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Bitter Tasting Room
Categories: Food Beer, Wine & Spirits Nightlife Bars Pubs Beer, Wine & Spirits, Pubs [Edit]
16 W Hastings StVancouver, BC V6B 1G6
Neighbourhoods: Downtown, Downtown Eastside
(604) 558-4658
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 12 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Tue
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
30 reviews for Bitter Tasting Room
30 reviews in English
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Review from Monique B.
Port Moody, BC
I've been to Bitter a couple of times now, both before and after Whitecaps matches. It seems to be the right atmosphere to attract a footy crowd because we were by no means the only people in our match-day regalia on either occassion.
I'm surprised to see that so many people have had poor service here, as both times we went I found the service to be friendly, helpful and prompt. On our second visit we had a reso for the BF's birthday (pre-match) and we showed up a few minutes before they opened. One of the staff came and let us in and they were all very friendly with us throughout our whole stay. They even let us borrow the Tintin doll behind the bar for a photo op with my man, who bears an uncanny resemblance.
The food isn't cheap, but it's not super expensive considering all the trendy restos in Gastown these days. They do have a limitted menu of beer accompaniments, but everything I've tried has been tasty. I would say, stick with the snacky things (pretzels, brats, eggs, scratchings) and you won't be disappointed. It isn't somewhere to go for dinner, more a place to have some pints and laughs and a nibble alongside them. -
Review from Namit M.
5/23/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Good selection of beers that are a tad bit overpriced. The sausages are a very decent pairing for the brews.
The service is spotty at best. Regardless of how busy the place is, it takes for ever to get served. Also, folks get a mobile credit card machine, it is not cool to have to have everyone congregate at the bar if they choose to pay by plastic. That's just my welcome to 2012 tip of the day for you. -
Review from Kyle M.
Vancouver, BC
4/12/2012
I've been to bitter probably 6 times now.
Not because I freakin' love it or anything, but rather one of my best friends lives next door.
So, I feel like I can make some educated statements on the establishment.
The beer is, straight up, overpriced. They're charging like 10 bucks for a triple karmeliet, which is like $3/per at the liquor store and maybe $6-7 anywhere else. That said, who cares. If i'm there with friends i'm not going to not order the beer i want.
The food. If you're vegetarian or counting calories, keep on walking. The welsh rarebit (toast with a beer cheese sauce) will basically barricade itself in your insides. That said, it's tasty bar food. The scotch eggs are good (although they're frequently out of them)
I've had the cassoulet and it's not bad either.
What i'd really like to see is this place step up the game a bit. The food is too simple, and too heavy. There's a lot more that can be done with beer and i think in order to keep a clientele of regulars they need to lighten it up a bit. I'm not eating sausages and scotch eggs and beer 3x a week, thank you very much. Pay more respect to the brew and show how versatile it can be. -
Review from Cheri B.
Vancouver, BC
3/31/2012
If I were to give a star for each category (Food, Drinks, Service, Location, Etc), my one star is solely for their Scotch Eggs. We went here based on the excellent experience we had during the Yelper Party: Yelp's Night At The Museum. I'm not sure if the guys manning the booth were the owners but they got me and my friend sold.
I'm not much of a beer drinker but I tried the St. Ambroise Apricot and I thought...wow, I think I have found my beer soulmate. Warning: totally a chick drink (as if the Apricot wasn't a dead giveaway already lol).
So how come the Scoth Eggs were the only good thing about this place? It's funny how a one employee can ruin one's overall experience in a restaurant. She acted like a newbie. That's the best word I can think of. It's like this is her first job in the food industry. She didn't bother memorizing people's orders and didn't get one single order right. She merely hovered a plate in front of us and hopes someone would claim it as their order.
She also recommended a drink that my friend didn't like. We passed the drink to the rest of the group hoping someone would adopt the glass. The whole table did not find the drink pleasant but we were still charged for a drink recommended to us. I forgot the name of the drink but it had coffee in it.
My friend ordered the rootbeer float (adult version) and was given the regular carbonated root beer drink...wtf?? We complained and again, wasn't offered to take it out of our bill. I blame my friend for being too nice.
I was surprised about the Pork Scratchings. That's actually a very popular Filipino beer food. We call it chicharon. And in the Philippines, a huge bagful of them is worth $0.50. Lol
So to conclude my "generous" yelp review, I would go back to this place because it's not *THAT* bad but certainly won't be the first thing I'd recommend if someone were to ask me where to go for drinks. Now if someone asks where to go for fancy hard-boiled eggs..... -
Review from Annie W.
