I've only ever tried the veggie wrap here ($9.99), mainly because it is so incredibly delicious. Perfectly grilled mediterranean vegetables smothered in hummus, wrapped in a warm, soft pita - it's pretty addictive stuff. Pair that with friendly service and a lovely interior - it's hard to go wrong.
First time try Iranian food. The stewed beef is quite tasty, sour & spicy, widely opened my appetite, hahaha. The desert was too greasy and sweet though. Already looking forward to try sth else next time.
Love this place. I go as least once a week with a co-worker. The food is always delicious and the service is always consistent. I have never had a bad experience here. I can't believe all the negative reviews about nothing really even that terrible, "The server didn't bring me tea even though it's included in the price and because I never asked for it" How dare they not read your mind. Anyways, dear Atlas, I love you guys, see you later in the week!
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I saw atlas on zomato about 6 months ago and had been wanting to go incredibly badly. I was so hyped. Now that I got to try it... I was NOT disappointed, in fact it exceeded my expectations. Atlas is probably one of my favourite new finds. I've been twice in the last week.
I had the atlas special both times.
The Kababs are the freaking shiz. Perfectly cooked meats. Amazing flavour. And the BBQ charcoal flavour..... HEAVEN. My fave of the three is the ground beef one. For the chicken I had both spicy and non spicy. I prefer the spicy. It isn't very spicy at all but I like the flavour the spicy sauce adds. Kind of Tabasco-y with its tomato tang and sweetness.
For the stews I won't try typing the Persian names because I don't remember and also I don't want to butcher it.
The pomegranate walnut stew was great. It's quite sweet tho. My husband didn't like it as much, but I really enjoyed it.
Eggplant w tomato base. I like the flavour with the tang of the tomato. The beef was a bit tough but prob from it's long cooked process.
Fresh herb kidney bean. The flavour was unique. Very fresh a bit minty? Again beef a bit tough. But still really good
The hummus is so good. I recommend getting the hummus to try. So garlicky delicious and smooth. I've had hummuses that are a bit sour, but I prefer this one where it is more creamy and rich.
The rice is amazing too. Who would have thought that rice can be so good. I think they add some butter and salt. The rice is fluffy and the butter flavour is the bomb.
Everything was just so amazing. Even the service was great. The first time I came with some girl friends and we ordered $150 worth of food for take out. They offered to help take it to our car.
You just gotta come and try atlas. You won't be disappointed.
A colleague recently invited me for lunch at Atlas Specialty Persian Cuisine. It is a small restaurant that also seconds as a grocery. Heading into downtown from the west – it can easily be spotted on 1000 9th Ave SW. Extremely popular amongst the office tower staff in the area! We each started with Persian tea – which is strong, amber in colour, fragrant, served in a glass cup and is kindly topped up throughout the meal. I trusted my colleague (with Iranian roots) to rec recommend a favourite – Kabob Sultani (19.50). This included two large kabobs – one of ground beef and the other strip loin laid atop a heap of sunny yellow basmati rice and grilled onions.
I have to disagree with the reviews about the service here, although most mention the owner we only dealt with the waitress, who was super friendly and checked on us a few times during our meal. We got the mirzaghasemi to start, which is a roasted eggplant dish served with pita bread, and the Atlas Special to share between the two of us and found that to be more than enough food. The portions are generous. Order the pickles on the side to go with your food, the tartness compliments all the meats really well. And if you're feeling extra glutton, ask for a side of butter with your rice. We'll definitely be back.
We went to Atlas last night after many years of not being able to go (little kids now in the equation). I disagree with the recent reviews although I understand things go poorly from time to time. Atlas was the same experience we remembered and enjoyed often a number of years back.
Portions and food quality were ample and exactly as we remembered them. We always appreciated the atmosphere; the restaurant is not overstated - however it is not intended to be overly formal. We found the staff helpful and friendly if perhaps a little understated themselves. Frankly few places remain as consistent as we found it after that many years and in our case that was welcomed.
We had the koobideh and joojeh kebab and really enjoyed both.
The prices have seen some creep but I think they were fair, not sure I would appreciate them being any higher either.
We are nots expert in persian cuisine, but there are few places in the city that come close to doing it well and we continue to really enjoy Atlas.
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Persian Food in Downtown Calgary!. This is a classic restaurant that has been around for years and serves up quality Persian food. The decor is average and nothing particularly special (like I said it has been around for years and only maintenance renovations have been done). A fresh update would definitely give justice to the food here.
The meats are fresh, well seasoned and some of the best in town. I like the chicken and beef skewers. My favourite dish there is the Kia Combo (named after a friend of the owner; not the car) which consists of 3 ground beef skewers perfectly cooked. The dishes are a little on pricey side, starting at about $15 going up towards $28). All meat portions are halal but don't know the source. The portions will definitely fill a health appetite. In the past I have had the hummus and eggplant and were pleased with both (you may have to ask for more pita, but they are happy to provide).
