When Edmontonians leave the city for road trips, we generally take one of two routes: west, through Jasper, to the mountains, or south, through Calgary…also to the mountains (sorry, Saskatchewan).
We all have our regular pit stops on the way, and we try to make them as roadside as possible. But the next time you head south, budget a bit more time to head five minutes west off Highway 2A into the town of Disbury for breakfast that will set your road trip off on a tasty note.
The word “quintessential” may as well have been invented to describe Maesie’s Nook, in that it’s the quintessential small-town diner. It’s pink, attached to the town’s motel (naturally), and filled with locals who look like they would happily serve and clean up after themselves. One local offers up his seat before the server even greets us, but on this glorious early summer morning, we choose to eat outside.
But all the charm in the world can’t make up for low-quality food, and luckily, Maesie’s chef knows how to Benny up some eggs and French some toast as well as any big city breakfast slinger. We attack the eggs and sausage first, leaving the French toast for dessert. And when I go inside to grab the forgotten syrup, the teenager serving seemingly everyone apologies, curses herself, then apologizes again for swearing in front of us. It only adds to the small-town charm.
That charm extends to the streets of Didsburagh, as we like to pretend locals call it, where glossy, beflagged high-school grad pictures hang from the town’s lampposts. As we pull away we give the class of ‘24 a collective, congratulatory wave, and look forward to seeing what the town celebrates on our next southern-start road trip.
Maesie’s Nook
1414 20 Ave, Didsbury | 403.518.6665 | Maesie’s Nook Facebook