3/23/2012
Having sampled Bitter's fare at Yelp's Night at the Museum event, I was pretty stoked to bring some friends here. Well, none of us want to come back.
Beer: Wow
Super extensive beer list with lots of hard to find beers in stock and even on tap. A trip here would definitely make a beer connoisseurs day.
Food: Hit or Miss (Mostly Miss)
The Eggs - Our favourites were the deviled & scotch eggs.
Sausage Roll - My friend declared it a winner and finger lickin' good.
Pork Rillette - Total grease bomb.
Welsh Rarebit - Disgusting. Looked & tasted like a piece of stale Wonderbread smeared with caramelized onions, covered in cheap cheese, that had been nuked in the microwave.
Service: Meh
Our server, while nice enough, just couldn't get it right. Drinks were mixed up, food orders plopped down randomly in front of people regardless of whether it was what they ordered...and no offer to rectify any of the mistakes.
I also ordered one of their beer cocktails to try - the server said it was really good - and I hated it...actually EVERYONE at my table hated it. I couldn't even give it away! When I asked if it was at all possible to change my drink, she said "Sure, but I can't take it off your bill." Now I know that technically I ordered it, so they are by no means obligated to replace my drink....but seriously, to me this was a complete fail in terms of customer service. She even came by later to add "I can't believe none of you liked it, everybody loves that drink."
It's too bad because they really do have a phenomenal beer selection. However, given that the staff's attitude towards customer satisfaction is basically a flip of the bird I will happily take my business elsewhere. -
Review from joshua p.
Vancouver, BC
4/8/2012
They have an 11x17 menu.
Front page is food.
Back page is beer.
They only have 6 or so beers on tap.
What's best to order there?
Beer - an IPA on tap - Lighthouse IPA - which is $5.50 for a glass - not a pint.
Food - the sausage roll for $3.50. Get them to run it through the toaster TWICE otherwise it won't be tasty. Also get the mustard.
The Alibi room is better.
Pros: they have an IPA on tap
Cons: too expensive, not enough IPAs, food is terrible except for the sausage roll -
Review from geoff a.
3/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Bitter is a classy higher end room on Hastings overlooking Pigeon Park. They have an extremely wide selection of bottled craft beer marked up at an average 175% price point accompanied by eight taps price much more reasonably at the $5.50-$7 range. I enjoyed the newly released Lighthouse Switchback IPA as well as their house Milk Stout by R&B.
The staff is super knowledgeable and friendly. Great service and atmosphere tasty German style sausages with sauerkraut, mustard, and pickled veggies.
Definitely a good midweek option for some craft taps.
I forgot to ask about their growlers, they seem exorbitantly expensive at $20-$28 (Steamworks charges $18 with refills at $11) -
Review from Mo F.
Vancouver, BC
3/20/2012
I like the layout......
gotta say it took me a while to actually go in. (I walked by a million times)
I wish they had left the view to pigeon park visible but other than that I had a pretty good experience.
seriously I was excited to get a pretzel with mustard but unfortunately there were none so........................ I got some PORK SCRATCHINGS!!!
hee hee...... never thought I'd see those on a menu in the bar , ever.
they were good but hella heavy on the lime salt.
When it came to drinks though these guys knew their stuff as well as suggesting some cool beer/cocktails I finished it with a couple of their Whiskey options and all in all will definitely be back.
BTW... the "scotch eggs" wowsers. not the usual fare but worth trying especially for the price. -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Backlit beers dominate the bar. Floor to ceiling windows span two walls. Smiling staff donning Bitter apparel usher you to tiny topped tables. And then... commence "sausaging," a new term I'm using to describe tonging a wiener from a pot of steaming water.
Let ye be warned - the $15-16 price tag is there because that steaming pot o' meat comes with FIVE links. Sharing is encouraged. Pickled carrots and celery, sauerkraut and mustard adorn their own plate, tasty accompaniments. I do wish that a bit of bread came with as well, but you can add on a pretzel for $3.50 if you are so inclined. The pickled eggs for $2 are herbed with tarragon and taste like little fingers of egged perfection.
3 people around a two top is a little tight, but on a Friday night, no one's being that picky, just thirsty. And oh, the beer. I had hoped for a bigger selection on tap, but the bottles were mighty impressive and made up for it with their sheer amount. I was also happy to see a few other options for the non-beer drinkers, mainly the bourbons and ryes and the beer cocktails. Bitter Chill and Milwaukee Float - I'm staring you down, waiting for my next encounter at Bitter so I can sip on you too.Listed in: Gastown Hotspots, Vancouver Beer Culture
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Review from Anthony C.
