Balkan Restaurant

Love the Braised Lamb! Manager was so friendly and told us the history of the restaurant. He’s been there a long time. We always stop in when in Banff.

The food was bland, children’s portions, and undercooked (appetizer and main courses). And the service was extremely terrible, the girl with the red hair needs to check her attitude and should retire from being a waitress.

This place is over hyped for no reason. Don’t see the appeal.

Waste of money and biggest rip off. Service was terrible, and this place is very pricey for extremely underwhelming food.

Food: We ordered the Chicken Solvlaki and Arni Lamb Shank baked with feta and Vegs for main and for appetizer, the Spinach and feta pastry. When they brought the appetizer, the spinach and feta was cold from the inside and it had only 2 small pieces with a bit of argula. For our main, they didn’t get our order right and forgot to add on (the Feta and vegs) for the Lamb so they took it back to get it “fixed”. This was for Christmas Eve and supposed to be the highlight of our evening. Except my husband just watched me pick at food while he was waiting for them to bring the correct order. Horrible experience. For the Chicken, one of the skewer was so so small, when they brought my husbands lamb I asked if I can get a proper skewer and the gentleman saw and agreed. The chicken and potatoes were undercooked. The lamb after was still tasteless and cold and the vegs were also undercooked for that as well. I have attached the picture of our food, for 47$ that’s the tasteless lamb and 29$ for my skinny undercooked chicken meal.

Service: The waitress barely checked in the table, it took a while to order and then after when the food came in, we were waiting around to let her know of the incorrect order. Both of us were very unhappy and maybe she realized and just avoided us altogether. She would fly by to see other customers but didn’t pay any attention to us. Also we weren’t done with the app as there was still salad on it but she came by and took the plate thinking we are done.

Absolutely not worth the money. You are better off eating McDonald’s or anything else honestly. I absolutely would not return here or recommend this to anyone. We still paid a tip regardless as it was Xmas Eve and out of courtesy. We did let our waitress know that we weren’t happy at which she said “you should’ve let me know”. The truth is we did let her know and when we did she started ignoring our table so.lesson learned and never returning.

To the restaurant: this is extremely disappointing as we were celebrating our Xmas Eve And expecting it be special. It turned out to be an absolute nightmare and we ended up getting pizza on our way home. There is absolutely no justification for terrible quality of food (also just have a look at the quantity for the price being charged) and such horrible service. Please do better by your customers.

We went to try this restaurant for the first time. We spent around $400 and the food didn't taste good. We ordered 3 lamb shanks, chicken, and salmon. The food is expensive and nothing tastes good. I usually try new restaurants, and I have never rated anyone this low. After eating, the whole family started feeling nausea and stomach pain. We had to cut our Banff trip short.

The food was amazing and the service/atmosphere was even better!
10/10 would recommend and I will definitely be coming back here.

Food was fantastic, just like being in Greece all over again. Got to dance the Zorba, break plates, dance with a belly dancer! It's a must to go on Greek Night!

Stopped in here for lunch while exploring the town of Banff. It was quiet around noon so the lunch felt very intimate. The interior design is amazing, and the staff was very friendly. They were extremely accommodating of my wife's food allergies and were able to ensure a safe appetizer of hummus, as well as curate a salmon dish with safe vegetables. My own dish of lamb was delicious and incredibly tender.

Food was okay- lamb shank was a bit of a disappointment. We had eaten here previously and my daughter enjoyed the pita and creamed feta. Will not be going back because $44 tip AUTOMATICALLY added to meal cost and gst charged on tip! I would likely have left a %20 tip anyway on a $250 bill, but I find this practice of automatically adding a service charge unpalatable.

Loved the lemon and herbs lamb chops and the lamb shank, they have halal options that are available and clearly mention which ones are halal.

Such a fun experience! Great food and great atmosphere! On par with the food we had in Greece last summer

Ordered a salad to share and two entrees. Three tables that came after us got their appetizers while we sat there. We finally got our salad and literally 30 seconds later our main course. Hands down the worst lamb shank I’ve ever had. Tasteless lemony sauce. Add some sugar and you got lemonade basically. The “chef” has no clue on seasoning or basics of Greek cooking.

The lamb shank and chops are fantastic. Beat I have ever had! William our waiter is a fun outgoing individuel who made out visit even better.

Alexis and the old Fashion drinks were fantastic. Service is a seven of five and the vibe will keep you enjoying your vacation.

Did not disappoint! We were really hungry after a full day of going around in the cold today. Our survey was amazing too! Thank you, Balkan!

Appetizers are delicious, portions are small, entrees are ok, prices are high, which is to be expected in Banff.

I love this restaurant! I regularly go here when I am in Banff. Amazing food, great customer service, and good view of the town and mountains!

Very delicious food that offers a wide variety of options! I would highly recommend the lamb chops for those visiting. All of their lamb is halal too which is a huge plus for all Muslims visiting!

