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Smileys Public House
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Thu
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
42 reviews for Smileys Public House
Review Highlights
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"Big comfy chairs." In 5 reviews -
"This is our go-to-place after work on a Friday." In 8 reviews -
"...and loads of TV's on which to watch the Canucks kick butt." In 5 reviews
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42 reviews in English
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Review from Matthew C.
Vancouver, BC
5/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
How is it that the Donnelly group is so hit or miss? Smileys is an alright place! Its strange to go to a place though that is full whenever any kind of european sports are on (Champions League final it was packed) and empty otherwise (immediately emptied out. Now, this likely has as much to do with being in the middle of the day, but at the same time next door at Cactus Club was packed at the same time so who knows?
Anyway, if you like sports this is a great spot. So many bloody TVs you're hard pressed to find a spot where you can't see one. Decent service, decent food and decent beer specials. All in all this place is pretty average, but that seems to be what Donnelly Group shoot for. -
Review from Esther G.
Vancouver, BC
1/31/2012
From the non-existant service to the pretty much pitch-darkness to the extremely loud music, I could go lower with my rating. However, I do see the potential if there was a game on, as there's plenty of TVs and it's quite a large space.
Plus, going on a Thursday night meant glasses of house wine were $4.50. So, naturally, my friend and I doubled that and got pretty much the biggest wine glass I'd ever seen. We were sipping those all night while being blinded by the old movie playing on the televisions.
Seriously, are the candles the only things lighting up the place even when there's a game on? -
Review from Elyse M.
4/20/2012
Stopped in for lunch and had a great meal with great service. We had the poutines, a delicious fry-and-gravy dish including delicious cheese curds. The hearty sandwiches come on glossy, wholesome bread and we had a quick and attentive server. The only drawback is that the food was a bit pricy - but we felt it was worth it.
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Review from Pi F.
Vancouver, BC
12/10/2011
I don't think I have every felt compelled to complain about service, but I would be here if I could find the words to be assertive and still polite.
It's now been over an hour that I've been sitting here without my order being taken :( -
Review from Shoppa H.
Vancouver, BC
4/18/2012
I swear that we were the only people in this Public OUThouse. Where we sat, it wreaked of urine. Our waitress was in hiding majority of the time. She had no excuse to say that she was so busy as our table was the only table. She should've been there in a snap of the finger but she was very elusive. Food and drinks were dismal. Never again!
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Review from Aoife D.
Vancouver, BC
10/3/2011
Pity I had to give even the one star. The "manager" ruined a night out for all of us this Saturday.
My friend went out for a cigarette and wasn't allowed back in because she didn't have stamp. But you never gave me a stamp she said. Absolutely no way we wouldn't stamp you on the way out was the reply - we stamp everyone. He was totally obstinate and ignorant, there was just no way they could have possibly missed someone. The fact that she was on her own, jacket/phone/all her friends inside, was redundant it seems.. apparently we were just trying to be clever and pull one over on him. God, little dictator complexes on door staff are really ill advised.
My boyfriend had a similarly bad experience about two weeks ago. Thought maybe that was just a once off... obviously not. -
Review from Matt R.
Vancouver, BC
2/3/2012
Service sucks, drinks are overpriced, all walls are covered with tvs = bad for conversation, worst bar in downtown.
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Review from Amanda L.
9/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Oh Smiley's, my expectations were not high but damn did you let me down!
I went in here for dinner the other night, started with a drink, they had a few different shots on for $5 or you could get a single highball, a double of the same thing was quoted by the waitress as "like $20" Are you freaking serious, $20 for a double highball! I sided with a Strongbow which was priced at typical bar prices.
On to dinner I ordered the Mediterranean vegetable sandwich and my boyfriend got a chicken burger. The sandwich was straight up disgusting, i gagged down half of it and gave up because I didn't care to torture myself further, they boast all over their menu that all ingredients are fresh, local, and organic. Apparently this sandwich is the exception, my boyfriend described is as tasting like something from Safeway that was a week old...his description was pretty bang on! The fries were over cooked and over salted. Overall a bad freakin' meal!
The server was polite although she didn't know the specials because apparently she doesn't usually work Sundays. There service was ridiculously slow, it took like 40 minutes to get our food and it was not at all busy in there!
This is a really nice place inside and I would love to come and hang here on a Sunday afternoon more often but not when the only good part of my meal was typically overprice Strongbow.
I blame you for this Donnelly!Listed in: Better Luck Next Time
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Review from Scott W.