Vancouver, BC
4/7/2012
A few weeks ago, my friends and I were out drinking and some person was hyping this place. Skip ahead to last night and after stuffing ourselves full of tasty food elsewhere, we decided to check this place out. We were surprised when we realized we'd passed by it so many times on transit... Right across from Pigeon Park, it's yet another example of the places popping up all over the DTES. The decor and room are alright, but it really didn't feel any different than the other places that have cropped up over the last little while.
We didn't end up trying the food; We really were stuffed. So this is focusing on what I know best and that is drinking! The drink menu was dominated by their lengthy bottled beer list. The selections were all of the same stuff you see over at Brewery Creek, Legacy and the ilk. Basically, if you justify your alcoholism with unbridled pretension like some of us do, you'll know and have drank most of their list previously. That said, many of them are quite tasty... but at $18-20 for a single bottle of beer? It just felt like too much. That combined with the lack of truly exciting bottles that were new to me and I wasn't all that stoked about the menu.
They've got a few taps going as well and I felt better about these. R&B is making a signature stout for them called the Milk Stout. It was silky, roasty and had a fantastic finish. Beyond that, I enjoyed some White Bark, Switchback and Back Hand of God from the taps. I'd probably have given this place a whole 'nother star if they hadn't gone with the crowd and only brought in the one beer from Crannog. BHoG is a fantastic beer, but it isn't the only thing they make!
Beyond the beer, they do some kitschy, fun and overly gimmicky mixed drinks. They largely seemed like drinks made for people that do not like the flavor of liquor. Great stuff for 19 year old girls. That said, I did only actually try one. My friend was fascinated while watching the bartender and ordered some root beer flavored drink heavily utilizing Art in the Age's Root. It was good, but I was glad he ordered it and not me.
The highlight really was when we were all getting pretty tipsy and talking more to the bartender. He made the suggestion to my friend that she should go for some Sazerac Rye. As soon as I smelled it, I had to get some. And then the other friend did too. It's exciting to finally see American Ryes becoming more common here!... It was quite pricey, but worth it for my own expatriate sense of nostalgia at the very least.
Overall, the place was okay. Will I go there again? Maybe if my usual haunts around that neighborhood are too full or too loud. It was at least not really loud and I hope they maintain that. I don't see it as becoming a major draw for me though. The staff was nice, the menu was large and the room was comfortable enough, but nothing stood out. There just wasn't enough to get excited about. If I want beer, there's better places within a walking distance of there. If I want cocktails, there's way too many places that are doing things I find more intriguing. That lack of a reason to get excited killed two stars. The feeling that I might be getting just slightly ripped off killed the other. -
Review from Sarah D.
2/19/2012
It was my husband's 30th birthday in January, and being the beer-lover that he is I decided to plan a surprise party for 12 guests at Bitter Tasting Room. First of all, I have to commend the Heather Hospitality Group for making the planning process easy-as-pie. It's not easy to find a place in Gastown that is willing to accommodate a large group on a Friday night, and with a week's notice, they were able to do just that.
Now for the restaurant itself:
When we arrived, our group was seated in a secluded area near the back of the restaurant, which was nice in a way because it made it a bit easier to move around and mingle with all the guests in our group. That being said, it certainly wasn't the most scenic spot, as it was sandwiched between the kitchen door where all the staff were entering and exiting, as well as the bathrooms. Classy.
Our server was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, and their beer list was, as expected, impressive. I was able to enjoy some fantastic brews that I had never tried before, and they had a few flights on offer that I know some of my friends loved. I did find it a bit odd that you couldn't build your own flight, as I know this is standard practise at a few other spots in town.
The one area that Bitter Tasting Room could really use some improvement is their food menu. I understand that they're going for a very Old Country beer parlour feel with their offerings, but as someone who simply doesn't enjoy eating a lot of meat and other heavy foods I found it challenging to find something truly appetizing. Since it was his birthday, I let my husband choose the food and we ended up sharing a pot of sausages and a scotch egg. Although the food was good, after eating half of the egg (delicious, but very heavy and greasy) and one of the sausages, I couldn't handle any more. I would have loved to see some lighter options, such as sandwiches, soups or more interesting salads on the menu.
All in all, Bitter Tasting Room was a-ok, but with so many other restaurants with great beer menus in Vancouver (like the Whip, the Alibi Room, or St. Augustine's to name a few), I won't be rushing to return anytime soon. -
Review from Peter M.
Vancouver, BC
2/23/2012
Wow, what a room!
Original tiles, and we were told the wood for the tables was taken from the building upstairs when they renovated. Massive fridges filled with beer, glorious beer. Bottles are definitely the focus here, which I guess makes sense since everyone else has gone the million and one taps route already (and I've definitely had a stale pint or two at St. Augustines as a result of that strategy). They do have 8 taps though, pouring quite a good selection of craft and local stuff, which the server told us rotate quite regularly.
