Farmhouse 50 delivers a big helping of flavour

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This article was published 21/08/2025 (217 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MINNEDOSA — On the main drag in Minnedosa, I approached Farmhouse 50. When I opened the door, I was transported from a quiet, charming town to a lively, bright and beautiful restaurant that looked like a classic farmhouse — hence the name.

I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere of the restaurant and loved the wood and white décor. However, I wasn’t there to sit and enjoy the stay but instead to grab a lunch to go.

I browsed the double-sided menu, which had breakfast on one side and “daytime eats” on the other. Breakfast is served until 11:30 a.m., which I had missed by that point, so I was left with the daytime eats.

The menu consisted of regular foods like grilled cheese sandwiches and paninis, but with a unique twist. I had never heard of a French onion grilled cheese or a blueberry bacon panini. I decided to step slightly out of my comfort zone and try the chipotle chicken and bacon panini. With that, I chose to get the soup of the day as my side.

To get the full experience, I also ordered a maple sugar iced latte.

My order came out to roughly $28, which is on the pricier end. With that being said, the restaurant did have a fancy feel to it, so the price didn’t surprise me.

Roughly 45 minutes later, I got my food. While the restaurant was busy, this still felt like a long wait for takeout meal. The person who took my order warned me that it could be 25-30 minutes, which wouldn’t have been bad, but 45 minutes is an unrealistic option for somebody who may want to stop by on a lunch break.

While the wait was long, it was worth it. First, I took a sip of the iced coffee, which was tasty. I wouldn’t recommend this specific flavour for somebody who doesn’t enjoy sweet coffees, but personally I don’t mind that.

Next, I tried the soup, which was tomato basil. I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of tomato soup usually, but I enjoyed this one. It had the perfect consistency — not too thick but also not watery — and the basil added a nice peppery taste.

Finally, I made my way to the panini. The panini had seasoned chicken breast, bacon, tomato, red onion, greens, cheddar cheese and chipotle aioli pressed between two slices of focaccia.

In my opinion, the panini was perfectly executed taste-wise. It had the perfect amount of spice (I have a low spice tolerance, and I enjoyed it) and the blend of chicken, bacon and the vegetables made the panini feel filling, flavourful and fresh.

The presentation of the meal was nice, especially for takeout, and the portion sizes were large. I ate half of the panini and half of the soup and saved the rest for later. I was happy to enjoy the meal twice.

My only complaint is that the panini was slightly difficult to eat. As I ate, the bread started to fall apart. I was still able to eat the panini without making too much of a mess, and I loved the taste of the bread, but having to hold the panini intact slightly took away from the experience.

I would also note that the last lunch seating is at 2 p.m., and the restaurant closes at 4 p.m. Between then, the only items available are coffees, drinks and pastries.

Overall, I rate Farmhouse 50 a 4.5/5. If the service was faster and the panini was a little easier to eat, I would have given the restaurant full stars.

» sanderson@brandonsun.com