The Cascade Room

At first I wasn't sure if I should include this place.  I'm not really sure if it qualifies as a pub.  However, it was then brought to my attention that according to City of Vancouver bureaucracy, there is no such thing as a pub within city limits.  Canada's liquor laws are ancient and baffling at the best of times, and British Columbia's manage to be even more so.  As such, I'm now defining any establishment where the primary source of entertainment is chatting, and where you can drink, (but not necessarily eat), as a pub.  Qualifiers subject to my own discretion, blah, blah, blah.  Now that we've got that out of the way, The Cascade Room.

My first impressions were of a deceptively small space.  From the outside, it appears tiny, but it spreads out into the back, and is absolutely huge!  It was quite busy, but we didn't have any trouble getting a table on a Friday night.  The decor is... different.  The walls are covered in shiny, patterned wallpaper that was disconcerting to say the least.  However, I've yet to figure out how to drink wallpaper, so I try never to judge a place on its aesthetics.

The food is very good.  It's a bit more expensive than I typically go for when I'm looking for a quiet night out with my friends, but it's Vancouver in the 21st century.  I need to learn to suck it up.  Besides, concerns about price tend to melt away when your response to the meal is "daymn!" I also really appreciated the fact that all the burgers come with both fries and salad; this eliminates the agony of choice (though who are we kidding? The salad never won).

Cascade has a healthy and respectable beer list.  They also pour proper pints, (sadly a rarity in this town).  The Main Street Pilsner is a co-production of the bar's owner, and of the owner of the nearby Portland Craft.  It's nice, and crisp, and a definite summer beer.  It'll be a go-to drink if summer ever actually starts this year.  Otherwise, plenty of choice in the drinks department, and some really bizarre looking cocktails.  As far as I'm concerned, when it comes to cocktails, bizarre is a good thing.

Shortly after our evening here, I discovered they had been written up in a recent Georgia Straight (the real media is always one step ahead of me).  Apparently, starting next year the managements of Cascade Room, and Portland Craft are going to take their co-brewing a step further and open a local brewery.  I'm always excited when a new microbrewery opens up, and local pubs selling their own brew is always a good thing.  I'll review Cascade again when the brewery opens.  Until then, it's a nice place.  Go check it out.

The Cascade Room