A M CAFE 3205-8 Ave. N.

Well, well, well. This little hobby has gotten very interesting in the past few weeks. It seems at least one person feels like we are being destructive by writing this blog. On the other hand many others are supporting and encouraging us. I for one am enjoying this project of trying out the restaurants in Lethbridge and hope to continue for a long time. Personally, I never intended to hurt anyone with this blog but only intended to be informative and entertaining. If I give a negative review it's because I ate a crappy meal or got lousy service on that particular day. It's as simple as that. Who knows, I might have a great experience the next time I visit the same place and I will say so.

Recently we were recommended to try out the AM Cafe in the industrial park on the north side. So "M" and I headed over there. As we got closer it began to feel familiar and yes sure enough we had eaten there before, only it was called Coop's the first time. So in we went and found it quite busy inside. That's always a good sign.  This is a great location for a little neighborhood restaurant because of the close proximity to working people who will need lunch. The staff were very friendly and helpful even tho' they were busy. I ordered the lasagne and after a short wait it was served hot and steaming. I dug in and started to blow on it to cool it off. It was tasty but not really lasagne. It was more like wide noodles with a meat sauce on them and then baked with cheese on top. I liked it and polished it off easily, a little more would have been nice but the portion size was fine. I'm sure most of the patrons here work nearby, but if you are in the area I would recommend you try it out. Sandwiches, pasta and pizza make up most of the menu items.   "J"

Ya we both laughed as we got closer to the address, we realized we had been here before (when it was coops cafe) . I don't really have too much to say about am cafe. I ordered a mozza burger and fries. It was really just a burger and fries. I have way too many burgers,  but for some reason I felt like one today. I thought the prices were ok here, but you really do only get that "cafe" or almost a  "truck stop" kind of feel to this place. It wasn't too bad, my burger tasted pretty good, the fries were at least crispy. I doubt I'll make it back here soon, not because I didn't like the food, just the location. If you work around here its a good place to grab a quick lunch.  It was so so for me today. I did leave full and satisfied with what I ordered. We could really use a suggestion for next week as we are finding it harder and harder to go somewhere new. Maybe we'll have to go somewhere we've been before and see the difference from last time. "M"

Treats Eatery 1104 Mayor Magrath Dr South

Today we decided on Treats. It was my first time here for lunch and if I was here back in the olden days, I don't remember what it was like. I ordered a BLT with fries. It was a decent sandwich. (but thats it) it wasn't $13 good. I didn't really like my fries either. they were overcooked and soggy.  There was a lot of other choices on the menu, so I didn't have to choose what I did. It tasted ok, I thought it was a bit over-priced for what I got. Lunch isn't usually that expensive unless its some place totally AMAZING. (like a new all you can eat Sushi place for example) Ok now I wish my lunch money today went to something like that. I would have loved that. So ya, I guess all in all, I didn't love todays choice.  I wasn't that satisfied with what I ordered. If I had it to do again, I probably wouldn't. "M"

 It's been a lot of years since I have eaten at Treats. I remember it was once one of our favorite restaurants, so I'm not sure what happened. I was looking forward to checking it out again. I don't know if I am getting more critical after a year of writing these blogs or maybe it really is because there is bad food out there, but I was not impressed today. I ordered a taco salad with chicken which should be a pretty safe thing to eat.  My first bite had me wondering why there were croutons in a taco salad. After closer inspection I realised they were cubes of chicken not croutons. Yes they were dried out spicy cubes of chicken, edible but not great. The rest of the salad was fine, a few too many onions for me, but overall is was good. The menu had a lot of options on it that looked good and it took me a while to decide. Treats has been around for a lot of years so they must be keeping some people happy but for me, after a year of eating at a different restaurant every week I now know why I got stuck with a few favorites places. I hope that these blog entries will not only help the readers to find places to try, but maybe a few restaurants will read the blogs and make some improvements. Time will tell.  "J"

Luigis Pizza & Steak (south) 1119 Mayor Magrath Dr.

