Calgary has an incredibly dynamic food scene, with several restaurants even ranked among the best in Canada. And although there are tons of must-visit spots that locals say you need to eat at for world-class cuisine, where do you go when you want something low-key that's not on everyone in the city's radar?
There are plenty of unique places to eat in Calgary hidden away in food halls and off-the-beaten-path locations. Some are tiny hole-in-the-wall spots, while others are inviting mom-and-pop shops with intimate vibes and homestyle food.
If you're looking for a unique dining experience in Calgary, these hidden gems are worth seeking out for tasty dishes that you won't find at too many other places in town.
Lloyd's Patty Plus
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Jamaican
Address: 255 28 St SE, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: When Lloyd Reid moved from Kingston, Jamaica to Calgary, he opened a small bakery selling Jamaican patties. The patties were such a success that you can now find them in Co-ops, Sobeys and Second Cups across the city. If you want to go straight to the source, head to Lloyd’s Patty Plus.
This inviting restaurant in Calgary's southeast serves a selection of savoury patties with fillings like beef, chicken, jerk chicken, and veggies. Wash them down with a refreshing Island Soda or Ting. You can also grab patties to take home and reheat later — they're a great staple to have in your freezer.
Que Chivo
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Salvadoran
Address: Fresh & Local Market & Kitchens, 12445 Lake Fraser Drive SE, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: Located inside the Fresh & Local Market & Kitchens, Que Chivo specializes in Salvadoran street food. The menu features tacos, rice and bean bowls, yuca fries and the famous pupusas. There are dishes for meat lovers, vegetarians and vegans, each imbued with fresh Latin flavours.
For those who aren’t familiar with pupusas, they’re the national dish of El Salvador and they’re typically made with a corn-based flatbread similar to a tortilla that is filled with beans, meat, veggies and cheese. Que Chivo offers classic pupusas with your choice of filling, as well as tasty fried pupusa bites.
Que Chivo website
Banh Mi Thi Thi
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Address: 209 1 St SE, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: Banh Mi Thi Thi has been in business for nearly 35 years, which is a testament to how good the food is. In fact, locals often line-up out the door to grab tasty banh mi sandwiches at this unassuming shop in Calgary’s Chinatown.
The sandwiches feature crusty baguettes filled with meat, cheese, pickled carrots, cucumber, and cilantro. There are several variations of banh mi to choose from at Thi Thi, including sate chicken, beef and ribs, and assorted cold cuts. There is also a veggie version for those who want a meat-free sandwich.
Even better, the sandwiches ring in at under $10, making them an affordable lunch option or snack.Banh Mi Thi Thi Instagram
Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Dutch
Address: 2439 54 Ave SW, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: If you've never tried a Dutch pancake (aka "pannenkoeken") before, make your way to Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus. You may just find that you have a new favourite brunch dish.
What makes this spot particularly unique is that the restaurant claims to be the only one in Canada specializing in these sweet and savoury thin pancakes.
At this family-friendly breakfast and lunch spot, you can sample a variety of pannenkoeken. If you're in the mood for savoury, the potato, onion, bacon, and cheese is a top seller. Sweet treats include apple cinnamon, banana, and chocolate. You can also create your own pannenkoeken.
Mamak Dang Malaysian Fusion
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Malaysian
Address: 4604 12 St NE, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: Just like the name suggests, Mamak Dang serves Malaysian cuisine including traditional dishes and fusion creations. The interior is unpretentious with a small dining room adorned with wooden tables and chairs. However, the food is creative, vibrant, and layered with Southeast Asian flavors.
The laksa is a must-try dish at Mamak Dang. This hearty soup is loaded with fresh seafood like mussels and shrimp, as well as meatballs, rice cakes, hard-boiled eggs, rice noodles, and fresh herbs in a rich coconut curry broth. There are also tons of tasty rice and noodle dishes on the menu.
