Cleaver on 17th

Absolutely fantastic experience! The 17th Avenue vibe here is unbeatable, and the food was amazing. Every dish we tried was cooked to perfection—full of flavor and truly memorable. A special shoutout to our server, Haseena, who was so sweet and attentive throughout the night. She really made the experience even better. From the food to the service to the atmosphere, everything was spot on. Highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for amazing food and a great night out!

Ate here a little early on Tuesday. It was pretty dead, even when we left at 7pm. We each got a cocktail - mine was really nice. Boumi was a good server. We split the parm fries, gyoza, chicken wings, pork belly, bruschetta, and calamari. All were great. Chicken wings were a bit small but that’s fine. Nice to see a happy hour go until 6pm. I’ll come back for dinner another time.

Technically 4.5 stars! Great service, great food! We had a fantastic meal here. Our server was new but so kind and great! We had tacos, chicken burger and chuck burger, fries and salad. All were great! Gravy came up short but we have no complaints about the rest. Great date night restaurant!

Cleaver on 17 never disappoints. The food was packed with flavor, nicely presented, and clearly made with quality ingredients. Service was warm, attentive, and smooth from start to finish. The atmosphere has a cool, modern vibe—lively but still comfortable enough to sit back and enjoy the meal. A great all-around experience and one of my go-to spots on 17 Ave.

Atmosphere is based on what you like i like the in between of too quiet and too loud it is the medium temperature that makes it a good choice for me. Haven't got to others menu. I mostly get a steak and it was very good but for better experience ask toasted bread with it. And service is very friendly not just welcoming.

Ladies and gentlemen best place for cocktails and I had best wings in entire Calgary and mains I would recommend Pork chop, Salmon and for pasta lovers it's linguini lemoncello!! must visit.

Was looking at trying something new, and decided to give Cleaver a try and was happy I did. I was greeted as soon as I went inside and had a seat at the bar. It had a nice rustic look inside and with summer here, they also had a set of tables outside on the patio. The staff, Christian, Katerina, and Taylor, made my stay exceptional. I had ordered a non-alcoholic mojito to start and Taylor had not made one before and gave it a go, after an amusing few tries, she got better at it. Christian made one for me and it was perfect. Katerina was new and she exuded so much positive energy and had this beaming smile that can light the room. I ordered the bruschetta to start and it was very good, had really nice flavors to it. I had the wild salmon as my main and it was just a touch over-cooked for my taste. Katerina recommended the sticky toffee for dessert, and it was a nice touch to end the evening. Overall, the staff made the dinner very enjoyable and I would try it again to see how the other dishes are.

We had the pleasure of having Haseena again and she is wonderful 😊 Amazing service by her and great yummy food. I love love the apple and goat cheese flatbread minus the apple. It’s sweet cause of the drizzled honey and with the goat cheese tastes so yummy 😋 Also love love their lemon pepper wings 😋 Haven’t tried the other stuff but those two I love love. Also the Italian bartender was very nice (didn’t get his name) and let us have some cotton candy he was making as well as roast 2 marshmallows for us 😋 Thanks again Hasseena and the Italiano for your great service and we will see you again.

Had the bone marrow with a shot of whisky -- the bone marrow was good and gave a generous amount. The caesar stack was very worth the money, and would recommend it to anyone.

Had a great time at Cleaver! Loved the unique menu items. The caesar stack was loaded! All the items tasted great. Loved the burger and wings on it. The bone marrow dish was also intriguing. Use it as a luge for the shot of whiskey after!

Great service. Had several people waiting on us. Very friendly atmosphere. Loved the cocktails! Everything from salad to fries to pork chops were delicious. We will definitely return.

I think im sitting 50 50 with this place. The food is fresh and atmosphere is very nice but the quantity is lacking. The pizzette is regularly 22 to 25 bucks and the slidwrs 7 to 9. The hh is 10 for pizzet amd $5 for sliders. The pizza is 4 pieces about size of small dinner plate. It was just ok. VERY LITTLE toppings

