Branches Fresh Food Experience

Branches is the perfect place to end your day. The service was excellent. I truly enjoyed seeing the hands on touch of the owner. The atmosphere was relaxing and I loved all the extra touches of decorating for the Christmas season. Not to mention DELICIOUS food right down to the coffee.

If it were up to my husband, this place would get 2 stars because you have to walk through a year-​round Christmas store to get to this restaurant ;) Located inside the Greenlands Garden Centre (aka Alberta’s largest year-​round Christmas store) just off Clover Bar road north of the Yellowhead, Branches is a higher-​end cafeteria-​style restaurant that is definitely worth a visit if you’re passing by Sherwood Park.
The restaurant is at the back of the store, with 2 main seating areas adjacent to the kitchen/​ordering counter, and a greenhouse-​type patio with bright high ceilings. The latter area is slightly more noisy as it directly opens into the rest of the store. As you enter, it can be a bit confusing. As you enter and pick a table, flip over a card saying your table is reserved, and then go up to the counter to order. We stood in the ordering line for a bit without a table, but we eventually figured it out. You give the cashier your table number as you order, and your meal is brought out to you
The food is fresh and tasty. Maybe a few dollars overpriced (not somewhere you’d go every day for lunch), but worth it. It was around $ 30 for lunch for the 2 of us, not including drinks. I had the Apple White Cheddar Panini, which is a glorified but super tasty grilled cheese (it’s on sliced multigrain bread) with apple, arugula, onion chutney, and dijon mayo. Sandwiches come with a side of soup (I had the Butternut squash — pretty decent), salad (fruit, kale, pasta or greek), or fries. My husband loved the Breakfast flatbread (he even called it ‘exceptional’… which is a pretty big feat considering he was sitting in a Christmas store!) — a flatbread roasted in the wood oven with scrambled egg, cherry tomato, hollandaise, ham and green onion. There are tons of other appies, sandwiches, pizza, quiche, a handful of main dishes, and desserts, of course! Regarding drinks, they have wine and beer, lots of nonalcoholic options, and seasonal specialty drinks.
On weekday evenings 4−6pm, they have Happy Hour specials, and a «Date Night» special on Tuesdays 6−8pm with an appetizer, salads, wood fired pizza, desserts and wine for 2, for $ 50. I will definitely pop by for a repeat visit next time I’m in the area — definitely my favourite place I’ve tried in Sherwood Park!

There were some mixed reviews in my group, but overall, lunch was tasty! Although, considerably overpriced.
I enjoyed my beef dip sandwich and traded my fries for potato salad. The beef dip was delicious. The Au Jus was thick, more like a gravy, but that’s ok. The pretzel bun was soft and flavorful and the beef was juicy. The carmelized onion mayo added something extra that was awesome.
The ordering process is a little confusing because it’s not explained until you get to the counter. But here’s how it works… You find your table. Flip over the little card (one side of the card says «This table is free» the other side says «This table is occupied»), then go up to the counter to order and they deliver your food to the table.
Overall I was happy and I’ll be back, but probably no more than once a year!

I’m a big fan of Branches. This is the kind of simplicity I enjoy when eating out.
The menu is small, and many of the meals are fairly light. I love their quiches, and the selection of desserts! The pizzas made in their wood burning oven seem to be a pretty big hit.
The set up is like a café. You find a table, and when you’re ready to order you go up to the counter to order. The décor in this café is pretty minimalistic, but it overlooks the grounds outside so depending on the time of year, it can be quite stunning.
This is a place that I drive out of my way to go have a nice light lunch by myself. Relaxing!

Excited to give Branches a try tonight.
Pretty good.
Not amazing.
~$ 30 for a chicken pesto pizza, brushetta, and overpriced bottle of iced tea.
Resonable I suppose for an above average meal.
Brushetta fresh and flavourfull. Pizza thin, criso, and satisfying.
I thouroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and décor. Very modern, and clean. Alas, I found the most distressing part of my visit to be the noisy employees behind the counter. They all too often brok the tranquil, greenhouse setting with their boisterous behavior.
I must say that their system of seating oneself, taking in the menu alone and then ordering at the counter (and paying before eating) make me less apt to be gracious when the debit machine spurs me for a tip. At this point, I have neither enjoyed the food, or experienced any customer service.
I may be back.
I may not.
But if you’re in the neighbourhood… Branches is worthy of a shot.

Gorgeous patio in the garden! A must for summertime. The menu is small but varied. We chose to share a couple plates. The peaches wrapped in prosciutto were divine. Would definately go back just for another order of those. Caesar salad was grilled which gave a nice charred flavour and the dressing tasted house made. Finished off with the butter chicken pizza which again was flawless. Nothing bad to say here. The service was friendly and attentive. Will definately be back.

Awesome lunch! Very fresh ingredients. Had the Mediterranean pizza cooked in big good fired pizza oven, egg salad sandwich on a amazing whole wheat croissant with to die for potato salad (lots of dill), excellent sweet potato soup-can’t wait to try the other menus items. Part of Greenland Greenhouse-​make sure you stop by!

My new favourite place to lunch with a friend! The setting is lovely– especially at Christmas we enjoy wandering around the lovely Christmas displays&gifts before or after meals. Excellent selection of soups/​salads/​main dishes/​lattes and desserts TO DIE FOR! Couldn’t ask for a more lovely ambience with our café table surrounded by plants, twinkle lights and bubbling fountains.

Branches opened 3 weeks ago in Greenlands Garden centre, Sherwood Park, just off the Yellowhead.
It is a bright and airy restaurant with indoor and outdoor patios along with its main dining room. The setting is lovely! Surrounded by waterfalls and beautiful plants. A nice escape.
I was surprised by the modern menu with interesting fare.
They offer a variety of European-​style sandwiches and panninis, lovely salads, wood-​fired pizzas, etc. mostly light fare.
A nice choice of desserts: pies, squares, scones, Tiramisu, etc.
The menu has vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options. All are marked.
Coffees, wide selection of loose-​leaf teas, granitas, Italian sodas, wine and beer are also available.
I was beyond pleased with my choice of a beautifully presented Mediterranean Napoleon salad. It was a layered delight of zucchini, roasted peppers and light and cream Feta. Served with a delicate ring of phylo pastry. (See photo)
My companions shared a wood fired pizza. They asked for fresh tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. That was no problem at all, for extra charge. They enjoyed it very much.
For dessert I tried the brownie. It was very chewy and too rich for my taste. Two thin brownie layers sandwiching a thick chocolate icing and topped with a cream cheese icing.
The next visit, I tried their daily scone which that day was a strawberry rhubarb scone. Light and fluffy! Highly recommend it.
There are daily specials so be sure to ask.
You place your order at the counter and they bring your food to the table.
I really liked this place, will certainly return again and again.

A brand new place. A really nice place for lunch — no dinner served here. Licensed — wine and beer.
Salads, sandwiches, wood fired pizza are the mains. Excellent looking desserts.
Best patio in Sherwood park.