Clayton Public House (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada)

Clayton Public House 5640-188 Street, Surrey (Cloverdale) British Columbia, Canada.  Located at the Sunrise par 3 golf course and right above the 5 Star Catering.  Over the years there have been several pubs here, including the Loft, but finally a local group bought it and made it a real pub!  One of the owners father in his 70's who is retired did a lot of the building in side.  It now has a beautiful 20 person sit up bar, which all of the other pubs never had.  It is done up in dark colours, which makes for a much better feel.  They have over 20 different types of beer on tap including a variety of local craft beers.  This pub is not part of a large chain of pubs that seem to be taking over every where.  There is a big parking lot and the pub very easy to find.  Located right at the corner of Hwy #10 and 188 Street.  They have 4 pub high tables that are made from split trees with nice thick lacquer and are works of art. Along the south side are 3 semi circular booths.  With 9 nice sized TV's and one large projection screen it makes for a great place to watch a game.  Out side is a large deck that runs along the south and the east side of the pub.  It over looks the golf course and the valley with a view of Mount Baker in Washington State.  I can't wait until summer to sit out side!  The service is very good and very friendly, a true neighbourhood pub necessity.  They also have Texas Holdem and Keno video screens.  For food, I had the 1 pound Cheese nachos, which has one pound of cheese and these are very good indeed.  You can also add chicken and beef.  It also comes in a half order.  Two of us could not finish the full order.  Another time I was here I had the Chicken lettuce wraps which were very good!!!   Also on the Menu is The Kitchen Sink: "14 ounces of meat. Bacon with our grilled cheese sandwich, more cheddar, jalapeno jack, mushrooms, onion rings, fired egg, BBQ sauce. Topped off with pickle, prawn, and a mac and cheese bar. There isn’t much else we could have thrown at it"  I didn't try it, and I know I could not finish it!  They have 12th man garlic fries just like they serve in Seattle at the Seahawks and Mariners games.  You can sure tell when they come out by the strong garlic smell through out!  I really like this place and I hope that it continues to do well!  Two thumbs up for sure!!!
January 2016  Well I have been back a few times and they have dropped some favorites from their menu:  They dropped the Chicken Lettuce Wraps, a favorite of mine.  They dropped the Kitchen Sink Burger, it was too big for me to try.  The Nachos are not advertised at having 1  pound of cheese, seems they cut back, and they seemed to have cut back on the amount of ground beef that we added.  They dropped one of my friend's favorites the Ahi Tuna Taco.  I am not to thrilled about the choices of pizza either.  The Salmon Burger and the Clayton Cuban sandwich were great!!  Saturday and Sunday breakfast at 10:00!
 April 2016, now that the good weather is here, the out door patio is awesome!  It has a beautiful view, tables with umbrellas, and they were plumbing in gas lines for patio heaters when it is cool.  When the sun comes out this patio is very popular!!

Shark Club Vancouver (Vancouver B.C., Canada)

Shark Club Vancouver 180 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in the Sandman Hotel Vancouver City Centre. Ideally located very close walking distance to Rogers Arena home to the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League and BC Place stadium home to the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer and the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League.  Right downtown in the heart of Vancouver.  I happened to be there before the start of the Vancouver Canucks vs the Boston Bruins, and it was packed at 5pm.  If you just wanted to go in for a drink and stand around no problem in you go, and in I went.  It has a very large sit up bar with two massive TV's and lots of TVs around to watch the sports games. The bar seats well over 30 people and lots of bartenders to serve you.  The waitresses were hustling around and everyone seemed to be well taken care of.   There are a couple of areas that are raised and a bit separate from the bar, I didn't venture there as I did not have reservations. They have 17 different types of beer on tap and numerous bottled beer.  Some of the Beer on tap is from local micro breweries.  As for wine, their house red and white is $5.95 for a 5 oz (CDN) or $8.45 for 8 oz (CDN).  Domestic beer on tap is $5.50 for 18 oz (CDN) and $7.00 for 22 0s (CDN).  By the way Canadian ounces and gallons are bigger then USA ounces and gallons, wrap that in to a low Canadian dollar and great for our American friends!!  I didn't eat but checked out the menu and a few things caught my eye.  Appys:  Meatball skillet, Mini Mac Sliders, Lettuce Wraps and a good selection of Chicken Wings.  They have Burgers and Sandwiches but for specialty dishes the Butter Chicken and Jambalaya looked good.  Washrooms are a unisex except for the men's urinals, that is standard men's urinals. The over all atmosphere in this bar was very good! I enjoyed it here and would come back for sure.  Next time I will come when there is no game on or else make a reservation.  2015 December.

