Melrose Cafe & Bar

So Melrose got closed. No idea why.
I’m glad they are gone. Good bloody riddance. Lets hope a nice sophisticated Jazz and piano bar opens up, with ZERO Tvs.

I’ve been to Melrose a few times and the food has always been good. The last visit was during the blizzard so there were only a handful of tables occupied. We were seated promptly into a booth.
The menu has the standard selection of sandwiches/​burgers, salads, and pizzas. I decided on the BBQ chicken on flatbread pizza for about $ 15. The pizza arrived on a wooden pizza paddle. The pizza was delicious with the BBQ sauce, chicken, and red onions. There was 8 pieces so enough to share or take home for leftovers.
There’s a Christmas tree in the middle of the restaurant and our server explained it was the tree of giving and if people brought in a gift (I can’t recall who it would be distributed to), they were entered to win a prize. I thought this was a great idea for a restaurant to support the community!
Service was great throughout as we had our waters refilled and the manager checked on how we were enjoying our meal. Great food and service will have me coming back again.

Food is always good! Great atmosphere and all around awesome bar to hang out at! Patio is a great place to grab a drink in the summer and the bar is awesome on the winter to watch games!

I LOVE Melrose. I make sure I always come here every time I visit Calgary. I think it’s mostly because they have such a kick donkey location. It’s right in the middle of the action with a huge patio. They have heaters when it’s too chilly and sun spots when it’s not. The mood lighting on the patio is just right for any occassion.
Even the server we had was pretty decent — that says a lot for Calgary! Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there is bad and good at every restaurant, but some places… some places just have much more bad at them. He was running around with too many tables, but he always sent over someone to check on us which was very much appreciated. The food was quite good and the drinks were creative.
If you want something that is a little less laid back — Melrose has that too! Just head inside and you’ll find dance music and two levels of attractive people to choose from. The only draw back is the washrooms are only on the first floor from what I could see AND it’s so, so, so hot in the basement. Bad ventilation for sure!

I just don’t get you Melrose! I really don’t. Your a bar/​club but your also a restaurant. Came here on Saturday night. Sat and had two appies on the patio. The Patio was nice we were sitting far enough from 17^th Ave that people walking by didn’t have their fingers in our food.
Had the vegetarian spring rolls and spinach dip. I have to say both were bland. Both were really «safe» in terms of flavor. I like the dipping sauce the spring rolls came with it had a little kick to it which was nice. Over all it was all underwhelming. I had a $ 100 gift certificate to use however since we only spent $ 30 all together they don’t give you a credit if you don’t spend the entire voucher.
Whatever I won it but still. I suppose we will come back and have dinner with friends just to use up the gift certificate. The staff was really nice and attentive. It was a nice atmosphere. I had a good night it wasn’t the greatest but it was good none the less.

This place is between a 2 – 3 star. We do know that we will likely not be back here.
Wine and beer — ok.
Server — nice enough but very inexperienced.
Food — not so good. We had the burger and steak sandwich with upgraded yam fries. Edible but that is about it. The ketchup served was that super cheap kind that is bleh. The menu is uninspiring; 2 pasta choices, pizza, burgers — that kind of thing.
This restaurant is older, tired and in need of a super duper clean — dining area, lounge floors and washrooms.
I agree with others that this is a place to sit on the patio with a drink and people-​watch but to us, in this bustling area there are just too many other more favorable choices.

I have been having brunch at Melrose almost religiously for the last few years and I have pulled many-​a-​bruncher away from the long wait hot spots. It’s close to home, so convenience is a huge factor for me. The dining room is large and can cater big groups and they’re usually well staffed for speedy service.
Breakfast the last few weeks has been inconsistent with portion size, but the food is usually tasty. I love the free sample crepes and the fresh squeezed orange juice as well. I had the Smoked Meat Scrambler this past weekend, which was a nice substitute to my usual steak and eggs.
I generally go just for brunch, but I do watch hockey and it’s nice to slip over to the sports side to watch the Red Wings play on a million tvs once in a while. There’s always drink specials, the servers are nice and I’ve won several ticket/​clothing prizes over the years, just being there.

The wings here at Melrose are some of the best in the city especially on a Weds night.
Thick, plump and juicy. So good.
The patio is huge and there’s plenty of seating throughout the bar. Will be back again.

