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Dickens Pub
Categories: Nightlife Bars Pubs Arts & Entertainment Music Venues Nightlife Music Venues Pubs, Music Venues [Edit]
1000 9 Ave SWCalgary, AB T2P 2Y6
(403) 233-7550
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 2 am
Sat 5 pm - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
14 reviews for Dickens Pub
Review Highlights
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"A little pricey but good pool tables, darts, and lots of..." In 3 reviews -
"...forward to coming here again to see the GZA rock the stage." In 5 reviews -
"The food is always good, the beer is cold, and the service..." In 5 reviews
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14 reviews in English
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Review from Dustin H.
This place brings new meaning to the phrase 'hidden gem'. Sure, theres a sign that can be seen fairly easy from the street, but you'll never see the door to this place until you're right in front of it, and even then you're a hallway and a flight of stairs away from actually getting into this nichey little underground haven.
But once you're there... damn, it's worth it! I've been coming here for almost six years now, and it's honestly one of my favorite bars in the city. The food is standard pub fare, but done incredibly well and at a pretty good price (especially if you time your visit to coincide with your choice of specials), there's always some kind of entertainment going on, the pool tables, darts, and other little time killers are very well maintained and easily accessible, and it's got a cool little "mock hole-in-the-wall, but with style" sort of look to it.
But the major selling point is the staff. Hell, last time I was there I did nothing but sit at the door and chat with the doorman about everything from movies to music to stand up... and previous visits haven't been much different. The servers are the kind of people you get to know by name (and sometimes get disappointed if they're not working when you come in.) Even though my visits there are a bit less frequent, since the stopped hosting a regular comedy night a couple years back, every time I walk in feels like coming home. I'm greeted with a smile, and I leave feeling a lot better than I did coming in.
Granted, this place lately has become incredibly reliant on their live music and entertainment choices... so make sure you scout ahead and know what's going on that night before you come down... but otherwise, you can't really go wrong at Dicken's. -
Review from Arc P.
5/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Please note that any recollection I had of this pub is fuzzy due to intoxication involving copious amounts of alcohol. I do however remember having lots of fun catching a reggae band here on a Friday night. The pub isn't anything out of the ordinary, it's pretty standard. I will say that it had a good selection of beer, though any place that serves Wild Rose is usually ok in my books. A pint of it will set you back $6.25 and they will serve you pitchers of it as well. Nice bonus!
What is awesome about Dicken's is the service. Our waitress was on the ball. Taking orders, following up, making sure we had what we needed even though it was pretty busy. What is also awesome about Dickens is that it has a pretty decent sized stage. Enough to support a large multi-piece band.
Atmosphere here is also killer. Met a lot of nice people here who just were dancing hanging out and having fun. Nothing wrong with that, unless you over do it. Killer hangover the next day! -
Review from Tiffany N.
Calgary, AB
I used to walk by this pub all the time and not really think about ever going inside. I'm glad my first experience here was during a quiet, Board Game Sunday. The bartender was awesome, friendly and remembered my name (without shortening it to that nickname that I HATE).
Food is really good; they don't have any vegan-specific things on the menu, but I'm going to add them to my F, F, D, HK list anyway, because they made it a point to ask if I was vegan and adjusted the wrap I ordered accordingly. And I got the last order of sweet potato fries! Win. I'm also glad no one gave me a hard time for bringing homemade cookies for Wendy and Co. (and if you missed out, well, neener neener). Their coffee is nice too, and they have Wildrose on tap. I didn't try it, but their house brew is reportedly good as well.
Mr. Bacon's Big Adventure is surprisingly challenging.Listed in: F, F, D, HK, Delightful WPF
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Review from Wendy P.
3/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Did you know you can play board games here on a Sunday afternoons? It's genius. Quiet time, beer and nummy food (and cookies that Tiffany N bakes if your birthday happens to be coming up... well, my birthday anyway)
My visit to Dickens this afternoon was short and sweet, but I've heard and read good things in the past, those combined with my pop in to board game Sundays is enough to have me heading in again sometime soon.
