Latest reviews from St John39s

“Located in the main street of downtown Saint John's, NL in an old brick building. There were seven taps on the day of my visit pouring six core and a seasonal. The price list showed only 20oz glasses available (around $7.50-8) however 'YellowBelly Beer Samplers' (flights) are available in a self-choice of three ($7), four ($9) or five ($11) from the range. The place was a hive of activity (rainy and lunch time) and service was slow and basic (pub-like product knowledge). Wasn't that impressed with either the venue or the beers however is a good place to go to sample and tick off their range.“

KeefOz 302 days ago

“2019-07-10. Decor is okay, pretty decent for an airport location but nothing special. Lots of tables and seats at the bar. Service is friendly. Tap list is similar to downtown location, with a couple we didn't try there, and a few macro options as well. Food menu looked okay but we weren't hungry. Worth a visit if you have time, sampler flights available so a good way to get ticks if you don't have a chance to visit the main location. “

jercraigs 1771 days ago

“2019-07-09. I'm not sure why but I had low expectations for this place and was pleasantly surprised. Decor is not my favourite - upscale urban fancy vibe - but I kind of like it despite that. It's pretty loud. The bottle list is surprisingly affordable for the most part considering the quality (although that may not be true compared to other places in St. John's, I didn't really pay close attention). Good selection of local draft and import bottles. Decent wine list IMHO. Friendly staff. The moose over the door is cool. We sat at the bar and shared a can of 2 Crows and some Benjamin Bridge sparkling wine. “

jercraigs 1771 days ago

“2019-07-09. Atmosphere is Irish/UK pub meets sports bar / tavern. Decent number of taps with a couple of Quidi Vidi, a house brew from Storm but mostly macros otherwise. Some Newfoundland craft and macro rating ticks but overall I preferred The Ship Inn down the road personally.“

jercraigs 1771 days ago

“2019-07-09. Characterful wood filled old bar. 14 or so taps, a few craft options for Quidi Vidi and Storm. Friendly bartender offered us tasters before we committed to a pint. Not a huge space. Live music sometimes. Nice spot but it’s more the kind of place I’d come to drink with friends vs beer hunting. That said in addition to the craft offerings there are several Newfoundland macro ticks like Black Horse and India Beer on.“

jercraigs 1771 days ago

“2019-07-09. Small space feels a bit like your friends basement of it had ancient stone walls, a couch, a couple comfy chairs and barstools. Two taps, a bunch of local cans from QV, Landwash and Bootleg and some others. Cellar list has some impressive imported bottles with proportionate pricing. Friendly bartender. I like it but it is small enough that it feels just a touch cramped for me when busy which doesn't suit my mood today. Worth checking out. “

jercraigs 1772 days ago

“2019-07-09. One of a couple of NLC stores that are walking distance from downtown St. John's. We popped in mainly because it was close to Ches's Fish and Chips on our day out. We grabbed a couple of cans that we had not previously tried. Okay selection of beer, it's pretty similar to other NLC stores with a moderate selection of NFLD and NS craft beers as well as the usual macros and imports. Worth a visit if you are close but didn't necessarily stand out from other locations that we visited. “

jercraigs 1772 days ago

“2019-07-08. The restaurant is a very interesting space. It has a country cottage feel to it as promised but with twist of refinement to it. They have a decent selection of local craft beer on tap but I opted to start with a lovely glass of Benjamin Bridge Brut sparkling wine from NS. The food started with amuse bouche - ham and onion on a potato chip. We shared an appetizer of brown butter shrimp on toast. For entrees we had lobster thermidor and corn fried cod with mashed potatoes that had delicious bits of ham in it. Dessert was a sampler of excellent desserts - the chocolate bark with sea salt and seeds and carrot cake with caramel sauce stood out. Thermidor was excellent, the cod was fine but not particularly exciting but the side of mashed potatoes was excellent. Well worth a visit.“

