After years of talking about it, we finally made it to Saskatoon for Chris’s birthday. The name says it all. Think hunting lodge with lofty ceilings and wood as far as the eye can see. There was even a wooden grizzly bear at the entrance and a fireplace in the foyer. This place is the ultimate guy’s night out spot. It’s basically Cabela’s minus the shopping. At first, I was wondering if there were any other women there. There were but the ratio was like 10:1. It might be a good place for those trying to meet guys. On to the experience…

Appetizer

First, your server brings you a small loaf of wheat bread on a wooden cutting board accompanied by three scoops of butter (regular, cinnamon and blueberry). I’m all about free. The bread and various butter options were fine but unmemorable.

Appetizers don’t usually get a stand-alone section but Saskatoon’s appetizers are substantial. I could have eaten that and been full. We selected the Sampler (Grilled Chicken Tenders, Skewer of Saskatoon Shrimp, Buffalo, and Spinach and Bacon Dip).

Everything was good. All of the meat was tender. I was surprised by how much I liked the buffalo. It was great and had a nice grilled flavor. There was more spinach dip than tortilla chips but it was also good on the bread.

We also had salads garnished with orange slices. It was one of the best restaurant salads I’ve had in a long time. The croutons had a sweetness to them but paired well with the red onion. Perfection would have been cheese and boiled eggs but even without those additions, the salad was solid.

I was already full by this point but I’m no quitter.

Main Event

The birthday boy went with the Huntsman’s Platter (Kangaroo, Ostrich and Elk) with Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Chris liked everything but the elk was probably the best. An added bonus was being able to tell my nieces that he ate a kangaroo (insert eye roll). They were understandably appalled since they were thinking of Kanga from Winnie the Pooh.

I decided to go with a familiar favorite and got a Ribeye with Potato Wedges. We couldn’t both live on the edge. My thinking was one of us needed to have a “safe” meal in case the other meats were not the business. To me, you can’t go wrong with a steak and potatoes, especially at a place where the meat is the star of the show.

YTC Takeaway

Saskatoon will break the bank but apparently many men love it. Trying the unusual meats was a fun experience. It’s not my aesthetic but Chris really liked it.