Amazing food, great vibe, excellent service. Do yourself a favour and ask for the trio...

My daughter wanted to do something special for us. We were all traveling back to the lower 48 after being in Anchorage for 5 months.We were all starving. The best thing was our server & the view. We shared the he Tomahawk Steak $160+, Raw & full of tendons & grissel. I wanted to complain, but didn't want my daughter to feel bad. Banff was spectacular, but did not care for the food read more

I was researching the best brunch place in Banff and found this place. We didn't make a reservation so we were able to get seated after 15 min or so of waiting. We were seated outdoor patio and we had hard time sitting there as there was no shade for the sun and it was super hot day, but they didn't have any other tables available so we had no option. The problem is that their service was so slow and we had to wait forever to even order our food and the sun was so unbearably hot. We were getting pretty frustrated but to offset our frustration, their food was amazing and I especially loved the stuffed French toast so much. I'm not sure if their dinner menu would be equally good but for the brunch, it was one of the best I've ever had. It definitely would have been 5 star if the service wasn't too slow and I'd love to go back when I have a chance as I really want to try their dinner menu too. read more

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I've been a fan of The Bison for years, but on a recent visit was truly disappointed. With two drinks, and a bill of $200, I expect service and the meal to be wonderful, but it really was just so-so. The fish was overcooked, and bland. The short ribs not particularly flavorful. The elk "poutine" was the best of the bunch. This is really come to be upscale pub food, not really a meal I'd look forward to. The wait service were all standing around talking to each other when we arrived. The waiter wasn't knowledgeable of any mocktails that could be made. His service was the bare minimum. I've ended going to restaurants where the experience isn't as great as one I can create for myself at home. Sadly, The Bison has become that place. read more

Excellent restaurant! We sat on the outdoor patio, and the chairs are so comfy! They have blankets to use as well. The service is friendly and efficient. The food is amazing. Highly recommend anything bison. We got the bison short ribs and bison burger. Both tasty. read more

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We held our wedding reception at the Bison Restaurant this past Friday. What an amazing experience! The level of attentiveness from the staff was truly remarkable. It was like they could predict what our guests needed before they asked for it. We have been raving about it all since Friday. All of our guests were so happy! The food was phenomenal! Every single course was great. They also accommodated vegan and gluten-free requests and the quality and taste of the food were not compromised. Pictures do not do the space justice. The decor is beautiful and ambiance is great, the open kitchen really adds a lot to the space. It was truly an honor to hold our wedding at the beautiful Bison Restaurant space. We highly recommend for dinner or celebrations and buyouts! Amazing experience! read more

This restaurant was highly recommend by some friends so on my trip to Banff I made an effort to make reservations to enjoy a meal unfortunately it was not so enjoyable. First, the service. My waitress was a snob. Short blonde hair, glasses and freckles. When we arrived there were only two other tables seated and 5 servers standing around so you would assume service would be fast. It took over 15 minutes for her to finally come over to take my order, another 10 minutes to receive the bread and my water glass was always empty. Halfway through the meal I wanted another glass of wine. But the waitress never came to check on me and didn't care to ask when she walked passed my table so I never made an effort to flag her down and order another. Second, the food. I went to The Bison with high hopes of trying the short ribs. When I was finally able to place my order she informed me (in a non-apologetic manner) that they wouldn't be ready for another two hours. TWO HOURS. This is something she should have mentioned to me 15 minutes ago when I was left with the menu and no water. I settled for the beetroot salad and the Bison Rib Eye cooked medium rare. The salad was delicious, a decent sized appetizer. The steak was good, not great. By the end of my meal I was too irritated to even enjoy dessert so I left. Overall, the restaurant did not meet my expectations and the food was not worth the price I paid. read more

Came in without reservations and they were able to squeeze us in within 30 mins on a Friday. Ordered the summer salad, elk poutine, and bone marrow. Food and drink orders came out quickly. The food was well prepared. Do not skip the gnocchi, a rather impressive feat and great fusion with the truffle and elk. Favorite meal while in banff. Wonderful atmosphere, great survive, and delicious food. read more

