Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon

Overall very disappointed with Wild Bill’s. They had rather poor beer selection, only one IPA and very few craft choices. I had the wings which were served cold and needed to be plucked a bit. Ouch!

This place would probably be a lot of fun on a weekend night. Unfortunately we arrived on a Monday night and this place was dead. We were one of only 5 or 6 customers. The bartender girl was very nice and attentive but it wasn’t the most happening place in town. In fact, all of Banff is pretty dead on Monday. Would like to come back and try the mechanical bull!

A group of us couldn’t decide where to eat and Wild Bill’s looked friendly. We had a wonderful server, Scott, who made us feel very welcomed. The food exceeded expectations. The elk burger was delicious and the fries were crispy. The corn fritters were probably our favorite appetizer, the piggy skins were interesting. The brisket was moist and came with its very own Bbq sauce. Would definitely recommend small and large groups to come here!

Horrifyingly bad service. Saturday night and one server who didn’t show up for 15 mins to take our order which took 30 mins to get… chicken wings?! Terrible.
UPDATE: the wings are some of the best I’ve ever had rather annoyingly.

We were trying to decide what we wanted when we saw huge plate go by. It was nachos!!! We ordered it to split and it was more than enough for my wife and I to share. It comes with everything you want on nachos including great jalapeño peppers. The price was great and so was the service. I just like it here.

Been to Banff a few times now and have not been to Wild Bills. Went for lunch and had the cream of mushroom soup which was flavourful and full of mushrooms. Tried the artichoke cheese dip and it was delicious, the subtle flavour came through for an overall delicate but rich flavor that kept you dipping for more. Finally we had the corn fritters which were a pleasant surprise. Crisp on the outside and tasty on the inside. I am not sure how the supper fares but I was very pleased. Service was ok with no complaints.

Oh Wild Bills, you strange place, you. If you’re thinking of seeing a show at Wild Bills, do it! They get a lot of cool acts that are also playing Calgary. Driving out for a show, paying far less for a ticket, and the intimate pub environment are well worth it for a band you love.
You’ll drink Big 3 beer in plastic cups. You’ll shoot crown or Jack in plastic shot glasses. You’ll fit your way through the crowds and you’ll wonder if you were better looking, maybe the bartender would actually come around. But, you’ll have a great time doing it!
If you’re looking for a culinary hot spot, I doubt this is it. But, it’s been a while since I’ve been here during the day because night life is where it’s at. Pre-​drink Trashcans at Eddie burger across the street before going to your concert and then dance the dance the night away. It’s the Wild Bill’s way. Bring your ID. You too, Grandma.

To get out of the cold on a snowy day in August here, we came in for dinner. It’s a casual place with loud live music and laid-​back servers, and the food is filling, varied, and fairly priced (especially for an overpriced town). It’s awesome for a vegetarian to come to a place that looks like a traditional burger/​BBQ joint and find so many appealing options. Try the sweet corn fritters and the mushrooms with dirty rice.

Seated in the closet with the vlt machines. Booth view of Banff Ave was nice except for urinal rock scented room deodorizer. Sat for 10 min and no server. Said screw it and left. Disappointing considering large dancehall /​bar area.

This restaurant was a disappointment for being in the heart of Banff. It was freezing cold, we huddled by the fire place until we finished eating. I definitely won’t go there even in the summer. The waiter was kind, but the food quality was not worth it.

The quality is great but lacks in flavour. I had the pulled pork sandwich which was on the smaller side and the fries were a mere decoration. I was told they are portioned out, which means the management is skimpy. Here is a product that is nearly free and there is no reason to provide a decent portion.

(February 2014) The hubby and had spent the day at Lake Louise, and returned back to Banff for the evening. We were walking the streets looking for a great local stop, when we came across the sign for Wild Bills and thought we’d try it as we both love BBQ. The space is very large, considering it’s on the second floor. We enjoyed the Wild West appearance and the food was pretty good! One of us had the hickory smoked brisket and other had the fire-​grilled sirloin. Both had excellent portion sizes and the prices reasonable. The beer selection was limited, but good. We had a great view overlooking the streets of Banff and the service was excellent for a Saturday night!

Amazing elk burgers! Don’t usually enjoy food, or anything for that matter, when hungover but was able to handle the whole meal and loved it.

