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Rhino Smokehouse
Categories: Nightlife Dance Clubs Arts & Entertainment Music Venues Nightlife Music Venues Restaurants Gastropubs Dance Clubs, Music Venues, Gastropubs [Edit]
607 11 Ave SWCalgary, AB T2R 0E1
(403) 233-0058
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 12 am
Fri 11:30 am - 2 am
Sat 5 pm - 2 am
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Ages Allowed:
- 18+
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
26 reviews for Rhino Smokehouse
Review Highlights
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"Serve a mean poutine and they let you customize it to your..." In 4 reviews -
"...different music upstairs and downstairs is really fun too." In 5 reviews -
"2.86 pints everyday from 4-7 and $0.15 wings everyday too." In 5 reviews
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26 reviews in English
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Review from Terrence L.
Calgary, AB
I'm a regular at the next door DIstrict, and I like the food there a lot, but this is the first time I've been to the Rhino.
I really won't comment too much, but the patio is a pretty nice place to be (though the heaters seemed to be determined to roast a group of us Yelpers alive... hell, if there was a spit, we would have been done at about 5 min a pound...).
The Brew Brothers beer that's locally made was my focus as part of Yelp's Alberta Beer fest. I tried a wheat blend and a lighter lager... and the lager was definately the winner. The wheat blend really was a bit too strong.
And as for food, As it was Tue/Wed Wing Nights for 25 cents per wing, I had ordered 20 wings, 10 crybaby suicide hot and 10 honey garlic. The Crybaby suicide, I was surprised. I'm used to hot sauces, but this was outright so hot it was just painful. I couldn't finish the wings at all and left it to the tender mercies of my fellow Yelpers. The honey garlic was incredibly underwhelming. Hard to describe, but it's like the sauce was watered down. The flavor just felt dull, almost flavour-less after the first 2 seconds of so.
Still, it's a nice venue for to hang out, though I've been told that the teens take over on the weekends. I'll probably give it a miss on those days as I don't wanna look like the creepy middle aged guy who's scoping out the young college kids. -
Review from Nicholas H.
Calgary, AB
5/2/2012
Is zero a possible rating?
After the last visit to the District/Rhino we won't ever be back even after the manager gave us a $50 gift certificate.
We called earlier in the week to place a reservation. When we arrived no reservation existed. That was ok as there was room for us to sit. After some investigation they said #1) we didn't respond to the supposed call-back to the reservation (which we didn't know would happen) and #2) they wrote in the reservation for the previous day.
It look at least 10 minutes for the waitress to come by for our drink order. It was not extraordinarily busy at this time. After receiving our drinks we placed appetizer orders. Over half the table ordered entrees. Nearly 25 minutes later the rest of the table ordered entrees. The appetizers never arrived. Those who ordered their entrees second received food 10 minutes before the rest of the table.
Some of the entrees were burgers which included sides. One of the options offered for the side was yam fries. We specifically asked if there was an extra charge for yam fries and the answer was no. The yam fries came out to us cold and burnt. We were charged an outrageous $3.50 for the yam fries.
The staff, kitchen and management represented the establishment very poorly. I don't know how they can remain in business. I've had some bad experiences at restaurants and can excuse a mistake here or there but this one takes the cake. -
Review from Tristan B.
Calgary, AB
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Ah, the Rhino, a place I used to go much more often, and need to return to far more often.
Wednesday Wings with a group of friends is what brought on this review...
A few of us headed for wings, found it not too busy about 8PM, which is a little shocking for wing night in my mind. Now, pardon the brief review but, our server was slightly overwhelmed (they were a little understaffed... about two servers short, at least...) and as such missed the fourth friend of ours joining the table, for about 20 minutes.
As for the wings? The general consensus at the table was: very good, especially for wing night. The only gripe? My honey-garlic wings were a little too much honey, not enough garlic. I consider honey-garlic wings a staple flavor, right alongside hot wings, so I was more than a little disappointed.
The manager (Craig, Chris, something? I forget, completely, he remembers John though!) made up the slow service in typical pub style, with a round of drinks, which is always suitable when out for wings! I would return, though I would probably not order honey-garlic in future. -
Review from Merry K.
