1886 Cafe

Description:

• The name means what it says: Founded in 1886 (the "Buffalo" was added in recent years) and made moderately famous by a Visa ad made for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, it's probably the longest-running breakfast in town, if not the whole country. With good reason -- the hash browns are piled high, the bacon and sausages fresh and perfectly cooked, the flapjacks come in towers, and the array of egg dishes is dizzying. All served in the noisy din of the cafe's resoundingly authentic, pioneer-era environment (clapboard shack exterior, rough old-wood interior), it's an experience not to be missed. The cafe got here first, but the city has built up around it; it is now surrounded by gleaming office towers and the condos of Eau Claire Market (which is right across the street), but its authenticity remains undiminished. Try Kenny's Special, a mountain of egg, cheese, green pepper, and mushroom; plan to skip eating the rest of the day. You can also try the Barley Mill, a pub that is its sister property, right next door, for good, unpretentious, reasonably priced pub fare.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010