Do you ever feel silly for having advance plans to meet somewhere for dinner, and then NOT calling ahead for reservations?? That's how I felt when I arrived at Vagabond for dinner before a Flames game! Well, lucky for me the server was super accommodating and was able to find a table for 3 with almost no wait. So far so good! (Hint for next time: make a reservation!)
The menu is fairly small (I am a huge fan of small menus by the way, it means less food waste), and looked almost as if it was tailored for the game. Despite the menu being "small" (it wasn't really that small) I could have happily eaten several different items from the menu. I landed on the chicken & brie sandwich and kale caesar salad; a fabulous choice. The menu was well labeled (gluten-free, vegetarian, etc) and the beer menu was extensive.
The atmosphere is also good. I love the concept of sharing tables, it means a more social experience and I'm sure the restaurant appreciates the economics of fitting more people into existing space. The crowd was lively and the servers were friendly.
Despite the good food (4*) and atmosphere (3.5*), I give Vagabond a 3 because the service was really slow. We ordered right when we arrived, and left the restaurant 1.5 hours later. Even drink orders were slow to arrive. It was pretty clear that everyone in the restaurant was Saddledome-bound, so I would have expected a faster turnaround or at least an explanation for the slow service.
Will I be back to Vagabond before another Flames game? I think that's a pretty safe bet, and next time I'll be booking ahead!
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L