The Lazy Loaf & Kettle

We dropped in on a weekday afternoon to get something quick to eat and coffees to drink; my first experience here was fantastic; the place was not that busy and we did not need to wait long in line to order; order was easy and the girl who was taking the order was super helpful, great attitude and very welcoming; they have soups, sandwiches, desserts, coffee, breads, etc. Lots of options to be honest to choose from; you can make your own sandwiches as you like and this gives lots of flexibility; we ordered sandwiches, both Chicken, and Americano, my favourite; the coffee was really good, sandwiches were super tasty and fresh; the atmosphere of the café is super good, you will feel you are at home, people sitting and playing games, drawing, etc.
Not sure if they had WiFi as we got the sandwiches and coffee and left as we did not have time to stay;
I will definitely recommend this place, you will love this cozy Café.

So I was craving a cookie, and of course I checked Unilocal for a good spot to stop on the way home. The LL&K came up so I thought I’d try it, as I love a good little neighborhood gem.
The place was buzzing with activity at lunch hour — always a good sign!
There was a short line up for take out and bakery items, which gave me just enough time to peruse the display case.
The cookies were literally the size of my face, and they had a few different flavors. Considering that’s what I came in there to get, I should’ve had one.
But instead I got side tracked by the Date Square (I’m a DS snob and I’m always on the hunt for just the right one), and the enormous Eatmore slice.
The date square was pretty good — good enough to order again for sure. Pretty good fruit/​oat ratio, not overly spiced, and a nice large size.
The Eatmore bar was nothing like an Eatmore, so that was a little disappointing. However, if they would’ve just called it a chocolatey krispie peanut crunch bar, then they would’ve nailed it, but I realize that name is a mouthful.
Because I haven’t tried any of their lunch items and only two baked goods, I can’t give a full 5 stars yet, but I do intend on going back soon to get a cookie (and probably at least one other baked good, because there’s no way you can leave with just one sweet!)

Jesus, this place is always busy. First time I was in town with K, we were going to drop in for a bite but Lazy Loaf & Kettle was so packed, we decided to go elsewhere. Well, this time I came by myself to grab her some food while she studied (I know, I know, I’m such a good friend).
Weekends are busy busy. I dropped by early Saturday afternoon and there was a massive line for takeout. No worries though, it moves pretty fast.
The menu is pretty straightforward with hot and cold drinks, breakfast and lunch options. Sandwiches and soups seem to be their jam. They also have massive baked goodies that tempt you while you wait in line.
Couple specials on their side menu, just above the kitchen counter. Nothing too mind blowing/​dramatic here.
You get to customize your sandwich to your hearts content. I like how they have special breads for every day of the week (Monday: Sundried tomato, Tuesday: Wheat and honey, Wednesday: Cranberry rosemary, Thursday: Cheese and chive, Friday: Dill, Saturday: Asiago Italian herb, and Sunday: Rosemary garlic). Makes them stand out from the crowd a bit.
Takeout bag. FYI — not the best bag to carry when you’re biking back home. At least it lasted with only a few small tears.
Whole sandwich with soup ($ 14.10) and puffed wheat squares ($ 4.10) — got the Saturday Asiago Italian herb bread and tomato bacon soup special. Didn’t try the sandwich and soup but my friend liked it. Good amount of turkey meat and vegetables. I had the puffed wheat square which was pretty addictive. Fell apart easily and not overly sweet.
Decent spot to grab brunch if sandwiches and soups is up your alley. Just be prepared to wait if you want to eat inside, otherwise take it to go/​eat outside on the patio!

Tasty ingredients, but when i highlight clearly the toppings on a sheet of paper and you mess that up, it’s just bloody frustrating. Especially when i order to go.

Very over rated.
$ 30 for two sandwiches $ 30.
Then when you pay with debit… they ask you what percentage or $ amount for a tip? Why tip when it’s counter service?? That’s like tipping at subway… doesn’t make sense.
Surprised people keep coming back but I guess it’s the only café in the area so we have to put up with the inflated prices and daft staff.

