As far as Whistler culinary institutions go, few have stood the test of time in the way the Wild Wood in Function Junction has.
Originally opened in 2002, the restaurant has proven itself a locals’ breakfast mainstay for more than 20 years solid.
“Everyone has their favourites. It’s hard to get people to try different things,” said Bob Haselbach, longtime local chef, barbecue connoisseur, and owner of Wild Wood
since 2020.
That’s one of the downsides of having a consistent, fan-favourite menu—when the regulars come in, “I have to give them stuff for free for them to try anything different,” Haselbach joked. “They already knew what they wanted before they got here.”
Long venerated for its breakfast offerings, including multiple nods in Pique’s annual Best of Whistler readers’ poll, Haselbach adds a new flavour to the mix with his award-winning barbecue offerings.
Locals and guests alike can take on the barbecue menu from Friday to Monday (from 3 to 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays)—an easy option for anyone looking for an alternative to Creekside or Whistler Village.
Barbecue menu offerings include tantalizing ribs, chicken, pulled pork and brisket, with sides like coleslaw, potato salad, corn bread and beans. You really can’t go wrong whatever you choose, but combo offerings allow you to mix and match to your stomach’s content—and content you will be, given Haselbach’s pedigree behind the grill.
A longtime fixture on the competitive barbecue circuit, these days Haselbach is cooking for a new crowd.
“Now my customers are my judges,” he said. “So I’m looking for new judges to come eat my food.”
Haselbach said he went from doing about 12 competitions a year down to two, before quitting altogether during COVID. It was during a camping trip with his partner he had a revelation.
“I made burgers that I would have turned in to the judges just for two of us … no one else around, zero stress—I’m like, this is way better,” he said.
“So yeah, I’d rather spend my weekends either here or doing catering, and then maybe one day I’ll get back into it.”
For now, he’s keeping his barbecue skills sharp four days a week at the Wild Wood, cooking for himself and his loyal customers.
“It’s a small town—if I go out and see somebody at the park or the store, you can’t be serving crap or I’ll hear about it everywhere, right?” he said with a laugh.
Haselbach describes his signature flavour profile as “sweet heat,” though his current menu is on the milder side to appeal to a wider range of tastes (guests can always customize their meats with hot sauce offered on the side).
“All the sides are vegetarian, and then we have a homemade, vegan-friendly veggie burger and a smoked veggie sandwich for the vegetarians that want to cheat and be dirty,” he said.
“It’s on a buttery baguette with cream cheese and smoked vegetables—it’s
pretty good.”
But if barbecue isn’t your thing, you can still count on the old, reliable favourites.
“I’ve done my best to keep everything the same for breakfast and lunch,” Haselbach said.
“Why fix what’s not broken?”
