State & Main

State & Main has been opened for over a year now, on the outside of Southgate Mall. It’s a pretty decent location considering how there aren’t really any other restaurants around Southgate and it’s a good choice if you’re sick of the food court. I’ve been to State & Main a few times before and it’s very similar to Original Joe’s, but more modernized. It shares a few similar menu items with Original Joe’s since both restaurant chains are owned by the same franchise group. I prefer going to State & Main over Original Joe’s though because I like its atmosphere and menu better. I find that State & Main has more items to choose from, and options that have a twist on them such as the Jalapeno Mac & Cheese. Also, State & Main has a restaurant and bar area while Original Joe’s is only 18+ and has a “bar-like” feel to its whole restaurant. 

I also ordered a small side of jalapeno cheddar mashed potatoes ($3.50). There was a slight spiciness to it from the jalapeno but the mashed potatoes were a bit dry.

My friend ordered fish & chips and upgraded her fries to a poutine ($15.75 + extra $2). Unlike other places, State & Main serves one huge piece of fish instead of 2-3 pieces. The fish was lightly battered to give a slight crisp. It wasn’t oily either and was served fresh. It was accompanied by tartar sauce and a small portion of coleslaw. We were pretty surprised by how big her serving of poutine was. The fries that came with the poutine were delicious and crispy. One comment about the poutine would be that the cheese should’ve been melted a bit more.

If you are shopping at Southgate and craving some restaurant quality food, stop by State & Main. It would be better if you had some time to spare though because the service was lacking the day I went. State & Main has 2 other locations outside Edmonton as well, in Spruce Grove and Sherwood Park.