One cold winter morning, Juliet and MJ set out into the ice and slush of Uptown 17th Avenue in Calgary to bring you this food review!
After our failed attempt at going to Crepes & Cravings (which turned out to be closed; but stay tuned to our blogs because we’ll review it soon!!), we walked further down 17th Ave to Waves Coffee House because it was the next closest thing to getting a breakfast and we weren’t about to return to school with empty stomachs.
Location: 9/10
From Western Canada High School, Waves is a five minute walk, three blocks west of the school. It’s on the corner of 9a Street. Not a bad spot to check out if you’re chilling on 17th.
Atmosphere: 9/10
Our first impression of the atmosphere once we walked in was one of warmth (but then again, we were kind of cold). The music was a soothing mix of indie and alternative, Jack Johnson-type music lightly playing in the background. The light inside was bright yet mellow, the softly glowing lights adding a unique touch. However, one downside to the atmosphere was this: the tables were a little small and somewhat crowded together (maybe not the best place to throw down your textbooks and do homework). But overall, it was a comfortable atmosphere, perfect for chatting with your friends over a cup of tea.
Service: 10/10
Despite our extended period of musing over the menu, the female server at the counter was patient and amiable. Although she was professional, she didn’t give off that cold, detached aura. Answering all our questions and waiting patiently for our order, she was definitely helpful and friendly.
Food: 8/10
The first thing we tried was a breakfast wrap because we wanted to try a savoury food item and a sweet one. The wrap itself was decent; soft and warm. The eggs and bacon were not overwhelming and they also were not greasy. But if you’re planning to have an actual meal, the size may not be ample to fill your stomach. For the dessert, we tried a Napoleon (or mille-feuille;Â we’ve never heard of it but it looked good). The cream wasn’t too heavy and it balanced pretty well with the puff pastry. The puff pastry, however, was a little bit dry but otherwise, it was light and delicious.
For drinks, Juliet had a a dark chocolate mocha and MJ a caramel macchiato. The drinks weren’t bitter or grainy as Starbucks coffee could get sometimes, and it was smooth. The menu offered a variety of tea and coffee, giving lots of choices (but for people like Juliet and MJ, that could be a bad thing…).
Keep scrolling to enjoy some more pictures (and to find out what our overall rating was!):
“I want to start every morning like this!” -MJ
Our overall rating: 9/10
In general, Waves is a great place to go to if you’re in the mood to relax with some quiet music and a warm cup of coffee while chatting with your friends, or if you’re craving a bite of French pastries. You can also enjoy some free Wifi at Waves, and if that doesn’t suit you, sit down with a friend and play some chess.
