| 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. | 3120 17 Ave. SE 403 273-1373 70 Glendeer Circle SE (across from Calgary Auto Mall) 403 252-0352 | 4307 - 130Ave. SE 403 257-5337 5325 - 72 Ave. SE 403 720-2515 | |||||
| Alloy www |  | Gourmet | Informal | One of our favourite parts of going to Alloy is driving our friends into the light industrial area of southeast Calgary (just off McLeod Trail) to find a first class restaurant. But suddenly there it is. The setting is fresh. And if you aren't sure what we mean by that, go there to find out. The food is excellent, with sauces that don't overwhelm what they are complimenting. And the servers don't start putting pepper and salt on the food before you have even tried it. We do suspect that this habit in so many restaurants means the chefs don't really know how to season food properly in the first place. Click here to make reservations through Open Table. |
220 - 42 Ave. SE 403 287-9255 | ||||||
| Anpurna Curry Pot www |  | East Indian | Informal | For quality, service and vegetarian dishes at reasonable prices, this restaurant is hard to beat. Reservations recommended. Of course, there's a good vegetarian selection; this is a vegetarian restuarant. | SW corner of Memorial Dr. & 52 St. SE 403 235-6028 | Tu to Su 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. | |||||
| 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. | 516 10816 Macleod Tr. S in Willow Park 403 278-6611 | ||||||
| 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. | South Trail Crossing
4703 - 130 Avenue SE 403 726-0483 | ||||||
| Calgary Sweet House & Restaurant www | | Indian | Informal | It is tiny and very informal, hidden in the corner of a strip mall. As the name implies, it is a "sweet house" with delights like jalebi and burfi first and a restaurant second. But do drop by for one of the small, simple traditional meals, and then be sure to take home some other delights for later. The samosas are among the best in Calgary. Good vegetarian selection. | #7 5320 - 8 Avenue SE 403 272-7234 | W to M 10:00 a.m - 8:00 p.m. | |||||
| 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. | 4600, 130th Ave. S.E. (403) 265-7545 | ||||||
| Costco www |  | General | Fast Food | First there is "Brunch at Costco". This is free, made up of the samples being given out everywhere. We won't rate this. What we will tackle, however, is the lunch counter. The selection is limited, but wide, from hot dogs to pizza, from coffee to coke The presentation is predictably average. But let's be honest, at some of the lowest prices in town for the quality given, you might as well grab a snack here after shopping. | 90 Heritage Gate SE | ||||||
| Cravings Market Restaurant www | | General | Buffet | The restaurant experience at Cravings is fun. You are given a card and then go around to the different stands and pick out your food, ranging from sandwiches to soup, from Asian to Mexican, from pizza to lamb. However, when you sit and think about it after the first excitement has worm off, you realize this is just a rather complex buffet or a restaurant with quite a varied menu. And in the end of the day, this is a pleasant place to get tasty but ultimately rather ordinary food. Good vegetarian selection. | 7207 Fairmount Dr. SE 403 252-2083 | ||||||
| Dragon Palace | | Chinese | Buffet | A old-style Chinese restaurant, for those who remember Chinese food as it was served in the 1950's. | 2754 Glenmore Tr. SE 403 279-4471 | ||||||
| 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. | 3012 - 17 Ave. SE 403 271-3275 | ||||||
| Gong Kee Restaurant | | Chinese | Informal | This is a Formica and simplicity neighbourhood restaurant, heavily patronized by the Chinese community. Take out is a big part of the business as shown by the fact that they have two telephone numbers. And in the midst of the friendly informality, the food is excellent. Then as you leave, you can even stop and buy some BBQ meat if the supply hasn't run out for the day. Good vegetarian selection. We noted that he back hallway is sometimes used for storage, but this is the kind of place at which the staff will be happy to move things for you if you need access. | #5 4527 - 8 Ave. SE (take 44 St. north from 17 Ave. or south from Memorial Dr, 403 235-1933 403 235-4652 | Su to Th 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. F, Sa 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. W Closed | |||||
