| 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. | MacEwan Hall, U of C 403 289-1569 North Hill Mall #79 - 1632 14 Ave. NW 403 282-8222 Northland Village Shoppe 403 286-9205 518 - 16 Ave. NW 403 220-9027 Crowfoot Centre 403 239-8896 Market Mall 403 286-9008 5120 Shaganappi Tr NW 403 247-0603 | 4608 - 16 Ave. NW 403 286-9788 Beddington Co-op 8206 Centre St. N 403 275-9319 | |||||
| Baskin Robbins www |  | Ice Cream | Informal | The fine details of the name of this 31 flavour ice cream parlour vary from the northwest to southeast, but the quality and choice of the ice cream are the same. And there is frozen yogurt too if you are not of the true faith. (That is an ice cream freak.) Needless to say, there is a good vegetarian selection, until they come up with flavours like beef vanilla or chocolate with deep fried pork. | Bay 106 - 4625 Varsity Dr. NW at shaganappi 403 288-8790 | 516 10816 Macleod Tr. S in Willow Park 403 278-6611. | |||||
| Big T's BBQ and Smokehouse | | Grill | Informal | Here is barbecuing right from the deep south, slow cooked over applewood coals. The secret for economy and pleasure is to go with friends, order one of the big platters that include a taste of everything and pig out. | 2138 Crowchild Tr. NW (across from McMahon Stadium) 403 284-5959 | Daily 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. | |||||
| Broken Plate Kitchen & Bar www |  | Greek | Informal | Large, tasty portions of good Greek food. Good vegetarian selection. | 159-1829 Ranchlands Boulevard NW 403 239-8887 | ||||||
| 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. | #300 20 Crowfoot Cr. NW (Crowfoot Crossing) 403 547-5020 | ||||||
| Cora www | | Diner | Informal | This is "Chez Cora" if you are from Quebec, and is a part of the popular chain of breakfast diners from that province. Breakfasts are always a difficult call for reviewers as, after all, they are breakfasts with bacon and eggs and waffles and all the other things most of us cook quite well at home. So in the end of the day, we end up looking closely at the quality of the product and the originality hidden among the fried eggs. Here Cora does well with a French touch in its crêpes and the healthy amount of fruit included with most dishes. Grant missed the hash browns, but it was decided that he just has to get over this and enjoy the potatoes they do serve. And do remember that as with all breakfast diners in Calgary, EXPECT LINEUPS. | #360, 5111 Northland Dr, NW. (Northland Vilage Mall) (403) 288-0040 | ||||||
| Chili's Texas Grill |  | Grill | Informal | Here is a restaurant that at first glance seems to have it just about right. The space is bright and well-kept. The service is friendly, and the menu is broad. But the little things take it down: The ribs—without handi–wipes or finger bowls—were cool, the corn was over-steamed, and the salad was right out of a package from Co–op. We'll be keeping our eyes on Chili's, waiting for those little changes to happen. | North Hill Shopping Centre 16 Avenue & 14 Street NW 403 210-2438 | ||||||
| Da Guido Ristorante |  | Italian | Informal | The extensive menu gives you an excellent choice of fine Italian dishes. Although now in a relatively new location, this eatery has been at the forefront of Italian food in Calgary for many years. The menu has some vegetarian selections, but Guido will make a dish just for you. Reservations are recommended. | 2001 Centre Steet N 403 276-1365 | Su Closed M to F 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. from 5:00 p.m. Sa from 5:00 p.m. | |||||
| 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. | #600 5005 Dalhousie Dr. NW 403 547-5723 | 1110 - 16Ave. NW 403 289-2556 | |||||
| Extreme Bean Café | | General | Informal | As the name implies, this started as a small coffee house just outside of the downtown area, but has grown over the years to a spot frequented by Foothills Hospital staff, residents of the area and many downtown drones wanting to escape the usual eateries in that area. It has become known as a place of sandwiches—hot and cold—soups, salads, smoothies, milkshakes, and daily specials of all kinds. Unfortunately for this review, we had been told that the wor won ton soup was the best in Calgary, so we all tried it. It wasn't. But we have promised ourselves to return and try some of the other goodies and maybe up the rating a bit. Good vegetarian selection. | 3303 - 3 Ave. NW (off Memorial Drive just below Foothills Hospital) 403 283-6820 | All Day Every Day | |||||