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
We headed to Amerstdam Rhino for drinks after work. We had 2 large tables of people. Food and drink were great but there was a LOT of time spent waiting around to order a drink and for that drink to arrive. We ordered a bottle of wine (I know, I know...it's a beer place but still). It took over 25 minutes to arrive because they couldn't find the keys to the wine cellar. After all that time, she came back and said "Oh...we don't have that one" so we had to start over from square 1. Thankfully the second bottle didn't take quite that long to arrive.
Overall the night was okay but I could only stay for a little while so most of that time ended up being without a drink. -
Review from Heather I.
Calgary, AB
8/29/2011
I've had reasonable experiences here before but after today's lunchtime fiasco, I don't think I'll be back.
Three of us decided to hit the Rhino for lunch. It wasn't especially busy and we were able to find a table on the patio but moved inside after about 20 minutes as the bugs were bothersome.
Our waitress took our food order within 10 minutes of us arriving. We didn't order anything too crazy - the special (sandwich), a burger, and a small order of poutine. We were patient as there was a large table that ordered before we did.
However, after about 50 minutes with no explanation and no food, we asked our server how much longer we could expect to wait. She came back and informed us that our food would be there "soon". I asked for clarification - had our order even been started? She told me that she didn't know what happened to the chit but that the kitchen can rush these things out in minutes.
15-20 minutes after that our food finally arrived without apology.
I'm not bothered by the fact that a mistake happened, these things happen from time to time. What bothers me the most was her complete lack of caring whether we got our food or not, her attitude when we asked her what was going on, and the fact that she didn't apologize. In any situation, I can roll with the punches as long as my expectations are managed.
After our food arrived, she did the obligatory quality check with a snarky "Was it worth the wait?" My colleague replied that it wasn't, but it was clear our server had more important people to chat with, namely her own colleague.
The manager came over and gave us 20% off our bill and a card for a free pound of wings on our "next visit". Our credit card sat on the table for an extra 10 minutes before our server returned to process payment.
If you're a sadist who likes unpredictable service and have excellent fasting blood glucose levels, then the Rhino will not disappoint. However, if you prefer the pleasant yet predictable formula of a workday lunch with good food and good service, you may wish to eat at your desk. -
Review from Danger D.
Calgary, AB
9/20/2011
There's good and bad about the Rhino for lunch.
On the good side:
- NO problem finding a table... on the South side of 9th Ave means it's not so busy and at the Rhino it's practically empty!
- Really great courtyard patio that you'd never know about unless you knew it was there (in the former Fox'n Firkin spot).
- Pints from the micro brewery next door... and where else can you legitimately order 'A Big Boner'?? ...why they call their litre beer a Big Boner I'll never know... and I giggle when I order one...
On the Sad It's Not Better side:
- They're trying to do a 'smoke house' thing but they are not at the level of Palomino... all their meats end up being pretty much the same from chicken to beef to pork... tender ought not to mean mushy. I'm sure they'll eventually figure it out but their food's just not there yet.
- Although I like the beer selection... and I know this is a silly thing to take issue with... I don't like drinking out of jars. Surely they can invest in some pint glasses.
Bottom line: for a pub lunch, the Rhino has lots of potential but it needs work. -
Review from Melissa B.
Calgary, AB
7/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This is seriously my favorite place to go and dance. I have gone here both as a club and restaurant.
As a restaurant, its really just the menus from The District which is right beside the Rhino. The food was okay, just a little too fancy for me, I'm a pretty simple kind of girl, but if you like fancy sauces on your food, you'll really enjoyed it. We were out for a birthday so werent in any rush so for time wise, I cant really judge. they food got to me fast enough that I didn't feel like I wanted to complain. Since I was there when it was a restaurant I didn't have to pay any cover to get in, so if you plan on come here for the nightlife, you should consider having dinner first, then there is no line or cover.
