Aloha Modern Kitchen - A Taste of the Islands Right Here in Calgary!…read more I've been meaning to check out Aloha Modern Kitchen for quite some time, and I finally had the chance to visit this past Sunday evening. Let me just say--it was well worth the wait! We ordered the Maui Ribs, Loco Moco, Charred Broccolini, and a few cocktails to round out the evening. As someone who's had my fair share of Loco Moco in Hawaii (it's my go-to breakfast item whenever I visit the islands), I was extremely excited to try it here in Calgary. To my amazement, Aloha's version did not disappoint--the Loco Moco and Maui Ribs were absolutely incredible! Packed with flavor, perfectly juicy, and cooked to perfection. I couldn't stop raving about it, and my guest was equally impressed. If you're looking for an authentic taste of the islands without hopping on a plane, I highly recommend dining at Aloha Modern Kitchen. It's a little slice of Hawaii right in the city.

The owner says he prides himself after training under the chef of Tin Roof Maui. I've been to Tin…read moreRoof Maui many times over the years. So here we go: We came for Lunch at The Aloha Modern Kitchen for all the raving reviews on line. Aloha Modern Kitchen food has a different flavour in food by far, not in a bad way at all it's not what we are use to in Hawaii. I know we are land locked as well as we can't get most of the Hawaiian spices as well as Aloha Soy. I wanted to so try the poke, but we have been spoiled with fresh fish in Hawaii. I didn't want to be let down with not fresh or frozen fish. Instead ordered appetizer of one Spam Musubi and the main was Mochiko Chicken plate lunch comes with 2 scoops rice and a small spoon of Mac salad and a Mochiko Chicken sandwich with fresh cut fries. Let's start with the Musubi with spam. Was very sweet and didn't taste anything like in Hawaii. Understand Aloha soy is not available in Canada, still tasted good was over priced for the small size at $6.00 for one cut at an angle. The two cheapest ingredients rice sprinkled with Nori and spam put together with soy and dried seaweed. It was small compared to what we get in Hawaii. Now the plate lunch, the Mochiko chicken was crispy and tender with just enough spice, rice beautifully cooked Hawaiian Mac Salad no flavour.$18.00 Mochiko Chicken sandwich was nicely presented with home cut fries chicken crispy and tenter very flavourful $21.00 Ordered one drink Lava Flow over priced for a martini glass that it came in at $15.00. Where we are use to a good size glass again in Hawaii. (I know I say this a lot) I'm not complaining by any means we are so use to the food in Hawaii and to try Hawaiian food in Canada just isn't the same. Still it's a nice treat!! I gave this place 5 star because it made it with ingredients they were able to get and worked with what they were given to give a close taste of Hawaiian food. All in all the food tasted good. -The service was wonderful -inside very clean and had the Hawaiian vibe -washroom very clean with a Hawaiian vibe. -parking is pay parking very limited first hour free. Will at some point go here for dinner.

The wild salmon croissant Benedict was genuinely excellent. On food alone, I'd happily come back…read more Unfortunately, the service made that unlikely. When we were seated, our server told us the table time limit was "an hour to an hour and a half." Fair enough. Most brunch spots give you a solid 90 minutes. But 50 minutes in, a different server advised us we had 10 minutes left. That's a 60-minute window, not the 90 we'd been quoted, and it wasn't framed as an apology or a one-off. Just a clipped warning. Being abruptly rushed out more than half an hour earlier than promised soured what should have been a really lovely morning with family who I hadn't seen in years. If you're popping in solo for a quick bite, the kitchen earns the trip. If you're hoping for an unhurried meal with people who actually matter to you, I'd look somewhere else.

A VERY special and LOUD shout out to hostess Phoebe for making my birthday EXTRA happy this past…read moreSaturday. Kind, well-spoken, gentle, efficient, always a smile on her face and she went above and beyond. I had a 12:15 pm reservation. Unfortunately a group was taking much longer than expected. I waited over 30+ mins to be seated and so yes, I could've made a scene, but that wouldn't be me. Phoebe could've just let things be ... you know? Because "it is what it is". But she didn't. Once she seated me and my friend, she offered to take photos for me and of me. SO thoughtful! She also brought me a beautiful ice cream with a sparkling candle in it. SO sweet! She smiled at me every time she walked by almost as a way to make sure I was doing OK and feeling good. She was WAY more attentive than our female server who looked, sounded and acted like she couldn't leave work soon enough. Wasn't going to let her dampen my birthday though... Food tasted good. Presentation was beautiful. The male server who took over was SUPERB. Genuinely happy to "close out" our transaction with him. He was super attentive and willing to make everything go well. Thank you, Phoebe and male server for making my birthday memorable. XO

We walked in and were sat down pretty quickly on a Saturday night, the place was pretty packed too…read more Overall, the bar area has a really cool vibe and the staff was really great! I ordered the love lace and my partner got the brass tacks. Next time I would probably go with something else but overall we had a good experience.

