Hardware Grill

We went to hardware grill for a Valentines dinner. It was a 3 course meal for $ 250, not including booze. We were sry much Looking forward to a special dining experience.
We started off with an amazing tomato, soft cheese appie to cleanse our appetite. The balsamic reduction in this dish was simply amazing! I love garlic and the garlic was a strong flavour! The my husband has the smoked salmon and I have the beet salad. Again both of these dishes really impressed us. I think that salmon was the silkiest salmon I’ve had in a very long time!
Next came the entrees. This is where our meal started to disappoint us even to the point that I felt the cost for the 3 course meal want worth it. I has the sea bass; to start it was over cooked. I’ve never been to a restaurant that overlooked the sea bass and the flavour of the dish was bland. My hubby had the steak dish and although the meat was super tender the sauce on it had a very unique flavour that was very overpowering and we both didn’t like it
Finally our dessert. I had the cream brûlée which had such a thick top scorched later that I could barely break in to it. And it was tinted with a lavender flavour which I thought would be unique but honestly it wasn’t.
Overall I would not go back here for such a pricy meal. For that price you must win on every dish. They started so strong but fell flat in the end

Because this is consistently rated as a top dining establishment in Edmonton, I’m comparing this restaurant to the «Jean-​Georges» out there: the première restaurant of that town. When I I compare Hardware Grill to that standard, it’s eatable, but not wow.
Firstly, the good things: our server was friendly, and the food came out quick. The ambiance was nice, and overall, great service and atmosphere.
However, the food was meh. The reason I say ok is that it’s overladen with many different flavors but it doesn’t come off with the subtle notes and nuances that other top restaurants have. I had a very greasy sea bass that was a bit too charred for my liking, plopped on corn and arugula (which was wilting and greasy), plopped under two potatoe-​filled crepes. The portion was ginormous. There was a lot of grease. I didn’t feel good afterwards. The peppercorn steak had a handful of whole peppercorns, so you had a whack of flavour, but that overpowered the dish and made things off balance. There wasn’t the restraint or sophistication that I expected from a top restaurant. Also, they heaped on the food.
The crème brule was also packed on – a very large square with a chocolate cup with raspberries with crème, and a scattering of madelines. All very nice perhaps as separate desserts, but overall, felt sort of buffet-​like, overly greasy, and did not have a refined palette. If I need to fine dine someone, I’d go to RGE RD over here.

I have been to the Hardwire grill a handful of times and have always had a delightful evening. I’ve experienced it on a romantic date as well as with friends, and then my most recent visit, with a group of about 25.
I highly recommend the sea bass. It is VERY filling and rich but it is superb! It has that «melt in your mouth» feeling down to an art and all the flavours stacked together is mouthgasmic. :) The gingerbread cake is a desert favourite of mine although you can’t go wrong with any of their choices — I’ve sampled them all!
They have a nice selection of wine and our waiter knew it well and was very helpful in aiding us in our selections.
If you’re looking for a high end restaurant that’s sure to impress — this is a consistently safe bet!

Amazing restaurant. The food and service is exceptional. My husband and I had our small wedding ceremony in the wine cellar down stairs and we have returned every year to celebrate our anniversary. I would highly recommend this restaurant if your looking for a place for a special occasion or to impress a date :) I love the ambiance, it is very romantic. The KFC (Korean Fried Cauliflowe) is to die for :). The beautifully restored historical building is a diamond in the rough and is proof of what’s to come in the Edmonton downtown area. If you are boring/​cheap; a fussy eater and do not appreciate cuisine experimentation you would likely not enjoy this restaurant and I would recommend sticking to the Keg!

One of our favourite high end restaurants. Great service/​food and atmosphere. Always try to stop by when we are in town.

