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| - Location, location, location! Great for stopping off before and after Stampede events, for a pint and their famous Buffallo NY Style Chicken Wings, but not so great a location for a pleasant lunch.
Ed's Restaurant has been around for a number of years. I've driven past the building many times and have never had the desire to stop or eat there. So when my colleagues suggested that we go there for lunch recently, I agreed, hoping that I would be pleasantly surprised.
While it's well located, it simply doesn't grab me. It's drab, it's old, it's stale and it needs a fresh makeover. I was even less impressed entering the lobby. My immediate reaction was that I was not going into a restaurant but rather entering an abandoned colonial pub. First impressions are lasting, and my initial haunting impressions did not put a smile on my face.
The restaurant is in a double story building and appears to have a number of different rooms of varying sizes. We sat in one room, and I did not get the sense that there was anybody else around.
The menu is fairly regular pub fare and I decided to try one of their so-called Gourmet Burgers. While the food was well presented with a copious amount of fries, there wasn't a shred of Gourmet-ness to the burger. Just a classic well grilled beef patty on a bun! My colleagues tried the beef dip and found the beef dried out, thereby fully appreciating the value of the dip! Another had a bison burger. Nothing to write home about. They seem to have a good wine list which doesn't quite match the quality of the pub grub on offer.
I can see why they must be busy when there are Stampede events. They can easily attract patrons, maybe not because of their food, but because of their location.
I was not impressed and needless to say, if I wanted to go to a pub with great food, great ambience, and better parking, there are dozens of other choices close by!
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