This is a fun, hip bar with skilled bartenders…read more We sat at the bar and were entertained by watching the bartenders whip up all their menu requests. Bottles were flipped, beverages were poured from heights, liquids were stirred with finesse. All the servers were friendly.

Lovely place! Definitely one of the more unique speakeasies I've been to and was certainly…read moreimpressed. I'd recommend making a reservation beforehand. My boyfriend and I attended when they were having their burlesque show and it was so much fun! I wasn't sure what to expect but the dancers and the music definitely kept us entertained. The food and the drinks were amazing as well as their service. I'll certainly return!

This place was great to work. In my industry experience, one of the best places that I've worked…read more It's been awhile where I can say "I genuinely loved working at Betty Lou's. For the owner, I can't say the same He has asked me "so, how can we can we improve at Betty Lou's". No matter what you say, it doesn't really matter. The owner seems to weaponize feedback, which is completely toxic. Sure, you're the owner, absolute respect to you for making this fair in this industry, it's accomplishment. However、please do not ask serving or bartending staff if you don't want genuine feedback. The owner will act against you. We requested one time that Blaine (the owner) does not come on floor if he's had more than two drinks and if he's not dressed in proper uniform. As an owner, sure, to some extent that's fine. But when you threaten a server, who is still new, you will fire them based off how long you're doing menu tours is not acceptable. If you didn't know, menu tours are just running through the drinks and food, which can take a considerable amount of time when you are busy. Now imagine the owner is so disconnected from the reality of the service, is also five drinks deep in the office. The owner will award you back off a few good days, but if you have one review where a customer believes you didn't believe you delivered "a personable experience" you're done. Now, that seems rough, but imagine an owner who values complete bullshit over actual truth. But I mean hey, would I work an environment where the owner can flip a switch, absolutely. It doesn't matter So hey, if you get hired at Betty Lou's, got bless you You can have a good few days, but ultimately, it doesn't matter. There is no HR, no general manger, you know why? They've left, to better and more complete opportunities that Betty Lou's cannot offer. If you're looking for any place to work, please, reconsider Betty Lou's. If you're looking for a place to drink, please reconsider Betty Lou's

cheese + chips was 12/10 - may have been a bit tipsy and snackish but it was soooo good if I…read moreremember correctly! And good price! Harvest Hills 12/10. So smooth, such a great drink. Every time we come into town we stop here!

Shelter is one of my favourite speakeasy bars in Calgary, along with Betty Lou's Library. I brought…read morea work crush here on a date back in 2018, and it was romantic. I remember the drinks were excellent and the vibe was impeccable. Although that romance didn't go anywhere, she bought me an iced coffee the next day at work.

I can't say enough about Porch! Such good food, and the ambiance is stunning. Especially for a nice…read moredinner with friends or if you're trying to impress a date. Their salmon was fantastic. I'm always scared it's going to be overcooked, because at many restaurants the fish usually is, but this was perfectly grilled and well seasoned. The bed of veggies underneath had a really nice, subtle flavor that complemented the fish without overpowering it. I also ordered their banana cocktail, which honestly surprised me. I didn't think I would ever like banana in a cocktail, but it was absolute heaven. Smooth, balanced, and not overly sweet. One of those drinks you think about ordering again halfway through. For food, I also had the braised short ribs, and they were excellent. Super tender, rich, and full of flavor. Definitely one of those comforting dishes that still feels elevated and well executed. The decor deserves its own mention. The space is warm, stylish, and thoughtfully designed, and there's an actual live tree inside the restaurant, which is such a cool touch. You can already tell this place must be incredible in the summer when everything is open and lively. Overall, Porch delivers on food, drinks, and atmosphere. Easily a spot I'd come back to, whether for dinner, drinks, or a special night out.