I hate to start out a blog in a negative way but today's experience reminded me of why I have only eaten here one other time. I was looking up the address to add the the blog and I found that I wasn't the only person to be disappointed by Luigi's. There are many bad reviews out there. Anyway here goes. First and most importantly, when I go for lunch I need to be back to work on time. I wish restaurants could understand this. Today we arrived shortly after 12 PM and at 12:50 our meals still had not been served. Once they were served we had to gobble the food down so quick it was hard to enjoy. Well, enjoy would have been a stretch anyway since I wasn't overly impressed. I ordered a steak sandwich with spaghetti thinking that paying extra for spaghetti would give me a little bigger portion. I guessed wrong! I thought spaghetti was relatively cheap but I guess they use the expensive kind here. The veggies were the everyday household mixed veggies from a frozen bag that is about the cheapest, worst thing you can put on a customers plate. Now you really got me going! A server that doesn't know how to smile added to the displeasure. BUT!! wait, it gets better, my steak was very good!! cooked medium rare, tender with great flavor. At least they got one thing right. Sorry Luigi's but you have got to do better than this. I may get brave and try again in another 10 years. "J"

Its getting harder and harder to think of a place to go these days. Today we decided on Luigi's. I haven't been here in a long time and I've never tried lunch here. We were seated right away, the restaurant was busy, but not packed. I thought there was a pretty big lunch menu with lots of different things. I decided on pizza because its a good lunch choice and Luigi's usually has really good pizza. So, we've all ordered and by now its about 12:15. So we waited and talked and waited longer. Seriously, sometimes in a restaurant I don't notice how much time is actually gone by. I looked at the time, wow, its 12:40. We just waited some more. Then, its 12:50 what's going on here? Our food came about 2 minutes after that. I thought the Pizza I ordered was really really good. It had Italian Sausage, Green Peppers, Onions, Tomatoes. It was a good value, and just enough. I was full and ready to go back to work. (which we were late getting back) Lunch should be easy to do in an hour. I don't know why we had to wait so long today. Either way, it was a good tasting lunch and I feel like I got a good lunch for the money. The other "Nomads" didn't order simple pizza, so we'll see what they have to say. "M"

Makisu Sushi 1517 Mayor Magrath Drive South

Today we decided it was time to try Makisu Sushi. For me I wasn't expecting a spectacular lunch. I don't really know why to be honest, but I went in to this venture with some-what low expectations. We were seated at our table and given the menus to fill out. All of us picked a few things we liked and then we ended up sharing everything. I ordered a spicy tuna roll, some sashimi, tuna and salmon, All of the food came fairly quickly. Wow! Its really really good tasting. We ate up our first order and ordered again. It was so dang good. Our second order was as big as the first and we all shared this order too. At this point I'm getting really full but we knew we should be polite and eat all that we ordered. I really like this buffet style sushi, it was really good quality, and tasted really good. The other Nomads will agree that this was such a good place to go. Its been a while since I've got back to work and talked and talked about how much I loved lunch. I will be back again, I thought it was great!  "M"

Well I guess we need to amend the Sushi Trifecta.  We have now completed the Sushi quad.  I haven't read "M's" post yet, so there may be some repetition happnin' here.  Domo arigato, ...Mr. Makisu.  I know,  a cheap 'Styx' rip off and not that funny. Anyways, I don't even know where to start man.  Yum, yum, yum, yum.......get the picture.  My tastebuds have been in a state of Euphoria all afternoon.  We hadn't been here yet, not sure why but maybe just because of past restaurants that have been in this locale.  I won't name names, but needless to say this location has been pretty gross for a long time.  Well that's changed now that Makisu Sushi is here.  I was very pleased with the simple yet adequate decor.  I loved the menu system, I loved the Sushi, I loved the service, I loved the GFM I was in all afternoon, I loved how stuffed I was.  I just ate my dinner and its after 10 pm.  Holy Crap I ate a mountains worth of sushi!  Hey are they still open?  Maybe I could head there right now.  As far as flavour is concerned, Makisu is as good as anywhere.  As far as presentation, not too shabby.  I really liked the wooden plate thingees.  Next time I eat there I will feel like a pro at ordering.  It took a couple of rounds before we felt we had it figured out.  I was pleased to see people in there.  Places like this need to stick around.  I had miso, maki, sashimi, teriyaki chicken, and even some stuff I hadn't eaten before.  Finished it off with some Mango ice cream.  It's great here cause you can try things you normally wouldn't eat.  I was surprised when I sent in an order of gyoza, and received a single gyoza.  We kinda chuckled bout it.  We ate in two rounds today.  While we were sitting and waiting for round two to show up, we started feeling fuller and fuller.  When the next order showed up our mouths dropped and we realized we had our work cut out for us.  "M" was almost cross-eyed he was so full, but "J" and I were ready.  It was time to 'Lock and Load'.  We succeeded by polishing off every last spec of food.  Thank You Makisu, I will definitely be back. "BA"