Beirut Street Food
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Lebanese
Address: 7220 Fairmount Dr SE Bay C, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: It doesn’t get more authentic Lebanese than Beirut Street Food. Owner Ramzal was born in Lebanon and she draws on traditional recipes to create flavourful dishes like pita wraps and platters with chicken or beef shwarma, donair meat, or falafel. You can also get poutine topped with your choice of meat or falafel.
What sets Beirut Street Food apart from many other Middle Eastern spots is the chicken and beef are cooked on spits over charcoal, which imparts a smoky flavour to the meat. You can also enhance your meal with a range of toppings and sauces like hot peppers, Arabic pickles, hummus and garlic sauce.
Pathway Momos
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Nepalese
Address: 2816 21 St NE, Calgary, AB and Unit 103, 8855 Macleod Trail SW Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: Momos are the quintessential Nepalese dish, and Pathway Momos is one of the best spots in the city to sample them. The restaurant offers a variety of these delicious dumplings filled with pork, chicken or veggies. You can get them steamed, fried, served in a spicy broth or seasoned with a tangy tamarind sauce.
Once you get your momo fix, you can move on to other Nepalese dishes at Pathway like the thukpa noodle soup or sukuti, which is a dried pork or lamb dish with rice. There are also a few Western dishes like burgers, onion rings and poutine.
Most of the dishes on the menu cost under $15, which makes them taste all the better!
Pio Peruvian
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Peruvian
Address: 2929 Sunridge Way NE #104, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: Family-run restaurant Pio Peruvian offers traditional Peruvian dishes in an inviting setting. Step inside and you find yourself in a warm and welcoming space with bright splashes of red and yellow. There are dishes on the menu to suit all palates, including combo dishes to share and a kid’s menu for little ones.
If you want an authentic Peruvian culinary experience, start your meal with the ceviche. The dish features fresh cod marinated in lime juice, topped with pickled red onion and chilies and served with fried cassava on the side. Other must-try dishes include the pulled chicken in a creamy aji sauce and the adobo slow-cooked pork with rice and beans.
Calan Beef Noodle
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Chinese
Address: 2219 Centre Street N, Calgary, AB and 83 10 Street SW, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: When it comes to Asian noodles, nothing beats hand-pulled. Calan Beef Noodle was the first restaurant in Calgary to offer noodles made fresh in-house and pulled by hand. You can watch the chefs in action rolling out the dough and stretching the noodles into perfect strands.
Part of the fun of Calan Beef Noodle is getting to construct your own bowl. You can opt for thin, thick, flat and narrow, or flat and wide noodles. The signature dish is noodles in a beef broth, but you can also get your noodles in a chicken and potato sauce, soybean paste or stir-fried with vegetables.
Calan Beef Noodle website
Jimmy's A&A
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Middle Eastern/Mediterranean
Address: 1401 20 Ave NW, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: Don’t let the unassuming exterior here fool you — Jimmy’s A&A serves some pretty spectacular Middle Eastern and Mediterranean eats. It started as a small corner store with some donair spits in the back and it’s now cited by many as one of the best spots in the city to get donairs and shawarma wraps.
Customers can’t get enough of the wraps at Jimmy’s. Many rave about their fresh flavours and huge portion sizes. Options include the chicken shawarma, beef donair, lamb donair and falafel. Toppings can include lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, hummus and garlic sauce. The shop also serves salads, platters and samosas.
Deer Head Cafe
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Diner
Address: 3704 Edmonton Trail, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: It’s hard to find places in Calgary like the Deerhead Cafe these days. This retro diner probably won’t win any awards for its decor and design, but it’s a solid spot to tuck into good old fashioned diner fare. With over seven decades in operation and not many changes over that time period, it's like a time capsule of old-school Calgary.
This hole-in-the-wall spot on the Edmonton Trail has the same wood paneling and mounted deer heads on the walls that it’s had for decades. The menu has all the diner classics you would expect like breakfasts with pancakes, bacon and eggs, as well as lunch and dinner dishes like burgers, sandwiches and fries. Keep in mind that it's cash only.
