After walking around the downtown area, we decided that we needed a light lunch. It was about 2:00 in the afternoon, and we had dinner plans, so not looking for a heavy meal. Original Joe's menu looked like it would be a good fit. Not too many people when we arrived. Just a few sitting at the bar, having a quiet conversation. We got seated right away towards the back of the dining area. Our server did a great job to get us settled in with menu and waters. Decided on the West Coast Chop Salad with some Guacamole and Chips. Didn't have to wait to long to get the food. It was good. They split the salad for us which made it easy to share. The Guac and the Chips were fresh and well seasoned. A decent place for a quick lunch. read more

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Poutine and burgers were excellent. Service was a little slow but friendly. Cocktails were ok but a touch too sweet. If that's your preference they would be fine. read more

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Can't complain as we were just craving a poutine after landing in Calgary and checking into our hotel nearby. It came out quickly and we love the fries with gravy and all the squish squish cheese. Delicious! Located right in the middle downtown Calgary, it was perfect for a quick bite before exploring around the city. Our waitress was friendly and we were seating right away just before the dinner crowd. read more

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar - Poutine - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Came here for some beers on tap and to relax after an early morning workday. In reality, I wanted to take pics of the - for those of you who are from the Bay Area - the other Original Joe's here in Canada. Totally different menu as the one in the San Francisco Bay Area is Italian cuisine. But we all know for those who have dined at North Beach or Westlake - there is truly only one Original Joe's. But on a positive note you can't beat the Canadian dollar to our USD. read more

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar - a pint of beer - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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Stopped in for a quick bite before exploring Calgary and it didn't disappoint. Service was great and atmosphere was welcoming. Great for families and they have outside seating available as well. Food was probably the best part -- Highly recommend the pulled pork poutine!!! read more

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar - Pulled Pork Poutine - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Stopped in with family for lunch the other day . We tried their fish & chips as well as a wrap meal & burger meal . Food was good but we were really disappointed in their fish & chips meal ! The fish was fine inside the batter ... but the batter came really dark like it was overcooked & greasy . We had to remove all the batter and ate just the fish . We were hoping it would be a nice light batter , crisp & not greasy . We weren't sure if it was cooked in old oil ... probably should have sent it back . read more

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Travelled with a sports group of 10 athletes. The restaurant and server were so accommodating. We ordered in advance and they supported all the special diets of our athletes. Our server, Fallon, made a sure everyone was booked after and made sure everything was perfect. The food was delicious- personally, I had the ACE burger with jalapeños and sautéed onions with the home cut fries. Wonderful - especially the fries. I tried the wWvepool IPA- fresh and clean. Great meal. Thanks folks for being a part of our ladies special evening. read more

I never write reviews but thanks to Original Joe's I have created a Yelp account. My experience at Original Joes was awful. I was with a group of friends celebrating a birthday and we decided to go to Original Joe's. When we went inside we weren't greeted, so we decided to find a seat our selves at the very back because it was crowded in the front. Once we seated our selves it took 10 minutes for a server to come. Nichole is her name, she's very rude and unprofessional. My friends and I decided to order drinks, I ordered a shot, and when I got my shot I noticed about 8-10 little bugs in it. I told my server Nichole and she said "it happens"..what do you mean it happens?! By the end of the night, I had to pay for my nasty shot. The manager didn't even come to see if everything was okay. I was going to order food there but since I got a bug shot I felt the kitchen was probably not up to standard. The following day I phone the manager and explained what happened. He didn't care one bit, he said covered my shot (which they did not) and was being very rude on the phone. I explained to him that I'm a Chef and that you should have standards and if you don't that get out of the industry. What happened to me was because of laziness. The bartenders probably don't cover their liquor bottles at the end of the night which results in bug shots. If you want to see the picture I have posted it. So people eating/drinking read more

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar - That's a shot I got from Original Joe's - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Restaurant was good, food selection was alright. Not a lot of choices but service was good. read more

