I got to admit, I'm little disappointed they got rid of their 5 course menu. I wish they would have raised the prices for the 5 course and kept it. Now, you have to pay for EVERYTHING! Nothing is complimentary not even the bread! Prices aren't cheap either. It's a wee cheaper than fine dining restaurants in the city but you do almost pay fine dining prices. The service depends on who you have. They are all students and we came on opening day since the closure 2 years ago. Therefore, I think everything is new and all the students were nervous. The food was good and they do take care of the presentation and the quality. It was a nice experience. Would I come all the time???....no since it's no longer a great deal. The free parking is also limited. I might come once a year because it's a fun environment and experience. I really hope they bring back the 5 course option someday. read more

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I went to both lunch buffet and dinner. Food was ok at both. ... so why the 2 stars? Well, I just quite didn't think it through and yes of course they are students and it's a classroom environment, so I should have expected it.... The servers/students that I encountered were sooooo nervous and it was just awkward the whole time with my interactions with them. Yes they tried their best. I just think that if you're going to enter the service industry you should have some social skills and enjoy talking to people! haha. Too much to expect?! :P read more

The Highwood - American Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

This is a live learning classroom environment - which is unique! The food is amazing, the menu changes each semester, and you really can't beat the prices. Student servers are expected to put in 2-3 weeks of service to learn what it's like to be the other side of the kitchen. I love asking servers, as with any post secondary student I meet, what their favourite part of the program has been so far and where they hope to land after graduation. Enjoy!!! If you don't have time for dessert then pop over to the marketplace on your way out and pick something up for at home or in the office. read more

The Highwood and I are old pals and I'm surprised I haven't reviewed it yet. They are open from Sept - April for lunch and dinner (I'm not sure if it's just weekdays or not) I have done both a la Carte lunch and Thursday buffets and they are both completely different experiences and you aught to try both. Now, I have never done a dinner service because they haven't ever offered a vegetarian offering I'm aware of which makes me pout. First of all it's pretty much the BEST gourmet food VALUE you are going to find in this city period. SAIT's culinary faculty are some of the best chefs in the city (former executive chefs from river cafe and il sogno for example) shaping all the eager beavers and up and comers. The students run the whole show at highwood (under the watchful eye of very experienced and engaged hospitality instructors). You will be seated by students on the front of house rotation, you will be served by a student on the serving rotation, your drinks will be made by mixology students, if it's a buffet they are student every 2 feet explaining what creation they are presenting you that day. The food is always tasty but sometimes the service is a little off (the cooking students are a bit out of their element on front of house and are often quite nervous) but it's easily excusable because they are learning to be leaders that would teach servers themselves by getting this experience first hand. The instructors are quick to pop in and smooth out any real strange issues that pop up so you're still well cared for even if it gets a bit awkward. Students do a 3 week rotation to some of the jobs like serving so sometimes you'll get a server on their very first day EVER in the service industry. I advise you know this might occur and be patient. Some cooking students do start in restaurants before they come to school and they are great out of the gate but most of them desire to be a kitchen and away from the public eye and they are really challenged by their serving rotation. A la carte lunches are priced really nicely. $6 for salads/soups/appies/desserts and $12 for entrees and given the options it's pretty much the cost of the ingredients much of the time. Don't overlook the mocktails (or cocktails if you dare) because most have been stellar. For the most part I like a la carte because of the presentation even though there is more value in the buffet. It's also a bit easier to control myself... I have a current bone to pick because they don't have a vegetarian entree this menu and they basically don't offer modifications due to the student environment so I actually haven't been in a while which is particularly disheartening because you're training the next generation of chefs to ignore me :'( Please change your menu offerings for this fall Highwood. K, thx! :) For the Thursday lunch buffet... well... it's a bit of a feat to even get in and there is good reason for this. Reservations are only taken several times a year and are gone in minutes. But, if you are dedicated you too can make a booking (not when I'm going though - back off! hehe) Now, i'm not a fan of buffets, and often struggle to get value as a vegetarian from most not to mention the food is generally a bit old an ick but this one is different. Here isn't like you have chef stations serving you up inventive and delicious elevated food. It's a steal of a deal at I want to say $27 a person (don't quote me - definitely under $30) and there is all kinds of fancy things going on and constantly changing as the students are experimenting. I've seen suckling pigs, rabbits, elk, beautiful tender loin (I'm vegetarian and don't EAT it but I still appreciate a good looking protein). There is platters of tourines, lots of salads, soups, huge selection of canapes, yummy cheeses and fruit, a wide variety of warm dishes and (be still heart) an amazing dessert table of gorgeous pastries (value for buffet right there). Oh... and they have a mobile cherry jubilee cart to flambe some tasty cherries table size on demand. Yumz. Needless to say, I find it a challenge to not roll out of here and then go back to work and be productive. I'm trying to practice moderation but it's entirely the wrong place to attempt this. In summation - do it. The only question should be - will they be open/available when you want to go? (pictures are from the fall menu - back when they let vegetarians eat there a la carte too... those were the days) read more

