National on 17th was a blast! The food was great and the beer/wine choices were on point! The staff, in particular Cam Pinkney, made our experience one to remember with specialized pairings and VIP service. Can't wait to go back and have that much fun again!
Staff is super friendly and the food is on point! Always a choice spot to grab some elevated pub food and drinks.
Went to National 17th with some friends and experienced amazing food & service. Wide variety of wine, beer and other drink options. Good vibe and awesome patio too. These guys are doing it right!
Went in to grab a bite Friday night. It was super packed but the staff fit me in at the bar no problem. Food was great, beers were cold and the staff was fantastic.
Alberta Beef Shortriib bowl is to die for. 10 out of 10!!!!! You do not expect this kind of quality out of a pub. Wow!!!!
Our server was Cass (I think that's what it said on the bill). She took great care of us; the service was timely and well done. The food was excellent. I don't get downtown that much, but I'll be sure to come again! Cheers.
Always great food and fun place to hang out with friends. Will keep going as often as possible!
Friendly service and the salad I had was delicious and the person I was with had the fish Tacos and he knows fish Tacos and really liked it so what more can you say. All day happy hour on Monday on all their beers is an amazing deal
Amazing service, excellent food/drink and a fun and easy going atmosphere.
Never been disappointed, always been impressed. Great place to hang out!
Had a great time our Bartender Matt N was exceptional. Made us feel right at home and like Family . Great experience first time there for me and my family .
There are very few spots where you can get chicken other than chicken wings. Tonight I had the Fried Chicken and biscuits, It was great. three pieces of chicken breast, coleslaw and pickles. Very well done. Loved it. Great service, nice patio on a sunny afternoon or evening. Try it out.
Its a place we meet up before a hockey game or just to hang out for a few drinks. Love me some tater tots.
I like Thursday for the Clive Burger and a beer (or they allowed me a wine) for $15.00
I came here with a friend during brunch time.
The restaurant was not very busy, with only a few other tables being occupied. Upon entering, the staff seemed to be chatting at the far back end closer to the kitchen, so we proceeded to seat ourselves. About three minutes in, the waitress finally approached us. I ordered the "Fried egg sandwich", and my friend had the "Queso and eggs".
The food was decent, but quite heavy considering it was brunch. I could barely finish the hash, as it was much too heavy for my liking. The sandwich itself, however, was great. It had a good amount of tang to it that complemented the ham and egg in the sandwich, making it well-balanced. I would return for the sandwich but considering the fact that I could barely finish off the plate, it is iffy considering the value.
My friend gave a very direct opinion on the food, stating that it was too greasy for her to eat for breakfast, and did not finish more than a quarter of her plate.
Delicious margarita slurpees and their Glory Bowl are not only big portions but filled with delicious flavors. I added in the chicken and took out the tofu as I am not the biggest fan of tofu. Their prices aren't ridiculous and it's value for money. Love the outside patio area in summer.
Very lively place, great one to hang out for a drink with some nibbles. The large patio is excellent on sunny evenings. As food went the oysters were awesome as were the ceasers. Chicken wings however were so so.
We weren't too hungry so didn't try the mains but would come back just for the atmosphere...
Stopped here for lunch with a friend on a Friday afternoon. It wasn't too busy, the atmosphere was nice and relaxed. Waitress was friendly and very nice. I ordered the deep fried pickles and veggie burger. Both really good! The veggie burger was loaded with cheese and I the patty had that "home made" taste - whether it is or not I don't know for sure but it's good I also enjoyed the beet salad as an option for a side! Very tasty. My friend had the chicken ceasers salad and her chicken was burnt a little bit but still edible. Wasn't worth complaining about since everything else was on par.
I'll return here again. Overall prices were reasonable and portions were good.
I normally go to the Westhills location and this one seems a bit smaller. I have only been here the one time for brunch but the service was great and quick and the food was very good. I had eggs benny and it was very filling.
What I do love about all the Nationals is that they are kid friendly, a rare find in Calgary.
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Started a bit of an impromptu 17th Ave pub crawl here, was surprised to be able to get a table so easily inside by a window on Saturday evening - patio was packed, no surprise there though, it was gorgeous outside. Our group had a great server, she was quick, friendly, made some super suggestions - she knew what she was talking about (which sounds simple, but I have found that to not be the case in other National locations).
As usual, the beer selection was good, no complaints there.
