We rarely find ourselves in Sherwood Park, so there are few opportunities to try some of the restaurants I’ve had my eye on for some time. In early June, Mack, Emily, Grandma Male and I made an occasion to sample the brunch at Branches in Sherwood Park.
Located inside the Greenland Garden Centre, the restaurant, greenhouse, and retail area reminded me of (a much smaller) Enjoy Centre – between having a meal and shopping, one could easily spend a couple of captive hours on the grounds.
I had called ahead to inquire about reservations, but had been told they weren’t accepted. They had advised to arrive before 11am on weekends (although the restaurant opens at 9am, their full brunch menu is served from 11am until 2pm). Though it was quite busy, our arrival at 11am thankfully didn’t mean we had to wait for a table that day.
Grandma Male and Emily at Branches
Branches has quite a lovely set up, with expansive windows in the dining room that look out onto small patio and the trees and shrubs for sale outside, in addition to a view of the kitchen. The brunch-specific menu is quite small (we could also have ordered from the regular lunch menu), but Mack and I were content with the Branches breakfast bowl ($15).
There was a modest wait for our food, but our server was responsive in topping up our coffees in the meantime. The bowl itself was enjoyable enough – I would have preferred poached to fried eggs for maximum yolk creaminess, but the potatoes, sausage, and bell peppers underneath were cooked well. The accompanying “green onion cakes” were more akin to fried bread than actual green onion cakes, and seemed out of place on a menu without any other hint of fusion.
Branches breakfast bowl
Before heading out, we did spend some time exploring the greenhouse, and picked up some flowers and compost. While I’m not sure Branches is worth visiting on its own accord, if you were also in the market for some garden supplies, I’d recommend a trip out to Greenland Garden Centre for a pleasant afternoon.
Branches (located in the Greenland Garden Centre)
23108 Highway 16, Sherwood Park
(780) 467-3443
Monday-Wednesday 9am-6pm, Thursday-Friday 9am-9pm, Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 10am-5pm
Only Here for the Food 