Rostizado – by Tres Carnales

Nice trendy place but the food was only mediocre. We shared the chicken and pork platter and the «famous roasted cauliflower» and we both left disappointed. The pork was very fatty and not very good. The cauliflower lacked seasoning and was way undercooked. The service was nice but I felt like we were rushed to get in and out as soon as possible.

Tres Canales is soooo much better! The Queso Fundido was missing the Queso. Flour tortillas were not light, just heavy with lard.

This resto rocks! And i love this resto. I like how they prepare and style their food here and i love the ambiance and the design of their resto. It’s fun to work here and all the employees are nice and optimistic. Especially the chefs are very skilled and expert. Well if you are looking for a one stop mexican cuisines… This place is the best resto to eat mexican food especially their pollo, puerco, churros recipe and the never ending legend tacos…

Very pricy! Small portion on veggies but very generous on the potatoes…45 plater for 2, substitute the pork for beef for $ 20 extra. only 4 slices. Tasty food no doubts definitely go back.

ROSTIZADO, I am definitely a fan!
First off, I feel like I owe the delicious rotisserie pork (order the platter NOW) here an apology that I had never tried it until this month! Phew, now that I have that out of the way, I feel like we can continue.
So the hubs and I have visited ROSTIZADO twice in the past month which is a pretty big deal for us; I mean, we’ve got toddlers so it’s not everyday that we manage to go somewhere sans children.
The first time we came was a Wednesday night around 530 and there was an hour wait! SAY WHAT? Thank goodness the Mercer Tavern is located next door so we were able to pop over and have a drink while we waited for our text that our table was ready. (NEXT TIME USE THE APP — NO WAIT and reserve your table from home our being out and about — SERIOUSLY and monitor how long until your table is ready).
Upon returning, we were seated at the high bar across from each other (restaurant still packed).
Our server was great and we trusted her recommendations having:
Chicken and Pork Platter for 2 $ 55
Combination of rotisserie chicken and pork shoulder, Rosti-​Papas (potatoes), and unlimited tortillas and salsas.
½ order of Roasted cauliflower $ 8 — Chile de arbol, garlic, cumin, sea salt, lime juice and cilantro.
½ order of the Vegetales Rostizados $ 8 — Roasted portable mushrooms, zucchini, poblano chiles, garbanzo beans, fennel, and onions served on Sikil Pak: a purée of pumpkin and sesame seeds, roasted tomatoes, fresh habanero and chopped cilantro. GO THERE NOW TO EAT THIS. OH. EM. GEE. and order a FULL order.
We were stuffed to our gills and couldn’t finish everything but would definitely order all of the same again. The Pork shoulder was AMAZING, the chicken was good but the pork shoulder was to die for.
For our 2^nd visit, we were lucky to not have to wait for a table on a Thursday evening around 7pm.
We took the recommendation of our server to try the Sope de Rajas $ 16 — Corn masa smoked potato tartlet filled with poblano chiles, onions, butter, kale and white truffle cream topped with frisee. This was okay but nothing to write home about — we’d try something different next time for sure.
We decided to upgrade on the platter and pay the extra $ 30 to try the New York Striploin subbed out for the chicken. It was good but not $ 20 extra good. So the platter went from $ 45 to $ 65. Next time I’d stick to the chicken and pork or just get double pork because it is that good.
We shared a full order of the Vegetales Rostizados this time which was perfect wrapped around the love (aka meat) inside he tortillas.
Again we had a good portion of food to take home for a second meal and I think ordering the platter is ideal for the unlimited salsas and tortillas.
We opted to try the Churros to end the night as it was the hub’s birthday for $ 9 — and they were just as I remember growing up in the U.S. Soft, chewy, like a Mexican donut. The dulce de leche for dipping was a nice touch. Great for sharing — we found it more than we needed for the two of us.
Rostizados you have a new fan in me and I can’t wait to go back!

