About Zum’s Eatery & Mercantile
Zum’s is a family restaurant on the corner of Main Street Waterton, in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta. We have been feeding people on this corner since the 80’s. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week, from early May until early October.
The name was originally Zum Burger Haus and then eventually it got changed to Zum’s Eatery & Mercantile or Zum’s for short. It was opened in the 80’s by the West family and then purchased in 2005 by the Cruickshank/Bullock family
Who we are
Our family has close to a hundred years and six generations of running businesses in Waterton. We love Waterton and feel extremely privileged to be able to work and live here. You will often find one of us either behind the till or behind the grill. We are definitely the busiest restaurant in Waterton and we also like to think we’re the best
A lot of our staff come back season after season, some for many years running. If you ate here five summers ago, there is a decent chance the same person takes your order or cooks it.
The inside looks the way it does on purpose. Hundreds of licence plates cover the walls, along with whatever else has accumulated over the years. Kids spend entire meals reading them. Most of the licence plates were gifts from past customers. Sometimes they have a spare one in their truck and sometimes they mail us one after they return home
What we serve
The fried chicken is the reason most people know us. It comes out fresh, it comes out hot, and it is on the menu every single day we are open. Beyond that: burgers, including the Big Zum’s Burger, fish and chips, homemade soup and chili, salads, milkshakes and so much more. We like the think we have something for everyone. Diner classics and comfort food.
Breakfast in Waterton starts here at 8:00 AM and runs to 11:30 AM. Omelettes, breakfast bowls, pancakes, the whole works. Have a look at the breakfast menu before you come, or the full menu if you are planning lunch or dinner.
We take pride in the fact that we’ve had the same fried chicken recipe that we’ve made in house since it’s inception. Our burger patties are pure beef chuck with no fillers, no binder and never frozen
Fair prices and real portions
The thing guests tell us most often is that they left full and felt like the service and value was top notch. That matters more in a national park town than it does anywhere else, and we take it seriously. Zum’s is not fine dining and has never tried to be. It is honest food at honest prices, served quickly, even on a July long weekend when the line is out the door.
Takeout for the trail
Plenty of our chicken never gets eaten in the building. Orders run from 3 pieces to 18, plus Family Packs and Group Packs sized for a campsite or a picnic table at the lake. If you are heading up Carthew or out to Crandell for the night, order ahead off the takeout menu and pick it up on your way through town.
Everyone is welcome
Families first. We have kids menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus high chairs and booster seats. Nobody here minds a loud table. Whether you’re dressed up after a wedding or straight off the hiking trail we’ve got a place for you
Dogs are welcome on the patio, which also happens to be the best seat we have with a lake view and the best people watching in town. Large groups are a daily occurrence for us; we have sections that seat up to 40, and parties of 10 to 20 are normal, though a heads-up helps.
There are vegetarian options and gluten free options on the menu. For accessibility, there is a level side entrance through the gift shop and accessible washrooms inside.
Zum’s Mercantile
The gift shop is attached to the restaurant, so you can wander through after you eat. Mugs, stuffed animals, T-shirts, magnets, souvenirs, local goods and the sort of thing you actually want to bring home to remember your trip
Visiting us
We open the first or second weekend in May and close in early October(sometimes late September), then shut down for the winter. Breakfast runs 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM, lunch 11:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and dinner 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. You will find us on the corner of Main Street, walking distance from every hotel in town, with free parking nearby. Questions about groups, dietary needs or ordering ahead are answered on our frequently asked questions page.