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Four of us stopped by for dinner on Wednesday evening. We looked at the beverage menu and liked that there only local craft beers available. The beers were offered on a special menu that isn't available on-line, so I really don't remember what we ordered. I tried a raspberry flavored beer that was refreshing and excellent. We ordered the Mediterranean Short Ribs as an appetizer for the table -it was listed in the menu for $10, but was being offered as a $5 special tonight.. Our dinner order was two of the Saigon Subs ($12.50 for "roasted chicken breast, simmered in a hoisin peanut sauce with melted provolone, matchstick carrots, cucumber and chopped cilantro. served on a toasted baguette with chili garlic mayonnaise and sweet soy sauce"), one Pacific Rim Noodle Bowl ($13 for "an asian inspired noodle soup; with chicken, prawns and steamed vegetables simmered in a flavorful broth. served with your choice of shanghai or rice noodles"), and for me, a Shanghai Noodle Bowl ($14.50 for pan-seared chicken or prawns and fresh cut veggies, sautéed in a spicy szechuan sauce over steamed shanghai noodles. garnished with chopped cashews and fresh pea shoots"). It took s while for any of the food to come out, and when the entrees started appearing before the ribs appetizer, we figured something was not right. Our waitress apologized and said she didn't turn I the ribs order, so we cancelled it. The food was very good, my friend that ordered the Pacific Rim Noodle Soup loved it, and we were all impressed at the mammoth size of the serving. Every square inch of the Saigon Subs were inhaled. They were served with a choice of two sides, and sides of fries, mango pasta salad, a Caesar salad and roast vegetables also disappeared. My Shanghai Noodle Bowl was very good- six nicely cooked shrimp tossed with noodles, veggies, cashews in a savory sauce. The atmosphere was fun, maybe a little loud with televisions showing sports all over the room. The service was good, except for the missing appetizer. Our server checked on us a lot, refilled our beverages, and was nice and friendly. read more

Last night a friend and I headed over to Original Joe's on Stephen Ave. I have to tell you - we had a *great* time. First of all, I just love the vibe of Stephen Ave as it is. Second of all, Original Joe's was buzzin' with people and laughter. Our server was a true pro.. It's obvious that the staff here is used to serving patrons who work in the restaurant industry; the service was spot on. This was my first time visiting an Original Joe's and I was quite impressed with the menu as well. Serving everything from sweet potato fries (YUM), butter chicken, veggie burgers, wraps, pasta, pizza and salmon, there's no chance that you'll leave this place hungry. What I loved most is that they have a ton of selection for vegetarians. They also have a ton of selection in the drinks and dessert realms as well :) My date and I were having such a great time in such a great atmosphere that we ended up kickin' it here for a good part of the night. Good vibe, good food, good crowd. Any questions? read more

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Well I've been to Oj's before but it's been a while since I've been in one. Not sure if they are in Vancouver where I live. Had the Ace Cheeseburger with fries/gravy and Cesar and a cold Cronenburg, though I order a Corona but was misheard. Turned out I liked the beer anyway even though it's not normally my choice. The salad was over dressed and the gravy was over seasoned. The season fries dipped into the gravy was just too much but I indulged anyway as I didn't want to waste it. Burger was awesome. Cheese perfectly melty and bun toasted just right to give it a light crisp around the outside. Something didn't agree with me though as I was back at the hotel less than an hour later and not feeling so great. (use you imagination for what I could be describing here, you'll probably be right) A shame as I enjoyed (most) of the meal but I usually never re-visit a joint that makes my guts do this. "Ya spins the wheel and ya takes yer chances" sometimes. read more

Just having experienced Charcut #alleyburger.. if you don't know what that is, you should look up Charcut & find out :)... Needed something to eat, friends were gathering at Original Joe's, so I met them there. Interesting place - very long and quite narrow. It was so-so busy for a late Thursday nite. Staff was quick to help our group get seated and quick to get a drink order in. For tonite, I just wanted an appetizer and decided on the chicked (sliced think, breaded, served with chili sauze, cucumber & noodlels). It tasted great. Nice size order - reasonablly priced - served quickly. Doesn't get better than that. Memorable Thursday nite of a long weekend. Thanks Original Joe's for helping to end the evening with a great experience. :) read more

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar - Sweet Potato Fries w/ Dill Sauce - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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Had lunch here with a couple of colleagues. Ordered the steak sandwich with sweet potato fries and topped it up with a creme brûlée. There was no real wow factor to the food. Dining room itself had the rustic vibe and was pretty noisy. Conversations had to be shouted and service was a little slow for lunch period read more

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar - Poutine with chorizo - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Checking out this place as we had a coupon for free wings. We first arrived there were not many people in the restaurant. As we were there the restaurant got a rush. The location is pretty big in a popular mall area. The food and service was good. We ordered 3 pounds of wings. BBQ, teriyaki and sweet chili. We also. Ordered a healthy bowl and Two of the original dogs. The hot dogs came with two polish sausage in a French bread. They were huge portions. read more