WoW! We really enjoyed our meal! Fantastic restaurant, great food, great service. Must haves:
Start with a few Cava Sangria! So lovely
Shared Smoked Salmon Sopes — yumm
We had Platter for 2 — grilled chicken and pork, which came with roasted potatoes and pickled veggies (plenty for 2)
Half order of vegetable rostizados — also very yummy
We took home lots of left over.
Enjoy

Excellent!!! Tried the sopes, and pork. It was all very good with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Very authentic, highly recommend and it is nice that they are on «no wait» the app that lets you get in line at home. Very convenient.

Such a cool atmosphere as to be expected since it’s the same owners as Tres Carnales. Rostizado is a bit more up scale than Tres but still casual. It’s a unique décor, I love their couch seating area with the record player etc.
The roasted chicken is amazing and so juicy! Cauliflower never tasted so good — it’s also roasted and a must-​have side order!
It’s a busy spot so be prepared for a bit of a wait, but it’s totally worth it.

As a restaurant that is being opened by the owners of Tres Carnales, you already have a certain expectation going in. I highly recommend using NoWait from the App store prior to coming down to the restaurant to avoid excessive wait times.
Each time I have come here I leave satisfied with a tasty meal. Their rotisserie platters are enough for two hungry diners and their flavors will leave you wanting to come back again.
Service is great with good recommendations from the servers.

Rostizado is one of the popular Mexican restaurants in the downtown core and was recently a contender for enRoute Magazine’s Best New Restaurants for 2015. Rarely is there an evening where the seats in the restaurant are empty, and for good reason: Rostizado houses an upbeat environment and the food is tasty. Good Mexican food can be hard to come by in Edmonton, so when Rostizado asked me to taste some of the dishes on their new menu, I was more than willing!
The evening started out with the Scallop Aguachile ($ 21), where diver scallops were lightly cured and served in a cucumber-​lime bath, then topped with a combination of thinly shaved pear, red onions, cucumber, jicama, tomatillo, radish and a light sprinkle of habanero chiles. The fresh scallops had a delicate flavour enhanced by the pear and cucumber, while the other elements offered a crunchy texture. Scooped up onto a tortilla chip, the components work harmoniously to bring a refreshing dish to your palate with a punch of heat. This light dish was my favourite of the evening and I could have eaten just it all night.
The Costillas en Salsa Verde ($ 19/​gluten free) are a nice change from the typical BBQ ribs that you’ll find in Alberta. This substantial dish featured Alberta baby back ribs simmered in salsa verde until tender, and were garnished with pico de gallo. Although the meat didn’t fall off the bone, it was flavourful and spicy!
Next to the table was the Camarones al Mojo de Ajo ($ 21), a dish where prawns are sauteed with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and lime juice. The prawns are then topped with slowly caramelized garlic and toasted guajillo chile. A cucumber-​based guacamole is served on the side to cut the heat, and thick cut toast is intended to soak up the rich, fragrant oil. The meaty prawns were spicy and garlicky, and I really loved the refreshing guacamole!
The Sope de Rajas ($ 16/​vegetarian) was the most popular dish at the table that evening. A dough of corn and smoked potato is baked into the shape of a tart and filled with a combination of poblano chiles, onions, butter, kale, and white truffle cream. The raised edges keep all the ingredients in, resulting in a sope that is creamy and decadent. The crust is wonderfully crisp and the heat is strong, but makes you want more and more!
It may just be me, but I believe that every dinner at Rostizado should include a platter of their rotisserie. While the chicken and pork are classics, the new menu is introducing slow roasted Sterling Silver AAA New York striploin to their protein lineup. The beef is slow roasted to a beautiful medium rare and is available as an option for all of the platters.
As an accompaniment to your meal, Roasted Fennel ($ 8 Half/​$ 16 Full) is a great side which almost acts as a palate cleanser between bites. The fennel is grilled on the flat top and served with a honey-​serrano glaze, serrano chiles, and olive oil.
Vegan dishes are uncommon in Mexican cuisine, but after many people have asked for a vegan option, the Vegetables Rostizado ($ 8 Half/​$ 16 Full) are now on the menu. Roasted portabella mushrooms, zucchini, poblano chiles, garbanzo beans, fennel and onions are roasted and served on Sikil Pak, the Mayan answer to hummus. Sikil Pak is a purée of pumpkin and sesame seeds, roasted tomatoes, fresh habanero, and cilantro. It’s smooth, nutty, and creamy like hummus would be.
One of the major changes to the Rostizado menu is to the rotisserie platter, which now comes in multiple sizes. The platters can be portioned for groups of 2, 4 or 6, or ¼ size platters can be ordered for a single person. This is a great change, as I remember the previous platter for 2 being impossible for two people to finish given all the accompanying sides (roasted potatoes, tortillas, pickled veg, salsa). The updated price points for the platters are very reasonable too.
Although the churros at Rostizado are a must-​have, the new Pastel de Tres Leches ($ 10) is a strong contender. Slices of butter sponge cake are soaked in a mix of three milks: evaporated, half and half, and condensed milk. The resulting cake is rich, moist, and not overly sweet. The dessert is made even better by chunks of pineapple soaked in the honey, made specially for their coffee, and dollops of corn ash whipped cream.
Although some old favourites have left the Rostizado menu, the new dishes have proven that they were worth the switch. Rostizado continues to bring modern Mexican dishes to the Edmonton food scene and keeps us excited with new flavour combinations. Stop by the Mercer Warehouse for a taste of the new menu!