Oak and Thorne Public House (Langley, B.C., Canada)

Oak and Thorne Public House, 20330-88 Avenue, Langley, British Columbia, Canada (Walnutgrove area).  This is another of the one of the Joseph Richard Group of Town Hall pubs that are through out the Vancouver suburban area.  When we went there, they had been open 3 days so thus some growing pains.  The décor is nice in side, lots of windows and the sit-up bar is very nice!  The sit-up bat seats 12 people and has a great beer tap row!  There are 24 different types of beer on tap.  Lots of TV's through out and they cover most of the major sports games.  If you are there during the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League game, they come around with a pale of hockey pucks with a players number on it.  If that player scores your table gets a free round of drinks.  If you wear the oppositions jersey in your get a free drink as well....if you survive, LOL!  Our waitress, was very green and not well trained.  She was not able to answer anyone's questions with out going to ask someone else.  She didn't know abut anything on the menu, or served from the bar, had to go and write down lists.  This place has a restaurant licence which means children are allowed in. We were not thrilled about this.  Apparently they have applied for a Primary Liquor licence and then it will be adults only.  When we were the there, we all observed a Dad come in with his 10-11 year old daughter, and sit at one end of the sit-up bar.  The Dad sat turned with his back to his daughter for at least 20 minutes while he chatted with his buddies.   Wonder if Mom knows??   The food is the same as all the other locations.  Several of my friends were not thrilled with their selections.  One friend had the Chicken pesto quesadilla and it was soggy.  I had the fish and chips with coleslaw and it was good!  They have the same great breakfast deals on Sundays for $4 and $6.   I will give it sometime to see how things go and then go back and try it out again.  Stay tuned.   

Fuel Bar (Winnipeg International Airport, Winnipeg, Canada)

Fuel Bar, Winnipeg International Airport, Winnipeg, Canada on the domestic departure side once through security.  Located right across form gate 10. This is all they have at this airport for domestic departures, if you would like an adult beverage. Rather sad, considering all of the airports that I have been all over the world. The sit up bar seats 8 and there are 4 pub tables that seat 2 people, that gives you an idea how small it is.  As for food, forget it all they have is potato chips. The service was good, and for something this small it should be good.  For beer there were5 different types on tap, nothing special though, there is also a selection of bottled beer.  As for wine a limited selection maybe 6 red and 3 white.  One good feature, is under the sit up bar there is a double hook in front of each seat to hang your bag or coat and also a double plug in for your cell phone and or computer.  They also sell  the standard hard liquor selections. If you are early for a flight don't expect anything too fancy.  That is it!

Fox and Hound Tavern (Winipeg, Canada)

Fox and Hound Tavern, 1719 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada   www.foxandhound.com.  Situated on Portage Avenue right by Route 90 just west of the Polo Park Mall.  It is in the St. James Hotel or the "Jimmie" as the locals call it. This wonderful place was built in 1928 and I can only imagine the stories these wall could tell.   The hotel check-in is on the main floor and the Hotel is upstairs. But, back to the bar.  It is long and kinda narrow with three entrances.  The main front entrance isn't used any more and is only an exit.  In the front part of the bar is a beautiful rectangular shaped bar that seats 22 people. Great for sitting and visiting over a pint of  beer or glass of wine. Lots of wood and brick adorn the walls and interior, making for a very comfortable setting.  Much improved from what it was 30 years ago.  As you enter from the north side, to the right there is a room with Video Lottery Terminals....gambling machines. There are a 5 TV's around the bar, but I think that it could use a few more!  For lunch I had the Tavern Rueben which was marble rye bread with corned beef, Monterey cheese, thousand islands dressing and sauerkraut with home cut fries.  It was really good and very filling.  My close associate had the Pulled Pork sandwich and fries, which she said was very good.  She could only eat half and took the other half home.  There is one pool table, one foosball table and two dart board.  This place has a great feel to it and I love the bar..  A must try if you are ever in the area, I know you won't be disappointed. A classic old style bar and well worth trying out!

Shark Club Winnipeg (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)

Shark Club Winnipeg, 233 Hargrave Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, located on the second level of the City Center Mall just across the street on the south side from the MTS Center, home of the National Hockey League, Winnipeg Jets. You enter the bar from the second level of the mall. Very nice modern trendy sports bar.  In the center is their large rectangular sit up bar that seats 22 people with 18 flat screen TV's and two very large TVs all at the bar. They have two bar height tables that each sit 14 people.  (Of to one side is a private room that I guess that you can book and it also comes with several flat careen TV's There is a small casino attached with slot machines and table games. Across from the private room are 2 large booths that are quite private.  There is another level that is about half of a floor up and has booths, each with their own TV in the booth.  The food was ok... My friends and I had the Steak sandwich special, we all thought the steak had too much Montreal Steak spice and you almost needed a hack saw to cut through the French loaf it came on.  The service was very good, friendly and attentive.  The décor in here is very cool, I especially really liked the blue lighting around the bar.

