Eatdrink #43 September/October 2013

№ 43 | September/October 2013 www.eatdrink.ca 27
complete with enormous flat screen TV’s, mood
lighting and James Bond-like secret machinery.
With the flick of a switch, the bar’s roof can close
down over the liquor storage area, sealing it so
tightly it couldn’t be opened with a crowbar.
The clever structural designs that abound at the
restaurant allude to the undercurrent of ingenuity
supplied by Oke and his outside-of-the-box thinking.
When Oke first laid eyes on the building, the
old fish hut hadn’t been used in over a decade and
had suffered through other renovation and revival
attempts. While others may have shied from the
challenge, Oke was inspired. “It was destiny,” he says.
Drawing on his 29 years of experience as a
home designer and builder, Oke determined the
best use of space and began to work. The roof was
raised, floors re-poured and the space reinsulated.
The result is an atmosphere that is energetic, and
sophisticated but still comfortably beachside.
The remodeling was only one of the challenges.
With the overwhelming influx of tourists into
Grand Bend during the summer, the restaurant
faces an odd logistical problem: the area is so
popular, that the establishment is hard to get to.
So Oke came up with a unique solution.
As you approach Smackwater Jack’s, don’t
be alarmed by the ominous presence of the
ambulance. Its days of medical emergencies are
over. Oke purchased the decommissioned vehicle
and turned it into a “patron transfer service,” now
known affectionately as the Smackulance, so that
guests who have traveled by foot, as well as those
too tipsy to drive, may have safe transport without
the hassle of worrying over their own vehicles.
Guests are dropped off at their doorsteps, for free,
anywhere across the Grand Bend area and up to
Port Franks. “All I ask is that you don’t play doctor,”
jokes Oke as he loads a laughing group into the back.
A second Smackulance will soon be put on the
road, thanks to the popularity of the service. It is
another testament to the business’s transformation
from a humble fish hut into an anchor that holds
the community together around a comfort-food
laden table ... with an excellent view.
Smackwater Jack’s Taphouse
71 River Road, Grand Bend
519-238-5556
www.smackwaterjacks.ca
open daily 12 noon–9 pm
open until 10 pm friday & saturday
The popular Smackulance
TANYA CHOPP is London-based marketing communications
specialist and freelance writer whose work is
focused on the promotion of health, wellness and support
of the arts. She cooks with wine, and sometimes she even
adds it to the food of a beautiful relationship.