An overwhelmingly disappointing experience, with a few redeemable qualities. Firstly, I ordered two cocktails (Jacks Hammer, Acting the Maggot). Had they not been on happy hour I would have stopped after the first. Both were unbalanced and yet somehow quite bland with unappetizing mouthfeels. For example, the Maggot drink had a charred rosemary dust that was unevenly spread across the egg foam for either no taste at all, or completely overpowering. For food I ordered the duck fat fries which were decent. They came with a curry aioli which was the highlight of the evening. Then came the steak, unfortunately. I ordered the steak rare but it came blue with absolutely no crust, it looked like it spent 30 seconds on the grill straight out of the butchers bag. I'm not exaggerating when I say it was dripping uncooked juices all over my plate, I took it home to re-fire it myself. The steak itself was unseasoned, I'm guessing the missing salt landed on my "salad" (a healing pile of oily arugula) which was incredibly salty. The steak came with a chimmichuri which was nice, and a scalloped potato which was pretty good. Service was rushed, rude, and poor. The ambiance looked nice from the outside but was quickly dispelled upon entry. There was an overwhelming smell of burnt oil and the music was insanely loud. I am totally okay with loud music (Shokunin for example) but this was distasteful and over the top. Finally, the menu items were distasteful and added further to my desire to leave urgently. I don't want to order food with "cock" or "pussy" in the name.... For $130 I will absolutely not be back.

The crab dip was terrible! So fishy & sent it back & chef said that's what it was supposed to be & they wouldn't take it off the bill. Flatbread at best mediocre hence $10!

Great cocktails and a fun friendly staff made this a great find on a quick visit to Calgary. Highly recommend

Cleaver has now become one my favorite spots in the world. The great service and not to mention great food! My boyfriend and I tried to go next door and get some Mexican food but they told us their kitchen was closed and Cleaver was open until 11pm. We hopped right over and got some delicious happy hour. The food was the best part of this experience. The chicken sandwiches in happy hour was absolutely flavorful. Something in this sandwich was picked and it was absolutely delicious. The truffle fries in duck fat was holy smokes DELICOUS!!! You can taste the truffle so good. There was so much truffle. Idk if they used truffle oil and salt but omg I loved it so much. It was so perfect. The drinks were just as good as well. For happy hour it's only $8 for doubles. The bartender (I think her name is Alex) was so poised when bartending. She's so good at her job and all the drinks have all this extra ingredients. It's amazing how she remembers them all! Unfortunately for us, she doesn't over pour on the liquor. Lol! But that's great for the business owner that she does all the right measurements for the drinks. You won't lose any money from her working there. That's a good worker! Camilo was also a great server. Gave some great recommendations and was so nice and friendly. I love this place!!!!

Food was not up the standard we are used to. Staff has changed due to new owners. I was totally shocked to hear, a staff member who I believe to be the new Chef was talking about his brown people won't do this and won't do this .it's not appropriate for him to talk like that anywhere. Does he refer to us as the white people.the restaurant is not the same. I suggest that you don't waste your money. My friends and I won't return to cleaver.

Rudest seating host we have ever encountered in the world. It was my friend's birthday, we sat on the patio. The host told us one of us had to LEAVE because they only permit 4 per table. We kindly asked the single person beside us if they would mind if we used her table as it was my friend's birthday. She HAPPILY obliged. The host immediately came out and berated my friend on her birthday and chastised her for kindly asking someone to move over. We all left. Our group, our spouses and our friends will NEVER return to an establishment who treats their customers in the deplorable, shocking manner. To the rudest host: SHAME on you for being in the customer service industry.

I was so excited to take my fiancé here! I first dined in 2019 on a road trip and have been counting down the days to eat here again ever since! Everything was so good. My fiancé loved all the food and the drink menu is substantial and delicious. Definitely one of our top Calgary restaurants, hands down! They are also dog friendly!

Best service, best food and BEST cocktails especially for the price. Their cocktails have fun extras on top like cotton candy, a toasted marshmallow, smoke bubble etc. their food is unreal, you can tell the menu was thought out. Hard to believe there are bad reviews when I've been here around 10 times now and every time has been incredible. I prefer cleaver over some of the fancier places in Calgary because it's so consistently amazing.

Great food and drink. Service is always unreal. Good deals during the week and a great environment to be in.

bad calamari this time usually pretty good spot but going down hill.We all got our food at different times and slow to check if we needed anything.We did not eat the calamari and told them was off but was told " fresh batch just in today" so charged us anyways ? pizza great and so was the grilled cheese and sausage rolls.Beers cold but just wish they would have been around to serve us more than one.My girlfriends caesar was weak for spice and asked for extra ... just not best food or service this time.Not sure if will be back ...usually such good service hopefully just an off night

