| Restaurant | Rating | Type of Food | Style | Description | Information | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A & W www |  | Hamburgers | Fast Food | This was Grant's first experience of fast food back in the time when servers on roller skates put trays on your car windowsill. We still like to go back for the sake of nostalgia, but unfortunately the fries and onion rings are bland and the burgers are OK, but only in a 1950's sort of way. | 1320 - 14 St. SW 403 244-2761 | |||||||
| Alda's Mediterranean Lebanese Specialties |  | Middle Eastern | Informal | For good Middle Eastern food and excellent service on the Fourth Street strip, this is the place. Good vegetarian selection. | 2208 - 4 St SW 403 541-1189 | |||||||
| Antonio's Garlic Clove www |  Rating for Vampires: 0 | Gourmet | Informal | Don't make that face! Garlic can be cooked and eaten in many ways, and Tony has mastered them all, including fried bananas with garlic topping and chocolate covered roasted garlic buds for dessert. The setting is comfy bistro. The service is friendly, and the servings are large. What more could one want? Breath mints! And if you are worried about what others may say, just order a half portion or ask for less garlic. Reservations recommended. | 2206 - 4 St. SW 403 228-0866 | Su to M 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Tu to Th 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. F to Sa 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. | ||||||
| Booster Juice: Juice and Smoothier Bar www | | Juice | Fast Food | Juice is the new panacea for those who want healthy food in a hurry. Here you find it. From yogurt to mango, from soy to açaí, they will whip the ingredients to your taste's desire. And with every drink you get a free booster. From protein to echinacea and from calcium to ginseng, they will do their best to keep your body alive and well. Good vegetarian selection. | 634 - 17th Ave. SW 403 802-0889 | |||||||
| Brava Bistro | | Gourmet | Informal | With a motto of "Dine like you mean it." this restaurant really means it. They begin with a Mediterranean base and run with creativity from there. The sauces are subtle, but made to bring out the true nature of whatever is underneath, unlike so many restaurants with the barbeque mentality which seeks to mask the meat flavour altogether. The setting is modern bistro, but without the cramped confusion that often surrounds that word. The service is knowledgeable and friendly. The servings are plenteous. Click here to make reservations through Open Table. According to the menu: Fresh vegetarian dishes can be created on request. | 723 - 17 Ave. SW 228-1854 www | Su 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. M to Sa 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. M to W 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Th to Sa 5:00 p.m. - midnight | ||||||
| Burger Inn | | Hamburger | Fast Food | This local chain of hamburger outlets wins for the most unusual kinds of burgers made from such interesting ingredients as pork, lamb, turkey, buffalo, venison and ostrich. They also offer cholesterol–free fries, real fruit–flavoured milkshakes, and the convenience of being able to order your burger ahead of time so it will be ready when you arrive. Now that's really fast food. Good vegetarian selection. | 9669 MacLeod Tr. S. Brick Plaza 252-4840 | 2020 - 4 Street SW 244-9293 3829 Bow Tr. SW 685-0825 | ||||||
| Caffe Beano | | Coffee | Informal | For those looking for independent coffee houses, this is a long-time standard in the 17 Avenue area. And for Grant they have milkshakes too. But beware all you card carters; this is cash only. Good vegetarian selection. Dorothy goes here for the hot chocolate. | 1613 - 9 St. SW just north of 17 Ave. | M to Fr 6:00 a.m. - midnight Sa, Su 7:00 a.m. - midnight | ||||||
| La Chaumière www | | French | Formal | Wonderful gourmet food and friendly service. Reservations recommended. Click here to make reservations through Open Table. | 139 - 17 Ave SW 228-5690 | Lunch M to F 11:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Dinner M to F 5:45 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Sa 5:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. | ||||||
| La Chaumière www |  | French | Banquet | If you are looking for a place to celebrate in a formal setting, with excellent service and traditional dishes made in the finest of fashion, this is the place. Click here to make reservations through Open Table. | 139 - 17 Ave SW 228-5690 | Lunch M to F 11:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Dinner M to F 5:45 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Sa 5:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. | ||||||
