Clucking Hen Cafe & Bakery ( Seasonal may- October)

Clucking Hen Café & Bakery is a gem along the Cabot Trail! The scenery alone — ocean views from the patio — makes it worth a stop, but the food really seals the deal. From mouthwatering lobster club sandwiches to freshly baked butter tarts and cookies, everything feels homemade and high quality. The staff are warm and attentive, making the atmosphere cozy & welcoming. A couple of things to know: it’s seasonal (open May through October), and popular items like bakery treats tend to sell out later in the day. But for breakfast, lunch, or just a sweet treat with a view, Clucking Hen delivers. Highly recommend!

Stopped for coffee but ended up buying a take out sandwich for lunch as well,seeing as they had a great selection. If the weather is fine sit outside as the view is great. Staff were friendly and doing their best to serve everyone quickly- it was busy!

Cute place right on the side of the road. They have many grab and go sandwiches and pastries. There are tables to dine inside or outside. They have picnic tables out on the lawn with a nice view of the water in the distance.

Stopped at The Clucking Hen Café & Bakery on the Cabot Trail—cute spot with good service, tasty sweets, fresh coffee, and a lovely view. A perfect place to refresh along the way.

Great spot to stop as you travel the Cabot trail. Staff are enthusiastic and willing to assist. Plenty of options to eat. Food was great. The place is welcoming. Was sutting by the door on a cool day but still a good overall experience.

Made a stop with a group of 12. We were hoping for take-out lobster rolls but they were sold out. They were so kind to run in the back and make some fresh for our group. Pastries were good. Lobster rolls were excellent!

We were incredibly lucky to stumble upon this special restaurant. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with kindness. The food was absolutely fantastic which kept us coming back! It’s very rare to find a place with both service and food that shine equally. This truly left a lasting impression. Thank you and your great team.

We had a hard time finding a place for breakfast and came across the Clucking Hen. What a lucky break!! Breakfast was fabulous and very reasonably price, service was great and super friendly. Didn't buy any of their baked goods on the way out but really sorry I didn't. Everything in the desert case looked very yummy. Would definitely recommend this cafe even if you have to go a little bit out of your way. Oh, and they have a fabulous waterfront view.

One of the best places to stop and visit on the Cabot Trail! Their baked goods and meals are absolutely delicious! I got a spinach and feta danish on my last visit and I'm still thinking about it weeks later! The service was kind and excellent, and the restaurant is very cozy and cute with its decor. Definitely be sure to stop by and grab a coffee and a danish!

Good stop. I was excited about reviews for gf baked goods, though there were only 2 things to choose from (a crumble and a brownie). I went with the French toast (gf bread). The waitress made sure I knew it was cooked on a shared cooktop (not sure if there were options not to but I'm allergy not celiac so this was ok for me). It was great, very fluffy bread. My boyfriend had a breakfast platter that he devoured. That could be gf too.

Delicious pastries! We couldn't decide on sweet or savory, so we got both! Spinach and feta in a savory, layered flaky pastry dough, a lemon poppyseed scone and a pecan butter tartlet for dessert (at 8 am). We were a bit pressed for time or would have stayed and enjoyed a hot breakfast on the deck with a great view. Stop here! You will love it!

We stopped by for brunch/ lunch yesterday while on the Cabot trail. Wow what a lovely lil gem w great views n friendly welcoming staff. And they had a bakery with yummy goodies. Our waiter was very friendly n nice. We ordered 2 lobster club sandwiches w seafood chowder, tuna sandwich w potato / leek soup and Double D burger n fries. All the food was v good but oh my the lobster club sandwiches were out of this world. The right size n delicious w generous amount of lobster and great seasonings. The seafood chowder was so good n flavorful w lots of seafood. And that bakery had so many goodies. We got the butter tart pecan, butter tart raisin , crumble date blonde n the chocolate chip cookies. The date blonde was so good. And so were the butter tarts. We were wishing we could go back again but are crunched for time. There's always a NEXT time. If ever u r on the Cabot trail stop by at clucking chicken cafe n enjoy their food. You will not go wrong . Thank you clucking hen for a great brunch/ lunch.

Busy place. Be patient. Their chowder is top shelf. Good size portion on the turkey club. A must stop on the Cabot trail.

