After work one evening before Christmas, I hopped on the bus to meet Mack for dinner. We had been hoping to finally try Relish, but upon arrival, found that they were closed for a private function. Undaunted, we considered our other options, as 124 Street offers an abundance of choices. We eventually settled on Daravara (10713 124 Street) just across the street.
Unlike many other bars in Edmonton, Daravara seems to have bucked the trend of maximizing seating in favour of generous spacing between furnishings and a games area. As a result, the vibe seemed much more relaxed and casual than some similar establishments. It was easy to see how Daravara could become the go-to watering hole for locals in the area, especially with their very reasonable prices for beer and wine.
The bar at Daravara
Since reading about their burger offering, Daravara has been on our list of restaurants to visit. But it seems that their menu has been overhauled since that time. In spite of that, I thought the menu as a whole had much to choose from, including a variety of tacos, sandwiches, and appetizers (I saved the popcorn chicken hearts for another time). That night, I settled on the beer cheese burger ($14), while Mack chose the waffle clubhouse ($15).
Mack
Service was good throughout, and the kitchen, in spite of a near full-house, was on point, and we didn’t have to wait long for our plates to arrive. That said, the flavours could have been better. My burger, served with house-made beer cheese, secret sauce and lettuce, tomato and caramelized onion, had an underseasoned patty, and was unremarkable.
Beer cheese burger with poutine
Mack’s clubhouse, with house-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing, would have benefited from additional texture. The cheddar cheese waffles were not crispy, and the chicken in this case was grilled, not fried.
Waffle clubhouse with werewolf fries
On the side, I upgraded to a poutine (additional $2.50). The fries were freshly fried and spiced in a way that reminded me of Drift’s house seasoning. But the miso gravy wasn’t my favourite – while there was a noticeable miso base, I didn’t enjoy the saccharine aftertaste. Mack’s substitution of werewolf fries (additional $2.50) were overwhelmingly spicy for him, featuring chipotle cheese, malt vinegar, hot sauce and green onions.
There are still some items on the menu we’d like to try in the future, so though we were hoping for more from Daravara on our first visit, we will be back again in the future.
Daravara
10713 124 Street
(587) 520-4980
Tuesday-Thursday 11:30am-midnight, Friday-Saturday 11am-2am, Sunday 11am-5pm, closed Mondays
Only Here for the Food 