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Atomic
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants Sandwiches Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches [Edit]
1306 1 St SWCalgary, AB T2P
(403) 286-6422
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
12 reviews for Atomic
12 reviews in English
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Review from Chris P.
Calgary, AB
4/15/2011
Jumped in here for a quick bite after reading some good reviews. I ordered a curry tuna sub from an easily readable menu. The order was taken quickly and I was processed with speed.
I sat down and the decor was good, with bright walls and lots of windows. As the 13th Ave location picks up steam, this will be a good spot for people watching. I sat in one of the chairs and I almost slid off the thing. If I didn't know any better, I would say they were treated with Teflon. It was pretty hard to get comfortable, and without a board straight posture, these chairs could be as physically demanding as an excercise ball. I am exaggerating a bit, but you get the point.
Anyway, after a quick wait, I headed out to enjoy the sun and find a seat with more friction. At the nearby park, I tore into my sub. It was a fresh and delicious twist on a classic tuna sub. The balance of the heat from the curry against the fresh veggies was very good. Packaging was simple. I would certainly go back. The tea selection looked vast, but I was feeling too cheap to dish out the cash for drinks today. -
Review from Queenie M.
Calgary, AB
5/2/2012
Drinks: 2.5/5
Atmosphere: 2.5/5
Service: 3/5
Overall experience: 2.5/5
(1- Terrible; 3- decent; 5- Fantastic)
I had high hopes for this place when I heard positive reviews for their subs and cheap bubble tea. Alas, I was extremely disappointed and angry for wasting my money on a watery drink and bland sub.
Atomic is a small 'cafe'-eque place with a few couches and tables set up in the front. The place seemed very dreary and unfinished with an exposed ceiling of pipes and vents. The only interesting thing was the hanging chandeliers, a green/white flower motif on the wall, and a tall window opening the restaurant out to the street. I went after lunchtime, and they didn't bother to clean or tidy any of the tables. I had to wipe crumbs off of a drink stained table..ick!
You order from a menu board hanging above the counter which consisted of subs, salads, hot teas/coffees, and bubble tea. I decided to try their "Mango Peach Fresh Fruit" ($3.49) (w/o pearls) and "Sub Atomic Bomb" ($8.29) with sate beef and chicken topped with carrots, cucumbers, hot sauce, peanuts, lettuce and cilantro. Everything was made on the spot which I liked.
The Fresh Fruit drink was really icy and watered down. For $3.49 though it is a cheap drink, but a junior sized jugo juice would have been more satisfying. Their sub was equally as bad. I was expecting a resemblance to a Vietnamese sub because of the ingredients, but instead I got a sub packed with dry meat and lettuce with a ranch-like sauce. All I could taste after each bite was the sauce; I felt gross after eating it. Nothing was spicy about this sub! The only thing I liked was the crispy baguette.
I will not go back. The food and drinks suck and the service wasn't great either. -
Review from JT W.
Calgary, AB
1/23/2012
The Atomic drink is very delicious either cold or hot. It's easy eating for lunch or snack.
They have only one Vegetation sub and one Salad. Other subs have had lot of meats. -
Review from R R.
Calgary, AB
5/21/2012
Better than subway, but that's a low bar.
Not really a vietsub place. Subs are pretty bland even when ordering the sate.
Pretty clean place, but there's no point in going. -
Review from Emma G.
6/22/2011
Firstly I have to complain about Atomic. My best friend suggested one day that, since I had the afternoon off work, I drive downtown to meet her for a bubble tea. We'd been talking about Atomic for a while as we hadn't had it in ages, so I made the trek during rush hour specifically to get a bubble tea.
She checked online before we went to make sure that it was open, and their website said it'd be open until 7. We got there way, way before that (I'm thinking like 5:30-6ish), only to find the doors locked and nobody there. There was no sign on the door saying they'd closed early, or anything like that. Just a big bucket full of grumpiness for me, having just driven in and paid for parking, only to be disappointed.
After sending in a "wtf?" email, we got a reply basically saying they were sorry and that their website wasn't up to date. This was super frustrating because I always check out websites before I go, and I think that's an important thing to keep up to date.
But, alas, they still have AWESOME bubble tea. We went today and I got the green apple peach with pineapple jelly...so, so good. I wish they had the cups that come sealed, where you poke the straw through the lid, but that is such a tiny detail who cares.
