Painted Pony Cafe

Reviews

• Michelle G.

  star star star star star_border 11 October 2026

  Finally found my go to place. The Painted Pony has lots of perks even before you get to the food. First, being located at 7th and Victoria, there is lots of available parking. No driving around the block for half an hour like you might closer to the other end of downtown. Also it is open seven days a week, closing after lunch on Sunday, The decor is artful without being pretentious and the some of the crafts on display are also for sale. It is a comfortable, welcoming space that is great either for a casual brekkie or lunch or for date night, Finally, the Painted Pony offers up aboriginal delicacies like Hooshum (Indian Ice Cream) and Candied Salmon that a lot of people would never have the opportunities to taste otherwise.
  
  The Cafe serves game meats like Elk and Buffalo which beyond the ubiquitous bison burger is hard to find. The first time I was there I had the buffalo rib which is on the starter menu, But, it and a piece of bannock make for a complete meal. The ribs are slow cooked to fall off the bone perfection and the saskatoon berry glaze is simply delicious. The second time I went for dinner and the slow cooked elk was to die for once again, cooked to fall apart juicy perfection. I had the cheesecake for dessert and was pleasantly surprised that it was made in house. So much better than the pre made you find in most places.
  
  Friendly staff, delicious food, easy parking. what more could one want. Will be there often

• Laurel P.

  star star star star_border star_border 5 October 2026

  My friend and I recently discovered the newly opened Painted Pony Cafe when we were looking for a place open for lunch on a Sunday. Kamloops has a notoriously small collection of businesses that fall into this category. Lucky for us, the Painted Pony welcomed us with open doors.
  
  The first thing we noticed walking in was the decor. The whole cafe is furnished with various horse, railway, and western themes. It didn't feel overdone at all and conveyed a real homey feel. If it wasn't already immediately clear that this was a family-run joint, hearing the staff call for help from "Grandma" definitely confirmed that. Too cute!
  
  My biggest issue with this place is that there isn't a single vegetarian item on their lunch/dinner menu, not even a salad. Luckily there were a couple things on the breakfast menu so I didn't have to go hungry. It was pretty disappointing though.
  
  The food itself wasn't especially exciting. I enjoyed my waffles but if the only options for me are breakfast foods, I would go elsewhere. There is better breakfast to be found elsewhere in Kamloops. That being said, I can't say no to hot, fresh bannock! It was delicious as usual. My friend had ordered the bison burger and while he enjoyed having it served on bannock rather than a standard bun, the patty itself was dry and overcooked.
  
  Overall I wasn't overly blown away, but there is definitely some potential here. I would definitely be willing to try it again in a couple months once they've had a chance to work through some of the kinks of opening a new restaurant.

• Elaine P.

  star star star star star_border 2 October 2026

  Small First Nation restaurant with elk, buffalo, and beef. Indian fry bread tacos were good and very generous.  The fry bread with jam is fabulous.
  Let the waitress discuss the menu if you aren't familiar with the food. We came to town on Rocky Mountaineer and wanted to avoid the crowds from the train. It is a great alternative to the traditional restaurants.

• Tom A.

  star star star star star 1 October 2026

  My wife and I were on a walk stretching our legs after a day on the train. We didn't think we'd be hungry but we were. We like to try the smaller cafes looking for a gem and we found it. We ordered the Elk Soup and Bannock bread. The soup reminded me of a hearty beef stew, excellent. And the bread was even better. Nice, friendly owner and cozy atmosphere. Give it a try.

• Jason D.

  star star star star_border star_border 26 September 2026

  Pretty decent little cafe.  They have buffalo elk and other indigenous meats.  It's low key with decent service and tasty simple food.