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The Highwood is probably one of the best-kept secrets of the dining scene in Calgary. The Culinary School at SAIT runs the Highwood Dining Room, a live classroom environment where students put their training and skills to work under the guidance and supervision of their instructors. The Culinary School is rated as one of the best in Canada and the Highwood as one of the best restaurants in Calgary. It is first and foremost a classroom so hours are limited to weekdays. The Highwood is open for lunch from Monday to Fridays with 11:30 am and 12 pm seatings and dinner Monday to Thursdays with seatings at 6, 6:30 and 7 p.m. The Highwood is also only open from mid-September to mid-December and then from mid-January to about the end of May, 1st week of June. Reservations are taken in 2 month intervals. Reservations for November and December start around the 3rd week of September. They feature a buffet lunch on Thursdays and getting in on this takes perseverance. I have tried to get a reservation for several years and only succeeded by making sure I started phoning at 8 a.m. on the 1st day of reservations. It is only in recent years that the Highwood has allowed for on-line reservations but Thursday buffet reservations are still restricted to phone-in first; on-line reservations are allowed only after all phone in reservations are cleared. The students are trained in all aspects from being a pastry chef to an executive chef and the food prepared reflects the high standards expected of them. The food is equivalent to what is served in some of the finest commercially run restaurants, the difference is the price; Thursday buffet runs at $25/per person plus GST. Dinner is a 5-course meal for $46 plus GST, gratuities not included. Service is always excellent; what else can you expect when your server is under the scrutiny of their instructor and being graded on how they perform? Lunch is also very reasonably priced, appetizers are $6 and entrees are mostly $12. Parking is a little complicated, the Highwood offers a flat rate parking fee but only in certain lots at SAIT; check the parking information they provide on their website. The noise level in the dining room can be a little loud. The décor is a little dated and hasn't changed in decades but considering the education cuts I expect that spending funds on furniture and décor is not a priority of a culinary program. The dining room has a pleasant bright atmosphere. Food is well worth the visit. read more

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The Highwood is the WHL to the NHL of Calgary's restaurant scene. Far greener on paper and thus lacking some of the finesse when compared to the pro-star chefs Calgary is becoming globally recognized for, but the SAIT Culinary students that create The Highwood are bursting with talent and an undeniable passion passion to be the best. When you compare the experience to the cost, The Highwood is absolutely unreal. They do a lunch buffet every Thursday but you've got to make your reservations early - they're always completely booked and it's no surprise why. For $24 you get access to an all-you-can-eat buffet curated by some of the best up and comers out there. There's even one future chef standing next to each item ready to give you the full guided tour of their project. It's like the most delicious science fair you've ever experienced. It's even fun to get your inner foodie judge on and try pick a winner for the day. Not only is this the only all-you-can-eat buffet in Calgary I would ever even think of attending, it is by far the only one where you can get included table-side Cherry's Jubilee. Highwood, you rocked my world today. I can't wait to share you with the world! Huge thanks to Paul G. for introducing me to The Highwood and their awesome Thursday buffets. Paul knows what's up in the YYC. Read his reviews here: http://www.yelp.ca/user_details?userid=71XStF5U0kmJw2Iym9fclQ read more