We came here for dinner last night. The restaurant has an industrial/​rustic style with Spanish phrases on the walls. The temperature inside was quite hot.
Appetizers: We had Queso Fundido and Smoked Salmon Sopes. I really liked the Queso Fundido, you can’t go wrong with melted cheese. The Salmon was just okay.
Entrée: We only ordered one entrée, a quarter Rosti-​Pollo served with Rosti Papas (potatoes), tortilla and salsa. The quarter rotisserie chicken turned out to be a lot of meat for the both of us. The skin of the chicken was good but the rest of the meat was quite dry and bland. We had the option of making our own tortillas and the two salsas we had added flavor to the chicken. The potatoes tasted pretty good.
Sides: Roasted cauliflower and «greens» dressed with vinegar and pumpkin seeds. I love cauliflower and «greens» (it looked like kale) but both sides were TOO SALTY. When I made my tortilla, I added some of the greens to the bland rotisserie chicken and it was pretty good. Other than that, we ate very little of the vegetables.
Dessert: It was the only dish we really enjoyed, Churros con Dulce Leche. The churros were crunchy and sweet on the outside and hot and fluffy in the inside
Customer Service: Our waitress was pleasant and professional. She did a good job of describing our meal to us when she brought it to our table. Rostizado only has small water glasses and our waitress came back to our table a dozen times just to refill our glasses.
Conclusion: The food here is just OKAY– and pricey. We brought home leftovers that we still haven’t touched yet. I don’t think we’ll come again to Rostizado but we will continue to go to Tres Carnales.

Delicious. That’s the one word we have to describe it.
Décor is dark, wood-​laden, warm and cozy. Did I say warm, it’s not just the décor — coals to the fire warm in there the night we visited — do not come in a thick sweater! The open kitchen concept is really well done, you can see the staff preparing the food from anywhere in the room. I do have to mention that there isn’t a lot of available bathroom facility, so if you’re going, don’t take a newspaper, K?
Reservations — you need one.
It was my first visit, and many of my co-​workers. We came with a fair sized group, and although our party tried to make reservations that day, but without 48 hours notice, were told to come drop in and see what they could do. Luckily we were seated at the large group table at the back. 11 in our party.
We were informed that due to the size of our party, we would be getting served platter/​family style… prix fixe. Sure… the food’s reputation sold us on the idea, but we had no preconception of what would be served.
Being gluten free, and of course knowing the owners and Chef Edgar’s abilities to serve said delicious gluten free food, we were not disappointed. The several of us that were gluten free, one shrimp allergy and one kosher were easily accommodated.
Appetizers… they vanished. Ceviche — oh my that was a treat! We had a few negotiations for the sharing of the last of them.. We were really quite full by the time the main platters came out. Corn tortillas, sauces, pan-​roasted potatoes rosti-​papas were delicious, rotisserie chicken that was fall-​off-​the-​bone tender and moist, pork, … I’m drooling a little remembering it.
Chastised several times during our meal and while paying because we didn’t have a reservation, however other reviewers had mentioned this particular server (we share a name) had given them grief as well. Overlooking the attitude, the service was excellent, the beverages, we had to call for a couple of times, but overall, were pleased with the level of attention.
We did find the atmosphere a bit loud, shouting at times to be heard, and we couldn’t converse one end of the table to the other. Violet P. noticed it still was in Sept 2015, so it’s an «ambiance» feature.
The concensus from the crowd is that it was good, they might come back, but didn’t like the reservation system. Sorry gang…
Note that I started my review in November 2014… and we haven’t had an opportunity to go back and revisit. I am really hungry now after fleshing out this review. Heh. Meat.

