlist of 80s love ballads is on point.
Over half an hour has passed since ordering and our starter comes out. It’s a platter of appetizers and it’s poorly constructed. The potatoes skins melted cheese with everything piled on top is just a sign of poor presentation skill. Everything is melted together in a cheesy greasy mess. The appetizers are tasty though I’ll give them that!
Hour and five minutes later the main courses arrive. The club is soggy from sitting for so long and my buddies burger is like it was made with a sponge for a bun. I had the Kempsters breakfast and it was a tasty meal actually. Mine came out much better than the others meals.
I don’t think I will come back to Kempsters, solely based on the lack of service and quality of the food.

Had breakfast here had the greek omelet, wss dried out, the homefries tasted odd, server was nice and helpful was only highlight

Came here with a Co worker on lunch break from an offsite job. It was very homie and busy. The place was buzzing and it was refreshing. The drinks were cold the service was great and the food was delicious… Especially the banana cream pie. Hole… E… Smokes.. It is how I’d imagine a old-​school diner that makes their own deserts in the wee hours of the morning to taste. Location is great. Parking lot is a little tight but the wait for a good quick lunch is worth it

Burger week continues with an evening showing of the Nacho «Liber» as my parents called it, Nacho Libre burger at Kempsters.
Never having been in before, it’s a huge space without a lot of ‘feel’ to it. We were seated and ordered quickly without looking at the menu.
4 Nacho Libre’s and two vanilla milkshakes.
We were immediately informed that they «may» be out of the jalapeño poppers that go on the burger. She went to check out if that was true, and it was.
Not a great start.
The shakes came shortly there after and though I didn’t get one, I was sad I didn’t. They are served in the classic milkshake glass with the metal cup they are made in, which was a great touch (and delicious too)
The burgers were up next, served on a plate where the burgers were placed to almost show that we didn’t get fries with them when we could have (she did try and upsell us three times)
The first bite of the burger was delicious. Like biting into a full plate of nachos.
«Eight-​ounce grilled Tex-​Mex seasoned beef patty, with jalapeño jack cheese, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, and topped with julienned nacho chips on an artisan bun»
Other than the jalapeño cheese (which was replaced with canned jalapenos) the burger didn’t disappoint).
All in in all a good meal, not the greatest atmosphere and I am also not a fan of the hours or the location myself. But I think I will give them another shot some time when I am looking for homestyle food.

I accompanied my Mother to Kempster’s just a couple of days before she was to fly to the Dominican Republic for 2 weeks. She had hinted for a while that she would be interested in seeing what the food was like at Kempster’s as she passed the place once or twice a week while doing her errands.
The establishment is much larger than I envisioned as it didn’t seem overly big from the outside; the area was clean and most of the tables were occupied on this night; however, I was worried at first as to whether the experience would be a bust as we waited 10 minutes for a server to come to our area.
Luckily, this was to be the only negative from the evening as the service was good and the food was scrumptious. I ordered the cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake while my Mother had the clams and fries. My burger was quite large and the tomatoes and lettuce that were provided were very fresh and covered the entire bun.
It is also worth noting that you can order takeout at Kempster’s though I do not believe they have delivery service at this time. I would also like to point out that it is a bit of a walk to the restrooms, so if you have a weak bladder, you should find a table close to the kitchen area.

I had a wretched dining experience at Kempster’s. My family and I went in for the turkey dinner special and were absolutely dumbfounded by the poor quality of the food and service. The turkey itself wasn’t fantastic, but the veggies served with it were rock hard and tasteless. Mashed potatoes and stuffing were bone dry and mealy. The canned cranberry sauce was pretty much the only saving grace, and even that wasn’t spectacular.
Our waitress, sadly, didn’t have two clues to rub together; after we complained about the food, she said she’d mention it to the cooks… and didn’t even offer us a discount or any sort of compensation until we asked for one. Her response was to give us a free «dessert» of freezer-​burnt ice cream.
A complete waste of time and money. Avoid.

Haven’t been here in a while, so maybe things have changed. But it is what it is, home cooking. I wasn’t overly happy nor was I disappointed. But if I am going to pay for a meal I usually want it to be something different than how ma and pa cook at home.
But for some people, this is their thing. I guess it all depends on what you are looking for.

My first experience at Kempsters was this past Friday night with my boyfriend and two sisters. We arrived about an hour before close and were one of three parties in the restaurant.
We were seated right away, but it did take awhile for our server to take our drink orders and then even longer for our food orders.
But, I’m happy to say the food was worth the wait. I had a regular hamburger and fries, and it was amazing and delicous. You could tell it was hand made and not just some frozen patty. My boyfriend had the mushroom swiss burger and it was just OOZING with cheesy goodness.
The sisters got a quesadilla and a chicken wrap and both were pleased with both the portion sizes and the taste/​quality.
The service was still slow throughout our meal even though the restuarant did not fill up any further.
It’s definitely out of my way, but if I’m in the neighbourhhood again and starving, I know where I’ll be going for dinner.