Bouffe 10/10
Ambiance 11/10
Vers la fin de notre souper, à débuter de l’animation, une danseuse du ventre et plus! Très belle soirée ️

I went to the Balkan last year for an anniversary and liked it so much I decided to come back this year for the same anniversary. There were changes to the menu that were disappointing and when we received our food that we had ordered before the portion size was much smaller and the quality was not the same. Overall disappointed with our visit and will not be returning.

Most amazing greek food throughout Banff. Came here for the food, stayed for the hospitality and the vibe.
I had the saganaki and pita falafel wrap for my meal and enjoyed it to the fullest.
To all the patrons coming to Banff, going to Balkan is definitely worth an experience of its own.

Great service and perfect spices on all the dishes we tried. Greek fries and Donair were delicious

So much for this bowl having a little bit of everything. Tasteless dressing. Wilty cucumbers. Totally waste of money. The other plate. Tasteless. Cold dry rice. Beans no flavour. Dry donair. Odd as was suppose to include lamb. Worst. Waitress Argued saying rice was good. Please save your $100 and stay away

They have been open for 37 years. (Est. 1984) They have halal options, which is astronomical. Definitely try the lamb chops and lamb shank, which they marinated for 12 hours over night. They have great selection of mocktails. The owner is super chill and he broke a plate for a couple who was having their rehearsal dinner. Shout out to Alvi for recommending it.

Note: Thursday they have a performance. It may involve belly and dancing.

Lovely food, nice ambience. Did not have the patio open today unfortunately. There was rain in the forecast.
- Greek Street fries and spicy feta dip!

Sooo Good! We stopped in at 4pm for a snack, we chose to eat inside and enjoy the air conditioning and the decor was beautiful! We ordered Greek Fries to share and loved them, then couldn’t resist trying the Baklava and it did not disappoint! And to top it off our waitress Sarah was delightful! Great experience, we would highly recommend!

Was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and the service. Really enjoyed our dining experience. Would definitely come back.

Really disappointed, I use to look forward to get a table and enjoying the food but in my last visit the food was bad in every aspect, not sure what is happening, maybe they changed there cook but definitely a huge decline, if you asked me few months ago it would have been one of my top choices, now don’t even think about it. Hope they fix there issues as one of the reasons they gave was that they are understaffed but they sure didn’t have a problem with overcharge and forcing a tip for service and food that wasn’t worth it.

The food is a hit and miss. Some items are good, but others are mediocre. The flavour quotient was lacking.

Very racist customer service!
Not recommended for tourists!
I’ve never experienced such an awkward attitude in Banff!

Food was good. Didn't see any staff wearing masks, this was a concern. Thursday night, there is a belly dancer for entertainment.

Mia poly oraia ekplixi stin Alberta. Rarely available retsinas and nicely done octopodi. Sitting out on Banff Ave brought back memories of the Pindos limestone ranges. Hope they keep the street dining.

Balkan is awesome. When you order the gyro, get the Greek salad.don't get the wedges. It's way too much grease. But the food is fresh and delicious! So make sure you go here. While you're at it, look up Banff Hospitality Collective, and go to their other restaurants too, especially Chuck's Steakhouse, Three Bears, and Park Distillery restaurant+bar.

We were so excited to try this restaurant but unfortunately, we've met the most racist, and impolite customer service ever، we will never go back there.

Great food. Great service. Food was really tasty. Only 4 stars because I was still hungry after having my entrée and eating my son's left overs.

I’m guess there’s been an owner change. The quality has gone down. We’ve eaten at Balkan quite a few times over the years and have been impressed but this visit was a let down. Our meal was overpriced for what was on our plates. Store bought pita, unseasoned beans, tasteless tzatziki (pretty sure there was no garlic in it), no flavour/dressing on our Greek salad, and rice that resembled packaged microwaved rice. I will say the chicken and potato wedge were cooked perfectly. That being said, everything needed salt. We won’t be returning.

Best Greek food I have had in so many years! Sarah was an amazing server and everything we tried was fresh and perfectly seasoned. I highly recommend this place. Make a reservation, it fills up!

This was my favourite place until my family drove all the way to Banff to pick up some food for my bday and I told them this And they won’t do take out so disappointed with this restaurant.

So bad customer service, don't go to it!

They are unprofessional and talking impolitely to their customers, we had no choice but to leave the restaurant immediately

Took my team to the Balkan for Christmas dinner. The food was awesome and portions were plentiful. I will definitely be back!

Exaggerated, tasteless and small portions at high cost. Almost like owner making up for leasing an expensive place.

Friends who I came to visit really enjoy this restaurant and they always come here each time they visit. I high recommend the lamb that was slowly cooked. It is delicious. The other food they have to offer is also delicious. I want to try everything in their menu but it is too bad I have to go back home. When I have a chance to visit again, I will come back here.