I'm sure the other Nomads have already said it all but I was pleasantly surprised with lunch today. I don't know why but I really didn't have very high expectations going here but I quickly changed my mind. Once we got the hang of the ordering system we started to roll, sushi roll that is. The rolls were a perfect size to fit in your mouth and great flavor. Spicy tuna rolls are my favorite and these were especially good. They had a little crunch to them and I loved it. I have a favorite sushi place already but these rolls alone may change that. I liked this way of ordering sushi because it allows you the opportunity to try things you may not normally order. The portions are a little smaller and and so you don't feel like you will waste something if you don't like it. I tried new things today and was very happy to be able to do so. I prefer to spend less than $15 for lunch but today it was worth it. Grab a couple of friends and give Makisu Sushi a try, you won't be disappointed.   "J"

Spring Rolls 321-13 Street N.

Today was a return to Spring Rolls restaurant so we could follow up on a recommendation from "Tyler" who wrote "You guys really need to order the more 'Chinese' food. This is by far the best Chinese restaurant in Lethbridge. Probably the only place that would survive in Vancouver, which puts it in high standing." So off we went, just "M" and I again. We ordered the spicy pork noodles as recommended by Tyler and also Pad Thai (i know it's not chinese but it's what we wanted). When we asked if this would be enough food for both of us the server entertainingly told us he alone could eat it all, one of his friends once ate four orders of the spicy pork noodles, but this should be good for the two of us. We ordered it and had a bit of a chuckle. The food came fairly quickly and looked great. The spicy pork noodles had a really good spicy taste to them ( of course, what did I expect). Enough spice to give your mouth a bit of a tingle but not so much as to burn. The Pad Thai was a great compliment to the spicy pork with it's slightly mellower spices and touch of sweetness. I really enjoyed todays lunch, very savory and a nice change. My one complaint was that the Pad Thai was a little sticky. Kind of annoying but overall I was pleased with the choice to return to Spring Rolls.  "J"

It took us a long time to try this suggestion. I am really happy that we did. Spring rolls is not like any other Vietnamese place in town. I have never tried Chinese from this menu or Thai food like this before. J has already explained what we ordered and stuff so I'll just talk about the experience. I was pleasently surprised with our order. We split it up and down it went. I think we both liked what we ordered. The waiter said "Well I could eat both of these myself" and "My friend ate 4 bowls of Pho in one sitting" so what was he trying to say? Its a good thing "BA" wasn't here, We wouldn't have known what to order for him. J and I both thought that it was enough food to share. I can't really describe the flavor, it was like nothing I've tasted. So was this traditional chinese food then? (the soup?) anyway, yes I would recommend this place if you want something different. Spring rolls is really good food, but it's still not my favorite Vietnamese. I'm very loyal to a place in town. The menu here at spring rolls has many different things to try. It was great.
"M"