My friend had a flight of three hoppy beers, one of them from belgium, and I drank the milk stout from R&B. The scotch egg appetizer was to die for. I do wish they had a few more items on the menu overall though. The beer list was long enough to be almost overwhelming, but our server really seemed to know her way around it.
Something to watch out for - if you are coming on a Friday or a Saturday, better make sure you have a reservation - they seem to get packed up with big groups. -
Review from Dustin B.
Vancouver, BC
12/19/2011
This place was hyped on Scout Magazine and similar sites for a few months before the big opening, and I bought into it all. I was excited to check out this newest venture and drink an array of beers on tap.
My companion and I arrived, and were seated right away. The menu surprised me, as there was only 8 beers on tap, and they all seemed fairly standard as far as Vancouver craft taps go. They have a pretty extensive bottled beer list, including a few options I hadn't tried yet. I asked our server about a few of the beers and she either read the description to me off the menu, or giggled and said "Sorry, we've only been open for 2 days". Cute, but it doesn't tell me jack squat about the beer.
Judging from the menu descriptions, my companion and I opted to share a couple 650ml bottles. We also each got a pretzel and a pickled egg.
The pretzel & egg were pretty much that. Nothing new or spectacular. I've heard good things since about the scotch egg, so I'll probably try that sucker next visit. Yes, I'll be going back, and hopefully the servers might be a bit more knowledgeable about their products this time. -
Review from Emily-Anne P.
Vancouver, BC
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was really excited for Bitter. I am a huge beer fan and a fairly large fan of the food at most of the Irish Heather Group's places, so I figured this must have something going for it.
I met some work peeps for some drinks and food and it was nice and packed in there for a Wednesday. Windows steamed up, bar hopping it was a lovely, loud place to chill and have food.
When I first looked on the website their draft beer list disappointed me. When I arrived I learned they do carry a number of beers in bottle, but some only in Growler, some in 750 and a few in the more reasonable 355ml. This is .5 of a star lost for me.
When I go to have beer somewhere, I want to have a glass and try a number of different beers. Depending on what I'm eating, I might few of the same kind or a whole bunch of different ones.
Also, because they only have a few beers on tap, the flights I didn't feel were a great sampling of what's available.
The second .5 lost is the food. The food was really good, it was what is to be expected at an Irish pub but I didn't feel that the price point to quality was right. My dish was listed at about $18 and when I was done I was actually still quite hungry.
All in all, I will go back. I like the location and the atmosphere of the place, the staff were nice and the service speedy. I hope that as time goes on they expand the beer they have on tap because I really do appreciate the idea of a beer bar, but as it stands currently it's a bit challenging to experience all the beer. -
Review from J N.
Vancouver, BC
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
We couldn't get into Ensemble Tap although it was half empty. (Reserved). Seats by the door and at the bar at ET were freezing; suddenly, it didn't seem as welcoming as it once did. We felt a bit "bitter" but decided to shake it off and just go to Bitter instead. Boy, am I glad that I did as the end result was certainly sweet. (And do forgive me for the cheese in this first paragraph.)
Ok, so the white wine selection was almost non-existent, but the beer people sure seemed happy! Loved the space; didn't have to sit by the door! So modern and sleek. Loved the lights and the fridges.
Best chefs and bartenders I'd experienced in a long time. So friendly; so nice, and not just with us but with everyone. The homemade sauerkraut, pickled veg and sausages were awesome. (I'm sure you can't go wrong with any kind). The sausage roll was so fresh and contained real "meat,' which was so unlike the fatty mystery kind found at too many delis.
Cauliflower was AMAZING and we found out afterwards it was deep fried. No wonder!
So while this was not the healthiest of meals, I did not depart feeling gross. I left feeling proud to be the German girl eating a few delicacies that I wouldn't even attempt to make on my own. I am sure that once this place becomes well-known, it'll be tough to get a seat. It would just be great if they added a few more items to the menu (and yes, even white wine for the minority). But I'm not complaining.
***Note*** If you are feeling deep-fried daring, try the scotch eggs! A definite "dude-meal" type of place, which I'm sure will make many dudes and the ladies who dine with them quite happy. -
Review from Daniel L.
Bitter is the new sweet spot on West Hastings & Carrall. This newly opened Irish bar, a recent extension of the Sean Heather & S.Hawthorn (Irish Heather Group), and sip your way back in time while reliving Vancouver's history of over 100 years ago (well before me). The 1909 building, the previous headquarters of a meat packing company back in the day, has been beautifully transformed where you can look out through the transparent images covering the huge glass windows and experience the illusion of looking out onto old Gastown (very cool) as it used to be when the neighborhood was full of ale & brew houses.
The room has this beautiful half round bar from reclaimed wood, that show cases some 40-60 revolving bottle beers and the 8 on tap lineup. The menu is keeping of traditional Irish pub food Scotch & Pickled eggs, various bar sausages & wieners, Welsh Rarebit and some tasty large plates like Cassoulet, Chicken & biscuit.. This section of W.Hasting street is now starting to feel warm & user friendlier with the addition this sweet Bitter Tasting Room. -
Review from Jason A.
Vancouver, BC
2/1/2012
I went for beer with a friend and I wasn't disappointed.
I had 2 draught beer during dine-out. 1 IPA which was very tasty. It had that expected IPA flavour, higher alcohol content (7%) but not over-whelmingly so an IPA. I also had a lager which, although very tasty, would have been preferred as a summer drink.
My friend had the dine-out menu and it was simple, small and tasty. It was his food so I won't comment too much about it.
One thing i found about this place that was a bit weird was the shape of the space. It is shaped in a strange almost diagonal disjointed way, but I guess being next to the old street car junction/terminal it kinda makes sense. However, the shape seemed to dull the atmosphere of the place and it felt a bit too quiet for the amount of people there. Interestingly, I'm not sure if it will turn out this way, but it appears as though they might be setting up for a patio for the summer as they have a door that empties out to the side of the building for no apparent reason and if so it would be a very cool place for some summer beers.
All in all I had a good experience and since I live literally a block away I will give this place another shot and it might turn out to be good local. -
Review from Ramon V.
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Spoiler alert: THE POT OF SAUSAGES IS 4 WIENERS IN WARM WATER!
I had to get that out of the way in case you didn't want to read the rest of my review.
I'm downright disappointed. The hype of Bitter Tasting Room, and some of the positive reviews made me overlook the negative ones. Not many restaurants warrant a "NEVER AGAIN" on my list, but this shoots straight to the top.
Six of us decided to give it a solid go. Some of us choosing the Dine Out menu as a good reason for a visit. The menu looked exciting as I glanced over it when the Dine Out 2012 list was announced, and instantly booked a table. Now, three weeks later, I wished I had never done that.
Let's recap the evening.
We were warmly welcomed. Service was friendly. We were pleased at the promptness and politeness. I was a little bit surprised that, for a beer tasting room, the tap list was limited to only about 8 beers, and of those, none was a proper bitter. I settled for a Fat Tug IPA, which I do enjoy. The bottled beer list was extensive, but expensive, ranging from about $6 to well into the $30s. No way am I going to spend $19 on an Estrella Inedit. It looks as though all beers on that list have been simply marked up by 300% over the liquor store price. It doesn't take much to stock up on bottles and then triple the price. The Alibi Room or St Augustine's have an equally impressive list, but on tap! And most under $8.
That's not why I'm not coming back.
I was a little hungry. I considered getting a few appetizers to share. I inquired about the 'Handmade pretzels from our bakery". It turns out its only ONE pretzel.
Singular vs plural much?
The food arrived. The salad was small. Nothing special. I finished it quickly to make way for the Pot of 4 handmade sausages entree. Two of us at the table were awaiting this. This was going to be good. What surprise lied inside the large white covered dish that arrived at the table? I opened it. I looked inside. I looked around for Allen Funt.
A nervous laugh was all we could muster up as I uttered a phony "Mmmm".
My mind raced for options. Do I even try it? Am I judging it before trying it? What time is it? Is Save On Meats still open?
I will not enjoy wieners at the best of times, and this looked as unappetizing as anything Schneiders has to offer. Pink, skinny and four of them floating inside a white coffin of warm water. Perhaps I had gotten ahead of myself by expecting something stewed, roasted, with a tasty stock, or at least herbs, or a vegetable ragout. Something indicative of Irish comfort food, or some visual appeal. If you ordered these at $14 on the regular menu, you'd be sorely disappointed. I got through it. I got through it because the alternatives were none better. Others at the table had the roasted cauliflower, and the cotechino sausage with lentils. Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but it looked and tasted as though the 'roasted' cauliflower was deep fried. It was thoroughly OILY and was not finished. These weren't nice cauli buds, but the shrapnel you'd find after a cauliflower fight at Mr Lube. Poor vegans. Another friend had the cotechino and it was served as a few slices of sausage on top of a bed of lentils. Small, and bland, bland, bland.
Scotch eggs? Bland.
