Lido Cafe
144 10th St. N.W.
(403) 283-0131
lidocafe.ca

Rating:**1/2
Price range: $1.50-$14.88
Low: Spring roll $1.50
High: Seafood hot plate $14.88
Licensed: Yes

From the faded neon sign to the still-working table jukeboxes, the Lido Cafe has withstood the test of time, serving tried-and-true Chinese and Western dishes.

Ten bucks goes a long way. Daily specials like two breaded veal cutlets ($9.95) filled my plate along with crinkle fries and a big heap of frozen vegetables. The deal came with soup (chicken noodle that day) and dessert (usually Jello or rice pudding).

The steak sandwich ($9.95) was a common man’s version, strangely cut into a square to match the two slices of buttered whole wheat toast underneath. The beef was adequate and cooked to order.

The Chinese lunch combo ($7.95) was piled high with chicken chop suey, sweet and sour pork and fried rice. The pork was hot and fresh, but the rice was unfortunately bland. All the usual suspects of ginger beef, lemon chicken, wonton soup or chow mein are also available.

The Lido is no-frills but sometimes that fits the bill.