As a foodie hitting all alleged "can't miss" eateries in Banff, my wife and I had to try "The Bison". We had a relatively simple meal plan: Start with the cheese fondue app over a glass of white, and move onto a red meat fest of the Alberta AAA beef tenderloin and the Bison Strip and try to find a good wine match. Long and short: The decor was very nice: psuedo artsy, clean lines, with hints of frontier/western living influence. The food was good, but hardly epic. The tenderloin was cooked close to requested, while the bison was a bit over-done depsite the request to have it cooked as the chef recommended. And the bison strip itself was a bit anemic (5-6 ozs? tops) for the $45 price tag. WINE: The white wine list was solid, but for a restaurant that focuses on red meat, the red wine list was pathetic and suffered from dramatic overpricing. I realize alcohol is 40% more expensive in Canada than in the states due to the taxing policies, but there were $8 bottles of shwag cabernet on the list for $65. I am rarely offended by mark-ups on a wine list, but these prices were borderline insulting for the quality represented. They took a paragraph to preach about their commitment to the "slow food" movement, and then (with the exception of quite a few unknown Canadian wines) featured mass produced, corporate owned wine companies. Waitress was very polite, but didn't welcome us to the restaurant when she first met us or even tell us her name, or share any specials, or ask where we were from, etc (a bit out of place for the $100 pp joint). The waitress to her credit (and sweet nature) however did win us over when she graciously brought us a complimentary tasting of 2 local ports at the end of our meal to celebrate my birthday. This gesture was the most memorable part of the meal! All in all, a good experience, but if you are planning a big night out to buy a great bottle of cab and have it with a great steak, don't automatically put this one in your top three picks- read more

Heard high praise from friends, came here and was utterly disappointed. We ordered the lamb ribs, bison short ribs, bison ribeye (medium), and beef tenderloin (medium rare). The only entree that was hot was the bison short ribs. The lamb, bison ribeye, and beef tenderloin were cold to luke-warm and this was a consensus around the table. Now onto taste: bison short ribs lacked flavour, the bacon in this entree greatly overshadowed the taste in the short ribs. Ribs were fall-off-the-bone, I'll give it that. The bison ribeye came highly recommended; however, ours lacked taste. We struggled to eat it because neither the ribeye nor the sauce around the ribeye offered enough flavour. Our solution was to eat it with the side potatoes which, at least, were salted. Beef tenderloin had sufficient flavour, but it was cold. Overall, great atmosphere, good bread, terrible entrees. read more

Tourist trap to the left, tourist trap to the right. From what I can tell, there are some seriously good restaurants in Banff, but in a town like this it pays to be careful. We were first going to head to the Grizzly House (I'd been there some 25 years ago) but something else caught our eye. Bison steak you say? Courteous and professional service seated us outside with a glorious view of the mountains. We split a salad - a harvest salad with roasted squash - and the bison ribeye. They added $2 to the plate for splitting the steak, but it was definitely worth it. Wonderful presentation and great taste. If I had the choice between bison and beef in the future, I think I'd probably go for the safety of beef, but this was certainly worth a try. After desert (pound cake with white chocolate ice cream), we asked our server to recommend a place to get a drink that has a fireplace. Without blinking, he rattled off six names and sent us on our way with a smile. I don't know if it will be another 25 years until I'm in Banff, but I hope the Bison sticks around. #30DaysOfYelp (8/30) read more

A few of us stopped in at The Bison for dessert before heading back to Calgary. Any place that offers Smores on their dessert menu will easily win my heart, but this place STOLE my heart because their Smores are made with flourless chocolate cake. Um, can you say "every gluten-intolerant person's dream come true?!?!??!" And let me assure you, this was no simple Smore. This was THE best Smore I have EVER had. Aside from this heavenly dish, they also offer everything from cheesecake and chocolate tarts to cheese plates. Plus you know how I LOVE a great summer patio right? Well The Bison has got one of the best in all of Banff! The service and ambiance are perfect and they offer everything from brunch to my personal favourite - dessert. The next time you're in Banff, give The Bison a shot - I promise you wont regret it. read more