| Chianti Café and Restaurant |  | Italian | Informal | Remember that we judge restaurants by what they are supposed to be. So with that in mind, we went to Chianti expecting a "reasonably priced" basic meal. And that is just what we got. The service was friendly. The bread was warm and tasty, and the food was good no–frills Italian fare. Watch for their specials, and you can make the experience even more reasonable. Good vegetarian selection. | 1438 - 17 Ave. SW 403 229-1600 | |||||||
| Le Chien Chaud www | | Hot Dogs | Informal | It's bright and cheery with a fine selection of hot dogs from beef to vegetarian and numerous house specials with everything from guacamole to gruyere, and then condiments you can add from pineapple chutney to cranberry sauce. Coleslaw or potato salad and a drink top off a perfect hot dog meal. Good vegetarian selection. | #3 2015 - 4 St. SW 403 229-DOG1 (CUTE) | Su noon - 5:00 p.m. M to Sa 11: a.m. - 8:00 p.m. | ||||||
| cilantro | | Gourmet | Informal | Like Dr. Who's TARDIS, this original store building on 17 Avenue is larger inside than out, but retains a friendly hominess as it surrounds you with warm wood on all sides. The staff are FEK—friendly, efficient, knowledgeable. The food, however, while quite creative in its combinations and certainly tasty in general was lukewarm, and no one dish that anyone ordered cried out to be tried again. Reservations are recommended, at noon especially. | 338 - 17 Ave. SW 403 229-1177 | |||||||
| The Coup www | | Gourmet | Informal | The food in this comfy little bistro is not ethnic vegetarian or let's–pretend–this–is–meat vegetarian, but actual original dishes made to be delicious and well worth trying whether you are vegetarian or not. | 924B - 17 Ave. SW 403 541-1041 | Lunch and Dinner Tu to Su | ||||||
| Crete Souvlaki | | Greek | Fast Food | This rates among the most unusual locations for a restaurant, situated as it is in a gas station, convenience store complex. This is simple Greek food in a Styrofoam box, but on a return for cost basis what you get is a good value. There are a couple of tables, but we found the confusion and gas fumes make this an ideal take out place. Good vegetarian selection. | 2623 - 17 Ave. SW 403 246-4777 | Take Out Hours Sa, Su , Holidays 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. M to F 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. | ||||||
| Da Paolo Ristorante | | Italian | Formal | The food here is excellent, but the service has never left us fully satisfied. Reservations are recommended. Click here to make reservations through Open Table. | 121 17 Ave SE 403 228-5556 | M to F 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. M to Sa 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Closed Su | ||||||
| Earl's www | | General | Informal | Earl's serves good food at reasonable prices, but among the good dishes are some very ordinary ones, and some of the small details, like homemade fries are missing, and the hamburger buns don't seem strong enough to support the hamburgers. Good vegetarian selection. | 2401 4 St. SW 403 228-4141 | |||||||
| El Sombrero Restaurante Mexicano |  | Latin American | Informal | The helpings of Mexican food are freshly-cooked and generous and the occasional serenade of Latin music gives this small second floor eatery a pleasant cosy ambiance. But there was a certain sameness in the dishes, and the mañana service was a little too laid-back. Reservations recommended. | 520 - 17 Ave. SW 403 228-0332 | Su 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. M 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Tu to F 11:45 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Sa 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. | ||||||
| Falafel King www | | Middle Eastern | Informal | Good falafels served with a why-are-you-bothering-us attitude. Good vegetarian selection. | 1610 - 10 St. SW 403 802-5464 | |||||||
| Farm www | | Cheese | Informal | With the rich heritage (and cheese) of Janice Beaton behind it (figuratively as well as literally), this restaruant has much to offer. You can go in for cheese tasting and wine sipping or look for something more hearty such as mac n' cheese or farm fresh sausages, keeping on an eye an the blackboard for daily specials. Our only disappointment was the size–of–protion to price ratio. Reservations are accepted for groups of six or more. Good vegetarian selection.  | 1006 - 17 Ave. SW 403 245-2276 | Su to Th 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. F - Sa 11:30 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. | ||||||
| Fleur de Sel www | | French | Informal | Delightfully unusual, hot and filling French dishes, served by a friendly and knowledgeable staff. Yes, the tables are close but in an appropriately bistro setting. Yes, it is wheelchair accessible, but it will be crowded. | #2 - 2015 4 St. SW 403 228-9764 | |||||||