Food is mediocre, but for a resort town you need to expect to pay more to eat great. Aside from the food the service is 7/​10, but the real appeal of the place is the country-​rock blasting from whatever band is featured that night. Then the party starts… I have always had a great time here and will be back.
Try to reserve a table facing the stage at the back.

Nice mountain view from this second-​story pub/​grill type place. That’s the highlight. The main word that came to mind on the meal itself was «adequate», as in it’s better to have eaten there than not to have eaten at all…
Not sure why we were seated in the video gambling /​bar area (completely deserted) when the restaurant had ample tables available. Not sure why my burger tasted like it had 5x the salt it needed (although the toppings and onion-​bun were good). Not sure why the salad looked like it had stories to tell about how good life was in the old days (that is to say, it was past its prime). Pulled pork sandwich was tasty but overly sweet. Service was friendly but on the slow side.
I think I’d come back for the live music and a brew, but I would lunch elsewhere.

Well in Unilocal it says «Closed».
Me and my wife we are sitting on the second floor next to a window, watching street and having a nice Lunch!
They have a great bar!
And I beleive they have «live» music in the evenings.
Fun place to be.

Wild Bills become one of my favourite live music venues in Banff! Used to be rustic, borderline-​tacky joint but the renovations have given it an updated look with various spaces for dancing and dining. Also have a badass lighting and audio setup for the stage now. They always bring in a stellar line-​up of diverse artists, from rockabilly to hiphop to (obviously) country music. They also have mechanical bull riding on Sundays and Wednesdays!
Drinks specials aren’t too shabby either, usually 3.75 hiballs and a decent selection of domestic on draft. This place is definitely geared towards the corporate tourists and faux cowboy crowd, but they serve a decent lunch too. Vegetarian options are pretty lackluster but my friends say the smoked meat and burger sliders are fantastic.
Went last night to see a burlesque show and the High Strung Downers, danced my ass off and had a great night until I lost my purse and jacket after they mysteriously disappeared from my chair. I let one of the bar staff know and they introduced me to the manager who took down my information and item description, then gave me his card to let me know if they found it. So kudos for that awesome service!
Overall, it’s a great place for a hearty lunch or a crazy weekend with friends alike.

Came here for an after dinner snack one night and was really disappointed…
The bread, first of all is gross. It’s HARD.
If someone throws a rock at you, throw them back this bread… they’ll definitely bruise up…
We got the wings… it was ok… A bit too tangy for me.
The side of soup we got was at room temperature. and it tasted like it was straight up from a can. LIKE SERIOUSLY.
The cesar salad was okay. typical.
Place was dead in the middle of the week.

My mother-​in-​law and I had two hungry/​confused men to feed, and walking up and down Banff Avenue was getting us nowhere. We steered them to the first reasonably priced restaurant with plenty of meat on the menu we could find, which happened to be Wild Bill’s. It didn’t hurt that they had highballs for $ 3.75, either.
Our server was fantastic and the food was quite good. Between the four of us, we tried ribs, salmon, and brisket. I had a bite of my husband’s brisket, which was the best I’ve ever eaten (it was his first time, so he couldn’t weigh in). My only real complaint was that my Caesar was supposed to contain bacon (!!!). Sadly, if there was any, I couldn’t detect it. Also, I found their cornbread and slaw a bit lacking, but I’m from the South and won’t pick on them too hard. Both were certainly edible, just not what I’m used to.
My husband and I returned after dinner for a comedy show, which might have been the most happenin’ thing in Banff on this particular Monday night in June. It was entertaining enough, and we enjoyed some more cheap drinks. It’s definitely not a family restaurant, which I appreciated beyond words (in fact, it’s 18+). It was quiet enough for conversation during the dinner hour, but obviously somewhat noisy during the show. I’m sure we’ll return to Wild Bill’s when we once again find ourselves in Banff.

Sadly, but seriously the best meal I had in Banff!
Why sad? Cause I only got the nachos and it was amazing! Who would have thought, add BBQ pulled pork to nachos with baked beans, sour cream, olives and banana peppers would be sooooo good! The only thing missing is coleslaw and we would have had ourselves a mean pulled pork nacho sandwich!
This is the one and only place I’ll suggest in Banff, and anything else you want to try after that, you’re on your own! Nachos, add pulled pork!!! Remember to send me some when you go!