good earth coffeehouse and bakery - edmonton, ab

good earth coffeehouse and bakery
corner of 108 street and 100Ave


I was heading over to the University of Lethbridge campus downtown a few days back to meet up with an old professor for lunch. Not too many options popped into my mind when thinking of the 107st/100ave block, so I really didn't know where we might be headed. It turned out just fine however, as my professor already had a place in mind when we met up. He mentioned a coffee shop on the corner that hadn't been around long and he has been meaning to try it. What a better time than now.

The seating area was full when we walked in at 1pm, so I wondered whether we would be walking our lunch back to campus. A quick look at the menu and things were pretty straight forward - coffee, espresso, latte's, tea's, baked goods, soup, and panini's. I decided on a smoked turkey panini with apple and cheese, while my professor opted for the black forest ham. Other versions included beef or vegetarian, as well as a breakfast panini. Once ordered they take your panini over to a station of presses to warm up.


By the time we paid, a few tables had emptied so we sat down next to the window. I love when a restaurant can occupy the corner of the building. There is just something better, or more open maybe, about windows on two sides...plus you have better people watching opportunities. But back to the food. Presentation was basic, and I would have preferred napkins on the table or for pickup as the warm sandwich quickly turned the napkins below into a mess. The panini itself had two distinct flavors - that of the wrap(which was good) itself and cheese. I didn't really pick anything up form the thin strip of deli turkey and couldn't for the life of me detect the apple. I also ordered a plain coffee. I suppose it's an added bonus to the area and it does make for a quick lunch stop, but for $10 I wouldn't consider it a steal of a deal.


I felt like the restaurant was very streamlined and could easily be part of a larger mother ship, so it was really no surprise to find out there are other locations. I was surprised however to see Good Earth has been around since 1991 and I've never heard of them, but with good reason I suppose. Calgary has been the stomping grounds until recently when they expanded into both Red Deer and Edmonton. Their website doesn't list the downtown location, just one by the University, so I'm not sure if there are more hiding around the city. I will say also that it's nice to see a few new options like Good Earth available, because the area was quite dead during my two years at the campus.