Our friendly server was yelptastic. Despite the fact that there were only 10 or so of us in the entire place, he was on the ball with drinks and food... and also pleasantly conversational. He'd pop in with comments on the games, and even asked me where I was headed on a flight I had mentioned when I first walked in the door.
Me likey. See you again soon Dickens! -
Review from Angelo T.
Updated - 3/12/2011
I had my doubts about Dickens Pub being able to handle a hip-hop concert, especially with the legendary magnitude of GZA the Genius. But kudos to Dickens for being able to hold it down! The same goes for the hired security who ran a tight shift in that place. It must be the age I'm getting to but I swear there were some shady characters in that place
I also have to give credit to the waitresses who were able to snake their way through the thick, heat emitting crowd in order to serve drinks to impatient patrons. GZA took his time getting to the stage, he didn't lay it down until 1am!
Again their impressive stage and sound set up made for an amazing concert. Although the floor was packed with hip-hop renegades, including this insane fella who had a massive ODB tattoo on his arm, we were able to see a great view of the stage from the left table area.
Unfortunately because of the ATM breaking, I couldn't' withdraw any money to hit the swag table :( Imagine my disdain for not having the opportunity to cop a Wu-Tang shirt! OH THE HUMANITY!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/30/2011
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times!!
Went here for a metal show. Great place for… Read more »
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Review from Nick S.
3/1/2011 5 Check-ins Here
I've known Dickens Pub for a LONG time. Back in my early years, I was a regular, and took in many a great band, and had a lot of great times.
Then Dickens just kind of "went away." The name changed as well, if I recall. The last time I was there, it was a shell of it's former self: empty, and dead.
However, somewhere along the line it was reborn and restored by what I assume were new owners. I had just never bothered to go back.
On a whim, I checked it out recently for the first time in years. And I am regretting having scratched this pub from my to-do list.
A lot has changed from my hazy memories, but all for the better. It's now physically reorganized to maximize itself as a true live music venue. Bigger, better, and with a new layout to emphasize the show. Even a private room for parties.
Yes, Dicken's is largely hidden away in an office basement. But as Dustin H commented, it's a "hidden gem."
With so many corporate faux-Irish pubs around, it's nice to walk into a place that's different. There's a very definite vibe & buzz here. Atmosphere. And the window-less world means the stage lights and music are going to be the focus.
Checking out the list of upcoming acts on their website, they do book a very eclectic mixture. So it's wise to see who's playing on any given night, and whether or not that's your "thing." And by eclectic, I'm talking metal, to rap, to "roots," to whatever else.
So pick your band, and enjoy the party! -
Review from Daryl D.
Calgary, AB
3/14/2011
Back in my "burlesque days" (not so long ago), our troupe performed here. We had an embarrassing moment when the music started before we were even ready to go out, but the sound tech guy got it together soon and we enjoyed a great show that night.
I noticed they were very accomodating in giving us a proxy dressing room, and it was complete with couches and a TV :)
The music choices were pretty rad and the booze prices are reasonable, plus I saw some people eating some sort of yummy-looking steak dish. It's got a crazy mosh pit for the headbangers, but there's also a stylish pool room toward the back for those of us who don't want to be bumped around while sitting in the midst of the moshpit.
The highlight of the night for me was, when it was closing time and I needed to call Rob to come pick me up...one of the bouncers refused to let me wait by myself and we talked for 30 minutes until Rob's car pulled up. I really appreciated the extra security, but sadly I never got the guy's name so if you're him, and reading this and recognize it, thank you :)Listed in: Drinkin'!!
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Review from Gabe A.
2/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Having been here once, to rock the stage, I cannot objectively review the atmosphere of this place, nor their food. The pitcher of beer we had - presumably the house brew - was appropriately piss-tasting, and the calamari my wife ordered announced its arrival through smell about 20 feet before its physical entrance on the table. The pizza my sister-in-law ordered was sorta decent.
It is in a basement. The lighting and mood of the place reflect this. However, the stage lights are sweet, there are lots of tables and a decent sized recreation area with pool tables and arcade games near the back. I look forward to coming here again to see the GZA rock the stage. Just stay away from the calamari. -
Review from George D.
