Murrieta’s Bar & Grill

Booked a reservation for 8 people for a night celebration with confirmation with a week in advance to this restaurant. Upon arrival to the restaurant we were told the restaurant was close for private function and none of records of confirmation was available. No bother to apologize despite show them my confirmation of the reservation with the excuse that the address was not correct. No sense of courtesy or customer satisfaction or how to deal with a situation like this.

New Changes are Driving this Restaurant into the Ground!
We have previously been to Murrietas on Whyte avenue for brunch on the weekend. They used to have a nice selection of breakfast choices and it was very busy.
We came back this weekend and it was a totally different experience. They removed 90% of the menu options. I asked for toast and they don’t have any? Seriously, no toast, no sausages, no fruit… Not a surprise that there were only four tables occupied.
We left without ordering. With great choices like High Level Diner in the same area, we will never be back. Its too bad they have picked a path that will lead to them closing their doors.

Great brunch and airy open space for conversation. The service is always very good, and the food always delivers, too. We live coming here for a cocktail or weekend brunch.

Came here for a drink Saturday night with my fiancé. TOTALLY 360 from the Murrieta’s in Calgary. This one is super quiet and calm. I like the Calgary location much more, really lively and fun. Great drinks and good service though.

Brought 16 people for brunch for my birthday. There was 2 servers at our table and only 1 other table in the entire restaurant. 8 of us had cold food despite having 2 servers (all the eggs benedict people), one server was awful, I thought it was just me but the entire group agreed. I wrote the General Manager and heard nothing. It has gone very down hill from my previous visits.

When I consider the fact that I could accidentally trip and fall out of my office and into Murrieta’s, it’s amazing that I don’t come here very often. It’s a beautiful venue, plenty of natural light, and an overabundance of seating — we could probably fit our most of our staff comfortably in the dining room and lounge. Once upon a time, it used to be a place that I know our management team was regulars at, but has since gone by the wayside.
I stopped in for a lunch meeting, and at 11AM it was a ghost town. I had to flag down a server to let her know I was here (and nearly scared her out of her skin because she didn’t think anyone else was in there), but being the first patrons meant we got our pick of the best seats in the house. There wasn’t exactly much of a fight, because there were only 3 – 4 other tables with customers by the time we left, but it’s definitely better than waiting to be seated.
For the lack of other customers in the restaurant, it took a surprisingly long time for our food to get to the table, and while it was piping hot when it arrived, the anticipation of the meal made me a lot hungrier than I would have otherwise been. At the recommendation of my lovely lunch date, I tried the lamb meatballs and spaghetti. I ordered a lunch portion rather than a full portion because it was simply too early to drown in pasta, but even the «smaller» plate was comically large. It was absolutely delicious, and I was happy to take half of it home for a quick dinner later in the evening.
The other plates that hit our table were less than perfect. I tried to take a piece of the bread that was served, and immediately regretted the first bite; the centre of the bread was still soft, but the edge and crust was so dry that it tasted like they’d left the pre-​cut pieces out overnight to become stale, and scraped against the inside of your mouth — entirely unappetizing. The other entrée ordered was a roasted chicken sandwich that had unfortunately been paired with significantly more sauce than was required, and ended up being an open-​faced sandwich as it had completely soaked the bottom half of the bun.
With all things taken into consideration, it was a decent (but not outstanding) meal and average service, but if it wasn’t for the fantastic company I had, I probably would have been upset about the wait time for the food. I’d consider it for another meeting or a meal with a good friend, but would be hesitant for anything that might involve an «awkward silence» or speedy service.

I had lunch at Murrieta’s last week with a couple of girlfriends. The food was really good. Two of us had the cobb salad, one with shrimp and one with chicken. It was presented very nicely and was just the perfect amount. The other had a chicken sandwich with really yummy looking fries.
The service was pretty lack luster though. I think we had a pretty new server, not just to the restaurant, but to the industry. She was pleasant, but no the sharpest knife in the drawer. Overall, the service didn’t take away too much from the experience as the food still came out quickly and there weren’t many other diners there at the time.

