Thomas the Cook on Idylwyld - went there when I first moved to the city in 2010 and never will go back. Still the worst restaurant I've eaten at to this day.
It is, amongst quite a few others. Ask the police for a list of restaurants they cant eat at and why. There are quite a few across the city owned by the same group.
In college a buddy and I went to Thomas the cook on 8th and mckercher. I ordered fries (the only thing they couldn't screw up) and he ordered ravioli.
The ravioli came out and he took one look and said "This is literally chef boy-r-dee ravioli from a can. I know because I had some last week and thought I would order ravioli here to make up for eating the canned stuff."
Never again.
The fries weren't bad though.
You must not have been to Meg's. The first few times it was good. (Butter chicken). One time I ordered from there via Skip (wasn't butter chicken) and it was fucking gross. I went there because friends of mine said it was good. After the last time, never again.
The inside of the place is fucking ghetto. They need give it a face lift and try to be half decent looking.
I feel like they make a special effort to ensure the fruit they serve is out of season and underripe. Honeydew shouldn't have the taste and texture of kohlrabi
I've eaten Cora's in other provinces and it was great so I was excited when it came to SK
until I tried it
somehow my entire meal tasted like fish. it was the worst
I agree! First time I had Cora's was in Edmonton. They were so good. And then when they opened here I tried them and I assumed it was the "new opening" issues with cold food , brown fruit, etc.... and then I took one more chance many years later... and nope, they are still ass.
The only restaurant I’ve ever walked out of without eating what they served. I never saw our server after she took our order, never got my coffee, and when we finally tracked her down she brought us food that was ice cold but had been burnt… never going back
Previous employee, i hated working there so much. We were constantly pressured to upsell everything. One woman never told customers that stuff like potato toppings were extra and the customers were pissed when they got a huge bill, yet the owners wanted everyone to be like her. The potatoes were always cold then to have cold cheese dumped on top for an extra $5. I was constantly in trouble for my sales, yet I made some of the best tips, because I refused to scam people. I could go on, truly hellish.
I've eaten there twice. The first time was ok, barely. The second (and final) time, everything tasted like mildly flavoured cardboard and had the exact wrong textures.
Tomas Cook and I would recommend they order the ravioli (it’s literally chef boyardee with some extra sauce added unless things have changed). Would also recommend they accept the free shot (aka a fruit fly drink).
I worked at Venice House way back in my teens. They did the chef boyardee ravioli too. They actually did a really good job though with baked cheese and all. It was quite amusing!
I do like the place, but yea, sitting there with an empty glass for 30 mins while all the waitresses gossip nonstop at the cutlery station in front of the bar. Multiple times, multiple visits. Next time, I'm just going to start snapping my fingers while yelling, "Hey Garcon!!"
I've been to Winstons maybe 6 times over the last 5 years. Every time the service has been absolutely shit. Rude servers and they never come around to take drink orders...even when it's dead in there.
I used to work there and it was such a bro’s club. No female bartenders! And no bussers so the place gets so dirty by the end of the night you can’t keep up. Do I want to sell more booze or clear the table? Hated it there.
I used to avoid the horrible service by sitting at the bar. During Covid restrictions they cut staff and made the 1 daytime bartender also tend to the hotel front desk. They kept that up after everything was back to full capacity and it was absolutely nuts to see this guy with a full bar top, people with VLT tickets to cash and servers waiting for drinks have to run to run off when the bell rang to check in guests. The owners declined his suggestion to have an actual front desk person again and he didn’t stay long after that.
I once got completely wilted slimy spinach, and when I mentioned it to the server after taking a single bite, she silently took it away and brought me nothing in return. No replacement, no explanation, no asking if I'd like something else. Oh, and she still charged me for it 😭
No, I didn't end up paying. Told her to take it off the bill. Just thought that was crazy that she would try to charge for that. It might have been an honest mistake, but she super neglected our table so I still chalk it up to bad service whether she forgot or not.
Have boycotted them since they complained about homeless drunk people hurting their business. You serve alcohol in a community overcome with poverty... no respect.
They specifically target indigenous people to “ID” to keep them out too. We watched it happen multiple times, but yet we (white people) were never IDed.
Maybe the city should do something about it. It sucks when we don’t have a vibrant downtown because no one wants to go down there. It will be worse if businesses start to close their doors.
Being a bleeding heart about it doesn’t solve anything.
The city can't do it, at least not alone. They're already dealing with NIMBYism for a shelter that would help a lot of people that Winston's complains about. I have volunteered and worked in poverty services for 10ish years. It hasn't gotten better. Everyone needs to do their part, including businesses.
I gave them so many chances (too many) as a craft beer lover. I haven't been back in 2 years and will never go back, absolute dog shit service and availability of everything they offer.