I’ve wanted to try Rostizado for a little while now, but I don’t usually like to go to a brand new restaurant right when it opens. Every restaurant always has a few kinks to work out in the first few months! Or at least, I like to at least go once when they first open, and then again, just to write and comment on improvements. They are a sister restaurant to Tres Carnales. They were both featured on You Gotta Eat Here, and they are currently in the running for one of Canada’s best new restaurants in Air Canada’s magazine.
The Queso Fundido is melted cheese with mushrooms, chile, onions, all melted together, topped with pork rinds and served with tortilla chips and bread. It comes served in a cast iron skillet, and is very hot. This is a nice and easy dish to share with a couple of people. It has a nice blend of two cheeses, smoked gouda and monterrey jack. I really like their tortilla chips. It’s the same ones that are served with the guacamole at Tres Carnales and they are really crispy and light. It’s a really nice and easy dish to eat and share, so definitely a plus. One comment I can make is that I couldn’t really see or taste any of the pork rinds.
The other appetizer we got were the Gorditas. This was pulled pork shoulder, simmered in green salsa, served in between two fluffy corn cakes. This was probably my favourite out of the three dishes. The corn cakes are light and fluffy, and really took in the flavour of the salsas. This dish can be a bit on the spicy side, so definitely a plus if you like your food with a little bit of a kick. The radish salsa gives it some nice texture. Really tender pork, and overall just a really nice and light dish.
For our last dish, we got the Tamales. It comes with one of their rotisserie meats (pork or chicken), wrapped in a corn dough and then steamed, and topped with salsa. We decided to get one with pork and the other with chicken. This dish was really quite nice. The corn dough was very nice, and really soaked in the salsa, and when accompanied by the chicken, was really nice. The corn husk really sealed in all the different flavours and made this dish really good. It was steamed to the perfect tenderness, and really easy to cut with your fork…

Finally got to try this place after a failed dinner attempt (we arrived before 5PM but were told it would be about a 90 minute wait). It was 4 of us meeting for lunch and we met at 11:30 to make sure we could get a table. The table we had was half booth and half high seats. It wasn’t full at that time but it filled up closer to noon. Our server came out and offered up water to us as we waited for everyone to arrive.
There’s was a daily special to go along with the regular menu. Being lunch, everyone passed on the rotisserie but it looks like a great way to share a meal for dinner ($ 60 for a full chicken served with Rosti-​Papas, tortillas & salsa). I decided on the rosti puerco for $ 16.
While waiting for our food, I noticed the volume of the music in the restaurant got louder but not as loud as a bar where I was yelling to my friends and I couldn’t hear other conversations from the tables around us.
My sandwich arrived and was a large sandwich filled with sliced roasted pork, chimichurri, and pulled cheese, on top of a sesame seed bun, served along side roasted potatoes. The pork was tasty and flavourful but with the bun being a little on the dry side, it could have used a little juice. The potatoes were really good but I wasn’t able to finish them after finishing off the sandwich.
Great place for lunch, but I would definitely come around 11:30 to ensure a table.