WORST OWNERSHIP/MANAGEMENT I HAVE EVER WITNESSED. As a server and a manager of several restaurants over the course of 12 years I was absolutely appalled at the owners lack of professionalism. Service - okay. Server was clearly run off her feet. Not her fault. She had a section that was way too big for 1 person to handle. Drinks - amazing Food - okay-ish. Some dishes were boring some were amazing! About half way through our experience we began to wonder why this place seemed like it was crashing under pressure. The two tables next to us hadn't been served at all for 20minutes after they sat down which is what clued us in to how bad it had gotten. As a table of servers we were under the impression it was "just really busy" and up until this point we were being understanding and just trying to enjoy a slow paced meal. We began to look around at the situation started to pay attention to things like: -The chef ringing his "service" bell loud and angrily. -The server not having a single second to discuss anything with her customers and being forced to literally "drop things on the table" and walk away. -The hostess running to the back in tears - A manager (who turned out to be the owner) at the front door who was seemingly being useless and smoking his Juul at the front door!!!! From what we gathered, the POS system wasn't functioning properly which was causing A LOT of issues and creating delays for the server which in turn created delays everywhere else. So realistically there wasn't much any of the staff could do except try and push through. What blew us away was watching this owner yell and belittle his staff. This is never appropriate. But to also do it in front of your customers?! Disgraceful! I highly suggest the staff at this location leave and pursue legal actions with the labor board. This owner deserves it. Shame because the drinks and food the hardworking and unsupported staff prepared was delicious! Don't support terrible owners who abuse their staff!

Honestly, it was very disappointing. The cocktail selection was not horrible. However, the food was sub-par. We ordered the grill cheese with tomato dip and the garlic shrimp. The grill cheese has an odd spice that destroys it, and the over cooked, rubbery garlic shrimp came out in a small cast iron skillet in two inches of butter that had a sad baguette for dipping. We both had a bite of each and lost our appetites. We did not want to create a scene, so we paid and left. Tip to the servers: If your patrons don't eat any of their food, there is a serious issue. I do not recommend this establishment, nor will we ever return.

Met some friends here for a Sunday brunch back in mid December. Heather had heard great things and the photos looked amazing, so we were very much looking forward to trying this spot. It's a very nice restaurant, I thought the layout and open kitchen were really cool. We were seated up by the front window... the girls ordered Caesars and mimosas and I started with a pint of Parallel 49 Jerkface 9000.. good start, right? The food here looks fantastic. As plates came out to other tables we found ourselves checking them out, commenting and being impressed. Ultimately the esthetic qualities of the dishes would trump the flavor unfortunately. Heather and I each ordered Bennies... he the Buffalo Chicken, hot sauce and celeric slaw; me the Spinach, mushroom, goat cheese and crispy onion. We shared and swapped for a half each so we could each try two different kinds. Again, both were good just not as great as they looked. Most disappointing was our server here. We had a young lady who seemed very disinterested in her job. Service was poor, we continually had to flag her down for water refills or any other issues. She was not overwhelmed or busy, she just didn't seem to care or know what she was doing. Facility great, drinks good, food okay. service poor. That's my easy summary of our experience here.

Interesting and tastefully unique cocktails - I recommend splurging and trying a couple if you are able. Incredible presentation on quite a few items. Food was great. We came out as a group of 5 and enjoyed everything. I found a few unexpected items on the menu and was impressed with how they turned out. Service was also great - felt the group of servers on that night really worked as a team to ensure that every table received excellent service. **The only reason they are NOT getting a 5 star review is because of the tacky and tasteless service charge for tap water. On everyone's bill they added a 40c fee and when we inquired what it was for, the server said it was for the filtered tap water. When a customer is spending the amount of money required to dine here, don't offend them with a measly surcharge for something that should be included and/or disclosed. It was a tacky ending to an otherwise pleasant evening.

We were very excited to try this restaurant based on recommendations from friends. With businesses suffering these days, you would assume that every restaurant would want as much patronage as possible. It is not true of Cleaver. We called ahead as we had approximately 20 people wanting to eat here. Upon arriving, we were sternly told they would only accommodate ten of us even though the restaurant was empty (please refer to photo). They told us they did not have enough staff to cover us. I asked how they would then accommodate walk-ins. They said that was different and refused to let half our party sit. In this day and age when your reputation means everything, Cleaver needs to reevaluate how they treat and speak to their customers. Not sure how the food is as we were not "allowed" to stay but the service is as poor as it gets. I have never felt so unwelcome at a restaurant. Update: We were welcomed down the street at Una (please see review). So thank you Cleaver as we ended up having a wonderful dining experience elsewhere.