| Gnocchis's Ristorante & Dining Lounge | | Italian | Informal | The setting was comfortable. The food was good. There were even a couple of excellent dishes ordered at our table, especially the gnocchi—which was to be expected as this is their specialty. However, the overall effect was spoiled by a couple of less-than-excellent dishes, like pasta with very little sauce, and having to beg for coffee refills. Then there was the discovery of a hair in one dish that was greeted with an, "Oh that must be a cat hair." as if we were looking for a CSI course in hair identification. Good vegetarian selection. | 1238 - 8 St. SW 403 262-2887 | M to Sa 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. - close | ||||||
| Hana Sushi | | Japanese | Informal | This popular Fourth Street eatery serves a wide variety of Japanese food. However, we found that none of the selections really stood out from the crowd, and the batter on the tempura was a little heavy and soggy. | 1803 - 4 St. SW 403 229-1499 | Lunch M to F Dinner daily | ||||||
| Il Gallo Negro | | Italian | Informal | From the simple but comfortable restaurant/lounge setting, to Colette's relaxed and efficient service, to warm buns with plenty of soft butter, to main dishes that were generous and filling—this restaurant was a pleasant surprise, all it would seem springing from the simple delight of running an unpretentious, first–class establishment. Good vegetarian selection. | 211 - 17 Ave. SE 403 237-9077 | Su 5:00 p.m. to close M to Sa 11:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. 5:00 p.m. to close | ||||||
| Il Giardino www | | Italian | Informal | The setting is pleasantly country Italian with a relaxed staff to make you feel right at home. The selection is broad with choices for every taste and palette. Overall we enjoyed out meal, but found that as with many other restaurants the vegetables are the weak point, as if all the time and effort has been spent on the meat and pasta dishes. but note that the advantages of wheelchair accessibility are somewhat offset by the fact that some of the restaurant is up a few steps. | 344 - 17 Ave. SW (sw corner of 4 St. & 17 Ave.; parking off 15 Ave.) 403 541-0088 | M to Sa 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | ||||||
| Jugo Juice www | | Juice | Informal | The staff is friendly and have a good knowledge of what they are making—especially those strange extra ingredients. If you just want a quick, wholesome drink, or even a complete meal with one of their wraps or sandwiches do drop by. Good vegetarian selection—of course. | 2015 - 4 St. SW 403 209-2445 634 - 17 Ave., SW 403 209-5846 | |||||||
| KFC www | | Chicken | Fast Food | Some foods are difficult to rate because their taste is unique and can't be compared to anything but other brands that have imitated them. Yes, we know we can't call it "Kentucky Fired Chicken" anymore, because someone might think about the fat content, even though now it is vegetable oil. The gravy and coleslaw have changed from the good old days when the Colonel was alive, but still the taste is addictive, and you get what you expect. | 1240 - 17 Ave. SW | Home delivery: 403 296-0000. | ||||||
| The Living Room www | | Gourmet | Informal | Officially the food here is "Contemporary Interactive Cuisine". For those who need a translation, that means: appealing platters, perfectly prepared and pleasantly presented with delightful "interactive" extras like fondues for two (if you happen to be piggy Dawsons) or more (if you are mere mortals). The vegetarian selection is not large but is sufficient to give a tempting choice while avoiding the usual Caesar salad or a plate of stir fried bland vegetables and pasta. | 514 - 17 Ave. SW 403 228-9830 | Lunch Tu to F 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Dinner Daily 5:00 p.m. - midnight | ||||||
| Manies Pizzeria and Greek Cuisine |  | Pizza / Greek | Informal | You can get pizza and Greek food here or look for some place better. Good vegetarian selection. | 811 - 17 Ave. SW 403 228-9207 | |||||||
| Mercato | | Italian | Informal | Most people are eager to take advantage of the deli part of Mercato with its wide variety of Italian food from pasta to olives, from sandwiches to cheese. But don't forget the restaurant. The bread is made on site. The soups are hearty and tasty. The sauces are light but rich. In short, for not much more than you would pay for a heavy pasta special elsewhere in the area, you can come here and enjoy what you get thoroughly. Grant, however, is a little disturbed by the fact that there are no free coffee refills. The excuse is that this is slow drip coffee. "So?" Grant asks. Good vegetarian selection. | 2224 - 4 St. SW 403 263-5535 | |||||||