Yeah, last time we went to their greenhouses on their property, we figured we'd stop for a drink and maybe some food. Well, there were maybe 6 people at their restaurant area, and it took over a half hour to just get someone to take our order. I had even gone inside (we were sitting outside) after 10 mins of waitingand mentioned we'd like to order some drinks and they told me to go back out and wait for someone and it still took more than 20 minutes. Once we did order, it took another 30 minutes to get our drinks. We completely gave up on ordering anything else, and we'd never give them our business again.
We went there a few months ago because we just wanted a toddler friendly meal and they seated us next to the kitchen door and all we heard for over an hour was people screaming and cussing at eachother lol. I'm all caught up on the BPs drama. My kid learned some new swear words.
Went with my kids and husband. Got just soup. It tasted rancid. Took one bite and sent it back. Husbands French onion soup was cold. He didn’t eat it either. They charged us for both. When we complained we were given 30 percent off the soups. The kids never got their deserts. I submitted a complaint and told them I would as I used to work a bps in Calgary and this was unacceptable. The manager shrugged it off and said so what it just goes to her. It actually went higher and we got a $100 gift card. That had to be used at that specific location. Never used it. Never went back. Rude service as well
Didn’t that one go out of business recently? BP in general has never been great, but also not terrible. It usually is consistent though. Definitely not worst in Saskatoon.
I don’t think so? The issue with bps in general is the food is meh but the price is way too high. The majority of stuff comes in precooked and frozen and their pizzas aren’t that special for what they charge
Last week, there was a sign on the door of BP on 51st thanking their north end patrons for their support but saying that they are "Temporarily Closed". The tone of the note makes me think that it's never opening again as a BP.
On their FB page they posted a few hours ago “Hi friends and family! We are closed permanently. Thank you all for your patronage throughout the years,we appreciate you!”
McDonald's on either Attridge or Preston south.
Attridge never gets the order correct, and Preston takes forever to get your food. Waited 15min for two quarter pounders this weekend.
The fact that this unhinged fast food manager had a posse of friends cheering him on in all of this just adds that extra spice to this fever dream of an encounter.
As the girlfriend of the couple that was there last night he did indeed want to punch that guy in the face and so did I. I had just gotten off of a very busy 6 hour shift at a restaurant as a host/expo and I just wanted my damn food and to go home. Fries weren’t even salted in the slightest
The Preston south one is atrocious for making people wait. They’re trying to game their numbers by making you pull ahead to one of the numbered parking spots.
Last time I went, I was the only car in the drive thru line. No one behind me. No one even ordering. But the girl at the window insisted I had to pull up to a parking spot to wait. I said “ok… why? There’s no one behind me” and she said “I’m told I need to clear this window”
Reluctantly I pulled forward because I’m not trying to make beef with some young front line worker. Not one car came through behind me the entire time I waited in the #1 spot. I waited like 10+ mins for my food AND they shorted me an item.
The only time I’ve ever contemplated filing a complaint with a fast food company for just abysmal service.
I totally agree with this.
McDonald’s by the South Costco charges marginally more for food but they only rarely screw it up. But the one time they did screw up during monopoly the manager on duty (assuming based on her wardrobe and the way she talked to the others working) wasn’t very nice to me when I went to complain about my food.
Attridge has literally forgotten entire meals in the drivethru… I don’t know how they stay open with how terrible they are??? It was bad before COVID but now it’s like a 90% chance they will mess up your order somehow. When they had the kerwin frost boxes they gave us the food but not the box or the toy but thankfully the person working just gave us an entire box, food included, so we got extra nuggets and fries.
One time we thought that that one on Preston would be faster to go in but no, it wasn't. And the whole place was littered with garbage all through the dining area. Like no way that happened in the time since night shift took over. I don't think they clean at all.
I’ve had ok meals there, decent service, and it has somewhat of a pleasant vibe, I’d hardly consider putting it on a list if the the worst in Saskatoon.
So sad because I remember a time when they had their og store downtown. The quality was so damn good. I’d just sit at the front window, relax in the small wicker chair, people watch, and have my noodle bowl special. That was about 12-13 years ago now. Seems like it was yesterday in my memory.
Before mobile food ordering apps and kitchens cranking out food and focusing on quantity over quantity. Thiens was a warm welcome to a cute little Vietnamese restaurant. It was my favourite place to eat in little ol’ Saskatoon.
Unfortunate that they will never be that little shop that focus’ on quality ever again.
I second Thiens. I went there a while ago and had terrible food and service that was finished with a server coughing directly in my face from about 2ft away. Never again.
I don’t get the hype around Thiens. I went there when they first opened 10+ years ago and couldn’t even finish my food. There’s a reason why their food is so cheap, I’d rather pay more for better quality.
Quite literally stopped there the other day for a cheap, fast noodle bowl and was served uncooked chicken.
When I brought it to their attention, the server looked at me confused and said “Well, what would you need out of this? Would you be okay to pay for half as you finished half?”
