Dancing Goat Cafe & Bakery

This place truly is a gem in Margaree Valley and is popular among locals and tourists. During our 5-day stay in Margaree Valley, we came here every morning, except on Monday when it’s closed. I would dare to say that this was best food and cappuccino we had on Cape Breton. We tried every sandwich on the menu and we were always amazed at the quality and taste of every sandwich. You could tell that lot of care was put into each sandwich. The cappuccinos were an amazing start to our day every day. The latte art was different each day, with just goes to show you the attention to detail that the staff puts into everything. We tired the blueberry pancakes, maple butter shortbread cookies, and cinnamon rolls and they were absolutely delicious. The service and atmosphere were also phenomenal! I would highly recommend this cafe.

I've been a customer of this establishment for over 10 years. Normally it's a 4.5 to a 5 star visit. Recently there was a change in my usual order on their end, a whole sandwich on gluten free bread (normaly 2 small sandwiches to compensate for the gf bread slices being small), which I had paid extra money for (almost $19 total for the meal). Once I addressed the issue to the staff, it was somewhat resolved, however, not without first causing some grief. This put a damper on my visit to beautiful Margaree on that day. Because of my most recent experience, I will now be considering other options for lunch when traveling to the area. Kudos to the ladies who work at the front counter. They are always busy and try their best to look after their customer's needs. The second photo is what I typically receive. The first photo is a representation of what they provided initially. Based on the response below from the owner and after them taking over 2 months to reply, I won't be returning. I wish them well with their business though.

Had my usual oat latte with honey and it was so lovely! The breakfast sandwich was a perfect start to the day! Highly recommend stopping in!

Quite simply - wow! I had read a recommendation about stopping here at the beginning of a Cabot Trail drive and it did not disappoint. In fact, it exceeded all expectations. Really nice people and great food.

Charming but overrated. Pancakes were dense and tasted like flour. Order at the counter, they bring your food to the table. Service was average. Table was uneven and wobbly.

Cafe was packed on the weekend, not an overly long wait for food despite the business. The food was simple yet delicious. One of the cashiers at the front was not very friendly at all hence the loss of star rating, the other was great. Their was a hair in the sandwich which happens no big deal. Would definitely come back my next trip back to cape Breton!

A fabulous place to eat on the Cabot Trail! I had the mango mustard ham sandwich and Moroccan Carrot soup for lunch which was amazing! Then went back for dessert later. You won't regret stopping here!

Amazing service. Delicious food and coffee!! We hit it around noon and it did fill up inside.

Excellent lunch stop on Cabot Trail South. We had the "Kicked Up BLT" Autumn Bisque, classic lemonade and banana cake. Everything was made fresh and the kitchen really knows what they are doing! The multigrain bread used in the sandwich was airy, soft and slight nutty flavor. We got there late so the pastry and breads were pretty much gone so get there early if that's what brings you here. You get a number and your order is brought to your table. Service was efficient, friendly and no fuss. Atmosphere was like a busy coffee shop, with the same amount of noise you would expect. But there is outdoor seating for anyone with mobility issues or large groups. They even had live music starting just as we were leaving. Great experience!

Who knew such a simple combination - a sandwich, salad, and baked goods - could make for one of the best meals on my East Coast trip?! Dancing Goat is a MUST, worth the detour even. The deli style muffuleta sandwich was jam packed between freshly baked toast. They didn't skimp on the (real) bacon or (real) parmesan cheese either, just look at the picture! And perhaps best of all were the delicious array of baked goods - the lemon glazed cookie and chocolate raspberry torte were both incredible. I couldn't leave without picking up a few bags of cookies to take home!

I'll be dreaming of the fluffy scones for the rest of my life. Easily my favorite little spot on Cape Breton Island.

An unexpected pleasure along the Cabot Trail ! Gets crowded during tourist season but the staff makes up for it with good humor. There's a cute enclosed porch for indoor dining and a nice outdoor space as well. Food quality was amazing and a good value. Well worth the stop for breakfast or lunch (or just coffee).

