Sam's Kitchen -An Indian Restaurant -Drumheller — Restaurant in Alberta

As someone who frequently dines out and supports local businesses, I am deeply disappointed not only by the quality of food we received at Sam’s Kitchen, but more so by the restaurant’s highly inappropriate and unprofessional public response to our feedback.

While taste is subjective and reviews may vary, what is not acceptable under any circumstance is a business publicly disclosing or fabricating details about its customers’ movements or intentions — such as falsely stating that “we were going back to Edmonton” or that we were “roaming around town.” These comments are speculative, irrelevant, and amount to a serious breach of privacy and customer trust.

To be clear: we visited the city for professional reasons, and our activities after dining are private matters. No business has the legal or ethical right to track or publicly comment on a patron’s whereabouts or intentions. Doing so may be viewed as defamatory, intrusive, and a violation of privacy under Canadian privacy laws and consumer protection standards.

Further, instead of engaging in a courteous, private conversation to understand and address our concerns, the restaurant chose to publicly discredit its customers with condescending accusations and fabricated narratives. This is not how any high-standard, hospitality-focused establishment operates. Reputable restaurants address criticism professionally, with respect — not retaliation.

Regarding the food, our concerns were raised respectfully and truthfully. The samosas were clearly frozen and undercooked, and the chicken dishes tasted stale and of poor quality. These observations are valid and reflect our genuine experience. The suggestion that we consumed everything without issue is inaccurate — dissatisfaction was expressed during the visit but was ignored.

I urge the management to reflect on how they handle feedback and to consider the legal and reputational risks of publicly misrepresenting and making personal comments about patrons. It is in the best interest of any hospitality business to foster transparency, accountability, and above all, respect for its customers’ privacy and...

We eat out occasionally, but rarely for Indian food, mainly because I make really good Indian food at home, and most restaurants just don’t live up to the flavor or feel worth the outing. I’ve tried Indian restaurants across Canada...Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, you name it. And so many places rely on the same base sauce for every dish. It’s like they change the protein and call it something different, but the taste is nearly identical across the menu.

But Sam’s Kitchen? Completely different.

We were visiting Drumheller and looking for the best place to eat, and Sam’s Kitchen kept coming up in the reviews. We decided to give it a shot just based on the reviews and we are so glad we did.

Every single dish had its own distinct personality. You could tell the recipes weren’t mass-produced or simplified for convenience. The spices, balance, and textures were clearly made with intention and care. It felt like true home-style Indian food, elevated with professional technique.

We had the chance to chat with the owner-chef, and he shared his cooking process with us. You could see how passionate he is about staying true to authentic Indian cuisine, not cutting corners, and not repeating the same base for different dishes. His recipes are original, thoughtful, and rooted in tradition, but still accessible and exciting for anyone who appreciates good food.

And the prices aren't outrageous, unlike most other Indian restaurants, which makes your experience even better.

And the service? Harman, our server, was absolutely incredible. Warm, welcoming, and genuine. She made us feel like we were having dinner at a family friend’s house. Every single dish she recommended was a hit. And she didn’t just upsell, she actually looked out for us. When she felt we were ordering too much food, she told us. That kind of honesty and care is rare and refreshing.

We’ll 100% be back the next time we’re in Drumheller.

And honestly, even if you’re not in town, make the trek just for Sam’s Kitchen. It’s that good. A hidden gem serving some of the best, most authentic Indian food we’ve ever...

Let me get something out of the way right at the beginning, the best Dal makhani I had so far in Canada, which includes multiple restaurants across Toronto, Montreal and Calgary.

Being from India, I usually don’t expect too much from an Indian cuisine restaurant which is not in one of the major immigration hubs like Toronto Vancouver Calgary etc. My expectations of Sam’s kitchen was that bare minimum I can get some roti and Indian flavored curries or daal. Considering it was the only Indian restaurant I could find in Drumheller in google maps.

Arriving here also did not instill too high a confidence as this was a smallish place albeit with its own parking.

But boy o boy, was I surprised and not just me but my entire family. The food was simply amazing. The lachha paratha was fluffy, rich yet not heavy. The three curries that we ordered were splendid and the Daal makhani, as good as you could get at an authentic Punjabi dhaba. And do they know their customers, the whole ensemble was served with slices of onions and green chillies with a slice of lemon. No additional charge for this. The cherry on the cake was the chai that was served at the end(pro-tip, order your chai with your order, giving them time to prepare with enough time.)

Overall it was an amazing trip what with seeing the marvelous Hoodoos badlands, a trip with only that could have been a highlight but this small restaurant made everything additionally enchanting.

The only regret that I have is that I forgot to ask the name of the person who served us. Shout out to...