Whenever we get the chance, we always make it a point to check out game stores, game cafes, and vegan restaurants in the places we live and travel to. Having lived in some small towns, these are luxuries we have truly come to appreciate and take advantage of when we can. Since we’ve lived in and visited so many places, I thought I’d highlight some of my favorites that we’ve come across over the years. We begin with the most recent one we tried- The Buckingham in Edmonton!

We only had time for a quick dinner, since we were headed to the hockey game soon after, but that was no problem since their service was fast. It was a pub atmosphere and we went at 6pm, so I would imagine it gets a lot busy later in the evening.

It was hard to pick what to get (as is often the case at all vegan places when you can get anything and it all looks good!), but we ended up with the Chkn Vings, the Jumbo with Cheese, the Chkn Stabwich, with sides of mac & cheese and poutine, and the Deep Fried Oreos.

Everything was amazing, but the favorite of the evening was the Vings. We got ours with the sweet chili sauce, and of all the vegan wings I’ve had in various vegan restaurants, these might be the best. The texture was amazing- not too stringy or weird like some vegan wings I’ve had. Jon’s pita wrap was tasty, especially the sweet dill sauce. My Chkn sandwich had some incredibly breaded chicken, though the sauce was a bit too buffalo-y for me and next time I’d swap out the sauce. The mac & cheese was decent, but could have been cheesier. If you’re going for a fancy side, go for the poutine! It was amazing and when you’re a vegan in Canada this is always a delight to find.

I was very sad they didn’t have their churro knot batter ready and we didn’t have time to wait; I’d been looking forward to those and am always a sucker for anything churro related. (I actually have a long, sad, and silly history with not finding churros in places I thought they would be) BUT, the fried oreos were as rich and tasty as one might imagine and did not disappoint. Overall it was a fantastic dinner, and gave us enough for lunch the next day! They have an extensive drink menu, including non-alcoholic options, which we could explore more next time. Along with trying again for churros 😂 Next time you’re in Edmonton, check out The Buckingham!