| Garden Cafe | | General | Fast Food | This probably isn't a restaurant that you would set out to discover, but there will probably come a time when you will eat here. It is in the General Services Building at Foothills Hospital serving fast, inexpensive, bland, predictable food to the staff and visitors. Surprisingly there doesn't seem to be any stress on wholesome choices. But then again if you eat wholesome food, the hospital won't get you as a patient as often. Wear your CRHA badge and get 10% off. | Foothills Hospital (Frist Floor in the Special Services Building) | 24/7 | |||||
| Ginger Beef Peking House | | Chinese | Buffet | A large selection of average Chinese dishes. | 5 Brentwood Village Mall 403 282-5090  | ||||||
| Harvey's www | | Hamburger | Fast Food | Our favourite we-put-on-it-what-you-want hamburger outlet. Watch though; the rating can fluctuate a little between outlets, but this usually stems from the service, not the food. Good vegetarian selection. | Brentwood Village Mall 403 282-2230 400 Country Hills Dr. NW (Home Depot) 403 226-9546 | ||||||
| Hawkwood Palace Restaurant | | Chinese | Informal | Friendly staff in a pleasant setting make this a sure destination for those in the area. Our decision was split on the food, however. There are some very good dishes, but these are balanced by some quite ordinary ones. So we're sitting on the fence with a 4 rating. You can come to your own conclusions. Good vegetarian selection. |
555 Hawkwood Blvd. NW 403 241-1888 | ||||||
| Hi-Ball Restaurant | | Chinese | Informal | Their $6.50 lunch buffet has a wide variety and their food in general is good at a low price, but unfortunately quantity and cheapness come at the expense of quality and taste with too much batter and dough and not enough meat and vegetables. Good vegetarian selection. | Stadium Shopping Centre 29 Street & 16 Ave. NW 403 284-3324 403 284-3325 | Su and Holidays 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. M to Th 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; 4 p.m. - 11 p.m. Fr, Sa 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; 4 p.m. - midnight | |||||
| Highwood www | | Gourmet | Buffet | SAIT houses one of the world's great schools for chefs as shown by the number of Olympic medals our cooking teams have won. The Highwood gives these students a change to show their strength. The buffet is one of the largest we have seen. Some of the dishes do try to hard to be new and different, but the overall impression is one of elegance and good taste. Good vegetarian selection. Click here to make reservations through Open Table. |
at SAIT 1302 - 16 Ave. NW Enter off 16 Avenue; use the short-term parking lot. The Highwood is in the John Ware Building to the south of the lot. 403 284-8615 Ext. 2 | M to F 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Buffet Th 11:00 a.m. Dinner M to Th from 6:00 p.m. F, Sa Catering 210-4492 | |||||
| Joey Tomato's Mediterranean Grill www | | Italian | Informal | The food is filling, trendy "Mediterranean", but the service can be slow. | #50 Crowfoot Way NW 403 547-5639 | ||||||
| Joey's Only Seafood Restaurants www | | Seafood | Informal | From their original emphasis on seafood, they have now branched out into Tennessee Jack's Rotisserie Chicken & Ribs at many locations. This attempt to be all things to all people seems to have lowered the general quality over the years. Even the original fish and chips are becoming more and more like a packaged frozen entrée you might heat up at home. | 2120 Crowchild Trail NW 403 284-4968 620-20 Crowfoot Cr NW 403 241-8877 3625 Shaganappi Tr (Market Mall Food Court) 403 288-5639 | ||||||
| The Keg Steakhouse & Bar www | | Steak | Informal | A good medium-priced steak house though we have found a definite wabble in quality with the Stadium location coming out above most of the others. Except at their downtown locations and for reasons we do not understand, they do not take reservations, so expect long waits at key times. | Stadium Shopping Centre 1928 Uxbridge Drive NW 403 282-0020 | ||||||
| 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. | Market Mall 403 202-1224 | University MacEwan Hall 403 210-3080 | Market Mall 403 202-1224 | ||||
| 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. | 5012 - 16 Ave. NW Brentwood Mall NW Crowfoot Crossing NW | Home delivery: 403 296-0000. | |||||