We noticed that another table seemingly had the non-Dine Out version of the cauliflower and it was bigger and served differently. The regular menu offers 5 sausages and the wiener variety is at the cheap end of the list. That's another pet peeve of mine. I don't like when Dine Out restaurants skimp and give you a half-assed version of their regular menu. It doesn't impress, and sets a lower standard. And lowers the appeal of the Heather group in general. I've been a fan of the Irish Heather for years, but this doesn't cut it. Not even close.
Dessert, you guessed it, was small, and we headed out for a proper dinner elsewhere. Anywhere.Listed in: Uno Estrellas
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Review from Eva B.
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have included several pertinent points below meant to be informative and make me feel better about wasting time and money.
#1: Bitter Tasting Room should state on the Dine Out menu that the portions are sample size (aka miniscule) including the entree. There should also be a warning that says that after your three course meal you will not be satisfied and you may in fact need go somewhere else to grab a bite to eat.
#2: I hate greasy food which is generally why I steer away from hamburger meat, bacon, and deep fried mars bars. So when I chose the roasted cauliflower I thought I had made a choice in line with my tastes. Unfortunately the dish that I was served was so greasy I would have preferred eating a plate of bacon as it would have been less oily and more filling. What I figure is someone served me the dregs from the bottom of the serving dish.The food was coated in oil, all the pieces of cauliflower were small and broken up, and there was hardly any kale. After consuming the dish, the plate horrifyingly resembled the one on the Dawn dish detergent commercials prior to being washed. However, at least this dish had some flavour. I tried my friends sausage and lentil dish and it was so bland I felt bad for her. Later over a slice of pizza she said the only reason she ate it was because she was starving.
#3: I guess technically a wiener is a sausage, but I think it is misleading to call a wiener a sausage on a menu as you may want to use a word that best fits the description of the product you are selling. If you read 'pot of wieners' you would less likely be disappointed when you received an actual pot of wieners in tepid water. If you read 'pot of sausages' and received a pot of wieners in tepid water you would likely be disappointed. This may be because you think you are going to get a pot of sausages oozing with flavour stewing in their own juices maybe accompanied with fried onions, or mushrooms or something equally mouth watering. The look on our friends faces when they opened their pot containing four European style wieners in water said it all. They looked bitterly disappointed.
#4: I usually don't think, "Desserts coming. Thank God, I'm starving", and vainly hope that it will fill me up.The reason for this is because the entree is usually much larger than dessert. However, I bet I could have fit my cauliflower dish into the 250 ml mason jar my dessert came in. Is this right? No it's not. As sweet as my lemon custard sponge tasted, I was still bitterly disappointed.
Well now I don't want to leave off with a bitter ending. I do like the concept of a beer tasting room with all the classic accompaniments. Great idea. Bring back eggs in their deviled, scotched or pickled forms. Sure, bring back pork rinds and vamp up the image of the wiener (just don't call it a sausage). However, if it were my business I would take a serious look at the recipes some of the dishes are missing that little something something that makes them pop. This place does have potential, but when the initial popularity eventually wanes, without repeat customers, well we all know what happens. Unfortunately that will be a bitter pill to swallow for all those that worked so hard to put this place together. -
Review from Gir C.
Vancouver, BC
4/8/2012
Yes, Bitter has a good beer selection. But after the (non) service I received both times I've been there, I will not be returning. My boyfriend and I went early on a Saturday and found the place packed. No worries - we were willing to wait by the bar, but we stood awkwardly in the doorway for a good five minutes without being greeted by the staff. A few bartenders and waitstaff glanced our way, clearly saw us, and just left us standing there. Finally, a waiter approached us when another group of people came in behind us. I thought we were about to get some service, but nope - the waiter went straight for the people behind us, who were clearly his friends, and got them seated. Still without acknowledging my boyfriend and I. Yup - service for friends of hipsters only. Worst and most pretentious customer service ever.
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Review from Sarah O.
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Backhand of God on tap and good company is a winning combination for any night, but I did find it a bit disappointing that most of the beers on their extensive menu was only in bottles. The food was all right: both the saloon nuts and the pretzels were a bit stale. They also had a vegan option on the menu which seemed a little half-assed (roasted cauliflower and kale). To be fair, I don't think this is a place you come for food anyway, so who cares? I did enjoy the atmosphere and on a Friday night, it was busy and buzzing with friendly people. Overall, not a bad addition to Gastown. I will be back!
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Review from Melissa E.
Vancouver, BC
12/18/2011
Bitter...taste in my mouth.
This pains me. Really. I was so looking forward to Bitter. I mean beer and sausages! Who doesn't love beer and sausage!!?? Sigh.