Kingfishers Waterfront Bar and Grill (Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada)

The Kingfishers Waterfront Bar and Grill, 23840 River Road, Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.  Located right on the mighty Fraser River about 45 minutes east of Vancouver, B.C. There are lots of logging mills etc. in this area and it is on the north side of the river just before the old ferry landing before they built the Golden Ears Bridge.  Decent sized parking lot.  It is going with this new trend here, where kids can go in one half of the bar.......hhhhmmmm.   They have 11 different craft beer on tap.   You can buy the standards buy the bottle or can if you wish.  My friends had a Russell beer which is a local beer and quite liked it.  There is a double sided bar that one side is adults only and the other  kids are let in.  Outside is a nice patio area over looking the river, and with a southern exposure on a nice day it is sunny and hot a great place to be!!  For lunch I had the Salmon and Crab burger that had aioli sauce, lettuce, tomato, on a brioche bun with home made French fries.  It was very good as were the fries were homemade.  I could not eat everything as the portions are very generous.  There were several TV's but I get the feeling that people don't come here to watch the game as the Seattle Seahawks were playing and most bars would be packed with football fans.  On the wall sides they have nice half circle booths that can hold 4 people easily.  Great for watching the bar, people or the game. Service was very good and friendly.  They were always around but not intrusive.  My buddy had the fish and chips and he said the were very good, he too was very full at the end of his meal.  I would love to come back here and sit out side over locking the Fraser River ..aaahhhh!   I really enjoyed it here!!!

Bar One (Denny's) Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Bar One (Langley), 19777 Willowbrook Drive, Langley, British Columbia, Canada. I have a hard time getting used to the fact that Denny's has a bar.  One half is Denny's and the west half is Bar One, which is a proper bar.  Seems funny that the waitresses were wearing Denny's uniforms working in the bar.   I was there on a Friday evening and they don't have a bartender, again rather strange.  The waitress made and brought the drinks.  I had a glass of wine, and it came in a small carafe but she brought a Champagne flute.........When I went up and asked for a proper wine glass the manager told her the wine flute was the wrong glass.  Later she came to the table and explained that she thought the wine flute looked cute.  Again a first for me, getting a certain glass because it is cute.  Glad they didn't have Hello Kitty glasses or who knows what I would have received.  I had the Copper Moon Pinot Grigio which is a BC wine, and it was fine. The bar is very much like the previous bars here.  It is not bad inside, but there was no one here, really odd as it was a Friday night.  I think that there were 3 others the whole time I was there. The menu is different than the Denny's menu, and I had the sirloin steak sandwich on garlic toast with fries. It was very good, I never expected it to be that good. There are other pub meals, such as Nachos, Chicken wings, burgers, Calamari and the such.  Meat was very tender and not chewy at all!  Quite a few TV's around to watch sports. There is a large double curved high back booth that would be great for a group of 8-10 friends, and rather private.  There were 8 different types of beer on tap.  There is lots of under ground parking as well as the whole Willowbrook Mall parking lot right across the street. The service was very good, the waitress always kept checking to ensure every thing was good.  The manager also checked up to ensure things were good. This place needs a bartender that is for sure.  Denny's and a bar, just don't seem to go well in the same sentence.  International House of Pancakes in Winnipeg did it, and it works,  I guess........... I will just have to get over it. 

Cowboy Club Grille & Spirits (Sedona, Arizona, U.S.A.)

Cowboy Club Grille & Spirits 241 State Route 89A Sedona, Arizona, U.S.A. If you have never been to Sedona, you must put it on you bucket list as it is incredibly beautiful here. The rocks are all a beautiful reddish colour and a must see.  The Cowboy Club has been around for quite a while and has quite the history. Established in 1946, the Oak Tree Tavern, re-established it self in 1992 as the Cowboy Club, has been Sedona's most popular hangout for cowboys, movie actors, celebrities and locals for more than 65 years.  It is the birthplace of the "Cowboy Artists of America" , by founding members, Joe Beeler, George Phippen, Charlie Dye and John Hampton formed the prestigious CAA in front of the fireplace at the Oak Creek Tavern on June 23, 1965. Celebs such as John Wayne, Burl Ives, Jane Wyman, Burt Lancaster, Maureen O'Hara, Robert Mitchum, Gene Autry, Joan Crawford, James Stewart and Rock Hudson just to name a few frequented this place. We didn't seek it out it just invited us in!  It has a beautiful long wood bar that seats 15 people with big solid wood chairs that swivel. There are several half circle booths. Outside they have a sidewalk patio area with umbrellas.  Inside it has a very subtle western theme. On the pub on the menu are such things as Buffalo, elk and rattle snake.  For lunch we had a bowl of the Buffalo Chilli that came in a small cast iron pot. It was very good.  We also had the Oak Creek Saloon Dip which came with black bran hummus, charred tomato cactus salsa and cilantro flat bread.  That too was very good indeed! There is only 4 types of beer on tap and a suitable wine menu.  There is a large selection of whiskey.  There are also lots of hot weather drinks.  My wife had their Famous Cowboy Margarita, wit was big and very good.  Great little place and well worth stopping in and trying it out!  The "Duke" himself was here, isn't that enough!

Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery (Downtown, Phoenix. Arizona, U.S.A.)

Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery, 2 E Jefferson 21-0217  Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.  www.tiltedkilt.com/locations/phoenix  Located on the second floor over looking Jefferson Street. It is very close to Chase Field stadium home of the Arizona Diamondbacks Major League Baseball team and very close to US Airways Arena, home to the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball League The main sit up bar has one side inside that seats 12 and the other side you sit outside and it too seats 12 people. The out side patio area where the in/ out bar is, also has ample seating. There is a long table called the Captains Rail that runs parallel to the bar and it seats 40 people at pub high chairs/ table.  It is open seating (no reservations at this table ) and has its own waitress. There are over 20 large flat screen TV's through out that bar.  There is a very large projection screen with 35 tables and chairs of 4.  To eat, I had the Butcher Block Flat Bread Pizza that came with sundried tomato pesto sauce, topped off with pepperoni, sausage, applewood smoked bacon and mozzarella cheese.  It was quite good. My wife had the Chopped Salad that came with lettuce, roast turkey, green peppers, tomatoes, chopped bacon and mozzarella cheese with a choice of dressing and it too was good. It was a very large portion! They serve Barefoot wines from California.  As for beer they have 35 different types of beer on tap.  The waitresses are dressed as they do in the other Tilted Kilts with tiny tops and very short tight kilts.  Good food and good atmosphere and close to sports fields/ arenas! 

El Hefe Super Macho Taqueria (Tempe, Arizona, U.S.A.)

El Hefe Super Macho Taqueria, 640 S Mill Avenue, Tempe, Arizona, U.S.A.  www.elhefetempe.com  Another cool bar in Tempe in the older area by the University of Arizona.  The center piece is their big rectangular bar that has seating on 3 sides and can hold 25 people.  There is a nice side walk patio area that is on two sides of the bu8ilding on the corner.  Out back is another big patio area with another sit up bar aw well as a 3rd sit up bar in side, that is half in and half outside, gotta love the weather here!  With several large doors that open you get the fresh air coming inside! For lunch we had the street tacos, 2 mahi mahi and  1 chicken and they were very good indeed!  We also had chips with homemade guacamole, salsa, & pico degallo. The guacamole was very good and something my wife wanted, fresh home made! This place has 32 nice big flat screen TV's and one monster screen which is made up of quite a few TV's.  The waitresses were very attentive, quick and friendly.  The music was rocking and the mood was very good.  Apparently Lulu Lemon yoga pants and shorts are part of the waitresses uniforms.  That was brought up to me, just saying.  There are no sinks in the men's or women's washrooms, but when you come out their are two large communal sinks, which is kinda of cool.  That way you can ensure people wash their hands!! All in all this is a very good place to visit and I give it two thumbs up for sure!! 

San Tan Flat Grill & Saloon (Queen Creek, Arizona, U.S.A.)

San Tan Flat Grill and Saloon, 6185 West Hunt Highway, Queen Creek, Arizona, U.S.A.   www.tantanflat.com This really cool place was introduced to us by our good friends in Florence, Arizona (Thanks J&C)  This is a big place, especially the outside back area.   Inside there is a very nice bar that you can sit up to inside or outside and holds about 16 people all together.  Just outside there is a cover wrap around area with misters spraying water to keep you cool.  Numerous bar height tables and chairs in this area where we sat.  Now for the open area in the back, which is surrounded by fences and buildings.  There are a couple of old chuck wagons and a stage coach. One of the buildings is the pool room with 3 pool tables.  One building can be booked for private functions. They have an astounding 50 picnic tables and at least 30, 45 gallon steel barrels with 1/4 of the side cut out to make a fire pit.  They supply the firewood.  What is on the menu, marshmallows and S'more kit for $7.99.  How cool is that!! They supply the roaster sticks as well. They also have an out door sit up bar at one of the other buildings.  The inside walls are covered with all sorts of western things such as horse collars, branding irons and the list goes on. They have a bit of anti government theme here as you can tell by all the signs.  This I learned is because they had dancing outside and apparently Pinal County frowned on that and shut them down.  They went to court and won, but didn't forget. Most of their T-shirts say the following on the backs, " People should not be afraid of their Governments.  Governments should be afraid of their people".  For lunch J&C had the special, which was a huge pulled pork sandwich with loaded potato soup, piles of good pulled pork.   Neither could finish their meals but had enough for another meal at home.  My wife had the mesquite bbq chicken quesadilla, while I had the mesquite chicken wrap with potato cakes as my side. Both were very good.  Here you go up and order your food and they call your name and you take it back to your table.  Check their video out on their web site! We all really enjoyed this place and well worth the trip to try if you are ever in the Phoenix area.  Two thumbs up for sure!!

