The interior of Hart’s Table & Bar. Photo courtesy of Century Hospitality Group.

About a month ago, my friends and I were trying to make plans for a girls’ night out. We wracked our brains for somewhere to eat. Most of us live on the south side of Edmonton, and, as has become apparent, there aren’t a lot of dining options when you exclude all of the chain restaurants from the list.

While there’s nothing wrong with a chain (many of you know how much I love places like Cactus Club and Joey), we simply wanted something different on this occasion. Eventually, we narrowed down our limited choices and settled on Hart’s Table & Bar.

Part of Century Hospitality Group’s collection of restaurants that dot the city of Edmonton, it was a location I hadn’t yet set foot in. Situated in a strip mall just off of 23 Avenue and Rabbit Hill Road, I’d seen the eatery’s sign while passing by on the bus, but never made the effort to stop by.

Arriving for our get together, I pulled at the heavy main door and found myself in a stylishly decorated space. With lounge-type chairs and couches near the entrance and a huge bar as its focal point, I could tell that the restaurant caters to a clientele that just wants to relax and enjoy a good time over some drinks.

The host took us to our bar height table where we started to settle in while we waited for our one friend to join us. My first thought was that the table was incredibly small for four people.

The share plates and cutlery that were set took up all the space and our menus were teetering on the brink. In fact, before our last member showed up, I had already created a loud clatter twice as I sent a couple of the menus belly flopping to the floor. How embarrassing. Those tables really should only seat two people at the maximum. By the time water and drink glasses are added and your main plates show up, there is literally no room left for a group of four to maneuver that comfortably.

The ‘Not Nachos’ ordered as our shared starter.

When it came to the food, we decided to start off with a shared order of the ‘Not Nachos.’ The flavour was there thanks to the shredded braised short rib, but the greasy house made kettle chips left more to be desired. Once covered in melted cheese, they lost their crispness and would often break when we tried to pick them up. It was a so-so appetizer that I am unlikely to get again.

For our mains, the three people I was dining with opted for salads. Two of them went with the My Wife’s Favourite Salad. A mix of grilled chicken breast, baby greens, berries, goat cheese, red quinoa, sunflower seeds and a champagne & lemon verbena vinaigrette, it’s the one I would have opted for had I gone the salad route as well. From what I could see, the salad was large and hearty. There was plenty of goat cheese, which to me would be the most important as it almost acts as an addition to the actual dressing, making for a creamier texture overall.

My Wife’s Favourite Salad

‘Country Club’ Cobb Salad

My other friend decided on the ‘Country Club’ Cobb Salad. It was also quite large (for almost $20 it should be massive). Off the bat, because of the blue cheese and the egg, it wouldn’t be my first choice on the menu, and when it came down to it, I think my companion was also a bit disappointed as the egg was very hard boiled and not what she expected. Also, Hart’s iteration of the Cobb salad just requires more work to eat as you have to cut the romaine hearts yourself. Simply digging right in doesn’t work. You have to really be more formal with that dish.

My Pig & Fig sandwich with Caesar salad.

To be different, I chose to dine on the Pig & Fig sandwich. It sort of seemed like the cousin of Earls Kitchen + Bar’s Chicken, Brie + Fig Sandwich, which has been a longtime favourite of mine. A toasted ciabatta bun filled with slow roasted pork, fig preserve, apple arugula slaw, crispy bacon and Gruyère cheese, I figured I couldn’t go wrong. Although it tasted pleasant, I didn’t love the slow roasted pork. The meat wasn’t super tender. Rather, the pork was fattier than I’d prefer and somewhat chewy. The side of Caesar salad was okay though.

Hart’s has a decent drink menu, which will get a group through a long night of talk, and the desserts sound pretty good. In our case, we ended up foregoing dessert since we couldn’t decide on one that we’d all be willing to share, and we just didn’t have it in us to each eat our own.

Overall, I like the atmosphere of the restaurant and the service was good; however, whenever my next visit occurs, I’ll make a point of trying something new as what I’ve had and/or seen so far hasn’t wowed me. If I ever do go back on a date, or with a larger group of people, I just hope there’s enough space for us to spread out, so we can enjoy our meal without worrying about knocking something over.

Hart’s probably won’t be my go to place in the neighbourhood, but I’m not striking it from my list either. It’s likely a place that deserves a second chance, especially in an area saturated with the same old offerings found all over town. Plus, with good company, it becomes easier to overlook any misgivings I have about the restaurant.