This was our second visit to Cleaver, our first visit was during AB burger fest and the second was for their pop up long weekend brunch. Our first visit was great, the patio is a beautiful south facing little spot that is great for drinks and people watching and the burger was great as well. For brunch we were able to check out more of the interior of the resturant and although we were not sure exactly what direction they were headed for the decor we eventually settled on southern farm. It was cold and rainy outside but with the leather and wood decor and gas lanterns inside it was welcoming and cozy. Love the coffee here. It is served fresh ground in a French press which delivers great flavour but for a first time user of a French press can be a bit intimidating. I ordered the pancakes with bacon and blueberries. When it come it looks small because of the plating but really there are 3 full size fluffy pancakes and 4 pieces of bacon there. I really enjoyed the dish, the pancakes were fluffy and the bacon was extra crisp just like I like it. The pancakes come pre-dressed with syrup but there was just enough to give the sweetness and not a drenching which I really liked. My husband ordered the hangover chorizo hash with baked egg. The dish had a great seasoning on it and the egg was a perfect creamy sunny side that broke beautifully into the hash. He really liked the chorizo as well and said it had just the right amount of spice and great flavor. Although breakfast was enough, we also opted to order the duck fat fries afterwards. They were great. A fairly large serving that stayed crispy and were well seasoned right down to the bottom of the bowl. Don't be afraid of the curry aioli either it was a great addition that had us going back for more. Overall both experiences here have been very good and we will be keeping it on our list of places to return to. read more

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Have had a couple of nice meals at Cleaver. First Clever experience, my friends and I enjoyed all of the dishes, which we shared - Kale chicken salad, feta and bean bruscetta, selection of three sliders and the tuna wraps. We finished it up with the salted caramel fondue which came with donuts and homemade marshmallows - amazing! I have come back again just for this dessert dish. The atmosphere was great, and had no issues with the service. Others have complained about the price, but we got a lot of food for a reasonable price. I have been back for dinner and brunch, and will definitely keep Cleaver on my rotation. They also have some very tasty cocktails. read more

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If you're on social media, there is no doubt that you're heard about Cleaver. I had their name in my head after seeing many posts on Instagram. I forgot to remember that the 777 special is on Sundays and Tuesdays, however. That's $7 for plank $7 for wine $7 for beer/cocktails. I was there on a Thursday. The Scene: Cleaver oozes coolness. From the sign-- a simple cleaver to a witty drink menu like the Moby Dick to Moby Chick. You can tell the owners have put thought into every detail of the restaurant. Their patio is perfect for the summer-- I'm a sucker for string lights and candle lights so I enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant a lot!! The Crowd: A great spot for a group. And the menu caters to this crowd. The $75, 42oz "Bull" is meant to be shared and there is a good selection of sides to customize your meal. The Taste: Cleaver seems to follow the rule, "no Basics allowed". Instead of bread you get popcorn sprinkled with curry. Which is actually quite addictive. And the rule goes for the salads and condiments too. You won't find a caesar salad or ketchup on the menu. If you want tomato jam however, Cleaver gotchu! You're also put on notice that "any modifications and substitutions will be politely declined." The Conclusion: The menu is unique and has a good variety but if you are looking for a steak and potato place, Cleaver is not for you. I think with an adventurous spirit and a full wallet you can have a really great time at Cleaver. I think the next time I would go back on a Sunday or Tuesday though. read more

Cleaver - Hahahaha these drinks name tho - Modern European Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Great cocktails- super creative! And the food is top notch. Service is ideal: highly knowledgeable and checking in at just the right intervals. Great ambience- we'll be back soon! read more

