Heartstone at The Prairie Creek Inn

During our weekend getaway at Prairie Creek, my husband and I dined at Heartstone with another couple. The restaurant had a lovely atmosphere, with tables positioned along the room's edges. Despite a large dinner party nearby, we were impressed that the restaurant could accommodate such a large group. The seafood special and butternut squash soup were excellent, and my bacon wrapped chicken was delicious. The vegetable sides were surprisingly delicious and varied. The lava cake for dessert was delightful, and they even comped it for my birthday. We found the prices very reasonable for the quality of the food, and portion sizes were just right. The only downside was the dining room temperature; it was uncomfortably warm, even with a window cracked open. Despite this, we are looking forward to returning for our annual trip next year.

We stayed at the Prairie Creek Inn a few years ago and were very impressed and decided to come back for an anniversary weekend. The Inn was still as good as we remembered but were quite disappointed with the Heartstone. The staff was very friendly, the atmosphere was all right, but the food left something to be desired. The presentation and the flavors were quite substandard for the prices charged both were mediocre at best and do not garner the price charged for the food. We ate at the restaurant both nights we stayed and if the weather was not so snowy we may have cancelled our reservation the second night and driven to Rocky. If a restaurant wants to charge classy restaurant prices then the food and the atmosphere must match I would have expected excellent food and dinner music, not radio play type music. The highlight was the staff very friendly and helpful.

The service was excellent, and the food was great. My spouse said the duck was one of the best dishes he has ever had. I ordered the Oscar sirloin and thought the crab was a bit salty, but the steak was good. As for dessert, the chocolate crème brûlée was amazing!

The buffalo meatloaf was spice which my husband loved; my maple bacon chicken was delicious. Veggies were delish.

The food here is delicious. I come from Calgary and eat in Banff a lot, so I was a tiny bit worried about the quality of a small town restaurant. First off, service was impeccable. Courteous, thoughtful, and prompt. Our servers on both nights knew when to come by and when to give us space.I like the upscale-homestyle plating. It was a generous amount of food. You know sometimes how a fancy plate makes you wonder if you'll walk away full? I knew I'd walk away satisfied. The lamb was my favorite of all four dishes we ate. It was savory and succulent with a rich sauce. I wasn't such a fan of the bacon-wrapped pork medallions because the bacon was still soft and I like bacon more crispy. The next night's bison steak special was perfectly medium and delicious, with the same sides as the previous night. I enjoyed the beef as well. The sauces on all dishes were really flavorful with just the right level of salt (I find many restaurant sauces overly salty).We took dessert to our room one night. I had asked for it to be packed, expecting a Styrofoam to-go container but it came beautifully presented on a tray complete with forks because the staff knew we were staying at the Inn! What a lovely surprise. My only complaint is that corkage costs $20. I was expecting ~$10-15, which is part for the course in Calgary. We had brought a special bottle of wine to celebrate our anniversary.