Magpie & Stump Mexican Restaurant + Bar

We are OBSESSED with magpie and stump. Whether we stop in for nachos after a long day of skiing or can’t resist a margarita during a browse in Banff… this is our go to. The food is FRESH, AUTHENTIC and GENEROUS! Nothing will beat the house made corn chips either. Service is always animated and promptly timed! Makes for a memorable experience.

Tried their tacos and the basin burrito — both were delicious! Fresh ingredients, great flavor, and well-balanced seasoning. Portion sizes were generous, and everything tasted authentic. Definitely worth coming back for more!

We were dining on the patio, and at the beginning they told us, “We can’t guarantee you’ll be able to move inside if it rains.” Still, we decided to enjoy sitting outside. Then, out of nowhere, it started pouring. I asked our server, just in case, if we could move inside, and they immediately prepared a table for us and guided us in. I was there with my parents, so it was such a big help! The food and drinks were delicious, and the service was excellent. Thank you so much!

One of the friendliest places we were in while in Banff. The cocktails were brilliant, and the food sublime, all with great service. So good, we came back twice more during our stay with each experience living up to the last. The nachos are a must.

Amazing choices of beer and Food. We ordered quesadillas, tacos and couple of beers. Loved the food, the vibe and felt bit neglected by the waiter as they would take time to come on check if we need anything. Waiter didn’t even bothered to ask if we need any desserts. But again it would be that one Individual. I would definitely go again if I am in BANFF

The Magpie & Stump offers Mexican cuisine. The staff were very friendly and pleasant. You can choose from 3 different areas to eat. Weather permitting. They feature an outdoor curb side patio area for dining. A rooftop dining area. You'll need to walk up several steps to access the rooftop area. The main dining area has really nice decor. Overall experience was very nice.

After visiting the lakes, we were walking back to our car we came upon the delicious smelling Magpie & Stump and hurried in. I had a delicious jalapeño margarita and chicken quesadillas, and my son had the recommended chicken fajitas. They were both very good. We had a fantastic server from London, and the bar tender kept the drinks coming:)

Great food and exceptional service. Went there during a trip to Canada and absolutely loved the drinks, food (loved the meat, pescatarian and vegetarian options, so yummy)! Definitely recommend 👍🏽👍🏽 Note- recommend making reservations over the phone if not in advance- wait time is real as their phone call recording says.

Fajitas were really delicious. The rooftop seating was beautiful and the service was great we went on a Saturday afternoon after hiking

The service here was friendly. We came here for happy hour and made a reservation ahead of time but it wasn't really necessary since it wasn't busy. The tacos did the job but nothing too special. This was a one time visit for the experience.

Two exhausted hikers ran into Magpie for an afternoon snack. They were running their daily taco happy hour. I don't expect much from 50 off tacos but they exceeded my expectations! The side of rice and beans - not so much, very dry and even stale. Overall, not a bad option for a casual quick meal. The service was perfect!

The food would be described as, at best, mediocre. The nachos were exceptional, but the remainder of the meal, consisting of the tacos and quesadilla, failed completely to meet the expectations the nachos unfairly set early on. The refried beans were likely salvaged from a liquidation sale at grocery store... 10 years ago. Service was friendly enough, and the ambience was as one would expect of a themed bar. If you're looking for anything more than bar food, try somewhere else! If nachos are your favorite first, second and third foods, then come on down!

We were craving Mexican food after a busy day out and saw this place pop up when we searched online. Saw a bunch of reviews and good ratings on google so we made a reservation right away. When we came, on a Monday afternoon, it wasn't too busy and we definitely didn't need to make a reservation. We sat outside at first but then it was drizzling a bit and got a little chilly so our waiter was very nice and let us move inside. As an appetizer, we started with the GOAT nachos to share and subbed the pork with chicken which was a couple dollars extra. Nachos were yummy and hit the spot. For food, we got the chicken quesadilla and chicken tinga tacos with since and beans. Unfortunately, very disappointed with the food. The beans were literally from a can and tastes awful and old. The quesadilla and tacos were okay and nothing special. I definitely wish we went to another place to eat instead.

Very interesting food. The servers were friendly and cordial. The service was prompt. They also had a happy hour on drinks from 10:00pm to closing. Their double marg was delicious. I had the spicy cauliflower fajitas. They were yum! The cauliflower and mushrooms were cooked very well. Overall an awesome experience.