For a «meat» type place, we have a winner! Wow! The meat here is incredible! Juicy, tender, flavorful, a little Mexican heat for the spice lovers!
I like it here more than Tres Carnales for sure! Be prepared to share if you come here, that’s the only way to make it worth it. We ordered the platter with half pork and half chicken with a side of cauliflower, roast potatoes and frijoles charros. Everything was incredible… And the potatoes? Well they’re cooked in the drippings from all the meat so it just melts in your mouth!
So much leftover food from the three of us. Can’t wait to go back and try out some more!

Overall, the food was tasty but way too spicy at times. As a baseline, I’m generally pretty wussy when it comes to spiciness. However, it was especially bad when the waitress said our pico de gallo was mild, only to discover it to be mouth searing, eye watering, cough inducing, cry for your mother hot! The waitress said nonchalantly mentioned that a serrano pepper may have gotten into it. To the naked eye, there were no visible signs of peppers in the dish. It would be helpful if the menu included some sort of rating scale regarding the hot/​spiciness levels of the dishes. Not everyone has such a high tolerance for spiciness and I am definitely one of those people!
The tamales appetizer was tasty. There were two fairly small tamales for $ 16. This dish was spicy as well but not as much as the pico de gallo. I was able to tolerate the level of heat in this one. The taste was reminiscent of the homemade tamales that my friend’s mother makes.
I also enjoyed the quarter rotisserie chicken served with potatoes and sauce. As well as the quarter pork dish and potatoes. My boyfriend and I shared the meals and still had some leftover for takeout. Both of these meals were about $ 18 each. They were also served with tortillas and some salsa.
Churros for dessert served with dulce de leche sauce was also very tasty. The churros were hot and crispy. They weren’t coated in as much sugar as you would find in the amusement park versions of this dessert. I did however fantasized that the churros would’ve been perfect with plain vanilla ice cream.
I’d recommend this place to friends and family, especially those who love spicy foods. I definitely caution those with low tolerance for heat, this food can definitely be hot!

I was downtown and wanted to stop in a Rostizado for lunch. Right at 11am it wasn’t very busy, but I just grabbed a seat at the bar… I’m sure it gets busier as the day goes on.
The restaurant is located in the same building as Mercer Tavern, and it’s not huge, but it’s a decent size and the open woodwork, and loft ceiling makes everything feel pretty open.
The restaurant is a Mexican restaurant, but specializes in rotisserie style chicken, but I guess with a Mexican flair. They have daily lunch specials, so I went for the special of the day which was a cuban sandwich. I haven’t been to Cuba before and I’ve never actually had a Cuban sandwich before, but this was delicious. The meat was tender and there was a good flavor in the sandwich. It had some spice, but it wasn’t superspicy. The roasted potatoes (rosti-​papas) that came as a side were delicious.
There were several different cocktails and drinks, but I decided to just get a coke. I think next time I would skip this because I’m not a huge pop drinker and since the pop is from a bottle (and the coke bottle had Spanish on it, so I think it might have been from Mexico but I didn’t confirm this) it was a little pricy $ 4.50 — and no refill. Next time I’ll get water or I’ll splurge on a cocktail.
It wasn’t busy when I was there, but they do have an online reservation app. The food here is delicious and Rositzado is just getting more and more popular, so making a reservation might be a good idea. I really hate downtown construction/​traffic/​parking, but if I’m in the area again I’ll definitely come back here.

I am super impressed. Lots of food, reasonable prices, wonderful friendly service. The atmosphere is rustic modern with a great open kitchen. I had the pollo ¼ chicken which was for me so big I could barely finish. They even gave me extra tortillas when I ran out, didn’t even have to ask. Now that’s service. Also had queue fundido, which was excellent appetizer. If I were to do it again I’d probably go with a more veggie type appetizer. My meal and appy had a lot of breads accompanying it, but I enjoyed the food here. The flavor is juicy and tender! Very impressed!
I don’t think I’ve had better service at a restaurant. The waitress was spot on and almost anticipated my needs. Felt like me had a Vulcan mind meld! Five stars easily, liked the prices and portions here as well!

