Boxer Albertan Kitchen and Bar in Edmonton can be a little bit tricky to find. That is because the entrance to Boxer Albertan Kitchen and Bar is in a back alley across from the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market and behind another popular restaurant, El Cortez. Other than these two easy to find landmarks there are two large murals to help hungry diners find there way to Boxer.

The first large mural to let you know you are close to finding Boxer Albertan Kitchen and Bar is this large Black and White Battle. This is on El Cortez's north wall across from the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market. This mural was painted in 2016 by LA based artist, Cleon Peterson. The mural shows a violent clash and a sword fight with on people on horseback and others on foot showing the struggle between power and submission.

Welcome to the Black Rainbow Lake is a mural painted on the northside of Boxer Albertan Kitchen and Bar's building. This vibrant and massive mural is a work of art created by Okuda San Miquel and is one of only three of his works in Canada. The others are in Vancouver and in Toronto. The intense colours and geometric patterns are part of his distinctive style so the Vancouver and Toronto murals should be easy to recognize if you come across them. Welcome to the Black Rainbow Lake was painted in 2018 as part of Edmonton's Rust Magic International Street Art Festival.

The entrance and front area at Boxer Albertan Kitchen and Bar have a tropical feel to it with all the plants. This makes the restaurant feel very warm and inviting. In the middle of January in Canada, anything tropical, warm, and inviting is a welcome feeling.

I love the eclectic mix of styles that Boxer has pulled together to capture the funky and bohemian culture of Old Strathcona in Edmonton. Take this bar, the behind the bar has an urban industrial feel with the rebar shelving whereas the front of the bar has this cool green and pink art deco look making you half expect a jazz band to start playing while swing dancers take to the dance floor.

One might think they have pegged Boxer Albertan Kitchen and Bar's style with one look at the bar. That is until they turn around and see this modern and contemporary section of the restaurant. It was such an interesting space that has there is something new to discover in every nook and cranny.

I like this row of seating at Boxer. It has some sort of urban elegance vibe to it. The staff at Boxer Albertan Kitchen and Bar have thought of every detail to create a space, to provide the service and the meals to make their guests feel comfortable and inspired.

Even the art deco/urban industrial graffiti washrooms at Boxer Albertan Kitchen and Bar are stylish. If you are starting to feel like you might need to up your fashion style, don't sweat it. Old Strathcona and Whyte Ave are the places to shop and to find that unique and funky, boho look you have been dreaming of...or maybe just started dreaming of.

Clearly, I like the decor at Boxer Albertan Kitchen and Bar but that's not why we chose where to go for dinner. We picked it for the menu and their cocktail selection. Plus, we hadn't been here before, and you know us Adventure Seekers we love discovering new places and great experiences. These two cocktails called, 'I Drink, and I know Things' and 'Uncle Buck' (Yes, in honour of John Candy) we divine. They were both so smooth and well balanced with all the flavours working in harmony with one another. The Uncle Buck (the tall one) was so smooth and creamy that it felt silky. We were talking about it afterwards and trying to decide if these were our favourite Edmonton cocktails to date. They just might be, or at least they are tied for alongside the Old-World Old Fashioned from Woodwork.

Honestly, the cocktail selection helped us pick which restaurant to go to, but it was the BOXER Burger that sealed the deal for me. I mean, how can you resist a good burger described like this - chuck and brisket patty, brioche bun, bacon onion jam, mixed greens, house smoked cheddar, garlic aioli, tomato, bread & butter pickles? They also have gluten free option, and you can add bacon too. The suggested wine pairing is a glass of Andreas Bender Pinot Noir.

This was part of my view at Boxer Albertan Kitchen and Bar. The longer you look at this mural the lesser hidden nuggets you'll find. It is called Enjoy Chicago, or at least that is what I call it because that is what the top of it says. Interestingly, most of the smaller images are about Cuba though. There are many images of Cuba's famous vintage cars, a guy dressed like Che Guerva, drinking a bottle of capitalism. Instead of a beret he has lampshade on his head. Admittedly, the message in that bit was lost on me. Also, on his shirt it looks like it says Ernie...however if you look closely, you can make out part of a letter 'B', so maybe it actually says Bernie.