It is not often I give a lowly 2 star review sandwiched by 4-5 stars so I will make this one thorough to back up my claim. So grab a cup of jo or a stiff drink and settle in cause this is going to be a bumpy ride.
Bitter Staff - 2 stars
1- High staff:patron ratio - First thing I noticed was there were way too many staff with nothing to do relative to the number of people. Was greeted by 2 people, one poor guy was filling little mustard dipping bowls behind the bar the entire time we were there, bus boys were constantly cleaning up after us (it was a bit distracting and we often had to stop our scandalous conversations because, we didn't feel like sharing gory details of our lives with Bitter staff)
2- Lack of knowledge - Our waitress had very little knowledge of the menus (food or beer) and when asked to elaborate on one of the sausages, she pointed to the menu and read off the sentence in print. Ya, we got that much, but thanks.
3- Seating - We were a group of 6 nominally good looking people (if I do say so myself) and walked into an almost empty Bitter. So why oh why are you putting us in the corner (please don't make me quote Dirty Dancing again) when there are plenty of tables near the windows that would surely lure in passersby? I don't get it. (also, it really didn't fill up while we were there (1.5h) so other resos isn't a likely excuse)
Bitter Beer - 3 stars
Admittedly a wide range of bottled beer although more limited draught beer menu than I would have thought. Also, the flights were not super enticing...- "wish it was summer" is a nice concept but fact is it's nasty out and no one wanted to drink blueberry beer. What we would have really liked was to be able to pick our own flight from the draughts on tap. Don't really understand why that isn't an option. Just charge it to the priciest beer. Don't think anyone would fight that.
As a side note would LOVE to see Blood Alley Bitter on tap...just saying.
Bitter Food - 2 stars
1- "Pretzels" - Sigh. I take issue with west coast interpretations of bread-based goods like pretzels and bagels, the former being applicable here. Making bread into different shapes does not equate an entirely different product. So while the "pretzel" was tasty and fresh it was far from authentic pretzel and just left me wondering "did i just pay $3.50 for a piece of bread??"
2- Sausages - Clearly i have an entirely different concept of what makes a sausage appetizing.... when i think yummy sausage, i think smoky, grilled, caramelized, juicy, fair girth (oh behave) sausages. The Debreciner that were served to us were basically weiner-sized, flesh-toned, with little flavour served up in a tepid bath of lukewarm water. I just wanted to cry. I get that perhaps this is the "Bitter" experience, something authentic from the good ole days? But sometimes the "good ole days" were actually kinda bad...let's keep that in mind.
And then there was the sausage roll... mine was a fair size but served lukewarm (was it supposed to be cold or warm!?!?). My main problem was the sausage itself...it was mealy and dry with very little flavour. There was also no side of mustard or anything so i had to ask for one to make it half decent. The kicker though was my friend ordered one for himself and it was literally half the size of mine!!! It was so sad and piddly looking in it's little bowl we all kinda gasped and and burst out laughing when we saw it. I wanted to return it just by placing it next to mine to show them how crazy small it was in comparison but he was too hungry and couldn't be bothered. Size matters people!!!
Lastly, the entire table was seriously craving some crispy carbs in the form of a fried potato of some sort...yes, yes i know, maybe they were trying to be creative with the chicharon and nuts but a really great homemade chip (or 'crisp') with some spices would have been a welcomed addition to our evening while still maintaining the upper hand to the lowly and oh-so-common french fry.
There were a few good food items people seemed to like though that I didn't try...the scotch egg and the chicken and biscuit.
Let me close by saying I enjoy most of the Heather group restos and love the innovative things they do with the long table series and "work for food" events (e.g., pear coring dinner was awesome)... So, i will be back. I'm going to give them 3-4 months and try again. Just cause it's Christmas, and I'm fly like that.Listed in: Beer me!!!
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Review from P G.
Vancouver, BC
2/24/2012
I enjoy the prohibition theme. Nice spot. Could use some more thought for eats.
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Review from Chuck T.
Vancouver, BC
2/22/2012
Their beer selection here is quite impressive. I had the milk stout, which was quite good. Also had the ginger beer from Jamaica... that was really refreshing. Sausage with cheese oozing out of it... amazing. One downfall was that one of the guys behind the bar was a little weird... My bud and I were chatting, he was eavesdropping in on our conversation and smiling awkwardly wanting to interject... but he never did.
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Review from Irena L.
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nothing like a good old chocolate stout to warm you up on a -20 cold Vancouver night. Well ok, in my I-want-to-wear-leather-jacket universum felt like minus 20, but it was around 0!
