Cleaver on 17th — Restaurant in Calgary

DO NOT EAT HERE!! Avoid AT ALL COST!

Sure, the atmosphere was decent, but everything else? A complete nightmare.

First, the food: absolutely terrible. I ordered a steak medium rare and got a dried-out, well-done steak instead (see attached photo). It was the driest steak I’ve ever had—completely inedible. My partner’s salmon? Bland doesn’t even begin to describe it. It tasted like plain, boiled fish. This is basic cooking—if you don’t pat salmon dry before seasoning, the seasoning won’t stick as well. How does a kitchen get this so wrong?

But the worst part? The hygiene. This was, without question, the most unhygienic restaurant I’ve ever stepped into. I’ve worked in kitchens before, and seeing how they operated made my stomach turn. Chefs were touching filthy computer screens, handling random objects, and then going right back to touching food—no handwashing in sight. Not once, and we set right next to the kitchen.

Now, let me clarify something: I actually prefer chefs to use bare hands instead of gloves, but only if they’re washing their hands frequently and practicing proper hygiene. Here’s why: gloves can give a false sense of cleanliness. They can accumulate bacteria and cross-contaminate just as easily as bare hands, but because people wearing gloves often don’t feel the need to wash their hands as frequently, contamination risks can increase. Bare hands, on the other hand, force chefs to feel dirt and grease, which serves as a physical reminder to wash up. However, this only works if proper handwashing protocols are followed.

That wasn’t happening here. In fact, the only “cleaning” I saw was chefs wiping their hands on dirty towels. This is an open kitchen—why have one if you’re going to let everyone watch such unsanitary practices?

We watched as they handled raw meat, touched computer screens, and then prepared other people’s burgers and our Garlic Crostini without washing their hands. It’s a recipe for cross-contamination and food poisoning. The touchscreen they use to take orders? Probably covered in grease, bacteria, and raw meat residue.

Then there’s the service. We ordered mussels and specifically requested the Thai Cream Broth, not Marinara (I have attached a photo of their menu to this review as well). I confirmed it twice. The server tried to gaslight us, claiming, “No, it’s cooked together,” even though the menu clearly states to choose and I've specifically asked "This is the thai cream broth and not marinara right?" Instead of admitting the mistake, he doubled down before reluctantly offering to fix it. A simple “Sorry, let me correct that” would have sufficed, but instead, we were made to feel like we were the problem. I decided to just send it back and not get it again, especially seeing they haven't washed their hands the entire time we were there.

Drinks were good, but honestly, who cares? Plenty of other places serve good cocktails for the same price without all these issues.

Between the terrible food, shocking lack of hygiene, and dismissive service, this place isn’t worth the risk. Save your money and your stomach—go somewhere else.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if I get...

My friend & I came her last night because I’ve previously loved their food & cocktails. Last night tho… it was a mess. I almost immediately knew it was under new ownership before I even ordered but I figured I’d give it a chance.

We ordered a couple drinks I knew I liked from before. They were absolutely disgusting. You could immediately tell the tequila was cheap, the vodka was cheap and they didn’t use fresh muddled fruit or juice. I’m sorry but real cocktails are a craft and expensive for a reason, don’t cheap out on the alcohol. They were so bad we didn’t wanna drink them or even pay for them. We ordered food at the same time and after those drinks I had no faith in the food.

I went to talk to the manager because at that point we just wanted to cancel the food and leave. The GM was very nice and wanted my feedback since I was previously a customer who knew the menu. So we figured we would stay, we ordered two more drinks and got the food. It was all disgusting. Like the worst things I’ve ever eaten and drank. The food was like pub food but expensive? Flat bread was undercooked, wings were dive bar wings and bruschetta was cheap grocery store made vibes.

I almost feel bad writing this review but I had to warn all the people like me who previously loved this place. They need to know it’s not the same and they Cleaver can try to fix things but it will never be what it once was. And it’s super sad they don’t even offer the yummy popcorn anymore. The GM said they will bring it back but sounded like it will just be plain popcorn not the creative ones they had before. Also to add, the bathrooms had no toilet paper and they replaced the paper towel with some cheap blow dryer that took forever to dry my hands. The bathrooms were also kind of dirty and they never use to be.

We honestly just wanted to leave. We had such a good time and vibe at Blue Rock and made the mistake of coming here which killed our vibe. We each paid for one drink because they took everything else off. We went back to Blue Rock to hype our spirits again.

I told the GM I’d come back in a couple months and see if things get better but I’m not even honestly sure I can do it. That’s how bad it was.

Unfortunately, I just don’t see them succeeding, especially in that location. The rent cannot be cheap there and they have extremely high competition around them, the odds are not in their favour.

Don’t be fooled by their other reviews, they all seem fake. There is absolutely no way anyone is...

We had to check out Cleaver as their Happy Hour prices and menu certainly had us intrigued. What a fabulous, fun, hip bar/restaurant right on 17th Ave in Calgary. We had a great experience right from the moment we arrived. The host was friendly and attentive and kept us in the loop as to where we stood on the wait list. It was a Friday night at 10pm and we hadn't made reservations (we certainly will next time!). This is one busy and fun place to be! Once we got in our waitress arrived quickly and brought us the food and drink menu. Our waitress was super easant and very attentive throughout the whole night. We were there for dessert (pudding as the Irish refer to it, love that) and drinks. Although, having checked out the dinner menu, we shall definitely be returning to treat ourselves to the very interesting dinner menu. Lots of intriguing menu items and so different from other restaurants.

So we ordered the Toblerone & Oreo baked cheesecake to share. What can I say? It was absolutely yummy! So interesting with the meringue kisses and even a sponge toffee swirl on the top. The cheesecake was smooth and creamy as it should be and with the additional meringue and toffee and chocolate sauce it is a dessert/pudding not to miss. We had a few of Cleaver's amazing cocktails: The Immigrant, Dose of Original Sin, Whose's Your Daddy Now? and, of course, a Guinness on tap - as you can't go to an Irish owned institution without having at least 1 Guinness! The drinks are sophisticated, well presented, imaginative and delicious!! And $5 when you go during Cleaver's Happy Hour or after 10pm on weekends. Unbelievable!! The atmosphere is buzzing and a fabulous place to spend an evening. I can't wait to go back and have dinner at Cleaver. Oh, I have to mention that you get a little container of amazingly delicious, to die for homemade popcorn complimentary with your drinks and the flavours on the popcorn changes each day. I really hope Cleaver adds their delicious popcorn as an option to their appetizers as it is soooooo good! This place is amazing for...