Tasty Tom's on Whyte is open...

A few months ago a board was created on Chowhound to discuss Edmonton's recent restaurant closures, and I was surprised to see Tasty Tom's pop up. Zed and I hadn't been for awhile, but they are such a staple on Whyte that we really couldn't see this happening.

We decided to head over one Tuesday evening with friends and discovered that their rather limited hours were probably why people began to think they may have shut down - closed Mondays and Tuesdays, open until 8 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, until 9 on Fridays and Saturdays, and just until 3 on Sundays - these hours are definitely rare for and 82 Ave local. This past Friday evening though, I managed to get the night off of work so Zed and I decided to head over for dinner.

Around 7pm the line up was around 20 minutes deep, but we decided to wait along with the others - the servers and patrons of the "bistro" are incredibly friendly, so waiting was no real hardship. In truth, we headed there hoping the patio would be open, but no, I suppose it was too windy and slightly cool so we were seated at a table indoors underneath the lattice and grape decorated ceiling.

We were provided with menus and quickly brought drinks - Zed an Alexander Keith's and I a "Charlie Flint's Original Lager." Tasty Tom's menu is quite large with pizza's, an array of burger's and different entree items influenced by German and Thai cuisine among others. That night though, I was in for a burger and went for the Roasted Red Pepper burger (~$13), with brie and their Yaki Yaki sauce (a slightly spicy concoction made with chili and basil) along with home fries. Zed was having trouble with all the choices on the menu and in the end decided to play it safe with a steak sandwich (~$16).

We were surprised when our entrees arrived 10-15 minutes after ordering, considering the amount of patrons occupying each table of the restaurant. Either way everything looked and smelled wonderful - my burger was piled high with pickles and red peppers and brie was oozing off the sandwich. It was messy to eat but sometimes that is just the mark of a great burger. Zed's steak was pretty large and that was all he got through of his giant plate filled with sides of fries and salad. In general though, the plates definitely seem to be larger than found at many of the other restaurants on Whyte.

Red Pepper Burger with home fries

Steak Sandwich with fries and house salad

I couldn't finish writing this without mentioning Tasty Tom's ketchup - it's satisfyingly smoky, spicy and a little tangy all at once, accompanying fries and burgers well. Bottles of ketchup are available to buy and take home, which is definitely a nice offer from a local restaurant.

We skipped dessert that evening, and considering the size of our plates (and my 23oz beer) it was necessary. Hopefully their patio will open soon - although our meals were perfectly enjoyable indoors, Tasty Tom's burgers and beer are definitely best enjoyed on their patio, just behind the hustle and bustle of Whyte.