Food is amazing. This is probably my favourite place for brunch. However how they do their patio seating is the dumbest thing in the world. I feel the host is on a power trip. They only seat their patios in pairs. So even if the patio is virtually empty (as it is as this moment), they will sit my friend and I directly next to another couple. Like, directly next. This makes sense when the patio is packed, I get it. But when it's empty, the canned response you get from the host is that "this is just how we seat our patio". Talk about an old way of thinking. "We've always done it this way, therefore, we will do it this way forever." Time to modernize.

Cleaver was one of our stops on our 17th Ave Bachelorette Pub Crawl and we were able to make resos for 8+ guests. However upon arrival, our table was not ready quite yet due to a previous party that hadn't wrapped up yet. They were able to get us a couple separate tables so we wouldn't be lingering about at the front entrance. The second we sat down though, we got 5 star service! We were greeted with glasses of champagne (that were never empty at any point of the night) and we were never short of cocktails from their extensive menu. Their food. OMG. I dunno about you but when we drink, it's all about the carbs.The brie, basil pesto and shaved pear on fig & walnut bread? Scrumptious! Grilled cheese and tomato dip? Look at all that oozing cheese! The baked bread with chicken drippings and bacon butter? I would have drank that bowl of deliciousness if no one was watching. Warm bread slathered in bacon butter and dipped in chicken gravy. Every word in that sentence is perfection. Not only are their cocktail names witty, but they're creative in flavor too. If you want to see cotton candy incorporated into a boozy drink, Cleaver is where you'll find it!

I have been to clever twice now and both experiences have been fantastic. The food is amazing and the drinks are even better. The only one complaint then that I would have would be that although the drinks are good- they are very expensive. Average is about $11-$13 a drink. The first time I went I had bread that came with homemade bacon butter and chicken fat or dripping that you would dip it into to moisten it. It was amazing. This last time when I went here I went for brunch and the brunch is just as amazing as the dinner menu. Both menus are small so it makes making a decision so much easier. For breakfast I got prawn eggs Benedict. It was served on a biscuit with chipotle cream cheese. Tomato. Salsa and eggs. And served with hasbrowns. It was amazing.

Great cocktails- super creative! And the food is top notch. Service is ideal: highly knowledgeable and checking in at just the right intervals. Great ambience- we'll be back soon!

So with the understanding that we were going to Cleaver to take advantage of the promotion of $5 dollar sliders and drinks we gladly ventured out in minus 30 weather and drove across the city to do so. We sat originally as a group of 12 and it grew to 15 people. Still under the impression the promotion was included, nothing was mentioned otherwise, we began to enjoy multiple sliders and multiple drinks. Even confirming with the waitress that the $5 dollar deal remained and she said YES. The night progressed and All was good until we received our bill which was triple what we thought it would be. At that point we were told that the deal was no longer viable because our group was to big to receive the promotion. We called this bearded gentleman over (manager), he explained that the organizer was told, but the table wasn't. He said he couldn't tell everybody at the table as it was to much work??? Well this gentleman became a total jerk, arguing with the table, and when we brought the waitress over to explain why she said: Yes, the drinks were part of the $5 dollar special, she also became argumentative and said communication can go a long way, that its not their fault. Communication can go a long way.... yes, but that is your job to communicate. She also said: I quote; You are just mad you didnt get $5 drinks??? Proper owner/management would have handled this different, A simple explanation to the table at the beginning would have changed the outcome and a simple apology at the end would have defused things slightly. Instead we were treated like crap. So here we sit, feeling totally backdoored, and instead of going back to this place again, we will never step foot in there again and of course we will tell everyone we know about the way we were treated. P.S. They charged us for Tap water.... That was yet another bullshit move

Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, I was at Cleaver. The music was so loud I asked to be reseated or have it turned down. Like most other reviews, I was treated with rude responses. A manager, bald, 5'11" jumpy and in a state of "high stimulation, jumpy movements and agitation" said you should go someplace else if you do not like the music and I don't care if you write a review, this is how it is here. He is effectively driving business to other restaurants based on the other reviews. I will call the Liquor Board to see if they allow violent employee aggression in establishments that are licensed to serve alcohol. If you are crazy enough to go there and you have a complaint, tape or video the situation.

