OEB Breakfast Co. — Restaurant in Edmonton

AVOID.

Visiting Edmonton and spotted the reviews for this location so took a chance.

Party of two, we were greeted well as a walk in and promptly seated. The location was busy for a Saturday morning as to be expected and was well lit with refreshing colours and seating. Staff was very kind and friendly.

The food however was mediocre to gross. My partner ordered the ham with eggs, sourdough bread and potatoe wedges which came as ordered and was a typical ham and egg breakfast though at an elevated price. So it goes.

For myself I ordered the "Gold Digga" breakfast poutine which is made up of poached eggs, herb potatoes, Saint Cyrille curds, Berkshire roast pork, black truffles and brown butter hollandaise. To the staff's credit, I asked for my eggs soft and they confirmed that they would be runny. What I was not expecting once the meal arrived was firstly the smaller portion size and secondly that the mix of the egg yolks, whites, hollandaise sauce, oils and cheese would leave the bottom half of the bowl a symphonic mess of a soggy herb potatoe soup. This was contrasted with the overcooked Berkshire roast pork which more closely resembled last night's overcooked leftover steak cubed and refried for the next-day patron's. The seasoning was present but immediately overwhelmed by the soggy potatoe soup to be rendered pointless and the truffles were simply absent. All together the dish is worthy of a spot on Gordan Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and were it not for having spent time in the Army eating whatever we were told to eat, I'm sure I would have rejected this out of hand.

Regardless, the location was clean and the staff were great. Maybe we'll return in the future but I simply cannot recommend these "breakfast poutines" which appear to be constructed without care or attention to detail.

1 star for the breakfast poutine mess +1 star because the cooks knew how to cook the ham and eggs served to my partner along with the good staff...

I have frequented here multiple times in the past, but during my last visit on August 26, 2022, had a very poor experience from the waitress providing us service. My partner and I placed our drink orders - mine water, my partner the advertised in the menu "freshly squeezed organic orange juice". My partner and I witnessed the waitress pouring the orange juice from a box. When the waitress and juice arrived to the table, I asked "If that orange juice from a box?" the waitress responded "No". When we told her we saw them pour it from a box, they stated "well, its been a very busy day, and we ran out of fresh orange juice, so I had to pour it from a box". I stated "if that is the case, we no longer want the orange juice". They responded by saying "well I guess I will just dump it then". I didn't have a chance to respond, as they went to a different table, but upon them returning to our table, I stated to them "Us declining the orange juice was not meant to offend you, it is the principle of things. I am paying premium price ($5.50) for premium product and service. If the juice was going to be from a box, then I as the customer have not been informed when making my selection. I also told them it was inappropriate to make comments like "I will just dump it then"." As the customer, I don't really care what you do with the juice - it wasn't what I ordered. They stated "Well thats what I am going to have to do with it anyway, maybe I will just drink it then". Everything they said was laced with attitude - of course this is subjective, but it is my opinion. My partner and I decided to leave. Before leaving, I spoke to the manager Justin to let them know why we were leaving. Justin was incredible in handling this situation and provided excellent customer service - hence 3 stars instead of 1. It will probably be a while before I return - the food is definitely delicious, but the poor service from the waitress...

This review is based off a visit on 05/03/2023 and again on 05/04/2023. (Also, it was brought to my attention I posted this review for the wrong OEB location. How lucky for Edmontonians that you have THREE OEBs to choose from!)

I live in Toronto, and unless you're willing to stand in line for HOURS on a weekend (or manage to go on a weekday), you cannot get into the OEB in Liberty Village. So believe me when I tell you I was thrilled to discover an OEB in Edmonton during a recent visit.

My experience was so good on visit number one, we visited again the very next day.

First of all, the restaurant styling and theme is impeccable. Truly a gorgeous space with a clearly defined brand identity.

Second, the service is amazing. On both occasions, we were greeted and seated promptly, and our servers on each visit were bubbly, friendly, knowledgable about the menu, and attentive without being overbearing.

I'm normally a "sweets for breakfast" kind of person, but I couldn't resist the idea of a breakfast carbonara. I was not disappointed with my choice. The gnocchi was perfectly plush, surrounded by hearty chunks of bacon, and topped with a gorgeously orange fresh egg yolk. Every bite was perfection, and I could have eaten three more servings.

On visit two, I reverted back to my old habits and ordered the French toast trifle. Another delicious choice, featuring two slices of thick brioche, topped with a tart lemon curd, fresh strawberries, and toasted meringues. No need to add syrup!

The only downside of my visit to OEB is that we didn't have time in our trip's schedule to visit a third time.

Overall:

Pros: Gorgeous and quaint restaurant with amazing decor and design choices Incredibly friendly and helpful staff Wide variety of choices from savoury to sweet to please all taste buds Fresh ingredients combined in creative ways

Cons: Paid street or parkade...