The Lodge Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Calgary

I recently moved to the neighborhood and went to the lodge to try it out. Major disappointment and I will not likely be back.

I arrived mid afternoon on a Friday. The inside was virtually empty. No server to be seen. I wait around. Nobody shows up. I leave and go out to check the legion area. Nobody around. I go back inside and a staff member comes out from the back. Ultimately end up seated at the bar.

In order a clubhouse sandwich and a mai tai and the food comes out fast.

The clubhouse is visibly burnt. Blackened in the outside and should not have left the kitchen. I eat my fries and ponder whether to try the sandwich or complain. No napkins or utensils have been provided at all and I have to wave down a server to get a napkin. She brings it but still no utensils.

I start on the sandwich. If I thought the outside was burnt, the inside is even worse. My bad, I should have not eaten it but I am always loathe to send things back. I eat most of it and finally it is just too burnt and carbon tasting for my ability to eat it. Other than delivering a napkin at my request, absolutely no person comes by to check on me. I’m at the bar and it’s like I don’t exist. Staff only come out briefly and disappear.

Black crust remains on my plate and pieces of lettuce and bacon that have fallen. A male server comes by and asks how I’m liking the sandwich. I say it’s burnt and bad. He says “that’s good” and starts to walk way like he was operating on autopilot. I say to him a second time. This sandwich is burnt. Bad. And should not have left the kitchen. I get an Oooh. And he leaves, only to return a few minutes later. Asks if he can get me anything else. It’s like what I have said has not registered in any way at all. In one ear and out the other. I ask for the bill and ask who I should speak to about this. He says he is the person. I ask if I am better speaking to him or leaving a review. He says him

I tell him unequivocally that I am a dissatisfied customer. The food was burnt. Nobody checked on me. I had to ask for a napkin and nobody brought me utensils. Nobody refilled my water. His response: I’m sorry you feel this way, but I don’t know what I'm supposed to do about it now. Complete monotone. No emotion. No engagement with me as a person. Whomever is the leader of this establishment needs to review the video of the interaction and give this employee customer service training. Absolutely atrocious. You only got this review written because of his non response to my complaints. And my bill. For one drink and one clubhouse - $46.

You tell me - do you think you made me a...

Hi. I would like to respond to your previous response to my review from two days ago. For any customers reading these reviews, please scroll down to read my previous review regarding this establishment first.

To the Lodge,

Thanks for your response.

I’m also not totally sure where to go with your reply. It reads more like a defense of your staff’s feelings than an actual acknowledgment of the experience we had- which was the entire point of the review.

To be clear: no one accused your server of lying about her name. That was a side comment made in passing, because we weren’t sure we’d heard it right. As for the makeup remark- that wasn’t meant to be hurtful. It was simply a way to identify the person in question, because unfortunately, her attitude was what stood out most. Instead of approaching our table with any kind of warmth or professionalism, she responded to a polite request for cutlery with unnecessary attitude. That kind of energy would be off-putting anywhere, let alone after waiting two hours with no drinks, no updates, and no service.

The suggestion that our discomfort about the food was something out of a “movie” is dismissive. When you’ve been visibly ignored, stared at, and laughed at by staff for two hours, it’s not far-fetched to feel uneasy. Whether or not anything did happen to the food isn’t the point- we didn’t feel comfortable eating it. That’s a problem in itself.

You’re right- you weren’t there. But we were. And we wrote an honest review about it. I agree that both guests and businesses can “do better,” but only one side of this situation was doing their best that night. And unfortunately, it...

I have been to The Lodge a few times (with groups of 2-3 people) and for a pub and I highly recommend the atmosphere, food and service based on the following:

Atmosphere: as the name indicates, a mountain lodge-style atmosphere with ski-lodge/mountain accents (think of restaurants attached to hotels on Banff avenue in Banff, in my opinion always reminds me of it). While I like the atmosphere, I particularly like the very large windows south, SW and SE facing windows. It is so much more inviting than other dark establishments. Also, the south/SW facing patio enjoys more sunlight which takes advantage of Calgary’s later springs and earlier falls. There are also no trees obstructing the sun (but there are some columns but has never been an issue for us).

Food: I find the food better than most “pub-style” food with more care taken into the food prep, more align with most mainstream restaurants, than with typical deep-fried pub fare. I also found the selection more varied than most pubs (I have had their charcuterie and fondue and it was excellent, however I am not sure if this is still on the menu).

Service: very attentive, informed and approachable. I also find they walk around the interior perimeter frequently to make sure any walk-ins not in line of sight of the kitchen or bar, are...