Quarry Park - terrible food. The drinks are good but that's about it. The guacamole on the nachos is brown, the dry ribs are always over cooked and the French onion soup is just a cup of cheese. read more

Two stars are solely for the lack of service. The food was the usual you would expect for OJs. But the service was TERRIBLE. The server started out good, and then went down hill quick. Forgotten items with our order. Not coming back with refills of water/pop. Was never offered another beer when mine was empty. And despite saying we were in a hurry, server took her sweet time dawdling and talking, that I had to go track her down. Not a great way to end our experience read more

Ordered from Uber Eats and delivery was only 20 minutes during dinner time. Fish and chips are delicious, it's one large piece of battered fish with hand cut fries. Includes coleslaw and lemon. Side of potatoes with gravy we great. We also ordered the cheesy garlic bread, would recommend! To go containers are nice and good for reheating. read more

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Staying in Calgary and hit OJ's twice in a row. Staff were great Food was awesome- thanks OJ team

Half price wine on Thursdays. That's pretty much all you need to know. Gather some friends. Drink several bottles. Be amazed by a $20 tab. read more

Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar - Nachos - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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I've been to this location and the Marda Loop one several times, so I know what to expect: good social atmosphere, with generally good service, in a well-kept interior, with casual (and some business) attired guests, and with an availability of a pretty diverse menu with all sorts of typical bar-themed and healthy-themed food options. This particular location is right in the east edge of 8th Ave on Stephen Avenue mall. Considering how thin the location is (eg- about 15ft across), the interior is surprisingly spacious with the very high ceilings. The service, normally quite good, was excellent - we were never wanting for anything, especially considering how busy it was on a Friday after work. I had a steak sandwich which, at $17 for the 7oz steak with a side dish, was a decent price. All the food was great, though while the meat was a very good quality cut, it was slightly overcooked. After mentioning to the waitress, she knocked it off the final bill even though I'd not asked for nor expected it. So, overall, a 4 for the food (3 for the steak) and a 4+ for the service and I would happily come here again. read more

Oh OJ's, what has happened to you? You used to be one of my favorite hangout spots because of your great prices, varied menu, and cool vibe. But I was there last night and the food was honestly terrible and service was very slow. I don't blame the waitress for our appetizers taking nearly an hour to arrive, but never did she try to reassure us that she had checked on our food and give us any indication of when it might arrive. And then it came - what a letdown. I had heard great things about your wings, but they were some of the saddest, driest wings I've had in a while, and very little sauce too. The dry ribs were clearly overfried as well, and a very high bone-to-meat ratio. I was excited about the cauliflower, but it was too salty to enjoy at all. The restaurant vibe is still cool, the drink prices were good and they have a wide variety, but several of us felt our drinks were watered down. It's not that I wont' ever go back, but I'll likely stick with bottled wine and your sweet potato fries with the yummy dill dip. read more

Unfortunately we had terrible service here. We stopped in for some beers and appy's after a day of skating at Olympic plaza. There was 9 of us in total, and we didn't get our first drink for over 30 minutes. Once we had the waiters attention, our food came fast and was decent. Average pub food! No complaints here! Then the evening entertainment had to do a sound check and holy did that ever clear the place out. The sound quality was awful, just way way way too loud, we resorted to texting each other at the table and then left. Terrible experience. read more

Just barely a 3 if it wasn't for virtually the server Jody Vance's look-alike sister lol, and not just for the eyeglasses. It's so so narrow, almost like a long hall but in a way, great for ppl mingling I suppose. Probably the only quiet spots are right at the front or way deep in the back. Washrooms are a bit of an ordeal, after fighting through the tables, then it's a flight down the stairs, as well as a low ceiling but I'll digress again. Ordered the usual California cobb salad, a sure winner when you need some greens. Didn't come with as much candied pecans as I'm used to. Avocado very fresh, the highlight. Amex yes. read more

Good thing we ate here before reading the reviews. We had a excellent and very attentive waitress and the food was superb. Sat out side on a busy Saturday night and was never rushed to leave. Seems like a lot of the visitors were locals which is always a good sign in the middle of tourist section of town. Our food: wings with half honey garlic and half sweet chili were quiet good. Sweet Chili rocks and the wings were cooked just right. Pepper burger was quiet tasty and the fries were yummy. Lastly the home brew was especially good. I loved the red beer. If we ever come back to Calgary. OJs will be on the list. read more

I'm glad we stopped here! Excellent food and great service. The brussel sprouts are the best!