Last night we were finally able to scratch the Hardware Grill off our «to-​do list».
For most (me included), the prices alone ensure that this a «special occassion» destination. 3 cocktails, 2 appies, 2 mains, 1 dessert to share, and 2 coffees brought the bill to $ 185. With a 20%tip…$ 222.
I guess given that the cocktails (Wife particularly enjoyed the Cucumber-​gin cooler @ $ 13ea) made up ~$ 30 of that total…$ 150 for the 5 dishes we actually enjoyed (and they were quite good) isn’t unreasonable.
Though it won’t come as a surprise to some, I was perturbed by the host informing me that I could not wear my cap inside. I see no mention of a dress code on the website.
Anyways…
To start… I thouroughly enjoyed the Lobster Rissoto, and my wife melted with a helping of the Crispy Pork Belly.
For dinner, I settled on the Duck Breast & House Duck Sausage while she chose the Porcini-​Crusted Sea Bass.
Both dishes were rich and flavorfull. I think that for me, the duck wasn’t the best choice, but the sausage suckered me in.
We shared a delicious Gingerbread cake dessert. It was very good.
All in all, I am pleased with our experience here. All the dishes were complex, and offered an awefull lot of flavors on one plate.
Due to the cost, and my ongoing desire to try new places, it is doubtfull I will make it back anytime soon. But if money were no object, ir one is looking for a special experience. This is certain to please.

Maybe a little pricy but you’ll never leave hungry! We rented the room downstairs for us all and it was fancy and delicious! Great selection of wines, in fact they had some grey owl winery selection.
What stands out the most is the dessert. I had the molten chocolate cake and it came with caramel popcorn, a chocolate stick and butterscotch sauce! Mind blowing-​ly tasty!
I had the duck confit and should have had the Kobe beef for the appetizer. That Kobe beef dish looked so good! It came with large potato slices turned potato chip.
My main course was bacon wrapped elk and beef brisket. The beef fell off the bones and the elk was tough, but guess what? It’s elk, it’s supposed to be! ;)
The sea bass was had at the table also and it was a nice looking alternative.
And to finish it all off, a specialty coffee served with a stick of crystallized sugar! That was a nice touch!

When you first walk in, there’s a beautiful lobby. There’s a guestbook if you so choose to sign your name. They have really nice semi-​circle booths that are designed for two people for a really cozy and intimate evening. The kitchen is visible in plain view if you’re in one of the booths. Our server was great from the beginning until the end, and was very friendly and knowledgeable about the dishes. We decided to share the Assorted Charcuterie to start, and we got the Glazed Duck Steak, and Alberta Lamb Rack.
The first thing that came out was some complimentary assorted bread, served with olive oil. I’ve read from past reviews that this usually comes with some sea salt, which this definitely could have used. This was a disappointing way to start the evening. There was some sour dough and a white bread. The bread was pretty fresh, but I wish the olive oil was infused with some flavour. We actually ended asking for some balsamic vinegar to finish the bread.
The Assorted Charcuterie was probably one of my favourite things. It comes with wild boar pâté, chimney sticks, prosciutto, red wine salami, truffle salami, oka cheese, and some house-​made pickles, onions, carrots, and beets. Everything was very good. The wild boar pâté went really well with our complimentary bread. To be honest, I have yet to find a plate of meat/​cheese as good as the ones I had at Bar Bricco. This was still very good though.
Jessy’s Lamb rack came out beautifully roasted. It’s served with a white bean ragout and eggplant caponata. The lamb was very tender, and went really well with the white bean ragout. It gave it a really nice balance. The texture of it was really familiar with mashed potatoes. It was really rich and creamy. The eggplant Caponata was okay. I wasn’t a huge fan of it, and I didn’t find that the flavours of it went well together with everything else, but alone it was alright. Overall, it was a relatively good dish, but I kind of expected a little bit more.
My entrée was the Glazed Duck Steak. I really liked the sides of my dish more than the duck steak itself. The taleggio cheese was very rich and creamy, and was very very good. The sausage was okay, but I couldn’t really taste the duck in the sausage. As for the duck breast, I wasn’t a huge fan of it. I usually really like duck, and whenever it’s on the menu, that’s one of the options that I always get. The texture and taste was just a little bit off. The server warned me that it’d come out medium, as how the chef intends, but mine came out overcooked and a little bit dry. I’ve read such good reviews on the duck breast, and a few negative ones that kind of reminds me of the feeling I got when I ate it.
Overall, my experience at Hardware Grill was just average. To be honest, I was a little bit disappointed. I really don’t mind paying more for a really good meal. The service and ambiance of everything was really good, but I was just a bit disappointed with the food. It still was one of the best service that I’ve ever received at the restaurant, and everyone was really friendly. I really like the interior and the booth that we sat in. For the price, however, I think I’d rather go somewhere else, like Bar Bricco, Corso 32, or another fine dining restaurant. Give this place a try for yourself though!