Food was good the rest of the experience was disappointing. It's unlikely I would eat here again. We went to Cleaver for a friends birthday. At first it felt like it was fun and trendy as most places on 17th are. It is a nice looking but smaller restaurant with an open kitchen. While nice looking it was busy and extremely loud, it felt like we had to yell across the small table to have any conversation. When I first looked at the menu I thought the prices were ok, but once I took a closer look there were definitely items that I felt were way over priced. I ordered one slider and some fries, the slider was delicious but quite small considering the price. Fries were good but in my opinion very over priced. Our server was ok but not overly good and seemed a bit put out that I didn't order a drink and tons of food. I'm currently 7 months pregnant, It's hard to eat a lot because there is a baby squishing my stomach. As it was I didn't finish everything I ordered without my friends snacking on some of my fries. We also didn't see our server much beyond her taking our orders. When we were done our meal, she started clearing down the table while we were still there, we all felt like she was pushing us to leave and we ended up going to a coffee shop so we could actually have a conversation and not be rushed out the door. When we got our bill, I was checking it over and found a charge for the tap water (maybe filtered water) that was on our table. While it wasn't a huge charge, I still find it in very bad taste to be charging for water. The bill was split up and items we shared split between us, which was great except that the birthday girl's meal was being covered by someone else so that person grabbed her bill and said I'm taking this bill too. She paid, then our server gave the machine to me and the price on it was several dollars higher then my bill. When I asked why she seemed confused and had to ask someone else why the bill was higher. Also she seemed a bit put off why I would question the amount on the machine being different from my actual bill. Turns out she redid the bills so the split of the shared items redistributed between only the people paying, which wasn't what we wanted at all. While the food was good it didn't make up for everything else. read more

So with the understanding that we were going to Cleaver to take advantage of the promotion of $5 dollar sliders and drinks we gladly ventured out in minus 30 weather and drove across the city to do so. We sat originally as a group of 12 and it grew to 15 people. Still under the impression the promotion was included, nothing was mentioned otherwise, we began to enjoy multiple sliders and multiple drinks. Even confirming with the waitress that the $5 dollar deal remained and she said YES. The night progressed and All was good until we received our bill which was triple what we thought it would be. At that point we were told that the deal was no longer viable because our group was to big to receive the promotion. We called this bearded gentleman over (manager), he explained that the organizer was told, but the table wasn't. He said he couldn't tell everybody at the table as it was to much work??? Well this gentleman became a total jerk, arguing with the table, and when we brought the waitress over to explain why she said: Yes, the drinks were part of the $5 dollar special, she also became argumentative and said communication can go a long way, that its not their fault. Communication can go a long way.... yes, but that is your job to communicate. She also said: I quote; You are just mad you didnt get $5 drinks??? Proper owner/management would have handled this different, A simple explanation to the table at the beginning would have changed the outcome and a simple apology at the end would have defused things slightly. Instead we were treated like crap. So here we sit, feeling totally backdoored, and instead of going back to this place again, we will never step foot in there again and of course we will tell everyone we know about the way we were treated. P.S. They charged us for Tap water.... That was yet another bullshit move read more

I made a reservation last week, for June 11th for the Patio. Then they tell me today that it will be for dine-in instead of the patio. Why would I drive all the way down to pay to eat inside the restaurant when I can do that in the comfort of my home. They were not sorry, or understanding that they made this change last minute. All they said by phone and text, is "We do not book the patio, it's first come first serve", well before the relaunch it was the only option, which AGAIN was not disclosed to me. The food portions are way too small, the drinks are elaborate, and grossly over priced, and I am convinced being their over several times that they short pour drinks. I only went their because I could make a reservation for the patio. I would stay away. Don't waste your money. read more

Easy reservation process. Called for a reso same day and got one no problem. Arrived early and sat us no problem. Awesome! Tables are VERY close together. Could be romantic if it weren't super loud. Waited about 10 minutes before someone took our drink order. Not super impressed considering the place wasn't super busy. The server was friendly enough, but didn't make much conversation with me and my partner. Food: pretty good, but not incredible. I've been here before and it was outstanding. Tonight was honestly a bit of a let down. The sliders are good, especially the mushroom one. The breads are hard to eat, but decent tasting. Also ordered the Brussels sprouts which were also pretty good. I was hoping for a bit more overall, but the food itself was a 3/5. One thing I will say: the servers did a good job, but a bit of conversation with the customer doesn't hurt. Kind of made it feel like they wanted us in and out quickly. Not the worst meal I've had in awhile, but certainly not the best. I'd consider coming back if the menu changed a bit. read more

