“Bad News, Good News” from the iconic Longview Steakhouse, Alberta: My determination — and hope — led me to a meal of a lifetime, thanks to the restaurant’s gracious owners!

By MALIK MERCHANT

There’s nothing quite like the anticipation of a delicious steak. The thought of that perfectly cooked, juicy meat is always a thrill. However, when a restaurant requires advance bookings of several weeks or months because of its delicious steaks, that’s not my cup of tea, especially since I’m somewhat of a spontaneous person. That does not mean I don’t plan my trips at all — I do whenever necessary. But not for a steak at a restaurant that’s an hour or two from me! When I visited Longview recently, I telephoned and also went to the Longview Steak House to see if there was a last-minute cancellation for me to be served with arguably the best steak in Alberta. I was unlucky as I was unable to make contact with anyone at the steakhouse, and I returned to Calgary somewhat disappointed!

For the past 3 years, I’ve been hearing about Longview Steakhouse and its legendary steaks. The craving for my favourite steak, the Rib-Eye, was intense. A promising forecast of sunny skies lured me back to Longview, via the scenic Kananaskis Trail (Hwy 40). After a few hours of interrupted sleep, I awoke feeling surprisingly rested, ready for the day ahead. I ventured to the beautiful Bar U Ranch, a National Historic Site, managed by Parks Canada, just a 20-minute drive from Longview. It is a preserved ranch that, for 70 years, was one of the leading ranching operations in Canada. At its peak, the ranch extended over 160,000 acres, with 30,000 cattle and 1,000 Percheron horses. This is not just a beautiful ranch, but also an educational one, and I was interested to see so many parents with young children.

One child, not more than 5 years old, looking at a colourful map-guide of the ranch, his eyes wide with curiosity and his face lit up with excitement, observed to his mum, who was pushing a stroller with her baby as they began their walk through the ranch: “Wow, there is a lot to see here.” This moment filled me with happiness, and I couldn’t help but smile. It’s these instances of uncontainable enthusiasm that make parenting such a rewarding journey. Yes, parents have that responsibility to take their children to historic places to ignite this spark of curiosity and interest in the history, culture and geography of their communities, towns and countries!

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Upon my return to Longview in the early afternoon, I was greeted by the sight of the renowned Steakhouse perched beautifully on a hill. I drove to it with hope. Despite the main door being closed, I spotted a few staff members in the kitchen. I waved and caught the attention of Sam, a co-owner of the restaurant, along with his chef-brother. Their parents, with dad hailing from Morocco and mum from Germany, are the owners of the restaurant.

Sam was truly gracious in receiving me, as I explained my craving for a Longview steak. ‘There is,’ he said, ‘bad news and good news.’ My ears perked up as he said, ‘Good News.’ The bad news, he began, was that the reservations for 2025 were closed; there was nothing available until 2026. The Good News, he continued, is that there are, from time to time, cancellations. And this is where I lucked out. I provided my contact details and left with a renewed sense of hope. As I had not eaten anything since 7 AM, I opted for a burger lunch at an outdoor restaurant on Longview’s main street, which has fantastic stores. An artistic stone with profound words that are relevant to anyone who brings up the past touched me immensely. It lay in front of me on the table where I was having my lunch. A walk through Morrison Road, Longview’s main street, led me into the Brass Buffalo Trading Post, where I was fascinated by the handmade clothing and artwork.

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Then a message came through, and it was from the Steakhouse. A space was available for the following day at 5 PM. I was thrilled and confirmed the spot. I spent the following morning driving through a section of the Kananaskis that offers outstanding scenery by the Highwood River. The beauty of the Kananaskis Trail is truly awe-inspiring, with its lush greenery and majestic mountains. My recommendation: stop for a picnic at Mist Creek, FitzSimmons Creek or the Sentinel, where you will see fishermen trying their luck. Also, suppose you are driving very early through the Kananaksis during the twilight hour. In that case, it offers you an incredible experience as you see the mountain tops taking on a shade of pink! It is just amazing and much, much more inspiring than seeing the mountains under the noon sunlight.

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Then once back in Longview and getting close to the 5 PM mark, I watched from the visitors centre and an Esso Gas station as cars made their way to the Steakhouse, perched on a beautiful hill. I arrived ten minutes ahead of my reservation time, to be greeted by a handful of hens running and playing next to the parking area. As I entered the restaurant, Sam greeted me with “Mr Malik” and thanked me for coming. I replied that I owed him a debt of gratitude for fitting me in. I was offered a window seat with a magnificent view of the village of Longview. Within seconds, ice-cold water was brought to my table, with slices of freshly baked sourdough bread and butter. As visitors started to filter in, we were shown the daily specials on a board that was brought to the table. My mind, having quickly peeked at the menu, was already made up.

A 12 oz rib-eye- medium rare with the curried cauliflower soup and a side garden salad. And Canada Dry Ginger Ale. Looking around, the Longview Steakhouse is immaculately decorated with simple touches and some fantastic artwork. As I finished my soup and salad, the beautiful plate of rib-eye was placed on my table. The steak was a perfect medium rare, tender and juicy. The aroma of the perfectly seasoned meat filled the air, and the first bite was a burst of savoury flavour. I had expected a flat piece of rib-eye, but this was a fantastic 2-layered deboned rib-eye that had very little fat. The knife ran through the steak easily! It was absolutely delicious, and I cleaned up the steak, including small amounts of fat and all the vegetables that came with it.

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We wanted to give a big congratulations to our father, Driss Belmoufid [left in photo], for being honoured by our great province and country for his outstanding contributions to western Canadian cuisine and hospitality, by being awarded The King Charles the III Coronation Medal. Without our noble guests he and our family would never have had a platform to express our passion! — photo and excerpt from Longview Steakhouse Facebook Page

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Takeouts are never the same as what you eat at a restaurant, but my eyes, looking at the appetizer section, were drawn to the Mozambique shrimps and crab cakes. My parents often took me to eat Camroes (prawns) at a restaurant down the hill near the Lourenço Marques (now Maputo) Jamatkhana. Although apples are one of my regular daily fruits, I am not an apple pie fan. It was on the dessert list and had been freshly baked, and I opted for it over crème brûlée and other offerings. Driss Belmoufid, the owner of the restaurant, Sam’s father, came with the takeout containers, patted me on the back, and humbly thanked me for visiting the restaurant. Sam then asked me to proceed to the entrance to pay for the meal. His mum was standing by the till and, with a smile, said, “Now I am here to collect the money.” I said it was my pleasure and that I had enjoyed every minute at their beautiful place. I asked about the scenic location, and she said they had moved to the new spot about 10 years ago from their earlier location next to the Esso station down the hill. I learned that the Longview Steakhouse has been under the family’s ownership since 1995. Wow! A Moroccan-German vision for an outstanding restaurant with delicious food and an exceptional location!

I congratulate the Belmoufid family for their consistent food over the years, which has made Longview Steakhouse one of Canada’s iconic culinary hotspots. Of course, there are many other choices that the restaurant offers, including seafood and chicken. You will NOT be disappointed. Twenty-four hours later, I enjoyed the Mozambique shrimp and crab that I had as takeout, followed by the Apple Pie, which I used to bypass as a dessert. Not anymore!

Date posted: August 3, 2025.

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