Vancouver, BC
10/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Although not quite a four star, i would say it is a 3.5.
Great place to watch sports, as there are quite a few large tv's spread out around the pub. Service has substantially improved over the past year - not sure what changed internally but before i remember waiting a long time for drinks and food - and the last 6-7 times (yes i go there alot for lunch because it is close to my work) it has been great!
The food is a 3 star, only because the menu is kind of limiting.. i swear i have had the beef dip 20 times there! Which is good, but it would be nice to have some selection like the neighbouring restos. Beer selection is also 3 stars, they dont have a huge selection on tap.. but what they do have is great beer specials.. i think it is thursdays where they have $5 import beers - very rare in downtown vancouver! -
Review from Herman E.
10/26/2011
Loud. What's that you said? I said LOUD. HUH??? I SAID LOUD!!!!!!
They play music there sooooo loud, it hurts. I shout to have a conversation.
It's worse when you have a Canucks game on one of the big screens.
Food? Meh to terrible.
Drinks? Cheaper than Joey's
Waitresses? No tight little black dress like at Joey's, but a grey tight sweater-like pull over top showing cleavage. Did I mention that the female waitresses are all top heavy?? OK,...... there I said it.
Would I come again? Only because it is close and I need a change from Joey's.Listed in: Beer O'Clock
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Review from Trish T.
Vancouver, BC
6/26/2011
This is our go-to-place after work on a Friday. It always has been. That said, I do not know why we keep coming here. It was okay many years ago, but now I say it sucks (Donnelly Group's doing, I suppose).
It's got a dive-y bar feel to it, but the prices are not quite dive-y. $6.00 for a handful of "truffle" fries wouldn't be so bad except that I can not even taste the truffle. Whatever happened to the regular fries, anyway? Everytime I order "fries - just plain ol' fries", they give me the posh $6.00 truffle version.
Drinks are pricier here too compared to some other pubs. BUT they are one of the very few pubs that serve one of my favourite beer, which is probably the only reason I keep coming back.
Servers are usually okay - some are pleasant enough, but I'd say a few also have quite the attitude (and a little empty up there, which does not help). Service is slow most of the time - so slow in fact, that I have gone to the self-serve counter on a few occasions. We have also been double-charged for drinks especially when we have been a large group. I don't know if this double-charging is malicious, or if the servers are just incompetent, but either way, it's not good.
My biggest problem with Smiley's? It's not the fact that it has been over a year and they still haven't fixed the latches in the stalls in the women's washroom. It's not even the wankers that frequent the place. It's the decibel level of the music they pump out of those speakers. When I go to a pub, I want to chill out and converse. But I can not do that here. This place is so loud, I find it hard to hold a conversation with the person sitting next to me. I get knackered just from yelling, that I sometimes give up trying to talk and leave after just one drink.
I'd give this a 1, but I'm giving it a 2 because they serve the beer that I like, Grimbergen. BUT, let it be known that I am now actively campaigning to move our Friday nights elsewhere. -
Review from J A.
Vancouver, BC
11/29/2011
Worst service I've received at a restaurant in my life (so far). I thought Cafe Barney was bad but, this takes the cake. The owner needs to tell his servers not to point and gossip in plain sight of their tables. Also, it's probably not in the uninformed server's best interests to call her customer's COMMUNISTS and walk around with her breasts hanging out all over the place - readjusting everything right in front of our table. Maybe you'll find your "Destiny" over at the Penthouse because it is certainly not in the service industry!!! It's been over a month and I'm still appalled and bitter. Too bad because the bar was sweet and the food was pretty good, too.
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Review from Rich E.
8/9/2011
This waas my first time here but not for my group. My group had a bad experience here earlier in the year due to a rude manager and the new manager and owners invited them back to try them out again because we send a lot of business there.
Our group was compensated for the bad experience and seemed to enjoy the place this time. Ther server was quite nice but our large group may have been a bit too much for her to wwork it by herself.
We all got comment cards for a free gift cert, so most of us wrote favourable reviews for it. The food is ok and drinks are drinks like most average places.
I'd go back only if my friends had a gathering here again. -
Review from Gretchen C.