Very nice!
We enjoyed a couple brunches here and found it to be very appealing, with exceptional service.
Definitely will go back!

This place was ok last time we were here about 6 months ago. We should have known something was up when it was almost empty for Sunday brunch. I had made reservations because it used to be full.
It took over an hour to get our food. I don’t remember the last time I sent food back anywhere but today we sent back three out of four meals. The fourth was pretty bad too but our companion decided to push through. He said «I ordered the ham benedict.» The waiter replied, «that is ham.» Apparently the grey stringy mess was «like pulled pork.» Good god!
The food didn’t taste fresh either. It was so bad that we refused to eat the seafood thinking we might get sick! Horrible service too! It seemed like the waiter just wanted to avoid all his tables to save himself from all of the complaints. No manager in sight. When we left the few tables in the place were still waiting for their orders. I hope they didn’t hang on like we did. Just cut bait and go somewhere else.

Good God. What the hell happened to this place? A few years ago I used to love coming here for lunch or dinner. Always had great service, food was top notch, and an inviting room.
The room is still the same. The food and service however are not.
Lunch on a Friday — waited in the lobby for 5 minutes without even seeing a staff member. Finally seated, 10 minutes go by without a server. Not a good sign. Let’s just say the service was horrible for the entire experience.
Oysters — on the menu served with a horseradish mignonette. Ordered some, arrived naked. Flagged down the server, asked for the horseradish mignonette, she said «oh you want some horseradish?» We said no we want the mignonette that comes with the dish. She came back with a dish of horseradish. When we explained that the menu had a sauce (at this point we started calling it a vinaigrette because she clearly had no idea what it was) — she left and the General Manager came back with the same dish of horseradish, explaining that it was in fact the mignonette. Not sure if he thought we were complete idiots, but he was lying to our face. Not cool.
My salad was a disaster. Salmon cooked to death was dry and stringy. Inexplicably there was strings of raw squash on my salad. Horrible. Also, I ordered a starter soup which I was told «was on the way» after my main course was given to me. The server looked stunned when I said don’t bother. Really?
My guest had salmon as well which was dry and overlooked. The server said the executive chef himself made it — time to get a chef who can cook a piece of fish.
Crete brûlée tasted like a butterscotch pudding cup with a thin wimpy piece of caramelized sugar. Absent was the satisfying crack that comes with a properly flamed brûlée. Very sad.
The only thing that made this culinary self-​immolation palatable was the martinis, which were flawlessly made. Nothing like being slightly tipsy to make the memory of a craptastic $ 100 lunch seem better.
Murriettas, I’m done with you, if this is indicative of how you roll these days, I look forward to going to the next restaurant in that space very soon.

A really classy and upscale place. I went here for the first time tonight.
I had one of the sustainable fish dishes on the menu — salmon, to be specific. Salmon is one of my favourite fishes to eat and it has been a while since I have had it for dinner.
I chose the spicy maple ginger sauce (there are three choices, with bearnaise and lime salsa being the other two). I tasted more ginger than maple in the sauce, which gave the meal an Asian flavour. The salmon was perfectly done and fork tender, with just the right proportion of mashed potatoes and vegetables.
Before the meal, I was presented with complimentary focaccia bread. It was unlike any I had before — the bread was a sourdough.
I noticed several steak and lamb dishes that looked interested. I have also hear the brunch here is pretty good.
Service was very friendly and reasonably speedy for a Saturday evening. Murrieta’s is a very classy Whyte Avenue dining choice.

One word: underwhelmed. I went to Murrieta’s for lunch today but I think maybe I should have ordered something from the brunch menu. I tried the lamb meatball spaghetti and it didn’t do anything for me. Perhaps the only thing that was redeeming about the meal was that the feeling of a home cooked meal on a cool autumn day was pretty «apropos.» My thought is that if I’m going to try a staple that it had best have some type of twist that makes it more adventurous.
I do love the restaurant as a whole but this is a dish I won’t ever order. I hope that the Gnocchi is available the next time I go in. As far as returning to Murrieta’s, I will go back because I have had too many good experiences to let one meal spoil it for me. It’s a great place to go on a date or to take a group of friends. The service was strong and the manager was accommodating when I requested a change to the channel so I could watch NFL.