I can not stress this enough, if you want to have a great dining experience, reservations are a must. I can't tell you the number of times I have gone requesting for a table of 2 and they could not accommodate. Again, make reservations if you want to have an enjoyable and undelayed dining experience.
Lastly, have their persian tea, it is definitely a unique brew to which they won't disclose the exact type.
Tess goes to Atlas. I went here on my lunch break and it was a little busy when I walked in. The girl at the front wasn't very friendly and when I said I wanted take out she just pointed over to the cash register. She could have asked if I'd like a menu or something along those lines to make me feel less awkward. I ordered a Spicy Chicken Wrap from the girl at the till, who was much nicer, and it came out fairly quick. It wasn't amazing but it was defintely tasty. It had a nice balance of sweet and spicy and I loved the chewy bread. It also came with a little salad which was nice and refreshing. I'd probably go again if I was in the neighborhood but I wouldn't go out of my way.
Best real deal meal in town. Reading the reviews of those who are claiming to be holier then thou knowing all about Persian food and critising hand written bills...really...??? Get over yourself...its not meant to be a Hys Steakhouse. Food is real authentic and delicious. I always recommend it and hear nothing but great reviews!! Super friendly service...maybe it's not bad service it's bad customers. Eat in take out enjoy!! Sooooo yummy!¡!!
I'm surprised to read the mixed reviews as I find Atlas one of the most consistent restaurants in Calgary. Always good, love the Fesenjoon (spl). Definitely worth a try if you haven't been.
Best Kabob in Calgary, food is always tasty and wonderful!
I dream of kabobs. I haven't had good persian food since I've been to Toronto, but place is pretty amazing for Calgary! nomnomnom
AMAZING FOOD! I had the koobideh wrap. Great service, great food, but a bit pricey.
Food is tasty all the time. Just a little pricy. Prefer to have reservation. I'd've their food!
LOVE!. This is totally authentic persian cuisine! I should know... being one! Tastes just like my mom made it. Amazing dishes prepared just like home made! Love it!
Fantastic. I am new to Calgary. I often have Persian food, but find this place one of the best places to eat. The quality is very good and I found the most authentic dishes. I am now becoming a regular customer. I had meals in two other persian restaurants in Calgary, but they don't even come close in terms of quality and taste. Thank you. I recommend this place. Definitely worth a visit.
Love it. I love this place, the food and the people. I order out from here almost once a month and have been doing so for many years. Love the Chef combo. I enjoy the eggplant appetizers.I love the Basmati rice and the red spice they put on it. Mostly I love the people. One of the owners gives my daughter a candy every time I pick up my take out. My daughter loves going there. Also I would recommend the Persian beverage called doogh. It is definitely an acquired taste but now I can't eat my kabab without it. I shouldn't be writing this right before dinner, I am starting to drool. I might have to pick up a couple of chef combos on my way home from work.
AWESOME. My go-to order is fesenjan. I've made it at home, but dang is it ever expensive to reproduce (lots of walnuts and pomegranate juice/syrup). Best go to Atlas for the authentic stuff. Their kebabs are delectable as well.
The persian tea keeps on rolling in throughout the meal, which is wonderful.
Staff is super friendly and helpful.
All about kebabs. Atlas- the home of the biggest juiciest, tastiest kebabs in all Alberta! If you try just one item- go for their kebab combo with saffron rice, tomato and jujeh (chicken) and bargh (beef) kebabs. An experience in sight, smell and taste!
Very good food but a little pricey. Have been here at least 5 times and I will be back.
Good food but very expensive. I just had a dinner yesterday at Atlas on 9th Avenue. The kabab abd rice were very good, but very expensive at the same time. Thet recently have increased the prices too. The mahi kabab I took was ~$23 per serving, you glance through the menu, you will find every food is expensive. If you wand to save money, there are other restaurants, but if you want a quality food! try Atlas.
So good. I went with a couple of colleagues who happen to be Persian. They've raved about this place for months, so I was more than excited to stop in for an after work meal. They ordered and whatever I ate was "so good" from start to finish!
I've already been back and plan on returning as often as I can.
Great job Atlas!!
YUM!. How lucky we are to have such beautifully flavoured, nutritious food at ATLAS! The portions are generous and the prices very reasonable. We've tried the starters, the stews and kebabs and we never fail to be very happy with our choices. So far we've found the stew with pomegranite to be exceptional, and their hummus is positively velvety! The service is friendly and the restaurant itself though basic, is very welcoming. Thanks for the tasty Persian cuisine!
Great Food great service ! Definitely would recommended it .
Authentic & Delicious. Atlas was shown to me by a Persian friend of mine who assured me that it was not only authentic, but delicious. He was, of course, correct.