What’s there to say about a sports bar with a great patio? Not much that you haven’t already heard.
You like beer? Sports? Patios? 17^th Avenue? Chicken wings? Huge pubs? Then Melrose is a place to grab a patio and a drink on a hot day with buddies after work.
The restaurant patio is giant. It’s giant by regular patio standards, not just 17^th Avenue patio standards. It’s actually an okay spot to hang out for Sunday brunch buffet.
The lounge-​side patio is really just a series of tables pushed against a low window sill that they open in the summer. If you like to perch with a vodka-​water and leer at the passers-​by, this is your kind of outdoor space.
Melrose located in the centre of the 17^th Avenue restaurant district and boasts being «the Heart of the Red Mile». (This is in reference to the 2004 Calgary Flames Stanley Cup run where 1000s of people took to the streets in celebration of every game win; Melrose simply happened to be in a central enough location to be caught in the crowds. All the other bars in that location did just as well with 1000s of people in the street.) This location has kept Melrose afloat ever since.
Heart of the Red Mile or not, this bar is just a summer spot for a drink. With the windows open and the patios packed it’s hard to remember that the beer is average and the food never-​changing.
Melrose is simply in a convenient location; and it’s big enough and vanilla enough to accommodate a large crowd. So if you have a big group that vary widely in food and drink tastes, or are afraid of anything above average, you could take them to Melrose for pizza, wings, beer and high-​balls.
T.

It’s alright– didn’t wow me. Maybe it was the people in the lounge– very very drunk.
Also this place doesn’t take debit… it’s the 21^st century and I hate credit cards and don’t do cash.
I’m not dying to go back.

What can I say about this place? It’s been like a second home to me since I moved to Calgary 4.5 years ago. Discovered Melrose on my first walk down the Red Mile and it’s been a staple in my life ever since.
Don’t get me wrong, when I first moved here most people from Calgary did not understand why I liked Melrose so much. Most Calgarians did not want to go there with me, so I had to recruit out-​of-​towners like myself to go for drinks and grub. I’m not sure why they didn’t like Melrose since I wasn’t around before, but some of them are certainly starting to turn around now.
I’ve been to Melrose for supper, late night drinks, lunch, parties, charity events, brunch, and early morning World Cup matches (so fun!). I won’t say that the service has always been consistent, but that’s like any place with so many waiters & waitresses moving through all the time. I have noticed lately that the service has gotten better though, so they must be doing something right. The management staff are awesome. Just awesome. They are very helpful, friendly, and super accommodating when we are making a huge reservation. They make you feel right at home every time you are there.
Even though I’ve eaten at Melrose many, many times, I have not tried everything on the menu — shocking, right?! I have a few favourites that I have found to be tasty every time — the skillet for brunch, calamari for appetizer, and the taco salad for dinner. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the waffles as well, but I can’t have gluten so no waffles for me *wah wah*. They also have a good selection of beers, awesome cocktails, and reasonably priced wines, so you can’t go wrong there at all.
Another thing I love about Melrose is that they host charity events (YYC4SlaveLake, Holipalooza) and local groups (Social Media Breakfast, Third Tuesdays) quite often, which tells me they are interested in the community. Yes, it’s a bar, but these types of events and offerings make them stand out from the rest in a positive manner. Plus, it’s a great venue for these events — I can still sneak a peak at the sports on the TVs while I’m there!
Sometimes the late-​night crowd can be a little iffy at Melrose, but if you’re there with a good group you won’t even notice. They used to have awesome DJs, which made for fun nights, but this has changed recently. It will be interesting to see what they do with the second location opening up soon.
Overall, a great place for drinks and grub or a night out and I know I will be back here many, many times after this post. Summer’s coming and I can’t wait to hit their patio, great place to people watch on 17^th Ave!

I’m sad because I wanted to like Melrose more. They do such a great job of supporting many group events my friends and industry are involved in and I’ve always heard rave reviews.
Somehow in my almost 6 years of living here I have never been to Melrose. I’ve come close a few times but last minute issues have gotten in the way. Today though I headed there with a couple of friends for brunch (Saturday).
I do have to say the service was awesome. Our server was the perfect mix of attentive but laid back. We didn’t feel rushed at any point and she was quick to offer refills on our drinks.
The food, while plentiful and plated in a fun way, was very «meh». I had the chicken flatbread club and it was a little too simple and there was far too much mayo on it… to the point I couldn’t eat a lot of the sandwich and I’m not picky. Fries were okay but not overly hot –great presentation though.
I’m going to hope maybe it was just me and I made a bad menu choice. I’m totally willing to try them again because so many people I know love it there. But if that weren’t the case, based on today’s food alone, I’d be indifferent about going back.