| Marathon Ethiopian Restaurant | | Ethiopian | Informal | The food here is quite tasty, reminiscent of Indian cuisine but with its own particular blend of spices. The meal is usually eaten with one's hands from a large common serving dish using barley bread that looks, but thank goodness doesn't taste, like thin foam rubber. The staff were freindly, but seemed to disappear once the meal began. And the washrooms could use a little more attention. Good vegetarian selection. | 924- 17 Ave. SW 403 802-1580 | Tu to Su 11:00 a.m. - midnight M noon - midnight | ||||||
| The Metropolitan Grill www | | General | Informal | The "General" category is becoming crowded, especially in the downtown area, with "business" restaurants—places with an upscale feel catering to the oilpatch crowd with everything from gourmet burgers to AAA steak. The Metropolitan Grill fits well into this category with a crisp business–like décore and high–quality dishes. On our visits the service has been a bit slow. And let's find a bit stronger buns to hold the burgers. Downtown: Click here to make reservations through Open Table. | 880 - 16 Ave. SW (Mount Royal Village) 403 802-2393 | Open daily at 11:00 a.m. | ||||||
| Moti Mahal Restaurant www | | East Indian | Informal | This bright, spacious restaurant offers a wide selection of well-prepared Kashmiri food, avoiding the bland spicing of hot dished that some other eateries use to pamper the western pallet. As with many East Indian restaurants, however, we do have some concern with the dish size vs. price ratio, and free fill ups on the coffee might be a good idea. Reservations Recommended. Good vegetarian selection. | #201 1805 - 14 Street SW 403 228-9990 | |||||||
| Moxie's www | | General | Informal | With everything from burgers and sandwiches to pasta and pizza on the menu, restaurants like Moxie's are difficult to grade. Often one or two superb items are dragged down by numerous bland ones, or "home style" can mean you should just have stayed at home and made the sandwich yourself. However, we believe the Moxie's does do things well, and deserves a try if you want a wide variety of items from which to choose at reasonable prices. Good vegetarian selection. | 1331 - 17 Ave. SW 403 228-1447 | |||||||
| Nellie's | | General | Informal | With or without the apostrophe in it's name, this local chain offers good–sized portions of average food. | Nellie's on Fourth 2308 - 4 Street SW 403 209-2708 Nellie's Kitchen 738B - 17 Avenue SW 403 244-4616 | |||||||
| Original Joe's Restaurant and Bar www | | Bar | Informal | The usual neighbourhood drinkery type of dishes with some hits, like the hamburgers, and some misses, like the Caesar salad. Also, as with many such establishments, the background mood music made conversation diffiuclt. |
2118 4 St. SW 403 802-3800 | |||||||
| Ouzo Greek Taverna | | Greek | Informal | A well–lit blue and white interior give this eatery a refreshing feel with an almost Mediterranean sense of light. Tablecloths add a sense of informal formality. The food is good with large portions, especially with the mousaka, so don't overdo the appetizers. | 2005B - 14 St. SW 403 229-1400 | Daily Lunch and Dinner | ||||||
| Papa John's | | Pizza | Take Out | Good pizza, a little over-priced for what you get. | 601 - 17 Ave. SW 403 693-7272 | |||||||
| Pizza Hut www | | Pizza | Informal/ Take out | The crust is actually quite good, though as with most party pizzas on the market the toppings are less than spectacular and leave a wide margin of naked crustiness around perimeter. There are also other pasta dishes and extras all with the same eat–me–as–you–watch–the–hocky–game quality. You can create your own pizza, so you can be as vegetarian as you wish. | 403 310-1010 | 1062 - 17 Ave. SW | ||||||
| Quizno's Subs www | | Sandwiches | Informal | They're toasty hot with just enough bread. For a fast sub, they are hard to beat. But don't feel you have to pick the large size unless you want two meals worth or have a Dawson–sized appetite. Good vegetarian selection. The name does vary slightly from one store to another, but let the business people worry about that. Dorothy and Grant prefer the Angus beef, while Scott, the vegetarian in the family gives his approval to the Cheese Melt. | 1013 - 17 Ave. SW 403 228-3418 | |||||||
| Rajdoot Restaurant | | East Indian | Informal | A relaxing atmosphere with friendly service and good food have established the Rajdoot a long–time Calgary favourite. And a number of combination specials make trying a variety of new dishes easy. Good vegetarian selection. | 2424 - 4 St. SW 403 245-0181 | Lunch Su to F 11:30 a..m. - 2:00 p.m. Dinner Su to F 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Sa 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. | ||||||
