What to expect at Edmonton’s new restaurant serving steak and signature wood-fired pizza
Heads up, foodies, there’s a new hot restaurant in Edmonton.
PYRO Fire Kitchen and Bar has just opened its second location on 142nd Street, next to its sister grocery store/market, L’OCA. From wood-fired cooking to locally sourced meats to the delicate creation of its signature cocktails, this new restaurant is operating at peak performance.
This fire kitchen’s first location sits in Sherwood Park, having just opened its first location within Edmonton on Aug. 1. This location also acts as its second location ever.
We visited its new location, tucked into the Parkview neighbourhood, to check it out and see if it truly lives up to the hype.
What is PYRO YEG?
PYRO 142 Street
Located right off of 142nd Street, PYRO is settled in the spot where Rebel Food and Drink used to operate before they moved up the street. This PYRO is also located right next to L’OCA Quality Market, a large market, bakery, and deli all operated under the same owners as PYRO.
“We had the opportunity to open the second L’OCA, and to me, L’OCA and PYRO are really one in the same. They go together nicely,” said PYRO’s CEO Ben Cochrane.
“We asked ourselves what the city doesn’t have and, you know, it’s Alberta, everyone loves a great steak and the wood-firing and wood-burning experience. So, we decided to cook everything over open flame, and it really snowballed from there. It’s food-forward and fun, but still accessible to everyone in the market.”
PYRO 142 Street
“PYRO, for us, is food, fire, and friends,” said Cochrane. “It’s a casual dining establishment, it’s not a Michelin star restaurant or anything, but excellent food, excellent value, and an excellent vibe are really the three things to focus on.”
PYRO’s signature flame‑fired cooking and bold flavours have really settled and made a mark on the Crestwood area, with such a beautiful interior. The almost monochromatic scene of browns and dark colours makes this restaurant a sea of comfort, perfect for a bite to eat with friends, family, or even a loved one.
A delightful signature cocktail menu
Alyssa Gallardo/Dished
To start off the visit, we were offered and recommended one of the eight signature cocktails on the menu, the Vanilla Raspberry Sour.
With a delightful presentation, the Vanilla Raspberry Sour is tart at first, thanks to the lemon and vodka, but has a smooth and sweet aftertaste. It’s extremely airy and light, a great recommendation and a perfect accompaniment to the heavy meat dishes to come. The price sits at $14 for 1.5 ounces, a smaller cocktail with a full punch of that fruity flavour.
Having taken a look at some of the other signature cocktails, the standout drinks would have to be the $20 Charred Mad Cherry, with El Tequileno reposado tequila and mezcal to pair. The Pyro Punch also packs heavy on the rum and wine for $19.
Fresh meat delivered daily
Alyssa Gallardo/Dished
We got an exclusive look at its kitchen behind the scenes, where Cochrane informed us that all its meat comes in daily.
“We’ve been trying to focus more on our core values of L’OCA, like service and quality,” said Cochrane. “We bring in sides of steers daily; this isn’t a box program in the depths of wherever. The cows come in, we hang them for another two weeks after they’ve been aged, and then we cut your meat.”
The brisket is used in one of its most popular dishes, the 60-hour Brisket. Priced at $24, this sandwich comes with a whole stack of PYRO’s 48-hour marinated, 12-hour slow-smoked brisket served with delectable fries cooked in beef tallow coming straight from the beef they use.
Alyssa Gallardo/Dished
We were lucky to get a taste of PYRO’s Ribeye, and they truly blew it out of the water.
The meat is soft, easy to slice, and practically melts in your mouth. Cooked to a delectable medium-rare, the steak was seasoned to perfection, complete with shards of flaky salt right on the stunning grill marks. Visually, it was stunning, and it tasted even better.
You can always find good steak in Alberta, but PYRO is the best place to go if you want a great steak (or, truthfully, anything meat-related).
Outstanding on all levels
Having been open for a couple of days, we asked how the new restaurant has been faring.
“We’ve been full almost every night for dinner, which has been super exciting. We’ve started to see some regular faces from the neighbourhood that we see in the grocery store, it’s been great,” said Cochrane.
It’s no shock that the establishment has been doing well. From Edmonton locals within the city finding their way to the new restaurant to the onslaught of fans of L’OCA and the original PYRO location, this new venture is sure to keep up the rolling success.
Focusing on the food, atmosphere, and culture has served them well. Each and every part of PYRO is a well-oiled machine, from the chefs to the servers, front-of-house, and everyone doing their part on the backend.
With all of this work and effort combined, PYRO 142 Street has opened up to be one of the best new homestyle restaurants to check out within the city. They are open 11 a.m. through 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.
Grab a bite with friends at this new location for unbelievably warm food and hospitality; you won’t regret it.
PYRO 142 Street
Address: 9112 142nd St. NW, Edmonton
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