Liz’s Homestyle Grill
Western
#120, 8930 Jasper Avenue
(780) 421-4446

Liz’s Homestyle Grill makes it sound like you could get meat loaf or an open-faced turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes, gravy, and homemade coleslaw on the side. While that wasn’t the case, the multi-page menu included ordinary “family restaurant” food with some pub specials: all day breakfast, deep fried appetizers, salads, burgers, and sandwiches. Virtually anything was in a kitchen freezer ready to be fried up and served. There were thirteen daily soups and about a dozen daily specials (which I think are available every day).

Liz’s place sits at the ground floor of the Boardwalk apartment building on Jasper Avenue, a pretty sweet spot across from the river valley. Once you are inside, it’s rather dark and modestly furnished. It could be a diner, but lacked the 1950s ambiance. There was a full bar to belly up to, four big screen TVs to watch sports, a claw machine to catch stuffed animals for a loonie and a public video game machine. Minors are only allowed before 6 p.m. as I think it turns into a sports bar in the evening.

I wasn’t looking for a pub or a diner or a family-style place necessarily, but just a place to have lunch and Liz’s served that purpose too.

Our server was genuinely friendly, helpful, and speedy. My co-diner and I both got out of the box a little: I opted for the Greek burger and he the dill pickle chicken wings with a basket of fries. We knew our food was ready when we heard the kitchen bell (and I imagined the “order up” yelled by the cook). It was served promptly so it was hot and as fresh as it gets. The fries were the crinkle cut ones you get from a frozen bag, topped with seasoning salt. The Greek burger provided an interesting variation: a mostly beef patty with Greek salad on top (lettuce, tomato, olives, feta cheese, cucumber) on a bun. The chicken wings were not as weird as expected: lots of dill flavouring, not as much pickle. The wings were quite large with flavoured oil rather than a sauce or rub. We found out about wing Wednesdays when one can choose from the extensive list of wing varieties. A hefty amount of fries accompanied the mains.

All-in-all, it wasn’t bad as far as diner/pub/family restaurant/all-day-breakfast place in a strip mall can be. Prices were in the $10-$20 range and the two of us got out of there for less than $50. There is potential here. The location on Jasper Avenue is terrific. The staff is friendly. It might be a good spot to watch the game and grab something to drink and a few wings, zucchini sticks, and onion rings. Some signature fresh-cut fries could bring it out of the ordinary and into a great neighbourhood eatery.

John lives in Boyle Street.