We went as a group of four and ordered 2 appetizer samplers, 2 Khoresht (stew) samplers, a couple of Kebabs and sides of safron rice. It was really wonderful to be able to try everything, and I highly recommend it to first timers. The appetizers were all lovely, but my personal favorite is a main dish, deliciously sweet and rich Fesenjoon Khoresht, I never leaver without a glass of their wonderful sour cherry juice and a box of pistachio Gaz from their supermarket.
The service is attentive and polite, the restaurant is clean and the decor is lovely though the ambiance is slightly wounded by the supermarket and the light of the kitchen. I highly recommend this restaurant to anybody. It is a real treasure. Careful, they often turn people away starting at about 8 PM.
DELICIOUS. I used to work here years ago, and I knowww how good the food still is! every day I worked I would come in early so I could eat first haha. Best koobideh ever and the eggplant dishes are delicious! I don't live in Calgary anymore, but would definitely recommend this place to anyone (Persian or not). The owners are the sweetest people ever and I honestly can't say a single bad thing about the place.
The food here is amazing!. I have been coming here for quite some time now. My favourite dishes are the pita and hummus, saladeh shirazi and the koobedeh beef kabob that comes with saffron rice and roasted tomato and onion- and I always get the yogurt/cucumber dip. I also like how they give you persian tea at the end of your meal (which is free). The service is extremely friendly and I find the prices are very good and not expensive at all for the quality and portion of food that you get. I highly recommend giving this place a try- you won't regret it!
Best Persian restaurant in Calgary. You have to order koobideh and stone bread (sangick). My husband is Persian and he loves the food here. The quality of food is very high, it tastes homemade. The portions are huge and you should ask for butter and put it on your rice as well as sumac, it tastes divine. Make sure you order Persian tea, it is steamed.
Amazing!. Atlas is our regular family restaurant. The atmosphere at the restaurant is cozy. The staff is friendly and remember who we are. The food is delicious and worth every penny! We have taken a lot of friends there too and they love it!
The food is simply fantastic!. Atlas clearly doesn't require another glowing review, but I figured I would add my two cents, nonetheless. I've been enjoying their food since they opened their first location on 16th Ave many many years ago.
Appetizing menu, but I usually order the koobideh wrap, koobideh kabob and extra koobideh skewers. They're the best kabobs in the city!
Fresh, delicious food in a family friendly atmosphere. Everything is great about Atlas. The food is delicious, made fresh with choice ingredients coming from age-old family recipes. The room is always bustling with couples, families and business people alike. The portions are substantial and fairly priced. You can pick up hard to find middle eastern ingredients in the store adjacent to the restaurant.
The best part is the family who owns and runs the place who remember that you've been before, pinch your kids cheeks, give them Spiderman cutlery and provide a warm welcome to everyone.
You have to try the lamb on Thursday's for it is something special and a treat
Fantastic. I tried Atlas with a group of about 10 people a few weeks ago. It's a very welcoming restaurant, the servers are very friendly and the little one aisle grocery area is a nice touch. The food is also fantastic! We tried all of the dips on the appetizer menu, the warm eggplant dip being a favorite. Everyone enjoyed the appetizers as well as the main courses. We ate a variety of main dishes, including many of the stews and skewers of chicken. The chicken was so juicy and tender! I will be back to Atlas!
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An experience like no other. I didn't know what to expect when I first walked in the doors, but it was a fun experience from the moment I took my first step to the moment I left. To get to our table we had to walk by the small and very cute Persian Supermarket which consisted of a small aisle where you can buy anything from nuts and bread, to tea pots and rice cookers.
We found out that Atlas is a family run restaurant where all 5 members of the family are involved in one way or another. The servers were quick to the draw and we were greeted and seated immediately. There is a little open window where you can see into the kitchen and as we walked by to get to our table the chef smiled and waved at us giving us that 'welcome to the family' feeling. The servers were extremely knowledgeable in the menu, and one of the owners helped us figure out the ins and outs of a Persian cuisine experience.
We ordered the hummus and spinach dip as an appetizer which came with a fresh basket of pita bred. For our main, we decided to have the full experience and ordered the Atlas Platter for Two which came with one skewer of chicken (we got it half original and half spicy), two skewers of koobideh (ground beef), one skewer of steak, grilled onions, tomatoes and peppers and enough rice to feed a small village. To say the portions are big is an understatement! We had enough left overs to last us another full meal! On top of it, it was delicious and cheap….probably one of the best meals I've had in Calgary and definitely the best bang for your buck. The mother in the family came over and started chatting with us (cutest woman in the world…I'm not going to lie, I wanted to squeeze her and take her home with me) and brought over some baklava with whipped cream as a complimentary dessert. Mmmmm…what a perfect way to finish a perfect meal.
