The Rotary Whiskey Dram Fellowship had a wonderful evening sharing stories, unusual whiskies from their incredible selection. Food was outstanding and they really made us feel like home. Thank you for hosting our 27 guests. read more

The food here was amazing! We tried the bacon scallops (not pictured) and the bacon cheeseburger. This was a huge but delicious burger! Their coleslaw was amazing!! read more

Buchanan's Chop House Whisky Bar - Bacon cheeseburger - Seafood Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

I travel a fair bit and this is easily one of my top 5 restaurants of all times! It is so good that I came back for a second evening. This evening I had the Delmonico and it was delicious. The 2nd generation owner, James, is always out engaging customers and his team, making sure that everything is perfect. This really is a "must go" place! read more

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Omg, what a great meal. Our waitress Katie rocked it. She was incredible, she helped out us with what to do in Canmore and banff. And she was so right. The food is made with love. Overall I highly recommend.. read more

Good service and good food. Had the seafood pasta which not spectacular but good and had plenty of seafood in it. Will eat here again when in town read more

Food is always great. Always a consistent delivery. Great pub/chophouse atmosphere. Literally see the owner here everyday. Not another chain restaurant! Family owned, amazing people. read more

Great service. The burgers are amazing but nothing beats the beef shank for sure. It has a unique root beer flavour.

Ordered the med rare cheeseburger and is probably best burger in calgary service excellent decent prices

First off, for some reason I always expected this place to be dark and replete with leather lounge chairs. In actual fact, the setup is like a cross between an old fashioned bar and a family restaurant: A massive wall of whisk(e)ys, oak finishes, walls festooned with old pictures and signs everywhere with cutesy sayings on them. The service was nice and prompt. The menu is pretty simple...a few appies, salad, several steaks, and a few fish. My mission was clear though: a cooked-to-order burger. They make an 8oz., thick sirloin patty that is the probably the best I've ever had. Juicy and well seasoned, I suggest getting it medium rare. The bun is nothing special, but put together with the cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and red onion it almost requires one of those serpentine dislocating jaws like you see on nature shows. The accompanying coleslaw is made with savoy cabbage, which gives it a pleasurable coleslaw-salad hybrid feel. The fries are the thick, steakhouse variety, and can be dipped in the spicy mayo "burger sauce" that is served on the side, unless you've preemptively slathered the whole pot on your bun. Best of all, this burger is only $10 during Happy Hour (3-6pm). Combine a burger with the special flight of whiskies available on a Wednesday and it just doesn't get much better than this...4.5 stars only because the atmosphere doesn't quite match the machismo of the burger. read more

Buchanan's Chop House Whisky Bar - bottles of liquor - Seafood Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Met an old friend at Buchanan's for lunch. The proprietor greeted me at the door , took my coat and ushered me to the table. The soup of the day, a version of New Orleans seafood gumbo, was heavy on seafood, spicy and made you want seconds. The daily special, grilled salmon, was excellent. Add to that great service, a beautiful ambience and a convenient location. read more

In the heart of eauclaire, this place is a must for everyone, I go for the food, everyone I know that goes here goes for the scotch and food. The Burger is fantastic, cooked to your liking. Everything on the menu is amazing but most of all, the desert "Sticky Toffee Pudding" is to die for, I don't eat sweets often but this is in my top 5 best deserts in Calgary! read more

Buchanan's Chop House Whisky Bar - Seafood Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Are you looking for a great, downtown, dining experience without it a big-ticket price or a pretentious environment? Buchanan's Chop House and Whisky Bar is it. I've been here a few times over the years, almost always for dinner. I've had steak, seafood, and steak. It's always been great food. Today - it was lunch. I arrived just after 1:00pm - no reservation - and the lunch crowd was starting to thin out. I was seated immediately in a booth where I could see today's Rugby World Cup conciliation game was played. For as many people that were there, the TV on, and maybe even music on the other side of the restaurant, it was remarkably quiet... easy to have a conversation with my lunch date. The server was attentive through out the entire lunch - really nice guy. He quickly brought water and some sort of bread/biscuit with butter on the side - rather tasty to take the edge off. Last time in, I had the salmon. It tasted great. It was on the menu today as well... however I thought I would switch it up and try something I rarely eat - fish & chips (fries) which came with a home made coleslaw. I've eaten hear before and have never been disappointed... including today. I really enjoyed the fish and ships... I kind of wished I had one more piece of fish but my eyes were talking... not my stomach. I was definitely full. Parking in the area was a little challenging but that's because I don't know the area very well - one of the staff gave me some future parking advice - now I know. I'll definitely be back, and I'll try something new! read more