Vancouver, BC
9/29/2011 9 Check-ins Here
once upon a time, this place was unknown, had cheap beer, and great-tasting-reasonably-priced food.
in their transition phase where they were trying to expand and attract more customers, they still had all this but were giving a lot of free shit away (free beer/food, prize draws, etc) - this was probably my favorite phase of the pub.
then donnelly completely dominated its pub and turned it into just another donnelly pub, with expensive food/beer prices, but classed up donnelly style. the food's still not bad (with the exception of the poutine - it sucks) but the drinks are expensive and the entire place just has a different feel to it, which wasn't the smileys i knew and loved.
love the big, comfy chairs but the service is horrible. like just... terrible.
overall verdict: miss the old smileys, but love the current prosciutto-brie sandwich (which wasn't on the old menu). i work almost right next door, which is why i was here all the time in the past for after-work drinks and whatnot, but ever since all the changes (aka expensive drink prices and even the vibe changed) i'm hardly ever here anymore. -
Review from Erin U.
11/12/2011
Its a decent place to go after work if your in the neighbourhood and the nachos are huge and cheap and good, thats the only reason it got 2 stars, actually the waitress was nice too but it used to be wayyyyy better. It was so loud i was screaming at the girls i was with even tho we were right next to eachother and the food took forever. The inside of the place is massive and would probably be sweet for a huge group but basically overpriced and well...... donnelyized.
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Review from Hootie J.
Vancouver, BC
3/2/2011
This great downtown pub has been turned into another Donnelly Zombie house, Full of Large breasts and Lots O TV's. We arrived on Game night just after work and the place was packed with the after work crowd, they were offering Granville Island beers for $3,!
We ordered Nacho's with beef, $19,00 when it arrived it looked awesome, started eating and it was so-so, Beef was a hamburger (?) patty torn up and covered with some sort of Salty spice (very Salty) although the chips were piled high the cheese inside was not melted. Our Party rated them 50/50 so "three Stars for You!"
Worst thing about his pub and most of the Donnelly Product, Music was way too loud!, which cause talk to be loud (almost shouting) to have a conversation, Would I go back, ? If I had parking and it was close, but I would not hop on the bus to get there -
Review from Namit M.
6/2/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Stopped in here to watch Game 5 of the Canucks/Sharks series. This is a good place to catch a game. Great vibe and mucho TVs.
To sweeten the pot - they had $3 beer specials - pints of local brews...how can one go wrong with that?
We ordered the Blackened Chicken Sandwich with a salad. First off the salad was excellent - great dressing with nuts and fruits very yummy.
The chicken sandwich was very good - great flavour right amount of condiments.
Even though the place is cavernous and impersonal - it does make for a good watering hole on game night. -
Review from Rheanna F.
Vancouver, BC
8/16/2010
Dear Donnelly Group,
Well, i hope you're happy. You took what was once my favorite chill bar and turned it into a hang out for douchebags. Why did you have to buy out MY little bar? It was a wonderful little niche that a friend and i stumbled upon after another restaurant was too full, and after that one visit, we loved it so much that it became our new hang out spot for nearly two years until your hostile takeover.
What happened to our waitress i wonder... She was a cool, middle aged lady with a witty sense of humour. She always worked Fridays when we came in, and her and the bartender made the place feel like our own little Cheers. Once, i spill ed my drink right after getting it, and she just laughed kindly, winked and said she'd bring me another.
Donnelly Group, after you bought out Smiley O'Neils, you not only renamed it Smiley's Public House, you also fired all the genuinely friendly staff and replaced them with the cookie cutter servers you expect at Cactus Club. I hope our former waitress is well. We miss her.
Your food is also more expensive now... Before we realized that our Pub had been taken over, we commented to our new waitress that the prices seem to have gone up, and she denied it. She said it was always that much. When we told her we'd been going here for years, her perky demeanour turned off like a light and she said 'Donnelly Group just bought this place.' After that she treated us indifferently. Perhaps they wanted to weed out their old regulars- mostly old guys who'd watch sports and a few middle aged office workers- to make way for people with Ed Hardy shirts?
Maybe if i hadn't gone there before they bought the place out i would think it was alright. I mean, the interior is great... But i can't help but remember what the place used to be and how lacking it is in comparison.
In conclusion, Donnelly Group: Get stuffed. -
Review from m p.
Vancouver, BC
10/5/2011
Worst Pub in vancouver..
Smileys staff treat their customers like dirt.
Service is TERRIBLE.
we were told one night after the server took 45mins to return to our table that as we weren't drinking alcohol it was not worth her while serving us.
If I had the choice it would get no stars. -
Review from Ernesto G.
Updated - 3/6/2011 2 photos
We were invited to come back to Smileys on Friday's to give it another try, and I must say, Huge Improvements. Nicely done.
Our server, Susan, was awesome. Attentive, friendly, totally on the ball. Thank you.