| Ric's Grill www | | Steak | Informal | The menu is extensive; the setting, pleasantly subdued and refreshingly modern. The steak is excellent. Some of the side dishes, however, are rather ordinary, and the service is not quite as polished as at some higher–rated steakhouses. But all in all this is a good choice for a bit less money. Click here to make reservations through Open Table. | 1436 - 8 St. SW 403 269-7427td> | Su 4:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. M to Th 11:00 a.m. -11:00 p.m. F 11:00 a.m. - midnight Sa 4:00 p.m. - midnight Happy Hour 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | ||||||
| Starbucks Coffee Comapny Ltd | | Coffee | Informal | For a good cardboard cup of standardized coffee from a limited menu, this is the place to go. Good vegetarian selection. |
723 - 17 Ave. SW 403 209-2888 2219 - 4 St. SW 403 229-3008 | |||||||
| Steeps | | Tea | Informal | A mixture of mismatched wooden tables and chairs gives this teahouse a rustic at home atmosphere. The knowledgeable staff help you explore the world of tea, encouraging you to test the aroma of various kinds before making your selection The snacks are top quality as well. Of course, there is a good vegetarian selection. |
880 - 16 Ave. SW (in Mount Royal Village) 403 209-0076 | |||||||
| Sushi Kawa | | Japanese | Informal | The décore is simple ecclectic with a touch of Japanese, but the food is Japanese all the way. And you may even get to watch sumo wrestling on TV as you eat. This help you keep the calories in mind. We visited Sushi Kawa when it first opened, then again recently, and unfortunately the service has slipped a little, but we hope will be back on track soon. Good vegetarian selection. | 2204 - 4 St. SW 403 802-0058 | Dinner Su 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. M to Th 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. F, Sa 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. Lunch M to Sa 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. | ||||||
| Tim Hortons www | | Coffee | Informal | Our first problem was classifying Timmy's. It started out, of course, as a doughnut shop, but now serves everything from breakfast sandwiches to soup and chili. But most people think of it as their supplier of coffee. So, although it doesn't have the many speciality preparations of the others in this category, we decided that we would go with the coffee designation. Mind you, Grant found the coffee a bit bitter for his taste, but Dorothy balanced this out with an opinion that their hot chocolate was among the best around. And as we both thought the food items, including the doughnuts, were great tastse and value for the price, we finally did manage to come up with a rating. Good vegetarian selection. | Use the store locator to find the location nearest to you. Or step out the door, and you will probably see one. | |||||||
| Towa Sushi www | | Japanese | Informal | If you want to know what it feels like to be in a Tokyo restaurant, then the ambiance of this Fourth Street establishment is the place to be. The surroundings are sparse, but pleasing. The batter is light,. The sushi is good-sized. The service is friendly. Sit back, and enjoy the food. Good vegetarian selection. | 2116 - 4 St. SW 403 245-8585 | Closed Mondays | ||||||
| Trawlers Seafood Kitchen www | | Seafood | Informal | Great fish and chips and chowder. Halbut and chips | 1515 - 14 St. SW 403 245-6311 | Su 11:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. M to Th 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. F 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Sa 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. | ||||||
| Tubby Dog www |  | Hot Dog | Informal | Most in our group were well–acquainted with the many hot dog vendors that populate Calgary streets. At any of these one can choose from a variety of grilled dogs on toasted buns with an assortment of condiments at a reasonable price. With this knowledge, we entered Tubby Dog. Now to be honest there were a few unusual toppings like Japanese mayo and Vietnamese hot sauce, but these did nothing to disguise over–priced, fatty, warm dogs on unheated buns. The onion rings were horrendously over battered. No one was able to finish a single helping. And then for what one would pay for a refillable pop at an ordinary restaurant, we were given antique 237 ml bottles of coke. The ketchup was quite good. | 1022 - 17 Ave. SW 403 244-0694 | Open Late | ||||||
| The Verve | | Gourmet | Informal | The menu begins with a strong Italian base and then moves all over the culinary map from Thai to hamburgers. The food is enjoyable. There are some excellent dishes, like the soups, and some other ordinary ones. We shall probably give it another try just to see if perhaps this was an off day. Good vegetarian selection. | 512 - 23 Ave. SW 403 229-9366 | S 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. M to F 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. M to Sa 5:00 p.m. - close |
