Tammy Jean's Diner & Catering, Devon Alberta

Posted by Thomas Alan Gray Nov 1, 2009

Went out with my aged parents to Tammy Jean's Diner, which promises "Great home cooked food at an excellent price!"

The diner is downstairs in the Devon Hotel in Devon, Alberta. The hotel is a landmark in the town of Devon*, and the little basement cafe has been redone numerous times.

Tammy Jean's, the current incarnation, is nicely done in blue and cream with blond oak wainscoting. It's a long, narrow room that seats about 36; at the far end is a private dining room that looks to seat about 24.

The Good, the Bad, and the Frigid

Let's get the bad out of the way first. There wasn't really anything, unless you count The Frigid. Because the diner is seven steps below street level, cold air rolls down the stairs whenever someone goes in or out, and our table at the foot of the stairs was right in the draft. Result was cold feet and food that cooled faster than it might have.

There may once have been an inner vestibule door, but it had been taken off. Tammy Jean, it's not even winter yet. For heavens sake, put that inner door back on to block some of the cold air!

For the good, we'll include

• The food - it was indeed good. Mom & Dad split the $14.95 roast beef special and still had lots left over to take home. Wife had a hot turkey sandwich (more than she could eat) and said it was good. I had a BLT (tasty and moist, with lots of crisp B!) and fries.
• The service - our waitress was cheery and helpful. She brought an extra plate so the aged parents could share their one order, and brought them each a bowl of soup. The food came surprisingly quickly, too. Tammy Jean in the kitchen was sure on the ball.
• The cost - the large portions came at a reasonable cost, and we weren't even charged for the extra soup.

About Devon, Alberta

On February 13, 1947, Imperial Oil made one of the biggest oil discoveries in the world, bringing in oil at Leduc #1. The town Devon was created to house oilfield workers in the area. The name was chosen for the Devonian Reef formation in which the oil at Leduc #1 was discovered.