Positives: The Bison Tenderloin was hands down the best item of food we ate in Banff . I would definitely go back to try more. It was perfectly grilled medium rare, excellent cut, and expertly seasoned. We have discussed its perfection a couple of times since we ate there. My trailmix salad was unusual. The s'more dessert was beyond my hopes for the dessert. So melty. A flourless chocolate cake with a gigantic vanilla marshmellow, some kind of strawberry sauce, and a graham-cracker-like garnish. Mmm, now I'm thinking about that s'more again. I am planning to try, but fail, to replicate it at home. It was impossibly perfect. The rooms were light and airy feeling, and the architecture was fun. Mehs: The fondue plate was satisfying but not spectacular. I have made and eaten many fondues, and this was well above average but not special, even in a town full of fondue places against which fondue competition might be sharpen. Negatives: The decor looked like too many other we-are-trying-to-be-hip places. The art wasn't very interesting. When we first arrived at 8, they were playing techno/chill music, which is not always the best dinner music, especially when it is just loud enough to make conversation with our waiter an effort. They later started playing 70s and 80s music that was a pretty fun mix of somewhate interesting hits. The wine list had some nice items, but was overpriced. Even for Banff. read more

Loved the restaurant and great service! Beet Salad was a work of art - so pretty and a lot of flavour components. Elk Tartare was delicious and I liked the chia seed parmesan cracker. The Bison Ribeye was tender and perfect. Also had the Bison Ragu + Ricotta Dumplings - but felt this one was incredibly heavy and was a bit of a miss (minus one star because of it). read more

Service was outstanding, gave us great advice on food and things to do while visiting. We had the escargot (must have) the seared scallops, some of the BEST I've ever had, the spaetzle with the scallops was PHENOMENAL. For our main course we got the bison short ribs they were nothing short of amazing. The bones fell right off the bone, the sauce was to die for. I would drive hours just to eat here again. read more

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I've wanted to try brunch at The Bison for quite some time now. They serve, by FAR, the BEST brunch in Banff! I had the french toast and a coffee. This isn't plain old french toast that you'd expect some chain family restaurant to throw on a plate for you. No way. You have not even HAD french toast until you've tried this. The bread is soy-free (awesome)! It's served in a giant plate/bowl hybrid. Between two pieces of french toast is melted cheese and bacon. It's like an awesome surprise when you look at it because it's all hidden in there. On top is a big dollop of freshly whipped up cream with apple slaw - it's like an apple haystack! So neat! Under that is blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. There is no syrup - no need and no room for it! By far the best combo I've ever tasted - though I left much of the whipped cream on the side as I already felt I was overdoing it. I sat out on the patio and finished my meal just as the rain started picking up. I was wearing shorts and was offered a blanket. That was so considerate, though I declined. It wasn't really that cold and as a local, I can handle it. As they cleared my dish, I grabbed my coffee and sat in the covered area. I was the only one left outside when the rain hit, but it was so beautiful drinking coffee and watching the mist over the mountains. The wait staff were wonderful and accommodating. I tipped quite well because it was such a phenomenal experience, likely one of the best I've had in Banff so far. So if you're in Banff and seeking the best brunch in town, skip the over-priced buffets. Get some real food and awesome service at The Bison and you're set for the day. read more

Really nice casual atmosphere. Menu had lots of variation however we had some food allergies. Nick #3 was our waiter and pulled out all the stops with the chefs to find an option. Incredible food and great experience. read more

Decent, kinda pricey, small ish plates. Not too worth it. But not bad. Just meh.

This was fabulous! Great personal attention by John out server, great food as wine. Started with escargot for an appetizer , it was nice and garlicky and buttery. They serve complementary house made bread and butter which was delicious. My fiancée had the bison short ribs and I had a bison rib eye. Both were great, clean plates all around. Great local flavours, fresh menu items. More restaurants should pick up this concept of sourcing meat locally, it makes a big difference. Pecan pie for Dessert was lovely. We are stuffed and happy! read more

Wow, this was amazingly good food. From the foccacia bread to the dessert (baked alaska, the one time I've ever loved, let alone even LIKED, one) just an excellent meal. I really can't recommend this place enough. It's obviously pricey, but the food and service is genuinely just really good. 100% make a reservation if you ever want to eat here though. We were lucky to get one two weeks before we went for 8PM. Show up about 5 mins before our reservation to check-in and the crowd for the restaurant (and the two next to it) was insane. Lots of people trying to get a table with no reservation and no room to accommodate them, unfortunately. We still had to wait ~15 mins to be seated even with a reservation, so yeah, make a reservation. read more

