True Wild Distilling — Restaurant in Calgary

Y’all have to check out True Wild Distilling. I was lucky enough to enjoy family/friends night and it was BOMB! 💥 5 minutes from Inglewood, the vibes were immaculate. Driving up the road, the drama of the lights in the distance, you walk through the front doors and the space opens up into an interior designers wet dream. Gorgeous iron work, original fixtures, soft wood, mood lighting, leather, tons of contrast. Beautiful touches all the way down to individual table ambiance. Intention is the word that comes to mind. Upon arrival we were warmly greeted by Cate, who heads up events at the distillery. She gave us a tour and some history of the space. Very cool! Important to note— they haven’t even fully launched and are already booking events!! Get your foot in the door for Christmas season! We loved the “create your own martini”. I think as a distillery it is fair game to be judged on your martini and we had zero complaints. We could taste their gin, it drank smooth and paired well with the savoury first courses. When our table was ready, we were whisked up to the mezz. An intimate space but as a server myself, made for some great insight into the minds of other guests. Let’s just say, everyone was stoked. The cocktails were balanced, showcased their product beautifully, chilled to perfection (did not bruise the martini) and absolutely hit the spot. Shout out to Mac and the bar team. They smashed it! 👊🏽 We were lucky to be taken care of by Jill. She made sure we had a memorable experience. Thank you Jill! The food was delicious. The baked oyster melted in your mouth YUM. The tangy house pickles with aioli STOP IT. The salty and crunchy tartare (this was heavily nostalgic for me because it tastes exactly like hickory sticks) GET OUT. Then we were blessed with the chicken. Perfect char, juicy. Seasoned salt served on the side which was a fun addition. And dipping the crispy seasoned fries in the jus…Do not sleep on this step 👏🏽 The salad with honey mustard vinaigrette, tons of cracked pepper, simple but crushable. Dessert hits the table. The perfect palate cleanser, a punchy mandarin sorbet. Which would be a no brainer as an add on to a glass of bubbles. The meal finished with their apple torte and whipped creme fraiche. The accompaniment reminded me of clotted cream. It was served against a well caramelized and slightly charred torte. Vibrant and condensed apple flavour, low sugar. Perfect flakey pastry and the apples still had a bite. Deadly. I’m sorry to GUSH but I had such a lovely evening. I suspect this place is gonna be a Calgary banger and I’m stoked for everyone to check it out! Go now! I promise you will not regret it. Thank you so much for...

I really wanted to like this place. I also try really hard to avoid awful reviews. I have a lot of empathy for how hard it is to run a new establishment. But sadly this has been eating at me (no pun intended) to leave a review so others avoid wasting hundreds of dollars.

We were pleasantly surprised to get a table last minute on Mother’s Day.

We were seated in the best seats. With a view of the whole building. Sadly the nice surprises ended there.

We were mostly ignored for the better part of 20 minutes after seating. Even tho they were surprisingly not that busy for Mother’s Day and had a staff member per 2 occupied tables.

Once we had someone come. She was disinterested and didn’t seem to have a clue about the menu. We muddled our way through ordering having no idea if it was enough or ten times too much as the menu wasn’t very descriptive and the server had no knowledge.

Our drinks took another 20 minutes to come (pop, water and a martini). The food another nearly 40 after that. We were not checked on once in between. As others have said, all our food came at once so our tiny table was filled to the point I was left literally holding a plate.

The food was AWFUL. Truly barely edible. The beef was the closest to ok but out of the entire plate there was maybe two bites that weren’t gristle. They had a Mother’s Day brunch of French toast that was honestly maybe rhye bread but I can’t tell you for sure in cold raw egg batter splattered with panko. It had the most rank smell to it that I honestly think the milk or eggs had turned. Finally the chicken was so overcooked it was breaking off in pieces. Breaking. Not flaking. It was like eating jerky.

The taste of everything was so off. Like nothing tasted remotely like it should or even something I could name. I actually left wondering if I had Covid again because my tastebuds were all so bizarre. But I ate something soon after (because we were all still starving) and it was fine.

I actually do feel bad leaving this review but if I’m paying major tom prices for a meal - I expect at MINIMUM something edible. If I could put it in with an earls or keg of meh-dible but don’t waste your money I wouldn’t say anything. But I actually have never had such a horrible experience in a restaurant.

I wish the absolute best for this place. I think it’s a fantastic idea and I have empathy for how hard running a new place is. We need great and unique places in Calgary. Good luck I hope you right the ship and the service and food catches up to...

True Wild Distilling is a rich reimagining of a historic building that was originally a Calgary Power (they became TransAlta) substation built in 1911. In the midst of this industrial area, you’ll be struck by the contrasting grandeur of the distillery's building—both inside and out. The architecture combines touches of Art Deco with historical industrial metalwork, beautiful woodwork, and modern design elements. I loved the stained glass in the upstairs event space with the grand wood bar that looks just a bit like an altar. The chandeliers are amazing and unique - blending art deco and industrial design! Gorgeous! And then there’s the food—oh my, the food. Add to that the stunning cocktails crafted with their own spirits, and you’re in for an unforgettable experience. We indulged in baked oysters, French fries with aioli, bone marrow on toast, beef tartare with anchovy and crispy potato straws, brussels sprout salad with smoked walnuts and persimmon, grilled rainbow trout, BBQ half chicken beautifully presented with an outstretched foot! Brillat-Savarin (pear, and cheese with caramel and coffee sauce), and whole orange sorbet (orange is blended complete with peel for bright flavour). Food is cooked over an open fire. The sourdough malt bread was a standout—slightly charred on the outside with soft, malty goodness inside. The cocktails were equally remarkable. The White Negroni featured gin, yogurt-washed Campari (I don't know what that means but the drink is clear), dry vermouth, and aromatic and orange bitters. The Whiskey Sour was a mix of bourbon, aromatic bitters, demerara, and citrus. Both were delicious! Even the non-alcoholic cocktails were extraordinary, with unique combinations that delivered complex flavors without being overly sweet. True Wild Distilling offers a one-of-a-kind experience that pairs historic charm with culinary excellence and innovative drinks. Super excited to have found this...