They have an unusual amount of vegan options for a restaurant who's sign is a giant metal cleaver... The mushroom toast has a lot of cheese on it- there's no cheese mentioned on the menu.. so you have to be clear and make it noted about the whole vegan thing... but it's nice they have options so thanks! But otherwise had a lovely time- great cocktails and lovely staff

It is always a great experience going to Cleaver! Their food is geared towards comfort food, but with a delightful twist. The first time I went to Cleaver, it was during a 2016 Burger Fest YYC crawl and everyone agreed that it was hands down the best burger out of the crawl! My boyfriend and I came one night during their happy hour ($3 sliders and $5 2 oz cocktails!). We tried all of the sliders and our favorite was the buttermilk chicken and soft shell crab! In addition to their food, they have an extensive list of cocktails that you would not be able to find elsewhere, I loved the Sticky Wicket and my boyfriend loved that their long island iced tea was made from scratch. If you intend on checking out Cleaver, I would highly highly recommend sitting at the bar. The bartenders are hilarious and very knowledgeable in their cocktails. They'll ensure that you will have a good time!

Drinks are nice, food is not good. Flavours not balanced at all, poor waitress as well. Had to ask for salt as dished we're under seasoned. When I complained about the grilled cheese (didn't eat half, ridiculous sweet and nothing savoury to cut through the sweet/grease) the waitress just blankly looked at us and said it was meant to be sweet. Wouldn't come back for food or drinks with the service.

Are you ready for a cacophony of cocktails? With great names like Suckin' Diesel, Farewell to Sober and Shag Therapy??? You can find anything & everything to wet your tastebuds before dinner. I had the "off menu" suggestion from our server of the French 75. It c/w Gin, lemon & lime juice with Prosecco. It was crisp and refreshing! Everything at Cleaver's is tapas style for sharing. The food comes hot in skillets and is made with fresh interesting ingredients. We had a table of three and ordered the poutine, grilled broccolini, warm roasted squash (spicy warning) and beef cheek ravioli. Everything was delicious! The service was quick they offered suggestions and advice on their own favourites. This is not just a place to get drinks, it's lively fun and has great food too for sharing! Post note...Unfortunately I had to take off a star because I have spent the whole night sick and not feeling well. The food is very rich and I should have been more careful with my partaking of these guilty pleasures.

Environment: The place has a modern atmosphere. Floor is filled with popcorn bits from the complimentary popcorn they serve. The restaurant has a nice ambience all together. Food: The quality or quantity of the food does not match the price. The food tasted very generic and was served in very small portions. We ordered the half cock and chips... any grocery brand roasted chicken tasted better. The duck fat fries were good, but it was slightly over salted. We also had their gnocchi & salmon... It was quite bland. The gnocchi and the salmon were tasteless. The only flavour that contributed to the dish was the coconut milk... The sliders were passable except you are paying approx. $7.00 each for a two bite burger... if you order 3. I wouldn't be complaining if the price matched the quality of the food, but it was just very basic. Service: Friendly staff and they were constantly checking up with customers about their service. Overall: It was an experience to try this restaurant but I probably would not come back nor I recommend to a friend .

With all the cool dining options in Calgary, Cleaver has become our absolute favourite place for a great all-round experience. The owner is a clearly an experienced restaurateur. The staff clearly care about what they're doing. At Cleaver, personality is high, arrogance is nil, and the attention to detail is wonderful. We are always greeted warmly but not in that "weird warm" way. And we always leave feeling satiated and as though we got our money's worth. (I just left there wishing I was still hungry so I can go back and repeat the evening.

Great food, excellent service, delivery via Skip the Dishes. Best chicken in Calgary. Yummy desserts.

Great place! The food is really good! The music was a little too loud so it was hard to talk but the ambience and the attention were great. We ordered the crab and chili pasta and it was soo good! The bucatini also was delicious! If you are more into heavy white sauce. My friends got the pizzeta (Bianca and chicken with truffle honey) and they were The meal sizes are ok, I think it's perfect for one person without feeling super full

We came here for a stagette and we had a blast. We were served by a male but the women manager with an accent I believe was AWESOME. She stopped by numerous times to say congrats and how excited she was for us. BUT the food and drinks were out of this world! We ordered buttermilk sliders, buffalo chicken, soft crab and the matcha slider. They all were out of this world!! The bomb fries are unbelievable. You just can't stop eating them. We even came back the next day for brunch it was so amazing. The buffalo chicken eggs Benedict and the chicken and waffles were unreal!! If you haven't gone. Go now!!!!

I hate giving low reviews but here we go. I went for a friends birthday last night and initially intrigued by the atmosphere and decor. Once seated I browsed the drink menu which was absolutely un-readable due to the low contrast between the brown paper and black ink and the dim lit setting. We were in a mid sized group and while the drinks looked phenomenal, they tasted mediocre and felt small given the price point. Most of the table ordered sliders. I had the duck and soft shell crab. When the sliders came out they brought out 15 sliders on 2 trays and didnt tell us which was which. We spent nearly 10 minutes figuring it out and when we did they had become cold. The duck slider was very good and flavorful however the soft shell crab tasted off and the breading was soft. Not worth $16 for the two sliders. Honestly a really good spot for your insta feed. Not for your palette or wallet.