We stumbled upon this restaurant after an afternoon time hike around the Banff area. What lured us in was the gnocchi poutine found on their menu - and thank goodness for that! The gnocchi poutine was melt in your mouth! The gnoochi was tender and unlike the usual chewy texture that gnocchi is often associated with. It was the perfect pairing with the curd cheese that was melted in oozing truffle gravy. We also got the fire roasted pepper (although good, nothing too special) and bison ribeye. We were sold on the bison ribeye when our server told us that the bison had a good amount of marbling. She wasn't lying, the bison wasn't lean at all and had enough fat to make the meat more juicy than what bison is typically known for. On top of delicious food, we were also able to enjoy it with excellent service. Our server was very attentive and warming. She was knowledgeable with the menu but also made sure to give us our space to enjoy our time there. I would definitely return! (and for that gnocchi poutine too..!) read more

This is where I take my friends and family when I introduce them to Banff. The Bison makes an effort to tell you where all their food comes from, and the dishes are to die for. Creative, fresh, and bursting with flavour. My favourite appetizer are the shrimp tacos (4 to a plate, great for sharing) and as a dish the black cod wrapped in prosciutto with roasted vegetables is divine. If you see the prices are more than you hoped for (about $30 a dish) then just get the bison burger, it's about $12 and just might be the best burger you've ever had. They even make their own mustard and ketchup. Deserts include such creative delicacies as lavender chocolate smores. It's also a great spot for hanging out for drinks on the patio. read more

Yelpers, thanks for helping me decide on this casual but nice restaurant to dine at on a recent Saturday evening in Banff. Make reservations - they only had 5:15, 7:15, and 9:15 slots available on Open Table (make sure you specify The Bison in the special requests, otherwise they might seat you at their sister pizza restaurant downstairs). We arrived about half an hour early and the people in line in front of us left because they didn't have reservations and couldn't get a spot - but when we arrived upstairs, the restaurant was more than half empty. I guess those three times are their only seating times. There is a nice small patio outside that was full though. The menu has a focus on Bison but there are also lots of other meats. A very creative menu overall (check it out along with prices on their website) that had just changed to its fall menu. For appetizers to share, we ordered the braised bison ravioli with diver scallop, cast iron flatbread, and pork belly parsnip soup. For mains, my fiancé ordered the bison ribeye, his mother ordered the bison short ribs, and I ordered the rack of lamb. The accompanying side of the day was a potato gratin. The appetizers didn't take too long to arrive - we had enough time to enjoy a glass of wine (I can't comment to the wine list because I wasn't the one picking). I don't usually like parsnips but the peppery taste was nice in the creamy soup. The three chunks of pork belly were crispy on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth on the inside. The ravioli is a single large one with a massive scallop on top, with a brown butter sauce and fried sage and garlic slivers on the side. The bison inside was pretty tasty, almost like a confit, and the scallop was just cooked (perfect). The flatbread was my favourite - it was like a pizza topped with arugula, bison slices, roasted shallots, shaved parmesan, and truffle oil. Swoon. The mains were all very tasty as well. My fiancé's ribeye was cooked as requested to medium rare. I've never really had bison before and it tasted just like steak to me. The bison short ribs were good as well - fall-off-the-bone tenderness served in a cast iron skillet with root vegetables. My rack of lamb was good too - 3 or 4 (can't remember) tasty pieces but unfortunately cooked to medium instead of medium rare, a big no-no! The potato gratin came in a wedge and was very delicious though it could have been a touch less salty. Once the restaurant filled up, the ambiance was good, the noise level was high but not so high that you had to yell at each other. Service was pretty good as well - the waitress came by pretty regularly to fill up our water and wine glasses. My only gripe other than the medium lamb is that it is definitely on the expensive side of a casual restaurant. The food is good but the prices are more in line with an upscale, dress-up-to-eat-in restaurant. That being said it could just be Banff over-inflated prices. If I could give this 4.5 stars, I would. All in all, I would recommend this place, and would definitely go back for another visit. read more