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Great value - portions and quality for good price. My husband and I ordered enough for a feast (this after I warned him I'd read of the large portions... ). After our tea (which was nice, btw) we started by sharing two small stews: fesenjoon and gheimeh. He preferred the former, while I the latter, but both were very good. They were warm, flavourful, and hearty. A little stew on its own like that, perhaps with some rice, could easily make a meal.
We then shared the "platter for two": two ground beef kabobs, one striploin kabob and one chicken kabob, with a huge mound of saffron rice (double order) and grilled vegetables (tomato, peppers and onion). Everything was cooked to perfection. Meats were juicy (and not spicy - this could be served to anyone, even the picky), vegetables were grilled to bring out full flavours, and the rice was so nice and fluffy... I was shovelling forkfuls just for that delicate taste. Needless to say, we set some food aside... besides, he wanted to try dessert.
We finished with this nice flaky pastry filled with custard and topped with whipped cream (from a can though... the only drawback that night). It was tasty, and not over-sized, which was welcome after a giant meal.
The waitress was very courteous and happy to offer suggestions. The décor is nice and simple and the place seems to cater to families too (so don't expect a quiet night out). We had a great dinner for a fair price and would be happy to go back (taking friends with us perhaps!).
Great food. Come with an appetite as the portions are large. The stews and kabobs were great.
Amazing Not So Secret Jewel!. Highly recommend Atlas Speciality for anyone wanting to have a sample of truly authentic Persian cuisine. The atmosphere is relaxing and very family oriented. Both the Kitchen and Waiting staff are extremely friendly and engaging, especially in assisting new comers to navigating the menu.
The portions are tremendously generous especially when compared against other "Kabob" houses in town. You will not leave complaining you are still hungry. The Beef dishes are mouth watering and a real eye opener is the extremely abundant usage of the rare spice Saffron in a variety of dishes.
Also, make sure you try one of the delicious pastries as a dessert.
Overall, Amazing quality, great prices and a very happy customer!
BEST KEPT SECRET!. My friends & I have been visiting this little neighbourhood "hole-in-the-wall" forever & for good reason: the food is always fantastic!
They use high quality ingredients, serve a nice assortment of vegetarian dishes & the platters come with plenty of basmati. My favourite dishes are the KABOB BARG (very tender & flavourful) & the CHICKEN FESENJOON (delicious pomegranate sauce) -- unfortunately, these are sooo tasty, I never bother to try anything else(!)
They also sell middle-east groceries. Try their pomegranate sauces & juices, dried nuts, dried fruits, rices & other exotic foodstuffs.
Non-stop complimentary tea (no alcohol served) & very friendly, attentive service from this family-run affair ensure we return time & again.
Fantastic prices = great overall value. Just don't show up when they're (occasionally) booked for a private party, leaving us disappointed & hungry.
Really good and good price. Get the mixed bread basket the barbari and stone bread is so good. The koobideh is the really good and the portion size is huge. I go here regularly
Yummy!!. Excellent food...great service! What more could you ask for?! It's nice to be able to eat and grab a few groceries immediately after my meal. I've been here a hundred times and I'll keep visiting this place forever!!!!
My favorite Persian Restaurant. Never missed it anytime I was in Calgary
This has become a regular favorite for me for lunch. The atmosphere is relaxed and simple. The food is really tasty and for the most part healthy. I reccomend the Chef's Combo with spicy chicken. With the food and the price, you can't go wrong!
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Behold the Great Atlas ! --True Persian Cuisine. I entered this very quiet but efficiently ran restaurant and market. I looked around at the Persian goods, and saw that they have quite the variety and will consider buying something in the near future. But, I proceeded to get waited at a table to order lunch. The wait staff was very friendly and I ordered the Kabob Soltani - a meal fit for a king. The platter that I got served was a very generous portion. Two strips of meat --one AAA striploin (Barg)
and the other a well spiced ground beef (Koobideh) served over saffron rice, sumac garnished and grilled vegetables. All were made to perfection. I enjoyed the presentation of the meal as much as I enjoyed eating it. Oh...and the persian tea.. helped keep me warm in cold Calgary. Try it.
They have so many options ranging from wraps to salads to full kebob platters and even a great salmon platter - which I have to try next time I enter this superb restaurant.
Go Ahead --Try this unique and tasty gem in downtown Calgary. You'll be back for more..
Are You Gonna Eat That
+4.5
I love Persian kebabs . The Iranian specialty is full of flavour and charbroiled-ness and it saves me from having to shovel the way to my own barbecue. I've written about a few places in town like Royal Kabab Express and Ali Baba but they tend to be casua
I was asked an interesting question today. “What do you think will be the next big cuisine? Japanese has taken off. Vietnamese before that. What’s next?” In thinking about this, I realized that the food trends over the past 10 years have quite a few simil
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