Mary may have had a little lamb but at Murrieta’s they have a whole lot-​a lamb! For probably 6 years now, give or take, I have loved… No, not loved, obsessed. Yes, for 6 years now I have been obsessed with the spicy lamb meatball spaghetti at Murrieta’s. I crave it, I talk about it, I blog about it, I order extra so I can take it home and eat leftovers for 3 days straight. It is a lamb love affair and I am head over heals. However, I have to confess to meatball adultery. For this week I went in for dinner and low and behold a new lamb dishes on the menu with not one, but 2 styles of lamb! Well knock me down and call me clumsy. It was a lamb duo; a roasted half rack with blackberry chutney and merguez lamb sausage.
I may go into a lamb induced meat coma everyone!

Have been there for dinner several times and I’ve been happy every time. The food is always good and I’ve had some really nice steaks there. Good service too and the restaurant is conveniently located on Whyte Ave. My only complaint is the size of the water glasses. Last time I had dinner there I was really thirsty the whole night. Even if they came and filled up my glass regularly, I got too little water. Not surprisingly, small glasses filled with ice barely hold any water. Also, given that my water glass was always empty when they came by, it would have been great if they just gave us a jug or something. maybe I was supposed to drink more wine!!! Still, good restaurant!

One of my favorite restaurants in the city. Great food, great selection and a really great atmosphere. You can sit at the bar for a drink or sit down at a table and it’s a totally different experience. Wine selection is great and nothing is better than dinner on the patio in July! I went here for a work function and the set menu was outstanding. I had the salmon and it was to die for. I will be back this summer for sure!

I’m noticing a trend that I tend to eat out way more for breakfast/​brunch than any other time! Anyways, to continue with that trend I recently went to Murrieta’s for the first time for brunch and it was definitely very yummy! I had the eggs benedict with the smoked chedder and brushetta and wow was it delicious. I can be very picky eggs and this place got it right!
The atmosphere at first can seem a little pretentious but it wasn’t at all, the service was great, mind you it helped that I got id’d ordering a mimosa, haha as I am way past the 18 mark so that is always a great compliment. But no, our server was great we never were really waiting on anything and the food came out quite fast which is never a bad thing.
I have yet to try Murrieta’s for lunch or dinner, I’d assume it would be great going by the food at brunch. Overall, I would totally come back and definitely recommend this place :)

I came in for brunch with my parents and fiancé at Murietta’s a little while ago.
I had never been in before and had no clue that they offered a brunch menu! The doors and dark windows had always seemed intimidating, but it was a friendly place when I walked in.
The menu offers slightly upper-​scale morning food. You won’t find a Denny’s Great Big Artery-​Blocker (or whatever it’s called) or anything similar here. Belgian Waffles, Eggs Benedict, etc. but done well.
For one reason or another, I was in a bad mood the morning we went (I’m turning into less and less of a morning person) but the food and friendly service definitely cheered me up.
A good spot if you want to bring someone you need to impress (the in-​laws, a new girlfriend, Shawnna P’s great aunt) or you want to have a brunch celebration (mimosas for the table!) without dropping too much dough.

Oh, Murrieta’s. If my boyfriend didn’t tell me this place existed, I would have walked by without even noticing it. In fact, I did, hundreds of times, since the first time I ever shopped on Whyte avenue! Something about the plain brown exterior just makes it blend in to the background.
My boyfriend took me here for dinner a couple times, and wow, I was blown away! The place has the most extensive wine list I’ve ever seen, and trust me, I like to drink my fair share. The prices can be a bit much for the student budget, what with some salads costing upwards of $ 20, but it really depends on what you choose. The staff were extremely accommodating when it came to my strange eating preferences. Instead of a tomato sauce on a three-​cheese pizza, I got to substitute a citrus cream cheese sauce, and they also gave me some Parmesan cheese to top off the pizza, turning it into a delicious five-​cheese experience. I can’t remember the name of the appetizer I had, but it was the best darned shrimp I’ve ever tasted.
Overall, I don’t visit terribly often, but that’s because I’m student poor. Love the food and the service, and I go whenever I can.