I had some friends come in from out of town and were EAGER to get to the hottest, most hip and HAP-​A-​NAN place! Given Melrose is always on wheels, I sure hoped we could get in.
And we did! The weather was beauty, so there were motorbikes lined up outside. As a Motorbike Meg myself, I was very pleased to see this, it just sets such a cool bad@ss tone, doesn’t it?
We were seated right away in the restaurant by a lovely hostess. My friends had the mushroom and swiss burger and bacon and cheddar burger which said they were «the best burgers» they’d ever had. Maybe it’s that Alberta beef :)
The service was great, prompt with some serious water refils, which I LURV! The only issue, the bathroom wasn’t very maintained. A few clogged toilets (not awesome). This seems to be a theme, however, in Calgary restaurants. But why!
Otherwise, everytime I have gone to Melrose I have a pretty good meal and good service. It’s a great location in its hot 17^th avenue location across from the Starbucks. I recommend Melose Café and Bar. IF YOU CAN GET IN!

Thanks to some new Twitter friends I have been spending some time at Melrose.
I’m there with our Sunday #breakfastclub and other socialable events like Third Tuesdays, Calgary Bloggers, and more.
The staff at Melrose are Terrific! Notice the capital T!
They take good care of all of there customers, new and old.
Friendliest bunch of people around.
Who would have thought of going to Melrose for brunch?
Well, now thanks to our #BreakfastClub, I’m there every sunday morning.
Some great options on the menu and if only once, you need to have the waffles!
Need to alter your breakfast choice a bit? No Problem! They accommodate everyone’s needs!
Consistently great quality food by the Chef.
Often we end up staying after brunch to watch football on one of the dozens of TV’s displaying every single game going on.
Like watching hockey games, then this is a nice place to do it.
A few beers and some good eats makes it a good time.
For our private functions, Tony and the staff take phenomenal care of us.
There are three levels to Melrose and they can set you up in the perfect space or corner for your event. They go the extra mile!
Check it out, you will be pleasantly surprised. I was!

What’s not to say about the Melrose? Between Breakfast Clubs, birthday parties, and just random meetups for a drink or two (or many, many more), this seems to be the place to be at.
For starters, they are one of the most social media interactive restaurants in town. Between wishing Twitter folk a «Happy Birthday» via Tout, responding to complaints (including from other restaurants — see Reginald T.‘s review), and interacting with their followers, they have one of the best social media presences in town.
Honestly, I have yet to have had an experience at this bar that has had me say that I’d never return. When the staff do something in error, they are apologetic and do what they can to correct it.
So with all this high praise, why only 4 stars? Here’s why:
I am someone who often doesn’t carry cash around. That’s how I’ve been since the invention of the debit card and it’s mainstream acceptance. These folks don’t have debit machines, instead they have you go to an in-​house ATM that dings you $ 1.99 for the privilege to get cash to pay your bill. So, on top of applicable bank fees, $ 2 vanishes (which may not sound like a lot, but when you’ve been there as often as I have and forgotten to get cash… well, let’s just say by now I could probably have paid for a main or two and a couple drinks).
Unless of course you pay with a credit card (which I don’t often have with me).
That said, I really do enjoy this place, and will be back.