The SAIT Highwood is an interactive learning facility where the food and drinks are prepared by students and the servers are from the Hospitality faculty. I can't say much about Highwood since the experience varies each semester with different batches of students. Nonetheless, I still think it's a worthwhile visit to support the students, and it has one of the cheapest 5 course meals ($46) you can find in Calgary. They also have a "Thursday Lunch Buffet" with hot, cold and dessert items that I heard was a fantastic deal. The 5 course dinner consists of an appetizer, daily soup, salad, main, and dessert. They have several choices for each course and daily features. I was pretty full by the end of the meal, but if you are a hearty eater this may not be the place for you since the portions are small and "fine dining-esque". Drinks are about $5 each and are made by students from SAIT's mixology course, which I took a few years ago. The Highwood is only opened Monday to Thursday with reservations so the students can focus and practice on a limited number of people. Each table has their own beverage and food server to take your order. The restaurant is a little outdated, but the atmosphere is not too fussy. Expect your meal to take at least one and a half to two hours because the main course tends to be delayed if the kitchen is backed up. Overall, I suggest a visit to support the students and initiative. I can definitely vouch that this sort of practice is really helpful and meaningful. Don't expect top notch restaurant quality service/food, but if you happen to stumble upon a great bunch of people then all the better. read more

Visited The Highwood for the first time understanding it was a teaching restaurant. The price for a 5 course meal is very reasonable and the food is well presented/plated and of great quality. Our favourite courses were the butternut squash soup and the entrees (lingcod and gnocchi). Our only area of improvement would be that we would love to see the waitstaff explain what's on the dish a little upon arrival to the table. During our salad courses we were not sure the sauces being used and would have enjoyed an explanation. If you go here you need to be patient with the students and encouraging and remember we were all new to our roles once too. Will go back for sure! read more

Yes, little pricey but it's worth the whole set of dinner from starter, soup,salad,entré, dessert is not part of the priced menu but It's worth trying and it's worth coming back for. I wish I would have known this place long time ago. I'll come back for sure and I'd recommend this to anyone! read more

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I think that the highwood is an excellent institution. It is so cute with the students, they are eager and try their best. The food last night was acceptable. Our highlight was the dessert table. If you go on Thursday, they have a dessert buffet. The cheesecake was delicious and they were really accommodating for my gluten free request. I only wish the soup portion was larger. I went once to the Thursday lunch buffet and that is a fantastic show. The terrines and desserts were incredible. read more

If you arrive early enough, you can park directly across from the restaurant. Just remember to pick up a parking pass from the reception, otherwise you'll be parking a good 5 minute walk away. The Highwood has been a favourite of ours for a long time. However, I have to say that our last time there, was probably our last time there. The Highwood maintains its elegant dining feel despite the fact that it is a classroom. Most of the students do very well. The service an be a little slow, but that is to be expected for a group of trainees. I actually enjoyed watching the girls at the bar learning how to make drinks. It was like watching "Bar Rescue" in real life. One funny part is that the Maître De in training was not too friendly and quite shy this time around. The opposite of what the position calls for. The food has been great in the past although pricey and in small portions, but seemed to fall a little flat this time. We went for the 2017 Valentine's Day dinner. Forgive me for the lack of details, but it was almost three months ago and I can't remember what we ordered. I do remember that we weren't too impressed overall though. To recap: fair food, too pricey, descent service. read more

Been here a couple of times now for lunch and can say that the quality of the food, as well as the presentation, is top notch. And as far as value goes, truly nothing in the city beats it. Will come back again and again for sure read more