While this is a relative (to the rest of the island) 5, Dancing Goat is really good. I mean, my wife and I came twice over 2 days, so definitely have what we had. - Breakfast Sandwich: The buns are a chewy buscuit (yum!), and there's a generous amount of egg, cheddar cheese and mayo on it. We got one with sausage (juicy, chopped right in the middle) and another with bacon (crispy). Simple yet well executed. - Roast Beef Sandwich: Wowwwww this was good. The beef was tasty, the mayo-horseradish mix gave it a great kick, and the porridge bread (yes, definitely choose that over white or multigrain) was good enough to eat on its own. - Blueberry Pancakes: This was the only disappointment for me. Not that it was bad, but would have liked more blueberries and fluffier pancakes. The side sausage was great though (tasty, not greasy, generous amount). - Capuccino and Cafe Mocha: Where am I? Easily the best coffee we had in Cape Breton. - Lemon Dream: The lemon taste was strong and tarty, the cream in the middle made it light and airy. Great name because that's exactly what it tasted like. - Fudgy Macaron: Their desserts have names that really describe what it is. This was an overload of chocolate sandwiching a generous amount of coconuty macaron. - Cookies: We got the ginger and peanut butter cookies to go. Both were still soft and chewy days after. A great snack on drives around the Cabot Trail. Service was efficient and welcoming. Good space for a cafe. And the prices were ridiculously reasonable for the quality and amount of food. A definite spot to stop by and enjoy.

Saw the name of this cafe and felt the need to stop at it! We were driving around Cape Breton Island, and all road trips require snacks and coffee. Their coffee is really good, quite strong and I really enjoyed drinking it. I also got a piece of cake, which was good as well but I thought it was a little too sweet for me personally. A great stop if you're in the area!

Highly recommend to stop by if you are around the area, even if it's just for a coffee/snack! Indoor space is limited, but take out is always an option. If you are a fan of lemon anything, please try their lemon dream, it was the best thing EVER!

Best cappuccino during our roadtrip around Nova Scotia! I am so glad we stopped by for breakfast and coffee at 8am before we went to the trails. My day was off to a good start with the perfect cappuccino, uniquely delicious porridge bread to go with my roast beef sandwich (thank you for having lunch options available early in the morning) and cookies (ginger sparklers were like chewy gingerbread cookies and peanut butter chocolate cookies) which were $5 for a bag of 6. Warm and helpful service. There are additional tables in the room extension. Patio seating for the summer. Clean washroom for weary travellers. I was so impressed that I am willing to wake up earlier to stop at this Cafe/ Bakery before our next hike. Update: went back the next day to try the breakfast sandwich and lemon dream square that all the other yelpers were raving about. Yummy!

First time trying this place for lunch, and it was really good. I'm going to be 100% honest, their lunch is NO where near as good as their breakfast. HOWEVER, It is very good. The bread is super soft with good chew and the ingredients were very fresh. The Bahn Mi is misnamed and bares no resemblance to a Bahn Mi, but was tasty. Give the lunch a shot if you're in the area, but it's only worth a drive for breakfast and baked goods.

Heard a lot of good things about this place and had to stop by. I tried the new banh mi sandwich and although not traditional, it has great flavour and was packed with ingredients. The tomato soup was very savoury. Also got their choc chip cookies to go and they remained soft in the middle in travel. Service was extremely helpful and friendly.

A great place for breakfast (coffee and frothy drinks great!) and a wonderful stop for lunch. These folks care about what they're doing and they do it very well. We took a couple of loaves of their bread and a few dozen cookies for the Cabot Trail, and later came back for a cake as a gift for a friend.