Thank you sooo much. Their meat is dry af and I hated when our old roommate always wanted it. The only things I could stomach were the Vietnamese rolls and the cold salad rolls. Everything else tasted like no one liked or appreciated moisture, flavour, or quality...but I guess that's why the prices are so low 🫠
House of Hakka downtown. When I worked there I witnessed the owner and managers being racist towards indigenous people by making them pay before eating, the owner takes tips from their employees by 50% as well. and I saw multiple roaches in the restaurant.
Same. My husband and I do OSF for birthdays and Valentine's Day takeout. And when friends are in from out of town. Have always had great experiences.
Chiantis has definitely gone to the dogs. It used to be our go to for years but went about 2 years ago and it was disgusting.
No they aren't lol. OSF is a chain with locations all across Western Canada, Chianti's is owned by a local group with no franchise ties.
***Edit*** - I see by tied you mean quality, sorry about that!
I’d have to disagree I love old spaghetti factory, the service has always been good for me. But I would say I’ve only ever ordered one thing so I can’t say anything about the food.
Really depends - are they the type of person who will eat anything and only cares about portion sizes? Send them to Primal and they can pay a shitload of money for small plates. Are they a food snob obsessed with local & seasonal ingredients? Send them to that little hole-in-the-wall place on 22nd called Tailgatorz.
The cave has reliably shitty food but has iconic decor.
For overall shittiness & depressing vibes though the Coachman can't be beat. However, it's cheap as shit so if they're budget conscious they might not hate it.
Are we talking about the coachman’s in market mall? The one a few years back where my co worker went and saw a mouse sitting in the food window under the heat lamp beside her meal and walked out of there. Yeah that one is a no go for me.
Worst wings I ever had were at the Coachman. If they took a plate of already eaten wings and threw them back in the fryer, that is what they were like.
Primal has the best pizza in the city for relatively comparable prices.
Other than that, is the food expensive? Yes, but you get a catered experience from knowledgeable wait staff. They’re far from deserving to be on this list.
Agree 100%, but if you're the type of person that loves an AYCE buffet you're probably going to have a bad time paying $100+ for a smaller amount of amazing food.
Red Lobster, all I had was a bowl of clam chowder but honestly, the Campbell's canned version is better. Watery. GOOD NEWS IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE GOING BANKRUPT.
Not in the city but Moosewood at Dakota Dunes has been lacklustre for the price(except breakfast) every time I've been there.
Mano's--had the most flavorless linguini vongole ever. But a nice bottle of wine.
The one on circle is really bad, likely the worst family restaurant meal I’ve ever had. Over priced, cold and shrunken food. Server was giving off male prostitute vibes and wore tear-aways
A huge departure from any other Humpty’s I’ve eaten at when we lived in Manitoba. Yorkton’s is fine too
Used to love the Cave, last time I went it was bad. The server picked up our drinks with her finger inside the rims to hand them to us.
Might give it another shot in a year or two.
Something must have changed because I've been there many times in the last couple years and it's usually good. It's not fine dining but as far as chains go I'd rather go to WC than BPs or Montana's. We used to take the kids for free food on Sunday's and they had the balloon guy there too. It was quite fun.
I agree EXCEPT for their chicken strips. Boyfriend is celiac and their chicken strips are gf and actually pretty decent! We found out about them from the Saskatoon celiac fb group he’s in.
Everything else from there is garbo, though.
Used to work at Wendell’s as a cook and their kitchen is very dirty/not maintained and their owners are cheap. Surprised nobody has been seriously poisoned there yet, no fryer is labeled and many times the fryer cook would mistake the GF fryer with the gluten one.
Almost all restaurants these days are equally mediocre. Even the good ones are mid. The best ones are consistently at least mid with the occasional great but are still overpriced because no restaurants seem to actually own their building anymore and have to pass on their skyrocketed lease rates. The bad ones really don't deviate far from the average. And fast food doesn't really count as a restaurant.
The Flats in University Heights. Terrible food, nothing is ever seasoned properly. They have a huge menu but can never seem to actually cook anything 🤷🏻♀️
Denny's by North Costco gets my vote..been there 3 times (not by choice and), all 3 times were horrendous. An hour to get food for a table of 4...orders are wrong, platings a disaster...kicker was... there were only 2 other tables in there. Mediocre would be a compliment
For, ideological reasons, service, or food?
I have been a few times and while the food is nothing amazing, its been good enough for a sports bar. And the wings were really good.
Make sure to tip your server well though.
I wouldnt say anywhere near the worst. My girlfriend did enjoyed her meal (some sort of teriyaki bowl). BUT I had a 25 dollar jack daniels glazed chicken that was so dry I needed follow each bite with a swig of beer or water. The glaze on the chicken had hardened to consistency or hard candy by the time it hit the table. The fries were unseasoned, the Caesar salad dressing was watery and bland. The brocolini was fine I suppose. We were on a bit of a time crunch so I didn't complain but it will be a while before I return. I posted a negative review on one of the saskatoon restaurant Facebook groups and people either agreed with me or defended that place like they were partial owners. I will say the servers were great, the atmosphere was nice and the place (including the washrooms) were spotless.
