Foods from Craft Beer Market
Comments
2019 Apr 19
Paid my first visit here last night when taking one of my teenagers to see a movie at Landsdown cinema.
The beer selection was of course commendable, but I went with the house Ale and House lager since they were exactly half the price of any of the other beers, which were themselves priced a bit lower than other popular places that have a good beer selection. The Lager was ever-so-slightly better than something like a Molson Canadian, but nothing really to write home about either. The Ale was slightly darker and maltier sort of like an Alt Bier if anyone is familiar with that style. Again not bad but nothing special. Certainly a good bargain if you want to have a few beers here and not spend a lot of money.
I had the burger which I chose after some discussion with the wait staff between it and the crispy chicken burger. In hindsight I should have gone for the latter because the burger was pretty uninspired since it was on the dry side and did not convey any great flavour in any direction. It was OK but I was hoping for better than OK. The fries which came with it were a bit on the burnt side but again OK.
My teen had the baby back ribs and they had exceptional smoke and BBQ flavours, but again were on the dry side. He did not want the cole slaw that came with it so that came to me, but I left it after a few mouthfuls since it really had no flavour. Neither a tang nor a creaminess - just sort of a cabbage flavour. He also passed on the smashed potatoes which came with it, and I'd say with their aoli sauce they were probably the one part of either of our meals that were very good.
We finished off with a shared plate of 3 house ice cream sandwiches. The original deal was the teen would get 2 and I'd get 1, but after tasting it he had trouble finishing the first one (did not like the flavour) so I got the other two. It was some kind of perhaps lime sherbert with a cookie on each side, smeared with caramel cream. The caramel cream sort of ruined it - I thought it was OK without it. But just OK.
I'd go back for the beer and maybe try something else on the food menu while there, but I certainly would not go out of my way to go back for the food.
The beer selection was of course commendable, but I went with the house Ale and House lager since they were exactly half the price of any of the other beers, which were themselves priced a bit lower than other popular places that have a good beer selection. The Lager was ever-so-slightly better than something like a Molson Canadian, but nothing really to write home about either. The Ale was slightly darker and maltier sort of like an Alt Bier if anyone is familiar with that style. Again not bad but nothing special. Certainly a good bargain if you want to have a few beers here and not spend a lot of money.
I had the burger which I chose after some discussion with the wait staff between it and the crispy chicken burger. In hindsight I should have gone for the latter because the burger was pretty uninspired since it was on the dry side and did not convey any great flavour in any direction. It was OK but I was hoping for better than OK. The fries which came with it were a bit on the burnt side but again OK.
My teen had the baby back ribs and they had exceptional smoke and BBQ flavours, but again were on the dry side. He did not want the cole slaw that came with it so that came to me, but I left it after a few mouthfuls since it really had no flavour. Neither a tang nor a creaminess - just sort of a cabbage flavour. He also passed on the smashed potatoes which came with it, and I'd say with their aoli sauce they were probably the one part of either of our meals that were very good.
We finished off with a shared plate of 3 house ice cream sandwiches. The original deal was the teen would get 2 and I'd get 1, but after tasting it he had trouble finishing the first one (did not like the flavour) so I got the other two. It was some kind of perhaps lime sherbert with a cookie on each side, smeared with caramel cream. The caramel cream sort of ruined it - I thought it was OK without it. But just OK.
I'd go back for the beer and maybe try something else on the food menu while there, but I certainly would not go out of my way to go back for the food.
2017 Jun 25
I have been here many times but only got around to write a review.
The idea of having all their beers and wines on tap is amazing. Every beer or wine comes out fresh.
The food quality and selection is decent. The menu is a little more exciting than the typical pub menu. The appetizer menu is extensive and has Korean tacos, tuna tartare, spicy pulled pork sliders (pictured), for example. Appetizers are half price on Monday evenings.
The couple of times we were here for dinner, we had good meals: squash raviolis were nicely done (I added pulled beef to it), burgers were good, the crispy chicken burger was one of the best I have had.
Service is good, professional, nothing stands out. It is best to reserve for a larger group as they can get busy.
The idea of having all their beers and wines on tap is amazing. Every beer or wine comes out fresh.
