dairy lane cafe

great food. the food is great, really good portion sizes. the staff however could stand to be more friendly. we have gone there several times and there is little to no effort made to interact with the customers, unless of course you happen to be one of the owners or family. no one came by to ask our meal was, or to offer a top up on our coffee. it's tough to tip with that kind of service.


-----03 apr, 2013-----

super little breaky place. great little place for breakfast, huge portions and extremely tasty. they will gladly split an order to feed two smaller appetites. no problem! lots of gluten free tasty choices! friendly and well worth the wait!

celiacs beware. i had heard about dairy lane's gluten free options and read their menu before i went, so i was very excited to possibly get some gluten free toast or other bread products, because that is a rare treat for people with celiac disease. before ordering my meal (two eggs, toast and hashbrowns) i told the waitress that i had celiac disease. she said "okay so you want the gluten free toast" and she went to walk away. thankfully, before she slipped away, i asked if they toast the bread in a separate toaster, just to be sure, and i then learned the sad truth: they don't have separate toasters. it's very important for celiacs to avoid cross-contamination and if i had been served that toast, i would have been very sick. having a combined toaster completely ruins the point of even carrying gluten free bread at all, but i suppose i have the gluten free "trend" to blame for that. something covered on the outside with gluten-filled crumbs should not be called gluten free. this lack of worry for cross contamination should absolutely be stated on the menu, because some celiacs are going to take this gluten free claim at face value, and not ask the extra questions that i did, because they don't want to make a fuss over their disease! staff, especially those in restaurants that advertise gluten free options, should know that celiac disease is similar to an allergy in that minute amounts of gluten can cause a lot of damage in the body, and can even make some people sick for weeks afterwards. on the one positive note, the waitress did assure me that the hashbrowns were cooked in a dedicated gluten free fryer, though only after i sat with my plate in front of me for about ten minutes not eating before i got a chance to ask her - i had noticed they seemed deep fried not pan fried when they came out. overall, given the mediocrity of the food, the busy atmosphere of the restaurant, and the small cramped kitchen, i will probably not be back due to concerns about other types of cross-contamination. very disappointing.

never a disappointment, been here many times. just be prepared for a wait(it's worth it)

dairy lane cafe had been on my radar for awhile but after a not-so-stellar experience at their sister-restaurant, blue star diner , i held off for as long as possible. however, the moment arrived and i was finally ready to visit dairy lane, crossing my fingers that they would redeem themselves, and thankfully, they did. i went for the vegan scramble breakfast plate because who doesn’t like red thai coconut curry tofu for breakfast?

the food (especially the burgers) are super delicious, even their side salads are fresh and appetizing. the service is great, the servers create a relaxing environment that makes the experience even better.

delicious dairy lane. dairy lane offers a quaint experience with nice waiting staff and tasty food. i went with one gluten free and one allergy prone friend, and both were able to dine to their delight. i had the hamburger and salad and it was a great dinner. i will definitely be back.

amazing breakfast spot. went here for breakfast for the first time and absolutely loved it! i had the "all in omelette" and it was perfectly cooked. great portion size and all the ingredients were delicious. i would highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a great breakfast place! yummy!!!!

my boyfriend and i eat at dairy lane pretty frequently. there has been a lot of staff changes recently (both in the kitchen and waiters) and i'm sad to say that our last 2 visits here were a huge let down. my boyfriend and i went for dinner last weekend and neither of our meals even looked appetizing. my dl veggie burger was sloppily put together, fries weren't crispy, lettuce was wilted.. not at all the quality we've come to expect from dl. we both left feeling disappointed. i chalked it up to an "off" day in the kitchen, but i tried going back on a weekday a few days later and it was the same thing. the flavors are not consistent or up to the usual standard. the food has gone from a 10 to a 4 in a very short amount of time, and it needs to be at a 10 to justify the prices (which are high for diner food). i'm not sure i even want to to go back.
pease dairy lane, get it together!

dairy lane, sister restaurant to blue star diner, has actually been around since 1950 serving up fantastic homemade breakfast, lunch and dinner in kensington at 319 19th street nw. i had heard they have some of the best yam fries in the city and thought this would be a perfect place for a lazy lunch with a good friend :) ... after my disappointing dinner the night before at black pig bistro, this seemed like such a fantastic meal, i can't wait to go back! we did manage to score a spot on the small patio at around 1 pm on a friday. here is what we had mmm: i'm really into homemade, brewed iced team right now that's sweetened just a tiny bit. this homemade ice team was perfect! the waitress asked if i wanted peanut butter and/or jam with my meal - i said both and w

after many year...still love it. everything about this place is to love. i love the waffles a d the hasbrown. yum! been going here for years and will continue coming back

my favourite place. have been going to dairy lane for a few years. consistently great, even through change of management and opening of their second diner - blue star. good choice of delicious vegan options. the wait for a table does not take very long and the service is efficient. love that the products are locally sourced and i enjoy their wines, lemonade, ginger beer, teas and coffee. blankets are provided if you want to sit outside.

overpriced cafe!. this is a nice neighbourhood restaurant, friendly, but way overpriced. $15 for a burger and an extra $4.25 for small fries is gouging. $19.25 for burger and fries! yes, they are "gourmet" burgers and good (but not great) fries, but that is really excessive. when people say average calgary restaurants are higher-priced than nyc, this is the kind of place they are talking about. also, we waited over half an hour for our burgers and were never offered a top up on the "endless" cup of coffee. not recommended.

i had a girls lunch date here and i could not have been happier! not only did i have great company the server was very attentive, very knowledgable and very pleasant. the food was incredible, i had the burger with fries and to date i have never had a better burger. my boyfriend lives down the street and everytime we drive past there is a lineup down the street. i completely understand why. it's because the food, atmosphere and experience is impeccable! whether it's a girls date or a date with my man it is a great place to be!

that cream cheese berry french toast is amazing. all the food looked delicious & quick friendly service. the place is tiny so it gets loud when it's filled up but other than that - i will be back!

the food was ok, but really over priced. really not used to spending $20-$25 just on breakfast.