Well well well, I am sure if I had known Rostizado was part of the Taco Shop (I didn’t know these cool kids called it that!) it would have affected my experience.
A friend of ours asked us to go here for a semi-​late dinner on a Monday night. Situated right besides Mercer’s parking wasn’t available and we opted to pay for it.
Upon entering you’ll notice the layout is a bit different from some restaurants in the city. Quite a bit of shared tables with the kitchen in the middle. The wood accents on the walls were very prevalent and on one side there was a neat looking book shelf with retro TV’s showing Hispanic shows. It was a really cool design choice: 50’s décor with a little bit of an updated twist.
Our server came by and gave us helpful suggestions (she takes orders on a tablet. Are we in the future???). I ordered the El Emperador which brings you back to a sunny beach. The tequila was wonderful and the accompanying vanilla and basil and syrup made sure you didn’t get too sloppy. Tina and our friend both had the Rosita and you definitely could discern the burnt orange. If you like smokey, this is your drink mi amigos.
While we waited for entrées, they have these wonderful little bowls with spiced chips and chickpeas that you can munch on. Absolutely terrific. Classier than beer nuts but tastier to make it cool. I wish they gave us a few or 8 or 9. It went perfect with your alcohol.
We decided to get the platter of two which feeds more than 3 I felt. It was basically rotisserie chicken and slow roasted pork with a plate of tortillas, potatoes and the fantastic salsa. UNF. Yes, I literally made that noise as I wrote this. The salsa was amazing.
The mild sauces were nothing to scoff at. They were so unique and flavorful with either meats that I really wish I was of Mexican descent so I could ask my parents to make me some at home. The spicy salsa did have a kick but hey, you did order an alcoholic drink didn’t you???
We also ordered a side of roasted cauliflower and Rostizado did a great spin on it incorporating paprika (I believe?) and other spices.
We were often visited by our server who was very gracious and even called over, Danny, one of the owners to chat. Regardless if you review or not, I think it’s so interesting to talk to people such as Danny whom you can tell just loves food. He’s passionate, knows the history of what he’s making and where it’s going. An absolute pleasure to speak to.
To end off the experience, we tried the churos and Odin’s beard is it ever amazing. I love fried food and this totally destroys the lame churo’s you get at K-​days. The special condensed milk was simply the icing on the cake. It just dances on your palette (probably the tango because I was being dipped left, right and center).
Dinner for 3 was about $ 130 with drinks.
TL;DR: owner was interesting to talk to and discuss food; amazing platter; drinks that bring you back to Mexico; top-​tier churos

Have an infatuation with Mexican food? Crave perfectly roasted chicken? Adore delicious cocktails? Love really amazing locally owned restos in crazy cool spaces? If you answered yes to any of the above, I have the perfect spot for you: Rostizado!
This roasted chicken-​centric brain child, from the delightful men of Tres Carnales fame, have carved themselves out a neatly packaged niche in the Mercer Wear-​house building. With smart, sexy cocktails (that do take a bit of time to arrive at your table, so be patient), and a truly unique menu (there is no guacamole and salsa here, this is grown-​up Mexican with thought and flavour) that is unlike anything else in the Province.
I love the décor, the chill couch-​lounge with vintage red TVs. The staff is incredible (especially those sporting ‘man-​buns’, wink, wink) and the stand-​outs food wise, for me, the sandwiches for lunch! — either the rosti pollo or rosti puerco. Do get the rosti papas (best roasted potatoes EVER!) and roasted cauliflower as sides, so good! And I quite liked the roasted romain hearts salad. If you like mushrooms get the queso fundido. And of course, the roasted chicken!
As this is still a very new restaurant, there are bound to be bumps and bruises, and learning curves. That’s why I gave it 4, not 5 (because I know it will improve, I can’t wait, and my re-​review a few months from now will show that!) And I urge you disregard quick-​to-​judge early reviewers that may «loose their internet cool» after minor meal mishaps that they may portray to look like Moby Dick size mistakes.