One of the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had in my life was from this cafe. Our hotel did not include breakfast, so we trusted the high reviews and ratings on Yelp and headed to this place. They had plenty of great breakfast options, such as a full breakfast, pancakes, and baked goods like scones and muffins. However, the breakfast sandwich caught my eye, and oh my gosh, I could not be happier. For $5.95, the breakfast sandwich comes on a warm freshly-baked biscuit that has cheddar and onion, as well as an egg and cheddar cheese. You can choose from bacon, ham, or tomato for the inside. I went with bacon, and got a generous serving in mine. Altogether, it was one of the best things I ate on my trip. I wanted to come back to try the ham version, but it is really only on the way if you're starting the Cabot trail clockwise. Otherwise, it's a 30 minute drive from Baddeck. Staff are friendly, washrooms are clean, and there's plenty of space in the cafe as well as the attached room that's like an indoor patio. It's in a perfect spot on the way to the Cabot Trail, and I highly recommend checking it out if you need breakfast to start your trip!

Well between my husband and I we consumed approximately 5,000 calories (and counting) of tasty treats from this place over the past 2 days. Seems like a lot of bakery items are gone by the end of the day, so come early if you want something specific. Day 1: Stopped while biking the Cabot trail, they were closing soon so we got butterscotch pie and a dozen trail cookies to go. My husband said, "this is the best pie I ever ate." And he is a pie guy. Even I was crazy about it, and I am not super into pie. Ate a few cookies...wow. Not super sweet, just soft and moist and perfect. Day 2: Ate more cookies. Worried about running out of cookies. Biked 8km back in the wrong direction for more cookies. This time we saw peanut butter chocolate chip cookies so got those, obviously. Also had dinner. Absolutely amazing chicken sandwich with almonds and my husband had the roast beef with horseradish sauce. HUGE delicious sandwiches for cheap. The porridge bread is not to be missed. The crust is so thick and delicious. And we got another butterscotch pie, obviously. We may ride back for breakfast before continuing on day 3... Because cookies!

Okkkaaaayyyy. I'm a fussy city coffee snob. This place was SO good. I had an oat milk mocha and really wanted another. Also had the breakfast sandwich which was incredible. It comes on some kind of amazing homemade biscuit that was just awesome. Also tried a slice of cheesecake that was heavenly. And bought some amazing baked goods for our road trip. 10/10 can't wait to go back.

Highly recommend. Great food, great coffee. Amazing baked goods. Had the egg sandwich, cranberry scone, and Amercano. No indoor seating at this time.

Great stop for desserts and drinks. I absolutely loved the topping of my caramel bar and would absolutely return to buy more. The tea and coffee were great. Also nice to pop across the street with drinks to peruse artwork and jewelry.

Amazing cafe!!! Went back twice and wish there was one near us! Service is great and love how kind they all are! Food rocks - try their Banh Mi chicken sandwich and their soups with a chai latte! To die for! For those who are gluten free - their breads are amazing so definitely try it out!

A great find with yummy food and the Banh Mi Chicken Sandwich was awesome! Oh and friendly service to go with it!

Literally the best breakfast sandwich I've ever had in my life. This is comprised of the most perfectly baked, flavor-packed, fluffy biscuit, the silkiest scrambled egg you've ever had, with cheddar, creme fraiche and your choice of bacon, sausage, ham or tomato. The cheddar and scallion in the biscuit took this to a flavor level that I couldn't even comprehend on first bite. Lattes are amazing and require very little sweetener... and the staff is super sweet. This is an absolute must if you're anywhere nearby. I'm a coffee snob and self professed breakfast connoisseur... The dancing goat is amazing.

Great little spot for a delicious breakfast! I ordered the breakfast sandwich with bacon, and was super excited with the cheddar biscuit it came on instead of something plain like an english muffin. My husband had the fluffiest blueberry pancakes I've ever seen, with maple syrup that had a hint of vanilla and was so yummy I'd almost wished I'd chosen that instead! Definitely stop here if you're in the area, even if you don't stay for a meal, you can pick up some delicious baked goodies.

Excellent lunch. The soup was great. The 1/2 egg salad sandwich was huge! Great mocha! The line to get was well worth the wait.

Homey cafe with basic sandwich and barista options. The butternut spinach quiche I got had a thin crispy crust and the egg very soft and jiggly like a custard. Just soups and sandwiches, no seafood!

