Extreme Bean

Stunningly horrible customer service.
I will never return.
I popped in to buy a coffee and a tea to-​go. Was actively ignored for the first 5 minutes by the two staff members who obviously saw me, but just couldn’t be bothered serving me.
I would like to make clear, the café was not busy at the time and I was the only customer at the counter.
When I finally did mange to get some service the woman was far from friendly.
When it was time to pay for my drinks there was a problem with the debit machine. I tried to talk to her about it. She said «Yea. No tap!»
I tried to explain to her that I wasn’t using the tap, and that the machine was unable to read either my chip or my stripe. She said again «NO TAP!», turned her back on me and refused to respond to my requests for help with the machine.
At this point I could no longer continue to politely put up with this treatment.
I left my coffees on the counter and walked out.
I’ll say it again: STUNNINGLY Horrible customer service. I will never return.

I took my mom here for her birthday. The food was good though a bit pricey. The customer service however is horrible. My mom needed to use the washroom and there was no toilet paper in there anywhere, so she politely informed the lady at the counter. 15 minutes later there was still no toilet paper in there. I went and asked the lady at the counter if they could put some toilet paper in there for my mom… she yelled at one of the other staff to do it and it still didn’t happen. I asked someone else working there and before I could even finish talking he stormed to the men’s washroom, opened the door and said «there is toiled paper in here» and I said «no, its for my mom, there is none in the women’s washroom» he shouted at me and told me to take the toilet paper from the men’s room and put it in the women’s washroom.
The least he could have done was apologize and do this himself since he was standing there and works there but instead gave me attitude, did nothing and walked away.
I have worked in retail most of my life and if I treated a customer like this, I would have been fired on the spot.
The staff here are smiley and appear nice at first but they are actually quite rude and couldn’t care less.

Nice little spot for a bite to eat close to the hospital. Café style where you order at the bar and the food is brought to you. We stopped in on our way to my appointment at the Foothills Medical Centre and got both the borscht and thai coconut curry chicken soups. We got them with scones, which were very yummy and looked like they had broccoli, green onion, and spinach chopped very fine (nice and didn’t make you feel so bad for eating a scone!). Very yummy and large, hearty soups that had good substance to them.
They serve a somewhat random selection of foods for lunch: typical soups and sandwiches, but then they have a variety of Vietnamese/​Western Chinese dishes like Ginger Beef and Singapore Noodles, and they also had spaghetti bolognese on the menu (which smelled really good). They all look very good but lack a bit of cohesion thematically. I think the restaurant is probably trying to appeal to a variety of customers who come in, as they are just off of Memorial Drive and very close to the hospital. Kind of nice to be able to pick what you want, but being my first time I was there I wasn’t sure what to trust would be good with that much selection.
The lady at the counter was very sweet when she served us but then forgot to bring us waters we had asked for when the lineup got crazy after we sat down. There was only the one lady running the cash and a couple people in the back it seemed, which is probably fine any time other than over lunch rush.
I would definitely come again as it beats by far the few overpriced options available inside the hospital. Quaint little spot with good food, they could just work on their staffing and narrowing down the menu to what they do best.

The very comfy, spacious setup and relaxed casual atmosphere is basically ruined by the inattentive staff and subpar food. There is an uncommonly huge selection of Asian, North American, and South American cuisine, but the chicken in the cajun chicken wrap was the toughest and most overdone chicken I’ve ever had the displeasure of eating. Perhaps if they fire all the staff and hire people who actually give a damn, I’ll return.

It’s like you walked into someone’s living room with a café in the middle of it.
I ordered a soy latte to go and for some reason soy is easy to burn. At other places. When I got into the car I burned my mouth on what was the hottest latte I’ve ever had that wasn’t also burnt-​tasting. So, big points for that. I would definitely prefer a non-​burnt latte over a very hot latte, so I’m not sure how they did it.
I also ordered a banana muffin which was a little greasy and heavy. Not fluffy at all. But it tasted okay.
Probably more like 3.5 stars, but I’ll round up.