I wanted to give 4 stars because of the staff but I have to share how I felt in honesty and full transparency. This place is a nice place to stop for a coffee or tea..and perhaps a sweet treat. Depending. The prices of the baked goods were, for the most part, overpriced. Eg...small slice of cheesecake for just under $9! The lobster roll is deceiving. It looks like a full roll but has a chunky piece of romaine underneath that limits the amount of lobster put in the roll to half that of any other place we've ever been to. Lobster was flavourless despite fresh herbs.(kudos for onsite mini herb garden.) Was the lobster kept frozen?... Unsure but bland nevertheless. Usually do side salad but tried fries with my meal. Best part of! They rightly had their skins still on and were fried to near crispy perfection. Great flavour too! Choice of potato for fries was obviously thoughtful. Overall food prices were average. Not so with the baked goods. Along with pizza, one of the lowest cost items that a place can sell so I couldn't reconcile a price of $6 for a loaf of plain white bread uncut, it is just too much and even if they offer to slice at no cost. It's white bread? I'd venture to say it's a business that capitalizes on tourism with its high prices that are due to the willingness of tourists to pay almost anything in more remote areas, and this is supported by the fact that they're only open from May to October. The staff were fantastic! Doubt you can find better service!!! The woman that served us was kind and pleasant. Never hurts for one human to call another love...whether you know them or not. I do so myself and it was nice to see others do it too. The inside was clean and orderly and had a good view of the ocean. The chairs were very comfortable and we enjoyed our seated stay. Overall it's the kind of place you'll have to judge for yourself. I'd go back for a light lunch as we like to go to small non chain restaurant/cafes...but only because of the staff. Take that as you will.

Absolutely the BEST place to stop for a meal on the Cabot Trail. Lovely little bakery/cafe with super friendly staff. Food is well presented, colorful, flavorful and obviously served with love. There's no way you can pass up that dreamy display case of pastries without grabbing something "for later". Great stop on NS.

What a nice cafe! Lovely facility, staff, food, and great view. Nice place stop and refresh along the Cabot Trail. It opens at 8:00 each day unlike most later-opening restaurants in the area. The baked goods are terrific. One improvement would be real espresso coffee made by hand.

It was a very interim stop for lunch. Staff was extremely friendly and service was great!

Loved this place. Their location is beautiful and you can sit outside looking out onto the water. I ordered the french toast breakfast with sausage and added hash browns - the sausage was the standout and was thick and juicy. Also got the apple turnover and spinach and feta pastry - this one is a must try if you get anything and our server said it usually sells out before noon. Our server Karen was so friendly and made the experience great.

Super friendly and attentive service, had a delicious breakfast and enjoyed the view! Clean and nicely decorated. Try the porridge bread!

The food was lovely. I had a delicious lobster sandwich with their own fresh bread. I liked the "porridge" bread which is white, whole, and a bit of molasses, which they sell also by the loaf, along with other baked goods. I added a side soup of turkey, which was fantastic and very savoury. The total was about 15$ for the lobster and $3 or 4 for the soup. The sandwich and soup combo of the day was blt and potato soup for $12 and it looked like a great option too. The oat cakes were mildly sweet and quite hearty, great for a hiking snack. The chicken decor is funny and the view of the lake was great.

Stopped here for a much needed coffee on a long road trip. If you're looking for a basic coffee I'm sure it's great. But the fancier coffees (I ordered a mocha) Aren't real espresso drinks they just come from a machine. It was pretty awful. Service was great. Outdoor area is beautiful!

The prices are 10 and under for most things on the menu, but the plate portions are minimal, so after a dish, we're still hungry. Out of the 3 places I rated in Cape Breton, this one has average tasting chowder. The home made bread was pretty good. The lobster sandwitch was above average. Pics of dishes uploaded. The service was prompt and friendly. The back terrace has some great views.

The chowder was alright, not creamy but chunky. The bun tasted a little bland and flour-y. On the plus side, the grilled cheese with ham was delicious!! Either I was craving cheese that day or they make it really well, it was so good I ordered a second. The sandwich is so crunchy, and gooey and was very satisfying.

Great stop along the Cabot trail! Decent coffee and great snacks so there is something for everyone.

The Clucking Hen Cafe was a great little spot on the Cabot Trail! My husband had a crab sandwich (which I took a few bites of) and I tried their fish and chips. Both were tasty. My fish and chips just needed a little salt in their panko breading and it would have been perfect. We both got a pastry from their bakery for our breakfast the next morning at our campsite. My husband really enjoyed his apple turnover and my raisin tart was awesome. I've never really had anything like it! It was pretty much like a pecan pie but with raisins.