This weekend marked the third time I had gone to Cleaver. I have had decent experiences prior to this weekend. But this past Saturday turned out a bit different. I ordered a drink that was recommended to me by our server. After tasting the drink, I expressed that I disliked the taste and asked to have it sent back. Working in the industry as a chef I understand how these sorts of things are supposed to be handled. Not only was I charged for it (my friend and I both had ordered other drinks and food as well so very clearly not looking for freebies), but then it was made a big deal of in taking it back to the bartender and having them try it. Since it tasted as it should (which I knew it was made correctly and told the waitress this) I had to pay for it. The guests beside us could hear all of our interactions with the waitress making the experience uncomfortable for everyone. It should be noted that I have only sent about three things back in my lifetime, this being one of those three. It just really wasn't appealing to me and I couldn't stomach the thought of drinking the entire thing. We went down the street to Lulu Bar for dessert afterward and when I went to order a drink I was hesitant to try one of their house cocktails. I told our waitress about what had happened at Cleaver. I asked her if was wrong in thinking that drink should have been subbed out for another drink. She reassured me that I was definitely in the 'right' and that if I ordered the cocktail I was inquiring about and didn't like it, she would change it free of charge. I enjoyed the cocktail I got but was glad to know that I wasn't crazy in thinking they had handled the situation at Cleaver inappropriately. Not sure I'll go back after this experience.

This was our second visit to Cleaver, our first visit was during AB burger fest and the second was for their pop up long weekend brunch. Our first visit was great, the patio is a beautiful south facing little spot that is great for drinks and people watching and the burger was great as well. For brunch we were able to check out more of the interior of the resturant and although we were not sure exactly what direction they were headed for the decor we eventually settled on southern farm. It was cold and rainy outside but with the leather and wood decor and gas lanterns inside it was welcoming and cozy. Love the coffee here. It is served fresh ground in a French press which delivers great flavour but for a first time user of a French press can be a bit intimidating. I ordered the pancakes with bacon and blueberries. When it come it looks small because of the plating but really there are 3 full size fluffy pancakes and 4 pieces of bacon there. I really enjoyed the dish, the pancakes were fluffy and the bacon was extra crisp just like I like it. The pancakes come pre-dressed with syrup but there was just enough to give the sweetness and not a drenching which I really liked. My husband ordered the hangover chorizo hash with baked egg. The dish had a great seasoning on it and the egg was a perfect creamy sunny side that broke beautifully into the hash. He really liked the chorizo as well and said it had just the right amount of spice and great flavor. Although breakfast was enough, we also opted to order the duck fat fries afterwards. They were great. A fairly large serving that stayed crispy and were well seasoned right down to the bottom of the bowl. Don't be afraid of the curry aioli either it was a great addition that had us going back for more. Overall both experiences here have been very good and we will be keeping it on our list of places to return to.

My friend and I ended up here on a bar/pub crawl during our girls night and we had a great time. Ordered the dessert fondue which was absolutely delicious. The cocktails also were super delicious and it was a great way to sit somewhere not super loud and have good conversation.

Food was good the rest of the experience was disappointing. It's unlikely I would eat here again. We went to Cleaver for a friends birthday. At first it felt like it was fun and trendy as most places on 17th are. It is a nice looking but smaller restaurant with an open kitchen. While nice looking it was busy and extremely loud, it felt like we had to yell across the small table to have any conversation. When I first looked at the menu I thought the prices were ok, but once I took a closer look there were definitely items that I felt were way over priced. I ordered one slider and some fries, the slider was delicious but quite small considering the price. Fries were good but in my opinion very over priced. Our server was ok but not overly good and seemed a bit put out that I didn't order a drink and tons of food. I'm currently 7 months pregnant, It's hard to eat a lot because there is a baby squishing my stomach. As it was I didn't finish everything I ordered without my friends snacking on some of my fries. We also didn't see our server much beyond her taking our orders. When we were done our meal, she started clearing down the table while we were still there, we all felt like she was pushing us to leave and we ended up going to a coffee shop so we could actually have a conversation and not be rushed out the door. When we got our bill, I was checking it over and found a charge for the tap water (maybe filtered water) that was on our table. While it wasn't a huge charge, I still find it in very bad taste to be charging for water. The bill was split up and items we shared split between us, which was great except that the birthday girl's meal was being covered by someone else so that person grabbed her bill and said I'm taking this bill too. She paid, then our server gave the machine to me and the price on it was several dollars higher then my bill. When I asked why she seemed confused and had to ask someone else why the bill was higher. Also she seemed a bit put off why I would question the amount on the machine being different from my actual bill. Turns out she redid the bills so the split of the shared items redistributed between only the people paying, which wasn't what we wanted at all. While the food was good it didn't make up for everything else.