| Harvey's | | 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. | #500 3619 - 61 Ave. SE 403 720-0252 390 Shawville Blvd. SE 403 201-2505 | ||||||
| Jacqueline's Bistro | | General | Informal | The setting is definitely bistro, small, cosy and friendly.The food, however, is certainly not wedded to any particular genre. Yes there is French onion soup, but the menu wanders off into ribs cooked in root beer and butter chicken. Basically there is something for everyone. The sad news is that our 4 rating is low for the overall quality of the food. We truly enjoyed the meal. Unfortunately we ordered the cheese fondu that came as a ball of cheese in a pot over a candle that had no hope of heating it to the proper temperature. Our suggestion is to go here, have a meal, avoid the fondu and give it your own rating. Good vegetarian selection. Reservations recommended. | # 101-816 Willow Park Drive SE 403 271-1951 | Lunch M to Fr 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Sa noon - 3:00 p.m. Dinner Tu to Th 5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Fr 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Sa 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. | |||||
| 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. | Unit 27- 4307 130 Ave SE 403 386-0345 | 514 42 Ave. SE 403 243-4584 | |||||
| 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. | Deerfoot Meadows 33 Heritage Meadows Way SE 403 212-8258 | ||||||
| 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. | #100 4600 - 130 Ave. SE 403 726-1022 | ||||||
| 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. | 4315 - 17 Ave. SE 15325 Bannister Rd. SE 13750 Bow Bottom Tr. SE 8338 - 18 St. SE | Home delivery: 403 296-0000. | |||||
| Mimo Restaurant & Lounge www | | Portuguese | Informal | Excellent, inexpensive, filling Portuguese food with friendly service. | #203 4904 - 17 Ave SE 403 235-3377 | ||||||
| Oriental Phoenix Vietnamese Restaurant | | Vietnamese | Informal | For excellent Vietnamese food in a pleasing, friendly setting, this is the place. It is always a happy day when you can find an economical meal that leaves you truly satisfied. Good vegetarian selection. | #80 104 - 58 Ave. SE 403 253-8383 | ||||||
| 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. | #1009 163 Quarry Park Blvd. SE 403 203-8631 | ||||||
| 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 2715757 | |||
| 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 4710 - 17 Ave. SE 14935 Deer Ridge Dr. SE | Take out - Delivery 4600 - 130 Ave. SE | ||||
| 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 ort have a Dawson–sized appetite. The name does vary 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. | 4705 130 Ave. SW (South Deerfood Centre) 403 257-4712 | ||||||
| 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. | #16 277 Shawville Blvd. SE 403 543-7200 #207 4307 - 130 Ave. SE 403 257-6658 #308 8338 - 18 St. SE 403 203-5855 | ||||||
| San Remo | | Italian | Informal | San Remo began as a delightful neighbourhood restaurant in iOakridge. Now it is in Garrison Woods and McKenzie Towne still providing Italian food with that distinctly more delicate northern flavour. Southeast Click here to make reservations through Open Table. | #500 26 McKenzie Towne Gate SE 403 271-7874 | ||||||
| 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. | 14931 Deer Ridge Dr. SE 403 225-4101 Mackenzie Towne 30 High St. SE 403 257-2809 296 Shawville Blvd. SE 403 256-1488 | ||||||
| Stage West www | | Dinner Theatre | Formal Buffet | First you must realize that this is not a review of the current presentation at Stage West. We leave that to theatre critics, though we do have our opinions. We're looking at the buffet which is large and from a technical point-of-view well-handled with very few empty or cold trays. From a culinary perspective, however, the food is wholesome but rather forgettable. There are few dishes that one would want to line up for again to get seconds. Good vegetarian selection. | 727 - 42 Ave. SE 403 243-6642 | The dress is semi-formal. Grant tried a dress shirt, tie and sports jacket with pyjama bottoms, but this didn't seem to be the kind of "semi" they meant. | |||||
| 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. | #202 11566 - 24 St. SE 403 236-4531 | ||||||
| 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? | #31 4307 - 130 Ave. SE 405 244-7427 |