Hitching Post Pizza Pub (Apache Junction, Arizona, U.S.A.)

 Hitching Post Pizza Pub, 2341 N Apache Trail, Apache Junction, Arizona, U.S.A.   www.hitchingpostpizzapub.com  Doesn't look like much from the outside, has a patio area in front with papas grass like umbrellas to protect you from the sun.  Inside, there is a small curved sit up bar that seats 10. It is a small neat little place and a stage for a band.  Very much a western theme inside this pub.  One dollar bills, signed and posted all over the walls.  There are 8 different types of beer on tap.  Several locals were sitting at the bar, and one couple was selling their home made pickles.  I didn't buy any but a guy at the bar bout a couple of jars.  Time for lunch and I had the rattle snake, which is apparently locally caught and mixed with their own  spices.  The bartender "Suzie" said she doesn't like rattle snake as it is too chewy but many others do. I had it any way, and yes it is a bit chewy, I thought that it tasted a lot like....rattle snake! They have pizza in their name and lots of pizza on the menu, but I didn't try any. I will leave that up to the next person. Out back is a large patio area with a 16 person sit up bar.  Great spot if you love sitting in the sun.  Check out their t-shirts to see what their other specialty is. Suzie was a good bartender/waitress, always polite and quick serving.

Mammoth Steakhouse and Saloon (Goldfield, Arizona, U.S.A.)

Mammoth Steakhouse and Saloon,  4650 North Mammoth Mine Road, Goldfield, Arizona. U.S.A. http://goldfieldghosttown.com  The sit up bar is along the front with seats for 13 people. There are lots of cowboy hats and boots hanging from the ceiling.  This is a very old western themed bag as there is a whole old western village here. They have a railing made of wagon wheels, 11 to e exact. The floor is well worn 10 inch plank boards.  The bartender was Cowboy Dan who was wearing a holster and a six shooter, originally from Turkey, but has been in the USA for over 35 years and is home to him! Great guy and full of character. Outside is a huge deck with 14 large picnic tables.  You can tie up hour horse and come in for a cool refreshment, as did some very nice local women! The food is very reasonably priced, the most expensive thing on the menu is 16 oz T-bone steak at $23.75.  There is a whole tourist town that is very interesting most of which is free, but $8.00 gets you mine tour.  Lost of shops and what ever.   It is worth your while to pop in for a visit. This was one of 3 saloons here in 1893, tales galore! Enjoy!

Murphy's Law Irish Pub & Ale House (Chandler, Arizona U.S.A.)

Murphy's Law Irish Pub & Ale House, 58 S San Marcos Place, Chandler, Arizona, U.S.A. www.murphyslawaz.com  in historic Downtown Chandler.  Murphy's has a very long sit up bar that seats 40 people, very cool indeed!  My bartender was "Rachel", she was very nice, friendly and  attentive.  Another bar with dollar bills singed and along the walls.  I do not know what they would do if they went to 1 or 2 dollar coins instead of bills.  Running along the ceiling tipped up side down on an angle are empty Irish whiskey bottles. There are 32 different types of beer on tap and 4 white and 3 red wines to pick from.   They are constantly changing their beer that is on tap. On the walls they have a Bison and Moose head mounted. as this is a long narrow bar, along the wall opposite from the bar are seating with church pews against the wall.  For lunch, I had the grilled fish tacos on soft tortillas with chips and salsa. The price $9.00 and they were very good!! The owner is obviously a Seattle Seahawks NFL fan as there are numerous Seahawks flags etc. on the walls. There is no other teams on the walls or any where in the bar. Down the middle of the pub are 5 stand up long tables.  Also on the menu are: Murphy's own fish an chips, Corned beef and cabbage, Irish breakfast all day, pizza and sandwiches.  There are no Burgers! I had the 3 corned beef and cabbage sliders for $8.00 and they were very good.  This place is in the old historic rejuvenated area of Chandler.  There are lots of nice shops to go through. I don't know the connection with the police car and the election for a new sheriff, but I forgot to take a picture of the front of the pub so I posted a picture form their web site. If you are n the area, let your wife shop and enjoy a cool one, then every one is happy!!

Rusty Spur Saloon (Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.A.)