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It hurts me to write this review. I don't really know why our experience is so much different than everyone else's on here, but wow... what a disappointing dining experience. Perhaps our friends have hyped it up too much for us. Perhaps our expectations were set way too high. We keep making excuses in different scenarios yet I cannot get over the fact how much I disliked tonight's dinner. Here's the full scope... Highwood is a dining room on the SAIT Campus where most of the "staff" are students currently enrolled in their programs so they all have different roles. As such, because I thought they are actually learning how to work in a restaurant, I expected the experience to be perfect. Instead my friends and I kept discussing on the various things that happened or didn't. Here are some examples: * Water glasses were never automatically refilled. * Wine glasses were not removed until much later even though we indicated we did not want wine. * Empty bread platter sat for a long time, was asked twice if we wanted more bread to which we indicated no, but it was not removed until the end! Neither were the little side plates. * A butter spreader was given to my friend as her knife who ordered the tuna entree. * Our server kept dropping our utensils every time he cleared our plates. Like, I mean every single time. Yes, these are my very critical notes. However, I thought these are things that should have more carefully attended to because that's what you're learning in this program. Am I wrong? Starter Bread A nice variety but all served cold... my favorite was the cornbread. Duck Croquette This was a great starter and we thought it would be a good indicator of how the rest of the meal would go, but boy... were we wrong. However, the croquettes were nicely flavorful and fried just lightly. I especially enjoyed that large chunk of duck breast but I did find it a tad too rare. Mushroom "Pho" So when our server was pouring the broth, he just kind of dumped it out and roughly knocked everything apart. I was expecting something like at Q Haute where the servers would carefully tip the pitcher, let the broth slowly flow out and then pour it in circular motions around the saucer. This was awkward to eat. The broth was definitely not good. I'm not sure what it really tasted like except it did not taste like the usual pho broth. It's interesting to note that the "pho" is a sheet of rice paper wrapped up. I didn't really enjoy the presentation It was also quite salty. Our server saw that we left more than half of the broth behind and asked us what didn't we like about it, and we gave him our honest opinions. He said he would tell the kitchen. At that point I would expect someone to come talk to us about it but no one came by. Miso Glazed Tofu Salad K didn't like the grilled pear and the dressing (whatever it was) was too sweet and was not a good complement to the already sweet pear. Beef Carpaccio Salad I quite liked the innovative presentation of this salad but sadly, the flavors were not there. The salad was very lightly dressed and the beef was very bland. Seared Albacore Tuna By the looks of it, I thought the tuna chunks were too thick and seared too much. Alberta Striploin This is where things went even more south... like really south. I have never had a piece of steak as tough as this. While I've never ate shoe leather before, I could not help but compare this to it. You cannot convince me that this is striploin, and if it was, it must've been a really cheap cut that was sliced wrong. Despite of the pretty grill marks, the steak was overcooked to my liking. Then that medallion on the right side was the short rib but it tasted sweet and jerky like. I honestly don't know why I didn't send this back... maybe because we waited so long for our mains that I didn't want to wait any further for a different one. We were pretty tired near the end (entire meal took over three hours) and then our server came by and see if we wanted anything else. We simply asked for our bills and said we're all paying separately. He runs off, comes back five minutes later and actually asked us how we're splitting it. Um... RW and AC ordered the monte crisco, K and I didn't, so how do you think we should split it? Another two minutes went by he comes back with the billfolds where we quickly place our credit cards in and he runs off again. Yet another minute later he comes back and tells us to go pay at the front as the lady there has a few questions she wants to go over with us. Ok... we thought we were expected to do an evaluation of some sort. Nope. We stood in line to pay with zero verbal exchange with said lady. Wow. I really, really wish we could've done an evaluation but we got the message that they didn't care or wasn't looking for feedback. This was an absolute disappointing meal. The food was not good and I felt that we paid way too much for what we received. It is unlikely I will return. read more