We came here for Taco Tuesday, which has $3.50 tacos and $8 double margaritas. The tacos were AMAZING. The fish and carnitas were my favorite, but be warned the fish taco is spicy. The margaritas were delicious (there was fresh strawberry puree in them), but they were not very strong for being "double" margaritas. I definitely would recommend coming here for happy hour or taco tuesday, but I would make a reservation for taco tuesday because you will likely have to wait otherwise.

Was excited to find a Mexican place in downtown Banff. Unfortunately it is not good. There was a seating inside and upstairs (rooftop). We were told the menu was different after the fact. Rooftoo seating is loud and unpleasant. Do not recommend at all. Salsa and chips are the worst i ever had. The food itself was subpar and very pricey for the quality / quantity served. Super disappointed on drinks as well. The frozen drink is a scam and you wont be able to consume any of it. Didnt taste like anything. Do yourself a favor and go to any other place in the town. Parking is paid in downtown area. Free parking by train station.

Good vibe, so so Mexican food, quick seating on Monday family weekend. Food a little bit slow but the fajitas came out sizzling as expected. Beef and pork tacos are ok, small for the price. Missed the 50% off though. Server refills water readily. Nothing spectacular.

I'm glad others like this place, we were not impressed with the food We had the nachos with a side of the queso fundido. First of all, the nachos were dry, with not enough cheese and poor layering. The worst was the fundido. I'm not sure what they think fundido is, but is is not what they served. I know good queso and good fundido and this was just awful. It did not taste of cheese at all. It's like they put flour in it or something. The waitress was nice and took it off the bill, as she should have. We then asked, nicely, if they could put more cheese on the nachos as they were very dry. They initially said this would be an upcharge, but ended up just dong the right thing and putting a decent amount of cheese on the dish. So, we would definitely not recommend the food, but the servers were nice.

We just went in for drinks because one of our server at another restaurant recommended this place to have a drink. I had the Passionfruit margarita and it was delicious!

Save your money and go somewhere else. They don't do Mexican well at all. Refried beans were dry, rice was bland, tacos undersized and not much on them, quisadellas didn't have much on them either. Drinks were undersized and mostly ice so not much for your money. This may be worst Mexican restaurant I've ever experienced. Any US Mexican restaurant beats this hands down. The other restaurants we tried in Banff were really good, but not this one.

A nice environment and some really tasty chips and guac, I felt the potential for 5 stars, but my entree was lackluster. Definitely not bad, just not great

My standards might be high because I am from California so I get to have authentic Mexican food all the time! Over all I thought this place was good and the vibe was very fun! I got to sit right next to the Sombrero and it was a good laugh every time someone was surprised! My only reason for the 4 star is the drinks were very weak and simply did not match up with the cost at all.

Came for happy hour and the food/drinks weren't even worth it at happy hour price. The "double" happy hour marg tasted like strawberry lemonade. Tasted zero alcohol, my sister and I each had 2 and felt nothing. (And they were supposed to be "doubles") Salsa & guac with chips was average (and $18!) for a small portion size. The tacos were bad, even at 50% off for happy hour price. Barely any meat/filling (which didn't taste great) and the tortillas were cold & seemed like they had just been taken out of the bag and not warmed up at all. Don't come here -- even for the happy hour prices. Service was great though!

My daughter and I visited after a long day of exploring Kootenay and Banff National Parks. The restaurant was hopping--but we were seated right away. We ordered chips and guac for a starter. She got one of the many available beers and I had the sayulita sangria (red). Our server--very personable--was back in less than five minutes with these. The chips were cut a little thicker than what we are used to, but we really enjoyed them. Quickly polished off the guacamole they came with. Choosing an entree was difficult because it all looked so good. We each ended up with three tacos: two carnitas and one veggie for her; two shrimp and one bison for me (small upcharge for my choices, but totally worth it). We were there about an hour. Our meal was relaxed and we didn't feel rushed. Too stuffed to try dessert. Would love to go back.

I had an AMAZING veggie burrito here, and the rest of my party all really enjoyed their food as well. Great Banff lunch spot!