jercraigs 1772 days ago

“2019-07-08. Surprisingly busy on a sunny Monday afternoon. Decent sized space with a stage at one end. White walls and lots of windows with great views of Quidi Vidi and the water. Quidi Vidi Fish and Chips set up with picnic tables outside.We got some tasty cod bites. Small beer store for beer to go. Service is fine, albeit a bit unhurried at times. I found it a bit loud. We hung out for a few hours and sampled our way through most of the 14 taps, and a few pints of Day Boil. Overall quality is better than I expected to be honest based on past experience with their more mainstream bottled offerings, generally consistently decent with a couple of standouts like the Day Boil. Some board games available on the shelf. Exploding Kittens! Probably a must visit while in town, but arguably as much for the experience than the beers.“

jercraigs 1773 days ago

“2019-07-08. Nice space. Sort of bar meets coffee shop during the day. Feels like a relatively new renovation / construction, long communal tables mostly and some seats at the bar. Patio seating today. The big garage door open is lovely for a shaded indoor/ outdoor option :) No samplers / flights so we opted for two pints and a baked goods bar that was nice. Server is fine. Six beers on today, with what looks like potential for up to twelve taps. The two beers we tried were solid. Food other than coffee shop snacks / baked goods doesn't start until noon so we didn't get to try it. We tried to come back the next day but they closed unexpectedly early. (Unexpected for us, not them, it seems like they always close early on Tuesday) I liked that they were open early but pints only is a bit rough for a morning visit with 6-8% beers. Enjoyed it but bad timing on our part made for a frustrating visit to be honest. We were about to do a long hike and pints seemed like a bad plan. We would have stayed much longer if even half pints were an option.“

jercraigs 1775 days ago

“2019-07-07. 8 local craft taps. We opted for a Creek Feeder as part of a special with the tacos iirc, and a Quidi Vidi Day Boil. The fod menu is pretty decent. Friendly server. Very quiet on a Sunday night today and gets busier after we sit down. Nice decor, brick and reclaimed wood. We shared pulled pork tacos and Welsh rarebit which were both excellent. Nice spot. Prices seemed a bit cheaper than some other places we looked at and had a more interesting menu in my opinion. Quite enjoyed it.“

jercraigs 1776 days ago

“2019-07-07. We didn't realize that Mill St and BierMarkt were effectively the same bar and weren't sure where to enter at first. Huge bar with an upscale modern decor that works better in some areas than others. (It's a sort of generic nice that some people will love and others will hate. We say upstairs with nice views out onto the harbour. The upstairs windows are wide open but its shady which is perfect for me on a rare warm day in St. John's :) They have a long beer list with rotating taps from each of the Atlantic provinces, and international options, but we focused on the Mill St. house beers today. Food menu looks decent but we didn't try it. Friendly server. Decent spot, decent selection but the house brewed beers are mostly just okay with an unexpectedly good Session and Chaga Porter being the standouts for us. $3/5oz or flights of slightly smaller pours for I forget how much. Nice spot to watch the harbour. Beyond the house beers the beer list will be impressive to novices but generally less so to the hardcore beer geek I expect. Worth a visit but places like Landwash, Quidi Vidi and Bannerman would be much higher priorities IMHO.“

jercraigs 1776 days ago

“2019-07-07. Characterful old brick building is pretty cool. 7 taps. Flights of five including four core beers and a choice of seasonal. Service was friendly but unsure of what one of the seasonals was which is a bit rough with only 7 taps. The food menu looked good albeit a tad pricey. Beers were just okay and quite mainstream for the most part. Nice space, seems like it might be a nice place to hang out longer with friends but as a beer geek destination is was just a touch underwhelming. “

jercraigs 1776 days ago

“Yellowbelly really did not impress me...these are the kinds of craftbeer places I usually skip when there are better choices wherever I'm traveling...unfortunately...there aren't in St. John's besides Quidi Vidi (who is much better than they were a year ago). The best of NL...is mostly elsewhere (Port Rexton, Dildo, and Twillingate). So as a bar in an historic seaside town...very cool...and I met some great people while drinking here (if you can call not finishing a flight of 4 drinking...lol!)...both locals and tourists like myself. What's amazing is I cannot add or change anything to what Travlr said...so to quote him "All were unadventurous with the stout being the best of the bunch" (I may have finished my stout...lol!). Not worth a visit for the beer alone...unless you need the review...but cool place in other respects.“