Fine dining in Banff. This is your traditional casual fine dining in Banff, which is very popular. This place requires reservation, serving game meat like bison and elk. food: 4.5/5 we tried New York steak, bison steak, elk poutine, miso chicken, and ribs. All were very good. Surprisingly, the miso chicken was very juicy and tender. The elk and bison steak has no musky gammy odor. The salad was so-so. ambiance: 4.5/5 This place was divided into two parts; gourmet pizza on 1st floor and bistro on the second floor. The ambiance was modern. There was also live music with a singer in the bistro. cleanliness: 4.5/5 clean and modern. cost: 4/5 casual fine dining with cost about $30-50 Canadian Dollars per person. But factor in the exchange rate, this place is a good deal. parking: 4/5 there is a public parking across the street but very small. We were there on the day that it rains, so luckily, we got a decent parking spot. service: 4/5 attentive waiter. Overall: 4.5/5 This place and the food is good, but there is something missing (intangibles) for a solid 5 stars. Nevertheless, do visit and try the bison steak and the miso chicken. read more

Came here for brunch today, got a table within 5-10 minutes which was pretty good. Brunch menu has a good selection, I ordered the bison breakfast sandwich simply because I seen someone getting the sausage as I was walking to our table and it looked amazing. We waited at least 40 minutes for our food to arrive which was way too long. Once I got my food I was so disappointed as the bison did not come as a normal sausage it was a patty. Overall it tasted good but I really wanted it to be a sausage. read more

The Bison Restaurant - Bison Breakfast Sandwich - Canadian (New) Near Me - Banff, Alberta

I love coming here. The food is amazing and we also like that most of the ingredients for the food is sourced locally.

I ate here as part of the Banff Bon Apetit festival. Restaurants in the area were offering prix fix special menus to showcase their food. It was a toss up between Bison and a tapas bar, and I'm glad we chose this one. Excellent food, excellent service! We stayed so long enjoying the grub and the friendliness of our server, that I thought they were going to charge us rent! read more

Raves for the Bison Carpaccio - one of the best dishes I had in Banff! It came topped with baby arugula, shaved parmesan & yummy truffle oil! Delicious. Bison Rib-Eye - delicious - tender & juicy, perfectly cooked. My brother-in-law had the Duck Breast & told us it was his favorite dish in Banff. Unfortunately they were out of Steelhead Trout, it was substituted with Salmon but it was still great! The cabbage/back slaw it's served with is also very tasty, I think it's cooked in red wine. We could not decide on a bottle of red wine, so the waitress brought us a small glass of our 2 top choices to taste. Our waitress was prompt & friendly....the place was busy upstairs & downstairs when we got there & I can see why! read more

Good food, bit pricey, inattentive service. Went for a sunny summer lunch on the way to getting some hiking in. The outdoor patio is a great place to relax and looks over a nice square which is perfect for people watching. The beer selection is quite good with some interesting local breweries mixed in with the usual suspects. Had the Grumpy Bear Honey Wheat beer which was tasty and different. I remember being really impressed with their dinner menu which is extensive and creative. Lunch was a bit of a disappointment as the selection is significantly less in both these factors. While it was hearty and tasty, it did not have the wow factor that the dinner menu entails. I guess it should be expected as the lunch menu prices are a significant step down from dinner prices. The biggest negative for me was the server. Throughout the meal, I continued to get the feeling that our waitress did not want to be there. From staring into space while reciting the specials, not listening to the drink orders and disappearing after dropping off the bill, it was a bit of a customer relations disaster. I will likely give the Bison another shot for dinner as I see alot of potential here. Too bad customer service ruined an otherwise positive experience. 7/30 read more

Well, it's not clear they know how to cook things the right amount of time. My salmon was first overdone and then slightly undone. In any case, they get bonus points for the server trying hard to get it right and the food generally being enjoyable. They should cut their prices, though. Please? read more

My rating really should be 3.5 stars rather than 3. Based on other reviewers on this site, we tried Bison. Was I impressed? No. Was I disappointed? No. The food was just average in my mind whereas for the money I would have expected more than we got. I had the beef tenderloin and it was okay...again nothing to die for. The wine selection was good and I did like the ambiance. The restaurant is open and airy with windows to allow the patrons to take in the views. Banff is a touristy town so don't expect fine quality food...recall that they do not have to maintain a steady customer base since they rely on generally one-time visits from tourists. If I had friends coming to the Banff area I would recommend not eating in Banff and heading south to Canmore where the good restaurants are. In a pinch, Bison will do I you don't have a car or don't feel like driving, but you will be spending unnecessary money for the quality of food you receive. read more

