The Whisky Jack Grill Jasper, Alberta Canada July 2026
I…read morewas in Jasper for two days, on a train vacation that got me out of the District for the semi quincentennial. On Amtrak the trip began in Washington, D.C., through Chicago, then Seattle, then Jasper. Amtrak got me to Seattle seamlessly; and VIA Rail Canada got me from Seattle to Jasper, just as painlessly. Really good planning by my Amtrak Vacations representative, Kevin Guadagnoli, who was working through Railbookers.
During the time I had in Jasper, I had the chance to breathe, to observe, to inhale, and to enjoy. Jasper provided all of this, and The Whisky Jack Grill was a major part of the benefits of this trip.
I was at the Grill in mid-afternoon, and Tereza was there with no wait and a menu, and a helpful attitude. I settled in with no prior knowledge of what the venue had to offer.
Great start: the menu included a beef goulash (spicy smoked paprika beef, potato and onion with a fresh oven-baked baguette, $22) that I was sorely tempted to order, and a competitor - beef Stroganoff (served with linguine past, topped with sour cream and pickles, $34).
But I was looking for a lighter option and found it with an appetizer: sticky-finger black pepper tofu! Peppercorn, honey-molasses, butter glazed tempura-fried tofu, served with a delicious Asian slaw ($22). That plus a 4 p.m. double gin and tonic ($12) brought the bill for my late lunch to $35.70 plus a $5 CAD tip.
Really impressive service, excellent food, and reasonably priced. Conversation friendly, spacious, and relaxing.
I doubt I'll have the chance to return to Jasper (I'm 70 and live in D.C. and my traveling days may be numbered) but if the four winds bring me back, I'll save space for The Whisky Jack Grill. (And I don't mean to be a pest, but according to the venue, there is no "e" in Whisky". Just saying, because that's what's on the postcard they left with my tab.)