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 -
October 13th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
[...] While on a long drive heading back to Calgary, we were feeling famished. We hit Strathmore on the way and decide to stop for something to eat. We picked Smitty’s, despite our previous experience. [...]
February 7th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
your crazy, the smittys in moose jaw has amazing food and the servers there are very friendly. maybe you just dont know what good food tastes like