It wasn’t so long ago that getting a drink on Commercial Drive, especially late at night, wasn’t that easy. Today, the Drive is the throbbing, somewhat sticky heart of East Van. Home to dozens of bars, pubs, and liquor-forward dining lounges, you are never more than half a block from your next pint, just as God intended. And unlike Granville Street, it’s possible to spend a night on the Drive and not have some 19-year-old from Surrey throw up on your shoes (although it’s surely just a matter of time).
Ten, 15 years ago, it was another story. Vancouver’s historically puritanical liquor laws and the family-oriented working class demographics of the neighbourhood meant that if you wanted a drink after midnight, your options were limited to illegal afterhours boozecans (usually located in a second floor apartment above a restaurant), or the back rooms of the many of Italian cafés. What “bars” did exist were really restaurants masquerading as drinking establishments.
Thankfully, things are a little more legit these days. The loosening of said liquor laws and an influx of Young Urban Professionals has resulted in a plethora of new places to drink.
Here, then, is a handy guide to the many new faces and old favourites of Commercial Drive.
St. Augustine’s
After years of revolving door tenants that saw new establishments open and close at the corner of Grandview and Commercial every six months, stability has arrived in the form of St. Augustine’s. Named after the patron saint of beer, this bar is perpetually packed, especially on game night. And for good reason, They have more than 60 taps for beer, and the best fried chicken in the city.
Tangent Café
Tangent Café has called the corner of 5th and Commercial home for nearly two and a half years now, in the space previously occupied by Me & Julio, and then Sorry Babushka. Is it a restaurant? Is it a pub? Who cares! The menu features some seriously delicious Malaysian classics and the beer list is extensive and heavy on local brews (yes, they offer tasting flights). Try the roti canai, bet you can’t eat just five!
Falconetti’s
Liquor and sausages, how can you go wrong? You can’t, which is why Falc’s, at 2nd and Commercial, has proven to be such a hit on the Drive. It can get a little cramped downstairs, especially when there are bands playing, but the tiny upstairs lounge is a welcome respite in the summer.
Stateside
For years, Avanti’s (at the corner of Commercial and Gravely) was the only proper pub on the Drive, and boy did it suck. Hard. Thankfully, that dingy cavern of a tavern is a distant memory, and in its place is Stateside Craft. Forty gleaming taps of the best craft beer the mighty nation of Cascadia has to offer. Also, there’s skee-ball, pinball, and bacon by the pint. Such an improvement.
The Libra Room
One of the few bars on the Drive to feature live music, and certainly the only one to do it seven nights a week, the Libra Room might be the closest thing to a nightclub in the neighbourhood. It’s fun, chaotic, and delightfully greasy, not unlike Commercial Drive itself.
The Dime Roadhouse
I honestly have no idea how this place stays in business, given how absurdly cheap their prices are. Brought to you by the same people behind the Famous Warehouse and the Hastings Warehouse, every thing on the food menu is $4.95, all day, and the drinks are just as stupid cheap. While the Dime tries very hard (perhaps too hard) to fill the “dive bar” niche on the Drive, those prices can’t be ignored.
The Charlatan
Formerly Sash, formerly Bukowski’s, this prime locale at the corner of Grant and Commercial has hit its stride with its current incarnation. The cocktail list is extensive, and the bison poutine will cure what ails you. The staff here are on their game: it’s easy to lose an entire evening to the Charlatan as complimentary shots have a tendency to arrive just as you’re contemplating settling up and moving on.
Storm Crow Tavern
Your reaction to this bar says a lot about you, and likely you will either love it or hate it. If you’re a fan of HP Lovecraft, think board games are awesome, and you’d rather watch an episode of Battlestar Galacticainstead of the Canucks game, then you’re going to like this place just fine. Don’t forget to roll the 20-sided dice for a random shot. Excelsior!
Fets Whisky Kitchen
Fets is older than dirt, but a recent facelift and rebrand has breathed new life into this Drive standby. With more than 750 different bottles of whisky (or whiskey, for our Irish and American friends), Fets has one of the largest selections in the city. While the focus of the menu is still Southern-inspired comfort food, the quality has definitely improved.
Havana Restaurant
Nineteen years this restaurant/bar/theatre has been going strong, and little has changed. But why would it? It’s totally awesome just the way it is. Delicious food, crazy art, killer mojitos, live comedy and theatre, and the best patio on the Drive. Nuff said.
Bier Craft
Like its predecessor Stealla’s, Bier Craft is a boozy shrine to all things Belgian, and man do those Belgians know what’s up. Mussels and fries? Genius! The beer list is only slightly shorter than War and Peace, and the patio overlooking Grandview Park is great for people watching in the summer.
Wise Hall Lounge
Ah yes, the finish line. Once upon a time, the Wise Hall Lounge was one of the few legitimate late-night drinking haunts in the hood. Established in 1957 in a converted church hall as a social club for Welsh, Irish, Scottish, and English expats, the Wise has served as the neighbourhood’s local ever since. In recent years, the lounge has found new life as a new generation of neighbours has discovered its homey charms (don’t worry, British ancestry is not required). Pool, darts, foosball, and good conversation; what more could you want in a local?
