Bottomless coffee, booths and a plate big enough to skip lunch. Calgary's diner scene runs from 1940s throwbacks to drive-ins that have been flipping burgers for decades.
A tiny 1940s-style diner that's been packing people into its counter stools since 1996. All-day breakfast, burgers, and milkshakes made with Foothills Creamery ice cream. It feels like a small-town diner in the middle of the Beltline.
Must try: The Coconut French Toast, the Smoked Meat Hash, a Monte Cristo, and the bottomless hash browns.
Pro tip: Expect a line on weekends. Breakfast and lunch only, until 3.
1413 11 St SW · Map for Galaxie Diner
Avenue's pick for the best diner in the city. Big, hearty plates with a little more care than you'd expect, and four locations that all stay busy.
Must try: The 58th Avenue Benny, the Prairie Breakfast with perogies and kielbasa, Blueberry Pancakes.
Pro tip: Join the online waitlist before you leave the house. Kensington is the favourite location.
A Bridgeland diner built on local suppliers, with most of the menu gluten free. Coffee that's a step above diner standard, a sunny patio and its own parking lot.
Must try: Chicken and Pancakes, the Triple Double, Eggs Benedict, a milkshake.
Pro tip: Open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday, a rare thing for a diner. Great for celiac friends.
809 1 Ave NE · Map for Blue Star Diner
A bright, 1960s-inspired diner with eight eggs Benedict on the menu, bottomless hash browns and a hot sauce bar at every table.
Must try: Any of the Bennys, Buttermilk Pancakes, a thick Creamsicle or Mocha Milkshake.
Pro tip: All-day breakfast, 7 to 3, every day.
A southside breakfast spot full of things to look at, with whipped hollandaise, house-made maple syrup and a jalapeño relish regulars wish came in jars.
Must try: Any Benny, the Breakfast Poutine, a side of the Jalapeño Relish.
Pro tip: Get on the waitlist before you go.
7007 11 St SE · Map for Benny's Breakfast Bar
A Calgary institution at the old Blackfoot truck stop, with Route 66 memorabilia and a model train running overhead. Go for the nostalgia and a slice of pie.
Must try: The Flapper Pie, the pancakes (they're huge).
Pro tip: Open daily from 7 to 9. Bring cash just in case.
1840B 9 Ave SE · Map for The Blackfoot Diner
The Calgary original. Line up at the window for a burger, fries and one of the city's most famous milkshakes, with dozens of flavours to mix.
Must try: A Double Burger with fried onions, Hand-Cut Fries, any milkshake.
Pro tip: Open until midnight every day. The line moves faster than it looks.
219 16 Ave NE · Map for Peters' Drive-In
A retro burger shack that's been an Inglewood stop for generations. Fresh burgers, crinkle-cut fries and a dessert menu worth saving room for.
Must try: The Deluxe Burger, Onion Rings, a Malt, the Pineapple Dole Whip.
802 12 St SE · Map for Inglewood Drive In
Look for the Cadillac on the roof. A Bowness classic for burgers, curly fries and soft serve on the way home from the park.
Must try: The Mozza Burger, Curly Fries, Onion Rings, a soft serve cone.
8603 47 Ave NW · Map for Angel's Drive In
Also see: Diner Deluxe and Dairy Lane Café on the Brunch page.