Between the 6 of us we had a decent selection of food, everyone enjoyed their meals - it all came out fairly quickly, there was a delay in my sister getting her fish tacos, but it was quickly remedied and the server handled it really well, so nothing to complain about. My SO had the prime rib sandwich w/ fries and really enjoyed his choice, especially for the price point, it was a big meal. I went for the veggie burger & tater tots (cause... again, tater tots) - it was actually really good, tons of flavor, my SO tried it and even he thought it was good (high praise from him, considering the disgusted face he usually makes when I chose to order a veggie burger despite the fact I am not a vegetarian) - with guac, clive sauce and melted cheese curds & sprouts it had a ton in there and I could barely finish it. My only complaint is that the veggie patty itself falls apart and makes the whole thing fairly difficult to eat, but I would absolutely get it again.
After some negative experiences at the one on 10th my early opinion of the National chain was lower - but between our frequent positive visits to the one in Westhills (closer to home) and the positive experience on Saturday, I can honestly say my opinion is changing for the better!
Always great service when I come! Both Christina and Saara are amazing host's! Very nice and energetic atmosphere. Try the Breakfast Poutine and the Clive Burger!
Excellent, excellent pub. Very classy for a pub, wings and everything else was very well done, drinks were reasonable, service was excellent, quite honestly one of the best pubs I've ever been to. We left just full on amazing beer and excellent food. $75 for three people was quite reasonable. Well recommended. This, the Bank & Baron, Original Joe's are the best pubs I've been to in Calgary, which says a lot for a born & Bred Calgarian
Come here all the time. Tonight was $20 prime rib and live music. You can't go wrong with the ridiculous beer selection which this place is famous for.
Fun bar with good food & music. Was here last sat night, found a table for 3 right away. Got busy after 10/11 pm. Has the 17th ave vibe - good crowd, happening location. Nice lighting. Music played: mostly pop, hiphop & r&b. Ordered chicken sliders & vegetarian pizza (both were delicious) & a bottle of red wine for 3 people. Cost about $33 per person including tax & gratuity. I also recommend National on 10th.
I've eaten here too many times. Their food is great for a bar. Traditional food with twists which is appreciated. Tater tots? Check. Solid wings? Check. Pork belly sliders? Check. And cheap happy hour beer is always appreciated. Jacqueline is a great server!
National is always a great spot for some afternoon food and drinks.
The food is okay, always acceptable. The cocktails much the same. The best thing about this place though is the atmosphere and buzz. National is a guaranteed fun time. Try visit when the sun is out and the deck is open. Good also for a big group.
Not 100% sure how I feel about National on 17th. The first time I had oysters here they were perfect and our server was very attentive, the last time we were in our server did not seem to have been trained well, we appreciate that she went to ask someone about anything she didn't know though, she never tried to bs us even though I'm sure that would have been more convenient for her. The oysters this night were not great and I think the wine selection could desperately use improvement.
The food is pretty decent, one of my to go breakfast places. The food is simple and fast.
Be VERY careful of their hard liquor like scotch and bourbon, everytime my bf orders them, they always come with fruit flies. I never had issues with their highballs or beer.
National 17th. The food at this National location is the best/most consistent of all the 3 downtown addresses. Pub fare, fun environment. Menu favorites are the Glory Bowl (tofu, pea shoots, tahini), fried pickles and poutine. Popcorn comes with refill and is a good sack when you're having a few beers.
Rhonda Lee MacDonald
+4.5
★★★★ We were greeted within seconds of walking in the door. We were allowed to sit anywhere we wished and the staff and atmosphere was very welcoming. The hostess took our drink order and our server followed close behind. Willow was very helpful, friendly and her attitude was lovely. She had a few tables in her section and keeping busy with us all. The other staff who didnt have tables were cleaning..(not where customers were sitting ...other side of room of course)..but yes I swear... you could eat off the light fixtures!!! :) our water was topped up no fuss.....and the food came out in "fast like ninja" timing. I had the lobster sliders...delish and my coworker had the hot beef..yum real cheese curds. I recommend this establishment for a good bite and if you like and can enjoy beer....its their speciality!!!!! Cheers Ps I read they have BYOvinyl on wednesday!!!!
Very good. Been here several times and it has never disappointed. Delicious lobster poutine and fried mars bar as a desert option, to a wide array of beers which kept my beer connoisseur father in law extremely happy and wanting to come back for more. Nice ambience, decent patio, great food and service.
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Its not them, its you. If you don't like the door staff somewhere, stop going there and then that establishment wont need door staff anymore :) Those people are there to make sure you and your friends are safe and the business stays within the City's guidelines for safety. They can be rude but trust me, they have developed that attitude with your help. Be super nice to them without asking anything in return and I bet they will be nice to you. You might even get a drink bought for you.