Had the opportunity to check out Murietta’s on Whyte Ave. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered this wasn’t a Mexican Restaurant complete with a mariachi band. Oh well.
Upon walking into Murietta’s, I was pretty floored by the décor. Floors lined with dark hard wood. Stone tilings on the walls. Lots of dark rich mahogany chairs and wood accents. A large matching baby grand piano. There’s even a fireplace and big leather chairs you would see in a log cabin sans big wig execs smoking cigars. Just picture the visual images of large bookcases with many leather-​bound books on a cold winter day while sipping on some scotch on the rocks.
I attended a dinner party of 12 at 20:30 so I would expect to thoroughly beat the dinner rush. I was mistaken as the restaurant was still fairly busy.
To my dismay, there wasn’t any Mexican dishes but I’d still settle for any type of food. The descriptions of the appetizers sounded quite delicious but I tend not to order any appetizers as that ruins my appetite. You have your standard fair of steaks (ranging from the $ 28 to $ 35 dollar mark), pasta ($ 17 to $ 25), and fish ($ 20-​$ 28). Nothing surprising here.
I chose to go with the Atlantic Salmon. I had the choice of adding on extra meat (no thanks, good effort on the up-​sell though) and a choice of sauce to go with the fish. My test of service is asking the server what they would recommend for things. In this case, I asked what her opinion on the sauce to pair with the salmon. She said they all taste good. What kind of server would say the opposite? Of course you would say they all taste good. I was looking for her personal opinion and her own mini-​review if you will of what would taste good.
About an hour and a half later after ordering, we finally get our meals. Since salmon is quite fresh in my mind since my post on Bistro La Persaud, I actually have something to compare this salmon to. I chose a ginger type sauce to go with the salmon and it didn’t really stand out. The sweet and sour tastes were very blunt and flat. No sharp crests, nothing outstanding. It was accompanied by asparagus, mashed potatoes, zucchini, and a roasted pepper. All average, nothing worth raving about.
My salmon came out to $ 32 including 18% gratuity.
I tried to enjoy this place but it was quite difficult to say that it stands out from other typical trendy restaurants such as The Keg, Joey’s, or Ric’s Grill. Worth checking out if you are constantly at the above mentioned restaurants but aren’t feeling too adventurous.
OH, I also forgot to mention that they put ice in the urinals. That’s pretty cool! Oh and parking was hard to find and I had to park in the parkade beside O’Byrne’s.

This is, by in far, the best weekend menued brunch on Whyte Avenue when you want to dress up and indulge a little.
I have two weekend brunch modes: roll out of bed, sniff at the clothes on the floor, strong coffee and greasy spoon … look for me at Friends and Neighbours. Then there are those weekends when I want to pull on the label stuff, socialize with women present, strong coffee and fluffy hollandaise … I’m at Murrieta’s.
It starts with a good cup of strong coffee, black and thick, tasting of the roast, then Mimosas or just the orange juice depending on the night before. Then choose from blueberry pancakes, Belgian waffles, French toast, a couple of good hashes, the usually two egg choice, three egg omelette (or just egg whites), a neat granola and yogurt parfait. I stick with the eggs Benedict, back bacon (though there are a couple of «Cali-​cuisine» options … smoked salmon or what not). It comes with really fantastic chunky hash potatoes, fruit and honestly fluffy, herby, oh-​so-​good hollandaise.
We come early (it’s a big place so never too crowded in the morning), eat a lot, talk into the afternoon and lap up the great coffee.