Two things happen when I see a restaurant menu loaded with words like free range and farm to table and grass-fed. I get excited, and I get worried.
More than one restaurant has used these words to simply tug at our heart-strings to get us through their door. We all want to make good choices, right? We want to support that local farmer; we want to eat hand-made, home-made, made-from-scratch things.
It’s one thing to say you’re on board that farm-to-table wagon, it’s another to actually execute and feature dishes that promote the farm-to-table lifestyle: tempura rolls, nachos, and fish and chips don’t exactly scream country livin’ to me.
The good news is that after my review of Barney’s Pub in Leduc, the GM gave me a call to discuss what he thought they could do differently and were going to make an honest effort to do better. That’s a great response to a less than favourable review. Because of how he handled that, I would go back, and I’d have no problem letting people know of the improvements. (I’d also let people know if those changes weren’t made.)
The service here was top-notch. Props to the staff who served me, answered my questions, and addressed the issues on both visits.
You can listen to my CBC review here, or read the web article here.
Scroll for visuals.
Devilled eggs
The beer (and wine) wall.
Cheeseburger with house salad. Caesar salad in background.
Tempura roll and deep-fried pickles.
Barney’s Pub is located at 5705 – 50th Street in Leduc.