As I am sure you can tell, “Gastro Pubs” are one of my favourite places to visit.   I am a bit of a beer snob, I would like to be MORE of a beer snob someday. (Of the non-pretentious variety) Beer goes great with food, just the same as wine, only you don’t need a sommelier to pour it for you.  The Pourhouse always has a rotating selection of taps and bottles as well as a regular selection.  The beer are all listed by flavour profile, which makes it easier for the non beer drinkers.

Ok, now that you know you can go to Pourhouse for a great brew, let’s talk about BurlyChef Lager… Pourhouse’s heart belongs to Chef Daniel Huber.  No, he isn’t the only one that brings the Pourhouse to YEG, but he is the flavour creator.  He wanted to bring a “normal” beer to Pourhouse, like the one Dad used to drink when they were BBQ’ing.  Before your start grumbling and complaining about the brewery he chose, please note that he did try the “local” breweries and they were not able to give him the flavour profile that he was looking for.  Labbatt’s brews “Burly Chef Lager” for the Pourhouse.  It is a nice, light lager that goes with anything that the menu has to offer for food.  For the entire month of August, $1 per pint will be donated to the Bissell Centre to help them with the rebuilding of the “Thrift Shoppe” after the two devastating fires.

So on to the food… The Pourhouse isn’t just for beer.  They have a great selection of food for you to choose from on their new menu:

As you can see there are vegan and vegetarian options, as well as some gluten free items.  All diet bases are covered!  The menu isn’t overloaded with choices either.  It is one easy to navigate page, instead of a 50 page novel.

I brought out a few members of my foodie team.  Many thanks to Jocelyn (@kareokequeen11) and Michael (@MaximMicheal).  It is always easier to cover a menu better with a little help from your friends!

You really need to start off with a plate of house made pretzels:

Garlic butter, rock salt, sriracha cheese sauce and mustard aioli.  These are just perfect to start getting those taste-buds prepared for what is coming up.  A little salty, a little spicy and a little tangy.

It took us all a while to decide on what we wanted to eat.  My husband and I had sampled some of the menu on a previous visit and we both wanted to try something that we hadn’t had before.  I am rather obsessed with bacon so I chose “The Bacon Wrapped Splitter”:

That is a Coney Island Hotdog!! Wrapped in Bacon, then topped with smoked cheddar and roasted garlic aioli.  You get your choice of sides, I chose the handmade Macaroni Salad.  The Macaroni Salad has some nice heat to it and is topped with crumbled bacon and full of chunks of cheddar cheese.  This was just all kinds of delicious.  I crave a good hotdog every now and again.  This one is crave-worthy!

My husband was in the mood for steak:

This is listed as an appetizer??  Dry aged, smoked grade AAA hand cut striploin with Bleu Cheese butter.  Again, comes with your choice of side.  My husband chose the “Ginger Bistro Salad”.  The portion size is generous, bigger than a lot of gastro-pubs we have tried.  The steak was a little over-done for a medium rare, but still juicy and delicious.  He commented that the bread that the steak was served on was absolutely delicious, usually it is forgettable.The Ginger Bistro Salad my husband just loved.  It was nice and refreshing.

Jocelyn decided that she really didn’t want anything heavy so she just stuck with an appetizer.  She had the Lobster Lager Dip:

Beer braised lobster chunks and four cheese dip served with endless crostini.  I was glad to hear that the crostini is hand made for each batch.  Jocelyn let me have a taste of this one.  It is just wonderful stuff!  I definitely wouldn’t call it light!  Perfect for sharing.  To me, this is comfort food at its finest.

Michael decided that he wanted to try the star of the menu.  Behold, the Ramen Burger:

The Burly Chef made a few attempts at this trendy gem before he got a version that was worthy of the Pourhouse.  Umami burger, sriracha mayo, ramen bun, arugula, and American Chedder.  The pork patty is just the right combination of spices.  The sriracha mayo gives it just enough kick… The ramen bun is crispy enough to keep it all together and just like that bowl of ramen that we all know and love.  Pourhouse is the only place in Edmonton that you will find one of these delicious creations, and only for a limited time.  Get them while you can!

Why do I love Pourhouse so much?  When you support local businesses like Pourhouse, you also support local charities like YESS.org and Bissell Centre.  Chef Daniel and the rest of the crew at Pourhouse like to give back to their community.  Whyte Avenue is busy and therefore attracts those that are less fortunate.  A lot of Whyte Avenue businesses get to see poverty up close and personal.  The Pourhouse has been kind enough to host several events to help raise funds for Edmonton charities.  What’s not to like about that?

Lastly, but certainly not least, I have to mention Amy.  Good servers are hard to find folks.  Mediocre servers are everywhere.  They get the job done, you get your food, you never get their name, you never see them again.  Not Amy.  She was friendly, engaging, efficient.  She made that great night out with friends and great food memorable.  Chef could bust his butt 80 hours a week and you might not come back because the server just rubbed you the wrong way…  Ask to sit in Amy’s section, this bubbly young lady will make sure you are treated right, with a smile!

I really wish I lived closer to Pourhouse… It is a really great way to spend an evening with friends enjoying great food and beer.  Go try the new menu with a Burly Chef Lager!