Farmers House On Mcleod

Great homestyle food. The inside is cosy and seems have an interesting history. Love little gems like this. They make their own ketchup, which is excellent. I would notice however, that the owner/waitress seems to be overworked often and it sometimes takes a bit longer to be served during busy hours. Best to go for lunch or earlier. Have come a few times and it is a laidback environment. Great for families.

I wonder how many people drive through Marda Loop, glance at the cute house on the corner of 33rd Ave and 21st St and continue on oblivious to the hidden gem of a restaurant enclosed in the trees. This is exactly what The Farmer’s House is, a hidden gem in Calgary’s Marda Loop. The house itself was built in 1912 and truly is a piece of history that still stands strong in Calgary’s SW. I was lucky enough to hear about this spot through word of mouth online and was quick to add it to my lists of places to try after skimming some reviews and pictures. The Farmer’s House as the name suggests used to be a farmer’s house. The building has been refreshed, but they’ve kept the rustic and old fashioned feel intact and the home still feels cozy inside with tables nestled around an open kitchen. Outback they’ve actually parked a food truck that belongs to one of the restaurateurs; this now serves as an auxiliary kitchen. What really drew me to The Farmer’s House is their beautiful patio; I’ve been on all kinds of patios but what really makes this patio special is it’s immersed within the trees and fencing of the home. This ingenious idea translates to cozy and welcoming patio experience that feels like true country home dining. There’s a good mix of sunny and shady spots, so whether you prefer to be right in the sun or lay low there’s a spot for you. You’ll be surprised how large it actually is; they could fit larger parties as well if need be as well. They also have some lights and heaters for night time, I bet this place would be great to hang out at on a warm summer evening, definitely adding that to the to do list for a future visit! You don’t have to take my word for it though; they’re actually set-up on Google so you can “See inside” the restaurant through photos on Google Maps, great to see a restaurant take advantage of this technology :). The food selection definitely fits the homey and country feel. They feature salads, flatbreads, sharing platters, sandwiches and an all day brunch menu. They also have a daily special board that I found quite large. All the prices were very fair. My fiancée went with a Spinach Salad w/ Chicken and I had the Daily Deli Sandwich which was a Calabrese Pork Loin Sandwich. I also ordered roasted potatoes and their homemade ketchup on the side. Their drink selection is on the smaller side, but features local choices which I found appropriate for the setting. The portion sizes are a great size, they’re not overwhelming but still a big enough size that you can enjoy the meal and feel full. The salad was good with a modest sized piece of chicken, nothing too special but the Mustard Herb Vinaigrette was solid. The sandwich was served on a full baguette, but was a tad too toasted and crunchy. Looking past this the flavours was good though and it tasted wholesome. I was very impressed with the roasted potatoes and ketchup though, absolutely delicious. I’m not a ketchup person what so ever, but I used up all the ketchup on my plate, it’s that good! One thing I found a bit deceiving and disappointing is that their sign says “Kitchen & General Store”, naturally I assumed they sold food items, unfortunately I was let down and this was more aesthetic than anything. I actually asked the server if they sold the ketchup which I would’ve happily purchased lol :). Service was so-so overall, it took quite a while to get acknowledged and served when we first got there. Once we did put in our order there was quite a wait before our drinks were brought out and even longer before we were even given water. Definitely a bit disappointed on that end. We did learn that they were short staffed though and there was a large party in the back we couldn’t see, so I was more understanding with this added insight. Towards the end our server was much more attentive when things slowed down and she was definitely able to redeem the bad first impression. I’ll definitely give it another go, good overall experience first time around!

BEST BREAKFAST SANDWICH EVER - EVERYTHING IS DELICIOUS! I frequent The Farmers House practically daily to get my morning coffee fix and i have NEVER been let down. I eat the breakfasts sandwiches more often than is really good for me but i simply cannot resist. The muffins are also DELICIOUS. I recommend The Farmers House as often as I can to my clients and to pals who are looking for some yummy eats made from honest food in the area. Im SO glad the BEST patio in MardaLoop is FINALLY being used and loved like it deserves.