We were originally going to another brunch spot but they were way too busy so we looked up more…read moreoptions on Yelp and came across Porch. We saw they were going to open at 11am, and decided to try our luck by getting there right at opening since we didn't have a reservation. We got lucky and got seated right away! - PARKING - Street parking, make sure you take note of how long you paid for! - SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - The ambiance inside is so nice and airy, with greenery and natural light shining through. There's also a super cute swing area next to the bar area that you can sit. I really liked the overall interior design! The staff was very attentive for our large party throughout our meal. There are bathrooms downstairs as well. - FOOD - Bacon Jam Benedict ($20.00): Loved the flavor combination in this! The sweet savory maple bacon jam worked so well! We upgraded to the fried potatoes ($4.00) and they were pretty tasty. Carrot Cake French Toast ($24.00): We got one to share with the table, and I'm glad we didn't commit because it was just OK to me. I wish there was more mascarpone filling, and also a different sauce than chocolate because it didn't pair well for me. Winter Nights ($19.00): We wanted to get some greens in and chose this salad. I enjoyed the mix of greens and also the fennel salami which gave a salty bite! Truffle Parm Fries ($13.00): We also got this to share with the table and you can't go wrong with these! - OVERALL - Great brunch option if you have a small or large group! Really nice airy ambiance for a nice start to your day.

Took my daughter home for lunch December 29. We drove by we decided to go into the cannabis club…read morewhen we got in there. It was busy but we were greeted by the people upfront very nice both my daughter and I ordered burgers and fries. Oh my God so delicious and then for dessert we had an eggnog cheesecake display pretty good.

Great vibe. Great service -The Ravioli and Prawn dish is the best…read more as well as the Caesar salad. BLOOD 'N BLANCO cocktail is also recommended!

An all-around great food and shopping experience. Food quality is amazing and prices very…read morereasonable.

Lina's is a local spot, but Italy specific. Great selection of pasta, dishes, sauces. We had…read morewine, pasta, meats, desserts and great , patient service.

Lovely patio, tasty coffee, and very good food! Had to modify something to make it vegetarian, but…read moreit was doable and they subbed in a tomato for the sausage :) would definitely come back!

Came on a weekday night so it wasn't too busy. Bottom line was the drink was good, the service was…read morefabulous, and the chips were totally forgettable. Got the Jungle Bird (like many others on Yelp it seems) and thought it was pretty tasty. Can't go wrong with pineapple. The bar chips we ordered tasted like they came straight out of a bag, so nothing to write home about there. The bartender was exceptionally friendly and told us about his travels throughout Canada and the world. Always cool when you get a chance to speak with people with different experiences than your own. The setting itself is awesome--who wouldn't want to drink in the back of a barber shop? I'd have no issue coming back next time I'm in Calgary.

Located inside a climbing gym (I know it's unusual, but bear with me!), Approach Cafe and Bar is a…read moreone of a kind stop. I recently went there with a couple of friends, and I'm inclined to say that it could become one of my new favorite restaurants in Calgary. They have a seasonal menu, which makes the thought of coming back each time pretty exciting. When we went the first time, we tried the Korean fried chicken sandwich, the daily special - honey kimchi burger, and the halloumi sandwich. All were excellent! The desserts were also amazing, the panna cotta was frozen, which they explained, but I wasn't mad about it. At first, it felt a little strange to be eating inside a gym, but I actually liked seeing all the action. It was also really decent prices for the quality of food! I'm really looking forward to going back and trying their newest creations.

This is a nice hidden gem in Shawnessy. It's in a weird location with terrible parking and zero…read moresignage. Therefore, it's hard to find. They are located in a Climbing centre. Have a look at my photos and you will understand. It's a small menu and it looks as though they specialize in the Benedicts. Therefore, I ordered the zucchini benny and it was delicious. The Egg was cooked perfectly and the flavours are there. The presentation is very nice. Also, while you eat you get to watch people climb. Like I mention before, it's a weird place to a cafe and because of this I don't think too many people know about this restaurant. They definitely need some type of sign because there is zero outside. They are only attracting the climbing patrons and they need to do a better job advertise to bring in other members of the public. I only heard about this place thanks to the YYC Facebook Foodie group. Otherwise I wouldn't have known about this place. There isn't too many breakfast cafes in this area so I think it would attract more customers if they advertise themselves more.