The most recent time I tried to go to Barbacoa (emphasis on “tried”), it was temporarily closed because of work being done to the building. Luckily for all of us, the lights are back on and the grills have been re-fired. You could use Google Maps to try and find Barbacoa in a Spruce Grove industrial park; or, when you get close, just roll down the windows and follow the intoxicating scent of grilled meat. The steaks come off a grill that’s loaded with birch, and the result is something that could simply be described as meat heaven. With a bit of blue cheese and a well-crafted Old Fashioned, this is what a steak dinner is meant to be. — Steve Sandor
Barbacoa
Yellowhead Industrial | 470C South Ave, Spruce Grove | 780.571.1717 | barbacoa.ca
Growing up, I ate steak as often as any typical Albertan. But today I prefer my red meat cooked on special occasions and in separate scenarios: either by me over a literal fire in the mountains, or by an expert on whatever kind of grill they use at Bündok — because you don’t get much higher end than a Bündok steak.
I’ll put it this way: I still think about the first time I had Bündok’s striploin two years ago when it first appeared on this list. It was the best Edmonton-served steak I’ve had, and it holds up well to this day.
Some people say “no sauce on steak,” and for my campfire steaks, I agree. But when a place cooks and cuts a piece of beef this well, and serves it with black garlic butter, you lather it up, soak up the succulence and enjoy. The only thing more savoury is the Parmigiano Soup, which you should order no matter your main meal. — Cory Schachtel
Bündok
Downtown | 10228 104 St NW, Edmonton | 780.420.0192 | bundokyeg.com
I love it when a restaurant trusts me with a real fire-burning candle at my table and a proper, sharp steak knife. It says something about the legitimacy of the experience. Everything at The Marc is the real deal, and the staff actually care that my steak is cut correctly. Does the server ask if I want the ribeye in my Entrecote Frites well done? Absolutely not. I’ll get it the way the chef wants me to, and I’m glad for it.
Very soon after I order, I’m slicing up 10 ounces of medium-rare beef into neat little strips. I smear the foie gras butter into the steak juices and dip every second strip into the truffle aioli. The fries, foie gras butter and aioli are all made in-house, and just like the knife and the candle — it makes a difference. —Liam Newbigging
The Marc
Downtown | 9940 105 St NW, Edmonton | 780.429.2828 | themarc.ca
This article appears in the Mar/Apr 2024 issue of Edify
