Balkan/Serbian
10803 95 Street
(780) 761-2272

Kafana is located on the corner of 95 Street and 108 Avenue. You may remember this location as a rather grotty Italian bar. Then, it became the Euro Taste Bar & Grill, transformed with a Serbian decor and menu.

Now under new ownership yet again, Kafana is divided into two parts: a smaller sports bar in the front and a larger dining area in the back. The sports bar has a jazz theme décor and the usual flat screen TVs. The larger dining area features large photos of Serbia. The dining area is the hidden treasure. It is large, open, and clean in appearance. A big plus for me is that there is no background music played directly into the dining area. This means you can carry on a conversation without yelling at each other. The dining area is a good place to meet someone and have a conversation. For this reason, I would recommend it as a good place for business meetings.

As indicated, the menu is Serbian. The choices are limited, featuring mostly beef, pork, and chicken options. In my experience, all are good to eat and good value. The names of the entrees are to me unpronounceable. However, the descriptions in the menu are clear and useful in making your dining choices.

On the day of our review we selected the Raznici (shish kebabs) and Cevapi. The Raznici is a combination of pork, beef or chicken. The Cevapi is sort of a hamburger with a number of grilled minced beef kabobs on a special Yugoslavian bun. A traditional Balkan dish, it is the bun and the relishes that make it special. The bun is more substantial than a regular hamburger bun and adds much to the flavour of the dish. The relish options also give this dish a unique and wonderful flavour.

Unfortunately for the owners, on the day of our visit their chef did not arrive on time. This meant that Ami, one of the new co-owners, had to look after the bar and dining area, plus prepare the meals. This resulted in a rather long time in putting in and receiving our orders. The debit machine wasn’t working, so we had to pay cash. This was another embarrassment for Ami. Having said that, the meals were excellent and we enjoyed the ambiance of the dining area.

In fairness, I would recommend Kafana as a place to try out. Let’s give them time to work out the bugs of being a great dining experience.

Bernard lives in McCauley.