This place has good food & nice coffee & lots of options. I only give them 3 stars because the place is to small for there needs, When your spending that much money on food (almost always over $ 5 for a single pastry) and one of the girls working there is always rude.

After reading many positive reviews I was really disappointed by my first experience. For starters I found the coffee to be nearly undrinkable which I think is a big sin in any place that serves breakfast. My poached eggs were yellow and greasy looking from whatever oil product they used to line the cooking tins; I order poached eggs to avoid that. The breakfast potatoes were okay, nothing to write home about but nothing to complain about either. The bread for the 9 grain toast was really nice but, unfortunately, they went a bit overboard with the butter or margarine that they put on. I guess that’s on me for not specifying. So, overall, not terrible but definitely wouldn’t recommend it to a friend based on my one experience.

Dry tuna sandwich, as if they just dumped a can of tuna on the bread and charged $ 9 for it.
The pickles were good…

As a self proclaimed coffee-​addict, I can honestly say i’ve tried nearly every coffee shop there is in Calgary– and I can honestly say, The Lazy Loaf & Kettle is my favourite one. First, there is a reason why it is packed on a typical lunch hour: the coffee is good, the food is better and the service is undeniable. The crowd that they attract varies from young students getting a quick lunch while they study (free wifi included), first dates, business people looking for a place to meet and seniors looking for a nice place to get a soup, sandwich and coffee. Everyone is welcome here in The Lazy Loaf’s welcoming home cooked feel.
The parking is a little hard to get used to as it is a smaller lot and only 1 – 2 hour parking, so it is advised to find another route there, or to go at an earlier time. They open at 7am and you’ll usually find me there for their amazing breakfast, but if you’re not a morning person, they serve it until 3pm. And if you don’t like breakfast, their sandwiches are unbeatable!
I would definitely recommend The Lazy Loaf & Kettle to any friend, acquaintance, stranger and their dog, anytime.

The EATMORE bars are just pure salt. AVOID. The rest of the chunky deserts are all pretty much the same kind of recipe, and even all look the same. AVOID.

This place is great! Our work orders catering from here often. Sandwiches are fresh and flavorful. Pickles and squares are good as well. Have never been to the store, so this review is based on catering only.

If you’re looking for very wholesome and feeling freshly baked goods with enough calories to power the North Star then you’ll love the Lazy Loaf. It’s a cozy, spacious, non-​invasive place without the lame elevator music described by a lifer as iconic Calgary eating. Their apple cider was excellent described with a smile and my chai latte not sparing in richness. The carrot cake is made with real cream cheese icing and definitely was way more than enough to fill a small elephant. There is no shy. I think the lazy part is the after effect of food here. The walls are adorned with local art including prints of a lady spurting blood after pulling a sword from her throat. I didn’t quite get that piece but it can all be yours for a cool $ 20. The staff is friendly and you can tell by the locals it’s a place people have been coming to forever. I enjoyed it and would go back. You should check it out. It’s a great place to talk and experience a salivating piece of cake your trainer will be talking about for months.

The good: seating is available so you’re not stuck waiting an hour for a table. Big menu with lots of options and half portions. Helpful and nice staff.
Bad: The ordering process. It really lowers the overall dining experience when I feel like I’m in the lineup at Tim hortons. The lighting is bad, there is noise from the kitchen, the tables are WAY too close to each other and not cleaned often enough. The coffee was mediocre at best and was self serve, but still cost $ 3 for 16oz. They have other drinks that I didn’t try.
My experience:
The breakfast menu was decent but very plain, except for the special which was cinnamon French toast. I had that, without the sides and waited for my food. After receiving it I realized I hadn’t received any syrup and with no hope of flagging anyone down, I just asked the table next to me for some. The French toast was 4 huge slices. They tasted ok but the cinnamon spread that came with them really added a lot of flavor. The French toast didn’t seem to be permeated with egg and the middle of the thick slices just tasted like normal bread.