Came here for their happy hour burger special ... $10!!! haha, except I ended up paying $5.50 for parking LOL! I think normally their burger is $17 (?) Soooo... what brought me here in the first place? well, I heard that they serve their burgers how you want it. e.g. medium rare if you want! So I ordered their classic burger... medium.... I was starving after work and so I was really looking forward and salivating as I was waiting for them to prepare my burger. When it came, I took a bite into the burger and guess what? it was well done :( I was disappointed. I didn't say anything to the waitress tho. She did come by and ask how the meal was and she even took a double take at my burger - I'm sure she noticed that my burger was well done (b/c we had discussed at length prior to my ordering about the done-ness of the burgers) and she had recommended the medium. I will give them another chance.... and i might try ordering medium rare next time. The fries are good! Fresh cut. read more

Buchanan's Chop House Whisky Bar - Seafood Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Sweet bar to have in this hood of all residents, far tucked away from the DT scene. It sounded high-end but really, it's casual atmosphere inside, though the menu prices can get up there: if you don't get their burgers for Happy Hour, it's almost $20. And boy, this is one serious piece of meat: 8 ounces! Loved the sauteed onions, tomato/lettuce though the bun could've been better. In terms of value it's there, but not to be confused with a trendy bar. Private room off to the right. For $10, what a deal. Coleslaw also yummy too. added a house salad that came w/ several sliced grapes, nice touch. read more

Buchanan's Chop House Whisky Bar - a real man's drink...rye & ginger - Seafood Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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The wonderful thing about whiskey... is whiskey's a wonderful thing! Well, it's a thing anyway. And Buchanan's has A LOT of it. 2011 was my year to learn about whisky. I popped in for a Whisky Wednesday in December and was treated to a flight of 3 whiskies for $14. Note: They're available on the bar side... you'll want to be ordering some snacks with them as well! Things I learnt: - don't smell the whisky right out of the glass. It'll burn your nostrils. Instead, waft it from one ear to the other so you can smell the whisky properly. - taste the whisky by itself first. Then add water and/or ice if you like. - you can swirl your glass of whisky, like you would swirl a glass of wine, but it doesn't actually do anything. Every week, the whisky flight changes. I'd suggest going a bit later, it's busy right after work! read more

Recently hosted a group from work here--a blend of folks from in town and out-of-town--and all were impressed with the attentive staff and quality of the food. Quite a few of us tucked into the legendary burgers--two of us brave enough to try them rare, and two of us only slightly less adventurous with the server-suggested medium rare; all of us were pleased with the texture and flavour of the burgers. The ice cold Steam Whistle pints were fresh and punctuated bites of our food nicely. The atmosphere on the tavern side is my preference, and the staff make this place an inviting spot for lunch, dinner, or a late night slug of whiskey. read more