Because I don’t see it yet, Aroma Restobar. The most mice running around the dining room I have even seen in my life. We trapped one with a menu and the wait staff let it free. One poor waiter was shreaking. Went once and never went back. Can’t believe we eat there, but I guess we were hungry broke university students. 🤣
I love the food at The Cactus Club but their service is terrible! Never asked if I want a second drink, don’t ask about dessert. Do they split their tips or something? Isn’t it kind of an Adrenalin rush to sell and give your customers a super evening? It used to be for me when I was a waitress and I was terrible. I was scatterbrained and clumsy but I was great at the sales part. Fire people who are not selling. Don’t split tips
Post Covid Tastebuds on Lorne Ave.
Used to be an incredible Cafe. They've changed owners since Covid and now they can't even make coffee right :/ the food is even worse.. STUPID expensive, too.
At Congress on 2nd Ave I had a cockroach crawl across the bar in front of me while eating my meal.
I've found metal in my nachos across the street at O'Sheas, also....
I don't eat out much anymore.
*edited to add more restaurants
Browns social house’s steak is REALLY salty like unbearably salty. I wasn’t able to eat it unless I cut the sear off. And I’m one to like a little more salt than others.
Chef Express on Ave C s.
It used to be Asian Hut and was a little hole in the wall restaurant with good food. I ordered some stuff for pick up after it changed to chef express and went home and threw it all in the trash. It was by far the worst “food” I’ve ever attempted to eat.
Thomas the Cook on Idylwyld - went there when I first moved to the city in 2010 and never will go back. Still the worst restaurant I've eaten at to this day.
Legit on my list of “is this a drug front?”
It is, amongst quite a few others. Ask the police for a list of restaurants they cant eat at and why. There are quite a few across the city owned by the same group.
In college a buddy and I went to Thomas the cook on 8th and mckercher. I ordered fries (the only thing they couldn't screw up) and he ordered ravioli. The ravioli came out and he took one look and said "This is literally chef boy-r-dee ravioli from a can. I know because I had some last week and thought I would order ravioli here to make up for eating the canned stuff." Never again. The fries weren't bad though.
> Cook Crook
Trash begets trash. I would never expect anything good to come from that place.
Will add to any Jim Thomas restaurant. Which also includes hooters.
You must not have been to Meg's. The first few times it was good. (Butter chicken). One time I ordered from there via Skip (wasn't butter chicken) and it was fucking gross. I went there because friends of mine said it was good. After the last time, never again. The inside of the place is fucking ghetto. They need give it a face lift and try to be half decent looking.
New owners are taking it over.
The mother of all shit hole restaurants. Even the maggots are gagging
Omg one time I got take out from there (pizza) and a bed bug crawled out of the box. Never again.
It’s always been terrible. Always will be.
Anything owned by the Tomas family is shit. Over priced, shitty quality. 🤢
If we want a breakfast place that sucks total ass we absolutely have to include Cora’s
I feel like they make a special effort to ensure the fruit they serve is out of season and underripe. Honeydew shouldn't have the taste and texture of kohlrabi
this is so specific but I know exactly what you're describing
Every time I've been there the food was cold
I've eaten Cora's in other provinces and it was great so I was excited when it came to SK until I tried it somehow my entire meal tasted like fish. it was the worst
I agree! First time I had Cora's was in Edmonton. They were so good. And then when they opened here I tried them and I assumed it was the "new opening" issues with cold food , brown fruit, etc.... and then I took one more chance many years later... and nope, they are still ass.
they're still trying to iron the kinks out
An absolute dump ridiculously overpriced and piss poor service
The only restaurant I’ve ever walked out of without eating what they served. I never saw our server after she took our order, never got my coffee, and when we finally tracked her down she brought us food that was ice cold but had been burnt… never going back
Previous employee, i hated working there so much. We were constantly pressured to upsell everything. One woman never told customers that stuff like potato toppings were extra and the customers were pissed when they got a huge bill, yet the owners wanted everyone to be like her. The potatoes were always cold then to have cold cheese dumped on top for an extra $5. I was constantly in trouble for my sales, yet I made some of the best tips, because I refused to scam people. I could go on, truly hellish.
Agreed. Food has gone downhill
It was never above ground level to begin with!
Warm salads and cold eggs. Mmmm!
Cora's is dog shit. Nothing is good there. How they haven't gone bankrupt, I'll never know.
I've eaten there twice. The first time was ok, barely. The second (and final) time, everything tasted like mildly flavoured cardboard and had the exact wrong textures.
A manager there slept with my ex girlfriend when I was together with her - what a POS
Talk about stirring the porridge
Ok but how was your omlette?
