Bonasera Pizza Restaurant — Restaurant in Calgary

Man what a terrible day to try a new restaurant. Maria, one of the owners, had a break in. Two minutes before security arrived, and the gutless thief with her cash. Leaving broken windows, damaged register, general vandalism, it was a heart breaking first time to visit.

I was there to meet a friend for catch up beers, one of his favorite haunts. I didn't know what to expect, a sports bar pizzeria can range from extremely down trodden to glitzy new. This is perhaps my favorite mix, old school sports bar with a couple of VLT's, immaculately clean.

No not we cleaned up after a break in clean, but legitimately the kind of clean an owner has pride in their establishment and runs a good restaurant.

Of course, Maria was off her game. So points there having to deal with everything plus get open, after being called to deal with a break in at 5am if memory serves. She was polite and worried. You can see the stress behind the smile.

I looked over the beer selection, at 4pm the remainder of the bar had not filled with regulars and staff yet. I chose the Bonasera Lager, on tap draft.

The beer was cold, and for a lager it was the right hit of cold on a 30 degree day. A little too wheat on the after finish, but I'm a beer aficionado, if you drink regular brands, they got em, you drink craft they got top tier generalist craft (Wild Rose, Phillips). So I sat down at a small two person booth with my beer and waited for my friend.

Looking around, it was really clean. For a local bar I was suitably impressed. That included a trip to the bathroom to make sure. But truly clean.

Maria came by, her Greek accent charming as ever, took an order of Maria Wings, a little special recipe of her own. The wings came out on time and quickly (something recently at a 5 star restaurant I was made to wait 2 and a half hours before food showed up). They were a Greek style hot sauce affair and really good, suckimg on bones good.

After that my friend arrived, Maria knew him as one of the regulars, so a friend of a friend is a friend. We were introduced and, something I really liked, I became a "regular" by association. Everyone said hi, about 12 people and getting busier.

We had our meeting, and left not without ordering a large Spicy Hawaiin Greek Style Pizza. If you haven't had a Greek Style pizza, it's a regular crust pizza, more gourmet toppings and extra cheese baked on top. The reheat value is a solid 7 (reheat value how good it tastes after a microwave it, a 1 is soggy mess / harder than a dog chew toy, 10 is equal to as good as out of the oven fresh). I snuck an oven fresh slice on the way home and 2 hours later tempted by fate to reheat a slice. Fresh was better but not by a lot.

Price was fair value, you get better than you pay for. A date night pool game over pizza is in the cards. Staff were...

Generous food portions (t-minus the wings which spindly and small and only worth the dollar you pay on wing night) and lots of TV’s to ensure wherever you’re sitting you can watch the game.

Unfortunately, as a family-owned business, the worst part about this place is the older mother. When she’s in, she runs the place like a dictatorship and won’t think twice about berating a customer, cutting someone off for simply disagreeing with her (this did not happen to me but I watched it happen to another guest)and being openly abusive to staff. I know several employees have left because of her behaviour (one was even fired for going home when a family member died), and as a regular, I started only going in when she’s not in the building. I mentioned her behaviour to her son, who’s response was “imagine being in my shoes.” At this point, I almost never go in.

It’s too bad. As a former regular I have had to choose between my local watering hole and not enabling an abusive restaurant owner. This place would be so much better off for all if the parents stepped away and let their son...

The place is nothing special it has nothing that really stood out for me. We ordered nachos with cheese and veggies and the waitress added ground beef without asking and didn't charge us, I know she meant well but Im not a huge meat eater and was craving just regular toppings. Its wasn't overly busy seemed to be all regulars that hang out there. Ifr you enjoy VLT's they have a good selection about 6 or 7. My boyfriend and I went to play last night the waitress treated us like no bodies because we weren't threre to drink we were their to gamble. Ordered a coke and a beer and she charrged 2 bucks for a coke. Its usually free if you are on the machines, because your spending money. Was not impressed. And when I went to cash out, she left me standing there as she totally ignored me to where her boss finally helped me. I haven't had that terrible of service and disrespected as we were. Maybe she is new..very rude though! told her to have a great night leaving she...