The bubble tea is tasty, the guy behind the counter was friendly, and the shop is super cute...but I'm still a little frowny-faced at them for being randomly closed when I wanted bubble tea, darnnit! -
Review from Dan D.
7/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I REALLY want to give Atomic a higher rating.
There's so much I like about it: the concept, the design, the main guy (owner?) is so nice ... but in the end, it was the quality of food that just did not quite deliver.
Probably the Tandoori Chicken salad was the biggest disappointment. Dry, semi-flavourless chicken; but the worst part was the "salad" it sat on top of. If you look on the menu, the chicken seems to be resting comfortably on a little nest of healthy-looking spinich and field greens. What I got: undressed iceburg lettuce that seemed like it came out of a pre-packaged bag.
The spicy chicken sub was okay, but nothing really to write home about.
The bubble tea is pretty good and creative. Maybe one of the more redeeming qualities about Atomic.
I know that Atomic has it in them to do better than this. I want to see them get some fire in their bellies, focus on the quality and really make this place something worth noting! -
Review from Meghan M.
Cold Lake, AB
12/7/2010 ROTD 12/14/2010
I am fan of Atomic fo sho; it's my favourite Vietnamese sub spot in Calgary.
My favourite is the veggie sub with extra cilantro, though I've had the wasabi tuna sub and the sweet chicken one as well & both were very good. My husband loves the beef satay sub and - wait for it - the vegetarian sub! He's no vegetarian, so this is shocking news.
I often crave Atomic for lunch & am grateful to be within walking distance from work. Yum yum, subs in my tum! -
Review from Kaeleigh E.
Calgary, AB
6/23/2011
I have had a bad experience here so it's difficult for me to be overly enthused about this place. Having a website that isn't up to date can be catastrophic for planning trips. I would rather they post no hours at all as opposed to hours that were incorrect (and listing a location that no longer exists). To make it worse when I sent an email about this matter the response I got basically said, yeah our website info is wrong and sometimes we close early when it's blizzardy outside... however this was a warm, clear, spring day.
However I really like the product. The lemon-lychee is so refreshing on a hot day! But all the flavours are great, you can't really go wrong.
The new shop on 1st and 13th is a lot more spacious than their old shop on 1st and 7th, that place was cramped to say the least. However this new shop is adorable, and in a really cute neighborhood. I don't like that the staff will take a bunch of orders and then start making the drinks after. If you were first in line you get your drinks just moments before the people who were last in line. It seems unfair. Take an order, make a drink. Seems like the fairest way to do it. Because me and Emma G waited about 15 minutes the other day because other people were ordering. It annoyed me.
I would be kidding myself if I said I wouldn't go back because I was annoyed, because I know I'll be back. However I don't give it the glowing praise I used to. It's a great product, I love all of their beverages, however when a business is run less than wonderfully it can really ruin what has the potential to be a great thing. -
Review from dinah g.
Calgary, AB
11/21/2009 5 photos
Atomic on 1st St Sw. just opened another location seven blocks down on the 1300 block of SW Calgary. Set in a very colourful quilted stained glass building. Atomic finds itself in a bigger location with still the same distinctive, funky decor and great graphics.
This location all serves standard Atomic bubbles teas, toasted subs, iced teas, fresh salads, hot teas, pastries, fresh lemonade and mochatomics. Again staff is super hot and courteous here, and for a 10 dollar bill, you can walk away with bubble tea and toasted sub goodness.
I am happy to see another location, especially in an up and coming inner city location. -
Review from Francois C.
Calgary, AB
1/3/2011
*atomic is the best bubble tea in Calgary, bar none. Lots of good traditional (my favorite is taro) yet also "modern" flavours (mango peach), great atmostphere, and excellent service (notably from Jessica and Russell, the owners). This is an excellent business that deserves to thrive! Totally recommended, a great experience from start to finish.
-
Review from Maria H.
Calgary, AB
12/7/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Favorite subs spot! Yummy flavors on all subs, but favorite one is curry tuna sub! Hot tea and bubble tea is really good too, never get tired of it!
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Review from Kris A.
Calgary, AB
2/21/2010
I love this place. Beef Satay sub is stellar. Frozen Lemonade is even better! Real lemons, super sour but slightly sweet. Check it out over Jugo Juice across the street even though JJ is good too.
