Magpie & Stump Restaurant & Cantina, Banff

A caribou head mounted on the wall above a 40-year-old Japanese rice wine bottle greets patrons at the "Stump." Part frontier saloon, part Tex-Mex restaurant, and mostly a resting place for old matchbooks, bottles, Mexican party regalia and animal heads, this place has no shortage of character. Dark, antique wood walls, a weather-beaten exterior and very little light save the dozens of candles on every surface adds to the originality. The menu is Mexican to the core, with tacos, nachos, fried ice cream and a variety of tequilas.