Where To Eat In Alberta

You’ll find local cuisine inspired by the region’s abundance in red meat and fresh produce, as well as occasional US-inspired serving sizes. 

Alberta’s culinary scene, smooshed between the metropolises of Vancouver to the west and Toronto to the east, has evolved a unique flair of it’s own. A distinctive style, from its delicious AAA Albertan steaks to its green onion cakes. You gotta eat here.

I can’t adequately describe how delicious all the food was on our 2-week trip around Alberta, so I am going to let the pictures do the talking.

Saliva glands… start your engines!

Jasper

A gorgeous resort town lined with wooden lodges, chalets and plenty of restaurants.

Jasper Brewing Company

It seems many of Jasper’s residents end up here on a cool autumn evening. While their modern brews are the draw card, don’t overlook their delicious food. 

Millionaire Steak - Alberta beef tenderloin, garlic butter, sautéed vegetables, roasted baby potatoes, peppercorn demi glace

Toasted Reuben with shaved Montreal smoked brisket

Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria

Located in the heart of town is this beautiful venue. Not only are the pizzas hot and fresh, they also offer dessert pizza – yup, Nutella and banana folded in half so you don’t get messy fingers. Genius! 

Earls

Head upstairs and grab a table overlooking Jasper’s main street. Delicious food, big servings so don’t order too much (like we did!).  

Pecan Chicken Rocket Salad, with chicken on the side

Fish & chips – beer battered cod with house tartar

Rack of BBQ Back Ribs

Lou Lou’s Pizzeria

It was late at night when we arrived in Jasper so having heard of Lou Lou’s, but not having the energy to dine out, we opted for their hotel delivery service. Pizzas are huge and secured a hearty thumbs up from our kids. 

Edmonton

Blue Plate Diner

If you are looking for genuine local cuisine then try the iconic green onion cakes, a specialty introduced from China in the 1970’s. This diner offers plenty of vegan-friendly options, but don’t worry, you’ll also find hearty meat dishes. I would skip the vegetarian green curry and try the meatloaf! Josh’s elk & bison burger ticked off 2 animals from his “Josh vs Nature” culinary list.

Green Onion Cakes - with green onion sour cream and sambal

Veggie Spring Rolls with spicy soy dip

Blue Plate Meatloaf – with roasted red pepper gravy and Dijon mashed potatoes

Build Your Burger – with Elk & Bison patty

Soda Jerks

Imagine a wall lined with dozens of soda bottles - almost any soda you can imagine. All these are available for purchase, except my favourite, Coke Zero. What’s up with that Canada? The milkshakes are fabulously creative, but what you might be keen to try is Josh’s own creation – a donut burger dubbed “Joshzilla”.

Blue raspberry, banana & mini donut shake – yes, there are donuts blended in there

PB&J (kids)

The one and only… Joshzilla! Made with donut, bacon, 2 different cheeses, half pound beef patty, relish, onion, sautéed onion, onion rings, sauerkraut, mixed greens, pickles, and chipotle mayo

12 Acres Restaurant

This modern farm-to-fork restaurant utilises iPad menus featuring large photos, making choosing your dish much easier. Staff get familiar with the garden where produce is grown and understand the menu completely as it changes with the seasons. The juicy steak was beautifully presented, and the tomato soup was to die for. 

Osso Bucco

Rib Eye

Delux Burger Bar

Rated as the best burgers in town, you can’t stop in Edmonton without trying out this joint. The kids loved their shopping cart filled with fries. And the burgers lived up to their reputation.

Jungle Jims

Along the lines of the well-known Rainforest Café chain, Jungle Jims features a tropical atmosphere with huge portion sizes. Included with every kid’s meal is a choice of toy from the jam-packed treasure chest. 

Prairie Garden Adventure Farm

This is such a beautiful place that you really want to make it out here for lunch. They offer farm-to-fork cooking classes, or just bring a picnic or pick up a bite to eat there. 

Home made pizza

Drumheller

Sublime Food and Wine

This is one gastronomic experience you will always remember. The kids were wondering why we were going to someone’s house for dinner when we arrived. It’s a small living room-style dining area with space for maybe 25 people, but the food they put out is elevated home cooking. Best Blueberry Brie I have ever had. 

Blueberry Brie

Kids Cheese Quesadilla with dipping sauce

Sublime Chicken

Calgary

Red’s Diner

This popular venue might require a wait, but it’s good ol’ fashion cooking. They serve all day breakfast and while my eggs benedict were slightly overcooked, they had the best homemade Hollandaise sauce I’ve found in Canada.

Nutella Crepe

Eggs Benedict

Reuben Sandwich

Tazza Deli & Grill

This small place is not your typical dining venue, but we haven’t found a kebab this good outside the Middle East and Australia. We enjoyed it so much so that we went back twice.

Chicken Shish Taouk Platter with hummus, baba ghannouj, tabouleh salad & pita bread.

Banff

Melissa’s Missteak

A Banff landmark since 1928, serving home made comfort food and juicy steaks. I loved the log cabin feel and the food was hearty, even if they dished up an unorthodox steak sandwich. 

Roast Beef Sandwich

Rib Eye Sandwich

Maple Leaf Grill and Lounge

We celebrated our 13^th wedding anniversary here and loved every minute. I tried three different types of cocktails and the celebration continued with a sumptuous three-course meal. Overlooking Banff’s busiest intersection, this will easily be your best meal in Alberta - high quality food, bold flavours, fresh local produce and impeccable presentation. You can literally taste the love.

Okanagan Orchard Breeze

Pecan Crusted Goat Cheese

Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio

AAA Alberta Beef Tenderloin

Chefs Creation of the Day… Elk tenderloin

Bear Street Tavern

We heard this was the talk of the town by locals. For one thing they serve pizza with chilli oil and honey for dipping. It sounds strange but tastes soooo good! Plus they had my favourite salad on the menu – “Beet Me Up!”. 

Masala

We used a convenient delivery service in Banff for Masala so there was no need to step outside our chalet. Make sure they repeat the order back to you, because they did make one mistake on ours. But the chicken korma was delish and Josh’s favourite dessert, gulab jamun hit the spot.

Lake Louise

Laggan's Mountain Bakery & Delicatessen

A small deli located in the centre of Lake Louise. A handy spot to eat quickly before continuing on your Icefields Parkway road trip. Skip the pies and try their delicious chilli served with a roll of your choice. Or spend the entire day polishing off a peanut butter brownie like Josh did. 

Oh yeah, that’s as good as it looks

Timberwolf Pizza and Pasta Café

Situated in Lake Louise Inn. The inn is actually very nice and the make-your-own-pasta is either a good idea or a bad idea, depending on how creative you are. 

The Bottom Line

If this hasn’t convinced you to visit Alberta then what will? It’s always a pleasure eating our way around a region like Alberta. And while meat-lovers will celebrate, vegetarians won’t feel left out. Whatever your taste, I’m absolutely sure you won’t leave hungry.