Stateside Craft

No Longer In Business

I started visiting the place in Dec 2013 and I saw it declining day after day, as US taps were being replaced by BC taps, and then even left empty, till when it became such a sad place, and on my last visit a few months ago I didn’t even stop. The staff was always uninformed, the place is dark and looks like an arcade game hall, which probably was before becoming a bar. I’m glad it’s closed now and I hope the new place will bring something to the Vancouver beer scene.

Visited as a first time patron on June 22, 2015. Arrived about 16:40. All U can eat bacon Monday.
So Can $15 for bacon and a beer on a Monday, what can beat this? Well, it is bacon...
Anyhow, 40 taps on, 9 seemed to be out. Wifi was bad to very horrible. Service was OK to poor. Seems fairly understaffed this evening at least, hard to tell from the first visit. Some seasonals the staff don’t seem to know what they pour.

I don’t get to Commercial Drive much anymore, but I know the area well, used to work down there and think it’s hilarious that there’s a place with 40 taps in Il Mercato. That would not have seemed reasonable back in the 80s/early 90s. Anyway, I mostly like the big tap list, the fact they always have unique American offerings.

First of all, prices are not mostly $7.25, they start at that and go as high as $9.75, and that is before tax. Decent selection, friendly staff. Food (brunch) is limited but good. Chairs are quite uncomfortable, but I love the pinball and skeeball. Unlike another beer bar on The Drive, they will give you free tasters !!

Edit - With 3 walls with no natural light it seems like you are underground. A little cold and uninviting. Large open bar with tons of taps. Selection is only USA craft and and unfortunately they don’t have the selection to pull of what they are trying. Lots of bacon on the menu including a ’Pint o Bacon’. No tasting paddles that I saw, but if you ask they do them. This has all the makings of a good place but falls short. Prices are too high and pours are only 12oz for almost $8.

Impressive--one of the better additions to the Vancouver beer scene. Literally on the corner of Gravely and Commercial, entrance is a wee side door. Lots of goodies among the 40 taps. Had an all-Cismontane session, which was fun. When we were there, all taps were from Cali-Ore-Wash, most I hadn’t tried, and most were unavailable at St Aug’s down the road too. Great service was unpretentious. Fun menu with homemade junk food, but we didn’t try any. Monday is all-you-can-eat bacon if that floats your boat. Happy hour beer specials $5. When we were there, music was a fabulous mashup of old funk. Old school games in the back. Overall really liked this place and will return.

Nice bar tucked away in the middle of Commercial Drive - signage is really bad - was a bit difficult to find. Decent / below average selection of 40 all-American beers on tap. Good variety of styles on when I was there, though the list was dominated by New Belgium, and various really average PNW breweries (Skagit River, Ninkasi, Occidental etc.). Prices are pretty high ($7.50 and up + tax for most beers during my visit), though you can do a flight of 4 beers for just under $10 + tax, which is comparable to Alibi and St Augustine’s. Service is decent enough. The place itself is a trendy modern bar with shitty pop music. Worth checking out - just don’t expect to be blown away with top quality beer selection.