Overall it’s one of the good dining place in Edmonton. Our servant was considerate and food tasted good with relatively large portions for girls. Environment is contemporary but not very cozy.

We sat at the Chef’s Table and had the 5 Course Chef’s Tasting Menu. It was absolutely amazing!!! This was the best meal I have ever had, and the service was fantastic.
They first gave us plates with delicious olive oil and sea salt. We dipped different types of breads in this. The tasting menu started with the Amuse Bouche which was good. The next dish was the Scallops with Avocado and Romesco sauce. This was my favorite dish of the entire meal. The Scallops were cooked perfectly and the Avocado sauce was absolutely amazing. Next was the Braised Pork Cheeks. The Sweet Pea Pancetta Risotto that came with the tender pork was so delicious and flavorful. Next came the tender Kobe Beef Carpaccio, which we placed on a homemade potato chip with sauce and Parmesan cheese. The last main dish that came was the Bacon wrapped Venison with Cambazola cheese. It was all really good, but my favorite part of this dish was the perfectly cooked creamed Spinach that they served with the Venison. Last but not least came dessert. Molten Chocolate Cake, Caramel popcorn, and Peanut butter chocolate ice cream. It was the perfect way to end such an amazing meal.

Great atmosphere. Consistently great food and service. Amazing variety of game meats or comfort foods. Large portions. Rich and savoury dishes.
Hardware grill is my favourite restaurant in edmonton. It has been for over 10 years. And never have i been disappointed. The menu really has not changed bc there are regulars that complain if certain favourite dishes are not on the menu.
Located in the heart of dt across from canada place or the shaw conference center on jasper avenue. Its on the corner beside some other shady stores but i have never encountered a problem. Parking is scarce. Only metered parking on the side streets or if you are lucky you will find a meter on 97 st. After 6pm its free. But this place fills quickly and parking is scarce after 630.
Once inside its dimly lit with lots of warm browns and greys. Its romantic and modern. If your lucky you can snag booth seats. There is only a few but the one by the chefs table is the most intimate and private. Ive come by myself, with kids, with friends, with coworkers or for special events. Every time service has been spectacular.
I frequent hardware grill mostly for the early dining menu. Its not much of a secret but its the gem of this restaurant. The menu changes frequently. Its 3 courses for $ 50. With portion sizes massive here that is way too much food for 1 person. So expect leftovers. I still have yet to finish a three course meal here after so many years. This is one fancy dining establishhment where you will never leave hungry.
All the dishes here are fabulous. i love the mozzarella bruschetta. Its been on the menu for years and made the sister resto tavern 1903 (now closed) famous. Also the kobe beef carpaccio is fabulous. Tender slices of meat topped with truffle oil and parmesan cheese. Seeved with tasty potato chips and a delicious aioli. One of my favourite dishes is the porcini truffled sea bass. Served with delicious lobster potato crepes every bite is savoury and delicious. But my ultimate favourite dish here is the truffled lobster mac and cheese. Its rich and creamy with the perfect hints of truffles and cheese topped with 3 ounces of lobster. I come here monthly for this dish. With mains like bacon wrapped elk or laquered duck. Theres lots of variety to choose from. But really every dish that comes out of the kitchen is fabulous. Expect dishes to be rich savoury and drizzled in truffle oil. All the dishes are using fresh ingredients that take normal comfort foods to a new level. The wine list is superb. The waiters extremely knowledgable and can pair your dish perfectly with a wine that suits your tastes.
This place is stellar. Ive always had a great experience. Its my go to place for out of towners or special nights out. Its romantic and a nice out too. But if you are loud and having a great time with a group. Thats perfectly fine too. Love this place!

