Elk & Oarsman Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Banff

We created an account specifically to leave this review, as our recent visit was quite disappointing. We’ve enjoyed dining at various restaurants in the area without issue, but unfortunately, our experience at this establishment left us feeling unwelcome — particularly because we have four children. Our children (ages 6, 8, 8, and 9) are well-behaved, respectful, experienced with dining out; and presented as such. We are always mindful of where we dine, especially as a larger family, due to the expense and logistics. Upon arrival, we asked about rooftop seating and were immediately told that “80 people” had just been seated and that accommodating a group of six would be “really difficult.” We asked if we could wait for a table to open but were told the rooftop was first-come, first-served— which we respected. We were then seated indoors, in a somewhat isolated corner of the restaurant with constant foot traffic from staff and patrons in multiple directions. It felt like we were being placed out of the way, even though there were other more pleasant seating options available. Notably, a group of eight came down from the rooftop as we were being seated, and shortly afterward, my husband went upstairs and observed that there were indeed open tables. We understand that timing can be tricky, and tried to give the benefit of the doubt. However, service throughout the meal was disjointed. We didn’t receive a proper introduction, and several different people attended to our table — we weren’t even sure who our actual server was. In the end we asked for the remainder of our kids meals and the check. We visited on a Thursday at 1:45pm, which did not appear to be peak hours. While we understand if there are policies or preferences around rooftop seating — especially concerning children — it would be more respectful and helpful to communicate that clearly. If there’s an age restriction or other limitation, stating it upfront would avoid confusion or discomfort. Unfortunately, based on our experience, we did not find the service or environment to be particularly family-friendly. While the food was decent, we will be dining elsewhere in the future — at places where we know the service is warmer and more consistent, and where our family...

We were sitting at a very average bar on an average night. From across the street, we saw this beacon of light. TV's were positioned at every imaginable angle and this warm welcoming light emitted from this beautiful timber framed bar. Off we went to Elk and Oarsman.

I will begin with the food and drink; we were able to order 3L of beer for 40 dollars and the beer arrived in this groovy beer tower. Our server was a super friendly guy and had the freshest mullet I have seen. We ordered the Pineapple Fuego wings. The wings were crispy and the sauce was a pineapple curry that was made from scratch and not poured from a bottle.

The music was just loud enough that I could hear my friend, and most patrons were insulated from my obnoxious laughter. My friend could enjoy his sports and I was just happy to hear some old school hiphop instead of "what the kids like" music.

My favourite part of the bar was a fellow named 'Cricket'. I had no idea the expanse of the bar, and he showed a bit more of the interior of the building. He was so proud to show us this gorgeous bar with timber beams and fireplaces about. His recent updates for 2023 and all his future plans just make the place even more cozy. I still can't believe he ran down the stairs to return my phone after giving us a grand tour of his awesome hang out. What an awesome dude.

We were blown away by this place and all we did was have some beer and wings. I haven't even tried their burgers and the patio is legendary. What a wonderful establishment. I am greatly looking forward to visiting these great...

Myself and 3 friends went here looking for a 8pm dinner. Their menu looked interesting and there seemed to be lots of options that everyone would like.

There is a friendly and lively bar atmosphere. The servers and hosts greeted us warmly. It only took a few minutes and we were seated.

We ordered the spinach and artichoke dip for starters. It came with the tortilla style chips and a fried pita style chip. The dish was enjoyable, the only recommendation we'd have would be to have more dip. As we ran out half way into the dish.

For our meal we had their elk poutin, elk burger, Flatbread, wings, and their quesadilla. We really enjoyed everything. It took awhile to arrive... But good things come in time.

Other key observations: -Our server was on the ball. Constantly refilling my soda, and checking in on the others sangria and beers. She came at a good time during the meal to ask how things were and did a fantastic job. -The floors floors were dirty... There was even a tooth/gums cleaner left on it the entirety of our meal. (minor but would have been nice to see someone clean it up). -the...