My steak was cooked to perfection; medium rare...just the way I like it. Last time I mentioned that service was a little slow and they improved on that too.
Thank you Kelly for reaching out to us to ask us to come back. Thanks to you and Susan and your kitchen staff, we will definitely be back.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/28/2011
2.5 stars. The fish and chips were fine; crispy fries and good batter. The service was only okay;… Read more »
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Review from Shannon S.
Burnaby, BC
7/17/2011
wow this place took the cake here.
one of the worst places all around i have ever been to!
the staff was absolutely horrible. i have no idea how the even manage to read the clock to get to work on time. rude and totally in another world. i had to get my own menus. get up ask for someone to take my order. food was blah. had a steak sandwich and my friend had a blackened chicken. not fresh and nothing exciting. 'waitress' if you can call her that didnt come back to check on anything. had to hunt down someone for our bill. def will not be back!!! -
Review from Ted R.
Vancouver, BC
6/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Donnelly group. That's all I can say. They cater to suits and douchebags. If you aren't from one of those genres, then you are the minority and you won't have a good time. I didn't have a good time.
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Review from Sheila W.
BC
1/8/2009
The bright green sign reading PUB might not be the classiest, but if you venture beyond the neon you'll find a descent watering hole full of suits. The Bentall and CIBC office towers empty their thirsty stock brokers and accountants into this spot from about lunch onward. It's particularly busy on a Friday afternoon.
The pub is fairly dark and has a lot of wood -- tables, walls, the bar, etc. If you stay for a few drinks in the summer after work then stumble out you'll enter a sort of shock when you realize it's only 6:45pm and it's still light out. Winter drinking avoids this problem, unless you start drinking at noon.
They have the usual share plates of greasy pub food that you crave when you're drinking and want to munch. The best (and worst for you, of course) is the cardiac spec: Blarney Stone Potato Nachos. It's those lattice style fries with cheese, green onions, tomatoes, jalapenos -- if that's not enough you can dip them in sour cream and salsa to ensure your heart stops (or at least skips a few beats).
They have $4.75 beer and cocktail specials Monday through Saturday, a huge selection of scotch and a fair list of bourbon and whiskey. -
Review from Shore M.
Vancouver, BC
3/6/2011
Donnelly people.... You see, we thought "public house" meant a public house, where one could have a beer and summat to eat, and most importantly, a natter/whinge/conversation about the hot topics of the day or week or wotever... No chance at these establishments. Beers were cheap and food was okay, but the effing noise was unbelievable. And it ain't just Smileys. The Academic last year had their sound system on 12. We asked them to turn it down even a smidge... Er, that'll be a 'no'. I'd love to take a survey one day round the Donnelly pubs and ask if the volume is to everyone's (or even the majority's) liking, but you'd never be allowed back. Maybe it's just me, but these folk should be barred from running bars. WHAT?!???
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Review from Catherine W.
New Westminster, BC
5/31/2010
Of all the after work pubs in downtown, I always have a great time here. Recently I came here for lunch with some of our office and it wasn't crowded. Could have been that it was about 1:30 so we missed most of the lunch crowd. If you are earlier then it tends to be a bit busier. The food is nothing to write home about but it's not bad either, it's your typical pub food. Having been here numerous times, I would come back for the food as it's always good.
As it wasn't busy, the service was good. Not great as it was a little slow for the lack of people in the pub. I have had better service on a busier night here. I was just happy to be able to get a beer and relax for the duration of the lunch. -
Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
9/24/2008
This is a good bar for seeing business guys getting drunk... I mean, it's a good after-work drinking spot. Located in the Days Inn on Pender Street, it's a big room with lots of comfy chairs, tables with benches for groups, and big TVs all over the place.
There's nothing all that Irish about it, except for the fact that they serve Guinness and Kilkenny and get really, ridiculously crowded on St. Patrick's Day. I've never had the food, but from the menu, it looks like your basic pub food - nachos, wings, burgers, steak, and a few UK-style favourites such as Shepherd's Pie. It's a good pub with good service, for those times when you want an uncomplicated drinking experience. -
Review from David C.
Toronto, ON
7/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
As a "business guy" from out of town I'll give a slightly different perspective on Smiley's.
I've never been here for lunch nor am I part of the after work crowd. I like coming here after 9 pm.
I do love the interior: huge oak bar, big comfortable chairs...and after 9 pm you have your pick of where you would like to sit.
I have been to Smileys at least a dozen times in the last year and I am sure that the 10 patrons that are here tonight is the most that I've seen.
