Twyla Campbell: Refinery Grill's Greek food 'hard to swallow'

This week, Edmonton AM food columnist Twyla Campbell had a once-in-a-lifetime meal at a family-run Greek restaurant in west Edmonton in a bad way.

In other words, she won't be returning.

The Refinery Grill first opened its doors on Mayfield Road and 104th Avenue in March, and has garnered some positive reviews online in the months since, Campbell said.

Given its apparent "hidden gem" status, Campbell was surprised to find the restaurant, which seats 80, empty except for her party at suppertime on a Wednesday.

"The actual space is huge it almost feels like a mausoleum in there," she said. "It's not very cosy."

Edmonton AM6:39Restaurant Review - Refinery Grill

Our food explorer Twyla Campbell took a trip out to the west end to try Refinery Grill.

Twyla's table

The husband and wife team behind Refinery Grill previously owned the nearby Wolfie's Deli, Campbell said, and that influence shows in the 60-item menu at Refinery Grill.

With thismany items on the menu, something is going to suffer, and it's usually the diner.- Twyla Campbell

"Meat is featured prominently" in the kitchen offerings, which includes 14 sandwiches, multiple burgers, four steaks, several pork and chicken dishes AND fish and chips, Campbell said.

There's also pastas, salads, 15 appetizers and a number of sides on the offer.

"There's so much going on it'll make your head spin," Campbell said. "With thismany items on the menu, something is going to suffer,and it's usually the diner."

In total, Campbell's group sampled a number of items:

• Smoked meat poutine: Hand-cut fries, shredded cheddar cheese ("the ultimate sin when it comes to poutine," she says), a "gallon" of gravy, and a sprinkling of smoked meat.
• Smoked meat sandwich: "It looked impressive you need two full hands to hold half of the sandwich," Campbell said. Biting in, however, the meat had "no redeeming qualities" and was served with "the worst kosher pickle I've ever had."
• Greek roasted potatoes: "They're about as exciting as that sandwich, which is to say not at all."
• Vegetable sides: Most dishes came with large chunks of carrots and broccoli as a side. Verdict: the veggies are "crying out for something I don't know what excitement or respect or something."
• Greek ribs: The ribs were served with a drizzle of smoky barbecue sauce on the plate, "which is weird," Campbell said. Verdict: "One look, I knew right away this was not going to be good Absolutely inedible." The dish was sent back to the kitchen.
• Greek salad: The mixed vegetables tasted like they'd been sitting in a commercially-made sauce for too long, Campbell said. "If you've been to Greece, you know this is the furthest thing from how an authentic Greek salad should be."
• Chicken Souvlaki: The dish "tasted like gas," she said.
• Prawn Santorini: A half dozen prawns smothered in zesty tomato sauce. Verdict: "I guess that was the best dish."
• Caesar salad: "Passable."

Overall verdict: Several of the dishes were "literally hard to swallow," Campbell said.

Campbell estimated about 80 per cent of the food ordered was left on the plate at the end of dinner, noting "big portions mean big losses" for the business.

The service

Unlike the food, Campbell had no qualms about their server, who was helpful and happy to answer questions.

The owner was not quite as gracious, however, when Campbell's group sent back a dish.

"The owner did come out, she spoke to us, she was not happy," Campbell said. "She got a bit aggressive, saying 'This is how we do it here.'"

In the end, though, two dishes the Greek ribs and smoked meat sandwich were removed from the bill.

For Campbell, the gesture wasn't enough to make up for the meal, though.

"I don't think I'll be going back to that one."

You can hear Twyla's reviews on Edmonton AM every second Friday. You can also see more of her reviews on her blog,Weird Wild and Wonderful, and can follow her on Twitter at@wanderwoman10.