During Poutine-Week I went on a Poutine Crawl with a group and our first stop was Cleaver, but I almost wish we'd saved it until last because it was so good it set the bar super high! The location itself is almost so blended in that you don't even notice it at first, but once you get inside it's clean and bright with lots of wood and mirrors. It's got a nice feel to it but it was rather loud as it filled up. The tables were set already with paper menus and a mug full of popcorn between the place settings. The popcorn itself was good, with a nice smokey-cheesy flavour. The poutine we had was Curds, Treacle-Gravy, Whiskey Duck, with Parmesan Duck-fat Fries. The fries were well seasoned but a little limp but the cheese on them was delightfully gooey. The gravy was delicious, with great duck fat flavour unfortunately it was a little too thin so instead of coating the fries it just pooled at the bottom of the bowl. The duck meat was perfectly cooked pulled similarly to pulled-pork which blended well with the fries. All in all I would eat that again for sure, though I haven't tried anything from the regular menu yet. read more

Cleaver - Duck fat poutine - Modern European Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Came here for their pop up brunch so my review doesn't really cover the dinner or their normal menu. I'd love to come back to try their regular menu on an evening. The brunch menu had a lot of choice including sweet and savoury, and three different Benny's. I ordered the pancakes which came with bacon and blueberries. The food was tasty, but lacking enough blueberries to enjoy with the pancakes. Our experience was fine for brunch. Service was polite and prompt. It was a bit odd that the restaurant wasn't full yet they packed in the people so we were directly next to other couples, while there were multiple empty tables. Not a big deal, but the tables are uber close together so if there is enough space they should allow guests the space. I liked the layout of the place, definitely had a butcher type vibe that fits with their cleaver and meat theme. The three stars are because the experience was good but nothing stood out in terms of the food or service. Again, I'd like to go back for dinner to see what they have to offer then. read more

Cleaver - Modern European Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

This is a second review: Made our "table reservation" only to get bar stools still to sit at. Making our reservation later too. If I wanted bar seating I could have reserved earlier and sat at the bar (with bar stools with a back!) I specifically made the reservation to not get bar stool seating. Food: Sliders are always amazing and the sausage rolls too! The bone marrow with the whiskey shot is a must try. I was disappointed with the beef cheek ravioli. It was a pleasant surprise when we got there that it was happy hour. Could have enjoyed more if we had our reservation earlier, oh well. Overall meal and service was good. read more

I was meeting a friend for brunch the other day and when they suggested Cleaver, I was eager to try it! I had heard many things about it, but had yet to visit myself. The decor is gorgeous. I love the industrial feel to it. I imagine the folks at HGTV would call it 'rustic chic', as it's welcoming but also very trendy. I tried the Spinach and Goat Cheese Eggs benny. I really enjoyed this dish. The hollandaise was just right (hollandaise can so easily be messed up) and the flavors of the goat cheese and spinach married really nicely together. The hashbrowns were really good too. I actually enjoyed that they weren't overly fried. It made the dish not feel so heavy. My only complaint is that I wish there were more hashbrowns on there. I had many 10 potatoes on my plate, which felt a little stingy honestly. Otherwise, it was a wonderful meal. Our server was really lovely. She was attentive without being overbearing and never made us feel rushed. I want to go back for their happy hour as their cocktail menu looked super cool! read more

I booked online with OpenTable. Glad I did. It was packed by 7pm. I ordered the Caesar Stack to drink and share the garnishes with my table mates. Delicious and a good idea. I also ordered the kale salad and a duck confit slider. The salad is tasty and hearty. The duck slider is savory and nutty, with sweetness and toasty sesame. He got gooey grilled cheese and tomato dip. It's greasy (that's the nature of grilled cheese) and delicious. There's mozzarella, Parmesan, and gruyere .. and a leaf of kale. Our company ordered the prosciutto and corn on sourdough and the bucatini pasta dish. Great appetizer with sweet corn and salty meat, creamy cheese and earthy kale. He said the pasta was very rich but the best he'd had in a long time. The noise level is high and tables tight. It's a good evening place and has a summer patio. Starter of free seasoned popcorn snack is a nice touch. read more