PRBeer 2078 days ago

“I don't think I've ever disagreed with Travlr...and I've been to a lot of places he's been to (who hasn't...he's been everywhere...lol!)...so I'm thinking the place must have changed in a year. I did not go for a tour...the upstairs has a very nice and larger taproom overlooking Quidi Vidi Gut. I thought the ambiance was great...and I didn't get the impression that there might be times where you can get a brewery tour but the taproom is closed (but I could be wrong of course). Additionally, the story as I understand it is that QV was owned for a long time by two partners and they eventually didn't get a long and finally split up...I think that's the big change in the last year. At least part of the differences they had were around making what were effectively NL macros in volume for distribution...vs...become a real craft brewery known for the quality and style of their craftbeer. Since the partner who was about volume left...they have branched out and started making some really great beer (and again...I think this all happened in the past year). They've kept their 3 macros (Iceberg, Light, and 1892 Traditional Ale) and added what can only be described as a very good selection of craftbeers for NL (some rivaling Port Rexton). The best of the batch was the Day Boil session IPA, It was so good, and fresh, and aromatic...I took a half case back to the US with me and wished I took more. they also had a DIPA called Calm Toms with peach, mango, and grapefruit...it was very good. Rounding out the notable beers was their Three Seasons Saison. They also had an apple saison and a collaboration lager called Fogtown. QV is a must visit while in St. John's...especially now that the owner running the place has his eyes on making great craftbeer!“

PRBeer 2078 days ago

“Now this is a very special place. History, ambiance, décor, and staff...all top notch. The restaurant is in the oldest remaining house in St. John's. I sat one bar seat to the right of where Travlr sat...almost a year later. This gave me a great view into the kitchen and the preparation of all the food orders. In the seat Travlr sat in was a kitchen worker eating there on his day off......how cool is it when the place is so great...the staff comes back on their day off?!? We talked and he told me how he found the place online while living in Ontario...started following all their social media...and decided to apply for a job...then moved to St. John's, NL...just for the opportunity to work here...that tells you something about the place. So he told me all about the quality and attention to detail. Now here's the best part...2 days earlier they had purchased an almost 700 lb tuna. They could only bring it in in 1/8 pieces each day and keep the rest on ice at a nearby fish market cooler. From that I got the best piece of bluefin tuna toro I've ever had in my life (really) grilled up with oyster mushrooms and chili maple glaze...it tasted like the best piece of prime rib I'd ever had (didn't know that was possible). The rest of the food and dessert was just as great. The beer list was short but acceptable...with QV, Mill St, and Port Rexton represented (good wines and drinks too). The best part is the restaurant is literally across from the Quidi Vidi Brewery...so go there for a few beers first...and come early enough to take pictures of Quidi Vidi Gut at sunset.“

PRBeer 2078 days ago

“Fun place...eclectic place...and definitely the place in St. John's to get your fish and chips! Service is great...and friendly to boot. Beer list is sizable...but not special...macros mostly...even the local Quidi Vidi selections are their 3 macro style beers available pretty much everywhere in NL (Light, Iceberg, & 1892 Traditional Ale). It's sad to go all the way to NL by car & ferry and see Shock Top & Rolling Rock on draft (as well as a host of even larger macros). Go for the fish & chips...and maybe a lemonade or ice tea...drink your craftbeer elsewhere.“