To be honest, if not for the big taste I wouldn't have ever thought of coming here. We don't frequent this area of the city much and with the difficulties of finding parking... Enough said. During my call to make reservations here, I was kindly informed by a gentleman that there was nothing too special about the big taste menu, and that they offered the same courses for a slightly higher price on a weekly basis anyways. I had thanked him kindly for his information and thought nothing of it. Now... Fast forward two weeks to the night of our reservation. Apparently the gentleman that had taken it had written it in the wrong time slot, but they were able to find us a table anyways. We were seated in the middle of the restaurant. The resturant appeared to be quite cozy. I felt many accidental bumps by servers throughout the night. I was much confused on their use of paper on top of their table clothes and found their use of plastic flowers to be a bit disheartening. Nevertheless as follows is a breakdown of the items we ate; I did come here for that purpose after all. Housemade Crabcakes with Tropical Fruit Salsa: They were a good sized crabcakes, found them to be a bit on the soft side. Not enough crisp to it. There was very little salsa, but that was fine as the salsa was quite tart. Mixed Green Salad with candied pork belly lardons & Boursin Cheese: I was much disappointed with the salad, as I have a love affair with yellow beets. The beets on the plate had no sweetness to them, they were bland. The vinaigrette on the salad was a good balance to the boursin cheese. The candied pork belly was a bit tough for me, but the bf loved it. There was only one piece of it though... even though it's pluralized in the description. Charbroiled "Brick-Cut" Alberta Grade AAA New York Steak with Back, fig & port wine reduction, fresh seasonal vegetables, hand rolled potato cakes: I liked their take on the potatoes; they were a good change from mashed. The steak was oddly cooked as the pink was mostly on the underside of the steak with a good inch at the top cooked to well-done. We weren't too sure what the purple vegetable was on the side as there was no waiter around to explain. Charbroiled red spring salmon fillet with roma tomato, sweet bell pepper, cilantro, pine nut salsa, tarragon & jasmine steamed rice, seasonal winter vegetables: The salmon was cooked well, under seasoned and I don't know if it's just me... but I disliked the temperature difference between my warm salmon and ice cold salsa. I couldn't taste the tarragon in the jasmine at all. On the bright side, I finally got a golden beet with flavor. Auchentoshan crème caramel: Presentation was not great. I've never had this dessert before, but it was a bit too watery for my taste. Soft though, reminded me of Japanese caramel pudding. Irish cream cheesecake with wildberry coulis: I didn't taste any of the Irish cream... are my tastebuds that desensitized? The wild berry coulis... was blueberry sauce to me... They should've just called this a blueberry cheesecake... then my expectations and experience would be equally matched. Final verdict: I think my expectations were much higher than they should've been. Will know better for next time. read more

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Buchanan's is a great destination no matter what the occasion-client lunch, dinner with friends or a first date. The food is tasty and there is a good range of items-the menu isnt huge but there is a lot of choice. Their burgers are awesome-steakhouse quality for sure. They pay attention to presentation without being overly fussy. The two times Ive been there the food has been perfectly cooked and seasoned. Service is also great. It is a family owned business and they are there every day (multiple generations) making sure things are done right. Our waitress today was attentive and quick. She also handled a high maintenance request from one of our party members (who then changed her mind again) without batting an eyelash. SHe definately had poise beyond her years. I would recommend Buchanan's to anyone looking for great food and service in the downtown area. read more

If I could give Buchanan's 7 Stars I would. This is the best chophouse experience you will have in Calgary. Incredible people, incredible quality and and most importantly, incredible consistency. Buchanan's has never had an off night. My favourite restaurant in Western Canada. read more

I had the perfect dinner outing here a few days ago. My spouse and I were seated in a booth, our server was on the ball and the food was marvelous. We chose Buchanan's as they were participating in Calgary's annual Big Taste (formerly known as Downtown Dining Week). We tried the crab cakes first, which I could have ordered several times over for my entire meal. They are very flavorful, made with pineapple-curry mayo and tropical fruit salsa. My main was salmon on a bed of what seemed to be coleslaw but it was spicy. I was blown away by how delicious this was. The coconut rice and vegetables were perfect. For dessert, we had the crumble with blueberries and cinnamon/vanilla ice cream. Hello! Knowing these items are permanently on the menu, I'd return and eat the same meal. A small detail that I appreciate is that Buchanan's has a bucket of chocomints near the door, which is lovely. Sometimes I feel that restaurants are being stingy when they don't let you help yourself to an after dinner mint. Some places leave one for each person with the bill, but for the amount you can pay for a meal around here as an adult, the least you could do is let me help myself to your little chocolates or mints! Good on ya, Buchanan's. read more

Buchanan's is a great lunch spot for the downtown crowd. The first thing I noticed was that you can have your burger made to order since they grind their meat in house. I thought this was superb so I ordered a medium. The burger did come medium-well, but it was still delicious. Slightly messy, but that seems to be normal with me and burgers. Our server was fast and attentive. Get there early for lunch as it is busy! read more

Best Burger in Calgary? Quite possible this one is true. Regardless, the Whiskey selection is out of this world. Prices are absolutely reasonable for the quality of product and service. I would have to rate the service as above a 5 star rating. Old fashions to perfection. We chose the Happy Hour burger deal. Just a heads up, it did go up to $12 opposed to the $10 listed in other reviews, but still completely worth the quality of beef. Absolutely worth the visit, though we didn't have anything from the dinner menu, if it's as good as the burger then it's worth it. The coleslaw was like nothing I've ever had anywhere else. Maybe, it's a Canadian style, but we don't have coleslaw like that in the states. It was fresh, flavorful and packed with cilantro. I recommend wholeheartedly for quality and service! Best of luck Buchanans! read more