I never think of this place whenever it's a last minute decision on where to go for lunch. So when my coworkers suggested OJ's after we'd aimlessly wandered down Stephen Ave, I figured why not. We snagged the last table and looked over the menu. I went with the fish & chips, one coworker got chicken strips and the other a chicken sandwich. The pieces of halibut that came for mine were HUGE! They were battered nicely and not greasy at all. I even got to try a chicken strip and omg YUM (I've actually gone back to OJ's a few times just for the chicken strips!) Seating is limited here (the restaurant is really narrow), so if wanna dine here at lunch I'd suggest coming a bit early. read more

Came here for the first time tonight. It was fairly busy, although there were still tables left here and there. It's loud inside. Pub loud, but with the live music, almost intolerably loud. I would suggest sticking to the patio (especially when it's nice out), if you can. The service is alright. The food is alright. I shared the fish tacos and a Desperados pizza (bbq chicken, onions, three cheeses) with a friend and that was certainly more than enough for both of us. Overall, it's your standard fare. Would I come back? If somebody else suggested it, maybe. I hear OJ's chicken wings are good so likely a wing night sometime in the future. read more

I have been to this location twice in the last week (because our preferred bar is under renovation). Sadly, I am underwhelmed. The staff is not aware of their tables (when a table is waiting for additional guests and which servers are working which tables). The staff does know there dishes, and which ones to recommend. The flooring is uneven (warped by about an inch top to bottom of the rut), and if the servers see you stumble - they cut you off (yes, I know the law, that servers are responsible for over serving, but the business is responsible for maintaining the premises and eliminating slip, trip and fall from damaged flooring). That and they can not seem to decide if they are a restaurant or a sports bar. Spent my Birthday dinner reading the lips of the people I was with because we could not hear each other over the televisions. I will not be back to this location if I can help it. read more

The place was too hot, as in no air conditioning....almost left....but didn't. Ordered fish & chips which was good. But service has been poor. I finished my meal 15 minutes ago....staff have walked by but nobody waited the table. Place got busy....and we got forgot!! Also....pop was flat...had to get fizzy refills. Will not ever be back......so sad....Oh, she just stopped by to apologize and get the bill for us. I let her know I was not giving them a good review....she ripped the reciept off the machine and basically threw it at us.....wow! That dropped them from a 2 star to a 1 star. Spend ur $60 for 2 somewhere else! read more

Stopped by on a Saturday afternoon with a group of friends for drinks, eats, and to warm up a little. First thing I noticed was the strange layout, this place feels cramped as soon as you walk in. Granted, the restaurant goes way to the back, but it still feels pretty cramped. I would not want to be here when it's super busy. Waitress took some time to visit our table and then even longer to bring drinks. Oh well, I get pretty used to this in downtown Calgary. When we could finally order food, it didn't take too long to be ready and it was pretty good. Standard nachos and calamari, no complaints there. My $5 glasses of wine were tolerable enough as well. They did have a band set up on stage and do a sound check that was extremely loud. We didn't stick around long enough to hear them play, but I can tell you that sitting next to the stage would be way too close due to the nature of the layout. Not sure if I will return to this location any time soon. Not that I don't like OJ's, but this spot just wasn't my kind of atmosphere. read more

Half price wine on Thursdays, holla! I've been two thursdays in a row now... I can buy a bottle of wine for the same price as the liquor store and walk home with half the bottle... or less. I've also had two great waitresses in a row - very friendly, a bit funny and really attentive and helpful. Food... I enjoyed the cajun chicken burger, and the fish tacos w/ salad. I also tried the market soup - it was exactly Chunky vegetable soup, meh. read more

I first went to Original Joe's when I was attending university in Lethbridge. Since then, Original Joe's has become prevalent in cities across Alberta. I highly suggest it checking it out. The atmosphere is easy-going, but still polished. It's not a dive-bar by any stretch of the imagination. Back when I used to eat meat, I loved their burgers. Especially with the pasta salad as one of the sides. All sandwiches also come with two sides--with plenty of choices! It's an awesome deal!! I really enjoy the food, and it's a great place to chill out and enjoy a drink and meal with friends. I've never felt rushed to leave, despite sometimes lingering for several hours. read more