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My English friend Joe was the first person to give me the heads up about Cleaver's brilliant happy hour and when he recommends a bar, you listen. I was sceptical at first, the cocktail and slider special seemed to good to be true but I agreed to meet him after work one day for a drink or two (ended up being 7). You can't go wrong with any of the cocktails on the Menu and the sliders are delicious, especially the new Fish and Chip slider which tastes exactly like a fish burger from back home in Australia (and that's a hard taste to find in Calgary, I've spent 3 years finding fish that tastes even half as good). I've come down to Cleaver several other times since that initial evening and always enjoyed myself. I also find that the atmosphere and vibe make it an ideal location for a first date, albeit only between the hours of 5-7 and 9 til close (I'm not made of money). Always make sure you pre-book a table before heading down though, I barely ever see a free table at any time of the night. read more

Yay cleaver! Your food is delicious, your drink menu Devine. If I didn't have to sit on someone else's lap to eat everything would be fine. Rhymes aside. This place is rad. It has great ambience, friendly and attentive staff, yummy food and an awesome assortment of drinks. Sitting by the kitchen along the bar is my favourite place to sit. Here I can watch the activity from the back and front and don't need to worry about someone else breathing on my food. I've been here a handful of times and I always forgot how close the seating is so I'll laugh when they seat me literally hip to hip with another person, and I will kindly ask, may I sit by the bar instead please? (they're always happy to oblige). Did I mention the sliders that are on sale during happy hour? You have to try one of those!! read more

I absolutely love Cleaver, and have had great experiences for both dinner and brunch. DINNER: This place is best in a group of 3 or 4, because you can order enough things to get a mix of their various dishes. And you do want to order a bunch of things to share - that's the best and really only way to do it. Take their advice on what's good, and how much to order. Their sliders are ridiculously good (I don't know what they do to their chicken, but everything chicken I've ever had here is amazing), and the happy hour deal is not to be missed (I recommend cutting them in half to get as many tastes of as many of them as possible when sharing). I've literally never had something here I didn't think was good, and having a taste of 4-6 dishes in a meal (with a group of 4) is super super great. BRUNCH: We take the same approach to brunch always share several dishes among a group of people. SO THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT. Why, you ask? Because you'll want to taste everything. Their blueberry pancakes were good, and not too sweet. The avocado toast with poached egg was cool and scrumptious. The mushroom and goat cheese Benny was awesome (though not a combination I'd have thought of or picked), and the chicken and waffles were yummy. We often have to order 2 of their buffalo chicken benny, because my husband loves it that much. Again, *that chicken*. Also, you can get a reservation for brunch - which is rare in the Calgary brunch scene and SUPER convenient for rallying the group you're going to want to bring in order to share the deliciousness. OVERALL: Cleaver is a gem, and somewhere we love to bring out of town guests for a fun, scrumptious, family/european-style meal. Very highly recommended! read more

I'm amazed at this awesome place for the ambience and the desserts . I ordered Salted caramel fondue, mix'd up doughnuts, marshmallow and toblerone & Oreo baked cheesecake, meringue kisses, chocolate sauce. Those were few of the tastiest desserts I have ever had . The menu for entree looked delicious and affordable but unfortunately I had already had dinner by the time I reached here . The place has amazing vibe and is definitely worthwhile to visit if you are around Calgary . Bookmark it like a tourist spot ! read more

Cleaver - Modern European Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

With all the cool dining options in Calgary, Cleaver has become our absolute favourite place for a great all-round experience. The owner is a clearly an experienced restaurateur. The staff clearly care about what they're doing. At Cleaver, personality is high, arrogance is nil, and the attention to detail is wonderful. We are always greeted warmly but not in that "weird warm" way. And we always leave feeling satiated and as though we got our money's worth. (I just left there wishing I was still hungry so I can go back and repeat the evening. read more