Check this place out. With an eclectic menu with food for you and your friends looking for anything from Won Ton soup or ginger beef, to a Turkey club with yam fries, there’s bound to be something that appeals to you on the menu.
I’ve been in multiple times, depending on the time of day it can get lined up, but with the freshly prepared food and in house treats I don’t mind waiting. I’ve had everything from their specialty coffees to the bubble tea. And sipping my delicious favorite mocha while enjoying the sun on the patio while awaiting a rather extreme salad, is particularly enjoyable.
I’ve been told by the cashier that they have catering services. After checking out their website they can do pretty much anything on the menu for catering.
My favorite thing about this place is the all day breakfast. They also have weekday breakfast specials that run from 7−10am which offers great deals at around $ 8. They can do pretty much anything to accommodate you, along with various gluten free options.
Favorite dish is the Grilled chicken and avocado salad, it has gone up in price recently, but for the portion along with the flavor, just get the dressing on the side and you have enough for two meals!
I’ve never had a negative experience here, and even at the times that it gets really busy I just phone for pickup and it saves time for waiting for food. Anyway, give it a try yourself, I hope you love it as much as I do.

I have come several times to this beautifully located café in Parkdale. The food is always decent and the coffees are well made. Is the food and service slow? Most likely yes, unless you are the first in line. I am usually here to study, so I don’t mind waiting for the food to come out when it’s busy. The ladies working are not overly friendly, but if you smile, they do smile back!
I have recently had a sad experience at my once go-​to study place. I had snagged a comfortable seat next to the on-​fireplace and was very content, eating my breakfast and coffee while working away. I was on the phone for a moment and an extremely rude man (greying/​dyed slicked back hair, shorter stature, slightly overweight), reached being my chair (invading my personal space) and just said, «No, I’m hot» in a condescending tone when I said «excuse me, I would like that on». I then turned it back on in defiance, and the man again invaded my space and turned it off saying «I’m the owner, it stays off!» I was shocked! The owner?! I had immediate sympathy for the ladies that work here and yet also skepticism if he was telling the truth as how could someone who owns a business ever keep a business from acting in this childish manner?
Now the fact it is a lovely 16C today is not the point. I am inside where the door is open and the wind is coming in and yes I was a bit chilly. HOWEVER, I would have happily consented to having the fireplace off if there was courtesy given to ask if I minded if the fireplace was turned off due to the lovely day and if they may come into my personal space to reach for the switch.
I, a paying customer, was the one enjoying it and there were zero complaints from any customers about being hot (in fact when he was doing this, the people on the other side of the fireplace also seemed annoyed since they too were enjoying it!).
None of these normal personal communications took place, and I immediately begun writing this review. This is an owner that does not care about the people who are paying his salary.
The Extreme Bean is a 2 star that could have been a 4 star, had it not been for the «owner».
**UPDATE**
Asked the owner’s name and I was given a women’s name. I asked if there was also a gentlemen? And she thought and said ROSS LONDON. So it sounds like he is not that big of a component in the café, which is thankful for the customers of Extreme Bean.
Check it out if you’re along the path and don’t mind waiting and want to risk the secondary owner being there — the wonton soup is really good!

I’m not sure where to start… We walked in on friday afternoon for lunch and immediately there were about 15 people in line. So a busy friday lunch, good sign! Unfortunately the food took about 30 minutes to get to our table and they forgot my drink too. Food kept getting mixed up and the tables near us kept receiving wrong food. The table beside us got so frustrated they wanted to leave with their money back — with the wait that after 45min they got under-​cooked fried chicken strips? How do you screw up fried chicken strips? Just set a timer, and take it out after… Not that hard.
I got a grilled chicken and avocado salad. Thankfully, this salad was surprisingly really good! Well dressed, and the chicken was grilled and seasoned perfectly. All in all awesome, just wished it had come more timely.
This is a family owned business and the ladies are working so hard! They honestly just need to change up a few of their staff… The ones that keep missing orders and not being organized, which leads to even more mixup and delay. The food quality is there and I’ve been on a day where its pretty quiet and there was nothing to complain about when there was no confusion behind the counter.
Give these folks a chance if you’re nearby — but I wouldn’t recommend going at peak hours like friday lunch time for the reasons above. 4 stars for food, 2 stars for service, 5 stars for the wonderful old lady that works there!

