JOEY Chinook — Restaurant in Calgary

The night of February 17/2025

The food here is amazing. That’s why I’m giving this restaurant 3 extra stars than I would have. Everything else was sad. I made a reservation in the days prior with no issue (full availability for times and dates), which I figured a was a sure way to get a table upon arrival. On the day of, me and my partner arrived 5 minutes early and checked in, which I figured we would have to wait about 5 minutes. I’d see that as fair as we were early for the reserved time. My issue was with watching person after person, most of which I heard tell the hostess they have no reservation, and plenty were tables of two get seated immediately, while we had to stand (pretty much no seating in the waiting area) next to the oversized door that took forever to close, freezing because it was -20 outside. About ten minutes after our reserved time had past, one more couple walked straight in and approached the hostess desk, said they needed a table for 2, proclaimed they did not have a reservation, and the hostess immediately sat them. I had had it at this point and asked if we’re going to be able to get a table soon, to which the hostess said they were preparing one for us. What had you been doing for the last 11 minutes? Anyway a couple minutes later they took us to a tiny table, that was barely wiped clean, with chairs that could be put in a museum of useless and uncomfortable furniture, that happened to be right next to the kitchen entrance (with no doors). The whole night I could barely hear what my partner was saying because of the extreme kitchen noise, and the children screaming (with their scantly dressed mother screaming back) at the table next to us. On top of that, the waitress, who’s name wasn’t shared with us even, barely attended to us in the hour we were there, and pretty much took our order, dropped the food off, gave us the bill, and barely said a word in between. Next time I’m looking for a nicer place to eat, I will consider the truck stop diners in industrial Calgary before I even begin to think about Joey and their awful service. I recommend doing the same to anyone browsing for...

What a horrible experience Joeys Chinook was from start to finishing. Showed up around 5:30 pm and was told there is about a 15 minute wait. No problem it happens, unfortunately we didn’t get seated until 50 minutes later after they let multiple groups ahead who clearly didn’t have reservations. After they heard us openly talking about how they are skipping us, someone came by to take out drink order while we wait. Wow amazing service (sarcasm). After we are seated I decide to order a 7oz peppercorn filet medium rare. They messed up our tables orders and couldn’t figure out which steaks they brought out, so they go back in the kitchen and come out with the exact same plates and lie to our faces(at least move the food around so we don’t notice). “My” steak came out borderline well done. I politely asked if they could bring out another one that’s cooked medium rare. They obliged and the food runner took MY fork and scraped the steak off my plate and asked me to eat the rest of my food and he will bring me another steak. 7 minutes later a steak comes out and I have to inform them again they didn’t do their job correctly as I ordered a filet not sirloin. The runner claimed it was a filet, our server came out and claimed it was a filet and they had to bring out the “head chef” to lie to my face and call it a filet as well. Not too mention this steak was not cooked medium rare like I ordered. I proceed to tell her it’s either the worst cut of filet imaginable or you are lying to me. I asked her again if she is sure as I wanted to give her a second chance to tell the truth. She said it’s a Filet and stormed off mad. Classic bait and switch. The server who was friendly and doing such a great job started to ignore me the rest of the night. This is what the they charge $58.50 for a tiny 7oz steak that isn’t even prime, 2 bland potatoes and a handful of asparagus. It’s high end steak house prices without the quality or service. I can’t believe you would employ a head chef that can’t identify a steak nor cook it to the proper temperature. I know I’ll...

Vibrant Atmosphere, Five-Star Service – A Night of Mixed Flavors at JOEY Chinook

We recently visited JOEY Chinook with a group of nine, looking forward to a shared evening out in one of Calgary’s most stylish and energetic restaurants. While the ambiance is lively and the service absolutely five-star, we did face one initial disappointment: instead of being seated together, our party was split into two separate tables. That wasn’t ideal, but we chose to make the most of it.

From the start, the service was attentive, friendly, and professional. The staff made a genuine effort to accommodate us as best as possible, and that certainly didn’t go unnoticed.

When it comes to the food, the experience was a bit more mixed. I personally enjoyed the cod, which was beautifully cooked, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, full of flavor. Our appetizers, including dumplings, fries, and chicken wings, were quite good and perfect for sharing.

That said, some in our group felt that the sushi was a bit too salty, and the chicken parmigiana with spaghetti didn’t quite stand out, it lacked the depth or wow-factor we were hoping for.

The environment is bold, stylish, and admittedly loud. But that’s part of the energy you sign up for in a place like this. It’s well-located within Chinook Centre, and parking was easy, which is a plus.

In summary: • Service: ★★★★★ • Food: ★★★★☆ • Ambiance: Lively, a bit loud • Seating experience for large groups: Room for improvement

Despite a few setbacks, we still had a great evening, thanks to good company and excellent staff. With a bit more attention to table arrangements for larger groups and consistency across the menu, this place could easily climb to five stars overall.

Wishing the team at JOEY continued success, and thank you again for the...