As a club, this is defiantly my first choice of all the venues in Calgary. The cover is only $5 (even during Stampede) and if your there before 11, there is never a line. Even when there is a line, its never long and doesn't take too long to get through. It can get pretty busy there, but they do have 2 floors (best idea ever) that play 2 different styles of music. Upstairs is always mainstream with a mix of old school hip hop and dance jams. Downstairs is always electro/dubstep mixes, (for those who were fans of The Warehouse, this is a good replacement) drinks are crazy overprices ($5.75 for a highball) and never feel watered down. The staff is always nice when I go there, bouncers, waitresses, bus boys, all of them. The girls never seem to snooty or overly done up like at other clubs.
I always recommend the Rhino as a venue for people to have a good time, as I always do. -
Review from Philippe G.
Calgary, AB
The Rhino simply has never failed me. The food is delicious, the beer is fantastic and the patio is a wonder in the summer.
I am not much for the nightlife at the Rhino but the few times I have stopped in I was pleasantly surprised to see the great older vibe going on.
My only critic would be the service sometimes have a hard time delivering what the specials and concept is. -
Review from Angelo T.
4/1/2011
Nice venue for events. Can't say much for friday and saturday nights since I'm not hip and happening enough to ever have found myself in this place. I mostly find myself going to Broken City next door.
I didn't get to order from their menu, but had a chance to try the catered food offered. From what I could remember, there was a cheese platter, chicken spring rolls, and bacon wrapped shrimp. I'm not usually impressed with catered food since it always taste like week-old leftovers to me.
They also have a nice but simple stage setup . I like how it is presented to the Rhino's open room, I didn't have to elbow too many kidneys to see what was going on stage. -
Review from Cornelius V.
Calgary, AB
12/27/2010 3 Check-ins Here
In a heroic attempt to get attention from the bartender on a thursday night (his washing of glasses was far more important than serving a human), I loaded Solitaire, Notepad, and Norton on the little Point of Sale Touch Screen thing they have at the bar. He lost it on me. I lost it on him and lectured him on customer service. He kept losing it on me. I kept lecturing him. I got my tab and asked him how much I should tip him. He said the machine costs $800. I tell him that there is nothing I can do on the software end that would cause the machine to be physically damaged. He sicks the bouncer on me. Bouncer asks what's up. We both tell him. He grins, shakes his head, and walks away. I leave a nice fat "0" on the tab, and write "a penny saved is a penny earned" on the bottom of the slip for our bartender. We walk out, he yells something, we thank the bouncer for being awesome (+1 star).
Oh, and my jacket got stolen from here.
Lounge fail. This place has gone to shit. Well, actually, the service here has always sucked. -
Review from Elena R.
7/21/2011
Wednesday night wings - $2.50 instead of $15!
Poutine...a surprising $8 for a small...
Brisket for only $4.25 with four of their signature homemade bbq sauces to try. we liked the bourbon option
Local beer $5.95 for a pint- the wheat was tasty
SLOOOOOWW on a Wednesday at 11pm but maybe everything is (aside from the crowd rocking out at The Back Alley hahahhaaa) -
Review from Nyssa R.
5/30/2011
I was very resistant to trying this place out for a while because I'm old enough that I don't like waiting in line ups or paying cover. At $5 it really isn't that bad but I was always under the impression this place was a pub, but it actually is more of a dance club. I went early enough to skip the line up and unlike a lot of bars in Calgary, even at it's busiest there was still room to walk around, and it wasn't a horrendous line for the bathroom. I definitely appreciate that they don't try and cram the place with people, even though I guess it means a line up.
I didn't know there was an upstairs and a downstairs and was pleasantly surprised by the option of music, as well as the fact that the downstairs wasn't as crowded and offered ample seating. I haven't eaten there before so I will have to wait to comment on their food but I'd say the music was great, it wasn't too crowded, the drinks were exorbitantly expensive, the bathrooms didn't have crazy line ups, and there were places to sit around the bar. Downside is still cover but I still had a great time so for now this place is a 4 in my books.Listed in: Western Food
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Review from Jag S.
Calgary, AB
11/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
O man.. I'm SO torn over this place. I don't have too much to say... it's not a very nice place-- kinda like a big dance hall.. sticky sticky floor.
I give this place 3 stars because i LOVED the DJ and the music.. LOVED it. However.. the crowd is soo young, questionable if the majority of the patrons are even of legal age. It made me feel really old! Did I mention the DJ was amazing? I felt he was under-appreciated!