I came here for dinner with a group of 7 tonight. The service was so-so. After being seated, our server did not come for at least 10 minutes. He had little to say about the specials of the night. After taking our drink orders, he disappeared for another 15 minutes. After he returned for the food order, things finally got on track with serving the appies and main course. When we asked for the bill, he happened to be on a break so we had to wait another 10 minutes for our bill. I just feel that for an 18% built-in gratuity, the service really could have been more prompt. In terms of the food, it was a disappointment. My soup was excellent (wild mushroom and bison). The broth was thick and flavorful, with large chunks of mushroom and bison. I ordered a filet mignon medium rare, thinking that it is impossible to mess up a filet mignon. Well, they proved me wrong. The steak was overcooked and under seasoned. It was chewy rather than melt in your mouth. So disappointing. I ordered dessert (Saskatoon berries cobbler and ice cream), and that was a disappointment too. The dough wasn't fully cooked, so it was still doughy on the inside. The crust had little flavor. I ate the ice cream and left the cobbler. Overall, I'd say it was a disappointing experience. read more

I was so looking forward to returning to Buchanan's for my birthday. I hadn't been in about a year, and I was craving their amazing burger. Unfortunately, I received terrible service. Of our party of 7, one appetizer was forgotten, the waiter paid attention primarily to the person drinking alcohol (not to me, the birthday girl, or the person paying the bill), and the food (aside from the burger) was terrible. Those who had ordered steak or seafood ate my burger and fries, to make up for for their cold, bland dishes. The burger, juicy, thick and perfectly seasoned was the highlight. Go for the burger. Forget about the service. read more

I hesitate to review Buchanan's as I don't want it to become even more popular than it is. Without a reservation I've been turned away at lunch a couple of times. That is the only negative I can say about this place. They make the best burger in Calgary, the service is always attentive and kind. I only make it here a few times a year but everything is always excellent. I've been coming here for at least a dozen years and only once have I ever had mediocre service. Check out their fine single malt scotch collection. read more

Very solid 4 stars!! All the food was great and the sizes were very good as well... The drinks good too! The service was friendly! definitely nothing to complain! I would love to go back there soon to try other dishes! read more

Took potential high profile clients for lunch today. Fabulous atmosphere and ambiance. Appetizer and main course were perfect. Lamp chops, fresh fish, and Ahi tuna salad were eaten with grat praise! I will definitely go back! read more

Myself and a few friends had wanted for a long time to experience the vast whiskey selection that Buchanans boast, so on Friday night we arranged to meet up. The restaurant is bustling and the bar has a nice feel to it with smiling friendly staff that clear a table for us quickly. The clientele are a mix of business people and locals a nice crowd. Our server came and helped us with our drink selection and from the outset we ask for separate tabs as there are 6 guys tasting many different whiskeys at many different prices, our server agrees and we begin to enjoy our night. The night rolls on our server is prompt and courteous but then a woman comes to our table informs us that we should not have asked for separate bills that it is not the policy of the restaurant and that when we ordered chicken wings we should have ordered them on one plate.(six different flavors on one plate ?) we sat bemused as this women basically made us feel extremely unwelcome.She finished her visit to our table by stating " oh well your probably going to say , who was that witch?, But I am Carol Buchanan". Well Carol I don't really care who are, the way you have shown that you much prefer a certain "type" of person in your establishment by imposing such ridiculous demands and restrictions on your customers that you have ensured that the six in our party shall never darken your door again and I shall make sure to steer everyone I meet away from Buchanans Chop House. This was an extremely disappointing night for me as I had hoped making Buchanans a regular haunt for the group of friend s who enjoy tasting whiskey. The staff are excellent , the food is something to experience but I unfortunately will not spend another dime in an establishment that has such unrealistic airs and graces about it read more

one of the highlights of my trip to Calgary was visiting buchanan's. I actually went twice; once to enjoy the patio scene and the other for the Saturday night tasting menu and the iconic bar. buchanan's has it all-great cocktails, amazing whisky and wine selection, friendly staff, and a delicious and creative menu. I loved the apricot glazed salmon with a dynamite petit petit Syrah from California. I'm sure buchanan's is just as much fun in the winter time when you want to feel cozy and comfortable inside a landmark Calgary small business with a great glass of whisky. I can't wait to go back. read more