I use to be a regular here, the food is good and so are the cocktails. I will no longer be frequenting this place because of the TERRIBLE service. They have many ridiculous new policies such as charging for tap water (????) and not allowing you to sit at the patio until the whole place is full, despite making a reservation politely requesting to do so. I have given this place a few chances as the food is good, but can't do it anymore as I am tired of being treated by complete disrespect by both the owner and the servers. I can't see this place staying popular for much longer as the loyal customers will get tired of being treated terribly. read more

Cleaver is overall one of my top 3 favourite places to grab a cocktail on any given evening. Cleaver is great for a casual hang out, girls night, or an intimate date. It's pretty small space though so you're basically shoulder to shoulder with other diners. The cocktails are crafted with care, and the food is rich and delicious. They have a very large selection of drinks and cocktails, so there is something for everyone! The G-spot, randy granny, immigrant, slap your mama...with those names it's hard not to have a good time. I also think the happy hour is one of the best in the city. My only problem with Cleaver is that they really need to make the patio first come first serve. The last time I was there they had some weird wait list with people that were not even at the restaurant.. and the patio seats were empty for at least 30 minutes. Besides the seating woes, Cleaver gets a thumbs up and I'll continue to recommend Cleaver when friends are looking for somewhere to go! read more

My friend and I ended up here on a bar/pub crawl during our girls night and we had a great time. Ordered the dessert fondue which was absolutely delicious. The cocktails also were super delicious and it was a great way to sit somewhere not super loud and have good conversation. read more

Upscale, trendy, friendly and ambient. It's the best of all worlds. The cocktail list is extensive and has something for everyone. From tart to sweet, it's bold and adventurous. The food is delicious and well plated, and if it matters, well-proportioned. The happy hour is phenomenal. $5 cocktails and $3 sliders. The softshell crab slider is . On point! read more

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I will start off by saying I did enjoy the food here although we were only there for their happy hour special for $3 sliders. The service was good as well, our server was friendly and helpful. We tried the lamb, duck, chicken and soft shell crab sliders. The duck wasn't my favorite but still good. The buns used for the sliders is heavy and gets gummy after the second or third one. Our cocktails were pretty good as well, mine was wrapped in a brown paper bag, would never ever pay full price for it though. Ok so sounds better than 2 stars right? I would've given this place 4 stars however here's two things that really annoyed me. 1. They charge for tap water...tap water, are you serious? Of course we weren't informed of this until the bill came. 2. It's an open kitchen, nothing wrong with this, however I could see everything. The cooks were playing with their phones in between preparing the food and NOT washing their hands after. Unless the phones have been sanitized before their shifts which I'm assuming they weren't, this is super nasty to see. Also another cook started having a sneezing fit in the kitchen, yes she sneezed into her arm, however blew her nose in the tight kitchen area and again didn't wash her hands. read more

Ok -you all know the critic in me when it comes to restaurants- so Cleaver, 50 Seats & a Cow. Gets a 5 outta 5 for food, service and ambience...truly frickin delicious! With that said - I have below a photo of the entrance door - (and the other side of he door is locked ) both Oksana Grushetski and I could barely fit through it- ( I'm not Size zero more like 8/10) but come one, when one has to walk sideways through the door? is this about selecting the clientele ? Just saying, no one over weight can dine here..thank you for a beautiful evening Oksana, throughly enjoyed time well spent with you read more

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Joined a ladies meet up group and we met here on the first meeting. You would not recognize the place as it doesn't have a signage in front but it is beside Immaculate concept. It's rustically chic, not quite spaceous but okay, their funny cocktails name such as :) Protestant, Catholic, Shag Therapy, Suckin Diesel, made me curios to try 'em but I like Protestant and Autumn fizz. I'd love to come back again for their wide variety of cocktails and sliders, $5 for cocktails, $3 for sliders. One of the best Irish place to visit in Calgary during happy hour. Their happy hour is until 7pm, lots of time for those working 9-5. read more

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This place was fantastic. Best craft cocktails with interesting makeup. The tuna was overdone & the chicken pizza had a chicken bone in it. The fries were good (both). Mac & cheese was more cheese than noodles. If it weren't for the amazing drinks & service I'd give it three stars. Also sitting outside at night means lots of requests from the homeless. Not an issue. read more

