After a too-early weekend wake up call to witness the official opening of the new McKernan/Belgravia and South Campus LRT stations, Mack and I were on the lookout for a hot lunch on Whyte. We had swung by the Just Food Edmonton launch (where the poor gals had to bundle up tight in the wind) and picked up a few things at the Old Strathcona Market, but my fingers still hadn’t quite regained their feeling from forty five minutes outside in the chill.
I remembered the quaint Two Rooms from a visit about two years ago, and Mack, as always, ceded to my suggestion. Though our initial table was at the rear of the restaurant, as soon as the party departed from the prime and only window seat, we snagged it, freeing ourselves from the dark, dungeon-like quality of the rest of the space. The stone accents and dark furniture likely plays better in the evening, where the spot lamps would have more of an affect.
We were given breakfast menus, though in hindsight, I would have appreciated the option of the lunch menu as well, though our waiter didn’t proactively offer it to us. I was ultimately happy with my choice of the Mexican Breakfast Burrito ($10) though, while Mack opted for the scrambled eggs, cheddar and green onion sandwich ($10). We also ordered two cups of coffee ($2 each), and were agog when we found that Two Rooms charges $1 for refills – I couldn’t remember if this had been on the menu during my previous visit, but it is definitely something that would hinder future breakfast calls. One of the treats, in my opinion, of dining out for brunch is the unlimited access to coffee, facilitating the lazy, leisurely mornings that are so few and far between.
The restaurant started to fill up after we entered, and we counted ourselves lucky, having put our order in just before the crowd arrived. Felicia and Jeff joined us a little later, and found themselves having to wait quite a bit longer for their food.
Presentation isn’t a strong suit of Two Rooms – there was not a garnish to be found on either of our plates, and a bit too much white space to be seen. The portion size was also a little on the small side, though it may not have been a bad change from our usual gluttonous breakfasts. I found my burrito wonderfully crisp on the outside, and wrapped tightly enough to prevent any need for a bib. The chorizo sausage surprised me with a spicy kick, and accompanied with the egg, was a lovely meal. I couldn’t taste any black bean, however, but wasn’t sure I missed it anyway.
Mexican Breakfast Burrito
Mack found his sandwich to be all right – I tried a bite and found that the avocado spread wasn’t as overpowering as I had anticipated.
Scrambled Egg Sandwich
We made sure to be frugal with our coffee, and drank it slowly. As a result, I think our experience wasn’t as enjoyable as it could have been, and we didn’t end up lingering as long as we usually do at brunch. Though the food and service was fine for the most part (the server’s humour was a little too dry for our taste), Two Rooms wouldn’t be a brunch destination for me in the future – free coffee refills are a deal breaker.
Two Rooms
101-10324 82 Avenue NW
(780) 439-8386
Only Here for the Food 
dark, dungeon-like quality of the rest of the space
Lol, that’s a bit much, don’t you think?
I think my need for natural light in the mornings has escalated over the years…I didn’t mind the dark space so much two years ago, it seems.
The free coffee refill is a deal breaker for me too! As much as I love NY Bagel Cafe I tend to not go as often as it deserves since you must order coffee by the cup. I get that the coffee is super delicious but I usually end up nursing the one that I order and then stopping and getting an extra large at another takeout place. Not exactly my ideal saturday or sunday brunch.
Wow, I didn’t realize that place was still open!