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I would give it 5 stars for just the value of the lunch alone! Went here with my bf for lunch and it was $36 for the both of us and our app ($6), 2 entrées ($12x2) and dessert ($6). I didn't expect it to be so cheap compared to how it feels sitting there with all of the proper place settings and the uniformly clad students. Personally, I didn't mind that some of the student servers were nervous -- THW is an educational simulation and really really valuable for the culinary students who were eager, polite and honest. I thought they were really cute, actually, and it made the experience more fun. (Our server was flambéeing beef at our table and couldn't start the fire, but the way the experience is set up kind of works around any embarrassing mistake? The instructors are walking around as well and one of them helped immediately) In addition, it was interesting to hear how they pulled things off here. We both enjoyed the food and had fun sharing things. The tables in THW are spaced apart quite nicely so it's not too... much of a ...... shared dining experience. I'm only taking a star off because my bf and I didn't really like the fish we ordered at all - it was quite dry and bland. I thought the chocolate truffle we had for dessert was good but unremarkable. I would visit again in the years coming to witness the skill of each batch of students! read more

I am still very pleased with the lunch here yesterday. Positives: - crazy cheap for the good quality, artsy presentation and amazing tastes. $31 for a mocktail, salad appy, protein main, dessert and coffee- cheap! - loved that our server was able to make recommendations that ended up as great selections - delicious mocktail, the pomegranate lemonade was not too sweet yet flavourful - table tossed Cesar salad had nice Parmesan cheese melt, dressing had a lovely taste- more complex that a regular Cesar salad - tried a taste of muligitawny soup and wow, how yummy! - southern fried chicken, what a delight. I rarely eat chicken when out, I tire easily of chicken and normally find it a boring meat to eat. This chicken though, was breaded and seasoned so I actually enjoyed chicken again for the duration of eating that dish. Juicy meat; lightly breaded and seasoned to make it very tasty- no regrets ordering this meal. Beans, salsa and greens were also delicious sides in this meal - creme caramel my fav dessert of the 3 shared with my mom friends Meh's - service wasn't stellar, slow and awkward at times - don't expect to have time to sit and chat with lunchmates, students were cleaning around us when we finally decided to get up and leave - Cesar salad was as expected- not as amazing as it should be, compared to other dishes there, that totally were amazing - chocolate mousse was decent, rich yet light - improved with passion fruit sauce but wouldn't order again - cheesecake I am on the fence about- my preference is a more dense cheesecake and this one was lighter, not baked style- still yummy - coffee was average, but also should have been better, to the high level of the dishes presented here. Would definitely come back again, and even try for the highly popular "Thursday buffet lunch"-great deal for amazing food, and I love being able to support these students while they learn and grow in their craft. Update - my friends and I finally got in to a Lunch buffet. I wasn't super in to all the options here (jellied meat was pretty, I did try some of it, but I won't waste calories these in future events) but what I did try- was amazing. Off the buffet, my favs were the fish cakes and all the desserts. Actually the beet salad was really good as well. I need to go to another buffet to see what else these budding chefs will offer. And omg, the quality of the dishes, of everything - for $30 per person?? I can't think of a better deal out there, it almost felt like robbery. Thursday's also have the marketplace to purchase goods created by students, to go- I picked up bakery treats and some steaks and was not disappointed esp with such great pricing. read more

I will definitely go back and support them. the whole experience was awesome once again...the only thing that was a bummer was my tomato soup...piggy bank cried for a small bowl $6. Because it's s specialty of the day. i still gave high rating because the main was really awesome (grilled steelhead fish for $12)...always leave room for dessert, i tried apple & cranberry crumble YUMMY! my mom had the chocolate tarte....rich and melts in your mouth ($6 each) presentation makes you dont wanna ruin it. Parking is lot 5 which is close to the establishment--$5 the first hour, and $1.50 for succeeding. read more

Come for the Thursday lunch buffet. Best bang for buck. Everything is prepared by the students and there is so much variety! I love their dessert buffet, especially when they have their creme brulee. They only do the lunch buffet from September to April and you have to make reservations waaaaaaay in advance. I have also tried their dinner service and it is also equally delicious! read more

Ate here while my boyfriend was studying here & a few times after he graduated. Great value for a simulated fine dining experience. Ambiance could definately use improvement. Food was very good. read more

Incredible place to eat. Delicious food and the staff does a great job with providing the customers with wonderful service.