Restaurants that will give you your cabin fix

Camp 18’s huge dining hall really will remind you of being back at camp. This log cabin restaurant is as authentic as they come. The builders of the restaurant cut, processed, and carved all the wood themselves, including an 85-foot ridge pole (that’s the beam at the top of the ceiling) — the biggest known in the United States. This certainly doesn’t look like a rough DIY job. The dining room is beautiful and very polished, a testament to all the love that went into its creation.

Twin Peaks was a TV show with an extreme log-cabin aesthetic; there’s even a character known as the “log lady” who walks around carrying (you guessed it) a log. The Black Lodge in Vancouver stays true to the show’s vision. It’s a restaurant/bar with slices of tree trunks for tabletops and a bearskin rug on the wall. One unexpected twist, however, is that the food is all vegetarian, including a wide variety of vegetarian hot dogs. The cocktails are creative and delicious and sometimes come served in enamel camping cups. It really lets you feel like you’re living in the fictional town of Twin Peaks — minus the murder.

Quebec knows cabins. In fact, most Quebecers go to at least one cabane à sucre, or “sugar shack,” every spring. These establishments celebrate the yearly maple thaw by collecting maple syrup and having huge meals and desserts laden with delicious syrup — usually in traditional wood cabins fully decked out for the season. Le Baluchon has a particularly beautiful cabane à sucre, with traditional long tables and warm lighting. There are also other seasonal activities, like sleigh rides and kids’ games.

Decorated with knickknacks ranging from wooden hobbyhorses to a full suit of armour, Gasthaus on the Lake has the traditional cabin vibe down. It’s a German restaurant serving several types of schnitzel, as well as traditional goulash and plenty of sauerkraut-laden entrees. There’s also a pub attached to the restaurant, for those who’d rather focus on the German pastime of emptying steins of beer.

The name really says it all. This restaurant in Baraboo, Wisconsin is all about that cabin classic: pie. As of publication, they’ve sold 1,015,979 slices (there’s a counter on their website). They also have lovely log walls and wood carvings everywhere. With its kitschy décor, long booths, and antler lamps, as well as lots of hearty meals, this restaurant will fill cabin-shaped hole in your life.

Turns out “log cabin fine dining” is not an oxymoron, as this Parry Sound restaurant and inn proves. Mixing traditional cabin fare with a bit of upscale polish, this is a popular venue for weddings and other large gatherings. They also have a wine cellar with bottles from around the world.