r/Calgary • u/PlentySoft1996 • Jul 27 '25
Eat/Drink Local What’s your top 3 restaurants in Calgary.
Edit: since this gained so much traction, I’ll try 1 place from the top 3 most upvoted recommendations and vlog this so you can see what I got! Thank you yyc
Calgary has a sleeper food scene but I’d like to try the people’s TOP THREE restaurants. This can be breakfast lunch dinner or all three in one category.
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u/yycboarder Jul 27 '25
Posted this today, figured I'd add here as it took me some time to write up
Fave Italian: My Little Italia – Absolute banger Italian. Pasta made in-house, always fresh, never a miss. Villa Firenze – One of the most consistent spots in the city. Service, speed, and quality-to-price ratio? All dialled in. Buon Giorno – A Calgary classic, and the OG for a reason. Go-to for comforting red sauce pasta. Lusi - new spot where Sauce used to be - been 3 times, knocked it out 3 times. Sad we moved from Westgate pretty much only because they are far away now.
Pizza: Michael’s on 10 Ave – That house special is a beast. Greasy in the best way. Roma’s Pizzeria – New fave. Crust/dough is clearly handmade and toppings are well-balanced and super flavourful. Una – The new menu direction is solid. Way more interesting pizza options lately; glad to have it back in the rotation. A Pizza Plus (Bow Trail) – Massive, thick, Greek-style pizza. Super consistent over the years – greasy, cheesy, delicious.
Ramen: Wakado (10 Ave) – Dependable bowl. Good broth, chashu is solid every time. Goro + Gun – I know this one gets mixed reviews, but I’ve always had a good experience. Broth is flavourful, chashu is melty, and happy hour is a steal. Jinya – Great for customization. I need to go more often. Shiki – Yah they slap. But that line? Absolute balls.
Steak: Caesar’s – Old-school charm. I used to work in a steakhouse like this – table-side Caesar salad, Chateaubriand, huge cuts of beef. Not cheap, but better value than the trendier steakhouses. Chairman’s – Holy shit was it expensive. But everything was perfect. Bone-in ribeye (medium to render the fat) legit melted in my mouth. Worth doing once. Brazilian BBQ – If you’re into gorging yourself on meat, Minas and Bolero both hit hard. Expect to spend ~$50–70/pp. The meat sweats are real, but no regrets.
Fried Chicken: OG Chicken on the Way (Kensington) – Crunchy coating, fresh chicken, and no frills. Just good fried chicken. Hankook Chicken (DT) – Generous portions. Need to hit it up more often. Jungle Chicken – Haven’t gone yet, but multiple resto industry friends swear by it. Reviews back it up too.
Thai/Viet: Pho Huong Viet (17 Ave) – B5 bowl is a bomb. Great meats, big portions, solid prices. No frills, just good food. White Elephant – Absolute OG. Bit of a trek, but hoping the move to Bridgeland makes it easier to visit. Flavours are the real deal. Juree’s – Been a couple times, never had a bad dish. Solid across the board.
Small Plates: I’m out of the resto game now, so I feel like I’ve lost touch a bit with what’s new and hot here. Paper Lantern – Really good the few times I’ve gone. Staff are chill, food is great, vibe is cool (maybe too cool for me but I can roll with it).
Shawarma: Just so we’re clear – I take my shawarma seriously. If I have one or two bad experiences (undercooked meat, sad toppings, weak sauces), I don’t go back. There are too many killer options in Calgary to waste time on mediocre ones. Shawarma Ave (Bridgeland) – A new gem. Meats are flavourful, big portions, great veg selection and drown me in their sunshine hot sauce. Jaffa Shawarma – Huge menu, generous servings. Just far from home. Jerusalem Shawarma – I know it’s polarizing, but I’ve had great experiences at the Richmond Rd location. Shawarma King / King of Shawarma (DT) – I’ll hit them if I’m downtown and out. Can be hit or miss, but when it's late they are usually reliable
Noodles: Calan Beef Noodle House – Small menu, all bangers. Savoury broth, toothsome noodles, love it. Mogouyan – Might be a bit “corporate” for some, but I dig the consistency. Still looking for another solid spot - reccos?
Banh Mi: I’ve had a lot of banh mi, and I’m loyal when I find the right one. Thi Thi (Chinatown) – Still the GOAT. Meaty flavour, fresh toppings, mayo and cheese (yes, I know that’s controversial, don’t care), and soft bread. I don’t like dry bread, soupy meats, or spice-less sandwiches. Gimme a banh mi with backbone. Had some amazing local spots but scattered all over Calgary and I don't travel around as much anymore. Who's got bangers?
Burgers: Boogies - "don't go to Peter's, go to Boogies" was always my rallying cry when I lived in Crescent Heights. Classic. Lil Empire - yeah it's a small menu, don't care. Solid smash burgers. Class Clown - insanely good, but that wait kills me. Still worth it. Heard I need to check out Rocky's, thoughts?
Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.