The food quality and selection is decent. The menu is a little more exciting than the typical pub menu. The appetizer menu is extensive and has Korean tacos, tuna tartare, spicy pulled pork sliders (pictured), for example. Appetizers are half price on Monday evenings.
The couple of times we were here for dinner, we had good meals: squash raviolis were nicely done (I added pulled beef to it), burgers were good, the crispy chicken burger was one of the best I have had.
Service is good, professional, nothing stands out. It is best to reserve for a larger group as they can get busy.
2016 Aug 8
Back for brunch this past weekend (and beer... look, don't judge me...).
Breakfast tacos were three warm tortillas loaded with huge masses of scrambled eggs, decent pico, coriander and tasty guacamole. I would eat these again in a heartbeat (assuming my heart still beat because they were really generous portions). Came with a side of nicely season potatoes and house made hotsauce. If I was going to be picky, the hotsauce was 'ok', could have used a bit more heat.
Also tried the frittata... 'frittata' seems to be one of those words that can mean almost anything, here is means a mass of eggs, grilled veg and a glorious metric tonne of caramelized onions in a sizzling hot iron skillet thing. This was amazingly delicious and I don't care whether it was a frittata, an omelet or a skillet-thingy.
Coffee was good (what you think I went to straight to the beer... what did I JUST say about judging...?). Beer samples were offered and consumed and now I know what I'm drinking next time I go there. And also the time after that.
I like how they have two patios now and one or the other has sun or shade.
Service was terrific, again.
Breakfast for 2 w tx n tip about $38. Worth it will be back, will send others.
Breakfast tacos were three warm tortillas loaded with huge masses of scrambled eggs, decent pico, coriander and tasty guacamole. I would eat these again in a heartbeat (assuming my heart still beat because they were really generous portions). Came with a side of nicely season potatoes and house made hotsauce. If I was going to be picky, the hotsauce was 'ok', could have used a bit more heat.
Also tried the frittata... 'frittata' seems to be one of those words that can mean almost anything, here is means a mass of eggs, grilled veg and a glorious metric tonne of caramelized onions in a sizzling hot iron skillet thing. This was amazingly delicious and I don't care whether it was a frittata, an omelet or a skillet-thingy.
Coffee was good (what you think I went to straight to the beer... what did I JUST say about judging...?). Beer samples were offered and consumed and now I know what I'm drinking next time I go there. And also the time after that.
I like how they have two patios now and one or the other has sun or shade.
Service was terrific, again.
Breakfast for 2 w tx n tip about $38. Worth it will be back, will send others.
2016 Jul 25
Was there for snacks (and beer) a few weeks ago, dinner (and beer) last weekend. Enjoyed, will go back, will send others.
Look, the beer selection is beyond reproach. It's huge and awesome and they are happy to provide you with taste after taste until you find something you want a pint of. Or two. Or three. So let's talk about the food...
The first time there we kept it simple.... deep fried and carb-a-riffic things, shared... a poutine, a plate of mac n cheese. Both were rich, yummy evil beer absorbing goodness. Neither was 'the best ever' in its category but this is a beer market, not a chip truck or an Italian restau... as beer n food goes, we were happy plus. Also, possibly a little drunk, but the positive yums were generated before the second round.
Second trip, burger with spinach salad, seared tuna sandwich with kale cesar salad (there may have been some beer too...).
The burger was cooked through but still nicely juicy, the cheese and inhouse bbq sauce were messy glory. On par with other really good non-burger joint burgers i've had, better than most. The spinach/pecan/stuff salad was fresh, nothing novel but good, tasty dressing.
The seared tuna arrived on toasted bread, a nice piece of fish w avocado, tomato, some other veg things and a solid aioli that worked without killing the taste of the tuna. Kale cesar.... look, i know, i know, if it isn't romaine it isn't a cesar i know, but this was really good. Plenty of bacon, dressing tasted house made... if it came out of a jug it didn't taste like it at all.
So because of the below review and also because it is a favorite of mine, i asked about the fish tacos... the server said they knew about the review(s?), the owners hadn't been happy with the tacos and had changed the contents and they were better now. Based on the above i would try them next time.
Staff were great, friendly, checked in, impressive comfort level with the menu and massive beer list.
