Restaurant Review: Leopold’s Tavern
LEOPOLD'S TAVERN 10302 82nd Avenue ~ leopoldstavern.com Instagram: @leopoldstavern ~ Twitter: @Leopoldstavern Co-Diner: The Husband
Opening only a few months ago in the iconic Strathcona Hotel on Whyte Avenue, I feel as if I have more than just one connection to this restaurant. The first, is that the tavern that previously existed in the Strathcona Hotel (otherwise known as "the Strat") holds a very dear place in my heart. The hotel was built in 1891 making it a true piece of Edmonton's history. Meanwhile, I spent a large portion of my nightlife years within its walls in the mid-2000s. There was nothing like paying a visit to the Strat on a Straturday; lit like a cafeteria, tiny beers (sraft) and pickled eggs, bathroom stalls without doors and bars of soap with which to wash your hands. The dive bar to end all dive bars, we sometimes called it the "barnival" because it was like a bar and a carnival combined (they also served popcorn and hot dogs). I could reminisce all day, starry-eyed about what once was, and what this space meant to me. In more recent years, the entire building had been closed due to a fire and an extensive two and a half year refurbishment took place. Upon completion one of the first tenants to move in, taking the space of the old tavern, was Leopold's Tavern. And this is where my other connection lies. I spent over six years living in Regina, Saskatchewan and my family still currently resides there. As such, I end up visiting Regina a couple of times a year. I knew Leo's when they only had one location in the Cathedral area - the OG - and have visited for poutine and buckets of bacon in the past. I must admit that I have been very impressed by what that first humble location has grown into after only a few years. Eight locations in Saskatchewan, three in Manitoba, one in British Columbia, and four in Alberta. They're a brand now. Seeing them move into my beloved Strat felt like a merging of my worlds. I visited on a Saturday (Straturday) evening and walking through the doors once again felt slightly momentous. The door (on the corner) isn't in the same spot as the Strat used to be (on the side) and in fact most of Leopold's is situated in the old hotel lobby. But the spirit is still there and Leo's seems to understand and honour what once was. My heart strings were certainly pulled when I noticed the old "tavern" sign that used to sit atop the entrance to the Strat outside, now prominently displayed inside the restaurant. The rest of the space falls perfectly in line with the Leopold's esthetic and looks a whole lot like the OG location in Regina. That is to say: there is TONS of crap on the walls and it's wonderful. Hanging multi-coloured string lights, Polaroid photographs, and old-timey pictures of the hotel itself. You could never possibly see it all and half the fun is discovering what little surprises are hiding on the walls. The space is a vibe and you know that you will have a good time here. We grabbed a table and the friendly staff was attentive and helpful. Known for their extensive beer selection and plenty of draft choices on their rotating taps, I personally chose to visit the Divey Cocktails part of the menu where I could procure a Leo's Caesar ($7.75).
This caesar was phenomenal! Everything that you want a caesar to be, this savoury beverage was distinctly delicious thanks to the chipotle flavour. I loved the spice, loved the pickle, and could've slammed the whole thing in minutes. I doubt that I'll ever order a different drink at Leo's ever again. Next, there was absolutely no missing out on the Pickled Egg ($1.00), which used to be a staple at the Strat.
For just one moment, everything seemed right in the world: I was back in the Strat eating a pickled egg. What's not to love? It's like a hard boiled egg except pickled, which makes it even better. If you've never tried one you probably should. I would die from happiness if Leo's added a "Strat combo" to their menu, where for like $4 you could get a tiny glass of draft and a pickled egg. That would be the whole entire thing right there. The fact that they have a Bucket of Bacon ($14.50) on the menu cannot be ignored. What is it? Well. The name says it all.
It's a bucket of bacon. About eight strips of super crispy bacon with maple syrup to dip into! If this is wrong you don't want to be right. I liked the perfect crispiness and enjoyed dunking each bite into syrup. Leo's should consider getting their bacon from Irving's Farm Fresh, because while their current bacon is fine, no bacon is better than the stuff from Irving's. That would really put this bucket over the edge. Wings make a whole lot of sense in a bar and with 14 different flavours to choose from the Wings ($15.50) at Leo's will have a flavour for you - and maybe even a few that you've never tried before. I normally go straight for the buffalo or hot ones, but you'll also find maple bacon and sriracha honey on the menu. However, it was the dill pickle that really caught my attention.
Our server suggested that their creamy dill dip goes really well with the dill pickle wings and it sounded like a perfect match to me! I liked these. Very crispy on the outside, juicy and meaty on the inside, these were just about as good as wings get. The dill pickle flavour was maybe a bit more subtle than I would have liked but I did get a few pickley bites that tasted great. The dip totally was an excellent match, really driving home the whole pickle flavour story. Solid wings by any account. Lastly, and maybe the thing that Leopold's is the most famous for, is their poutine. There are six different poutine concoctions to choose from, including a poutine of the week that changes. Each one comes in either a small or large size... And then there's the punchbowl poutine, which I absolutely must try someday. (I need to gather more people!!) It's 1lb of cheese curds, 4lbs of fries and 1L of gravy. Served in a punchbowl. That'll destroy your insides real good. I went for the Buffalo Chicken Ranch Poutine ($18.50 for large) because as you know by now, I loves me some buffalo.
This heaping pile is happiness in my books! I liked their fries quite a lot. They were more like the skinny kind, which I enjoy, but not quite shoestring. This allowed them to crisp up really well and made them extremely eatable. These are the kind of fries where you shove like seven of them in your mouth and you hardly notice what you've done. The chicken was tender and nicely breaded and absolutely everything was drenched in buffalo sauce. There was no gravy at all, just tons of delicious buffalo sauce and ranch on top. It's definitely not traditional but I liked it nonetheless. The only issue was the cheese because there was so little of it. I'm pretty sure that all of the cheese was gone after the first few bites, which was unfortunate. I need my cheese curds to really be imbedded within so that I'm finding cheese right until the very end. I had a great time at Leopold's which I really think is their entire mission. The Strat might be gone but Leo's "gets it." It's not the same but it shouldn't be the same. I think that they're doing a good job of being aware of the legacy, while offering a new and fresh experience. The food is fun, the atmosphere is lighthearted, and within these walls the Strat lives on.
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