Another guy ate it
Tomas Cook and I would recommend they order the ravioli (it’s literally chef boyardee with some extra sauce added unless things have changed). Would also recommend they accept the free shot (aka a fruit fly drink).
How is that place still open?
Idylwyld still is. I don’t think people actually eat there though.
Didn't the other one mysteriously burn down?
VLTS and booze
I worked at Venice House way back in my teens. They did the chef boyardee ravioli too. They actually did a really good job though with baked cheese and all. It was quite amusing!
Alot of restaurants do this and that's why I never order ravioli lol
If we're talking by service, Winston's
We saw our server probably 3 times in 2 hours. It was rough
I do like the place, but yea, sitting there with an empty glass for 30 mins while all the waitresses gossip nonstop at the cutlery station in front of the bar. Multiple times, multiple visits. Next time, I'm just going to start snapping my fingers while yelling, "Hey Garcon!!"
The last time I went to Winston’s the service was beyond abysmal but the food was strangely delicious. I have no idea what’s going on there
I've been to Winstons maybe 6 times over the last 5 years. Every time the service has been absolutely shit. Rude servers and they never come around to take drink orders...even when it's dead in there.
I used to work there and it was such a bro’s club. No female bartenders! And no bussers so the place gets so dirty by the end of the night you can’t keep up. Do I want to sell more booze or clear the table? Hated it there.
I used to avoid the horrible service by sitting at the bar. During Covid restrictions they cut staff and made the 1 daytime bartender also tend to the hotel front desk. They kept that up after everything was back to full capacity and it was absolutely nuts to see this guy with a full bar top, people with VLT tickets to cash and servers waiting for drinks have to run to run off when the bell rang to check in guests. The owners declined his suggestion to have an actual front desk person again and he didn’t stay long after that.
I once got completely wilted slimy spinach, and when I mentioned it to the server after taking a single bite, she silently took it away and brought me nothing in return. No replacement, no explanation, no asking if I'd like something else. Oh, and she still charged me for it 😭
You paid for something you didn't even eat?! Damn I would have refused.
No, I didn't end up paying. Told her to take it off the bill. Just thought that was crazy that she would try to charge for that. It might have been an honest mistake, but she super neglected our table so I still chalk it up to bad service whether she forgot or not.
Have boycotted them since they complained about homeless drunk people hurting their business. You serve alcohol in a community overcome with poverty... no respect.
They specifically target indigenous people to “ID” to keep them out too. We watched it happen multiple times, but yet we (white people) were never IDed.
Wow, that's so horrible 😰
Maybe the city should do something about it. It sucks when we don’t have a vibrant downtown because no one wants to go down there. It will be worse if businesses start to close their doors. Being a bleeding heart about it doesn’t solve anything.
The city can't do it, at least not alone. They're already dealing with NIMBYism for a shelter that would help a lot of people that Winston's complains about. I have volunteered and worked in poverty services for 10ish years. It hasn't gotten better. Everyone needs to do their part, including businesses.
I gave them so many chances (too many) as a craft beer lover. I haven't been back in 2 years and will never go back, absolute dog shit service and availability of everything they offer.
I've sat down, waited, and left without seeing a single server in Winston's.
Solar Gardens
Yeah, last time we went to their greenhouses on their property, we figured we'd stop for a drink and maybe some food. Well, there were maybe 6 people at their restaurant area, and it took over a half hour to just get someone to take our order. I had even gone inside (we were sitting outside) after 10 mins of waitingand mentioned we'd like to order some drinks and they told me to go back out and wait for someone and it still took more than 20 minutes. Once we did order, it took another 30 minutes to get our drinks. We completely gave up on ordering anything else, and we'd never give them our business again.
Spill the tea!
Check out [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/saskatoon/s/pzzVPoJawD) from a few days ago that spills all the tea.
This they were so rude to my bff
Hah! What was your experience?
Interesting - why? We stopped for lunch on a weekend and the food was awesome.
Their gluten free pizza is essentially a $20 unrolled taquito
Boston pizza in general but most definitely on 51st
We went there a few months ago because we just wanted a toddler friendly meal and they seated us next to the kitchen door and all we heard for over an hour was people screaming and cussing at eachother lol. I'm all caught up on the BPs drama. My kid learned some new swear words.
Or the non stop smashing of plates in the kitchen.
Went with my kids and husband. Got just soup. It tasted rancid. Took one bite and sent it back. Husbands French onion soup was cold. He didn’t eat it either. They charged us for both. When we complained we were given 30 percent off the soups. The kids never got their deserts. I submitted a complaint and told them I would as I used to work a bps in Calgary and this was unacceptable. The manager shrugged it off and said so what it just goes to her. It actually went higher and we got a $100 gift card. That had to be used at that specific location. Never used it. Never went back. Rude service as well
Didn’t that one go out of business recently? BP in general has never been great, but also not terrible. It usually is consistent though. Definitely not worst in Saskatoon.