More like 3.5. The staff was very attentive and that is always a plus for us. The restaurant is in the second floor in the middle of Banff. Plenty of parking around when we were there in March. The braised pork appetizer (3) was good but nothing memorable. I had the venison, which was really good, but a little over done (I ordered medium and got medium well). My husband's ribeye was also a bit overdone: he ordered medium rare, but got medium. My venison came with vegetables and smashed white carrot, which was super yummy. We had no room for desert. We would probably be back next time we visit Banff. read more

The Bison Restaurant - The restaurant before pick dinner time. - Canadian (New) Near Me - Banff, Alberta

If you're considering this spot - yes, go! Great food, drinks & atmosphere. Our server was friendly and attentive. The peppers appetizer was delicious and the filet was definitely one of the best cuts I've ever had. Our friends raved over the chicken dish. My husband got the halibut, which was the least favorite dish in our group. Overall, a great dining experience in charming downtown Banff. read more

We enjoyed our dinner at Bison and came recommended from our hotel as one of the best. Perhaps it was the hype, but the food, while good, didn't live up to the rave reviews. The elk gnocchi is a must order and quite inventive. I ordered the bison flank steak as they had run out of the other bison special. My steak was, meh. It could have been that it got cold quite easily but it seemed rather tough. It could be that I had the B option but it wasn't great. The service was good and the wine was a nice local wine. As for my dining partner, he ordered the venison loin, which I tasted and was better than my flank steak. However, the stand out was the elk gnocchi. 4stars for the elk gnocchi 2 stars for my flank steak 3 stars for the venison read more

This restaurant is unbelievably good. The food is exceptional and our server, Liz, was the best of the best. She accommodated my allergy in every course that we ordered. Her personality was fantastic and she made the experience even better. Thank you Liz for making our engagement dinner so wonderful. Cannot wait to try Brunch here on Sunday!! read more

We went here twice on our five day trip. It was that good! The service was excellent but the food was even better. Unique and high-end food options that were absolutely amazing. We also loved the atmosphere and local wine options. I highly recommend visiting The Bison! read more

Great food, attentive service, and cozy atmosphere, what can I ask more? We had Braised Pork Arancini to start. It was an interesting dish with "maple kimchi." Kimchi tasted a little sour. I got Gnocchi Poutine. I really liked the rich taste of gnocchi, cheese and shreds of 24-hour braised elk meat. Elk has a distinct taste. It is kind of like beef but gamier. The waiter was very friendly. It seems common for the wait staff to ask you where you're from and ask to hear about how your trip is going and which tourist site you have been most impressed with. This restaurant is located on the upper-floor; and through the windows, you can see the tourists and the streets of Banff. read more

We were so disappointed with our meal here! The last night of our honeymoon, and we had been saving the recommended Bison for last. Positives: We told the reservations it was our honeymoon and they gave us a nice table near the windows (there are many). The waitress was well-informed with the menu and wine selections and gave great wine recommendations. Negatives: Our waitress was cold (we told her we were on our honeymoon and she gave us a blank stare, followed by "oh"), the food was only OK: escargot was terrible, mushroom puff pastry palatable, and the bison fatty. read more

We got the charcuterie plate, smoked albacore, and the pork plate, which was a pork tenderloin and a pork belly. I thought the tenderloin was a little overdone, but the pork belly was very satisfying. The skin was chewy and cartilaginous, the fat partly liquid, and the meat very thin. As a fan of pork bellies in Chinese food, I had never had it in the context of another cuisine, but was delighted with how it turned out. The side was a wet mixture of wild rice and corn, also very nice. The albacore too, was cooked well. So, the one rueful thing about the dinner, was that everything tasted smoked, which got monotonous after awhile; that and the service was very slow. A reluctant four. read more

Wasn't too impressed with this restaurant. Food was cooked well but not quite at the fine dining level.