Wasn’t overly impressed considering all the high reviews. Found the café to be quite dirty (really needs some dusting). Our sandwiches were okay but the bread was dry and didn’t find them to be anything that exciting especially for the price. We didn’t try any of the baking so can’t comment on that.

Parking lot seemed like a bit of a gong show; parked at another parking lot a little bit over but even that one was weird. Came at around 11, a little bit before the lunch rush so might explain the busy parking lot.
My friend tried the roast beef sandwich and I had the mac n cheese. We shared a gigantic cream cheese cookie sandwich (that we did not finish).
They have a piece of paper where you can highlight what you would like on the sandwich. Old school but efficient way to get the orders right.
I had a bite of the sandwich. It was good and I love that it is freshly made but a sandwich is a sandwich and that is all I can say.
The mac n cheese was a pretty big portion and came with a choice of your side. The mac n cheese was topped with loads of cheese, but underneath it I found the sauce was a little less cheesy and a bit more. Ranchy? The tasted reminded me a lot of ranch sauce. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I opted for the spinach salad as my side which came with a delicious berry dressing. Not your average dinky sad side salad.
The cookie was huuuge! Size-​of-​my-​face huge. Loaded with tons of cream cheese in the middle, it works well with the ginger snap cookie.
You take a number and they bring out the food when it’s ready. Water is self serve and you also seat yourself. The place is definitely not small, but was packed the entire time we were there.
Definitely a cute little place to grab lunch with friends and chat and hang out a little, although I would hate to see people hanging out even after their food was done because the place is sooo busy. If you’re in the area and want to grab a laid back casual lunch, definitely a good place!

Coffee, fluffy baked stuff and straight forward breakfasts are on point.
I often drop in for a loaf of fresh or day-​old bread (although sometimes the bread can be a bit dense when the b-​team is baking) their signature loaf is a great loaf of bread.
After a bike ride along the Bow it’s nice to stop in for a coffee and a baked thing or sit down for a more substantial breakfast.
The baked things are big, with lots of frosting and stuff and the breakfast are pretty traditional.
You can also draft your own sandwich while you wait in line at lunch, that’s kinda fun.
And they do run some nice lunch and dinner specials along the lines of chili or lasagna.
They bang it out so its all usually nice and fresh.

Hit after hit after hit — That’s what every single experience I’ve had at Lazy loaf has been. I’ve been coming to Lazy Loaf every now and then for a little over 10 years and every single sandwich, every single soup and every single coffee I’ve had has been exactly what I wanted.
Most recently, my folks just got back to Canada after 6 months in Costa Rica and were craving some good, down-​home North American Soup and Sandwiches. They wanted to be decently quick, they wanted soup, they wanted to sit down and it should be on the way to my house. Sounds tricky, right? Nope! Lazy Loaf and Kettle.
They’re a popular place, so get ready to share the space with a few people. You’ll have to inch passed people at their tables and weave past others in line as you try find a seat. It’s not the kind of coffee shop that I’d come to hunker down with my laptop at, take meetings or bring a date (almost. Read on.) With so many people, the energy is high and besides, you’d just be a jerk if you were taking up space with a lap top in this kind of crowd.
I mentioned dates! If you’re going to take dating advice from me (and I suggest you don’t) this is a great place to work into a date, instead of making it the sole destination. It’s too busy and rushed feeling for a 1^st date, but go for a walk along the river path and make this your stop for lunch. You’re golden.

