I really wanted to love Booker's, but I was left really disappointed which really sucks.
First off, finding parking nearby is damn near impossible!
Having not fully prepared for AYCE (like most of those at our table, we had about 12 with us that night) a GF and I split the Snow Crab Dinner and for our two sides we went with the cajun rice and gumbo. Booker's boasts to be "known for their southern cooking" so I was expecting quality southern inspired food (seriously, we're in Alberta not Texas or Tennessee where I've had some authentic southern cooking)
To start, we ordered the calamari. Which I must admit was quite tasty. The batter was more tempura like and extra crispy.
That's pretty much the highlight of our dinner. Both the gumbo and cajun rice were super bland! I ended up pouring the melted butter for the crab into the rice and adding copious amount of S&P to the gumbo to make it somewhat decent. Our crab although sweet, looked like it suffered from muscular dystrophy. How they manage to pump out these huge crab legs to the demand of all the people there for AYCE is beyond me. You're not getting quality, meaty crabs though so maybe that's how?
Everyone who did do AYCE only got 3 rounds in. Not because they were full, but because it was so busy and it too so long to get another order in and they decided to call it quits.
Booker's claim to be "a hidden gem" of Calgary. Yes, if that gem was a cubic zirconia - all show and no value.