Maybe my expectations have gotten higher since the last time we dined at the Hardware Grill, however, if it were not for the wonderful service I would stick with the 3 vs. wanting to give it a 3.5.
It was a nice surprise that my companion chose HG since we haven’t been here in quite a while. Hungry and happily looking forward to our culinary delights, I chose the Scallops for the appetizer and the Rabbit Porchetta as my main and the Cheesecake for dessert. My companion chose the BurratTa Mozzarella (already a «red» flag when the names of things are misspelled) and the Salmon, to end the «Classic» Profiteroles.
As I mentioned, the service is very good and from entering to leaving, we were attended to as necessary without feeling like we had to worry answering/​responding with our mouths full when staff came by to ask if we needed more water or anything.
We received our appetizers and mine was very well plated and the scallops themselves were very good (grilled :-)), however, a bit on the salty side (the sprinkled coarse salt on the top of each, I think). Of the 3 salsas upon which they were placed, the one with the avocado and cilantro was MUCH saltier than I expected and kind of startled me actually considering the delicious grilled taste the scallop had on its own. My companion’s BurratTa was another story. Again, well plated, but with TOO MANY bells and whistles when it came to condiments… underneath it was one sauce, it had balsamic vinegar sprinkled upon it and then topped off with a tomato paste salsa… I did manage to find (barely) one spot that the chef «missed» and it was all very clear: the Burrata itSELF was very very bland and didn’t have that «cream» flavour it ideally should (you will know this flavour when you taste it in burrata and NEVER forget it, trust me). However, even with its bland flavouring, a touch of salt and unfiltered extra virgin olive oil would have done it more justice than the overload of flavours it was hidden under.
Our mains were good. My companion thought his Salmon dish was a little dry, but nothing to complain about as salmon is precarious that way. My Rabbit Porchetta was quite good, tender and well seasoned. My dish came with Arancini which were on an island of Marinara Sauce. Again, in this case, the Arancini were very bland (no salt at all) but the Marinara was way more flavourful than necessary (objectively speaking, for me). The Arancini were well made and were crispy on the outside and nice and moist on the inside :-)
Our desserts were quite good and ended our meals well :-) In all, a nice evening and for us, the price point was in line with most all the places we have been going to in this last year. It is still one of the best places to go for a quiet, «romantic» evening if you really want to have a good conversation and hear each other versus what seems to be the «new» trend in restaurants… noisy and over the top squeezing of dining tables as close to each other as possible.

Before hitting the Citadel, we decided to meet friends at the Hardware Grill for a nice meal. Upon arriving, I was a little surprised at how fancy the place is. Not sure why I assumed it was more casual — I really have nothing to base this belief on — but this is one upscale joint!
The staff seated us immediately (luckily we had made a reservation as there were a lot of grads happening around downtown so the place was full. One thing I noticed — and maybe it was just luck or they had moved some table around — but our table was not close to any other table which made for a more private dining experience.
The staff were that perfect mix of catering to us but not over the top, which was nice. We had a couple of hours to kill and were taking our time which seemed fine (despite how busy they were).
My wife and I decide to enjoy the menu option (can’t remember what they called it) where you pick an appitizer from a list of three, then a main course from 3 or so options, then a dessert from another 3 choices. I went with the green onion cake which was outstanding. It had a large piece of pork on top that was the highlight. Then onto an excellent steak with some pretty tasty fries. The dessert was some kind of coffee ice cream sandwiched between cookies — three in total which made it nice to share.
Another great dining experience in Edmonton!

Really enjoyed date-​night at Hardware Grill. Our waiter knew a lot about wine, and was able to make some excellent suggestions for wine pairings with our food (based on what we like not just went with the food). The food on the menu was delicious, and unique. It was a bit pricey, however we knew that going in.
When looking for a really great date night with fantastic food and romantic atmosphere, this is an excellent choice.
I personally don’t like parking downtown, but hubby found metered parking on the street with little trouble.

As it was my birthday — my beloved took us here for a nice treat. I must admit — the main highlight for that day was actually just being able to be right next to my man and celebrate my day. It was pure joy and luxury.
Now, coming back to my dining experience at Hardware Grill can be summed up as pretty average. The initial seating arrangement was poorly organised — slowly but surely enough we got the attention of the server to move us to a better spot since it wasn’t a busy evening at all. We were then served the beautiful stone cold bread to dip in olive oil and some salt. I believe this is the first time ever I had stone cold bread in a high end diner. Quite disappointing for a start actually.
As for appetisers — we had the Assorted Charcuterie (for Sharing) which consists of Wild Boar Pâté, White Tail Deer Salami, Smoked Bison, Young Piglet «La Fromage», Young Piglet Chorizo, Pork Rillettes, House-​Made Pickles. The only two that are favourable with our palates were the Wild Boar Pâté and the Pork Rillettes. The rest didn’t quite excite the palates of ours and didn’t seem worth the cost of it. Since I had some meaty appetiser, I decided go for something light — Vegetarian Tasting. Bad choice. I should always remember one principle (never order anything vegetarian unless you’re in a specialty vegetarian restaurant like Padmanadi). Lesson learnt. 80% of my main were left on the plate untouched.
The service was slightly below average even though my beloved kindly and generously tipped the server nicely just because it was my birthday. That lucky server. Service was slow and whenever he came around to ask how’s our food — he seemingly seems to be dashing away before we could even tell him more. Not even making a point to create a personable experience for his guests.
Disappointing. Based on my own experience — regardless the plentiful of other positive reviews. I do not see how this come up to par to what I have experienced at other high end restaurants. I give it a 3-​star.