PRBeer 2078 days ago

“Axe throwing bar, but welcome for a beer. Best selection of Newfoundland beers I've found in St John's including Quidi Vidi, Fort Rexton and Split Rock“

billbadger108 2131 days ago

“Certainly the most unique bar I've been to in Canada. An officer's club founded in an old warehouse in 1942 to serve the Canadian sailors in the Second World War, it's now a private club that allows visitors to come in, drink, and have a look around. There is no sign on the outside, just a small historic plaque and starboard and port lights over the door. You enter that door and climb a narrow staircase to a small bar and a fireplace where sailors used to warm themselves after serving on open-deck ships during the war. As you would expect, it's filled with memorabilia from a spike hammered into the floorboards during the early days, to ship badges and deck paintings, to a periscope from a German submarine that surrendered to Canadian forces. That periscope is visible from outside the building, so it's another way of finding this gem. And, yes, it has craft beer - the entire range of Quidi Vidi beers, including one that I was missing even after doing the tour and tasting there. Bartender and proprietress Joy regaled me with stories about the pub's place in the war, and the current members, including a 94 year old veteran of said war. A must-visit while in St. John's.“

Travlr 2410 days ago

“If you don't like this entry blame me, but it was by far the most interesting and unique place I visited in Newfoundland, and it had two bottles of craft beer, so it meets the RateBeer entry criteria. Quidi Vidi staff directed me here to see Linda because QV had no place for me to drink or even sit while waiting for their 4 pm tour. So Linda the proprietress regaled me with stories about her surviving three cancers, about her now deceased husband and subsequent now deceased paramour, her nightmare trip to I-forget-where, and about some of the exploits of her previous customers. All in a heavy Newfoundland accent while consuming said beers. Linda serves lunch also, but I was too late. Bar is full of kitsch, including the fake IDs embedded in the bar top. Classic Newfoundland place, or so I am told. You will not be sorry.“

Travlr 2411 days ago

“What an amazing place. I booked a seat at the bar for dinner after the tour and tasting at Quidi Vidi. They sat me at the end of the bar nearest the open kitchen where I could see the drinks being flung and watch the entertainment of the line. Six beers on tap included one from Port Rexton and more from Quidi Vidi plus a bunch of QV bottles. The food was the highlight though, nothing short of amazing, and good value for money. Despite being incredibly busy the staff took good care of me. Skip Quidi Vidi and come here.“

Travlr 2411 days ago

“Massive place. I walked past the Mannequin Pis with the giant schlong (way bigger than the original) and took Tim Webb's advice and sat on the left. I should have had an Orval, Rochefort 10 or Saison Dupont from the fridge. But I am embarrassed to admit that I had their six house beer flight (which contained only four house-brewed beers) for 15 dollars because I am a tick whore and they counted as NL ticks and included a California Common. I was rewarded with bland beers, some with brewing faults. Thankfully the server, a philosophy major from Alberta, was the entertainment of the session. Forgive me, craft beer world.“

Travlr 2411 days ago

“Very disappointing. First of all, I arrived about 30 minutes before a scheduled tour and tasting to find that they have no place for you to drink or even to sit while you are waiting for the appointed hour. So I went to Linda's just down the road and she regaled me with non-stop stories over cheap lagers. The tour started with the tasting which was 4four ounce pours of five of their basic beers plus entertaining stories about Newfoundland, then a quick walk through the brewery. Again we had 45 minutes to wait until the "kitchen party" started (really just live music and more beer) but again with no place to sit and wait. So I went to Mallard Cottage early, where I had a dinner reservation. But the most disappointing thing was the beer, the most plain and unadventurous I've had in a long time. Go to Linda's and Mallard's instead.“

Travlr 2411 days ago

“Slick modern place across the street from Yellowbelly. Large central C-shaped bar, bar tables, restaurant tables, more comfy barstools overlooking one of two open kitchens. Six taps, two from Port Rexton and a couple from Nova Scotia. Food was incredibly good. Server Jay was a star, giving me unsolicited samples of various things and clues about the bottle list. Worth going well out of your way to try this place.“

Travlr 2411 days ago

“State owned, I assume. The only beer store I found in the town center. Most of the beer is in coolers in the far left hand corner of the store. The front cooler has mostly macro stuff and cider, dominated by various AB InBev brands. The larger walk in portion of the same cooler, though, has packs of Quidi Vidi and other local beers at decent prices. Staff are friendly.“