Cleaver - Double barrel old fashion served with pretzels...because it's that potent. - Modern European Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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This has to be a first; staff that spends 10 minute's instragram'ing your food before even bringing it to you. Bizarre. Came here for brunch one morning to fine that its incredibly overpriced (welcome to 17th Ave?) and really not very good. I had their breakfast burger which--and I can't believe I'm saying this--had way too much chuck and no toppings worth noting. By the way; it comes with a fried egg which they actually squished at the serving bar for their photos--isn't that one of the best parts? Maybe I'm a weirdo. read more

Went for brunch today and to start off the hostess was quite rude. Made a reservation for the patio and the hostess tried to sit us inside, not a great start. Then got the menu and they only had one Breakfast item on their menu, now that is disappointing. Should be avoided for a brunch destination. Definitely more suited for dinner time. read more

Well, this is officially my first review in Calgary that I wish I could give ALL THE STARS TO! What a great place. From my understanding, this place is relatively new. I hope that everything stays the way it does. Service: STELLAR. You will receive stellar service at this place. We had a reservation, and the place was quite busy. The host, said that there would be about a ten minute wait. No worries, as for me it was a first date! More conversation time for us. After about five minutes of waiting, the host brought us both a glass of prosecco which was on the house. WHO DOES THAT?! Great impression to start off the night. After we were seated, the amazing service did not stop there. Our server was very knowledgeable, friendly, and super accommodating. Food: Upon being seated, we were provided with some delicious popcorn with truffle oil to start as off! Yum. Only request would be that I wish that the popcorn was warm. To start, we had the toast. I can't remember what kind of toast it is, but WOW. Delicious depth to it, and the egg was a perfect touch. We also had the fried tempura kale. I'm not going to spoil how good this was. Just order it. We decided to go with the "cock" for our main. This is a full chicken. YUM. DELICIOUSNESS. The flavour from that bird was SO good. If I only had to choose one cock to spend the rest of my life with, it would be that one..... Then for dessert, we had their doughnut fondue. YUM! House made doughnuts. Delicious crunch and flavour to them. Please save room for this. Drinks: They have a great menu here. Now, when I go to places that make specialty drinks, I always ask if they can make a "Ramos Gin Fizz". My all-time favourite drink. THIS WAS THE ONLY PLACE IN CALGARY I HAVE FOUND TO MAKE IT, THUS FAR!!!! The bartender made it a point in her night to come to our table and ask me how it was? She explained to me that it was her first time making the drink, but it had tasted like she had been making it for years. More kudos for their awesome service. Atmosphere: Great place for a first date! I think I can say that from personal experience, right? It is perfect for intimacy such as mine, but also works great for large groups which we saw at the restaurant. If there is only one place you have time to spend your appetite on, please choose CLEAVER! :) read more

My BFF and I went here for dinner instead of giving each other xmas presents. We had a reso at 7pm and were seated promptly when we arrived. The truffle popcorn they brought over to munch on was amazing. We ordered 3 things to share and while they were all good, I wasn't blown away. Each item was good, but I just felt like something was missing. I think we just didn't order the right combination of food (and I can't really blame the resto for that). We had the duck fat fries, kale tempura, and tuna wraps. The fries and the tempura were both a big portion - too big in my opinion. I would rather have smaller portions so that we could try more things. The sauce with the kale tempura was awesome. Service was amazing. Very attentive without being overwhelming. I think the reason I'm not giving it 4 stars is that I'm just not super enthused to go back. I'll probably check them out for brunch and that could bring me back around but I've been eating out a lot lately and there are a few other places that I just can't stop thinking about. Bottom line - Try them out, probably with a bigger party so you can sample more things. read more

Had the Nutella French toast and got to try a friends breakfast poutine, both were truly delicious. Service was great but you definitely need a reso as its always busy! I can't wait to return to try some of their dinner items! read more

