OEB Breakfast Co. — Restaurant in Calgary

On January 26 2023. I went to OEB. To get a tuna sandwich. What a mistake choosing this place. We have a real problem in this North American landscape where first off the expectation is to tip. I think due to this expectation the service is for a lack of a better word terrible. In the USA at least the service when you go into an establishment is good with the expectation that dining out is an experience. Even at McDonald s this is trained. Maybe the tip thing in the USA was mostly derived because the server only got paid $1-3 an hour. But in Canada pretty sure servers are paid at least $15 an hour. Regardless of how much you’re paid. When you go into a business and pay for a meal the service should be that of an experience or why bother shopping out instead of spending way less and eating at home. Well this wasn’t quite my experience felt very unwelcome as there was barely acknowledgement when I walked up to the sign that say please wait for service. I was greeted and asked to gave something to go. But zero great guest experience but quite matter of fact and couldn’t be bothered to be offered a seat or anything now given it was getting closer to the end of the day but if it to hard for a company to offer great service close early or don’t open or maybe don’t have a business. But on to the next part of this service experience I was offered here at OEB. I had received my Sandwich and went down the street to sit in the park and take advantage of the sunlight. I opened the box and not exactly sure what I was seeing but the presentation was appalling for the sandwich that I had received, the price point of this sandwich and the quality did not add up. In fact the guacamole had smeared on the top of the bun. It was as if an amature chef or possibly some one that did not like their job had made. It wasn’t as though you opened the box and were delighted to eat a sandwich that might have been crafted for a quality experience but that of a sloppily unconcerned interest and maybe a sandwich that may have been tampered with or whatever other disgusting thing they could do to this sandwich. I am sadly...

EDIT: Please read my edit below the original post.

I'd visited the old Bridgeland location prior and thoroughly enjoyed my meal and service. Now that they're in their new building, it's even better. The service is efficient and friendly. The food is absolute perfection. The new location is bright, inviting and well-decorated, and thoroughly enhances your breakfast experience. Our guests from out-of-town remarked that this had been one of their favourite parts of their visit. Highly recommended. Note: Try to get on a waitlist early to avoid the big line-up. Also, expect to pay a little bit more for your meal, but it is well worth it.

Edit: A recent experience here has prompted this edit. The food is still top-notch and the wait staff is still pleasant, but sometimes being too popular means you forget your service. BEAR IN MIND THAT THEY DO NOT TAKE RESERVATIONS. With regards to their wait-list; there is no consideration given to people waiting in house vs people joining the wait-list online. We called ahead for our party of 6 and, on the phone, I was told that they couldn't start the wait-list because there were a few spots open (1 table, apparently). Even though they couldn't accommodate my party of six at the moment, they 'should' be able to seat us if we left now, but they absolutely could not start the wait-list while there were seats open (even if there weren't enough for our party of 6). I told them that we were approx 16 minutes drive away. We loaded the kids up, with my visiting parents, arrived exactly 14 minutes after my call, and we were told that it would be 1.5 hours because we weren't on the wait list that started about 5 minutes after we left the house. There was no apology for the misinformation and no attempt to understand my position. I've brought every guest that visits us to this location and would think twice before bringing anyone else. Their wait-list procedure needs work and I won't return until...

My experiences at OEB have often left me in culinary delight. Their offering, particularly the beef ribs bowl, is nothing short of stellar. This restaurant has long been our family's breakfast sanctuary, with friends and family, both local and international, joining us time and time again.

However, our recent visits, especially in the post-COVID era, have cast a shadow over what was once impeccable service. On our latest outing, an otherwise joyous occasion with a visiting family member from Europe and our baby, was marred by confusion and miscommunication with the staff. A minor misstep in our ordering process led to a rather unexpected reprimand from our server. As patrons, we shouldn't be burdened with the logistics of whose responsibility it is to take or recall our order. More disturbingly, the revelation that servers are financially penalized for order mishaps is deeply concerning. Such practices are not only questionable ethically but also detract from the warm ambiance a diner expects.

The sense of being unwelcome, especially as parents, has grown. Subtle gestures, like "no stroller" signs, may seem trivial to some, but they resonate loudly with families like mine. Add to this the blunder of being handed someone else's bill, and you might understand why the glow of OEB's once stellar reputation has dimmed for us.

While the culinary experience remains top-notch, it is no longer a redeeming factor, especially given the abundance of alternatives. Service is an integral part of dining out, and when it falters, even the most delightful dishes can't mask the sour taste left behind. We may hesitate before returning, but I genuinely hope the management takes heed of not just our experience but possibly others who may share...