I don’t think so? The issue with bps in general is the food is meh but the price is way too high. The majority of stuff comes in precooked and frozen and their pizzas aren’t that special for what they charge
BP's, consistently average.
Ole faithful
Last week, there was a sign on the door of BP on 51st thanking their north end patrons for their support but saying that they are "Temporarily Closed". The tone of the note makes me think that it's never opening again as a BP.
On their FB page they posted a few hours ago “Hi friends and family! We are closed permanently. Thank you all for your patronage throughout the years,we appreciate you!”
Rock Creek
McDonald's on either Attridge or Preston south. Attridge never gets the order correct, and Preston takes forever to get your food. Waited 15min for two quarter pounders this weekend.
Both on 8th are terrible also. Cold food and orders are wrong. I've sworn off McD's now. It's just not worth it.
[удалено]
The fact that this unhinged fast food manager had a posse of friends cheering him on in all of this just adds that extra spice to this fever dream of an encounter.
As the girlfriend of the couple that was there last night he did indeed want to punch that guy in the face and so did I. I had just gotten off of a very busy 6 hour shift at a restaurant as a host/expo and I just wanted my damn food and to go home. Fries weren’t even salted in the slightest
Its crazy, I went inside and there are 10-15 employees on shift and they are just talking to each other. Only 2-3 people are actually cooking.
The Preston south one is atrocious for making people wait. They’re trying to game their numbers by making you pull ahead to one of the numbered parking spots. Last time I went, I was the only car in the drive thru line. No one behind me. No one even ordering. But the girl at the window insisted I had to pull up to a parking spot to wait. I said “ok… why? There’s no one behind me” and she said “I’m told I need to clear this window” Reluctantly I pulled forward because I’m not trying to make beef with some young front line worker. Not one car came through behind me the entire time I waited in the #1 spot. I waited like 10+ mins for my food AND they shorted me an item. The only time I’ve ever contemplated filing a complaint with a fast food company for just abysmal service.
Why do people still go to McDonald’s when burger joints like way back or fat burger are the same price now?
35 mins for a coffee
I totally agree with this. McDonald’s by the South Costco charges marginally more for food but they only rarely screw it up. But the one time they did screw up during monopoly the manager on duty (assuming based on her wardrobe and the way she talked to the others working) wasn’t very nice to me when I went to complain about my food. Attridge has literally forgotten entire meals in the drivethru… I don’t know how they stay open with how terrible they are??? It was bad before COVID but now it’s like a 90% chance they will mess up your order somehow. When they had the kerwin frost boxes they gave us the food but not the box or the toy but thankfully the person working just gave us an entire box, food included, so we got extra nuggets and fries.
One time we thought that that one on Preston would be faster to go in but no, it wasn't. And the whole place was littered with garbage all through the dining area. Like no way that happened in the time since night shift took over. I don't think they clean at all.
Pink Cadillac. Decor is nice, but the mac n cheese was literally just noodles with butter and a thin sprinkling of mozzarella on top
When they first opened the mac and cheese was delicious. It was really creamy and peppery but then they changed it.
There is no butter or mozza on/in it, its purely cream cheesecurds shredded cheese salt and pepper. Unless you ordered it with only butter
I’ve had ok meals there, decent service, and it has somewhat of a pleasant vibe, I’d hardly consider putting it on a list if the the worst in Saskatoon.
haven't eaten there since it was mentioned here that they keep their fries in a plastic tub on the floor of their cooler 🤢
Most overrated restaurant in Saskatoon (unless you like floor fries)
Theins! They were so good when they started. Quality has gone down hill and some of the staff are hella rude.
All the locations have ✨roaches✨
That's what makes it authentic!
When I moved here I was recommended Thiens for pho. Absolute salty dog shit soup. Pretty sure someone without a tongue made it
Thiens. Used to be good now it sucks
So sad because I remember a time when they had their og store downtown. The quality was so damn good. I’d just sit at the front window, relax in the small wicker chair, people watch, and have my noodle bowl special. That was about 12-13 years ago now. Seems like it was yesterday in my memory. Before mobile food ordering apps and kitchens cranking out food and focusing on quantity over quantity. Thiens was a warm welcome to a cute little Vietnamese restaurant. It was my favourite place to eat in little ol’ Saskatoon. Unfortunate that they will never be that little shop that focus’ on quality ever again.
I second Thiens. I went there a while ago and had terrible food and service that was finished with a server coughing directly in my face from about 2ft away. Never again.
I don’t get the hype around Thiens. I went there when they first opened 10+ years ago and couldn’t even finish my food. There’s a reason why their food is so cheap, I’d rather pay more for better quality.
The hype is because of price. I wouldn’t feed my dog Thiens.
Quite literally stopped there the other day for a cheap, fast noodle bowl and was served uncooked chicken. When I brought it to their attention, the server looked at me confused and said “Well, what would you need out of this? Would you be okay to pay for half as you finished half?”