Cleaver - Breakfast poutine - Modern European Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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I went back in September this year with a friend that really wanted to try their brunch menu in particular, so I joined albeit begrudgingly. We were seated on their patio which was quite roomy and pleasant. They do have heaters on out there, so it was fairly warm (maybe too warm for my one friend that was right under it). The waitress was very friendly and helpful. She was around often to refill our coffees and waters. The brunch menu has a lot of different choices, full stuffed French toast to eggs Benny. I believe I ordered the brisket benny. Food was good and hardy. Large portions, but pricey. Buffalo chicken benny was a little overwhelmingly vinegary, but crispy and juicy. The ceasar we ordered was peppery and had a decent amount of vodka. Garnished with a chunk of bacon. Overall a good experience and I would come back now. read more

Great experience at this new 17th Ave hotspot! I had once tried to walk in on a Friday night, but it was not happening - the place was PACKED! So we made reservations for a Thursday night. When we got there, it was still completely packed. In fact, our table was not even empty yet because patrons had not left. In fact, we had to wait for a table despite a reservation. I was about to get annoyed but the hostess offered us a glass of prosecco for waiting. Okay, we said. The wait wasn't so bad anymore, since we had drinks in hand. Husband finished his prosecco before me, and the hostess came and topped up his glass! Great, now we definitely did not mind waiting! The hostess was super nice, so we made conversation and asked her about the menu etc while we waited. When our table was finally ready (about 10-15 mins), we were seated quickly and once again, offered another drink on the house, "for being so patient". Seriously, these people know how to please customers! I ordered a glass of pinot noir, and the husband ordered a bourbon cocktail. We ordered four plates of food to share from the menu: The tuna wraps, the beef cheek, the lamb chops and the polenta with mushrooms. The food all came in RECORD time. The tuna wraps came almost immediately after we ordered. Excellent! The tuna was generously portioned, and had an interesting flavour because of the cumin. It came with a small head of butter lettuce to wrap them in. The lamb chops arrived as soon as we were done the tune wraps. They were like lollipops, and were meant to be dipped in the accompanying korma sauce, and then dipped into the accompanying toasted slivered almonds, and then bitten into. SO FLAVOURFUL! One of my favourites of the night. The polenta with mushrooms came after, and it was absolutely heavenly. The truffle oil, mushrooms and polenta were an exquisite combination. My other favourite of the night. The beef cheek came after. It was Guinness braised, and served with mashed potatoes and broccolini. The meat was so tender it was almost buttery. It was my husband's favourite, along with the polenta. We also asked to sample some house made bread and we got two hunkin' HUGE chunks of bread. One was a beet bread, and the other was a dark bread that I am having trouble remembering because everything was so delicious and I was deliriously full! But aside from the food, the second highlight of the night was the service. At one point my husband dropped a knife. I kid you not, a server appeared right behind him IMMEDIATELY and handed him a new one. Before he even had a chance to bend over and pick up the knife he had dropped. C R A Z Y. So between our super personable and knowledgeable server, and the knife incident, not to mention the free drinks to make up for the wait times.. man, they were on the BALL! To end this gigantic review, both my husband and I were very impressed with our experience at Cleaver. It is a casual place, but the quality of the food and the quality of the service are phenomenal. The people behind Cleaver know what they are doing, and a lot of new restaurants can learn from them. Easy 5 stars! read more

I was here the first year they opened and had to leave as the service was terrible and they didn't honour my reservation and I said then I wouldn't come back. I, however, came back tonight and the service was the best part of the experience. We had the sirloin but they didn't ask what term we warned it, which I thought it was bizarre. They brought a sliced medium piece - it was good though s bit chewy. The rest of the food was good. One thing, the kitchen bell is a bit loud and annoying. The two hipster bearded guys behind the bar are fun to watch. read more

The drinks and food are great but the main draw here was the amazing happy hour they had. Disappointing to see them continuously raising the prices, cocktails used to be $6 now they are $8... Still better than the normal $13 prices but I'm less inclined to frequent there after work now. read more

My dear Cleaver, You certainly know your way with proteins, but that doesn't mean your veggies and carbs are any less good. Your sliders are amazing and so are the french fries deep fried in duck fat. You tease us with popcorn and then spoil us with the main course. The staff here is friendly and the prices are reasonable, considering the food you're getting. Definitely one the top restaurants here in Calgary. A must visit. read more