Great atmosphere. Went for a lunch on weekday afternoon. Very nice ambience and the servers are very friendly and welcoming :) They have good vegetarian options. Vegetarian Quesadillas were really good. Although the rice and beans on the side was quite mediocre. The Tortilla soup was pretty good! Fair prices!

Had a great meal here. The jalapeño margarita was excellent and they were kind enough to make it on the rocks for me. Guac is very good here. And the LA tacos were super good. Would definitely be back.

I recently dined at Magpie and Stump in and while my overall experience was not terrible, there were some aspects that left room for improvement. The queso fundido was definitely the highlight of the meal. The gooey, melted cheese was delicious, and the accompanying fresh-made chips were a perfect complement. I highly recommend trying this appetizer. On the other hand, the quesadilla was just average. It didn't stand out in terms of flavor or presentation. It could use some more attention to elevate it to the level of their queso fundido. As for the carnitas pork taco, it was tasty, but the portion size left me wanting more, especially considering the price. While the flavors were enjoyable, I couldn't help but feel that it was a little small for what I paid.

Bulldog (Lime Margarita + Corona) - 4* Coconut Chilli Margarita - 3* Nachos - 2* Cauliflower Tacos - 5* Service was 1*

we loved this place! cool rustic vibe, amazing service by Trafford, the paloma was one of the best drinks i've ever had, chips and dips hit the spot! yes- we've had better mexican food- but their service and ambiance knocked it up a notch for us!

Have had better Mexican food, we sat on the roof and it smelled like garbage. Food was ok, tacos were very small for the price and the staff was rude

I will admit that i walked past this restaurant almost daily while in Banff. I had seen it mentioned in a lot of blogs, but I thought it wasn't going to be good. My Mexican food standards are a little too high. One day we passed by it and we saw their tortilla chips. they looked legit, so we decided to stop We shared the nachos and got a margarita each. We sat outside to people watch . If you want beans on your nachos, it is extra. They do bring it to you in a bowl so it's not spread on your nachos. The chips were really good. They tasted homemade. I am not sure if they were made in the house or not. They had great seasoning to them to. The nachos were cheesy with enough toppings. Most of the chips had some cheese. I was pleasantly surprised to find some good nachos in Canada. The margaritas were OK. They have inside and outside seating. On a pretty day, sit outside to enjoy the view. Otherwise, the inside of the restaurant has plenty of seating. . Price range was a little steep, but I expected that for a restaurant in Banff town. As a sidenote, one serving of nachos, will serve 2 to 3 people. Our waitress was very nice. We did notice that this restaurant is dog friendly. Parking is, not available on site. There is city parking nearby.

Average mexican fare with loud and energetic vibes. My kids were happy here so ... 1) kids quesadilla and fries - portion is huge. My son finished all the quesadilla triangles though and seemed to like the dish 2) Chef made my other son a kids burrito with rice, cheese, beans and he was happy. 3) Vegetarian enchiladas - average, maybe a bit dry 4) Nachos - sadly just okay

We came here very specifically for the GOAT Nachos, and that's exactly what we got. Covered in juicy carnitas and spicy jalapeños, they were pretty much perfect. No gross fake cheese sauce or generic store-bought tortilla chips in sight. My only regret is not getting the guacamole too. Extra shout out for the service, which was really friendly and helpful.

Duncan was our server and he delivered. Our recommendations were so good and he was all around a really cool person. We loved the shrimp, carnitas and chicken. They have a fun DJ and a great rooftop if you love music.

10/10 in every category! The food was wonderful and filled us all up, we had the LA tacos and corn chips, and they were perfectly made and portioned. The service was on point and made sure we were always tended to. And the decor and ambiance is delightful, it takes a minute to get used to if you aren't used to it but it'll grow on you. Overall if you're in the area, try it at least once.

Went in during a busy Monday for dinner. Food was very good and so was our waitress (don't remember her name but looked like Maya Hawke). They comped us our drinks and appetizers, the latter of which came just before the meal. Didn't have to but appreciated it. The manager came by twice to check on us. Very attentive from top to bottom. Recommend.

Not my favorite dining experience in Banff I have to say. Most things were really pricey and not the greatest portion size. Also, since I hail from California, I am pretty familiar with Mexican food and this spot didn't quite hit the bar with most items. However, service was really great and the margaritas were pretty tasty!

