The Fat Ox of Banff — Restaurant in Banff

Starting with the service, initial impression… our waiter Jordan seemed incredibly friendly and personable, helpful and attentive. So we were all collectively surprised when the cracks started to show. My first thought is that there’s a system issue with how orders are taken and put in, especially given the food runners had no idea where to put what plate. If you don’t take down orders by seat, you really need to start. This would’ve addressed the issue we had with our checks. Granted, we’re a large group splitting checks into 3 ways, but we’d also been on vacation for 9 days now and this is the first time we’d ever had such a hard time getting clean bills. And this was with us starting off letting him know we were three families and outlining who was with who (and sitting together too). It shouldn’t take 30+ minutes and 3 separate attempts to get the bills only 90% correct. There were also really large gaps in between courses. He didn’t seem to want to take our entree orders with the appetizers, so we ended up finishing our apps before entree orders were even taken.

Food was… mixed to say the least. We had the bruschetta (a little under-seasoned), elk meatballs, and cucumbers - overall good. For entrees, I enjoyed the lamb osso bucco and also had a very good bite of the chicken francese. However everyone who got pasta said they thought the water that the pasta was cooked in hadn’t been salted. I had a taste as well of the tagliatelle (thoroughly underwhelming flavor) and concur… either not salted, or barely. The disparity in portion sizes was also noticeable. If you get pasta for dinner, be prepared to walk away hungry.

No spare plates were provided for the two diners who had shellfish in their entree so they were stuck piling the shells to the side. One person got a side of plain pasta and the mushroom ragu that he’d wanted to mix together in addition to a full entree, admittedly an odd request, but not one that should throw off a professional chef if they agree to it, however the pasta was totally clumped together (toss it in some olive oil next time) and the mushroom ragu was incredibly bitter and crunchy... can something be both undercooked and burnt at the same time? I’m assuming that’s not the intended bite, but if it is, let’s go back to the drawing board with that one, even if it’s meant to sit on top of a steak. Not pleasant at all.

The day we ate here was exactly one month since they opened and they’re clearly still working through some kinks. If I was local, I’d give them another shot, but maybe not for another couple of months. If this was an established place, I’d have given it one less star but giving a little grace due to the timing. There’s potential, but definitely needs some...

It looks like the owners and employees families have been busy padding the reviews for this recent startup, as the experience I had tonight was one of the worst dining experiences I have had in many years. Food ran the gamut from very good to inedible, but the service and pacing was not only not ready for prime time, but I would say it was not ready to open the doors to the public, this despite being only 2/3 full.

Let me at least start with the only bright spot - the appetizers were well presented and quite tasty. I would recommend the burrata, the elk meatballs, and the cucumber salad - all fresh and well prepared. The chicken Francese was also impressively done - breast meat cooked through but tender, juicy, and very tasty.

But if you are in the mood for pasta, you would be better off going to the Olive Garden or any other random restaurant whose name ends in a vowel. The Bison tagliatelle bolognese was an absolute disaster - Unsalted undercooked pasta, flavorless meat, and a portion size fit for a small child, through I would say most of the latter would have found Gerber spaghetti O’s more satisfying. The mushrooms in the mushroom sauce were both crunchy and chewy - it takes a really talented chef to get them to that consistency, and a really hearty and hungry patron to tolerate them.

But the real issue with this venue was the service. The appetizers were delivered in an almost reasonable timeframe, but it was not until long after we finished them that the waiter came to take our main course order, and going with the Olympics theme we could have run a 10k and a 5k by the time they were finally delivered.

While we always look forward to the dessert course, by that time, we were more than ready to get out of there. But the real fun started when we asked for the check which was to be allocated and split across three families. We were seated together by family, and told the waiter how it would be divided when we first sat down, and again when we asked for the check. This is a pretty normal protocol in tourist areas like Banff, but based on the result you would think we had asked the waiter to solve the extra credit problem on an advanced calculus exam. The items were overstated, on the wrong bill, and there were more mains than people on one bill. After three 5+ minute rounds, we just gave up and paid up - he just wore us down.

This place has potential, but there are a hundred better options in Banff, and if they survive until 2025, they might be...

Some places serve great food. Others make you feel welcome. Fat Ox does both, and then some.

During our short stay in Banff, my boyfriend and I stumbled upon this little gem for lunch—and by the time we left, we already knew we'd be back for dinner. And breakfast. Yes, it was that good.

Our first taste of Fat Ox was the frittata (a dish so good we ordered it twice during our visit) and the smoked salmon crepes—both bursting with flavor. Then came the pasta carbonara and black linguini vongole, and let me tell you—each bite felt like a warm hug. The freshness, the balance of flavors, the love put into each dish—it was all there.

By the time we finished lunch, we didn’t even have to discuss where we’d be having dinner. We just knew.

Dinner at Fat Ox felt like coming home. We started with elk meatballs and shrimp scampi, both rich, hearty, and satisfying. For mains, we had the slow-braised pork, and I still dream about how tender it was—melting effortlessly, packed with deep, comforting flavors. The chef even replaced the squash with potatoes for us, without hesitation, just because we weren’t fans of squash. That’s the kind of care and warmth you feel here.

Then came dessert—the white chocolate panna cotta with raspberry sauce—and suddenly, the night felt complete.

But of course, we couldn’t leave Banff without returning one last time.

Breakfast at Fat Ox was the perfect send-off. Another round of that incredible frittata (because how could we not?), the bison hash (hearty and full of flavor), and to finish—the best banana bread I’ve ever had. Moist, perfectly balanced, not too sweet—just pure perfection.

I can't say enough about the warmth of the staff, the cozy atmosphere, and the love poured into every dish. Fat Ox is not just a restaurant; it's an experience. If you're ever in Banff, go there, eat everything, and...