Spolumbo's - Calgary, AB, XX

Posted By Michael Stern on September 17, 2002 4:00 PM

Coming from the northeastern USA, where Italian food is wonderful, to western Canada, we were more than a little skeptical when told to go eat sausage and meatballs at Spolumbo’s. We went, we ate, and now we are converts.

Spolumbo’s spicy Italian sausage, made on premises (along with more than a dozen other kinds of sausage including chicken-apple and turkey-pepper) is delicious. It is dense and thick with a snap when you bite it and a real pepper kick inside. One fat length of it, stuffed into a loaf of bread and smothered with fresh tomato sauce, is a mighty meal. The meatballs are equally excellent: three big tender ones to an order. And as an alternative to these hot sandwiches, Spolumbo’s also has a full menu of panini sandwiches – cold cuts served on crusty buns with olive oil and oregano. The no-utensils meals are served on wax paper on a round wicker tray along with a spill of pickle chips.

Much of the fun of dining at Spolumbo’s is looking at all the varieties of ready-to cook sausage that are marshaled in glass cases near the counter where you place your order. There are long tubes ranging from fiery red to pale white as well as sausage patties in every color of the pork rainbow.

Overall Rating

sausage sandwich

meatball sandwich

5 out of 5 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes

Posted By Ethan Hong on November 4, 2011 1:30 PM

I live in Vancouver and get friends from Calgary to bring me my Spolumbo's. I don't know if it is the best but it's certainly the best around here.

Overall Rating

Chorizo

Andouille

1 out of 1 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes

Posted By Jed Web on February 27, 2011 1:30 PM

Spolumbo's is a Calgary classic, a must-stop. While the prices are a touch high for what you get, it is definitely a memorable meal.

The Spolumbo's Special is their mainstay. Make sure you try the Mama's Meatloaf; you'll be full for a while and the taste is fantastic. If you want to see their menu you can find it here: http://findmenus.ca/spolumbos.php.

Overall Rating

Mama's Meatloaf

0 out of 0 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes

Posted By Bruce Goldensohn on December 27, 2007 3:55 PM

We went to Spolumbo's based solely on the Roadfood.com listing. It was a disappoinment. The much-heralded sausage is pretty good, and it is served on a reasonable roll. The sausage is dry; I had to ask for more Italian sauce. The other sandwiches are routine; small portions of meat and cheese.

The staff preparing the food seem inexperienced and young; there does not appear to be a supervisor or "senior" cook. The restaurant is clean and well-lit, but it's noisy, more atuned to beer drinking than good food. I definitely would not rush back; there are other good places for Italian sausage in this world. It also is not a great place to take young children.

Sorry, but on a scale of 0-10 I would give this a 4.

Overall Rating

8 out of 10 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes

Posted By Patricia Beninato on September 21, 2006 2:42 PM

Who would think that an honest-to-goodness Italian deli/sausage emporium could be found in western Canada of all places? Fortunately for the city of Calgary — and those who visit — such delicacies can be found at Spolumbo’s, whose reputation is so good that if you’re eating sausage anywhere in the area it’s a safe bet it came from there.

Spolumbo’s name comes from a mix of the three owners’ surnames — brothers Tom and Tony Spoletini and Mike Palumbo, who all played for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. Tom’s father-in-law owned an Italian restaurant in Calgary, and the trio would make sausages after-hours and offer them to other local restaurants. Soon the sausages were so popular they purchased their own place in the Inglewood section of Calgary (east of downtown) and have expanded since. The deli/sausage factory now occupies an airy building decorated with pictures of local sports figures such as Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames hockey team, with the owners’ CFL jerseys displayed prominently.

We came at the early end of lunchtime, around eleven in the morning, and there was already a line at the display cases. Spolumbo’s offers a fairly decent line of deli sandwiches including Montreal smoked meat, but the thing to order is the sausage sandwich and so we did. Don’t overlook the sides — a garlicky pesto pasta salad, potato salad spiked with mustard and a tomato-onion salad dressed in olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. A small side is a heaping bowlful, a large side is a veritable mountain, and no matter which one you pick you’ll enjoy it. The sausage has an audible snap when you bite into it, and red pepper gives a nice kick without being overwhelming. Sandwiches are served on sturdy-crusted Italian bread you’ll swear was baked in Brooklyn. All sandwiches are served with palate-cleansing pickle chips, and you can wash down your meal with beverages ranging from a diet Coke to Italian soda to Pellegrino water.

Unfortunately for Americans the food police won’t let you bring Spolumbo’s sausage back with you, but lucky Canadians have their pick of sausages as well as pastas and sauces. If you’re in Calgary or anywhere near it, Spolumbo’s should be on your must-eat-there list.

Overall Rating

7 out of 8 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes