The Grizzly House
• 207 Banff Ave | Banff, AB | T1L 1B4
Average User Rating:
8.54/10
8.54/10
Recommended by:
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"Excellent Dining Experience!"
Marion Ann
August 2011 — "The Grizzly House in Banff is a great experience for lunch and dinner! The restaurant theme is based on a traditional Swiss fondue house, offering authentic cheese and oil fondues or a hot rock option to grill your meal right at your table. There are other items on the menu that are not fondue related as well.
The best option is the four course meal for two, you are started with a small salad with a fantastic honey Dijon dressing, then a choice of a cheese fondue or a vegetable oil fondue (we choose the cheese), then you get a choice of several items to choose for your oil fondue or hot rock (we used the hot rock), I had the scallops and chicken, and my partner had the “Alberta” which consisted of beef, bison, elk and venison. The hot rock is about 675 degrees to cook your meats perfectly. When your meats come out you also get a selection of four dipping sauces which are pared perfectly for all the meats on the menu. We had fun grilling our meats at the table and I noticed that every table around us was also enjoying their four course fondue experience. After dinner, the last part of the meal is of course a chocolate fondue, melted Toberlone with a section of fruit and cookies; all I can say is “heaven”. The price of the meal for two is pretty reasonable for the amount of food you receive and enjoy over an hour experience. I highly recommend if you are in Banff to stop by the Grizzly House for an excellent dining experience.
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User Rating
9.50/10
9.50/10
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"Fond-DO!"
Lauren
October 2010 — "I went to the Grizzly House with a group of about 10 girlfriends for a 30th birthday party and it was fantastic! I love the circa-70s interior with the low lighting and dark woods. It's like stepping back in time to a funkier, less busy Banff.
The staff was great to us and very patient with our loud and boisterous table (I'm guessing it wasn't their first rodeo). The drinks menu was huge and included some specialties like Quebec's Maudite beer.
The menu was a bit tough for a vegetarian because if you want the works it always includes some form of meat. However, I shared an appetizer fondue with a friend and then just got a vegetable fondue for my main and I was stuffed full by the end. All of the girls loved their meals; the food was fantastic.
Another draw is the phones on the table, from which you can call any other table in the restaurant. It was fairly tame the night we went but our table did make a few ridiculous prank calls and a few were also received from the phone in the ladies room.
The Grizzly House is a really fun night out in Banff. "
User Rating
8/10
8/10
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"Our world needs more Grizzly Houses!"Shane
August 2010 — "The Grizzly house is an old swingers club that has been around since the sixties, now converted into a great fondue restaurant right on the main drag in Banff. Our server was fantastic, and explained the history of the place that really put everything into perspective... I like to think that the carpets have been changed since being a swingers club....
Anyway... this is not going to be a cheap meal, but well worth it. We had the four course fondue dinner which starts with a great garden salad. It then comes with a cheese fondue and french bread. It is an swiss ementhal and wine fondue, and they bring roasted garlic to mix in, very good. For the main fondue, you can choose from a variety of meat combos, where we had venison, beef, caribou and chicken. Another friend had the exotic plate with frog legs, ostrich, snake and shark. I was happy to hear that these exotics all come in fresh and not frozen as expected. We used the hot rock (granite heated to 650 degrees) to cook the meat rather than the oil, and it comes with garlic butter greasing the rock and a variety of dipping sauces. Then (as if you are not already stuffed) you get chocolate and variety of fresh fruit for desert, overall the meal was excellent.
I would say this is a must when visiting Banff, and just spring for the four course meal, which ended up about $60 each plus drinks. Again the ambiance is really cool, where the tables even have phones and a directory for the restaurant for "meeting new friends".
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User Rating
9/10
9/10
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"Amazing!"
Martha
July 2010 — "I went here on a girls weekend with three friends and had a brilliant time -- amazing meal, great atmosphere, lots of fun. The only two drawbacks? The price and the fact that everything smelled like fondue for ages afterward.
My friends and I all had the full dinner deal -- salad, cheese fondue, meat fondue and chocolate fondue. The salad and cheese fondue were both delicious. I choose the lobster and steak fondue and it was really tasty -- however, the amount of meat they give you is a bit sparse so order more if you're hungry. The chocolate fondue was also great.
Our server was great -- she was very helpful and always checked up on us to see how we were going.
The table next to us a stagette party that was full of screeching girls so that was a bit grating, but otherwise the place is really fun. They put phones at every table so we had a good time chatting with some of the other tables.
I will definitely go back. "
User Rating
8.17/10
8.17/10
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"Must try out"Len
June 2010 — "My wife and I went here on our honeymoon. The atmosphere is very fun. The service was great. There are phones on the walls and directories for other tables that you can phone. We had soup for starters. Possibly the best French onion soup we have ever had. I'm not an onion fan but I'm tempted to drive back just to have it again. No exaggeration. We than went with the vegetable fondu. It a garlic butter, olive oil and anchovies paste mixture I believe. I will just say you have to try it for yourself. The vegetables turn out so flavorful. I tried to copy the recipe later on but wasn't the same. Close but not good enough. We then had the steak and lobster fondue, and chicken and shrimp. We got both the hot rock and the oil fondu. The rock was good for the lobster and shrimp ( you don't want to over cook them). The portions looked small at first but you fill up pretty good, and I can eat lots. Finished with the toblorone chocolate fondu. This restaurant has to be tried. I will go every time I go to banff. About 100 dollars for two but worth every penny. 5 out of 5 stars"
User Rating
9.67/10
9.67/10
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"A Delightful Experience"
Jenny
June 2010 — "On a recent trip to Banff with some friends, we decided to have a special dinner out at The Grizzly House. We'd all grown up in Calgary and had wanted to eat at The Grizzly House our whole lives but none of us had ever been there.
From the moment we walked in we got into the fun spirit of the restaurant. We were shown to our table right away (I had made a reservation days in advance) and our server first asked us if we'd ever been there. Upon hearing that we hadn't, she explained the dining options, the oil fondue and the hot rock. We all wanted the fondue dinners, so we started with two cheese fondues (delicious!) and because there were four of us we cot one oil fondue pot and we each had the hot rocks as well. I had selected the steak and lobster and we all got very involved in the cooking process. We soon disposed of the oil fondue because we found that the hot rock was both tastier and more fun. We ordered a number of other meats to try as well, including the duck and wild boar. I honestly enjoyed all of it. For dessert we had the chocolate fondue, and while I'm not much of a chocolate lover, I did love that fondue.
We had fun with the telephones located at each table and enjoyed chatting with some other tables. Our server was phenomenal, very attentive and bringing us carafe after carafe of wine. We were there from 8:00 pm until midnight, so obviously we had a good time!
It is an expensive restaurant, and I have heard people question paying that much for a meal that you have to cook yourself. At The Grizzly House, you are paying not only for good food, but for an experience. And what a wonderful experience it is. "
User Rating
9.33/10
9.33/10
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"A Good Meal & A Fun Experience"Twyla
September 2009 — "My friend and I went to the Grizzly House for a Saturday night dinner. We made reservations ahead of time. Thankfully! This restaurant is extremely busy and without reservations, it is difficult to be seated for dinner. The restaurant is a hot rock/fondue restaruarnt. We ordered both ordered the complete fondue dinners. This meal starts with soup or salad. I opted for the salad and had a basic but good house salad. It then proceeds to the appetizer of either a cheese fondue or a vegetable fondue. We both had the cheese fondue. It was very good. A nice mix of bold cheese with a hint of wine, served with bread chunks. I opted to have the hot rock for my meat rather than the oil fondue. For meat I had chicken and shrimp. It was very good and fun to cook the meat on the hot rock. The meat comes with a variety of different dipping sauces to add the flavour of your choice. Very nice! And finally, the best part was the dessert fondue. It was a chocolate toblerone fondue served with fresh fruit and wafers for dipping. So yummy!! This was a great dinner. The meal takes a bit longer than a typical dinner due to the fact that you cook your own meal. The tables are a bit close together but the busy atmosphere is very fun. I will definitely return and recommend the experience. "
User Rating
7.67/10
7.67/10
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"House of Fondue"
Evonne
May 2009 — "If there is one restaurant in Banff that offers a taste of Alberta’s red meat, it would be the Grizzly House. Infamous for its fondue dinners, the Grizzly House is a modest looking cabin-style restaurant located on the main street of Banff. The interior is very country, encompassing hunting décor and of course wooden furniture. We began the meal with steak tartar, “the only raw deal on the menu”. As with many of the dishes in Grizzly House, this appetizer was also self serve. The beef was very fresh, presented in a bowl on a platter surrounded by a dozen condiments: garlic, red onions, capers, pickles, mustard, and handful of seasoning sauces. We added the mixings to our liking, adjusting to our taste buds after each helping. The cheese fondue was velvety and very delicious, especially with the large pieces of garlic (for those who don’t favor garlic don’t fret! The waiter kindly asks before adding in the pungent cloves). There is a fondue dinner available for all fancies; seafood, buffalo, exotic game, steak, chicken, cheese. And it is one of the very few places, if not only place in Alberta, where you can enjoy and entire meal fondue style. Reservations are almost imperative, especially during the busy tourist season, but a must stop when in Banff."
User Rating
7.83/10
7.83/10
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"Meaty Roar"
Gary
May 2008 — "If you had to make a guess, you would probably think that the Grizzly House would be a small and quiet restaurant from its exterior but once inside you are met with a noisy party like environment and the place looks huge. We did visit the restaurant on a Saturday evening but it definitely seems the place to go in Banff especially if you are having a birthday or bachelorette/stag party. We have been advised to make reservations and we are glad we did as we were met with a 10 person deep line up but were able to get seated fairly quickly. The quirk of this restaurant are the telephones at each table which are from the days when it used to be disco and food was served from the adjacent Chinese restaurant. The table alongside us had great fun calling other diners to order drink shots and discuss further evening plans. The restaurant is known for it fondue dinners and we ordered the complete fondue dinner which came with a starter, appetizer, main course and dessert. The starter was a goulash soup which was excellent and there was also salad as an option. Up next was a cheese fondue which was great as well and filling. For the main course our server had recommended the hot rock where you can cook your meet on the very, very hot rock that is brought to your table. That was a great suggestion and we enjoyed cooking our buffalo, beef and venison. If you want to be adventurous, there was also the option of shark or rattlesnake. The meal was also excellent but I was so full at this stage but there was dessert to come! The dessert was a chocolate fondue with fresh fruit and again, really good. We basically rolled out of there, extremely full and needing to go for a walk after such good food. I would recommend giving this restaurant a try, the fondue cost starts at around $43 per person so it will be pricier than usual, but it is well worth it for the atmosphere and great food."
User Rating
9/10
9/10
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"A little extra service goes a long way!"mike
March 2008 — "We have visited The Grizzly House many times in the past. This time we had come to Banff for my wife's birthday and she selected The Grizzly House for lunch. The rustic looking, 70s style restaurant is famous for their fondue but we opted for the hot rocks lunch alternative. You cook your own meat on a sizzling slab of very hot rock. They have quite an exotic selection of meats to choose from (ie. rattlesnake, alligator, ostrich, shark) but we went with the chicken and beef. The accompanying salad and rosti were equally as delicious as the wonderful dipping sauces for the meat. We even ordered an extra order of rosti for our four year old daughter. If you have children with picky tastes, this may not be the place to take them. Our daughter certainly enjoyed the fruit and wafers dipped in the chocolate fondue for dessert though.
My wife asked if they had green beer in honour of St Patrick's Day (her birthday). The server said they did not and my wife was happy to stick with her diet pop. A few minutes later, our friendly server returned with a glass of very green beer. She had gone to the store and purchased green food colouring just to accommodate my wife's wish for a St. Patrick's Day beer. Very thoughtful! We will definitely be back to dine at this Banff icon. "
User Rating
8/10
8/10
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"Sizziling Romance"Alexis
March 2008 — "When we were in Banff for our anniversary we decided to dine at the Grizzly House. Knowing that this restaurant is very busy with locals and tourists wishing to enjoy the cuisine we made the smart decision and booked ahead.
When we arrived there was a line-up but our reservations were available so we skipped everyone and were seated promptly. The atmosphere was very 70's with some animals on the walls, and even an old motorcycle! There was also phones on every table allowing you to call other tables which actually turned out to be a blast!
The Grizzly House menu is very unique offering many different exotic foods to be used with your fondue adventure. Although the portions are not large, you do not leave feeling hungry and at a price of $50 for a three course meal that's a great thing!
We will be visiting this place again!"
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User Rating
8.83/10
8.83/10
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Management Response:
"Glad you enjoyed your visit! Hope you come again soon."
"Glad you enjoyed your visit! Hope you come again soon."
"Expected more..."
Kailey
January 2008 — "We booked in here expecting this romantic luxurious dining experience...and that's not what we got at all. During our meal a child from another table called us on the phones located at each table. It's a little annoying when you are trying to have a romantic time, but other people can call you. You see, it used to be a Singles Bar and since then, they decided not to remove the phones. Ruins the romanticness. The food was great...but minimal for the price. Expected more than 6 little pieces of meat for $50. The ambiance was wonderful and we sat in a quiet spot which was great. The music played was from the 70s and was very out of place.
The experience was worth doing as we did get to spend about 3 hours there...however, for a New Years dinner we would have preferred something a little more high end which is what we thought we were getting for that price."
User Rating
8.17/10
8.17/10
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"'Must Go' Banff Icon"Brandy
January 2008 — "The Grizzly House located on Banff’s’ main drag, at 207 Banff avenue, is a ‘Must Go’ attraction. This was my first time attending this famous steak & cheese fondue establishment icon and was thoroughly pleased with my experience. After passing the rustic chalet façade many times over the years, my friend suggested we patron this restaurant. My reservations that this famous tourist spot was over priced were quieted by my friend’s proposition of unique cuisine and a true Banff experience. We had called in to make reservations for that evening which we were happy we had done: a ‘walk in’ couple waited up to an hour to be seated at a prized table. The interior was rustic and cozy with log walls, a carved wood bear, and various carved totem poles. We were greeted by a very friendly waiter who fit the ‘skier by day, waiter by night’ stereotype. The well-loved menu ranged from typical beef & chicken, to exotic shark & rattlesnake. My partner and I both ordered from the ‘Complete Fondue Menu’ which included your choice of soup or salad, your choice of cheese or vegetable broth fondue, your choice of meat (we chose beef & lobster) cooked either by hot rock or oil fondue and to top it all off a Toblerone chocolate fondue with fresh fruit…delicious!!! The price per person for our selection was $49.95 + tax + gratuity, which was surprisingly good value for money. The dining experience lasted over 3 hours, which was a great way to spend an evening in picturesque Banff. This experience is sure to last many years in my memory bank."
User Rating
7.83/10
7.83/10
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DescriptionBanff's renowned fondue restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and serves an extensive menu of oil and hot rock fondue selections with a Rocky Mountain twist. Beef, buffalo and venison steaks are also on the menu, along with rattlesnake, frog, shark, alligator and ostrich!
Location Information207 Banff Ave
Banff
AB
T1L 1B4
The Grizzly House