During Poutine-Week I went on a Poutine Crawl with a group and our first stop was Cleaver, but I almost wish we'd saved it until last because it was so good it set the bar super high! The location itself is almost so blended in that you don't even notice it at first, but once you get inside it's clean and bright with lots of wood and mirrors. It's got a nice feel to it but it was rather loud as it filled up. The tables were set already with paper menus and a mug full of popcorn between the place settings. The popcorn itself was good, with a nice smokey-cheesy flavour. The poutine we had was Curds, Treacle-Gravy, Whiskey Duck, with Parmesan Duck-fat Fries. The fries were well seasoned but a little limp but the cheese on them was delightfully gooey. The gravy was delicious, with great duck fat flavour unfortunately it was a little too thin so instead of coating the fries it just pooled at the bottom of the bowl. The duck meat was perfectly cooked pulled similarly to pulled-pork which blended well with the fries. All in all I would eat that again for sure, though I haven't tried anything from the regular menu yet.

Easy reservation process. Called for a reso same day and got one no problem. Arrived early and sat us no problem. Awesome! Tables are VERY close together. Could be romantic if it weren't super loud. Waited about 10 minutes before someone took our drink order. Not super impressed considering the place wasn't super busy. The server was friendly enough, but didn't make much conversation with me and my partner. Food: pretty good, but not incredible. I've been here before and it was outstanding. Tonight was honestly a bit of a let down. The sliders are good, especially the mushroom one. The breads are hard to eat, but decent tasting. Also ordered the Brussels sprouts which were also pretty good. I was hoping for a bit more overall, but the food itself was a 3/5. One thing I will say: the servers did a good job, but a bit of conversation with the customer doesn't hurt. Kind of made it feel like they wanted us in and out quickly. Not the worst meal I've had in awhile, but certainly not the best. I'd consider coming back if the menu changed a bit.

This is a second review: Made our "table reservation" only to get bar stools still to sit at. Making our reservation later too. If I wanted bar seating I could have reserved earlier and sat at the bar (with bar stools with a back!) I specifically made the reservation to not get bar stool seating. Food: Sliders are always amazing and the sausage rolls too! The bone marrow with the whiskey shot is a must try. I was disappointed with the beef cheek ravioli. It was a pleasant surprise when we got there that it was happy hour. Could have enjoyed more if we had our reservation earlier, oh well. Overall meal and service was good.

I was meeting a friend for brunch the other day and when they suggested Cleaver, I was eager to try it! I had heard many things about it, but had yet to visit myself. The decor is gorgeous. I love the industrial feel to it. I imagine the folks at HGTV would call it 'rustic chic', as it's welcoming but also very trendy. I tried the Spinach and Goat Cheese Eggs benny. I really enjoyed this dish. The hollandaise was just right (hollandaise can so easily be messed up) and the flavors of the goat cheese and spinach married really nicely together. The hashbrowns were really good too. I actually enjoyed that they weren't overly fried. It made the dish not feel so heavy. My only complaint is that I wish there were more hashbrowns on there. I had many 10 potatoes on my plate, which felt a little stingy honestly. Otherwise, it was a wonderful meal. Our server was really lovely. She was attentive without being overbearing and never made us feel rushed. I want to go back for their happy hour as their cocktail menu looked super cool!

I booked online with OpenTable. Glad I did. It was packed by 7pm. I ordered the Caesar Stack to drink and share the garnishes with my table mates. Delicious and a good idea. I also ordered the kale salad and a duck confit slider. The salad is tasty and hearty. The duck slider is savory and nutty, with sweetness and toasty sesame. He got gooey grilled cheese and tomato dip. It's greasy (that's the nature of grilled cheese) and delicious. There's mozzarella, Parmesan, and gruyere .. and a leaf of kale. Our company ordered the prosciutto and corn on sourdough and the bucatini pasta dish. Great appetizer with sweet corn and salty meat, creamy cheese and earthy kale. He said the pasta was very rich but the best he'd had in a long time. The noise level is high and tables tight. It's a good evening place and has a summer patio. Starter of free seasoned popcorn snack is a nice touch.