Had a little running joke with a colleague about our go to steak houses in the core so I suggested Buchanan's for their lunch time New York steak. We started things off with a bowl of Cajun seafood chowder which is a spicy, tomato based broth with huge chunks of salmon and other misc seafood. Wine was a bottle of 99 Mondavi Reserve Cab which complimented the New York Steaks perfectly. Steaks were done to our liking and the potato cake and Bernaise sauce were great accompaniments. The dining room was full for lunch so make a reservation. Overall, a tremendous splurge lunch where the food, service and wine were perfectly aligned. Corkage was waived as we left some of that superb wine for the server and management. read more

Attended this venue this past Friday to say farewell to a workmate. We celebrated/mourned over a late lunch and beverages. The service was good with the one server covering the 14 of us for chow and drinks (never empty). The food was just alright...I had the spicy burger which came with slaw, fries and condiments. The one great thing about the burger is that being ground chuck one can order medium and still have some 'moo without contracting e.coli (like 'hamburger'). The food was quick and service good. Yes, the scotch menu is near exhaustive...bring your wallet though as some pours are somewhat steep. read more

i go here so many times and the staff is helpful and polite every time. each time i walk in here i am greeted with smiling faces and great attitudes. my favorite dish has got to be the lamb. read more

I recently booked a lunch at Buchanan's for a team appreciation lunch. Four of the sxi attending cheered when I told them where we wre going as its always a great place to go. Great food, great atmoshere, and friendly staff. Always on my go-to list for business lunches. read more

Went there for lunch and it was very good. Had the burger. They will cook it to suite your taste (rare, med. rare, well done, etc.). It was cooked perfectly. Hard to find a restaurant in Calgary that makes home made burgers that will cook them to your preference. Place was packed at lunch (although it was Friday). Needed reservations to get in. Service was good. I had not been there for years. Still a good spot for drinks and/or food. read more

Absolutely fantastic bar selection and the food is perfectly complimentary to the whiskeys!

Every time I have gone to this bar, it has been busy and for good reason. The service is incredibly fast and the people who work there are very nice and friendly. I have ordered several items off the menu and have loved everything. My favourite item to order is the vegetarian burger which between 3-6pm is only $10. It is without a doubt the best vegetarian burger in Calgary. I would definitely recommend this place to everyone. It has a wide selection of options, and there are lots of choices for whatever your price range is. When it comes to drinks there is a vast selection. One of my favourite places in Calgary. read more

Years of consistently great food and professional service - a go to spot for all occasions

I've been living in the building for 10 years, and consider Buchanan's 'my home restaurant'. I often simply enjoy the atmosphere in the lounge, a glass of wine, their wonderful burger ($10 happy hour), appies, or the best desert made with Bernard Calibeau chocolate. I had some corporate occasions, where I didn't have to pay, so I tried pretty much everything on the menu. The food is fantastic, expensive but totally worth it (btw you can get much less quality for much more money in other places). Last time it was a departmental Christmas party in their private room. People were genuinely amazed at how great the food was. The steak.... I have no words to describe how deliciously melting it was. This restaurant is always packed, and no wonder why. If you tried it once, you'd definitely recommend it to others and you'll be back. Wine list is great, and they pour quite generously. Whiskey selection is impressive, and although I am not a fan, I had to try a few and liked the experience. Lovely patio. Great place all-in-all. And not just because I live in the building. read more

SERVER BEING EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL, POOR SERVICE We went to Buchanan's for lunch today. Originally there was a reservation made for 18 of us but because there were last minute issues at work as well as people being sick, in the end only 13 of us made it to lunch. Food was just average but that wasn't the reason we were upset. At the end of lunch, our server Sean told us because only 13 of us showed up and the reservation was originally made for 18 people, they had to charge us extra. At a lot of other restaurants, this usually means extra tips and gratitude for the people that didn't show up, but at Buchanan's the extra meant the cost of 5 entrees to make up the money missing from the bill!!! WTF? All of us thought that was EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL and it also showed how POOR the service was. We ended up ordering extra food and dessert not because we wanted to but we were forced to... and IS THIS THE WAY YOU TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS? With this kind of service, we will NEVER EAT THERE AGAIN!!! read more

The food at Buchanan's is overpriced. I mainly go there for its decent little bar area.