I don't usually write about restaurants. This isn't a foodie blog. It is a travel blog. But sometimes, while on your travels, you encounter a unique restaurant that actually deserves its own spot on a travel blog because it isn't just a restaurant, it is a destination.
That's how I feel about the Grizzly House restaurant in Banff, Alberta. This place isn't just a tasty, unique, and fun experience, it also has a super juicy history that has to be shared!
Read on to learn about Banff's premiere restaurant to fondue, and er... frolic?
The Grizzly House in Banff, Alberta is a swanky fondue and hot rock restaurant located on Banff Avenue across from Banff Avenue Square. The restaurant has withstood the test of time, established originally in 1967 as a disco club with live bands and go-go dancers. I will get more into the history of the restaurant later, so keep reading because, trust me, it is worth it!
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| Welcome to the Grizzly House, Banff's finest fondue establishment. |
I had known about the existence of the Grizzly House for years. Many people I knew had attended the establishment and declared the food delicious and the entire fondue experience very satisfying. I myself love a good fondue, and every time in the past when we travelled to or through Banff, I would longingly look at the restaurant, hoping to go in. It never seemed to work out for me, so I decided to just book a reservation myself and make it happen instead of just wishing to go inside.
My little family and I were in Banff last January for my husband's Christmas 'adventure' present. (If you are a regular reader of the blog, I know I have written about this trip ad naseum, but I believe this is it, so bear with me for just one more post!!) It was during the planning of Joey's present that I booked our reservation at the Grizzly House, about three months in advance. There was no way I was missing out this time!
The Atmosphere
On the Saturday night of our weekend getaway, we walked to the Grizzly House: my husband and I, and our two young kids. From the outside, the restaurant doesn't look like much. A narrow wooden facade, like a tiny cabin in the shape of a tipi, marks the entrance to the establishment. A big hand-painted sign announces that you have arrived at the "Grizzly House: Steak and Cheese Fondue". The place looks small but interesting.
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| The entrance to the Grizzly House is unique but deceptive... |
Once inside, you might be surprised at the size. The restaurant is actually rather big, and the tiny entrance is actually tucked into the size of the building, making it somewhat deceptive. However, I wouldn't say the place is open and airy to match its size. Instead, it is dim, cozy, a little smoky, and feels like a rustic 1920's speakeasy.
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| The eclectic interior of Banff's Grizzly House. |
Once your eyes become accustomed to the dim lighting and the stinging smokiness, you can take a good look around. The decor is dark, with wood-panelled walls and dark carpeting. Thematic wooden carvings accentuate the 'cabin in the woods' feel: carved bears, totem poles, buffalo, and more. Black phones rest at every table (more on that later). Conversation is punctuated by the sounds of sizzling meat and clinking fondue sticks. I loved it.
Grizzly House and Children
The Grizzly House is not typically a place where you bring children. There are signs welcoming children, but stating parents and guardians MUST keep control of their children at all times and children are expected to remain seated. This isn't because the Grizzly House hates kids. It completely makes sense - there are pots of hot oil on almost every table, or sizzling hot rocks that would sear skin in seconds, and buckets placed on tall stands filled with ice and champagne that kids could easily knock over. So if you do decide to take your children, read them the riot act before, during, and again during the dining experience, for everyone's safety and sanity.
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| My son and I, excited for a fancy dinner at the Grizzly House. |
Our kids were actually quite well-behaved. The host found us a table where we could tuck the kids between us and a railing, so they had no exit strategy. The waiter brought us copious amounts of bread to keep the kids busy and happy. The placements look like giant colouring pages, even though they are not meant for colouring. And our kids have had fondue before and like it, so that made feeding them easier. It all worked out fabulously.
The Food
Ordering at the Grizzly House looks complicated at first but is actually quite easy. You can order piecemeal, choosing an appetizer, main course, and side dishes, but that doesn't really make sense because the menu has complete fondue dinners already organized for you on the menu. I recommend doing that!
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| My husband and daughter, ready to eat! |
We ordered the Alberta Special fondue, which included Alberta-bred meats including steak, pork, buffalo, and chicken. There are some really cool fondue dinner options that I kind of wish I had tried, especially the Exotic Fondue Dinner featuring shark, alligator, rattlesnake, ostrich, frog legs, buffalo and venison.
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| A sample of the Grizzly House menu and some of the fondue dinners you can order. |
To begin, the cheese fondue appetizer comes to your table. We ordered the Neuchatel cheese fondue with cheese, wine, and Kirsch. (If you don't know, Kirsch is a colourless fruit brandy, with a bit of a cherry flavour.) The waiter brought us bread cut into cubes, and we happily devoured our appetizer, with Joey and I eating the cheese and the kids hoarding the bread.
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| Yummy cheese fondue, just waiting to be devoured! |
Since we fondue a lot at home in oil, using our electric wok as a pot, we opted to try the hot rock option instead for our fondue experience. (So does that mean that we fondued? If you don't use the hot oil, are you doing a fondon't?)
The waiter brought us a slab of what appeared to be polished granite (I don't know exactly what type of rock it was) and showed us how to add a dollop of garlic butter to the rock so our meat wouldn't stick to it. The sizzling butter smelled incredible, and flavoured the meat perfectly.
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| Meat sizzling on our hot rock at our table. |
Halfway through our meal, the waiter brought us a new hot rock as our meat was beginning to cook a little more slowly. It was a fun way to prepare our meal, although I have to admit I had a hard time telling when the meat was fully done due to the dim lighting. I just left it on a little extra to be safe.
Of course, for dessert there was the chocolate fondue, which naturally we powered down in seconds despite being very full from the first two courses. It was a great meal - a little pricy but for the experience, the food, and the history, it was worth a visit at least once in a lifetime!
The History
Oh right, the history. I haven't forgotten. This was my favourite part about the place.
As I said, the Grizzly House began as a disco in 1967. It was one of the first disco dance clubs in Western Canada, and was far from a restaurant. However, liquor laws stated that alcoholic beverages could not be served in an establishment that did not also offer food, so the Grizzly House owners literally cut a hole in the wall and served Chinese food to patrons from the restaurant on the other side. Like they say, when one door closes... cut a hole in the wall!
When the Chinese restaurant closed down, the dance club had to think fast, or risk being shut down. At the time, fondue was all the rage, so that's what they settled on. In fact, the owner and his staff actually brought in their own pots from home to get everything started! Things just evolved from there.
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| The telephone that was located at our table. |
Rumor has it that the disco nightclub also served a dual purpose as a swinger's club. I'm not sure where this rumour originated and I don't even know if it is 100% true, so I want to add a disclaimer that this is just a rumour as far as I know. However, according to stories, couples would attend the disco club, choose a table at which to sip their drinks, peruse the other patrons of the club, and then call that couple over to have a little rendezvous. Each table was (and still is!) equipped with a working phone, so couples could call one another.
If you go to the restaurant today, you can actually still call other tables within the dining area; you just need to know the table number. Think that might be tricky to determine? Nah. The Grizzly House makes it easy by providing guests with a printed placemat that shows a grid of the restaurant, and all of the table numbers are clearly marked on it. Easy peasy! (Apparently you can even dial the bathrooms - there are phones there too!)
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| The placemat at the Grizzly House details how to call others; a custom with a bit of a racy history. |
Knowing some of the 'hedonistic' history of the Grizzly House (their own words) made it a little more interesting to visit. The food was delicious, but it was the atmosphere and unique dining experience that made a trip to the Grizzly House worth it.
Have you ever been to the Grizzly House? What are your thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment below!
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