The Westwood in Diamond Valley cleaned up in the 2023 Western Wheel Readers’ Choice Awards, earning recognition in four categories, including gold for Burger/Fries.
Erin Kendrick, who co-owns the popular eatery with Teresa Velkova, said the secret to their success is putting quality first.
“I think the fact that we make everything in-house, we make our burgers, we make all of our sauces, so everything is homemade,” Kendrick said. “I think that makes a difference.”
When it comes to burgers, it also doesn’t hurt that The Westwood has a wide selection, offering chicken, lamb, tuna, bison, cod, brisket and mushroom varieties alongside more traditional beef and smash burgers.
“Burgers are our specialty for sure,” said Kendrick. “We try to give everybody some variety to keep it different. I'm Australian, so I love our lamb burger, that's where that one came from.”
She said the restaurant originally sourced all its meat from local farms, but as it’s grown, it’s had to expand its suppliers.
You wouldn’t think a place that specializes in burgers would also be in the running in the Healthy Eats category, but The Westwood received recognition there thanks to its assortment of fresh options.
“You can get a burger and fries, sure, but our salad selections are pretty awesome. Our breakfasts have a lot of healthy options as well,” Kendrick said.
“It's just not bacon and eggs. We have a lot of fresh like avocado on toast and we have a mezze plate that has prosciutto and avocado and mushrooms and things that are a little bit on the healthier side.”
The Westwood was also recognized for Family Restaurant, thanks to a full-on kids' menu, and Favourite Restaurant outside Okotoks.
“We have a lot of people travelling from Okotoks, from Calgary, from near and far, really, because Diamond Valley has become more of a destination, especially on the weekends,” Kendrick said. “It's a nice drive in the summer and people come out and have a burger.”
The Westwood, which moved to the former Black Diamond Bakery location on Center Avenue about six months ago, is thriving in its new digs.
“It's been awesome,” said Kendrick. “We've doubled our capacity and the space is functional, so it's really great.”