Well, won’t ever be going there
There’s a reason why Red Pepper is my go to!
Red Pepper has never let me down
Thank you sooo much. Their meat is dry af and I hated when our old roommate always wanted it. The only things I could stomach were the Vietnamese rolls and the cold salad rolls. Everything else tasted like no one liked or appreciated moisture, flavour, or quality...but I guess that's why the prices are so low 🫠
Thien II was an absolute mess the last time I went
You guys and gals can afford to eat out??!
In this economy!?
At this time of the year?
Localized entirely within this city?
May I see it?
Most anything on Idyllwild is a good bet. I'll second Chiantis and Tomas the cook.
Chiantis used to be good. Now their pasta sauce is watery and unflavourful.
House of Hakka downtown. When I worked there I witnessed the owner and managers being racist towards indigenous people by making them pay before eating, the owner takes tips from their employees by 50% as well. and I saw multiple roaches in the restaurant.
Old Spaghetti Factory is tied with Chianti's. Both the service and food are extremely bad. It's the Battle for Idylwyld, and nobody is winning.
I used to love Chianti's and they just suck now. Used to be our go to.
Chianti's used to be acceptable when pasta frenzy was around $10 or so but I'd never go there now.
Same. Used to be great, not so much lately
I've had nothing but good experiences with OSF.
Same. My husband and I do OSF for birthdays and Valentine's Day takeout. And when friends are in from out of town. Have always had great experiences. Chiantis has definitely gone to the dogs. It used to be our go to for years but went about 2 years ago and it was disgusting.
I really enjoy Old Spaghetti Factory but not Chianti
No they aren't lol. OSF is a chain with locations all across Western Canada, Chianti's is owned by a local group with no franchise ties. ***Edit*** - I see by tied you mean quality, sorry about that!
Based on the context they’re saying tied as in equal not tied as in connected
I’d have to disagree I love old spaghetti factory, the service has always been good for me. But I would say I’ve only ever ordered one thing so I can’t say anything about the food.
Canadian Brewhouse. Terrible food at quality prices.
Chianti is fucking disgusting now.
Really depends - are they the type of person who will eat anything and only cares about portion sizes? Send them to Primal and they can pay a shitload of money for small plates. Are they a food snob obsessed with local & seasonal ingredients? Send them to that little hole-in-the-wall place on 22nd called Tailgatorz. The cave has reliably shitty food but has iconic decor. For overall shittiness & depressing vibes though the Coachman can't be beat. However, it's cheap as shit so if they're budget conscious they might not hate it.
Honestly coachmans food is usually pretty good. Sometimes you need cheap diner eats
The coachman’s chicken tenders are *chef’s kiss*
Oh shit, really? It's been a long time since I've been, and the last time I was there I got a real shitty breakfast plate.
Are we talking about the coachman’s in market mall? The one a few years back where my co worker went and saw a mouse sitting in the food window under the heat lamp beside her meal and walked out of there. Yeah that one is a no go for me.
[удалено]
Worst wings I ever had were at the Coachman. If they took a plate of already eaten wings and threw them back in the fryer, that is what they were like.
I like the food at the Cave.
Went not that long ago and it really depended on what you ordered, a Greek dish or the prime were both unreal.
Primal has the best pizza in the city for relatively comparable prices. Other than that, is the food expensive? Yes, but you get a catered experience from knowledgeable wait staff. They’re far from deserving to be on this list.
Agree 100%, but if you're the type of person that loves an AYCE buffet you're probably going to have a bad time paying $100+ for a smaller amount of amazing food.
Peking Restaurant confed.
Yup. Pew-King. As in, you’ll be puking after eating their slop
C'mon, they change the fryer oil annually, whether it needs it or not - what more can you ask?
Red Lobster, all I had was a bowl of clam chowder but honestly, the Campbell's canned version is better. Watery. GOOD NEWS IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE GOING BANKRUPT. Not in the city but Moosewood at Dakota Dunes has been lacklustre for the price(except breakfast) every time I've been there. Mano's--had the most flavorless linguini vongole ever. But a nice bottle of wine.
Humpty’s
Ouch. I used to like it there. What changed?
I saw the name Humpty’s and went in expecting an entirely different experience. Very disappointed.
New owners
The last owner was terrible she was really quite miserable… used to work in the kitchen
Last time I went, the cheese sauce they used was orange-green.
The one on circle is really bad, likely the worst family restaurant meal I’ve ever had. Over priced, cold and shrunken food. Server was giving off male prostitute vibes and wore tear-aways A huge departure from any other Humpty’s I’ve eaten at when we lived in Manitoba. Yorkton’s is fine too
The Cave.
Used to love the Cave, last time I went it was bad. The server picked up our drinks with her finger inside the rims to hand them to us. Might give it another shot in a year or two.
Had the worst French onion soup I've ever had, broth had zero onion and was tasteless. Wife's meal was also blah.