Love this spot!!! One of my favorite spots to not only grab a bite to eat but also a coffee or tea! Great if you want to go for a run/​walk along the river & then eat! Catering is by far the best! Price is affordable & always fresh & good quality! A true gem!

Extreme Bean is a good place to go if you’re on the west side and looking for something less busy than the Lazy Loaf & Kettle, or if your group can’t decide between muffins and Vietnamese food. :)
There’s something about Extreme Bean that doesn’t quite add up, but I still kinda like it. The inside is old style Canadian log cabin meets a slight colourful tropical flare — wood panelling, brown brick floors, a booth-​style seat along the wall and a few pictures of sunny beaches and parrots. They serve everything from rice crispy squares, to power protein fruit smoothies, to Singapore noodles and ginger beef. A little something for everyone, maybe?
The coffee and coffee shop style treats are priced somewhat typically, pricing is at just over $ 2 for a coffee, $ 4 for a latte and $ 2.50 for a bagel. However, there’s quite a price jumped to go to a meal. Most food items fall between the $ 10-​$ 20 mark and the majority are around $ 15.
I was hungry for something a little more than a muffin, but not quite ready a full plate of Pasta Bolognese and found there we’re really any menu items that work for this. After going with the muffin I noticed they do have a nondescript sandwich available for $ 8.

Extreme… ly…boring.
Ugh. I was really excited to try Extreme Bean as it’s on the way to class for me and only a stone’s throw away from home. However, I gave it a try yesterday after filling up on gas and it left something to be desired. While the interior could be considered kind of «cozy,» the drink menu leaves a lot to be desired. Holy damn.
Their hot chocolates and mochas are made with chocolate milk, so even though that’s what I was craving, I ordered a cup of loose leaf Earl Grey with soy milk instead.
All of the baked goods available looked typical coffeeshop and I couldn’t tell if they were baked in house, and while I could see how someone perhaps omnivorous might enjoy the food, I didn’t feel safe even looking at it. They did have via bars at the til which are like the least satisfying vegan/​gluten free snack ever.
For such a prime location, Extreme Bean is really lacklaster. Ick.

I don’t go here for the coffee or even the food. I go here because it is centrally located and there’s 2-​hour street parking available. It’s best to go during the off-​peak hours since the place gets really busy.
I find the coffee pretty mediocre and the food is uninspired. But, if you get a patio spot in the summer, it’s got a great view.
I agree with Joe C. who says that this place needs more competition. They’ve got a great location, but not much else going for them.

You really need to get here during off peak times. I find this to be a place that i go to work when you don’t want to be in the office. Its a little out of the way place right close to the river.
Now about the place itself. I find it to be a little small and cramped. The décor is dated and old.
The food is always fresh. I found the portions to be a bit small for the price. So generally gets an OK from me. Nothing to write home to mom about but certainly needs to be Unilocaled!

EXTREME!!!
I skydove into an open roof window of this small coffee-​diner-​café THING the other day, determined to find a meal that would raise my adrenaline and blast my tastebuds like a jet-​fuel-​filled jelly donut and a lighter.
Well, based on one visit and one visit ONLY, I got what I was looking for.
After doing a Kung Fu flying spin kick across the shop, I yelled my order directly into the face of the cashier who then punched it into her till using a twelve-​foot greatsword.
My EXTREME order?
A club sandwich, please and thank you very much.
You can’t tell, but I just needed to take a 10 minute break from typing as my fingers were getting so sweaty they were slipping off the keys. Luckily, I keep a stash of climber’s chalk nearby that I use when I’m not SCALING THE ANDES NUDE USING NOTHING BUT A PICK AXE AND A GIANT BAG OF TWIZZLERS!!!
BA-​DA-​BOOM! There was hardly any seating, but that’s because this place is small and popular — apparently REAL popular with the «old people on a saturday» types.
Hooo-​weee. I think I used up all of my extreme energy on the first few paragraphs of this review, so I’ll just get it over with now:
1. Food was pretty good.
2. Parking was not, but that’s just the way the world works sometimes.
3. I’d go here if you’re in the mood for a quick lunch and the Lazy Loaf & Kettle is too busy.
ZzzzzZzZzZzz

I have been to Extreme Bean many times since I moved to Calgary and even before when I came to visit. I have eaten at this restaurant at least 20 times now and I have never had bad service or bad food. The service has always been courteous and the food tastes great. I even order take-​out when I feel like eating at home :) This is definitely my go-​to place when I want something to eat and I am not sure where to go.