I went here during my visit to Calgary... The first big plus is that they are open late. It seemed like everywhere downtown sort of shuts down at 9pm. I was really hungry after a play and Original Joe's came to the rescue. I had the Thai-style Salad and it was very good. The grilled chicken, noodle and cashew nut mix was an unexpected combination... but it tasted great with the sauce. It is a place I will visit again. read more

Stopped in to Original Joe's during a business trip in Calgary in August 2011. Nice ambiance sitting at the bar and enjoyed my first Grasshopper wheat ale from local Big Rock Brewery. I will definitely have this beer again next time in the area. After enjoying my beer for a while I explored the menu and noticed a wide arrange of different foods (jambalaya, burgers, salmon). It was a good mix of food, which meant to me it was probably a chain restaurant, of which I later found out it was. No problem here though, because they had a summer fresh menu of which I ordered the Gogi Taco's. You knew I had to try the taco's if I saw them. The taco's consisted of pork shoulder and a ginger-cilantro slaw. These taco's were great! They were also served with some sweet potato fries which very tasty as well. Overall, very nice place and a good variety of food. Definitely recommend for the traveller looking for some variety and a local brew. read more

Worst service ever. Waitress, hostess and the lady who served us. Can't stand ppl who think they going to get tipped with non existent service. Waitress took off when one of the ladies in our group asked her to skip her first so that someone in our group who knew what they wanted could go first. Then I had to wave her down to get our order down. Then she asked if there was something wrong with the service. Well obviously if you didn't get a tip! Won't be going there again. read more

Generally speaking Original Joe's doesn't really offer anything different in its genre of restaurant, a mid to high end chain restaurant trying to be unique and different from the rest and in most cases failing. When travelling, a place like this is one I generally avoid. Why go some place I can visit back at home? One evening while visiting Calgary my wife and I found ourselves stopping in for a couple drinks and some appetizers. I did not have my hopes up but they were open and it seemed right at the moment. For various chain type restaurants reviews are always difficult, as these places try for some level of standardization while trying to feel unique. Do you review the restaurant as a chain or an individual place. I think there is sometimes room for both, but in this case I honestly felt this location (Stephen Ave) attempted to be different. A credit to management to really create a nice spot with quality drinks, a nice atmosphere and service. The food fits in with their average fair, not amazing but satisfying. Not horrible but you never know you may just crave that favourite dish of theirs from time to time. The food and drinks were good, I encourage you to decide for yourself. The real treat from this location was indeed the atmosphere and service. It in no way felt like a chain restaurant and really felt like it belonged on Stephen Ave with the other great niche and unique restaurants. Take a visit and decide for yourself but I think you will be pleasantly surprised. read more

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My sister and I were here looking for a bite to eat on our way home one Saturday night. Man, were we disappointed! We should have walked out after our first encounter with the waitress! She did nothing but complain about how tired she was (she didn't even bother to stand up to talk to us, choosing to sit down at an empty table instead). She also told us the kitchen closes at midnight, but they didn't want to stay open that long so would we please please hurry up and order now (it was 11:05)? The poutine we got was absolutely drowning in gravy - so much gravy! We had a plate of gravy left over when we had saved as many soggy fries as we could handle. The brussels sprouts were delicious. If I were the owner of this place I would be getting rid of some staff ASAP! I will never go back to this place, preferring to spend my money somewhere that at least tries to make me feel welcome. read more

A large group of us decided to go to Original Joe's, as our regular restaurant unfortunately shut down. It was a big group, 20 +. Our waitress seemed to flitter in and our of the area, making it extremely hard to get a menu, let alone a drink. After about 5-10 minutes, we got our drinks. Another 10 minutes until I got a menu. The food was mediocre, and much TOO overpriced. At the end of the night, it was an absolute nightmare! It took 15 minutes to find the waitress again, and she absolutely refused to split the bill, even after we told her over 15 people would be paying individually. Needless to say, we were left to using a piece of paper and writing down every single order. We will not be back ever again. Parking is a nightmare too! read more

During the lunch break while attending a conference downtown today, we decided (on my suggestion) that we go to Original Joe's - we were enroute to a different restaurant, but having eaten at Joe's at another location before, I thought it would be a safe bet. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but suffice to say that, although the food was up to it's usual standards, the service personnel were not. It took a long time for the drinks to arrive and our server took the orders of tables that arrived after us. When I (very politely) mentioned this to our server, she looked at me as if to say, "What do you want me to do about it?" She half heartedly apologized...but the damage was already done. I'll eat at Original Joe's again in the future, but I won't darken the doorstep of the downtown location ever again. read more