The Druid

The Druid
11606 Jasper Avenue

Edmonton, AB T5K 2S7

(780) 454-9928

It was another dreadfully cold night when we arrived at The Druid for dinner & a few drinks. Thankfully, they've got a good-sized parking lot right out back so the car-to-entrance sprint wasn't too long. In their area of town, free, close & plentiful parking is a definite plus. Upon entering, The Druid is warm and inviting with a big main bar located centrally, lots of darkly stained wood and some folkish faux-stained glass dividers. Contrary to other reviews, I did not find the music too loud, even when open mic night was underway later on (though it did get louder). Visitors should keep in mind that this place is definitely a pub first (and is 18+, accordingly). 

Irish potato nachos!

 There was no way we weren't starting with the Irish potato nachos. These "nachos" start off with a foundation of homemade potato chips, and they are heavenly! Oily, salty and crisp all at once, they were the dish. Of course, the onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese they were topped with made things even better. They also came with a side of sour cream and salsa, which I don't think anyone made much use of. They weren't needed, plus the thin potato chips broke off in them more than regular tortilla chips would. 

Irish cheddar melt with fries & Guinness gravy

The Irish cheddar melt brought us down from our potato chip high. All three of us agreed that the baguette was just too much, overwhelming the sandwich. The cheese, onions, & Guinness BBQ sauce were a bit sparse to begin with. The steak fries, on the other hand, were fine, but were particularly good dipped in the Guinness gravy, which did indeed have a notable taste of Guinness to it. 

Steak sandwich & Caesar salad

I was a little disappointed when my steak sandwich came out, because it really didn't look light much on the plate. Unlike the Irish cheddar melt which was overwhelmed with bread, my ciabatta to steak ratio was pretty low. I ordered a side of hunter sauce for an extra $3 with my meal, and it was definitely worth it. It's made to order with the steak drippings, onions, some Guinness, and thickened up. After initially tasting it, I poured it over my steak sandwich and devoured the dish. The Caesar salad was alright, but I missed the croutons. Next time I'll just get the fries. 

Pot o' gold

We finished off with the fresh made mini donuts. They were warm and a little sticky with sugar and came with chocolate sauce and strawberry coulis for dipping. A third dip, caramel, was mentioned on the menu, but was no where to be found. Honestly, we'd polished off the plate before we could have even asked for them -- they were really tasty!

The Druid's got an inviting atmosphere, the staff is friendly and helpful, and the drinks are good. As for food, there are some outstanding hits as well as a few near-misses. They're definitely a pub first, but still give attention to their food, creating unique and homemade dishes. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending The Druid as a place for hanging out, drinking and munching with friends.


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