Travlr 2411 days ago

“The atmospheric upstairs bar was full so staff led me down to the darker "speakeasy" bar called the Underbelly. L-shaped bar and a bunch of restaurant tables. Hard to see the other customers in the dark, especially since I sat under a bright light illuminating the whisky selection. The brewhouse and fermentation vessels are visible as you walk around both levels. Just four house beers on offer, no seasonal today. All were unadventurous with the stout being the best of the bunch. I had the pizza of the day with anchovies and shrimp, tasty enough but with cracker dough, my least favorite. Attentive staff. Worth a stop but I'd be interested to try some of their hopefully more edgy seasonals. This was really my 3,000th place rating, I just rated tonight's places out of order.“

Travlr 2412 days ago

“Cozy sports bar cum pub, TVs showing hockey and lots of football scarves. Smallish bar in two sections divided by a pole. Pool table. Lots of restaurant tables. Sadly only one local beer, a house beer called Duke's Own brewed by Storm. The rest were macros. Fish & chips come highly recommended but I had already eaten.“

Travlr 2412 days ago

“Second stop on my St John's pub crawl. This place is just past the Supreme Court down a small alley, but well signed on Duckworth Street. L-shaped bar, stage, small pool table, restaurant tables. Three Quidi Vidi and two Storm beers on tap when I stopped by. Very friendly staff and clientele. Food looked good as it passed by but I had eaten at Yellowbelly. Solid stop. My 3,000th place rating.“

Travlr 2412 days ago

“Opposite Merchants, this is the brewpub of the original independent Newfoundland brewery. The situation is a bit weird here on the island, with a far greater adherence to dull industrial brewing that almost anywhere else in North America. While I get the inclination to be relatively conservative in the ambitions, one beer that is a bit ballsy would be good. Let’s see how they react to a few new boys and girls coming in.“

Tim Webb 2783 days ago

“A bistro-restaurant with a drinking area. Does its best to stock good local beers - not easy, plus some unusual stuff from far away. One of the first to stock Port Rexton in the city. A regular Saison Dupont outlet too. Unusual and sometimes spectacular food.“

Tim Webb 2783 days ago

“A perfectly decent boozer, half way up the steps off the main street and once a leading beer joint in town. Sadly now depleted by an astonishing row of beers from the pointless rage. Only a Muskoka IPA worth drinking.“

Tim Webb 2783 days ago

“In a seafront block likely all owned by AB-InBev. The Biermarkt bar to the left as you walk in is the better for beer. The Mill Street brews are pretty tame. Best brews are bottled and in the Biermarkt fridge. Large bottled Quebecqois mostly with some Belgian imports.“

Tim Webb 2783 days ago

“A small and quite lounge with nightly games and a pool table. Unlike the student pub this is actually small and a bit comfortable. Same old tap list with the addition of lots of Yellowbelly. Likely one of the more comprehensive local selections. Pints are average priced and snacks are a touch high. If on campus, where I would hang out, but no reason otherwise.“

Ferris 2814 days ago

“A cavernous and typical university bar. Ver cold and un inviting when empty. No tap list and confusion when asking, do just look at the handles. Same local and macros as everywhere else. Beer is in pints or jugs, but pretty inexpensive compared to bars in town. Not a worthwhile stop.“

Ferris 2814 days ago

“A British style pub made for performances. Lots of local taps with the odd macro. English regulars are here as well. Nothing great, but a decent English pub.“

Ferris 2816 days ago

“A stunning bistro tavern that makes you wonder if you can afford it. Although pricey, better than you might expect. Tap list is boring, but they have have some very odd and hard to find beers in bottles that are not too overpriced. Food is fantastic. A nice spot that I would happily take non geeks.“

Ferris 2816 days ago

“A mishmash English style pub. Random chaos do VLT, pool, patio and high tops. Nice staff and lots of crappy taps. All the usual suspects with even one specially for them. A very casual place to hang out. Not really for tickers.“