An update to my experience at Melrose:
After a crummy night at the Libertine Public House (see my Unilocal review here:
), I just wanted to mention a really cool thing that Melrose did for me.
Long story short, we had bad service at the Libertine, with our server being inattentive, and/​or forgetful. I had arrived around 8 p.m. hungry, and had placed an order for a BBQ Chicken flatbread. An hour later, the food never came, so my friends and I decided to leave for Melrose instead. I had asked for the bill as at that point, I just wanted to leave, when I noticed that the flatbread wasn’t even on it (good thing too since they never gave it to me in the first place, or they could have just plan forgot to run it through. I’m not sure which, but either way, I left the establishment hungry).
I had tweeted a little bit about my misadventure in trying to procure sustenance from the Libertine (I didn’t name them directly, although those who were paying attention to my Twitter feed would have noticed that I checked in on Unilocal there), and I guess the folks at Melrose were paying attention because when I arrived at Melrose, they had a BBQ Chicken pizza waiting for me, complements of them. Being after 10 p.m. at this point, I was very, very grateful as I was so hungry.
I’ve had nothing but pleasant experiences at Melrose, and the staff try their hardest to ensure that their patrons are well taken care of. If you ever have a bad experience at Melrose, don’t complain, instead, just let them know (politely, of course). They’ll do their best to make things right, even if it’s trying to correct a mistake of one of their competitors.
So yes, Melrose gets an enthusiastic 5 star from me and have earned my loyalty for a while to come now, thanks to this simple gesture they did after a bad night elsewhere.
²⁸⁄₃₀

I seem to be at Melrose all the time. One of the reasons is because Melrose is a huge supporter of Calgary groups, including mine… Calgary Bloggers. Between the great space, attentive staff & wonderful management, I think I’ll be there more in the future.
Oh…you want to know about the food? The Melrose Waffles available at brunch are DIVINE. Covered in bananas foster & whipped cream they are definitely a guilty pleasure. Bacon and «never ending» hashbrowns round out the meal. YUM!

I think Melrose is a very reliable place to go for a night out. Rarely a line up, so you don’t have to worry about those friends that *always* show up late not getting in. The patio is gorgeous and relaxing, and the bar is spacious and well organized. Not a big fan of the balcony on the bar side because it’s basically just a place for guys to sit and look down the shirts of passing females. But I get the attraction of that.
The servers here are hit and miss. There’s one or two who are amazing and always working, and there are those that you see once or twice and then never again who are pretty useless.
I find the managers, bouncers, and hostesses here are actually really awesome at their jobs… bouncers aren’t too full of themselves and hot headed, managers are present and visible most of the time, and hostesses are helpful and attentive.
Wish there were a dance floor and better Saturday night drink specials… but you can’t really go wrong if you just want to get out and not deal with big crowds of people!

Melrose, oh Melrose. You’ve been around Calgary for so long. I’m not sure what exactly it is about you that attracts a certain crowd on the weekends, that crowd that seems to go with a sleazy sports bar where 40 year old business men can’t decide whether to watch the TVs or the young bar stars who’ve shown up to see who they can make eyes at or give a little pinch to on their way by. What is it about your bar-​side patio that encourages young men to sit there and cat-​call to every girl that walks by? If it weren’t for this crowd, weekend evenings might actually find me here a bit more frequently. Unfortunately, it’s your busiest time and what you’re most known for.
BUT, looking past this crowd, and into your establishment any other day of the week, into your brunches, your lunches and your incredibly gigantic and impressive multi-​level patio (which looked gorgeous with those ice scupltures on it last winter by the way), there’s a Melrose I wish I would’ve gotten to know sooner. A Melrose with some delightful food (I must have more of the mushroom sauce I tried at the YYC Steakoff and that bocconcini salad I had awhile back… OMG). Friendly staff, great service, and such a commitment to the community, this is the Melrose I hope other Calgarians will connect with.
Not to mention you’re well equipped to host a variety of events… plenty of room and audio/​visual capabilities, it works well from parties to presentations. I’m looking forward to seeing what other creative ways you come up with to use your space!

Ooooo… what to give 3 or 4 stars… I’d give 3.5, but will leave room for improvement upon another visit when on the famed «Red Mile».
I’d driven by the this bar (with the flames) several times before while cruisin’ The Mile, and finally made it here with a friend. He was famished, and I was just along for the ride (and perhaps a Canadian brew).
I’ve seen this place super-​packed, but we lucked out and managed to find a high table near the bar. There are definitely some beautiful people and eye candy here… ummm, trying to place the crowd. It looked sort of yuppie, but isn’t that a term from the 80s? What are the yuppies of the new millennium called?
So, I already ate, but I had to get some «gravy & fries» (You Canadians do have some delicacies this displaced Cannuck craves!). Had this and a couple of Big Rock brews.
Nice place to chill out, watch a game (can’t imagine the craziness of a Flames game night), people watch, and get a true Calgarian experience.