New Restaurant: Red’s in Ramsay

Ramsay has always been something of a sidekick to showier, more assertive Inglewood. Tucked in beside the Elbow River, the quirky southeast neighbourhood is mostly known as the ultimate spot for watching Stampede fireworks, but outside of that there hasn’t been much of a reason to go there the other…

Ramsay has always been something of a sidekick to showier, more assertive Inglewood. Tucked in beside the Elbow River, the quirky southeast neighbourhood is mostly known as the ultimate spot for watching Stampede fireworks, but outside of that there hasn’t been much of a reason to go there the other 355 days of the year.

But that’s starting to change, at least for fans of all-day breakfast and classic diner dining, thanks to the establishment of Red’s In Ramsay.

Red’s in Ramsay is the perfect place for anyone who loves all-day breakfast.

There’s much about the Ramsay Red’s that recalls the original Red’s Diner on 4th Street S.W., though the key difference here is elbow room. The Ramsay location is a free-standing structure that was built from the ground up on the corner of 11th Avenue and 8th Street S.E.

The interior features high, airy ceilings and two dining wings, with a mixture of booth and table seating – including a round table with seating for six – as well as a classic diner-counter with chair-backed stools. The new location also features a seasonal patio as well as adjacent angle parking.

Red’s in Ramsay has a classic diner feel with plenty of elbow room.

The menu is basically the same as the 4th Street Red’s, with egg-based breakfast entrees like omelettes, hashes and Bennies as well as sweet offerings such as oatmeal brulee, crepes and bluebery, basil and goat-cheese stuffed French toast.

On a recent breakfast foray, I stuck with the basics – a.k.a. the Red’s Original – two eggs over-easy with hashbrowns, bacon and marble rye toast ($10.99). The ingredients were fresh, the bacon was meaty and the hashbrowns were just greasy enough not to be dry. It’s tasty, solid fare with no unpleasant surprises – exactly what you want with that sort of thing.

Montreal smoked meat hash and eggs with marble rye toast at Red’s In Ramsay.

My “cheating vegetarian” breakfast date (who will not be named) opted for the Montreal smoked meat hash ($13.99) with over-medium eggs and a side of lemony hollandaise, a guilty pleasure that she thoroughly enjoyed.

As for that other diner standard – the coffee – I’m happy to report it’s up to snuff here. Red’s brews Fratello beans and our servers were attentive when it came to warm-ups.

While you can order breakfast all day, there are also lunch offerings, including build-your-own burgers, classic sandwiches like the chicken club, steak sandwich, Reuben, BLT and a braised short rib sandwich served with coleslaw. For non-sandwich entrees, there’s a cobb salad and fish and chips.

The place is also licenced, offering a selection of bottled beers as well as PBR and Anchor Steam on tap, boozy milkshakes and special coffees.

Red’s In Ramsay is just far enough off the beaten path to escape the crowd crush that plagues its 4th Street cousin, but close enough to the action to keep it accessible. If you’re in the mood for a hearty breakfast or diner lunch, it’s worth crossing the Elbow just for the elbow room.

Open Monday and Tuesday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesday to Friday 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

(1101 8 St. S.E., 587-353-1188, redsdiner.com, @redscalgary)

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