Amazing food. I had the breakfast sandwich, which was delicious -- tender biscuit, perfectly cooked eggs, tasty breakfast sausage. Also bought a ham sandwich for lunch, which was wonderful. As you'd expect the bread was a standout. Tried their maple shortbread cookies and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, both were terrific. Would strongly recommend!

For what they do, they're great! All we needed was a sandwich, some coffee, clean restrooms and a smile and we got all of these. The coffee was just their usual brew and it was unusually good coffee and well made. I had the ham sandwich which was also very good. Be forewarned that their short bread cookies are dangerously addictive! We bought a bag for the road and all I can say is that it's a good thing I don't live too close.

I had the best lobster roll in my life here 5 years ago. I still think about it. Everything was good, really good.

Stopped here yesterday. Wonderful spot. Friendly staff. When I read a number of reviews describing the best breakfast sandwich ever I was intrigued. It's amazing. So much so that I didn't take a picture. The tea biscuits bought fresh from the oven did make the trip home and it's a wonder they stayed in the bag as they are incredibly light. Trust me the Dancing Goat is worth the stop!

Amazing spot on the Cabot Trail! Would highly recommend. We stopped for breakfast. My pancakes were to die for and the sausage was delish! The served the pancakes with a homemade warm maple butter! Omg! My scrambled eggs were very fluffy! I ordered a mocha to go which was great! They also offer fresh baked goods. Bread, cakes, muffins and more! Please go here if you are passing by!

To quote a friend (who was impersonating, what he believed, to be the initial pitch of this place's business idea), "I'm going to create a gourmet restaurant and bakery in the middle of nowhere on the already sparsely populated island of Cape Breton, and IT'S TOTALLY GOING TO WORK" If you are anywhere near the western side of the island, you must hit this place for breakfast or lunch. Cappuccino, salads, sandwiches, sweets, and soups. Omg, the soups! Highly recommend the Curried Orzo-Lentil Salad, the egg Salad Sandwich, and their soups of the day. Cranberry almond scones are amazing, too. This is also a fantastic place for vegetarians.

Always a great meal when driving through Margaree. Amazing lemon tart, and the Muffaletta was really good

I've wanted to try here for several years now when visiting Cape Breton, but since it is roughly 90 mins from Sydney, it's half of my day taken up to get there and back. Finally tried it on a hot, sunny Sunday in August when heading back to Halifax, so it took me about an hour out of the way on the highway, but I wasn't in a rush, so that was ok. The cafe itself has tons of parking, but it needs to, as it's busy. I couldn't believe that it was lined up with people coming in the front AND side doors. Was meeting a friend and it took us probably 10 mins to place our order at the counter. They give you a number to put on your table and then bring your food to you. I tried their breakfast sandwich with bacon, which was excellent. The homemade biscuit was a different touch compared to the usual English muffin or bagel you generally see for these. It was a good size and would be enough on its own for me normally, but I tried a blueberry scone too, since I can't get here very often, and wanted to try more than one item. I will be back and probably get a half sandwich/salad combo, as their choices looked good. I didn't get a picture of the menu on the chalk board, but it's standard cafe food, just high quality. My friend tells me that they sell out of the bakery items daily, often early, and I believe that b/c at noon, the shelf was probably 75% sold. The owner does not like to make too much and risk waste, nor does he want to sell day-old items on clearance. So overall, if you are counting on getting a loaf of bread, etc - get there early. And don't come right at lunch time if you are in a rush b/c you could end up waiting in line awhile, or for a table. We lucked out and there were a few tables free. The atmosphere is simple, with lots of natural lighting coming in, seating for probably 40 or 50?