Rooftop patio seating is 10/10 cool. Comfy benches and great decor. Also super private as no view of the street. Drink menu is quite pricey but as expected in Banff I was told. Slushy machine wasn't working so all drinks had ice chunks instead of slush - not ideal. My friend got the pina colada and it was not worth $15 with just ice cubes in it. Friends also got the Bulldog as it was the best alcohol/cost ratio. Without slush it wasn't as good but definitely drinkable. I liked the hot sauces on the table - great variety. I tried the tacos - Cauliflower, Verdura (mushroom), and Baja (fish). Cauliflower was spicier than I expected but great texture. Mushroom one was 10/10 delicious. Fish was 10/10 - good size fish, crispy, fresh, and great slaw. Friend tried the tacos - Beef, Pork, Baja (fish). I tried a bite of the beef and pork and they were very tasty. Friend got the lightweight nachos with side of black beans. Said it wasn't as good as she had last time. Also was charged $3 for the black beans even though it said $2.50 on the menu. Overall I was really happy with my tacos although 3 is definitely not a meal. Would recommend for a hot day as the rooftop patio is top-notch.

This place was just ok! The tacos were good and the service was good. The restaurant is just not my vibe.

Only got margaritas. I typically don't get anything other than beer, but they seemed to be known for their margs, so I had to. Raspberry: this was tasty. I did like it, and I liked it even more because I couldn't taste the alcohol at all. Mango: my friend got this one, and I tried it and this was my fav out of all of them. Again, like the raspberry one, I didn't taste the alcohol either. Strawberry: I got this one mainly because they purée the strawberries. This one I did taste the alcohol, but it wasn't overpowering. Overall, I really liked all 3, but honestly, I would get them again, but non-alcoholic, that way I'd save half the money!

Service: 5/5 - fast, friendly and attentive Atmosphere: 4/5 - lively, cozy, casual. Seems like a great place to hang with friends for a drink or to watch a game. Food: 2/5 - ordered: queso fundido, Baja fish tacos and pollo tacos, vegetarian enchiladas. The Queso Fundido was easily the best tasting dish there and although they forgot to add chorizo initially (gave us a bowl of it after), I think it tasted better without the chorizo. Tacos were bland and dry but adding hot sauce improved them a lot. Enchilada was ok and were also a bit dry and bland so nothing to rave about.

We had 3:45 reservations for a Taco Tuesday. Despite the deals on Corona ($6), we were hoping to try some local IPAs. Sadly, the entire draft beer list was out, as well as many other bottled beers. We opted for the Coronas, which were standard decent. We had chips with salsa and guacamole, and the guacamole was awesome! My husband had the chicken fajitas, my daughters each had a beef taco with fries, and I had two tacos (bison, shrimp). All of our meals were fantastic, and my girls said the tacos were the best they've ever had. My shrimp taco blew everything away with the flavors, and it was a perfect finish after the spicier bison. The atmosphere was good for our family, though it gets crowded quickly. Would definitely recommend if you're looking for some great Mexican, and I would caution against going without reservations...perhaps it was busier due to it being Happy Hour or Taco Tuesday, but the hosts told someone it would be at least an hour's wait for them to "maybe" get a table.

It's been many years since I've last been to Magpie and Stump. Came to the restaurant and we were immediately seated and all of the right COVID protocols seemed to be in place. We decided to go with some Chips and Guac, as well as a couple of tacos. Our Server was very friendly and helpful. Food was out in no time and all was very good. Overall, we were only there for a quick lunch bite, and Magpie and Stump was perfect for a quick bit. It was a Tuesday so Tacos were only $3, which was a very good deal, for the size of the tacos. I enjoyed my tacos and chips and guac, and I'd definitely return.

Came for lunch. I had the soft tacos and my wife had a burrito. Tasted amazing. Great atmosphere sitting out on the street. Server was very helpful.

Great casual atmosphere, quick service and the food was good! As a tourist this was a super friendly place.

Love this place. My husband took me to Banff for our anniversary and this was the restaurant he chose. Such great memories!

Food was amazing service was horrible! Our waiter brought us our food but other servers gave us to go box and bag. Only saw him 2 times. I would try it again in hopes of better service. Peter was our server. No tip for sure!