Ferris 2817 days ago

“A superb location that makes me wish it was so much better. Service was pleasant, you can choose a tasting or a tour. Both are good with friendly and charming staff but horrible beer. They talk about how much they drink but unfortunately they don’t drink good beer. They only do stuff in a private room on the hour, Friday nights they have a pub open. Price is OK, but since it is a tour and wastes an hour it is OK. Go for the view and try to forget the beer.“

Ferris 2817 days ago

“With so few good options in St John’s, I have found restaraunts like this some of the better places to drink. Very nice and very trendy, expect to wait for a seat. Service was superb and even though not beer centric, they have some knowledge and try hard. Selection of taps is small but they are decent, prices for a pint are pretty good and they get some one off locals. Food is hit or miss. Oysters are very well done but pricey. This is a good place to hang out and have some oysters with a good priced local pint.“

Ferris 2818 days ago

“Large english style pub wit multiple seating area’s and a patio. Service was nice, but when they are busy it is pretty simple. 4 beers plus a seasonal at a very nice price for a flight. Food looked OK but was a bit pricey. Beer was marginal, but for the price and in this area worth a stop.“

Ferris 2818 days ago

“A very nice brewpub that obviously spent no expense. This is what happens when you have a big brewery behind you. Service is deplorable, so many staff watching us sit around waiting for beer. I felt like there was some serious disconnect as I am writing this review 10 minutes afeter sitting at the bar and not even a slight acknowledgement. Beer is their regular line up plus 6 brewpub only beers. Horribly overpriced flights. There are so many reasons not to go here, but with so little choice in town it is hard to avoid.“

Ferris 2819 days ago

“Bitters is the grad student bar and restaurant at Memorial University. Parking is a little difficult to find, as is the place itself. But when you find it, the restaurant is a good place for a beer and a bit of pub food. The food is actually very tasty and a good value. Beer selection is one of the best for pubs in St. John’s, with lots of Yellow Belly, QV, standard Irish Guinness brands and others on tap. Current management tries to bring in Picaroons from New Brunswick, which isn’t available anywhere else in the province. Servers are friendly grad students, and some may be knowledgeable about beer. Glassware is appropriate and they know how to pour a pint. Bit loud and crowded on a Friday afternoon though.“

shorlin 4068 days ago

“This Liquor Corporation Store is the best in St. John’s, and will have the best selection in the province. Unfortunately, that’s not really very good compared to government stores in Ontario, and definitely nowhere was good as private stores can be in Canada and US. The bulk of the stock is macro-brew, but their selection of good beer has improved in recent years. Offerings come and go, especially around the annual BeerFest, but you can get Young’s Double Chocolate and Mill Street Tankhouse anytime you want. Service is helpful, but not all employees are beer experts. Ambience is big, bright government run liquor store.“

shorlin 4248 days ago

“A little gem you MUST see to believe. Right in the ROCK - literally. I could drink there all day! Great people too!“

dingbathero 4747 days ago

“Horrible place to have a beer. That’s all i got.“

kegbelly 4747 days ago

“Pricey, but very nice, great food and very nice beer made out back in the brewery. The 4 specialty ales available are great, especially the Stout.“

Metugunaq 4837 days ago

“The place is great. The selection is about as good as it gets in NF. The rating are really not fair because the beer laws are outdated. The staff is super friendly.“

mmmmbeer123123 5449 days ago

“nice looking store, most are attached to a large grocery store, which is convenient. service in store is highly variable, as is common with large chains like this. beer selection is absolutely terrible and over 80% labatt and molson. if you buy a clear bottle beer (old specked hen or innis & gunn) you are almost guaranteed to have it skunked. prices are government regulated and therefore higher than anywhere else. it’s a complete shame this is the only place newfoundlanders can buy their beer.“

alexchafe 5585 days ago

“Great place to do business with. Staff are friendly and helpful. Willing to go out of their way to help you get what you need.“

booboo 6112 days ago