Very very belated - but worth it - Dancing goat was recommended by a local friend and was a hit among our group of four, including a couple with pickier palates. We arrived around 4pm on a Monday - plenty of room. There was a steady lineup from then until closing at 5pm. Overall, we loved the freshness of the bread which they bake everyday and the simple ingredient combos which were flavourful, fresh, and balanced - even though we were there close to closing time. We ordered the following and loved pretty much everything. 1. Muffaletta on porridge bread (my first time) with mushroom soup - huge amount of meat, the olives were subtle and the porridge bread was so soft and sweet 2. Chicken on multigrain with orzo salad - thick cuts of real chicken. I don't prefer orzo myself, but others loved it 3. Chicken on multigrain with mushroom soup - the mushroom soup was awesome, not too salty or creamy, just a rich mushroom flavour 4. Kicked up avocado with tomato zucchini soup - real, crispy bacon in the sandwich was so good, and the avocado creamy and cold And.. Since we were heading to a cottage and we loved it so much, we ordered 1 large orzo salad, to go, 4 soups for tomorrow, a loaf of bread to make our own sandwiches, and muffins for the morning!! The baked goods rack was cleared out save 5-6 loaves of multigrain - but the counter staff was generous and gave us extra slices of porridge bread as she knew we had wanted it but it was sold out in loaf form. Must go when in town.

What a sandwich! The size: large, the taste: delicious, the bread: the softest. The staff were very kind and made sure that we had everything we needed throughout our visit. Thank you to the staff who gave us a bag of muffins at the end of the day. We were cycling around the Cabot Trail, so this was much needed food for our evening and morning carb fix. I recommend ordering two half sandwiches so you can try two different ones. Please don't leave without a bag Snickerdoodle cookies to go (this is a must)

We stopped there to pick up sandwiches to take on our road trip around the island. We were stunned at how magnificent the food looked the bakery items were fresh and delicious and our sandwiches could not have been better. Here on the small island was a lovely gathering spot that could have been in any quaint high-end city. Even if you don't think your hungry or need anything when you pass by this place, please stop and pop in. I guarantee you you will not be disappointed.

This was a real gem of a bakery just off of the Cabot Trail. I was just exactly what you would think a bakery should be. The staff was super friendly and so were the customers - every engaged in conversation. The baked goods were superb - we had the breakfast sandwich which takes a few minutes but made fresh and was delicious, scones were phenomenal and bought some cookies that were outstanding. Cannot say enough good things about this place except to make it a destination if you are in that area.

What a wonderful spot. Excellent baked goods, coffee, and tea. Free WiFi. A highly recommended stop on the Cabot Trail.

We were on a 10 day road trip around eastern Canada when we made our way to Cape Breton. The Dancing Goat was on the top of our "places to visit" list, and man are we glad we did. The food and coffee were phenomenal. The place was packed but they handled the flow very well. The breakfast sandwiches and iced lattes were some of the best we've ever had. 100% coming back in the future for the scenery and this restaurant!

Jeez. Here I was thinking I'd get a slammin' first-to-review on this café carved right out of my Cape Breton dreams but it seems that the secret is more than out! When I truck over to the island, I stay with my granddad in South West Margaree - a stunning little village that consists of two bridges, one church, a river, and the Co-op that is meant to fulfill all remaining needs. For someone who finds it hard to quit city life cold turkey, this has always been...challenging. Enter the Dancing Goat! Now, just a quick ten minute drive from my homebase is what I never thought I'd see in the Inverness area - a legitimate café that makes a mean espresso, an even better cappuccino, and a latté that would actually hold up in any major city. Add to that a full selection of fresh baked goods that will get your mouth watering, and a delicious breakfast and lunch menu, and you've got yourself a serious winner. And it's not just me that loves it! The place is always jam-packed with locals, proving that even folks like my granddad are happy to support local hangout spots beyond the usual church hall events!

This is such a lovely little cafe. It's new, fresh, and homey interior feels like being inside a Williams Sonoma. But with food. And nicer. After a 3 hour hike in the pouring rain, Dancing Goat couldn't be a more welcome sight. Seemingly very popular with the locals, a lot of people had come by just to pick up a loaf of bread (a variety of which are available on a metal rack shelf by the window) or cookies & baked goods to go. Never the one to pass on an opportunity for a good sandwich, the hubs picked half a bacon and avocado sandwich on porridge bread. I don't exactly know what it is, but it's some sort of old fashioned bread literally made of porridge stuff. The hubs loved it and said it was so delicious that he debated buying a loaf and bringing it home to Toronto - which I promptly vetoed, cause how were we going to carry back a loaf of bread unsquished? If anyone has any wisdom on this, please share your bread wisdom with me! I opted for a latte and was having an internal struggle between a chocolate cupcake with boiled icing or the last mini-coconut cream pie. When I saw somebody else in line eyeing the pie, the deal was done. That pie is miiiiine! So comP(I)Etitive of me. Was grateful that it didn't have that barfy-taste that some coconuts have. In fact, it was only after that I ordered the pie that I remembered that I don't like coconut at all. See? ComPIEtitive. Thankfully, this pie was awesome and mostly tasted of whipped cream. Gosh, I wish I had bought a cupcake to go...or a bag of homemade Snickerdoodle cookies...or double chocolate cookies...or that loaf of bread... ....