Food was great, although slightly overpriced but that's expected for a tourist town. Our server was really friendly and welcoming, checking in on us frequently. My main concern was the blonde hostess (manager?) who had an attitude problem and seemed like she didn't want us (or anyone for that matter) to be there. Overall, go here for a lively environment, filling food and hospitable servers.

Very good service at this spot which we hadn't expected given we thought it was one of the more touristy places in town. The guacamole & chips were fresh & good. The chips were thick and flour based more than corn - need to know info if you prefer corn. The shrimp fajitas had outstanding flavor. Tortillas were fresh, as were all the ingredients. My only complaints are that there were only 8 small to medium sized shrimp for 4 tortillas. So, we had 2 fajitas with 3 shrimp, one with 2 and the 4th was all veggies. Additionally, the shrimp were cooked with all the veggies with their tails left on. So, in order to make a fajita you had to dig the shrimp out of the veggies to take their tails off. Not sure if that's a good handling safety requirement but, it's kind of a pain. If the flavor wasn't so outstanding I would have given a rating of e rather than 4. We also shared a Caesar salad. For the money, it was on the small size, but the flavors were good & the warm pork rinds in place of croutons was a nice touch. The dressing and cojita cheese were very good & in just the right amounts. We went just before 5 & the place was packed by the time we left so, go early.

Knowledgable staff- Gluten Free corn tortilla & chips available & "Gluten Friendly" labeled menu. Good food. Service very fast & friendly (November at lunchtime) Rustic ambiance, Kids menu & crayons (Salad with chicken tinga, pork burrito, kids' menu)

My wife has been going to this eatery since 1979. It has been a favorite of mine since 2010. So you can see we are old folks. We stopped by there yesterday and were prompted greeted and seated comfortably with their new menus. The ambiance was good for quite conversation with hip music. My wife and I commented that we missed the old music they had played in the past. When the server arrived and asked if we were ready to order and we said we needed more time since or go-to meals were no longer on the menu. In the end I ordered the pork burrito with out the pineapple since I am on a keto diet. My wife ordered the quesadilla with a margarita. The server pointed her to the variety if margaritas and she selected on. $17 for the margarita was in our experience very pricy. We were there last summer before the menu changed. The price for the burritos increased significantly, and the shredded beef burrito is no longer offered but the server suggested he could ask the kitchen to modify it with the shredded beef from the taco menu. I decided to try something different and stuck with the pork. When the margarita arrived, my wife indicated it was quite good. When our meals arrived promptly after she finished he drink, I then noticed the pork burrito had rice inside, which I confirmed that I missed rice which was on the menu. The inside of the pork burrito was not very appetizing. It was like mush, not what I had experienced with other shredded pork burritos. My wife was happy with the quesadilla so we ate. I pushed aside most of the tortilla as I am on keto and avoiding carbs. My wife didn't finish her meal so we asked to have it boxed up for travel. We had a very nice conversation with the server and left. So the reason for my 1 star rating is not the changed menu. Not the service because it was great. My problem has more to do with the morning after. The food did not set well. We will probably avoid this eatery until we think the menu and food preparation returns to the way it was. My wife and I think something has changed. Either the source of the food or the preparation of the food. Sad because the Magpie has been a favorite for our family whenever we were in Banff.

Ate on rooftop. Beer came looking and tasting like dishwater. Same beer we've had elsewhere. Excuses for hoses having to reach upstairs. Food rather dry. Very disappointing.

Had Sunday dinner with family and everyone enjoyed their meals... drinks were great. Server was happy and prompt !!!

Average Mexican food and margaritas. I went here on a weekday night and had to make reservations. It was very noisy inside mainly because of all the children. If you're looking for a more quiet, intimate dining experience, then this place isn't for you.

The sangria and service was good but the food was just average. Many better places to eat at in town, my opinion anyways.

5 stars for the best margaritas in town! Thursday's are $5 single margaritas and $7.50 double margaritas. Other than that, the food was waaaaaaaay over priced. Other than that, service was pretty good.

We ordered chips & guacamole & tortillas soup. The chips & the guacamole was very good. The tortilla soup was excellent. We also ordered their signature jalapeño margarita which also was excellent. Service was excellent. Our waiter was excellent and attentive. The ambiance was good for a Mexican restaurant. We will eat here again on our trip to Banff in the fall.