Beaver Tails

Victoria has one now pretty new and their first store downtown opened last year, it in the middle of tourist shops close to all the shops for walking street level a few tables out front, the cinnamon sugar with the lemon is the classic and my choice always.

Seeing this on Unilocal spiked my desire for one of these delicious treats wherein I had to google the shop to see where the closest one is to me. Unfortunately, there is not one anywhere near me. These are so yummy — the perfect dessert. They are portable (grab one then walk around and enjoy the view), light, fun to share, and just plain TASTY!

I love Beaver Tails and I hate Beaver Tails. Every location of Beaver Tails (both of the Banff ones and one in Winnipeg) has very poor allergy handling practices. I’m convinced this is a corporate-​wide deficiency. I totally understand they cannot guarantee a nut-​free product when they handle nuts in-​house. However, I at least would like their employees to know a little bit about nut allergy protocol.
In Winnipeg I asked if Skor had nuts in it (I honestly did not know if it did or not). They indicated it didn’t. I told them I wasn’t allergic but my wife is deathly allergic so I did not want to cross contaminate her with my nut-​breath (insert joke here). After getting my Skor Beaver Tail my wife stopped me before I could have my first bite. Skor does in fact have nuts in it. I had to give it away.
In Banff, at both locations on two separate occasions I had asked the employees if Oreos had nuts in it. They both said they didn’t know. I knew that Oreos don’t contain nuts so I ordered it anyway.
Get your employees more familiar with proper nut-​handling techniques and scenarios please!

There are two in Banff but I don’t remember which one this is. I didn’t get the tail as it seemed too messy to be walking around with this so I got the little donut holes. They had a variety of toppings to go with the beavertail but I wasn’t up for all that extra sugar. Just got the cinnamon and sugar donut holes. There’s not a lot to say except it was disappointing. There is no flavor. I was hoping it would taste like an elephant ear but it did not. I think it’s more suited for kids. Maybe the beavertail would have been a better choice but for that price, i’m not sure I would try it again.

A perfect dessert to snack on as you wander Banff streets! The beavertails are about 8 – 10 inches long and come with a variety of toppings. I got the Reese’s Pieces, nutella, and peanut butter topped version, which was good! But I think that a lighter topping would’ve complemented the light, fried pastry a lot better. Make sure to grab some napkins, because you will get a little oily and sticky. A great Canadian treat to try out in the mountains and the perfect size for sharing or keeping all to yourself!

There are two locations in Banff — I’m writing about the one on the same street as Grizzly House. Anywho! After dinner at the Grizzly House, we walked a few shops down to BEAVERTAILS. They offer frozen yogurt at this location as well. I’ve had beavertails before but haven’t reviewed — so here I am.
What are beavertails? They are whole wheat pastries, hand stretched and float fried in oil, served piping hot with your choice of toppings that is shaped like a beavertail. There’s a display of all the topping and at the back wall there is a picture of the flavors that range from, plain cinnamon, to oreo, skor cheese cheesecake, maple, hazelnut, apple and reeses pieces (there are more but I forget) but you can also create your own and select your toppings if you’d like. One would think after dining at the Grizzly House, we would share beavertails. Well… my friends and I are savages so we each got one.
I couldn’t decide which flavor I wanted for the life of me so I took forever — the girl at the front told me that I can get two different flavors separated on the beavertails so she was my saving grace. I decided to go with half reese’s peanut butter and half cheese cake! Mmmmmmmmmmmm! (Just thinking about it makes my mouth water) The beavertails are about 8 inches long and maybe half or so inch thick — it came out nice and hot as expected but perfect to touch! The cheesecake side was a cheesecake spread topped with skor bits and drizzled with caramel. The Reese’s pieces side had a chocolate spread, topped with reeses pieces and a thick drizzle of peanut butter sauce… deeeelicious! The pastry was soft on the inside and perfectly crispy to bite! It’s hard to eat the beavertails without making a mess, so I ripped pieces off to eat. I glad I got two flavors because I really enjoyed them both. It seemed that everyone else enjoyed their choices as well because they all inhaled theirs too. They are quite generous with the topping which is great!!! Beavertails remind me of a flattened delicious donut with tasty toppings!
I love sugar.

