Chuckwagon Cafe Media
Hitch yourself to this Chuckwagon
It was a beautiful, warm sunny Sunday in summer, when we had summer for a couple of days toward the end of July. The Man and I decided to drive to Turner Valley and see what the Chuckwagon Cafe & Grill was all about, since we'd driven by the red barn about a thousand times and never stopped.
It was an opportunity, too, to make it The Meal of The Day early in the day, since Chuckwagon serves the breakfast and lunch trade only. When we walked in the door it was 1 p.m. The first thing we heard was "the flaps are ready." That would be flapjacks, cowboy talk for pancakes, and it was music to our ears. Breakfast — the most important meal of the day — is served all day (these folks have their priorities straight), lunch is served after 11 a.m.
We had just returned from an exploration of Newfoundland, where the cooking might sometimes be amiss, but the coffee was always good. Chuckwagon's food turned out to be right on target, but the coffee was amiss. "Just diner coffee," The Man sighed, longing for something with body and character.
But Chuckwagon does use good, locally raised Alberta beef, interestingly an Australian breed called Murray Grey, so we thought a steak was called for. A flatiron steak topped with benny-style eggs was one of the daily specials, but The Man chose, instead, a 6 oz. top sirloin served with two eggs sunnyside, toast and hashbrowns ($14.95). The steak was seductively seasoned with garlic and herbs and cooked to perfection, tender and succulent. Hash browns can be such losers, but not these, crisply browned around the edges.
The Man found solace in his food, if not in his coffee.
Beef is prominently featured, as you might guess: steak sandwich, beef club, beef melt, plus a variety of burgers, but beef isn't the whole story. A breakfast burrito is done at Chuckwagon far better than most. It doesn't get sloppy and drippy and soggy as too many do. This is why: the fillings are flavourful and dry. Eggs, cheese, bacon, sausage, mushrooms and onions, fully packed into two flour tortillas which are lightly grilled. The final good but goopy touches — sour cream and salsa — are served on the side, to be applied at will ($11.75). Excellent! Hash browns come with, or substitute for lots of really fresh fruit, as I did, for an extra $1.50.
Breakfast also offers omelets, French toast and buttermilk pancakes — those "flaps" we heard about when we walked in.
On the weekend, Chuckwagon is fun and lively, the food is well-prepared, amply portioned and tasty, and you might have to wait a bit because Chuckwagon is very popular. In fact, we ran into one of Calgary's finest chefs, Klaus Wockinger of Big Rock Grill (and, in the beginning, La Chaumiere), so you know the food has to be pretty darned good.
Driving Directions to the Chuckwagon Cafe
Chuckwagon Cafe & Cattle Co
105 Sunset Blvd,
Turner Valley, AB,
Canada
Telephone: 403-933-0003
Hours
Mon - Fri: 8am - 2:30pm
Sat - Sun: 8am - 3:30pm