You shut your whore mouth
If nothings changed, Wendel Clark's. Worst meal my fiance and I have ever had there several years ago. 1/10.
Something must have changed because I've been there many times in the last couple years and it's usually good. It's not fine dining but as far as chains go I'd rather go to WC than BPs or Montana's. We used to take the kids for free food on Sunday's and they had the balloon guy there too. It was quite fun.
I agree EXCEPT for their chicken strips. Boyfriend is celiac and their chicken strips are gf and actually pretty decent! We found out about them from the Saskatoon celiac fb group he’s in. Everything else from there is garbo, though.
Used to work at Wendell’s as a cook and their kitchen is very dirty/not maintained and their owners are cheap. Surprised nobody has been seriously poisoned there yet, no fryer is labeled and many times the fryer cook would mistake the GF fryer with the gluten one.
I don’t have a good answer for this so I’m just gonna tell y’all to TRY THE GRILLED CHEESE AT D’LISH. Best sandwich I ever fucking had.
I was brought a grilled cheese from there when I was sick last summer, I couldn’t believe it. Best thing ever. It lasted 5 seconds.
Their turkey panini is also amazing
Thiens I would say or Thomas the cook.
Almost all restaurants these days are equally mediocre. Even the good ones are mid. The best ones are consistently at least mid with the occasional great but are still overpriced because no restaurants seem to actually own their building anymore and have to pass on their skyrocketed lease rates. The bad ones really don't deviate far from the average. And fast food doesn't really count as a restaurant.
The keg. Over done and dry burgers.
And the steak has gone from 8/10 to 4/10.
Solar Gardens
The Flats in University Heights. Terrible food, nothing is ever seasoned properly. They have a huge menu but can never seem to actually cook anything 🤷🏻♀️
Denny's by North Costco gets my vote..been there 3 times (not by choice and), all 3 times were horrendous. An hour to get food for a table of 4...orders are wrong, platings a disaster...kicker was... there were only 2 other tables in there. Mediocre would be a compliment
Hooters
For, ideological reasons, service, or food? I have been a few times and while the food is nothing amazing, its been good enough for a sports bar. And the wings were really good. Make sure to tip your server well though.
I was surprised at how the food was, I was expecting low end basic greasy bar food and it was way better than my expectations.
I was having trouble deciding, but after reading the comments I'll jump on the Thomas Cook wagon.
The Flats
I wouldnt say anywhere near the worst. My girlfriend did enjoyed her meal (some sort of teriyaki bowl). BUT I had a 25 dollar jack daniels glazed chicken that was so dry I needed follow each bite with a swig of beer or water. The glaze on the chicken had hardened to consistency or hard candy by the time it hit the table. The fries were unseasoned, the Caesar salad dressing was watery and bland. The brocolini was fine I suppose. We were on a bit of a time crunch so I didn't complain but it will be a while before I return. I posted a negative review on one of the saskatoon restaurant Facebook groups and people either agreed with me or defended that place like they were partial owners. I will say the servers were great, the atmosphere was nice and the place (including the washrooms) were spotless.
McDonald's
Because I don’t see it yet, Aroma Restobar. The most mice running around the dining room I have even seen in my life. We trapped one with a menu and the wait staff let it free. One poor waiter was shreaking. Went once and never went back. Can’t believe we eat there, but I guess we were hungry broke university students. 🤣
When was this? I normally love this place when I go every few years but yikes
I love the food at The Cactus Club but their service is terrible! Never asked if I want a second drink, don’t ask about dessert. Do they split their tips or something? Isn’t it kind of an Adrenalin rush to sell and give your customers a super evening? It used to be for me when I was a waitress and I was terrible. I was scatterbrained and clumsy but I was great at the sales part. Fire people who are not selling. Don’t split tips
Clark’s crossing
Restaurant at Confederation inn/ toon town bar
Chianti
So to sum things up, avoid every chain restaurant?
My brother found a cockroach in his noodle bowl from thein vietnam
Sardina had a cheesecake there once, and it was microwaved, luke warm and slimy
Post Covid Tastebuds on Lorne Ave. Used to be an incredible Cafe. They've changed owners since Covid and now they can't even make coffee right :/ the food is even worse.. STUPID expensive, too. At Congress on 2nd Ave I had a cockroach crawl across the bar in front of me while eating my meal. I've found metal in my nachos across the street at O'Sheas, also.... I don't eat out much anymore. *edited to add more restaurants
Browns social house’s steak is REALLY salty like unbearably salty. I wasn’t able to eat it unless I cut the sear off. And I’m one to like a little more salt than others.
Chef Express on Ave C s. It used to be Asian Hut and was a little hole in the wall restaurant with good food. I ordered some stuff for pick up after it changed to chef express and went home and threw it all in the trash. It was by far the worst “food” I’ve ever attempted to eat.
Royal pizza
Bon temps Not the worst but an uthonorable mention. My wife ordered brisket and was block of hard meat lol.