Botanica 320 Scenic Drive

Today was pretty cold out and I wasn't excited about having to go outside, but, of course my stomach told me I had to take one for the team. "C" wasn't quite so cooperative today so "M" and I left him behind and we headed over to the Lethbridge Lodge Hotel for lunch. We got seated right away which is always good and got our menus. My first thought was the prices were a little high for lunch, then I remembered that I was in a hotel restaurant, you know captive audience so lets nail 'em. My next thought was almost everything on ther menu was sandwiches. The only exception was fish & chips and spaghetti both of which I was tempted to try because I didn't want a sandwich. Then I noticed something that really caught my interest, a grilled chicken gouda sandwich on a ciabata bun. I ordered it with cream of chicken soup which was a great choice on a cold day. I must admit, even tho' I wasn't wanting to eat a sandwhich for lunch, this one was really good. The soup had a great flavor and hit the spot on a cold day. The sandwich was as good as I hoped for. Chicken, gouda, lettuce, tomato, fried shredded onions and mayo on a ciabata and the best part was an olive on top. This was a really good sandwich that left me very satisfied and ready to go back to work. "J"

 Today I was really hungry, I was ready to go anywhere. The choice of Botanica didn't really excite me, but it's part of being a nomad to jump out of the usual "rut." I thought the lunch menu didn't have tons of stuff on it, lots of sandwiches and a few salads. I ordered fish and chips. I thought it was good. It wasn't so amazing that I talked about it all day, but It was a good lunch. It was around $11 and I left full. I was actually jealous of "J"'s sandwich, it looked awesome. All in all I was happy with our choice. It was a first time for me, and I think I'll probably be back for supper sometime. I thought the service was good, it was a nice hot meal on a cold day. "M"

El Comal 1020 Mayor Magrath Drive South

One of the places we haven't been to yet is El Comal. It was something quite a bit different from our usual lunches. The place was somewhat busy but not too busy. I was surprised when I looked at the menu and saw there wasn't really anything in the price range that the "Nomads" are used to. There wasn't any lunch specials, so I ordered a burrito, it was 10.95 and a came with a salad so I thought it would be a good choice for lunch. The salad was good, it had lots of things in it to give it a good flavour. My burrito came and it was so big I couldn't believe it. It was the 9 inch not even the 12 inch. I don't even want to think about trying to finish the 12 inch burrito. Just look at that thing! it filled my entire plate. WOW. Want to know the crazy thing? I finished it. It had shredded beef, rice, beans and some cilantro and onions and things. lucky for me, I was starving by lunch today. So, all in all I left full and I felt like I got a good lunch. Here's the only thing, I think the El Comal should have a  lunch menu. I would have been happy to spend $8 and have a small burrito with a side of Spanish rice and beans. I really don't think that most people want such a huge burrito. It could feed 2 people easily. Most things on the menu ranged from $13-$17. I know for me, I like to get a little better of a "lunch deal" even if it means a  "lunch portion". I've had some good mexican food in the U.S, todays food was good, but as far as Mexican goes, it wasn't the best I've had. At least Lethbridge has a Mexican place though. "M"


It's been quite awhile since I have eaten at El Comal. You would think since I love Mexican food so much that I would eat here all the time, but I don't. So I was looking forward to it today. I was quite disappointed that they did not have a lunch menu. I mean the food they serve here is good but $12 - $16 dollars for lunch is a bit much I think. I guess the cost is outweighed by the size of the portions. You will never go away hungry from El Comal. I ordered the Mexican Combination today, two chicken enchiladas and a chimichanga, with beans and rice, oh ya a salad to start. Like I said it was all good, just not great. I would have preferred a different hot sauce like "Cholula" but over all it was OK. I went away full, very full.   "J"

"P" joined us today. He was only able to eat half of the entre but he wasted no time scarfing down the deep fried ice cream after.

Just looking at this picture makes me hungry!  When I saw the size of "M's" entree I was wishing that I had ordered the same, but the LARGE.  I ended up ordering the mexican combination.  It had two enchiladas, a taco, and rice, and of course beans.  It was really good.  The taco had great flavour and I was thoroughly impressed with it.  The enchiladas needed more taste.  I'm not sure what they were missing, but they were a little bland.  I ordered my entree 'spicy', but didn't find it very hot at all.  Loved the rice and beans, and I wasn't starving afterwards but I coulda used "P's" left overs.  He eats like an anorexic mouse.  He's a tall dude, but not much of an appetite.  I wish they had a lunch menu.  I remember eating here quite often when they first opened as Casa Maya.  It's good food, and more mexican than taco bell, but it would be nice to see some real mexican cuisine in Lethy.  "BA"