| The Lazy Loaf & Kettle | | Bakery | Informal | Let's begin with the good stuff. This bakery provides excellent breads and cakes, cookies and squares, and situated just off Memorial Drive below Foothills Hospital, it affords an easy opportunity to take something yummy home for dinner. Some evenings there is live music, and works for sale by local artists hang on the walls. The coffee, however, can dip into the ordinary and the tables tend to be a bit crummy---literally. Sadly on our first visit as sit down customers, two staff members chatted while a line up formed at the till, but we shall continue to drop by, so watch for further developments. Good vegetarian selection. | 8 Parkdale Cres. NW 403 270-7810 | Su, Holidays 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. M to F 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Sa 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. | |||||
| Leavitt's Ice Cream Shop (LICS) | | Ice Cream | Informal | Here we found everything from cones to milkshakes, from sundaes to fracés--if you have to ask, try one. And for a summer snack or during those winter months when most ice cream parlours go dormant, there are hot dogs, sandwiches, subs, and even donairs. Good vegetarian selection. | 3410 - 3 Ave. NW (just off Memorial below Foothills Hospital) 403 383-3578 | Weekends 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Weekdays 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. | |||||
| Matador Pizza & Steak House | | Pizza / Steak | Informal | This is another of those restaurants that seem to have been around forever, and in this case, the longevity appears to be deserved. The setting is fresh and bright. The service is friendly, and the thin crust pizza is made with the freshest and tastiest of ingredients. The steak side of the menu we found rather ordinary, so the compromise was a "4" right on the category cusp. | 4625 Varsity Dr. NW (just north of Market Mall) 403 286-3133 | Su & Holidays 4:00 p.m. - 10 p.m. M 4:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Tu to Sa 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. | |||||
| Montana's Cookhouse Saloon www | | Steak | Informal | This is a main line just-what-you-would-expect steak house with the usual cowboy and logs overlay. And if it hadn't been for the crumbs on the table when we arrived on our last visit, the score may even have been higher. | 112 Crowfoot Terrace NW (Crowfoot Plaze) 403 241-9740 | ||||||
| Moroccan Castle www | | Moroccan | Informal | The atmosphere of a Moroccan hideaway surrounds you in your private eating space, but this restaurant doesn't do the details as well as The Sultan's Tent. For example, the water for hand washing isn't scented, and there is no bread provided, making eating properly with one's hands more difficult. We also found the dessert rather heavy. But we did appreciate the separate dining area for smokers. Good vegetarian selection. But stairs will limit your access to certain parts of the restaurant. | 217 - 19 Street NW 403 283-5452 | ||||||
| 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. | #13 3625 Shaganappi Tr. NW 403 288-2663 | ||||||
| Nick's Steakhouse and Pizza www | | Steak | Informal | An old Calgary stand by in the traditional steak house mold. | 2430 Crowchild Tr. NW (across from the stadium) 403 282-9278 Delivery 403 282-9278 Catering 403 263-2377 | ||||||
| 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. | #105 4820 Northland Dr. NW 403 282-5225 | ||||||
| Osteria de Medici | | Italian | Informal | Excellent, but overpriced. | 210 10 St. NW 403 283-5553 | Su 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. M to Sa 11:30 a.m. - midnight | |||||
| Papa John's | | Pizza | Take Out | Good pizza, a little over-priced for what you get. | #230 177 Country Hills Blvd. NW 403 567-2000 |
3172 Sunridge Blvd. NE 403 219-8400 | Westmarket Square 1851 Sirroco Dr. SW 403 217-7373 601 - 17 Ave. SW 403 693-7272 | Bonavista Square 12101 Lake Fraser Dr. SE 403 271-5757 | |||
| Pelican Pier Seafood Bar | | Seafood | Informal | The service is friendly in a pleasant strip mall location, but the fish was rather bland and the sauces just ordinary. Though we do give them credit for their no smoking time from 5 to 8 nightly and for their daily specials. | 4404 - 14 St. NW 403 289-6100 | M to Sa 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Su noon - 9 p.m. | |||||
| 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 | Dine in - Take out - Delivery 3802 Brentwood Rd. NW | Take out - Delivery 6 Crowfoot Cricle NW 5012 - 16 Ave. NW 11 Hidden Creek Dr. NW | ||||
| 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. | 59 Crowfoot Terrace NW 403 547-6886 # 500 5149 Country Hills Blvd. NW 403 208-0179 Northhill Mall 403 220-1930 | ||||||