Driving along the Cabot Trail & hungry, we took a chance on a roadside cafe. We were really impressed!! The burger was amazing!! Can't recommend it enough. It doesn't hurt that they also serve cold beer!! The view outside is beautiful while you eat. We also grabbed some baked goods for the rest of our drive, which were a delicious snack.

Great, friendly service in an ocean view setting. Tasty fresh haddock and paninis with a selection of bakery items. We got a scone and a chocolate chip cookie to-go, for the drive back to Pictou. The name "clucking hen" refers to a Scottish dance tune rather than to chicken as food, so don't set your heart on fried chicken!

Super nice wait person, great location, and very good food. Definitely the place to stop on the way to Cape Breton H8ghlands NP.

The Clucking Hen Cafe & Bakery was an ideal place to stop for a break from driving along the windy Cabot Trail. We pulled into the Clucking Hen for a mid-afternoon coffee stop on our way to the Baddeck area. This bakery cafe serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and fresh baked goods, which has a quaint casual country atmosphere. There's a very cozy bakery/coffee counter area (place order at counter) in the back and the dining room/seating areas in the front of the house. My friend and I ordered 2 cups of fresh brewed hot coffees (very good) and shared a flaky croissant filled with nutella and topped with sliced almonds & chocolate chunks, which was fantastic and nice sweet flavours. This is what we just what we needed to recharge and continue on our scenic drive along the Cabot Trail. FREE WIFI Thank you to Holly for listing this business in the exact location, allowing me to easily Check-in during my brief stop here.

There really aren't that many places to eat around here... 20-40 minutes to get to another option for dinner, so this place is the best around, by default. Fortunately, the food is pretty good, and there are baked goods to choose from (though when we ate there, the options were limited). We had the haddock, which was actually quite wonderful. - one of the best dishes on our trip. The service situation is unusual - no one comes to your table except to drop off food... which begged a question between my husband and I - do we leave a tip if there is no service? He said no, I said yes, so we left a tip appropriate for a coffee shop. There is ample seating for large groups. Also, there is nice quiet seating outside on a deck, with a view of the mountains and ocean in the distance.

A wonderful place while traveling the Cabot Trail. Has good fresh food with a great view from the Deck.

A great stop of a sandwich and a view. The wait staff is friendly, the sandwiches are a pretty good, but the view is the real selling point of this quick afternoon stop along the highway.

There are so few restaurants or cafes in the area that we figured, why not - how bad can it be? Cons - stay away from the chowder (super bland and dull of potatoes and carrots rather than seafood) and the crab sandwich (tiny bit of tasteless crab on bread slathered with mayo). The tea biscuits that same with was dry and cold - not worth eating really. So-so - the soup of the day, zucchini and tomato, was passable. Kind of like a mild minestrone but a little one note. Pro - my boyfriend got the smoked meat sandwich, which was pressed nicely and tasty enough (tho the meat wasn't smoked). All in all, we wished we had stayed hungry 40 mins longer and waited for better food.

We spent the night in Ingonish beach and continued with the Cabot trail to Baddek. This was the first place we saw that had breakfast available, and for our luck it was great! Nice service, good food, funny signs on the walls :)

Don't miss this great little treasure, we had amazing dinner with a delicious dessert. Friendly staff, fresh baked breads & pastries. We will be back to try the breakfast

This cafe is one of those cafes where you don't ever want to leave! The staff was very friendly and the coffee was delicious! A must go-to for a nice coffee break! We even saw a moose, a deer, and a whale!

Oh, such a cute little sandwich shop, tucked about a third of the way up the Cabot Trail. We enjoyed the home-made bread and biscuits quite a bit, and the soup and sandwiches, while not particularly spectacular, were hearty and tasty enough. Friendly service; the inside is a little cramped, so we ate on the little porch outside. We were a little disappointed there wasn't a way to enjoy the view out the back, which wasn't oriented to the restaurant, although we did have a good time with the moose antlers. Of note: a bunch of hairy badass bikers drove up while we were there, and were about as home as you could imagine in a sort of tea and doily place. Coffee was good. Staff were nice. Great pitstop.