My English friend Joe was the first person to give me the heads up about Cleaver's brilliant happy hour and when he recommends a bar, you listen. I was sceptical at first, the cocktail and slider special seemed to good to be true but I agreed to meet him after work one day for a drink or two (ended up being 7). You can't go wrong with any of the cocktails on the Menu and the sliders are delicious, especially the new Fish and Chip slider which tastes exactly like a fish burger from back home in Australia (and that's a hard taste to find in Calgary, I've spent 3 years finding fish that tastes even half as good). I've come down to Cleaver several other times since that initial evening and always enjoyed myself. I also find that the atmosphere and vibe make it an ideal location for a first date, albeit only between the hours of 5-7 and 9 til close (I'm not made of money). Always make sure you pre-book a table before heading down though, I barely ever see a free table at any time of the night.

Came here for their pop up brunch so my review doesn't really cover the dinner or their normal menu. I'd love to come back to try their regular menu on an evening. The brunch menu had a lot of choice including sweet and savoury, and three different Benny's. I ordered the pancakes which came with bacon and blueberries. The food was tasty, but lacking enough blueberries to enjoy with the pancakes. Our experience was fine for brunch. Service was polite and prompt. It was a bit odd that the restaurant wasn't full yet they packed in the people so we were directly next to other couples, while there were multiple empty tables. Not a big deal, but the tables are uber close together so if there is enough space they should allow guests the space. I liked the layout of the place, definitely had a butcher type vibe that fits with their cleaver and meat theme. The three stars are because the experience was good but nothing stood out in terms of the food or service. Again, I'd like to go back for dinner to see what they have to offer then.

Yay cleaver! Your food is delicious, your drink menu Devine. If I didn't have to sit on someone else's lap to eat everything would be fine. Rhymes aside. This place is rad. It has great ambience, friendly and attentive staff, yummy food and an awesome assortment of drinks. Sitting by the kitchen along the bar is my favourite place to sit. Here I can watch the activity from the back and front and don't need to worry about someone else breathing on my food. I've been here a handful of times and I always forgot how close the seating is so I'll laugh when they seat me literally hip to hip with another person, and I will kindly ask, may I sit by the bar instead please? (they're always happy to oblige). Did I mention the sliders that are on sale during happy hour? You have to try one of those!!

I absolutely love Cleaver, and have had great experiences for both dinner and brunch. DINNER: This place is best in a group of 3 or 4, because you can order enough things to get a mix of their various dishes. And you do want to order a bunch of things to share - that's the best and really only way to do it. Take their advice on what's good, and how much to order. Their sliders are ridiculously good (I don't know what they do to their chicken, but everything chicken I've ever had here is amazing), and the happy hour deal is not to be missed (I recommend cutting them in half to get as many tastes of as many of them as possible when sharing). I've literally never had something here I didn't think was good, and having a taste of 4-6 dishes in a meal (with a group of 4) is super super great. BRUNCH: We take the same approach to brunch always share several dishes among a group of people. SO THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT. Why, you ask? Because you'll want to taste everything. Their blueberry pancakes were good, and not too sweet. The avocado toast with poached egg was cool and scrumptious. The mushroom and goat cheese Benny was awesome (though not a combination I'd have thought of or picked), and the chicken and waffles were yummy. We often have to order 2 of their buffalo chicken benny, because my husband loves it that much. Again, *that chicken*. Also, you can get a reservation for brunch - which is rare in the Calgary brunch scene and SUPER convenient for rallying the group you're going to want to bring in order to share the deliciousness. OVERALL: Cleaver is a gem, and somewhere we love to bring out of town guests for a fun, scrumptious, family/european-style meal. Very highly recommended!

I've been meaning to try Cleaver for a long time. Mostly because of a review from Dale and seeing that Cleaver makes a deep-fried crab slider. My husband and I ordered the Kale and Beet salad, Slider Combo (fried chicken, lamb, crab) and the duck fat fries. Believe all the reviews that rave about the fries. So good. These aren't those wimpy fries with no flavour. Long, crispy with a soft interior and this deliciousness I'm guessing comes from the duck fat. I would come back just for those fries. I didn't care for the lamb slider but I went crazy over the fried chicken and crab. The fried chicken was so tasty, I'd say the chicken and crab tied in terms of awesomeness. The Kale and Beet salad was healthy. If you want something to balance all the mayo drenched sliders and deep-fried goodness, I would get it. I found it a tad pricey for $17.