They have a gold mine here because of location and I’m sure no negative reports really affect them. Prices are high, service is spotty. But it is a good place to get warm and use the toilet so I suffer the high priced coffee.
Come on somebody else open a coffee shop along that path. This place needs competition.

The Extreme Bean is an odd little coffee shop. They have the typical coffees, lattes and desserts, but they also have Chinese food and bubble teas. I’ve had the Mango bubble tea and Singapore fried noodles and they were both very good. I think the bubble tea is made from a powder, but fresh mango was also blended in (probably because it was in season at the time). They didn’t skimp on the gelatin (tapioca?) balls either. My wife and I recently went there for brunch and were happy with with our meals (bacon egg & cheese bagel and breakfast wrap and lattes).
The prices are a little higher than other places, but hey, they’re right by the river and bike paths. They have a patio with a fine view, so I have no problem with them charging more than a mall shop.
The service has been a little hit & miss in the past, but in the dozen or so times that we’ve been there it’s never been so bad we wouldn’t come again. We’ll continue to go back, mostly in the summer, several times a year.

What can one say — wicked location. Never been there before, but drive by regularly. My small coffee was over $ 2…that is in the range of starbucks… I think? I never go there because it’s too expensive and over rated.
Friend ordered a sandwich — looked good, I got really hungry watching her eat — she said it was really good… made me even more hungry.
But…I’m not a fan of $ 2 small coffees. I’m also stubborn so I’ll be back on a frigid day to sit by the fire after a walk along the river.

Only out of dire need and convenience will I make a point of giving Extreme Bean my business again. I had my second visit today and what a gong show. There was minimal seating available even for a single person. I had to park myself temporarily at the dirty dishes/​soup counter until a small table opened up, which I practically ran for. Other people were negotiating with each other to try and find enough seats for their party. It was non-​stop busy with a line-​up that seemed to last way too long. Extreme Bean needs more front-​line staff. I ordered a Green Tea latte which they got right, as it was flavorful and actually hot. However, I think the $ 0.25 debit charge is lame and I didn’t appreciate the non-​verbal attitude I received when I requested my debit receipt, as it wasn’t offered it to me. When I entered the restroom, it seemed to have a faint sewer smell.
Personally, I wouldn’t expect to see Asian dishes in such a place, but whatever works for them. At the counter, they have the largest puffed wheat and rice krispie cake servings I’ve ever seen, as well as the heaviest butter pecan tarts I’ve ever muscled (seriously, I had to pick one up because they are so huge). It’s such a busy place that I have to assume the food is good, so I will give Extreme Bean credit for that, even though I likely won’t ever be back to try it.

Oh Extreme Bean, you’ve got such a cute name and such potential but there are just some things missing from your experience that I can’t quite get over.
What you’ve got right:
Location. Extreme Bean is an easy stop off on Memorial Drive. I use it every now and again as a meeting spot for my NW friends.
Seating. In one half of the shop, you can cozy up in a comfy chair next to the fire place, while the other half of the shop has plenty of tables that are more suited to eating (or working).
Wifi. The wifi here is free, although secured. Code: extremebean11.
What you need to work on:
The prices. I ordered a bowl of Lobster Bisque soup with my coffee. It was $ 6.50 for the bowl. Nothing else came with it, and it certainly wasn’t worth the price. Actually, it did come with a fortune cookie. I saved the fortune, maybe I’ll win something by playing the lottery numbers on the back. That would be extreme: p.
My conclusion, Extreme Bean works for a spot to read your book, get some work done or meet some friends for coffee. If you’re looking for some grub, try elsewhere.