Seriously cool little spot is pumping out some delicious food. We started out as a couple going to Cleaver, but when the word got out all our friends wanted to join. I'm sure the host wasn't thrilled that I changed my reso 3 times, but he was so accommodating. Not a large place, but the intimacy is perfect. You can watch the bartenders and chefs work their magic. As everyone has said come here before 7pm Sunday - Thursday as sliders are $3 and cocktails are $5. Definitely worth it. I tried every slider and they all had deep developed flavors that were delicious. Duck was slightly dry in my opinion, but others at my table loved it. I will definitely be back! read more

Wow. I have not had such a great experience as I had last night at any place in Calgary in a long time. This place is awesome. The food is fantastic and unique. The service is friendly and the ambience is very cool. First of all, its busy there. In a great way. But things run very smoothly and no one makes you feel rushed. The menu boasts a lot of delicious and inventive small plates as well as some larger items for sharing. We have the kale tempura (yum), duck fat fries (could not stop eating these) and the strip loin steak to share (melt in your mouth). But by far my favourite was were the scallops and blood pudding. Just wow. I could have eaten 10 plates of those. We finished the meal with toffee pudding. Delicious. All the food was perfectly cooked (and showed up hot!) and served in a casual rustic style. Its definitely a classy casual kind of place! They make a "smoked" old fashioned and the preparation and presentation are worth whatever the price of the drink is. They put a lot of care and love into the details and it shows in everything you experience at Cleaver. All the servers were knowledgeable, super friendly - it already has a neighbourhood feel despite not being open for very long. I cant wait to go back and try the sliders - we spied some from afar and they look spectacular! read more

Love the concept of this restaurant and had a hugely enjoyable time here on the first go. However, the service steadily has gone downhill with each visit (the crowd has also become a lot larger, resulting in quite long wait times on weekends -all day- and weekday evenings). The chef has also seemed to become increasingly more arrogant. My family and I decided to go for dinner one evening and I wanted to take them to a newer restaurant that I had excellent food in the past. I had been slightly weary of going back since the last time I had not enjoyed the attitude of some of the staff; however, I chalked it up to one bad event and decided to go once again. My parents sat down and immediately were surprised by how often we heard "no, we can't do that" from our waitress. She wouldn't allow us to change anything on our orders, including asking for meat to be cooked for thoroughly (really??) or that a sauce be left off the plate due to irritation of the stomach. As an excuse she said the chef wanted us to have the 'complete experience' - including bowel irritation?? I completely understand that chefs want the customer to enjoy the great way they pair their food with all sorts of flavours, however, when people have dietary difficulties, exceptions should be made. The fact that our server wouldn't even attempt to have the meat cooked more well done and wouldn't even ask for the sauce to be on the side was very telling. The lack of flexibility here was astounding and the pompous attitude from the server was incredible. I'm not an easily offended person, but after the last visit here, I won't be coming back. read more

This place was a pleasant surprise for Calgary. I'm a stickler and it was a surprise. Walked in on a Sunday afternoon and took up a couple of seats at the bar. Decor follows suit with a lot of hipster decor in YYC...they're just catching up to that style here unfortunately and in other (larger metropolitan) cities it's on its way out.....I did not see a TV...I hope there were no TV's. TV's need to be banned from social places. The menu is limited and they do specify that no modifications will be made so this was a bit of a piss off at first BUT luckily they had a robust enough selection of food that Vegans & Vegetarians will be able to fill up no problem. Looked like a great selection of beers, wines and spirits. Seemed to be quite the number of old fashioned cocktails being served as well. I did not partake. All the veggie dishes were prepared well and plated artfully. Nothing was over salted or under cooked. Jeff had one of their pork belly sliders (which are full sized) and was pretty impressed with the taste. They do them up pretty large so you have the option of ordering just one. Decent pricing for what you get. After all, Moxies is trying to charge $20 for one of their hideous salads now so you can't complain. I'd go back for sure. read more