The Proper Is Lloydminster's Favourite Local Restaurant — and It Just Made the SaskTel Small Business Spotlight Finals
Nader Yasin opened The Proper Eats & Drinks in the heart of Lloydminster, turning a well-known local address into a neighbourhood restaurant that the border city has made its own. This summer, SaskTel named it one of the finalists for their Small Business Spotlight award.
August 3, 2026 · By Justin Plosz · Lloydminster, Alberta · Business · 5 min read read
A Local Restaurant That Feels Like It Has Always Been There
The Proper Eats & Drinks sits at 4301 49 Avenue in Lloydminster — a location that most longtime residents recognize as the old Cheers spot. When Nader Yasin took over the address, he did not try to erase that history. He built on it: a comfortable, unpretentious room with a full kitchen and a bar, designed for the kind of meal you come back to every week rather than the kind you photograph once and forget.
The menu reflects that philosophy. Boneless Dry Ribs have become something of a signature — crispy pork bites tossed with salt and cracked pepper, served with a fresh lemon wedge and dill dip. It's the kind of dish that sounds simple until you eat it, at which point you understand why the Thursday dry rib night special has a following. The Proper Burger runs every Tuesday at $14 with fries. Fish Friday runs every week at lunch. These are not gimmicks; they are the infrastructure of a neighbourhood restaurant that its regulars have woven into their weekly routines.
The lounge side of the operation extends the experience without overcomplicating it. This is a spot for a beer after a long shift, for a family dinner that does not require a reservation two weeks out, for a birthday party that does not need a private dining contract. Lloydminster has no shortage of chain restaurants. The Proper is not one of them.
SaskTel Small Business Spotlight Finalist, July 2026
On July 28, 2026, My Lloydminster Now reported that The Proper had made the final cut for the SaskTel Small Business Spotlight award — a recognition program that identifies outstanding locally owned businesses across Saskatchewan.
For a restaurant in Lloydminster, making the finals of a provincial business award is a meaningful achievement. The border city straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan line, which means any business in Lloyd is already operating across two regulatory environments, two provincial tax structures, and two sets of customer expectations. Doing all of that as an independently owned restaurant — without the supply chain agreements, marketing support, and brand recognition of a franchise — requires a level of operational discipline that does not often get celebrated publicly.
The SaskTel nomination changes that, at least for a moment. It is the kind of acknowledgment that lands differently than a Yelp review or a Google rating because it involves an external organization making a deliberate choice to recognize the business by name. For Yasin and his team, it is a signal that what they built at 49 Avenue is being noticed beyond the regular customer base.
What Makes a Border City Restaurant Work
Running a restaurant in Lloydminster means serving customers who cross the provincial border to eat there — Albertans who come for a night out on the Saskatchewan side, Saskatchewan residents who drive over for lunch. The city functions as a single community despite existing in two provinces simultaneously, and the businesses that thrive there tend to be the ones that treat it that way.
The Proper has done that. The restaurant draws from both sides of the border because it is not marketing itself as an Alberta restaurant or a Saskatchewan restaurant — it is marketing itself as a Lloydminster restaurant, which is its own category. The weekly specials are consistent enough that customers can plan around them. The menu is familiar enough that you do not need to study it on your first visit. The room is comfortable enough that you stay longer than you planned.
That is the formula for a neighbourhood restaurant that lasts, and based on the Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce's listing and the customer reviews across multiple platforms, The Proper has been running it consistently since it opened.
The Dry Ribs, the Burger, and the Weekly Calendar
If you ask what to order at The Proper, locals will tell you the same few things.
The Boneless Dry Ribs are the anchor of the menu — a dish that requires genuine attention to technique to do well and that The Proper has clearly put that attention into. The dill dip is housemade. The portion is generous. It is the kind of starter that frequently becomes the whole meal.
The Proper Burger on Tuesday is $14 with fries. This is not a complicated value proposition, but it is an honest one — a burger that is worth the drive, at a price that does not require justification. Thursday dry rib night runs the same ribs as an order of sides at $9 starting at 4 pm. Friday lunch runs a fish special. The weekly calendar gives the restaurant a rhythm that regulars can count on, and regulars are the foundation of any neighbourhood restaurant that intends to be around for the long term.
For anyone in Lloydminster who has not made The Proper part of their regular rotation, the SaskTel recognition is as good a reason as any to fix that.
Key takeaways
- The Proper Eats & Drinks is a locally owned restaurant and lounge in Lloydminster operated by Nader Yasin, with no franchise affiliation.
- In July 2026, SaskTel named The Proper a finalist for their Small Business Spotlight award, recognizing its contribution to the Lloydminster community.
- The restaurant's signature Boneless Dry Ribs and consistent weekly specials — Tuesday burgers, Thursday ribs, Friday fish — have built one of the most loyal local followings in the border city.
- Operating across the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, The Proper serves both sides of Lloydminster and positions itself as a community restaurant rather than a provincial one.
- The business occupies the former Cheers location at 4301 49 Avenue and has built its identity around affordable, consistent, honest food rather than trend-driven menu changes.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is The Proper Eats & Drinks located in Lloydminster?
- The Proper Eats & Drinks is located at 4301 49 Avenue in Lloydminster, Alberta/Saskatchewan. The restaurant occupies a well-known address in the city, formerly home to the Cheers restaurant.
- Who owns The Proper in Lloydminster?
- The Proper Eats & Drinks is owned and operated by Nader Yasin. It is independently owned and locally operated, with no franchise affiliation.
- What is The Proper known for?
- The Proper is best known for its Boneless Dry Ribs — crispy pork bites served with dill dip — and its weekly specials including the Tuesday Proper Burger ($14 with fries), Thursday dry rib night ($9), and Friday fish lunch. The restaurant and lounge format is designed for regular visits rather than special occasions.
- Did The Proper win the SaskTel Small Business award?
- As of July 28, 2026, The Proper had been named a finalist for the SaskTel Small Business Spotlight award. The award recognizes outstanding locally owned businesses across Saskatchewan. Final results were pending at time of publication.
- Does The Proper Lloydminster have a reservation system?
- The Proper accepts reservations through their website at theproper.ca. The restaurant also accommodates walk-in guests as a neighbourhood restaurant and lounge open to regular visitors.
- What are The Proper's hours in Lloydminster?
- For current hours and weekly specials, visit The Proper's website at theproper.ca or check their Instagram at @theproperlloydminster, where they post regular updates. Hours may vary seasonally.
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