We stopped here for a sweet treat & coffee, but we weren't aware of the rules. Just make sure you order at the counter before you sit down unless you are ordering a meal. Afterall that the staff couldn't have been more helpful and even brought our order over to our table. I don't really get it, but the desert was good, great beverages and an incredible view. Stop here, you won't regret it

Amazing and delicious. What a quaint place. Amazing homemade cheese cake. The place was very clean. Owner is a sweetheart. Cake was fantastic

Stopped for a coffee on the beginning of our journey through the Cabot Trail! Their bakery was a surprise! Cheesecakes to key lime and homemade pies. The view from the back deck is beautiful. Definitely a must see, highly recommended!

We stopped in after hiking Franey Trail. Sandwiches were delicious on homemade bread. Desserts were delicious especially the key lime cheesecake and apple turnover.

Get there early and have some butter tarts. They sell out everyday so do yourself a favour and get a dozen. You'll thank me later.

What a fabulous place, stopped for breakfast on our way to the scenic drive of the Cabot Trail and what a beautiful spot. The view, service, food and the patio in the sun was a perfect way to start a busy day. Will go back anytime we are there!

Great wee stop! Very friendly staff, delicious coffee AND baked goods. Very reasonable lunch items and no Fowl looks

Very pleasant stop over after or before the long Cabot Trail. Lots of other coffee/Tea/sandwich and homemade desert shops along the way but this one is worth the extra drive and time. Friendly folks too and clean bathrooms.

Very friendly people. Loved the food. I dont know how someone can make a grilled cheese with bacon and tomatoes taste so good, but they do. It must be the porridge bread that makes it so delicious. Their special of the grilled haddock sandwich was on the softest bun I think I have ever had. It was like fluffy tasty air. It doesnt not overwelmed the perfectly cooked grilled fish.

Best lobster sandwich so far on the Cabot Trail! Lots of fresh lobster!! Yummy! Nice outside patio with a bit of a view of the ocean.

As I tell them every time I go, their lobster sandwich is worth a 1500-mile drive. Ok, I have some other things to do in the area, but I make sure to stop at the Clucking Hen every chance I get. The lobster sandwich, the oatcakes, the butter tarts . . . all is amazingly delicious. Friendly staff. Bonus: the best Internet connection in the Highlands, so it;s worth lingering for dessert.

Great breakfast spot with delicious homemade breads and pastries. My husband and I had breakfast there this morning and I expect we will go back in a few hours for lunch! :)

This is always one of our favorite places to stop for breakfast or lunch in Nova Scotia. Warm and friendly atmosphere, simple and tasty fare, especially the oatcakes. Eat outside on the porch for a special treat.

Ok, I get that there are not of choices along the Cabot Trail, I get that the tourist season may be short, I get that the cost of bringing in food on a commercial level is high but that aside a restaurant's keys to success are quality and service. Both here are lacking. Food taste like caned pre-prepared or frozen, warmed up and thrown on a plate. No table service gives a cafeteria feel and the cost of this simple fair is like going to a five star restaurant! I love this area and the people but it needs a couple of nice places to eat! The service from the woman at the counter was nice but she needs to understand that a lot of people coming in have no idea what the platform is. She needs to be more helpful with explanations and suggestions. Beef up the quality and the quantity, smile and be helpful, and you would have a much better offering.

So, you're driving through the Cabot Trail and you want to stop for a little bite to get you through til dinner. Wow, this is the place to stop. We had lunch here and I tried to check in to Yelp but they weren't listed, so I did it myself. When you walk in, it is a little quaint spot with chickens and rooster decorations everywhere, pretty cutesy. The food is all homemade - I had the lobster stew. She asked me if I'd like a homemade tea biscuit with it...ahhh, YAH, of course!! My husband had an egg salad and fish chowder. I suffer from Order Envy (anyone else out there have that condition, where everyone's food always looks better than yours?!) Anyway, I won, but not by much. His egg salad was delectable and his chowder was almost as good as mine. Now...to my lobster stew. Holy lobster Batman. I think they shelled a lobster and stuffed it all in a bowl and covered it with a bit of delightful, light cream broth and teeny chopped potatoes. OMG, it was so good. Oh, and I had a glass of white wine from a box - mandatory when you are eating lunch on the Cabot Trail at 11am ;-) So yummy. I didn't get a dessert, but I wanted to...homemade brownies, butter tarts...oh, yah, and bread. All of their sandwiches are made with their homemade bread...mmmmm....

We stopped here and had a wonderful breakfast on Canada Day. The baked goods were great, the place is spotless and the staff were very friendly. I regret not buying a couple of loafs of porridge bread for home!