I really do like Smiley's but without the crowds, it's just a big beautiful room that happens to have seemingly endless cold draught.
On second thought, I think I've just described the perfect man-cave. -
Review from Cameron M.
Toronto, ON
1/9/2009
Smiley O'Neals is one of those strange Pender dives which booms at around 5:30 pm and then is an excellent place to get a quiet drink for the rest of the night. They've got plenty of seating and warm fireplaces so you're usually assured to get a seat and they've got enough of a selection to please businessmen so why should I bother asking for more?
One strange thing about Smiley O'Neals is their odd promotions. Either on the board outside or on fliers you'll often see Smiley's promoting some strange thing. I've been there for a big sports event and for an odd dj night and while none of these ever seem to become regular occurrences, it's nice to see a bar try something new now and again.
So yes, nothing too crazy or out of the ordinary here except for a solid spirit and a dark place to grab a pint. -
Review from Josh G.
3/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Only convenient because it's next to the office. They just opened up and offered us a few comped lunches...still probably not enough to get any of us back. Pass.....Most Donelly run pubs suck the big one.
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Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 7/25/2010 1 Check-in Here
Unfortunately, my favourite 'damn-cheap' Tuesday drinkhole has gone belly-up - so this broke boozehound had to do some exploring.
Still lukewarm on Smiley's - but seems to be popular to go to for their 'Toonie Tuesdays': $2 beers and $2 mini-burgers (after 4PM).
The menu says the $2 beers are only limited to GI Lager, but the waitress did give us an option to pick from other domestics - your mileage may vary. It comes in a small-ish glass, but still a pretty good deal. Pro-tip: Order multiple glasses per round.
My mini-burgers were sorta burnt and wasn't worth the $2 to me - especially since Burger King offers sub-$2 so-good sodium-laden Chicken Sandwiches on Tuesdays. And if you want post-drinking eats, go to the drive-thru after midnight and grab some cheap Wednesday Whoppers. Not the healthiest thing I know, but cheap booze and greasy food go together like 'week' and 'end'.Listed in: A Compendium of Fine…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/22/2010
Another perfectly fine middle-of-the-road pub owned by the Donelly group - judging by the initial… Read more »
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Review from Kim L.
Vancouver, BC
3/31/2011
When I first walked in, my impression was that this was a room outfitted for guys who appreciate a cigar, whiskey and a good game on the falt screens. However, There was a Canucks game the Friday evening we stopped in, so it was packed and college rowdy loud where you expect lots of beer spillage with no care for the handsomely decorated room. Though we were seated in nice comfy lounge chairs, they were so deep that you had to really sit up and lean into your neighbors to hear what they were saying. There was some specials that night, so the drinks were reasonable, but the service was excruciatingly slow. All in all, it was a seesaw experience since everything I initially liked about the place, was balanced by something not so nice.
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Review from Tamara H.
5/25/2011
Watched the Canucks game there last night and was so happy with the venue. The place was packed but the wait staff didn't seem phased at all. They accommodated late comers to our table and re did our bill at least 3 times to accommodate our additional drink orders ( damn overtimes) and splitting of the bill. The food was good, seats were comfy and beers were cold. I would highly recommend watching the games here. Just be sure to arrive early!
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Review from Pia W.
4/29/2010 5 photos
Looking through the different $18 Dine Out Vancouver 2010 menus, Smileys definitely had an awesome menu given the lowest price bracket.
A curious location for a pub -- the entrance was rather small and secluded, dark and definitely outshone by the lights coming from the lobby of Days Inn. I almost missed it, while driving by to look for parking. You definitely would not have noticed it if you were not looking specifically for it, or was walking by it.
Surprisingly spacious inside, complete with flat screen TVs on all sides with hockey and basketball showing most of the time. Pretty much like your usual pub.
We ordered the Beef Carpaccio and Cajun Shrimp Tacos as our appetizers, with Garlic and Herb Linguini and Prime Rib for our entrees, complete with two generous servings of warm Chocolate Brownies. Food was absolutely dee-lish! Everything we ate, we marveled at the fact that we were getting all of that for only $18 per person.
Here's the clincher: Service was very very very sloooooowwwwww. I would think it might be because the kitchen staff has yet to be completely trained to cook this kind of food efficiently. Our meal for two took just a little over two hours to finish off, and not to mention, we were eating as fast as we possibly could to the drum of the parking meter. For the whole course of the meal, we probably ran outside to re-feed the meter at least 3, 4 times. I think we spent almost $10 on the meter, which I guess evens out the relatively good deal we had on food. But I think we would not need to have spent so much on the parking meter, had it not taken about 15 to 20 minutes before and between courses.
