What I Thought of It

Chicken Cottage Canada Ltd.
#104, 100-2020 Sunridge Way NE (see map)
Calgary AB  T1Y 7K7
Phone: 403 250 9804
www.chickencottage.ca

This Chicken Cottage is located on Sunridge Way NE in Calgary. At this point in time, it’s tucked out of sight in an area that still needs to be developed. Calgary’s Chicken Cottage is the first one in Canada. It just opened, and I first learned of it from a big advertisement in the local Metro newspaper.

Chicken Cottage is basically another chicken restaurant, although they also offer fish, veggie and quarter-pounder burgers. If I interpret the signage correctly, then the food is prepared according to Halal standards, which is a nice bonus for Calgary’s Islamic population.

The ambiance was welcoming and the place was very clean. It wasn’t very busy, but there was a steady stream of customers, indicating that this Halal fast food chain is off to a good start in Calgary.

I got the Chicken Fillet Burger Meal that comes with fries and a drink. The burger was good, although my bun was cold, as if it just came out of the fridge. The bun was dressed with sauce and a piece of lettuce. The breaded chicken was a bit bland; I couldn’t taste any seasoning. On the plus side, it was not soaked in oil.

My fries came in a little paper bag, and this gave me more fries than I get at McDonald’s.

The service was great; the well-trained counter girl described all the menu options and even brought the food to my table.

The washroom was a pleasant surprise. I daresay it was nicer than my bathroom at home. It was nicely decorated and extremely clean; most restaurants can learn from this.

Last thoughts: The first Chicken Cottage in Canada is worth a visit. The food is good and seems to be fresher than what you get at most fast food places. The great service and ambiance also score big points with me.

The next time I’m in the neighborhood for lunch, Chicken Cottage will be high on the list.

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

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The Park Lake Campground is part of Park Lake Provincial Park and is situated about 20 km north of Lethbridge, Alberta.

We stayed at the Park Lake Campground on a warm and sunny weekend in July. When we arrived Saturday afternoon we luckily still had a limited choice of spots. We found one to our liking (number 35) next to the lake. The campsites were nicely priced: $15 for a basic spot, $21 for a spot with electrical hook-up.

Each campsite had a gravel pad set farther back from the vehicle path. We tried to put up our tent on this gravel pad, but our metal pegs simply would not go in; they kept hitting rock. We gave up and instead staked our tent - albeit closer to the vehicle path - on the only good-sized soft grassy pad within our spot.

Every spot had its own little fire pit, but the campground does not offer any firewood, so if you want to make a fire you will need to bring your own wood and/or charcoal.

The washrooms were outhouses (not flush toilets). They were fairly clean but smelled a fair bit. More importantly, they have no light whatsoever, so you will need a flashlight when you go at night.

The weekend we were there, Park Lake Campground was full of families with kids, who were probably attracted to the nice lake and beach. This also means that the campground is noisier during the day. At night it was fairly quiet and we had no trouble falling pleasantly asleep.

The campground was well supervised. We were welcomed by a host couple, whose job is to address campers’ needs and questions. We observed the park warden making regular rounds and even the RCMP driving through.

Conclusion: The Park Lake Campground is nicely situated by the lake, with enough trees to offer some reprieve from the sun on a scorching day. It is well run and should be a hit with kids. The washrooms are okay but should have some lighting for the campers’ safety. Tent campers need to be aware that most of the ground is too hard for tent pegs to penetrate.

Would I go back? It’s not a bad campground for the price, but it also did not “wow” me. The next time I’m in the area I will probably explore my options and check out a different campground.

Surroundings ++++
Campsite ++++
Noise level ++++
Washrooms +++

abc Country Restaurant, Golden
1049 Trans-Canada Highway (see map)
Golden BC   V0A 1H0
Phone: 250 344 7661

The abc Country Restaurant in Golden is situated in “Gasoline Alley” and is connected to a hotel.

On walking into abc Country Restaurant, I was immediately impressed by the tasteful “country”-toned decor.

Our server was nice, though she made eye contact only with me and not with my friend.

Our food came pretty fast and looked pretty good. My Classic Deluxe burger ($9.99) tasted good, but the accompanying fries were actually potato wedges that had been cut a bit too big and thus lost out on flavour. My friend’s Mexican sausage soup ($4.99) – the homemade soup of the day – had plenty of sausage rounds and enough spicy kick.