Cinnamon with lemon was always my favourite flavour! Love Beaver tails, the very standard and sweet taste

During our visit to Canada, I really wanted my kids to try some beaver tail and poutine. This place had BOTH!
We got the nutella and banana. The kids loved it!!!

We’ve been to — and enjoyed — Beavertails across Canada. Normally, you walk up, order your Beavertail and it’s in your hand on the way out of the store in minutes. Meanwhile, after nearly 10 minutes we wondered what was going on. Still, no Beavertail. There’s very slow service at this location. However, no one can argue that these Beavertails taste darn good. If you like sugar, I mean lots of sugar, this is your spot.
Who would enjoy a snack here? Anyone with a sweet tooth. While they have poutine, shakes, hot dogs and a few other items, you’ll want to stick to ordering the Beavertails, basically fried dough with an array of toppings including chocolate, Oreo, maple, banana Nutella and others. It’s packed with calories, but tastes amazing and if you’re in Banff you’re on vacation anyway, so you can splurge, right? Bring grandma and grandpa, kids or a group of friends and you’ll want to return.
The only downfall is they close early for a dessert type place, 10pm even in a resort town where people stay out late. With the number of bars in town this place would be packed at Midnight. Just food for thought. Hopefully, service improves. This is a great model for success as seen in the rest of their Canadian locations.

Review from Tripadvisor:
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If you search up Canadian things, this is the one thing that makes Canadians different. Having said that, I’m from Vancouver but it’s been ages since I’ve been to Whistler so if I’ve ever had this before, it’s been erased from my memories.
Anyways in short, I got their Cinnamon and Sugar. The place was super quiet in the morning so I got to see them deep fry it in front of me.
It was definitely not what I expected. The pastry is super fluffy and light despite being deep fried. It’s not super greasy but the sugar is a little messy.
Definitely love this Canadian find!

Beaver tails are always delicious but it was the birthday cake gelato that stole the show. So good! So creamy! so delicious! I wish I had more! Seriously don’t miss out.

It was the first time that I tried Beaver tails and I wish I could go back again and again to try all their fantastic flavors. I really wanted to discover that specialty and head to the Beaver tails right after eating a gigantic surf and turf at Mapple Leaf. I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish it all but it was actually lighter than it looks. The pastry was crispy and thin and the frosting was sweet but not sweet at the point that you want to empty a bottle of water. I also like their choices in ice creams and all the nice toppings.
Si vous êtes en visite à Banff, il vous faut absolument découvrir la quête de castor. Cette pâtisserie est typique et tellement délicieuse. Tout dans la boutique est gourmand, on pourrait y passer des heures à prendre des kilos. Un véritable régal !

Wife, kid, and I had these treats 4 months ago on our road trip, and I have been thinking about them lately, so I figured they were worth a review.
The establishment was new to us, and we had no expectations; we were just walking around town since our hike had been smoked out by the wild fires.
We ordered a cinnamon one, and a banana-​Nutella. The latter could have used more banana and less Nutella, but I quibble. Both were dangerously delicious, especially with a cup of hot coffee. We had eaten a real meal prior to enjoying the tails, and I was stuffed; but I would have crammed in another if it was put in front of me.
If you live near a Beaver Tails, you should avoid it like you would avoid your local drug dealer. This is why I am giving only 4 stars: I resent Beaver Tails for haunting my dreams.

Just climbed Sulphur mountain. Needed a calorie hit after the 2500m elevation. Walk was 5 km long up hill. We got 4 beaver tails for C $ 25. Loved the maple syrup flavour. lovely fried crust. Like a tail shaped fried pizza but sweet. Could do more of these.

