The first time I went to Braven was for a private media tasting before it opened in 2019. That first trip still ranks high in my mind, because the food was delicious, and every item offered seemed to be the size of my head (a 42-ounce Tomahawk, anyone?).
A recent visit shows that Braven still follows its website’s edict of “go big or go home,” though I play it relatively small with the 14-ounce Rib Eye to leave room (and steak juice) for the appetizing (and absorbent) Truffle Fries. But whatever you crave, you’ll find your favourite cut here (including Chateaubriand and Wagyu).
In beef-happy Alberta, this list will always have turnover from year to year, but under the tasty tutelage of award-winning Chef Anthony Walsh, Braven is always a safe bet. – Cory Schachtel
Braven
Downtown | 10344 102 St NW, Edmonton | 780.784.8580 | bravenrestaurant.com
Food scholars credit the Taíno people of the 16th-century Caribbean with creating barabicu, a process of digging a “sacred pit,” starting a slow fire within and cooking food on a wood platform above. That term led to the Spanish “barbacoa,” which eventually brought our beloved barbecue.
Spruce Grove’s Barbacoa follows the Spanish style that’s developed over centuries, using Alberta Hardwood and Mesquite Charcoal (sorry, Hank Hill) in a fire that’s stoked for 12 hours a day.
Is it easy for the chefs? We assume not. But it’s really fun to hear the fire crackle and your steak sizzle while your mouth waters and you take in the smoky aroma. So the next time your stomach’s spirit calls out for some of the best steak around, take the pilgrimage to Spruce Grove’s Barbacoa. You’ll be back to sing its praises soon. – Cory Schachtel
Barbacoa
Yellowhead Industrial | 470C South Ave, Spruce Grove | 780.571.1717 | barbacoa.ca
If you’re already going all out in Oilers tickets, why not go for the Stanley Cup of over-the-top meals? The Tomahawk Steak is 55 ounces (that’s over three pounds), and you can get it with a “gunpowder” spice blend, chimichurri butter, and a confit of smoked tomato and garlic. Do you even need sides?
No, get the gang together, as if you were McDavid, Draisaitl and Hyman on the powerplay. Devour the steak, and then pray you can stay awake through the Oilers game. It’s like how Oilers players say “Cup or bust,” except your goal is to take down the steak of steaks. Do you need any more of a pep talk? – Steven Sandor
Atlas Steak + Fish, ICE District
Downtown | 10204 104 Ave NW, Edmonton | 587-460-3423 | atlassteakandfish.com/edmonton-ice-district
So you get a date with someone physically out of your league, and you take them to Bündok for steak — great choice! But then you start the meal with something as savoury as Bündok’s Parmigiano Soup, and it’s so good you…instinctively lick the bowl. There wasn’t a third date, but I regret nothing, and I’ll always lick the bowl. – Cory Schachtel
This article appears in the March 2025 issue of Edify