The washrooms were clean but could use some renovations soon; there were patch jobs all over, in contrast to the dining room’s newness.

Last thoughts: The abc Country Restaurant is not a bad place to eat in Golden, but I probably won’t go back. In my eyes, it’s not the best value for money.

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

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McDonald’s, Revelstoke
1880 Trans-Canada Highway (see map)
Revelstoke BC
Phone: 250 837 6230

I was feeling peckish around 9:30 pm and decided to get something quick at McDonald’s in Revelstoke. This McDonald’s is right next to Highway 1, making it a great stop for hungry travellers.

It was not particularly busy, with the dining room about a third full. Some of the counter staff even had time to entertain friends. I ordered a Filet-O-Fish, which landed on my tray within seconds – lightning fast, even for McDonald’s.

Finding a table was not a problem; finding a clean one was impossible. I took the least dirty one and started to eat my burger. I guess going there at the end of the day was not the best idea. The batter of my fish was stale, like it had been sitting out too long, and it was some steps below what I’ve come to expect from a McDonald’s fish burger.

On going to dispose of my garbage, I found the bins so full that I had to stack my trash on top. Like the trash bins and dining tables, the washrooms had been neglected for a long while. They were dirty and littered with toilet paper.

Last thoughts: The McDonald’s in Revelstoke falls far short of the usual standards. The staff, though friendly, seem to be too distracted by their friends to keep the place in order. All this discourages even a McDonald’s regular like me from returning to this location. The next time I’m in Revelstoke I will give my business to the A&W next door.

Food ++
Service +++
Ambiance +++
Cleanliness ++
Washrooms ++

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Legendz Diner
1409 North Trans-Canada Highway (see map)
Golden BC   V0A 1H0
Phone: 250 344 5059

Legendz Diner is one of the few non-chain food places on “Gasoline Alley” in Golden, BC.

Legendz looks like a old-fashioned diner; the menu even claims that time is stuck in the 50s.

Like most places in Golden, Legendz gets really busy, and this affects the service you receive. The serving staff at Legendz are to be commended on doing their best to make you feel welcome, but they have to work so hard that each customer will inevitably get a little less attention.

The menu of Legendz is not extensive but still gives you many choices of burgers and sandwiches. They also offer some specialty flavours of Coca-Cola (Vanilla, Cherry, Lime, and Chocolate).

My choice was a fish burger. The battered cod was tasty and served on a fresh bun with curly fries.

My friend had the poutine. This side dish was more than enough for a meal. Instead of the traditional cheese curds, the poutine came with shredded cheese, and the gravy was beef-based rather than chicken-based. Though unorthodox, the Legendz version of poutine was surprisingly good and proved to be a novel taste experience.

Last thoughts: Legendz is probably the best place for a meal in Golden; for me it will stay at No. 1. The service could be slightly better, but I can live with the way they keep doing their best for me.

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

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Humpty’s Restaurant
511 McKnight Blvd NE (see map)
Calgary AB
Phone: 403 230 8236

It was a rainy Saturday morning. What’s the best thing to do on a day like that, besides staying in bed? You guessed right: Go out for breakfast!

I picked Humpty’s because I’d never been there before.

The ambiance at Humpty’s is not bad; it looks like a diner and acts like a diner. On this morning it was fairly busy, and the waitresses were running around just to keep up.

Our waitress was quick in taking our order but didn’t seem to be interested in us as customers.

You know by now that I’m a bit strange. I got the burger and fries, perhaps not the best bet so early in the morning. All my food was soaked in oil, and that is exactly what I don’t like. My friend got an actual breakfast meal – toast, eggs, ham, sausages – and that also failed to impress.

The washrooms reinforced our poor impression of Humpty’s. They were not particularly clean. It was amusing to see all kinds of writing on the walls, and this had prompted more graffiti making fun of the bad spelling.

Last thoughts: Will this Humpty’s get another visit from me any day soon? Probably not. Service is important to me, and the service at this Humpty’s could have been a lot better without costing the waitress a second more of her time. The food was okay, but the kitchen should go easy on the oil or at least let it drip off.

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

Find Humpty’s on the map.