Rusty Spur Saloon, 7245 E Main Street, Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.A.  www.rustyspursaloon.com This is a tiny little bar that has been around since 1951, and is in Old Scottsdale, which is very nice and has lots of shops, gallery's and places to eat. According to their web site, "The Rusty Spur Saloon is a Scottsdale destination. Celebrities like Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Vince Vaughn, and Jennifer Anniston have walked through its swinging doors to take in the Old West décor and Scottsdale live country music."
There are signed dollar bills all over the walls of this place and also loads of  licence plates!  The sit up bar is almost the width of the building it self and seats 12 people.  I was able to come by one day when it hadn't opened and got a good picture of the inside as you see above.  They have live music playing every day, which is a nice touch.  There are 5 tables for 4 and  3 pub  high tables of 4 on the walls there is a bar ledge and 6 stools per side.  Seating is tight but this is a cool little place.  Lots of people were eating here, but I didn't try the food so I can't say much about it. I don't know if they have any beer on tap as I didn't see any taps.  Most were drinking bottled beer.  Cozy friendly place, with one waitress/ bartender and she was amazing keeping every one looked after.  Better time management then I will ever have.  I am glad I came here and I would go again if I had the opportunity.  By the way 3 hour free parking on the street!

January 21, 2019.  Back here again.  Still the same cool and popular place.  This time we ate here and I had the chili Cheese burger with onion rings and it was goo.  Mt dinning partner had one chicken and 1 beef taco and they too were good.   No beer on tap here just bottles.  Still 3 hour free street parking.  Service was friendly and prompt.

Harold's Cave Creek Corral (Cave Creek, Arizona, U.S.A.)

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Raceway Bar & Grill (Maricopa, Arizona, U.S.A.)

Raceway Bar & Grill, 49237 West Papago Road, Maricopa, Arizona, U.S.A.  www.racewaybarandgrill.com  This cool place is out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the desert!  I loved this place the moment that I stepped in the doors.  It is loaded with automotive memorabilia and collectibles.  Everything from valve covers, engine heads, old car grills, hubcaps, oil signs and more hanging from the ceiling and on the walls. Hundreds of licence plates are all over the walls. There is an L shaped granite sit up bar that seats 10. I had "Rita" as my Bartender and she was great, very friendly and welcoming.  It is not every day the bartender introduces him or her self and also makes you feel very welcome.  Outside they have a covered area with another sit up bar bar that is L Shaped and seats 18-20 people.  Then there is the large courtyard area with picnic tables, palm trees and more old signs.  The TV Show "American Pickers" even made a visit here and was aired on their show!  How cool is that!  They have 12 different types of beer on tap.  One of their specialties is their thin crust pizza with lots of options. I was not too hungry so I had the Chips and homemade pico and salsa at $4.25.  It was very good indeed!  It is about and hour out of Phoenix and 10 minutes or so out of Maricopa the city its self.  It is worth the drive from Phoenix to try it out.  They have a pin map so you can mark where you are from. I really enjoyed it here and would love to return some day! 

Rula Bula Irish Pub (Tempe, Arizona, U.S.A.)

Rula Bula Irish Pub, 401 S. Mill Avenue, Tempe Arizona USA.  www.rulabula.com   The building was constructed in 1899 and has been a few different businesses over the years. Rula Bula has a nice meandering 25 person sit up oak bar.  It has nice Irish touch to the place and without over doing it.  The all wood tables, have cloth table cloths on them and the chairs are older style wood chairs.  The booths have wood arms with leather benches.  Out back is a nice patio area with a curved concrete bar that sits 15 people.  Also on the patio are numerous tables and chairs with sun shades (you will need them).  Inside the bar they have Irish music playing in the back ground.  For lunch, I had the Irish Pot Roast sandwich.  It had loads of pot roast and covered in mozzarella cheese win a nice big fresh French roll.  It cam with Irish Fries. It was huge and very good.  My wife had the Irish Cob salad, with lots of crumbly blue cheese, tomato, fresh lettuce, beets, potato, avocado, egg, chicken, ham bacon with a home made balsamic dressing.  She said it was one of the best she has had.  The portions are big and the quality is good with reasonable prices.  It is in a very cool area of Tempe and close to the University of Arizona. Saturday and Sunday it is half price bottles of wine.,  We had the Benvolio Pinot Grigio  2103 form Italy, very enjoyable.  Try it out, we really enjoyed it here.  Sorry I forgot to check out the beer selections!

