What I Thought of It

Smitty’s (connected to the Petro-Canada gas station)
450 North Service Road (beside Highway 1) (see map)
Moose Jaw SK  S6H 4P9
Phone: 306 692 7922

Smitty’s is Canada’s largest family restaurant chain, with locations in every province except Quebec. The Smitty’s we visited is connected to the Petro-Canada gas station on Highway 1 near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

We noticed right away that the servers were in stress mode, quite out of proportion to how busy it was in the restaurant. Our server was literally running around, almost sprinting. It was both amusing and puzzling.

In keeping with the high-speed mode, the hostess took our drinks order as soon as we were seated. Our drinks came with ice; we had requested no ice. This was nothing serious, but it proved to be just the beginning of a terrible meal.

When our server finally came to take our order, she was unfriendly and short, forgetting to ask what kind of sauce we wanted with one of the entrees.

Then the food came.

I got Fish and Chips, highlighted on the menu as one of Smitty’s signature dishes. The fries were curly and looked tasty, but that’s where it ended. They were bland beyond rescue; no amount of condiments could make them edible. The mixed vegetables were equally dull. I wondered how long they were cooked for, because they had lost all taste and colour. Compared to the lifeless vegetables, the two pieces of fish looked appealing, but again I was deceived. The batter was dripping oil and didn’t taste like much, but being crispy, it was the best part of the meal. The fish inside tasted like it had been marinated in water and thus drained of all flavour.

My friend ordered the Shrimp Skewer with Rice and Stir-Fried Vegetables. The shrimp tasted like they had endured the same cooking treatment as my fish. The rice must have been a day old; the grains were hard and stale. The “stir-fried” vegetables had probably been prepared the same way as my overcooked mixed vegetables, and the teriyaki sauce itself was dull, as if it had been watered down.

I honestly can’t recall ever having food this bad at a sit-down restaurant.

I found out that the washrooms had also been neglected. Before sitting down, I had to clean everything to avoid enjoying someone else’s leftovers. It was extremely dirty!

Conclusion: Wild horses couldn’t drag me to this Smitty’s again. That is a shame, because I used to love eating at Smitty’s on road trips. I don’t know when, if ever, I would willingly set foot in Smitty’s again.

Food -
Service -
Ambiance +++
Washrooms -

Find Smitty’s in Moose Jaw on the map

The Crazy Creek Waterfalls and Suspension Bridge are a great stopover if you’re travelling on Highway 1 between Vancouver and Calgary. You can find these attractions halfway between Sicamous and Revelstoke in British Columbia.

From the entrance, you stroll along a boardwalk path through the surrounding forest all the way to the gift shop. From here, you can set foot on the suspension bridge that leads to the foot of the waterfalls. The Crazy Creek Suspension Bridge spans 240 feet across the underlying canyon, which is a stomach-clenching drop of 85 feet (think of a ten-storey building!).

Crossing the bridge was undoubtedly scary yet exhilarating. The bridge is made of really thick steel cables that keep it well in place, although expect it to swing in the wind or from the combined human traffic.

Upon reaching the other side of the bridge, you come to the viewing platform for the Crazy Creek Waterfalls. You can take in the roaring cascade from several great vantage points by walking all around the platform. It had rained buckets in the preceding days, so the waterfalls appeared truly massive and the rapids extremely ferocious.

Entrance costs $9 but is free on Sundays.

After surviving Crazy Creek, you can jaywalk across Highway 1 (extremely dangerous but dared by many) to visit the fruit stand, where you can find fresh British Columbia fruits at the right time of the year.

Conclusion: The Crazy Creek Waterfalls and Suspension Bridge are perfect for a little break on a long trip through the Columbia and Rocky Mountains. They are well worth the visit.

Surroundings +++++
Atmosphere ++++
Suspense +++++
Gift shop ++
Washrooms ++++

Find Crazy Creek Waterfalls and Suspension bridge on the map.

Cat ‘n Fiddle Pub
540 - 16 Ave NW (see map)
Calgary AB  T2M 0J4
Phone: 403 289 0414

Cat ‘n Fiddle Pub is a typical pub on the corner of 16 Ave NW (Highway 1) and 5 St NW in Calgary, Alberta. This pub doesn’t have an Irish or English theme, just a regular pub atmosphere with lots of big TVs hanging around.

I went there on one of their “cheap wings” nights. I got there around 6 pm. It was not busy so I was expecting to get a nice and quick meal at the Cat ‘n Fiddle. With the weather being gorgeous, I first chose the outdoor patio and was assured the servers would make the rounds there. Ten minutes passed and no servers appeared. I didn’t last long enough to experience fresh-air dining, because I could taste the cigarette smoke from a table several feet away. I finally opted to sit inside, where smoking is prohibited like everywhere else in Calgary.

Inside, another long wait began. After 20 minutes, a waitress showed up just in time; I had been about to bail. She took my drink order and promised me a menu. My drink took at least five minutes to arrive, even though the staff outnumbered the customers.

I now had my cola but still no menu. I finally got one in my hands after having to ask three different waitresses. Surprise, surprise. This time, before I could finish looking over the menu, a waitress appeared to take my order. I quickly ordered chicken wings.

The wings didn’t come quick but they showed up. I didn’t get any napkins and had to ask for them two more times. The wings were okay - not too bad for the price (15 or 20 cents each) - but not as good as you can get at a lot of other places close by.

The ambiance was also okay. The sitting areas had nice decor, but the furniture looked worn with age. The whole experience felt a bit cheap, especially with video-game consoles standing nearby.

The washrooms were not too clean, either. Cat ‘n Fiddle had allowed them to be vandalized over time. Why do folks feel the need to write stuff everywhere or, even worse, melt the plastic on the ads? Of course, Cat ‘n Fiddle can’t do much about vandalism, but they can at least keep the washrooms in a condition that customers would dare to use!

Last thoughts: As you can tell, Cat ‘n Fiddle is not one of the great places to grab a bite in Calgary. You will not see me visiting Cat ‘n Fiddle again, not even if they’ll let me eat for free.

Food +++
Service -
Ambiance ++
Washrooms ++

Find Cat ‘n Fiddle Pub on the map