The owners of Greenland Garden Centre have branched out. (Sorry, it had to be said.) What I’m getting at is they’ve added a new space to the garden centre with a gorgeous little bistro called Branches.
There are several interesting elements to this operation—so many, in fact, that I have to continually remind myself that I’m talking about a restaurant in Sherwood Park, a place where fast-food chains thrive like rot in rain forests.
First off, the space is brilliant. Touches of wood, scads of light and organic accents like cedar trees result in a warm and inviting, almost zen-like setting.
Secondly, the staff. The people here exhibit two traits often lacking in restaurant staff: passion and knowledge. It’s obvious that they’re excited about what they’re doing. Nice.
Thirdly, and thankfully, the food.
Lamb Burger
Pizzas
Duck Sausage
Crab Cakes
Cauliflower Poppers
From front of house to back, the bistro has people who truly care about how the food is described, prepared, displayed and served. The only fault with a couple of the dishes is that the combined ingredients are a little much.
Aesthetically, the room gets two thumbs up but the ordering system leaves a bit to be desired: you find a table, go to the counter, order your food, go back to your table and wait for delivery which makes everything feel a bit cafeteria-ish. Tip: Have a glass of wine or beer while you wait. It might make the ordering experience a little easier to swallow.
My CBC review with Mark Connolly can be heard here.
A friend and I visited Branches a few weeks ago. My pizza was delicious as was my friend’s salad. Lovely place andi wish it was closer to where I live.
Hello Twyla!
I love your reviews and I would agree that Branches offers a unique and enjoyable dining experience.
I’ve been buying plants, gardening and bird feeding supplies at Greenland G.C. for years. I’m a loyal patron. For the first time I ate at Branches in Sept. 2014. It was a warm afternoon so we chose to eat on the patio. The food was very good – I had the Branches Club and my 84 year old mother had a varied plate with an artichoke dip.
All of this would have been great but the meal was ruined by the nonstop blizzard of small flakes of snow-like particulate matter falling out of the bluebird sky on to us and our food. I’m talking pollution. I checked Environment Canada after our meal and saw that the wind was from the NW so the source of this airborne contamination might have been an incinerator or chemical plant upwind in Fort Saskatchewan. Regardless, it was disgusting and ruined our meal.
Of course, this is no fault of the business owners but it is a source of concern for this proud Albertan. If you choose to eat at Branches while the wind is blowing from the NW, you’d do well to eat inside.
Michael
Wow! That’s actually pretty awful…no reflection on the restaurant, of course, but a reality of where we live, which is really unfortunate. I’ve only eaten inside and, from now on, will continue to do so 🙂 Thanks for the comment.