| Red Devil Barbecue & Grill | | Grill | Informal | This is one of those restaurants that stands right on the cusp between two categories. Would we return or wouldn't we? The ribs and other meat dishes were excellent. However, on the other hand, the extras were weak: buns not quite sure if they were warm or not, potatoes that were ordinary and beans right from the can. Reservation are taken on weekdays | 131 Crowfoot Terrace NW Crowfoot Crossing 403 208-0303 | ||||||
| Red Lobster www | | Seafood | Informal | Sea food, but as with many such Calgary restaurants, deep frying and pan frying seem to be the most creative they can get. | 2316 - 16 Ave. NW 282-0952 | Su to Th 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. F, Sa 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. | |||||
| Redwater Rustic Grille www | | Grill | Informal | The restaurant's style isn't really "rustic" but rather clean, warm and modern. And the food isn't "rustic" either, rather a combination of traditional cooking and some truly original sauces instead of the usual BBQ trimmings. And there's pasta too if you're not in the mood for a big chunk of meat. In a city where grilled meat is a way of life, the menu here offers some pleasant surprises. Click here to make reservations through Open Table. | Stadium Shopping Centre (north of Foothills Hospital) 403 220-0222 | ||||||
| Ricky's All Day Grill | | Grill | Informal | The setting is homey; the service is fine; the food is good. All in all, though, this is a pale imitation of other better rib places, and the difference in price would make us shun the pale and take the real. | Crowfoot Crossing 403 208-3000 5149 Country Hills Blvd, NW 403 547-9362 | ||||||
| SAIT 4 Nines Cafeteria www | | General | Fast Food | Having enjoyed the haute cuisine of the Highwood at SAIT, we decided to see how the common people eat, so joined the students and staff at the cafeteria around the corner. OK, it is campus fast food, but it squeaked into the 4 rating with a good variety of dishes including the unusual at prices even students can afford. | SAIT 1302 - 16 Ave. NW The cafeteria is in the basement of the John Ware Building. | M to F 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | |||||
| Salt and Pepper Mexican Restaurant | | Latin American: Mexican | Informal | The setting is pleasantly Mexican, which in itself can warm you up on a blustery Calgary day. The service was good, and so was the food. But it still tended to be a little bland. Perhaps the name is a hint that you need to add the salt and pepper yourself. Good vegetarian selection. | 6515 Bowness Road NW 403 247-4402 | ||||||
| The Second Cup | | Coffee | Informal | The coffee was a bit strong, and we don't know where the spoons were, but this is an adequate place to pick up coffee for the office or grab a cup while shopping. Good vegetarian selection. | 720 - 1000 Hamptons Dr. NW 403 208-2333 3625 Shaganappi Tr. NW 403 286-2060 North Hill Centre 403 282-6778 5111 Northland Dr. NW 403 288-9109 | 2025 - 16 Ave. NW 403 282-6778 | |||||
| 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. |
#232a 3630 Brentwood Rd. NW Grentwood Mall 403 282-6113 919 Centre St. NW 403 230-7844 #195 - 5005 Dalhousie Dr. NT 403 202-1555 Crowfoot Centre 403 208-7100 5149 Country Hills Blvd. NW 403 241-5501 Sunridge Mall 403 280-8499 | ||||||
| Sultan's Tent | | Moroccan | Informal | Here is where you go for that slightly different dining experience. Be prepared to eat with your hands and spend the evening taking in the ambiance in your own private “tent". Reservations recommended. | #107 4 - 14 St. NW (off Kensington Rd. and 14 St.) 403 244-2333 | Sa, Su 5:00 p.m. -10:30 p.m. M to F 5:30 p.m. -10:30 p.m. | |||||
| Sun's BBQ Restaurant | | Chinese | Informal | The setting, the staff and the food are quite authentically Chinese (with a bit of Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese thrown in to make it interesting). This is good, especially if you want to try pig ear, pork intestine or pig stomach. Unfortunately authenticity has another side as well. The dishes were good, but nothing really captivated our taste buds, and there was just a little too much oil and fat for our taste. Can this be found in many "authentic" south Asian haunts? Yes, and we have eaten in them. Do we look for it here? No so much. Good vegetarian selection. | 1413 Centre Street NW (403) 230-8890 | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| Tony Roma's www | | Ribs | Informal | Great ribs and other grilled things. What more can one say? | 131 Crowfoot Terrace NW 403 264-7427 |