Darby's Public House and Liquor Store (Vancouver B.C. Canada)

Darby's Public House and Liquor Store, 2001 MacDonald Street, Vancouver British Columbia, Canada.  On the south west corner of MacDonald and W4th Avenue in the trendy Kitsilano area of Vancouver and just a few blocks from the beach. This was another good recommendation to me by the "Cardigan Kid". Small cozy little place with the liquor store attached to the south side.  They do have underground parking and is says compact cars only.  by looking at the entrance which has a very tight 90 degree turn I believe it.  No pick up trucks, SUV's or larger cars.  Smart Car, Mini Cooper or Fiat 500 would fit, LOL!  In side it is simple but comfortable, with the L shape sit up bar holding 12 people.  Two pub high tables in the middle each seat 10 which is nice.  10 TV's on the walls great for watching sports. The pub serves 28 types of Craft beer and have 30 different types of beer on tap.  Certain beer is changed out depending on the season.  They have a Keno and a poker TV.  For food I had the Library Burger that came with a Two Rivers Natural beef patty from Pemberton Meadows on a fresh pretzel bun from Portofino Bakery with Fontina cheese, honey caramelized onions and bacon lettuce, tomato, dijonaise .  For sides your options are: Soup, Fries, yam fires, house salad, Caesar salad, quinoa salad, coleslaw and warm potato salad and for extra your choices are Polenta fries for $2 or Poutine or Mac and Cheese for $3. The waitress recommended the Polenta Fries (I still don't know what Polenta is)  so I went with that.  They came out and are rectangular about 3 inches long.  I couldn't finish them all they were not bad at all.  Next time I will try a different side. My friend had the Straight and Narrow which was eggs, bacon toast and hash browns.  The eggs were very nicely done! The bacon is a little thicker that most places.  There is a roof top patio that wasn't open when we arrived but opened up later.  We checked it out and it is very nice running down facing W4th Ave and facing east to MacDonald street.  It has a nice view and is very nicely done.  I would love to sit up there on a nice sunny day.  The sign on the liquor store boasts over 500 beer, 500 wine, 250 spirits and 100 coolers and ciders.  This place has a nice neighbourly local feel to it.  This is a busy area of the city, streets are busy all the time and lots of shops along W4th Ave. I really enjoyed this place and I look forward to returning here again in the near future.  2 thumbs up for sure!

Tugboat Annie's Pub and Grille (Richmond, B.C. Canada)

Tugboat Annnie's Pub and Grille  6911 Graybar Road, Richmond, British Columbia Canada.  It is at the very east side of Richmond across the street from the Annacis Channel of the Fraser River across from the west tip of Annacis Island.  It is located in an industrial/ marine area.  For a place that is called Tugboat Annie's, there is very little in the way of a nautical theme.  The sit up bar holds 10 people and has 12 different types of beer on tap.  There is a pub high oval table n the middle that seats 10 people.  They have an extensive menu but we didn't try the food. I liked their out door covered patio area.  There is a gas fire place and TV and lots of room.  The inside of the pub just didn't do it for me.  The washrooms are in need of a freshening up.  There is a roof top patio area, but just wasn't nice enough to sit up top and try it out.  I imagine that the view from up there is better.  There is a marina near but with numerous boats  moored out front.   I could only see 4 TV's which wasn't enough, especially now a day!  They had one nice large Samsung TV with a beautiful picture. The best part of this location is the name, I wish it lived up to its name.

Ocean Side Yacht Club & Public House (White Rock B.C. Canada)

Formerly known as: Hemingway Public House 14995 Marine Drive, White Rock, British Columbia, Canada.  Part of the Richard Joseph Group chain of pubs.  This used to be the Ocean Beach Hotel which was a well known bar/ night club for years before being taken over by RJG and turned in to the Hemingway.  This place has probably the best outdoor patios on Marine Drive in White Rock, great view of the ocean, pier and everyone passing by.  On a nice day these seats will be hard to get.  Inside they have a very nice long bar that seats about 12 people.  There is lots of seating, and similar to all the other pubs in the chain.  along the east side, they have 6 wine barrels hanging each with a different Ernest Hemingway quote on it. I must say, this place has the best décor of the ones in this group that I have been in.  There are more than 12 beer on tap and 25 different craft beer available. The service was very fast, friendly and attentive.  If you can't get a seat on the patio there are several tables by the front windows that also have a great view.  Numerous TV's through out so you don't miss any of the games on TV. There is a lot of parking in one of the public parking lots near by, but they are all pay parking.  If you are lucky, there is a lot right across the street. The Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad line passes right by and you can see the freight trains and the Amtrak passing by at a slow rate of speed coming and going to USA and Vancouver.  They have daily drink specials and are open 1100 to midnight 2 days a week.  I really enjoyed it here and will be back for sure.  Next time I hope to get a seat on the patio.

Name has changed to Ocean Side Yacht Club & Public House. The interior has remained the same.  The menu is the same as all others in this chain of pubs.