Ventured there last night with a few friends. I wish I remember all the beers we tried, but unfortunately I don't. I do remember they have gluten free beer on the list which is a nice touch, not that i really care about it. I do remember really liking MILL ST. COFFEE, MC CHOUFFE, UPRIGHT FOUR and of course BROOKLYN BLACK CHOCOLATE...as far as the food goes, don't order pretzels, they are really just hard, warm, tasteless dough. If it wasn't for mustard, I'd be dipping it in beer to make it edible. Side of nuts always goes well with the beer, and I also really really liked the cauliflower. The taste just pairs so well with drinks! My friends had scotch eggs, welsh rarebit, cassoulet, sausage roll, cracklingand a sausage of the night (oh my, this just opened so many jokes). They really enjoyed their meat feast, especially scotch eggs, so let's trust them on that one!
After two hours of drinking and feasting, there was a power outage, which really wasn't a big deal. Music disappeared, not that we really paid attention to it, and lights weren't necessary in the first place, candles worked just fine. The only issue was that we had to pay cash so we had to find an ATM, but hey they gave us free snacks and free beer in Irish Heather to make up for it! Awesome!
Overall, a place worthy of checking it out!Listed in: Great finds!
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Review from Alex B.
Vancouver, BC
12/7/2011
Bitter Tasting Room is a glimpse into what I expect future beer-centric restaurants will be...that is, it carries an extensive beer list that represents many different styles and regions (including local, naturally) and has food that stands up to whatever you may be enjoying at the time.
Had the opportunity to check this place out on the second night they were open, where it wasn't full of critics and/or people wanting to be seen. Our server was very knowledgeable, seemed genuinely interested in beer, and had something to say about the beers we were interested in trying. They had everything from the rare (Driftwood's Bird of Prey: Flemish Red) to common (Moosehead Lager) on the bottle menu, and their tap list included local favorites (Crannog Backhand of God Stout) and solid standards (Unibroue Maudite). My only complaint would be the price of some of the bottles on the list: they may be unique, but due to the taxes on liquor in BC and general markups that restaurants require to be able to make a profit...it's just a little much. Some of those bottles I would never see myself ordering. That isn't to say nobody else will, and they will probably enjoy them! Between the five of us, we had:
-Driftwood Flanders Red
-St. Ambroise Apricot Ale
-Driftwood Fat Tug IPA
-Crannog Backhand of God Stout
-Deschutes Jubelale
-North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout
-Weihenstephaner Dunkel
The food menu is broken down into your usual appetizers, mains and desserts. The eggs on their own are quite awesome, and if you haven't had an opportunity to try a scotch egg, I recommend you do so. The welsh rarebit is well done, and seasoned properly, as is the sausage roll. The pretzel I didn't find to be too salty, as your average pretzel is supposed to have a fair bit of salt. The honey mustard complimented it well enough. The roasted cauliflower is KILLER. As of now, I haven't tried the sausages, but I look forward to checking them out, along with the desserts.
I would recommend this place to even the average beer lover, just as much as the craft beer fiend. Beware, though, for those who don't drink beer: they only have beer, beer cocktails, and a rye/bourbon selection...nothing else. -
Review from Realtor Darius D.
Vancouver, BC
1/12/2012
Service was great! Food was lacking. Keeping in mind this was their opening week, so I assume they're working out the bugs. We ordered a pretzel, which we assumed was the traditional large - crunch on the outside/soft in the middle type of pretzel. That was not the case! We also ordered another dish which didn't make it into my "food memory". I spoke with the owner (who was awesome) to let him know we weren't impressed. He was very accommodating and let us know the chef that was working on some of the masterpieces had recently left the restaurant, leaving them hanging. The beer was mostly bottled, which I was a bit disappointed about but nonetheless they have a great selection! I think this place will be hopping in the summer, although I would be more cautious with the food.
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Review from Sonia G.
Vancouver, BC
1/17/2012
Love this place - went in opening night and have been back few times since. Love the selection and the food is lovely (reminds me of Germany). Will def continue going back!
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Review from Joseph H.
Richmond, BC
12/23/2011
Its a little bit pricy if you go all out. We spent a bit over $60 between the two of us, and I was still hungry when I got home. Beer menu is extensive, although there are several other pubs in the area with equally long beer lists. I liked the sausages. The Scottish egg was also excellent.
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Review from David D.
Vancouver, BC
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
the DTES is very confusing some times. the people there seem like that hide in the corners like they want to scare you. every one seems like they turn away from the bright lights and peer at you from the shadows. they all, all of them seem like they are always 10 feet away. its not like there bad people, just not one of us, not one of any thing. I'm not scared but its still weird. i some how like it.