Our long drive from the sunny Okanagan turned winter-​y very quickly and our spirits were sinking like the mercury was the closer we were getting to home.
What we needed was a quick Beavertail ‘pick me up’. It’s true that they are just flat fried whole wheat pastry with toppings but… wait a minute! Fried pastry topped with cinnamon sugar and lemon, or cheesecake and skor bits… definite not just ‘fried bread dough’!!
Luckily with the weather so crappy we parked in the 5 minute zone and were able to get our Beavertails within that time frame. Be warned this is not the usual as in the summer the line up can stretch right out the door.
After our spirits (and blood sugar) were significantly lifted we continued back home and wondered when our next Beavertail experience would be.

The beaver tail is big and kinda messy to eat. They dont have plastic knives or forks, so you just gotta stuff it in your mouth. It is big enough to share with the wife. The end to end eating thing is romantic in movies, but bothersome and impractical in real life.
Smoothies were expensive and not worth trying. Did not try the soft serve.

Had my first Beaver Tail in Ottawa in the middle of the winter while skating down the Rideau Canal. The next location I had it was on top of Grouse Mountain in Vancouver. So when I saw it in Banff, I was both surprised and excited.
I ordered what I always do. The Cinnamon Sugar. It was just as good as always. The chocolate and banana choice looked really good as well.
This is definitely a great Canadian winter tradition that goes really well with hot chocolate.

Languši, Croatia. Zeppole, Italy. Beignet, France. Doughnut or donut, United States. Fried dough has no bounds! And Canada’s own is called the BeaverTail. It’s not the same as the elephant ear you get at carnivals, it’s a beaver tail. I remember my first was in Ottawa as a child, my uncle nearly had me convinced it was actually our nation’s furry mascot’s tail beaten down and fried. It also happens to be one of the most delicious snacks you can have in Banff, the only store of the franchise in Alberta.
BeaverTails is a Canadian company, specializing in the deep fried dough desserts. Amongst other items like ice cream and sorbets, hotdogs and poutines, you can order up a customized beaver tail or choose from a preset menu.
Each order is made fresh, hand-​pulled whole wheat (!) dough. Fried and ready in a few minutes. It’s honestly one of my favorite things to eat of all time. If I can’t make it down to Banff to get one, a special trip to Edmonton’s summer carnival (K-​Days) is in order just so I can get the street food equivalent of an elephant ear. Or I line up in blistering heat at the Croatia tent at Edmonton’s Heritage Days. Nothing is quite the same as a fresh beaver tail though! Crispy and crunchy, yet somehow deep fried without the overwhelming grease factor some donuts can have. Cinnamon sugar is a classic, but you can go nuts and add on extra toppings to your order as well.
For those undecided, you can split your beaver tail and make both parties happy! I opted for the lemon cinnamon sugar, and Joe tried the banana chocolate, a combination of fresh banana slices and chocolate hazelnut spread.
The shop on Banff Avenue (close to Chaya) does not have any seats although a window ledge is there if you nab it. They’re opening up a second location on Banff Avenue, one just wasn’t enough for the small touristy town. I really wished they’d open up on at West Edmonton Mall! Where else do you get mounds of tourists? Not only are they expanding within Canada, they’re also opening up a location in Tokyo, Japan! Going international with beaver tails! If you haven’t been a BeaverTails location, make sure you stop by if you’re in the Banff Area. Deeeeelicious!

So delightful!!! Always a favorite stop in banff — perfect way to end a trip!
They will do ½ and ½ tails too so if you just can’t decide why not try two different ones!

Beaver Tails is apparently the place to go to when in Banff. Place was bumping with a constant flow of people coming in and out. Small joint as everyone has said but lots of benches to sit around outside.
My cousin was obsessed about trying one all day so we went after our early dinner and had some dessert. We tried a couple flavours:
— Apple cinnamon ($ 6.43)
— Banana chocolate ($ 6.43)
— Original/​plain ($ 5.00)
— Coffee ($ 2.00)
Had a taste of all three and they were all pretty good. Definitely hits the spot if your craving some deep fried dessert goodness. I think my favourite out of the three was the banana chocolate — don’t think you can ever go wrong with that combination!