As always, I needed to be extremely drunk to enjoy this place. I'd consider going again with a big group of friends, drunk and in the mood to dance.
I believe there's a house music room downstairs -- I didn't spend any time there.
O.. and there doesn't seem to be much of a dress code at all... wear flats - you'll have more fun. -
Review from Jen E.
Calgary, AB
8/29/2011
Really not impressed with the service and quality of food at lunch. We waited for 1 hour to get our food and the waitress did not seem to have a care in the world nor did she check on our food until we said something to her.
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Review from Timothy D.
Calgary, AB
9/19/2010 1 Check-in Here
Ok. First time at at Rhino. I will make it easy for you
1: DJ main level. Good. Played alot of vintage 70,80,90 dance music with obvious club back beat.
2: Service. Efficient but unfriendly
3: Prices. Outrageous. I was drinking Appleton and Coke. $11 is outrages and is very typical Calgary style. No one knows anything about Appleton and that it is as cheap as any other dark rum. FAIL, FAIL, FAIL
4: Patrons. Nasty and stupid !!!! Younger stupid crowd with woman looking for action and guys dancing like they don't know how to dance. This is very Calgary and hasn't changed over the years. Guys Hi Five'ing and falling over drunk and making themselves look like idiots. Some other guys pretending that they are pimps or in a gang. They will bump into you and not even break stride or look at you. Come on Calgary grow up
5: Venue. What a nasty dump. The name sounds like a cool club but it really just is the Fox and Firkin with a new name and a fresh coat of paint. Very ugly. I can't believe they cover the pool tables with wooden boxes
Overall this dump is a huge failure and if I'm going to pay $11 a drink then I better be at a club in South Beach.
FAILFAILFAIL -
Review from Danelle W.
Calgary, AB
2/26/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've been here once, albeit after a reservation at The District fell through. It is what it is - a pub/bar atmosphere turned dance club later in the evening. The staff were nice, although kept forgetting the water I ordered along with my drinks. But it was quite loud, even earlier in the evening, making it difficult to converse with my friends at all. I wasn't a fan of the music, either earlier in the evening or the DJ later on. And, once they started pulling out the tables & converting into a club, forget it. I'm not that old, but I sure felt like it.
Overally, if a loud venue & club atmosphere with a young crowd is what you're going for, it's probably a good choice. -
Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
5/31/2010
I checked out this place on Friday night and I gotta say, overall, it was a good time. Here are the Coles Notes for your reading pleasure:
The Good:
- Located right downtown Calgary
- Tons of street parking around
- Attached to District - so you can decide if you want to do the dinner thang or the pub thang
- Starts out as a pub, turns into a dance club
- Serve a mean poutine and they let you customize it to your palate
- Staff is friendly, fun and approachable (the gentlemen that work here took care of grabbing enough chairs and tables for our party throughout the night)
- On-site DJ spins tracks once the pub transforms into a club
- Great music! They played old-skool tracks all night long!
The Bad:
- What's with the crowd here? I felt like the oldest person here and I'm *not* old. Seriously - it felt like Spring Fling or After Grad... I swear the crowd was between 15-17 yrs of age.
- The DJ was spinning great tracks, but within an hour and a half, he was already repeating songs! Come on man! They came out with more tracks in the 80s and 90s than just the 12 you already played!
- The place got packed very quickly. We went from being the only ones on the dance floor, to being surrounded and crowded by the pre-teen crowd
- The washrooms are all the way at the front, and down the stairs. It made me feel like I was going into the basement to pee. Dingy and creepy - not cool!
Overall, a cool place to meet up with folk for drinks and a great place to START the night off dancing. But be forewarned, once all the KIDS pile into this place, it'll be due time to get your groove on elsewhere.Comment from Cody T. of Rhino Smokehouse 5/31/2010
Thanks for your review, Sapna! We really appreciate your… More » -
Review from Trace F.
Calgary, AB
2/18/2009
This is not a lounge. Well, not on weekends anyways. If it turns into a lounge during the week I have no Idea where they put all their hideous decor, or rid the place of smelling like a drop in shelter.
