By Sarah Bohuch
Newly opened bar offers beers and buns
Beer aficionados rejoice, for a new hall of drunken adulation has been built for the discerning taster and the novice undergraduate. Portside Pub is one of Gastown’s latest offerings, located a few blocks east of the Waterfront Skytrain station at 7 Alexander St.
When you first walk through the glass doors of the trim brick building, you’re immediately confronted with a choice of going up or down. Being chased inside by the wind and the rain of Vancouver’s winter weather, the warm glow coming from the downstairs drew me into its warm depths.
What can be found here is something more akin to the hold of a wooden ship then a bar on dry land. Exposed wooden beams and cozy tables are lit by candlelight and old midcentury harbour lights, and guests, once seated, are greeted by an impressive menu of beer. For a bar with such a good amount of square footage (this venue boasts three levels, with staff on each), the handsome tables offer surprising intimacy with no yelling required in order to have a conversation. Knowing next to nothing about beer, the wait staff were a godsend. They patiently explained what each of the varieties of beer were, why they were good, and what sort of taste they promised. There was no judgement of my lack of knowledge, but an eager willingness to spread the knowledge (and the love) of the brew.
Of the extensive varieties, I sampled three, as well as one cider: the Driftwood Farmhand Saison, the Hefeweisen Apricot Ale, the Phillips Analogue Kolsch, and the Lonetree Dry Apple Cider (for the beer haters). The cider was amazing: something you’d drink on a front porch swing, swaying in the breeze and watching the sun go down. It was summery and sweet.
The Saison was on the lighter side of beer, with a nice hops taste. Another member of the party described it as “disgustingly bland,” so to each their own.
The Apricot Ale lived up to its name and actually had a refreshing apricot taste. It was light but not sweet, with a crispy finish. The Kolcsh was the perfect beer for those not interested in hops, as it was mild, easy to drink, and quite smooth.
The food is offered in concession stand style, as items are purchased with tickets bought before hand. Each ticket costs $2, with each food item costing between one and four tickets. Painted on the front of the concession stand are three separate booths, boasting “all that dim sum,” “pulled sandwiches,” and “hot, fresh hot dogs.”
The menu includes items such as crisp pork rinds with lime and hot sauce, bao buns supplied by New Town Bakery in Chinatown, a pulled-chicken sandwich with kimchi, and classic hot dogs. Sandwiches range from pulled-beef to chicken to pork, and hot dogs can be enjoyed the old-fashioned way, or experimentally, with an apple and sage sausage heaped with sauerkraut.
They have a limited menu of food, but part of the fun is the novelty of the concession stand format, and if you’re into pulled meat, it’s definitely worth it.
The drinks more than lived up to their reputations and the unique concept was worth the visit. Portside receives a rousing recommendation for anyone looking for a good place to enjoy a hearty drink with a good group of people, or to wolf down a pulled-pork sandwich or two.
