Restaurant Review: Pals
PALS SANDWICHES
10335 83rd Avenue | palsyeg.com
Instagram: @pals_yeg
Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew
PALS!!! I have been a huge fan since their opening day in 2022 and it's about time that I finally write about them! Part of the venerable Strathcona restaurant monopoly of The Next Act (the OG), Meat (the meaty one), Pip (the brunchy one), and Marlo (the taco one), Pals holds their own as the sandwich one. This five-restaurant stronghold wouldn't work if each and every one of them wasn't so dang good. But they are. Pals showed up on the scene after Pip moved across the street and there was enough room in the building to fit a delightful little sandwich shop in there as well. Pals to the left and Pip to the right - and one (beautiful) shared washroom downstairs for both. It's a pretty harmonious arrangement as far as I can tell! Pals might be a small little sandwich guy but it boasts a beautiful outdoor patio in the summertime that just about doubles the space. Named Favourite Handheld on the Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2024 list and most recently awarded Best Sandwich 2025 in EDify Magazine, you'll also find them on the Worldwide Faves section of this very website. The interior is somewhat small but very bright and fresh. Casual light wood high-tops, counter seating, a few bench seats near the back, and the aforementioned patio. You'll also note pops of their signature yellow, especially on their unmistakable brick facade outside. The restaurant feels breezy and gives off a comfortable vibe that makes you want to "stop in to grab a quick sandwich." And maybe people-watch out the window for a few minutes. The staff is also super friendly which makes you feel like you're hanging out with your pals. (Ha! See what I did there?) Situated at a table on a Saturday evening, I was looking for the maximum Pals experience! Pals is all about the drinks and offers an impressive array of cocktails and beer, especially for such a small shop. The Winter Sangria sounded like a seasonally appropriate delight while their Caesar made with pepperoncini brine is an ideal compliment to their use of pepperoncini elsewhere on the menu. On this visit I opted for the Strathcona Sling ($15.00) which not only sounded delicious but also might be the signature beverage of the entire neighbourhood.
This drink sounds like it might be pretty sweet but I didn't find that about it. It's very refreshing and the grown-up flavours from the gin and bitters hold their own. What sounds like a kid's shirley temple actually tastes quite adult. This would absolutely be the quintessential patio beverage on a hot summer day during the Fringe - a cocktail that lives up to it's name. The Pals food menu is an extravaganza of sandwiches! There are fourteen different sandwiches in two categories; made hot or served fresh. There's usually a feature sandwich as well. Be prepared for sandwiches like you've never seen them before! But the snacks, soups, and salads are incredible as well and the quality certainly doesn't stop with the sandwiches alone. In an effort to dig into this part of the menu a bit more I thought it prudent to order the Soup & Salad Combo ($19.00). A great option if maybe you don't want a sandwich.
Pals usually has two different soups and salads on the go so you're able to customize this dish with whatever combo you like. I chose the House Soup (dill pickle & spicy pepperoncini) and The Other House Salad (iceberg lettuce, tomato, green onion, blue cheese, bacon, buttermilk ranch). Let's start with the soup. How unique!! You've never tasted a zingy little bowl of soup like this before! I don't know about you, but I love a dill pickle soup very much (maybe it's my Eastern European ancestry) but the addition of pepperoncini totally changes the game. This soup packs a punch but in the most interesting and delicious way. And then the salad! I ordered this one because it sounded like a wedge salad (one of my favourites) without the wedge. A deconstructed wedge salad, if you will. And boy did it deliver! The flavours of tomato and bacon together are so classic and the generous chunks of crumbled blue cheese were perfection. I loved how well-dressed everything was - not a dry leaf in the house. A salad may sound like a boring thing to order but certainly not in this case.
Let's not forget the focaccia which cannot be treated as an afterthought because it was incredible. This bread was impossibly light while still possessing the unctuous and oily quality that you want from a focaccia. The crust was impossibly crispy and dusted in salt. What a dream! Honestly, I know that you need to order a sandwich... But maybe you don't? I'm going to have an existential crisis about this. But yes, I obviously ordered a sandwich. This might be an unpopular opinion but I highly favour the "served fresh" sandwiches at Pals by a lot. The BLT is the best in the entire city, I swear. The Burrata is completely insane - I've never seen a stack of prosciutto so high. And there used to be a Muffuletta on the menu (sadly no longer) that was possibly the best sandwich I've ever eaten. However, it's gotta be the Pals Hoagie ($21.00). They've put their name right on this thing for a reason.
You can attempt to eat one of these on your own but I highly recommend sharing with a friend. One half is the size of a normal sandwich in my opinion! And oh, it's so glorious. Layers upon layers of cured deli meats, fresh vegetables, and creamy condiments. I love the use of mortadella, a meat that I feel is having a bit of a moment right now because everyone has recently realized how delicious it is. And no other meat brings that classic deli flavour the way that salami does. The bread tasted crusty and fresh. You'll also note the use of pepperoncini vinaigrette, surely the secret ingredient at Pals. This is what a sandwich was always supposed to be. All of the sandwiches are served with fries or chips and both are amazing. However, it's hard not to choose the fries when they're this good. It makes sense because the fries at their sister restaurant The Next Act are also unreal. These people just know how to do fries! So golden crispy and salty with the skins on. I also always add the Onion Dip ($2.00). ADD THE ONION DIP. It's like Heluva Good! onion dip except housemade and better. By some miracle I saved room for dessert because I really wanted to taste all parts of the menu. There are two sweets on offer but the S'mores Pie ($12.00) is some kind of magic.
You can tell that this pie is made in-house based on the crust alone - so buttery and crumbly. The chocolate filling is a luscious, velvety mousse. The torched and toasty marshmallow fluff on top is nothing short of a playful joy. Truly s'mores in pie form, they've nailed it. I'm not sure what more there is to say. Every single item that I tasted was not only delicious but some of the best versions of these foods. You will eat no better sandwich and you'll discover a love for sandwiches that probably didn't even previously exist. Get yourself to Pals.
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