Several people mentioned in passing that the little mining town of Cumberland, B.C. had grown into quite the eclectic, hippy, coffee-loving, brunch town. Upon hearing this, and knowing that it was only a quick 10-minute drive from Comox, it was a clear destination for a coffee adventure while on the island.
As we got closer, we encountered waves and waves of Harley Davidsons… an abnormal number of motorcycles given the location, and all were seemingly heading to the same destination. Moments later we saw a sign for the Cumberland Motorcycle Roundup and we knew what was happening. Luckily, we made it to town before the full horde arrived and were able to find a parking spot amongst all the bikes.
Our first destination was the Wandering Moose Cafe for a latte and San Pellegrino. I can’t remember if the cafe existed during our visit to Cumberland for the Canada Day Parade in 2006. However, the coffee shop was originally the town post office (1907) and still maintains a lot of its historic charm.
Across the street is Mar’s on Main, our breakfast destination. While the restaurant is a relatively new addition to the street, the house itself is not. The house was built in 1896 for a prosperous local farmer and later bought by a couple who ran the Red and White store next door. The current owners bought the property recently and opened the cafe three-weeks prior to our visit.
Interesting, tasty and unique, the food makes this little cafe worth a visit.