absolutely without doubt the BEST 'morning glory' muffin, done PERFECT. Whoever made them knows exactly how to do this. very friendly people, very busy place, a very minor detail...iced americano: 1/4 water. lots of ice, 1 shot (or 2) espresso, ask for 'room' (to add cream). not 2% milk. NOT a deterrent to going back at all. Had I known how good that muffin was, i would have bought a dozen. OMG SOOO GOOD!!! a highlight of the lovely Margaree.

We got up early to try out this highly reviewed restaurant. We got there at 7:30 AM and there were few breakfast pastries available. We had pancakes and an egg sandwich we could have had anywhere else. We tried a scone which had a strong baking soda flavor. We would stop in if it was on our way, but we wouldn't drive out of our way. As we left more pastry items were available, but it was mostly desserts to be had after lunch.

Hidden gem. If your driving the Cabot Trail this is a must stop, even if you only get a scone!

Don't eat breakfast at your hotel. Eat here. This place could succeed in any part of North America. Outstanding baker. Great cappuccino. Winner. Seriously.

This place is SO good!! My aunt has a cabin near by and she eats here all the time and whenever friends and family go to visit her, they always end up here!! Great place, highly recommended!!

The Dancing Goat is like a culinary oasis for yummy baked goods, great soups and sandwiches, and lattes on Cape Breton Island. I love this place! And the 2nd location in Inverness is equally (if not more) amazing. I just went for the first time to the new Inverness location and I was beyond stoked. Modern subway tile, free wifi, and great food awaits!

Quite possibly some of the best sandwiches ever made. The home baked bread tips it to a 5 star cafe.

Stopped in here July 2010 for lunch. Restaurant serves sandwiches, salads, soups, pastries. Homemade bread for sale is off the charts. Nothing fancy, you order at the counter and can eat in or get it to go. The vegetable soup with cheddar cheese was outstanding as was the light and fluffy homemade dinner roll that accompanied it. Homemade scones do not have the density of a hockey puck (which is what you typically get elsewhere, at least in the US). If you are within 50 miles of this place, stop in. You will not be disappointed!! The food is incredible and the service is attentive and friendly. What a gem!

This place is amazing, and that's not just for Cape Breton standards. I'm from Toronto but visit Cape Breton every summer and have never seen a place to eat even close to this before. This place is comparable with cool, little places to eat in Toronto, with Nova Scotia portion sizes! I came here twice during my visit. The first time I came for breakfast and ordered the granola and yogurt with fresh fruit and a cappuccino. Everything was fresh and delicious. The second time I had lunch. I ordered the half chicken sandwich with the tomato basil soup (9.95). The sandwich was huge for being only half a sandwich and the soup was fresh and loaded with veggies. If I was a local I would be here everyday!!

A very good place for breakfast or lunch with great salads and a very good curry soup. Nice service and decor.

We stopped this morning on our trip around the Cabot Trail. I had read all the reviews and was looking forward to eating here. My husband had scrambled eggs, bacon, and multi grain toast. I had the blueberry pancakes and bacon. The coffee was great however, everything else was mediocre. The bacon was cooked to the perfect crispness but really wasn't very flavorful. The syrup for the pancakes was good - it was the texture of runny applesauce but very flavorful. I'm still not sure what it was. Everything else was ordinary. The setting is pleasant with a side room with lots of light from windows and skylights.