Central Restaurants - Calgary Beltline — Restaurant in Calgary

Since opening Central Taps has been a vibrant anchor and a great option for the post-office and pre-event crowd. The atmosphere is always bumping and all of this is bolstered by a great patio, excellent service and of course great food. As per usual I like to check out a venue a couple of times before reviewing and our experience last night was so good that it warranted a review. My friend and I had the pleasure of having Teresa as our server and she was outstanding. I was greeted with a warm welcome and an announcement that "Thursday was her favourite night at Central Taps." Why? Margaritas, Tequila and Tacos. We had all three and some wings to boot. Teresa was outstanding. She was attentive and always seemed there when we needed here. There was a private event taking place at the back of the venue so food took a little bit longer. She was apologetic and made sure that she was checking in on us and with the kitchen to me to make sure that we would get our food on time. The tacos even though they were on special excellent and very tasty. My jalapeno and pineapple. Margarita was sweet, salty and spicy. It was a nice treat before having a beer with dinner. I must say that this election of beer is pretty good at Central Taps. I do like that they have a selection of rotating Taps featuring local breweries. The wings are also excellent. We tried the hot and salt and pepper varieties. They are served with dip as well as carrots and cucumbers. And the portion size was good. My only complaint with Central Taps is that it can be quite loud. Which isn't an anomaly for the Calgary restaurant scene. But if you're looking for a place where it's easy to have conversations, it can often be tricky here. The vaulted ceiling makes for a very loud space but it's something that you come to expect, so ultimately it doesn't take away from the experience.

Overall, it was an excellent experience but it was made by Teresa who is absolutely fantastic. We had great banter with her and her energy made the meal absolutely even better....

Here’s the thing about a place like this. The location is prime, you are almost assured enough traffic during the right season unless you really, really mess things up.

A lot of places are well aware of this (as I’m sure the great team at Central is), and it shows in a complete lack of effort or focus on any identifying feature that says “we actually give a damn”!

That’s not the case at all here. It’s a corporate owned restaurant with a locally owned feel and aesthetic.

Starting with the staff. We were taken care of by our server Corey, and the manager Andrew. It a lost felt like having old friends take care of us in their home. The instant report, the initiative to stay at the table and ensure we were fully happy with all our options before we ordered. You can’t train that kind of personality so they’re lucky to have those folks on staff.

We ordered a couple drink to get started. Always love to see the inclusion of local non-alcoholic beer. My dining partner had a mimosa that she said was fantastic. Very cool choice of glassware as well.

The dishes we ordered were truffle fries, American cheeseburger sliders, hot wings, hot chicken sandwich, crispy spicy salmon rolls.

With all these dishes, I’ll revert back to my previous commentary about the feeling of an old friend taking care of you. Everything has a certain indescribably homemade feel to it, and it definitely hits the spot.

You’re in good hands if you visit this spot anytime soon. And you absolutely should.

I am so please to have discovered this joint right before patio season. They have a lovely looking, spacious patio and I’m sure it’ll be a great atmosphere in only a couple short weeks when the weather finally allows for it.

Corey and Andrew, thank you again for a great experience this afternoon! See...

Let me start by saying I did this restaurant initially a disservice by attending it first during its opening week years ago, judging it harshly, and forming an ill opinion of it. I have since been proven wrong and thankfully, to my knowledge, I never shared that original opinion with anyone who might be swayed. Indeed, many of my friends enjoyed this bar, and I was satisfied to chalk it up as a matter of difference of taste.

Last night a colleague of mine was confirmed as a barrister, and to celebrate, a group convened at Central. During my visit I was humbled to receive and enjoy one of the finest pizzas I have ever consumed in this city (the BBQ chicken one, if you're wondering). Furthermore, the service provided by Briana Shortt was second to none. Ashamed of my rash judgment, and regretful for the many delectable pizzas I could have enjoyed over these years, I let Miss Shortt know of my inner turmoil - and how pleased I was to be disabused of my prior notion.

She and the manager on duty went out of their way to make my experience that night exceptional. As a fellow member of the industry and disciple of the doctrine of unreasonable hospitality, I greatly appreciated the gesture. Let my tale serve not as a lesson that complaints result in better service, but that every interaction with a guest is an opportunity to provide excellence. I can say with confidence that this five-star review was well earned, my future business well secured, and my faith in their team well rooted.

Well done and thank you for a...