Restaurants
Rusty's
About Rusty's
Every town has restaurants that sit away from the tourist strip and do most of their business with people who live within a few minutes of the door. Rusty's is one of those addresses off the main downtown grid, at 495 Vancouver Avenue in Penticton, which usually means a room that fills with regulars in the quiet months as well as visitors in the loud ones.
Kitchens like this vary in ways worth knowing before you set out with a group. Ask whether tables are reserved or first come first served, whether there is a patio and whether any of it is shaded, how the menu handles children, and how much flexibility exists for allergies or a vegetarian at the table. Seasonal towns also change their pattern through the year, running longer hours through the summer and pulling back once the beaches empty, so a check beforehand is never wasted.
Summer evenings in a beach town run late, and August can put a wait on any room with outdoor seating. If you are coming in from Oliver, Osoyoos or Naramata for dinner, sort out a table the same afternoon rather than turning up hopeful. Parking around the residential edges of downtown is generally straightforward, which is not something every valley town can claim. For a quieter meal, the middle of the week outside the summer stretch is the reliable answer, with tables easier to come by than on a summer weekend.
Visiting Rusty's
Getting there
In the Downtown Penticton neighbourhood of Penticton.
Get directions (opens in a new tab)Keep exploring
More places near Downtown Penticton
Other restaurants and nearby businesses in the Penticton directory.
From the blog
Penticton guides and stories
Longer reads from the editor, with the places worth a detour linked inside them.
Halloween Ideas and Events in Penticton
The Apple Bin Corn Maze's family and spooky-evening sessions, the Great Pumpkin Loop through wine country, and the City's road-safety guidance.
Read the guide
Penticton's Labour Day weekend is the fullest calendar in the valley, beaches included
Two markets Saturday morning, a winery music circuit all weekend, a beach concert Saturday night, a benefit show worth crossing town for, and no triathlon this year.
Read the guide
Where to shop in Penticton: small, walkable and mostly local
Penticton's shopping is smaller than Kelowna's and more its own thing: a Main Street of independents, specialty food shops that outclass their size, and Cherry Lane covering the mall tier.
Read the guide
Keep the directory honest
Own Rusty's?
Claim the listing to confirm your details, add your hours and photographs, and keep what people find accurate.