The best lamb I've had to date, I keep coming back here for it. Service is spectacular, every waiter/waitress I've had has been very knowledgeable and friendly. 4 stars because the one time I got the seafood dish, it was subpar at best and very cold. However if you like lamb this is definitely a specialty for them!

In a town where most restaurants are hit and miss, Balkan never fails to deliver superb food. A little pricey, but generous and delicious.

Excellent service, excellent preparation, excellent quality and taste, and they cater to gluten allergies! I would highly recommend this to anyone, fantastic meal and very reasonably priced for Banff. Definitely check out Balkan for an authentic Greek meal.

These people are rude, got 4 different answers for reservations, they said “if you don’t like it, go eat somewhere else! Feel bad for the owner! Bunch of employees who lack education, and can’t even be friendly to the customers!
I don’t recommend this place for a nice family, these people think their in Hollywood in their restaurant

Sehr gutes griechisches Restaurant mit gutem Essen und sehr nettem Personal. Ein Besuch lohnt sich auf jeden Fall.

Greek fries are great. Lamb sandwich ok but 16$. Gyros has drifted away from it's street food roots, dry and not very tasty.

What a gem. Great traditional Greek cuisine with the usual menu items. Plus one wild menu item, which once consumed, not only is an evening's highlight, will bring you back many times to partake great tasting food and the traditional ouzo. The team members do this restaurant a great service. Champion team. A real treat for those visiting this wonderful part of the world.

Great food, great entertainment. Drinks were a little weak and it took a while for our table to get our food. Typical Banff prices.

Faaaantastic! Service was excellent without being too over bearing. Ordered the hummus with pita as a starter. The pita was to die for, and the hummus was on the tangy side but delicious. Had the lamb as a main - the meat really did fall off the bone! A tad dry in some areas but nothing the broth couldn’t fix. Tasty vegetables and spinach rice were the perfect accompaniment. No doubt that we would eat here again. Slightly more expensive than other places in Banff but worth it for the quality. High recommended!

Very Greek atmosphere with awesome staff. I enjoyed the food but wasn't too impressed by the Donair Pita Wrap. The donair (beef and lamb) mix tasted more like beef than lamb. I would have expected a lamb only option since it's a Greek restaurant but The pita bread was amazing! I could tell it was homemade.

Consistently delicious! My husband and I come here every time we are in Banff and we are never disappointed!

Great authentic Greek food with friendly staff. Atmosphere was good, and prices were reasonable, especially for Banff.

First time being here after so many people raved about it. The lamb riblets were the highlight of the evening. We went on a long weekend, but still were able to make a reservation for 6 adults and a baby. We waited about 1.5 hrs for the meal which was all overcooked. The ribs came out fast which was great but after that it went downhill. We got 3 meals and an order of ribs and paid over $375.00. This was probably the worst in customer service and quality of food we have ever experienced. I would suggest going on a weekday and only sticking with the lamb ribs and cheese firestarter. Won't be returning and will not recommend to anyone that would like their meal cooked right, and not have to wait 3 hours from start to finish with a child.

First off: The gentleman waiting our table was so full of energy, so warm, friendly, kind-hearted and personable, that he alone would have made our evening, even if the food had been subpar! So here's thanks and a BIG shout-out to Guillermo!
BUT LUCKILY the food was also no less than phenomenal! I got the lamb shank which was just absolutely extraordinary! My parents got salmon, salad and soup and they loved everything as well. Finally, my brother got the chicken souvlaki and he said it was fantastic.
The restaurant has a lively, friendly vibe. I'd definitely visit again.

If you enjoy Mediterranean food, this is the place for you. One critique that I have is that their service was not prompt. We had reservations and were made to stand at the door for more than five minutes without even a hello or promise to be right with us. I could excuse this if it were busy but the place was well over half empty. On the bright side, the food was delicious. I had the beef souvlaki, and while the beef itself was prepared fine, it was the lemon potatoes that stole the show. So much flavor. Plus the greek salad had an enormous chunk of sheep feta and it was perfectly tangy. I also had an old fashioned, the flavour was okay, but the drink itself was a touch watery for my tastes. All in all a good experience and I would in fact recommend it.

Amazing service and Great food. I recommend this place to visit when they are in town, and definitely we will go back when we are there:)

Staff were friendly and food was fine. It was expensive though, but I guess that's to be expected for a restaurant on the main drag of a very touristy town. My real problem was that they warned me that the moussaka would take 30 minutes to prepare so in the interest of time I ordered a wrap instead because who wants to waste their precious travel time waiting for food in a restaurant? All our food took almost an hour to arrive. I would've much rather have spent all that time exploring Banff.

Don’t normally eat salads but their Mediterranean Salad was perfectly refreshing and Re energizing after a morning of hiking. Portions are huge!