Dairy Lane Cafe is one of the well-known and most-frequented brunch spots in Calgary, along the likes of OEB Breakfast, Monki and Blue Star Diner (sister cafe of Dairy Lane).
Opening in the 1950s, Dairy Lane Cafe has been a fixture in Hillhurst and in Calgary for more than 60 years!
The day that my sister and I went (her birthday), the sun was out, so the patio was open. A server greeted us at the door and said there would be a 5-10 minute wait, and then offered us coffee while we waited. So nice!
Once the table was free, we were immediately seated and proceeded with our order. I LOVE the fact that they have a vegan-friendly menu! I was immediately enticed by the vegan tofu scramble plate ($17), so that’s what I chose. My sister chose the bacon stuffed French toast with a side of hash browns ($15).
The restaurant is small, charming, busy and a bit like the old-school diners you see in the movies. They also source their ingredients and food from local businesses, so you’re supporting ‘local’ when you eat at Dairy Lane!
After about 10 minutes of waiting, we finally got our meals!
While I was eating my vegan brunch plate, I couldn’t help but think that I could make a vegan brunch that tasted much better tasting and was much more filling. I mean, it was some tortillas, tofu, sun-dried tomatoes basil and an avocado fan for $17.
Though, I would suppose that’s because the chef wasn’t trained in vegan cuisine. No matter, I think chefs should create even just one delicious vegan dish in their restaurants to attract more vegan clientele (take note chefs of Calgary).
So overall, it’s a good restaurant with good food at affordable prices, and they cater to vegans. BUT don’t expect too much from their vegan breakfast offerings. If you’re not vegan though, you’ll probably love their breakfast food over here!
Recommended? Yes!
COST: Moderate. While definitely not the cheapest place to eat, Dairy Lane is still affordable for a decent meal. My vegan tofu scramble plate was $17, and I thought that a bit much for the portion size. The French toast was $15.
TASTE: Good. The vegan scramble was good, but I thought that I could’ve made a better & bigger vegan meal at home, and at a cheaper price (I eat a lot). My sister also liked her stuffed French toast, and thought the portion was enough to make her full.
ACCESSIBILITY: Moderate. Dairy Lane Cafe is located in Hillhurst and near Kensington Road. Buses service the area, parking is readily available and free nearby, and it’s about ~15 minutes by foot to Lion’s Park station.
ATMOSPHERE: Nice. The eatery is a small & quaint restaurant, but sees A LOT of traffic throughout the day (even on weekdays)! There are a lot of tables inside and on the patio (during summer), but more often than not, there’s a wait when you come for breakfast or brunch. The tables inside are quite close to each other so it feels a bit crowded.
SERVICE: 9/10. My favourite part in Dairy Lane would be the service. Our food arrived within 10 minutes of ordering them! The servers are friendly & very welcoming, and they also filled up our coffee and water whenever it was empty!
Dairy Lane Cafe
Address: 319 19th Street NW, Calgary AB
Phone: (403) 283 – 2497
Hours:
- Monday: 7AM – 9PM (last seating)
- Tuesday: 7AM – 9PM (last seating)
- Wednesday: 7AM – 9PM (last seating)
- Thursday: 7AM – 9PM (last seating)
- Friday: 7AM – 9PM (last seating)
- Saturday: 8AM – 9PM (last seating)
- Sunday: 8AM – 9PM (last seating)
Website: www.dairylanecafe.ca
This is not a sponsored post.
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