10 Sep, 2018
The Fishbowl goes West: The best restaurant in Lake Louise?
Posted by andrea tomkins in: travel talk
In my previous post about our travels out west I wrote about the gorgeous and awful horse ride we took to the Plain to Six Glaciers.
If you’ve ever been to Lake Louise you know it’s not a very big place. In some respects it’s a waystation – a place to stop on your way to somewhere else. Lake Louise is pretty much an intersection of backpackers, a small strip mall, and a bunch of hotels, but there is one standout here (other than the gorgeous nature, trails and views of course): It’s called the Station Restaurant and you MUST GO THERE.
Twenty years ago, on our honeymoon, we stayed in Lake Louise for two nights and ate dinner at this restaurant twice… THAT is how good it was. So of course, since we were visiting the area again with our kids we had to go there again. And I’m so glad we did.
First of all, it’s a great setting for a restaurant. It’s off the beaten path a bit – not far from the aforementioned intersection – and it’s an actual old railway station that’s been thoughtfully restored and preserved. The food was just as good as I remembered. It’s not a lengthy menu, but I believe there’s something for everyone. It’s the kind of place where the cooking is sort of like what you might make at home if you had the time and energy, but way better. (Here’s a peek at the current menu if you’d like to see what they’re serving up.)
Mark and the youngest daughter enjoyed a bison burger, and the eldest and I opted for mac & cheese with pulled pork. It was excellent. Piping hot, super cheesy, and just the right amount of pulled pork to make it meaty without making us feel like we were going overboard.
Reservations are strongly recommended. This place was full of people!
So this is me, 20 years ago at the Station Restaurant…
… and this is Mark.
This is us now!
Before you head back to your hotel, make sure you take a minute to peek at the old rail cars that are on the property. Maybe if you’re really lucky, a real train will pass by while you’re there! It passes right behind the restaurant. We waved at the engineer and he gave us a big honk. It was the icing on the cake on a really great family dinner.