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed Lazy Loaf! Lazy loaf is just off Parkdale Crescent NW along with other small shops and restaurants. It’s near the ice cream stop — Lic’s. They do have a parking lot but it is shared so on weekends it can get quite packed. The first time I visited lazy loaf was last year and it was love at first sight. I walked into a display of fresh baked cakes, squares, cookies, breads, loaves. It was really heaven for me. My first ever visit, I was on some stupid diet so I didn’t have any sweets (I KNOW RIGHT?) — I remember I had a sandwich and the ordering process is quite simple. You grab a piece of paper, check off what you want and bring it to the front. Their in house bread is quite good. You are able to order half sandwiches as well. I noticed they offer soups, salads and pastas as well as they have typical breakfasts in the morning. There is not really a designated area to line up so people line up along the display and into the dining area. It can get a bit tight if it’s busy and sometimes I’m sure it can be a pain to find a seat.
This review is based mainly on the baked goodies. I visit Lazy Loaf when I’m craving something sweet (all the time) and I’m always excited to visit because they have cake pops, macarons, other squares and cakes that change throughout the week so it can be a surprise the next time I walk in. Lazy loaf has the best carrot cake I’ve tried — super moist and the cream cheese is sweet and delicious. The ginger cookie sandwich is amazing — two huge soft ginger cookies with a heaping of cream cheese frosting in the middle, these can get messy if you try and break off pieces as it squishes the cream and goes all over but nonetheless always tasty! The chocolate cake here is one of my favorite in the city — just please try it, you won’t regret it. Dense but moist cake (yes dense but moist) with some amazing chocolate frosting in between the layers, I’m not sure if its chocolate cream cheese but whatever it is, it’s top notch. I’ve had the turtle brownie, again, amazing. It’s heavy but when you bite into it, it’s like you wouldn’t expect this dense brownie to be soft, the caramel and pecans on top is a sweet sweet sin. Right now, they’ve got a peanut butter cup and its really good, chocolate layer with homemade peanut filling — I tell myself there is protein in these cups so I don’t feel as guilty.
I promise the moment you walk in, you’ll be excited! Because every time I walk into lazy loaf (which is quite often) I’m ALWAYS excited.
Lazy Loaf, thank you for always being there for my sweet tooth *emoji with heart eyes*

We stopped in for Sunday lunch and it was if course crazy busy. I explained to my family how the ordering works, and we sat and made our sandwich orders on the provides papers.
When we went to order we did that thing most families do, where both my mom and I slapped down our credit cards to pay for lunch. My mom quickly conceded and took her card back. The reaction of the staff however was. weird, if not just plain rude. The girls at the till looked at each other, rolled their eyes, shook their heads. One girl stepped back and threw her arms up in the air like this 1 minute decision on who was paying had somehow completely inconvenienced her. They also expressed their annoyance In figuring out if the meals were all together (4) or separate (into 2 orders). The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth for our Lunch date there.
We ended up getting our meal decently fast, and then both the sandwich orders were wrong. I ordered salmon salad and got tuna. I ordered Swiss cheese and got cheddar. I ordered no tomato and no sprouts and got tomato and sprouts. The sandwich was alright — not what I ordered and definitely not mind blowing but, it tasted good enough. I could tell my whole family was underwhelmed and not thrilled on the experience. Bummer.
I watched as several other customers got serious attitude, and then decided I probably wouldn’t come back, which is unfortunate because I loved this place when I lived in Calgary

So I went here on a Friday evening/​night and it was lovely. There were tons of places to sit, both inside and out. It’s a pretty large place, so I can’t imagine it packed, but it’s pastries and coffee are delicious so I guess I can see how it would get that way.
I live on the other side of town, so I just went here to meet up with some folks. I don’t know if I would drive across town just for the Lazy Loaf, but I will definitely stop by the next time I’m in the area. They have delicious pastries (and even some vegan/​gluten free/​dairy free options!) and their sandwiches looked tasty as well. Even on a Friday afternoon, the coffee was fresh and delicious. Since it was a Friday, I added a little Kahlua to it (perfect option for a Friday, eh? ^_​~).
Anyway, this is a café shop and hang-​out spot. If you live in the area, I would say it’s definitely worth a visit… or two, or three.