Food w1 beer, tax n tip, about $25-30ish/pp. Goes up with more beer but worth it. Apps (nicely shareable) are about $15 and under, mains are between $13-25ish. Beer depends on what you're drinking, about $5 and up. If you have a Budweiser fan in your group, they aren't going to love this, but then, why are you bringing them here in the first place... tell them to go abuse the inside of their head elsewhere and meet you later.
Look, the beer selection is beyond reproach. It's huge and awesome and they are happy to provide you with taste after taste until you find something you want a pint of. Or two. Or three. So let's talk about the food...
The first time there we kept it simple.... deep fried and carb-a-riffic things, shared... a poutine, a plate of mac n cheese. Both were rich, yummy evil beer absorbing goodness. Neither was 'the best ever' in its category but this is a beer market, not a chip truck or an Italian restau... as beer n food goes, we were happy plus. Also, possibly a little drunk, but the positive yums were generated before the second round.
Second trip, burger with spinach salad, seared tuna sandwich with kale cesar salad (there may have been some beer too...).
The burger was cooked through but still nicely juicy, the cheese and inhouse bbq sauce were messy glory. On par with other really good non-burger joint burgers i've had, better than most. The spinach/pecan/stuff salad was fresh, nothing novel but good, tasty dressing.
The seared tuna arrived on toasted bread, a nice piece of fish w avocado, tomato, some other veg things and a solid aioli that worked without killing the taste of the tuna. Kale cesar.... look, i know, i know, if it isn't romaine it isn't a cesar i know, but this was really good. Plenty of bacon, dressing tasted house made... if it came out of a jug it didn't taste like it at all.
So because of the below review and also because it is a favorite of mine, i asked about the fish tacos... the server said they knew about the review(s?), the owners hadn't been happy with the tacos and had changed the contents and they were better now. Based on the above i would try them next time.
Staff were great, friendly, checked in, impressive comfort level with the menu and massive beer list.
Food w1 beer, tax n tip, about $25-30ish/pp. Goes up with more beer but worth it. Apps (nicely shareable) are about $15 and under, mains are between $13-25ish. Beer depends on what you're drinking, about $5 and up. If you have a Budweiser fan in your group, they aren't going to love this, but then, why are you bringing them here in the first place... tell them to go abuse the inside of their head elsewhere and meet you later.
2016 Jun 7
Was at Craft Beer Market last Tuesday. The beer options are fantastic! However the food was more than disappointing. I had the fish tacos, it being "taco Tuesday", I thought maybe it was just because they're at a discounted price & don't care so much about the quality. Sadly the taco had way too much cabbage that wasn't seasoned at all, neither was the fish. I only ate half of one. My friend had the TLC, hers was bland as well and the focaccia that it's served on was raw. Our server was very kind and comped our food. We left to go see a movie and decided to give the food another chance. We ordered chip & guacamole, it was terrible. I really want to like this place but sadly it's only come up short. Has anyone else eaten here? What's good?
Burger 1
Tacos 1
2017 Jun 25
I agree that the tacos is bland and the texture rather boring. It is on the soggy side. Not my favourite item on the menu. I would go with anything but the tacos.
The baked mac n cheese for adult is really good though, with a crispy topping. The mac n cheese for kids is the same pasta but not au gratin, for your information.
The baked mac n cheese for adult is really good though, with a crispy topping. The mac n cheese for kids is the same pasta but not au gratin, for your information.
zymurgist
The beer selection obviously speaks for itself - I had a few different beers and enjoyed them all.
Fortunately the food was a lot better this time than it was last time. I had the Brewmaster's Chicken Sandwich which was juicy and extremely flavourful. It was served on what appeared to be a home made bun - sort of a sub bun as in it was a bit longer and narrower.
The fries were perfect.
Teen had the mac and cheese and really enjoyed it though noted there was a bit too much pepper. I tried some and confirmed it was great but yeah a bit too peppery. One comment from the teen really stuck out "I really like how you can taste all the different kinds of cheese"
We were speculating on why things were so different from last time. Last time there was a 67s game and it was extremely busy with a lot more people. I'm guessing that had a lot to do with the mediocre quality of the food - though in my opinion any place worth its salt needs to be able to serve good food when they are busy.