The Taphouse Guildford (Surrey, B.C. Canada)

The Taphouse Guildford, 15330-102A Avenue, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada  www.thetaphouse.ca A buddy of mine (The Cardigan Kid) recommended this place so we went with him late one afternoon to give it a try.  We were welcomed by 3 very nice young ladies and taken to our seats, something you don't see in too many pubs/ bars.  This is a large place, the main floor holds 300 people and there is a second floor that holds 200 people. Opens 1100 am every day.  It wasn't too busy when we were there.  There are 24 different types of beer on tap.  Their happy hour runs from 3 pm to 530 pm, and includes well drinks and glasses of wine for $4.00, $6.00 flights of beer and half price pizza.  There are also beer specials. The pizza was thin crust and very good (Mushroom and peperoni is what I tried).  On the main floor they have lots of booths and a large "L" shape Bar which seats 45 and looks down on to the rest of the bar.  There is a 14 foot projection screen and numerous TV's around 20.  Behind the screen is where the bands play.  Through out the week there different themes, Monday is Team Game night, come and play various board games, Tuesday is Acoustic night, Wednesday nights is Trivia night, Thursday nights are dueling pianos, Fridays and Saturdays nights it is live bands, Sunday is country night.  Service here was good, very friendly and helpful.  Washrooms are single person washrooms, nice touch. There is a double set of stairs off to either side of the stage that leads up to the second floor.  You can also go up by the front.  It is not usually open during the day but also has a bar up there.  Above the area where the dance floor is on the main floor, it is open to the second floor and gives a great view of the stage.  During the day the dance floor has tables and chairs on it.  They have numerous large booths, pool table, pinball game and comfortable for sure.  A big plus for this place is the large parking lot in front (free parking).  The Taphouse is just 2 blocks from the Guildford Mall, think about that around Christmas time when the other half of your relationship wants to go shopping.  They drop you off here, and shop to their hearts content and pick you up when they are done shopping.  A definite win win situation!  I look forward to coming here again. This used to be the Mirage Night Club for 20 years before turning in to a pub, and now with a different clientele.
Late March 2015, was here again and I really enjoyed it.  The pizza's were awesome.  The service was very good.  Did I say there is lots of parking, which is a big plus!! I will be back for sure!

Jorge's Kitchen Mexican Grill and Bar (Mount Vernon, Washington, USA)

Jorge's Kitchen Mexican Grill and Bar  is a diamond in the rough! We found this great place by chance, just cruising around.  Located at 1725  E Blackburn Road, Mont Vernon, Washington, USA  at the corner of South 18th Street and E Blackburn Road.  Phone 350-424-6838  www.Facebook.com/JorgesKitchen   Don't miss this place or let the look fool you.  It is a part of the Little Mountain Grocery store/ gas station.  2/3 rds of the inside is grocery store and the other third is Jorge's Kitchen.  Inside the smell is awesome and yes Jorge is the cook, who is also very friendly.  There is a small sit up bar that seats 7 people, there are two tables of 4 and 3 tables of two and that is it.  Jorge said in the summer they open up the outside patio and it gets very busy out there.  The outside patio is surrounded by a 6'6" fence.  The patio is stamped concrete with nice wood picnic tables with umbrellas.  To drink they serve Elysian Brewing Co. beer.  According to Wikipedia: "The Elysian Brewing Company was a craft brewer that operated four pubs in Seattle. On January 23, 2015, it was announced that Elysian would be sold to Anheuser-Busch in a deal expected to close within three months."  They also serve Corona Lite all on tap.  There is no hard liquor, coolers, wine or cider, just beer.  Now lets get to what makes this place so amazing, the food!  Everything is cooked fresh and it is very busy but the service is fast and friendly.  This place also does a booming take out business.  There were lots of Mexican people eating and taking out food from here which is a very good sign.  The menu is relatively small but the food is sooooo good!  We had the 3 tacos with beans and rice.  The tacos are soft, double with your choice of pork, chicken or beef with fresh cilantro and diced onions.  We went with the pork and I have to say one of the best tacos I have ever had!  the price, $7.99 and great value.  We each had a Corona =Lite and they were $2.00 a glass, another great value! Other things on the menu are:  Burritos, Tortas, Mulitas, Super Nachos, Super Quezadilla, Carne Azada and Carne Adovanda.  The most expensive things are $8.69, and you can't beat that! Happy hour runs 4-7 pm and all day Sunday. Saturday is seafood day where he has Fish tacos and Cerciviche apparently that is also a very busy day.  I can't wait to come back here! I look forward to coming here in the summer and eating out side on the patio area.  If I could I would give it 3 thumbs up, it is that good!  I will be back for sure and hopefully sooner rather than later!

August2022

Back again and still so cool! Changed the layout, small situp bar that seats 5, with 8 beer on tap. They put a roof over the outside eating area. I had the 3 fish tacos and they were quite good. My wife had 1 chicken and 1 steak Taco and said they were very good. Service is very good and friendly. You have to try this place it. Where else do you find a great Mexican place in a store/ gas station. Yes, there are a lot of Mexican's who eat here and that is a good testament in how good the food is!