Calgary, AB
10/7/2010
I can say UNEQUIVOCALLY there are much much better places to have a beer and some wings in Calgary on a Wednesday evening.
First of all it's in a BASEMENT and although it's roomy, it's still windowless and dark. Then there's the bartender, she of the jet black hair with bangs, whose undisguised HOSTILITY toward customers is remarkable for someone who surely expects tips. And why does one have to get up and go to the bar to get served in the first place?
Then there's the fact that they ran out of their feature, 25 cent wings, last night, did NOT apologize and did not volunteer an alternative. The feature beer was a good bargain at $10.50 a jug, but inexcusably for a pub it was almost flat.
There was an apology for the disruption due to their current renovations, some electrical work in the ceiling space, but nothing a few candles on the tables would not have cured... IF they cared.
We deserve much better than this in Calgary. Go to any Boston Pizza lounge; every last one beats the Dickens Pub. Downtown, the James Joyce Pub on Stephen Avenue mall is nice, if a bit expensive. The Kensington Pub is also pretty good.
Oh, one kind word for Dickens Pub; for a downtown location it's easy to get to by car and easy to park. Tip: use the lane off 10th St. S.W. for coming and going. Both are two-way. -
Review from Moez T.
Calgary, AB
10/30/2009
First things first. If you don't know what Bag Toss is, you need to find out. It's an American game where you throw bean bags onto an inclined box with a hole near the top. The good folks at Incredible Technologies, famous for Golden Tee, turned it into a video game called Target Toss Pro that uses similar controls to Golden Tee. It's also available for the Wii (yes, I have it).
Anyway, Dickens Pub has Target Toss Pro (or at least they did a few months ago). It became a tradition with some work colleagues to go to Dickens every Wednesday for beer, wings, and Bag Toss. We always had fun and always had great service. Near the end of my involvement in the weekly visits, we had become regulars and they started reserving our table. Good times.
Now, in addition to the Wednesday afternoon's that occasionally turned into Thursday mornings, I opted to have my "I quit" party at Dickens. It was a good chance to see how they were outside of the regular Wednesday night routine. Both the service and food was excellent. I strongly recommend Dickens. The food is always good, the beer is cold, and the service pleasant. -
Review from Chad W.
Calgary, AB
12/9/2008
Okay, I'm a huge fan of Dickens. The place is really hard to get to (you've got to mess around on a whole bunch of one-ways if you're coming from Crowchild) and the sign looks brutal. But this is one of the nicest sounding pubs in the city.
And believe me, I know. As a musician who's been one stage and nearly every venue this city has to offer, I know a good sounding stage. Ben, the sound guy, at Dickens knows what's up. He's got a brilliant ear. Accordingly, I was able to play one of the best shows of my life in here. Yeah, there weren't too many people and the beer is overpriced, but for five bucks one can catch an AWESOME live show, get good food, and decent drinks. The staff here are also really awesome. Todd, one of the bartenders, will make sure you're taken care of. -
Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
4/2/2010 2 photos
I checked out a show here last weekend and it was RAD. Seriously.
The place rocked, the crowd was hype, and the show had me high on adrenaline.
The drinks and food are tasty, but the best part of Dickens is the staff. Everyone is down to earth and friendly. I left with more friends than those I came with. What could be better? -
Review from Jason G.
Calgary, AB
5/20/2010 1 photo
Dicken's is a cool unpretentious pub in the bowels of an office building on 9th Ave SW. It's an unlikely place for a great pub, but yet another example of the "don't judge a book by its cover" adage. The dark spacious pub has lots of seating, great service, affordable pub grub, and is a great place to check out local live music. They have live music pretty much every night of the week. If you're interested in checking out a band, be sure to check out their comprehensive website in advance, or even take a look at their sign as you drive past for upcoming artists. I like coming here for the live music because it's pretty cheap, dark like a music pub should be, and the acoustics are pretty good. Dicken's has an authentic Cheers type feel to it, and their friendly service and live music is sure to have you Cheers-ing long into the wee hours.
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Review from Koz T.
Calgary, AB
10/30/2010 1 Check-in Here
A little pricey but good pool tables, darts, and lots of choice for beers make it a great after work bar.