Would I go back? Ehhh...maybe. But next time, I would take the bus AND I better not have anything planned afterwards to rush to. -
Review from Kira T.
5/27/2009
Nice dark woody place - quite large - with plenty of comfy chairs if you don't want to belly up to the actual bar. A couple of fireplaces, with chairs arranged in "snugs" in front of them, which is very cozy. And as an added bonus, the ladies room is CLEAN! (I imagine the gents is too, but I haven't gone spelunking to find out.) Also many, many TV sets, which is great when watching sports.
They have a full bar, decent selection of whiskies, and a good pint of Guinness. Nothing yupscale, nothing hip, nothing flash... just a good basic friendly pub with decent grub and a fair deal on the booze. We like it here just fine. -
Review from Hipstamatic Foodie B.
Vancouver, BC
5/24/2011
Awesome place to watch a game. Dark but great atmosphere and decor. Big comfy chairs. Good pub food.
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Review from claire k.
Vancouver, BC
10/3/2011
The bouncers but more importantly the small bald manager is a nightmare to deal with. He is on a complete power trip. Typical of Vancouver pubs they make people line up outside for ages when it is half empty inside. This place is more excessive than others. Please please avoid this place at all costs. There are much more hospitable pubs in Vancouver.
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Review from Erin G.
Vancouver, BC
1/29/2010
Oh, Smiley - I really want to give you another star... but... just read on.
When I first walked in to this place I was surprised at the size of it! From the small entrance on Pender Street one might assume that the pub was small, too. Not so! It's quite spacious, and has plenty of comfy seating and loads of TV's on which to watch the Canucks kick butt. I have nothing bad to say about the ambiance, and the beer was cold and tasty, but our server.... OMG! I'm not sure if she and I were sworn enemies in a past life and she sensed it, or if she had some kind of Jekyll and Hyde thing going on that only happened when she arrived at our table, but HOLY! Probably one of the worst service experiences I've ever had. At one point she actually rolled her eyes at us when we ordered another round. Maybe you're thinking, "These guys were drunk and rowdy." Au contraire... we were quite sober and civilized. It was only the middle of the 2nd period!
After the eye-rolling incident my companions and I decided against ordering any food even though we were getting quite hungry and we needed something to soak up the beer in our bellies. As the second period came to a close we decided to take our money elsewhere and asked for the bill. Ms. Hyde took her time bringing it to us, but after all was said and done we only missed the first 5 minutes of the third by the time we arrived at our next destination.
I'll give Smiley another chance, but I will choose my seating carefully to assure I am NOT being served by the same waitress. -
Review from Sean M.
Burnaby, BC
5/7/2009 2 photos
Stopped by here for lunch today with a few co-workers. I had the lamb burger with fries and my two friends had the bangers and mash. Excellent food, great service and a really nice atmosphere.
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Review from Sue R.
3/23/2010
We love going to Smiley's when we are in Vancouver. Despite being smack downtown, it has a laid-back, neighborhood pub feel to it.
It's huge and cavernous and comfy--in it's day, it must have been a gorgeous old dame of a pub! But now they've added lots of flat and projection screen TVs, along with some kind of gaming--I don't really get that part. So it's geared to sports now, though it's large enough that the TVs don't overwhelm it and force you to watch/hear the game if that's not for you.
The crowd (and I use that term loosely, as I've never seen it full) is an eclectic mix of visiting tourists, rummy-looking locals, and groups of friends out for a relaxed night of beer-by-the-pitcher and overloaded platters of nachos and wings. The food is standard pub grub, the beer list is respectable, and the prices--for downtown Vancouver--are really fair.
We like the wide, comfy chairs, the hard-working, no-nonsense servers, the generous portions of food, and the affordable, familiar beers. This is a great place to duck in on a rainy Saturday night when you don't want to rub elbows-n-arses with the smart set over $11 cocktails in Yaletown...throw on your jeans and fleece, slump down in a wide chair and order yourself a pint or two in the anonymous dim warmth of Smiley O'Neals! -
Review from Jennifer L.
Vancouver, BC
7/8/2011
Hidden gem, I liked it. Went there for lunch and the food was fresh and tasty, prices were fair, seating was comfortable and not crowded. The fries taste like McDonald French fries but with freshly cut potatoes, so addictive!