Boo. -
Review from Raj B.
6/8/2011
I have been here twice now.
First time: I went with family and the waitress was completely dumb. I think she must have failed out of grade school. We asked for enchiladas and she didn't bring any of the condiments that go with enchiladas. When we asked her if they had veggie gravy Poutine she said there's no such thing as a vegetarian gravy (mushroom gravy anyone?). She said all gravy is meat gravy.
She didn't bring our drinks till midway through the meal. We waited 25 min for the check
Second time: I was completely ignored coming in the restaurant, no greeting, no hello. I waited at the bar to order food and no one approached me for 10 min. I ordered the 1/2 smoked chicken and it was completely burnt and dry. I ordered fried pickles and didn't get the sauce that was supposed to come with it.
This place absolutely sucks. Will never go back. -
Review from Chad W.
Calgary, AB
11/18/2008
The Amsterdam Rhino is a soft-lit lounge/dance bar that offers high-end drinks and high-end house DJs spinning the latest club sets. Often, there are also hip-hop DJs and even drum and bass parties in the basement. The place usually doesn't have an enormous line and can be a rather enjoyable experience, with people usually hitting the dance floor or relaxing at the tables towards the front of the venue.
The music is overly predictable though, with dance tunes and hip-hop on the menu every weekend. Despite it not being the rock I love so much, it can be a classy change to the ordinary schedule of any clubber.
The prices are slightly high, but that's to be expected from a club in the core. The rhino can be cool. But the ratio is never in the gentlemens' favour. -
Review from Chris P.
8/11/2009
One of my fav. weekend hangouts. The line is usually short and the crowd is generally alright. On the main floor they'll have a live band or DJ laying down some good beats. Also on the main floor is a large patio, great to cool off on when escaping form the packed dance floor.
Downstairs is some great techno and electronic DJ's. Its hard to miss this since the bathrooms are downstairs also. -
Review from Katie C.
Calgary, AB
11/15/2009 1 photo
The Amsterdam Rhino quickly rose to prominence among Calgary's classy but younger generation. It is a quiet lounge in the early evening that offers very nice ambiance that transforms into a dance bar/lounge after 9 (on weekends, anyways!). The drinks are delicious, the cocktails especially are very tasty and they have a good selection of beer. They also have some of Calgary's better DJs spinning upstairs.
Even when the Rhino moves into Dance Bar territory, it never loses the low-key lounge vibe. It definitely fills a hole in Calgary. It is a fun place to hang out and also a fun place to dance. It is classy enough to dress up for, but you don't see too much cleavage or leg because it isn't much of a meat market. The lack of game means that douchebags are minimized too! A major plus.
If you arrive early, you have time to chill and pre-drink and watch the lounge come alive. If you come later, do expect a small line and to have to pay (minimal) cover. The Rhino usually gets packed by midnight, but has enough space to avoid that Sardine feeling. The different music upstairs and downstairs is really fun too. It is nice to have that selection.
In the summer, the patio is nice but blocked off from the street. So no people watching, but it is a great place to enjoy a nice day. I like the ambiance and the service of the Rhino, and I enjoy the crowd that fills the place. It aims for class and high-end, and gets the right mix in all areas. One of my favourite bar/lounge/dance places in Calgary. -
Review from Tim K.
Calgary, AB
10/4/2009
awsome
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Review from Steven E.
Calgary, AB
8/19/2010 19 Check-ins Here
Best place ever. I've been coming here once a week for over a year, and it's still the best. $2.86 pints everyday from 4-7 and $0.15 wings everyday too!! Can't beat it!
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Review from Clucker M.
Calgary, AB
12/21/2010
Hit this spot up for some lunch hour wings, so was way to early for the 15¢ wing deal, but it was still well worth it ($11.95 for a lb). Nice hot saucy crispy wings. Tried the 'spicy' which were super flavorful, but could have always used a bit more heat. Tried one of their Wheat Ale beers to wash em down, and always dig the cool surroundings in this place. Great service.
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Review from t w.
6/27/2009
i like some of the beers here and i like that they have specials on drinks and wings. the burger i ordered was a little overcooked. overall its a decent place.