Date night dinner was potentially dashed with no possible reservations at Rge Rd. Searching through the databanks of all the possible restaurants like Tom Cruise solving a crime in Minority Report, I landed on Hardware Grill and realized I actually never have been here.
Since we absolutely loved Tavern 1903 we had a good feeling Hardware will deliver a similar experience seeing how Hardware Grill came first.
Upon entering, the mood is immediately set with intimate seating and ambient lighting: not too dim but enough to make you want to lean in to your date. What really stood out for me with the décor was the open kitchen concept as well as the half window partitions. The framed glass allowed the stark white light to contrast the low lit room but it was also textured where it wasn’t clearly transparent.
Our server, Shane, started us off with warm conversation and I must say throughout the entire evening we had such pleasant banter with him. Aside from the usual specials, he was able to describe a little bit of history of the establishment as well as the actual dishes itself. Even more welcoming were some anecdotes of the work as well as the experience of meeting Chef Gordon Ramsay when he dined at the Hardware Grill!
After listening to the consideration of dishes we started off with drinks, a negroni for myself and finally a vesper for my fiancée (just like in Casino Royale). Although the negroni wasn’t my favorite negroni (hats off to Cactus Club for that so far), it had a more flavorful and citrus experience rather than the comforting smoke-​y aroma of Cactus Club. The vesper was subtle and had a couple of layers which I wasn’t able to discern but I think I was able to capture the moment of when James Bond was looking lovingly over at his date in the hotel.
Our appetizer included a recommendation from a friend to order the lobster bisque mac n cheese which is surprisingly off menu. I think by far, this is one of the best mac n cheese I have had recently since the declining quality of Blue Plate Diner and the solid but not remarkable Urban Diner’s take on it. The sea shells were a perfect consistency riding the fine line of al dente and too soft. The warm sea of lobster was aromatic and savory giving you just a tease of the flavors of the ocean while not overpowering you with its presence. Thank goodness we only ordered an appetizer size as we had the main courses to go!
For myself, I had a familiar friend visit me again as I tried the bacon wrapped elk with a side of short rib and my fiancée welcomed the sea bass. My short ribs were the same as I has had it at Tavern and they are still fantastic. The raspberry sauce that keeps the short rib hostage is well worth your time. I’d gladly pay the ransom of taste buds for it. It reminded me of a savory jam when paired with the short rib. The elk cooked to a medium rare was tender and delectable and when its crispy exterior sitting next to the slightly charred bacon entered your mouth, you knew there was a reason why this was one of their signature dishes. There was a particular home cooked feeling with an air of sophistication and pride when presented to you. The cabbage was neatly shredded and not too overly spiced which complemented the meats quite well. For starches, I really enjoyed the sweet potatoe purée and the crispy polenta cake really made you shift gears as it was like a wild dark horse coming into the equation.
I did get a chance to try the sea bass and the lobster truffle with the porcini crusted bass brought out such an incredible flavor. The richness and sharpness of the pairing was a delight to behold.
I took a chance to casually speak more to Shane and I dared to ask the bartender to bring something he was creatively work on and he did not disappoint. Although not on the menu, I was given a «Poor Bastard». The concoction is indescribable other than the gentle rosemary aftertaste. It was a perfect blend of sweet and sour and was very light. It would have been perfect way to turn 18 again and get «TURNT UP» as the kids would say as I am pretty sure I would not have been able to stop at 1 or 3 servings of it if it was the summer.
Although a bit on the expensive side for dinner, I have no qualms of regarding this restaurant as one of the best in the city for their service, food, and history. Heck, even Chef Gordon Ramsay agrees with me… or is it the other way around?
TL;DR: The bigger brother of Tavern 1903 with amazing elk, shortribs and sea bass. Ask for Shane as he had incredible service!