Kempster’s is a fairly large diner in the middle of Kempt road surrounded by garages and car dealerships. Perhaps one of the least interesting parts of town (in my opinion) so the mere fact that I came here is in itself a wonder. Having walked by it numerous times on my walk to school during the bus strike, it was intriguing. In we go!
Inside, it looks pretty standard for a diner. Comfortable, well-​used, friendly but decent. My first time here, I got the Tex-​Mex burger, which comes with a side of fries. The burger itself is topped with jack cheese, salsa and guacamole. Such a normal sounding burger but it occurred to me that I can’t really think of anywhere else that has such a thing (other than Darrell’s downtown).
It has become my new favourite burger! Ground beef patties, filling and even the fries are above average. Because of my first eating experience, I never really get anything else when we come by… except one time I finally tried the lasagna. It was just okay… I’m sticking with the burger!
The menu does offer a lot of things, as a diner usually would, but there really would be something for everyone. Vegetarian, seafood, all-​day breakfast, etc.
The one downside about this place is that nearly every time (but not every) we’ve been here, the service has been oddly slow. Well, not odd sometimes. We did come around 6pm or so one weekday afternoon and it was quite busy. Being in customer service for as long as I have, I can understand and wouldn’t use that against the wait staff at all (though if it’s a regular thing, it could be remedied by additional staff for the evening busy period?) but other times when it wasn’t as busy but the wait time was still very long for the cheque. I’d say it’s a big enough downside that it could turn away repeat visitors, even if the burger is fantastic.

At Kempster’s, it’s all about finding a few gems and sticking to them. It has one of the best clubhouse sandwiches in the city. There is a unique maple curry pasta that is highly recommended (if you like lots of onions). The coffee is better than at most restaurants.
Kempster’s is relaxed, casual dining with better than average service. It’s spacious, clean and comfortable.
Every day, there are specials like two-​for-​one steaks and traditional east coast fare. This evening, I noticed a recent addition of several gourmet burgers.
If you are looking for home style eats and a quick, reliable choice for dinner, try Kempster’s.

Really?! People like it here? I have no faith in those who like this place!
It’s too expensive, it took too long to get our food, and it was pretty much worse than mediocre… it was horrible! The portions are a joke for $ 12+

I’ve been to Kempster’s many times over the years, and depending on what you order it can be a good experience or a bad one. I’ve always found the staff to be very friendly and helpful and the price is right for the food they serve.
Hubby and I recently visited to try the homemade burgers and handcut fries they’ve been advertising lately, and they were both very good. The burgers are HUGE and tasty, and the fries (at least ours) were done to perfection. We will definitely be returning for these.
As someone who doesn’t drink very much and hates spending $ 3 for basically four ounces’ worth of pop (that’s about what I drink with a meal), I love that they bring you the bottle so you can take it with you! This way I get my money’s worth and can enjoy my drink later on.
I’ve been many times for breakfast; their french toast is fantastic. However, I will warn Unilocalers that they overbutter their regular toast. Like, your toast is swimming in butter. A suggestion would be to ask for it on the side and butter to your preference (unless, of course, you like your toast swimming in butter; in which case carry on).

We paid our first visit to Kempsters tonight. I guess the place is named after Kempt Road where it’s located. It’s a family-​style, home cooking kind of place. The large dining room itself could be anywhere, very generic in its appearance. I visited on a Thursday around five oclock and the crowd definitely skewed to seniors and families with small children.
I ordered the fishcakes and beans. The fishcakes were homemade and baked, not deep fried, which I liked, but they were super dry. The beans were tastier and definitely homemade. The serving of green tomato chow that accompanied the meal was very small. I could have done with more of that.
The kids had Kraft Dinner and fries. My older daughter said that the fries were good. She eats a lot of French fries so this was a definite compliment. I tried a few and they were at the higher end of the fry scale.
The service started on a very high note, super friendly and very efficient, only to drop off once we got our food. We were never asked how our food was or if we needed anything and it took foooooorever to get our bill and get out of there.
I wouldn’t add to my must return list, but for what it is, it was alright. And as a parent, it’s nice to have a place to take kids that isn’t a chain.

Kempster’s is now my new favourite hang over place. Perhaps, it’s because I live up the road.
I would compare it to Smitty’s, but it’s local, so I love to support it! Last time I went, I had an omlette and I was not disappointed. Good sized breakfast, well cooked and loved every mouthful.
Did not like that they served bottle soda instead of fountain, but that’s just a personal preference!

A Restaurant that you can relax in and know you are getting a good meal.
I know the weekends draw a crowd for the breakfast, we were there for lunch. Considering all the other restaurants that will cost you the same to eat in, but are not home made.
This is the place to take the mom and pop, you get a great meal for the value and it is clean. Good Gravy!

Good Old family restaurant that will not leave you feeling broke. Nothing over the top for décor, booths that line down the middle and on the sides. Very clean bathrooms which tells you alot about a place when you can walk in and do not have to hold your breath like some.
Kempsters has a great variety for mean. Normally when I go I order the clubhouse with fries and gravy. YUMM! Ike other has mention in their reviews this is like you are cooking at home, great food. With tip, pop and my meal it came to $ 15 and that is good considering up the street at you know where you are paying just under $ 10 for a pressed hamburger.
Take the family there and enjoy a night out.