A Little Wild Since 1967
The Grizzly House opened in 1967, when Barbara and Peter Steiner brought something entirely different to Banff’s main street. What began as Western Canada’s first disco quickly became a place known for low lighting, bold music, and a crowd that was rarely tame. Touring bands played late into the night, go-go dancers filled the stage, and the telephones placed at every table encouraged guests to connect across the room.
The phones weren’t a novelty. They were part of the experience. You could call another table, introduce yourself, and see where the evening led.
At the time, the Grizzly House didn’t even have its own kitchen. Food was passed through a hole in the wall from a neighbouring Chinese restaurant next door. When that restaurant closed a few months later, the Steiners had to find a creative solution to comply with liquor laws that required food service.
So Peter and the staff brought in fondue pots.
The concept took hold immediately. What started as a practical solution quickly became a signature experience — bubbling cheese shared around the table, meats cooked slowly, and dinners that stretched well into the night. Unlike disco, fondue proved timeless.
Banff has changed a great deal since those early days. The Grizzly House, however, has remained unmistakably itself.
Hot rock steaks still arrive at the table ready to sizzle. Cheese fondue is shared the way it always has been. Chocolate fondue still marks the end of the evening. Alongside classic cuts of Alberta beef, the menu grew to include bison, elk, venison, wild boar, and other adventurous selections that helped define the restaurant’s reputation.
Inside, the room still tells its own story. Wood-paneled walls, carved bears, totem poles, and relics collected over decades give the space its unmistakable character. The music still leans heavily into the 70s. And yes — the phones still work.
Over the years, generations of locals and travellers have made the Grizzly House part of their Banff story. First dates, anniversaries, celebrations, and spontaneous dinners that turn into long nights around the table.
For the Steiner family, the restaurant has always been more than a business. It’s part of Banff’s living history — a place shaped by creativity, a little rebellion, and a belief that dining should be interactive, memorable, and just a bit indulgent.
More than half a century later, The Grizzly House remains exactly what it set out to be.
A little wild.
A little nostalgic.
And entirely one of a kind.