Here on a Friday night around 7pm and a little quite but the food is really great!
I had the petite Caesar salad with Parmesan breadsticks that melted in my mouth. Then for the main course I had the Vegetarian Tasting dish… I’ll put it this way, if you ever considered to be a vegetarian, then this dish will convert you… it was awesome!

The chefs table at the hardware grille is a really neat experience. We got to sit in the kitchen and enjoy a 6 course chefs tasting menu with wine pairings. It was a phenomenal experience unlike anything I ever expected to have for dinner in Edmonton.
Our first course was a soup and sandwich combo. The soup was a lobster bisque server as what appeared to be an oversized shot glass. The soup was heavenly, but the glass was a weird size, so you couldn’t dip your sandwich in it. The sandwich was a lobster, pancetta, arugula sandwich, fried in butter with truffle aiole on brioche bread… so basically heaven. The combination of lobster bisque with a lobster sandwich had me just wanting more of that, but it made me more excited for the next courses. This course was paired with a california sauvignon blanc (2011 Benzinger)
The second course was braised pork cheeks on a sweet pea risotto. I grabbed my knife and quickly realized that I didn’t need it. The cheeks were cooked amazingly, so they basically melted upon impact with my fork. The sweet pea risotto was very rich and delicious. This course was served with a 2012 château St. Jean Chardonnay from Sonoma county.
The 3^rd course was my personal favourite… it was a kobe beef carpaccio with parmesan shards, truffle aioli with house made sea salt potato chips. Our waiter recommended eating it as an open faced sandwich on the potato chips. I asked the Chef where the kobe beef came from and he said it was able to tell us exactly the farm it came from (but oops I was already onto my 4^th glass of wine and forgot). The beef was really rich and flavourful and just melted in your mouth on the salty potato chips. I would get a meal of just this if I could. this course was paired with our first red wine of the night, a 2010 columbia crest merlot from the Columbia Valley.
The 4^th course was lacquered duck breast sausage with mars capon crushed potatoes, red swiss chard and cherry basil marmalade. The duck sausage was made in house and amazing. Our waiter warned us before it was served that it was going to come medium rare, which can scare some people, but our table had no objections. It was amazing. The juices and spices in the meat were fantastic. The marscapone potatoes were another highlight. Unfortunately the swiss chard tasted vinegary and was left behind by everyone at our table… a slight miscue within an otherwise perfect meal. This course was paired with an old vines zinfandel from St. Francis in Sonoma County.
The final course was desert, and it was a molten chocolate lava cake with caramel popcorn and peanut butter chocolate ice cream. I am note a big desert guy, but the chocolate lava cake tasted like warm cake batter in the best way, kinda reminded me of my childhood. The desert wine it was served with was a pacific rim framboise, which is a raspberry wine, it was comparable to a sweet port with a pronounced very flavour, quite nice with the chocolate.
I finished my meal with a Macallan Amber scotch from the bar (off menu).
I think the only thing that would have made this night better would be if Chef Larry had charred some of the wine he was drinking while cooking. All I could get out of him was that it was from 1985 and I could have a glass next time I come in… careful what you promise Larry, I will definitely be back again!

Went to the Hardware Grill for the first time for my birthday; this restaurant did not fail to disappoint!
The atmosphere is sophisticated and lounge-​like. Low lighting, cool colours, and a relaxing environment give the Hardware Grill a big city flair.
The service is excellent. The wait-​staff are well spoken and well trained, so it is a treat to be catered to by such professionals.
Come hungry; the portions are generous and delicious! Try the smoked salmon perogies… They’re amazing!

I took my husband to the Hardware Grill on a romantic date a few weeks ago — and while it would become an expensive habit to dine there regularly, I can’t wait to go back!
Hardware Grill has everything I want in a nice dinner out — amazing food, top-​notch service, and a pleasant dining environment. This was by far the best meal I’ve eaten in Edmonton! We’ll look forward to going back, and in the meantime will check out their sister restaurant, Tavern 1903.
Keep up the wonderful work, Hardware Grill! You’re top notch!