But, we do need to have a talk about the beer selection. I am fiercely nationalistic but these craft brews are nothing more than 'Stunt Beers'
Just because you can make a beer so full of hops that it is pretty much just hops, doesn't mean you should. This hopping trend will end and I just hope it does before National is gone. Its a nice, middle pub for just about everyone. Yeah its full of hipsters now but at least it doesn't smell like a urine soaked beard (You know who I'm talking about, Ship an Anchor... Yeah, you) In a year or so you will be eating a delicious steak sandwich with an egg on it (outstanding) and drinking a beer that hopefully DOESN'T taste like someone put on a boot made of bitter, soapy hops, and kicked you in the mouth, and you will be wondering why you were even mad at National in the first place.
Calgary, make friends with your door staff, communicate your needs to your server, educate the managers at your favorite places, drink good beer, and have a great time. You will feel better ;)
My GF and I use a 75% rating rule when it comes to restaurants we check out on Urbanspoon. However, I feel like the National has been unfairly maligned. I do agree that the service could use work but when I read reviews that complain about tater-tots being factory made (they're tots dude) or crab tasting fishy (it's an ocean-dwelling bottomfeeder broo) I have to shake my head. The beer selection is great and this has become my go-to place when the Ship's food specials become repetitive. Give the chicken club a shot and tell me I'm wrong.
I'm won over!. Been here a few times and had mixed experiences. Went by last night with a girlfriend and tried their beet & Arugula salad- very simple and very tasty. Friend had the fish tacos, which looked and tasted delish! At the end of the meal, I ordered an extra meal to go for my bf. Got home and it wasn't what I had ordered (I had ordered a half roast chicken meal and there was just a drumstick and a wing in the dish), my bf thought we were playing a joke on him... but no one was laughing. Called the restaurant right back and manager (Kim) handled my complaint like a champ! She apologized sincerely, investigated into the matter and emailed me a coupon for our next visit. That is the kind of service that wins people back, even after a bad experience. Thank you Kim and National staff for always being so friendly and considerate!
Great place! Great oysters for the price.. Every Tuesday, they have their Buck a Shuck event. $1 per oyster from 4pm-8pm. The night we went, they had 2 kinds. West coast - Effingham, and east coast - St. Simons. West coast oysters were quite big, some almost as big as Sawmill Bay oysters. Taste is similar to the typical Kumamotos, but comes with a slight sweet aftertaste. The east coast was rather unpleasant at first. It reminded me of Onset shore beach oysters, but worse. The oyster brine was extremely salty and had a strong fishy after taste. Heavy saucing was used to drown out the unpleasantness. The oysters come served on a big iced platter garnished with horseradish, lemon, and generic shallot vinaigrette sauce. Overall the place was great. Good atmosphere, great staff.
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Great place to hang out.. I came here on the weekend with a couple of girlfriends for the first time out of impulse just to try it out.
Atmosphere: Since we on the weekend at night, it was quite busy. We had a hard time finding a table to sit down.
Food: That being said, the food and drinks definitely made up for it. The oysters were the FRESHEST. No lingering fishy taste at all! I really enjoyed how they added fresh horseradish on the side with the mignonette. We also ordered the lobster poutine and the stuffed jalapeños. The lobster poutine was so savoury and creamy, lobster was poached to perfection. Stuffed jalapenos were pretty good as well. Caesars were the best I've had so far because they garnish(cheese, pickle, shrimp and of course, celery) them so well and put a twist on the salted rim, instead of the usual celery salt like everywhere else.
Service: Since it was so busy, it was hard to get a waitresses attention at first but after she helped us, she was very quick and attentive.
Overall, I will most definitely be going back, especially for their buck a shuck oysters on Tuesdays and Caesars, YUM!
Excellent atmosphere. Awesome selection of beer, small menu but would have to say best fish tacos ever!!
Good brunch & lunch!. Four of us came here when we couldn't get into Red's Diner for brunch one Sunday, and were SO happy that we did. My friend & I both had the french toast, and it was absolutely delicious - covered in apples, maple syrup and bacon. The shredded hash browns were crispy, salty (not overly, just enough), with green onions throughout. So. Good. I ate well beyond being full as it was very tasty. The boys didn't want brunch, and both ordered pulled pork sandwiches, and there wasn't a scrap left on either of their plates. I can't speak to what the place is like at night for dinner, but brunch & lunch are definitely worth a visit!
Called ahead and tried to make reservations but they said they stopped making reservations cuz they were full. I wanted to go there at 5 pm on Saturday and they told me that it wasnt a problem gettin a table cuz it's not usually busy at that time. We got there and everywhere was full. Lucky we found an open table. It was super busy so make sure you go early. The scotch egg and fried pickles were to die for! Don't order the fries cuz they over fry it to a point where it's super hard and tastes like they put a pound of salt on it! Gross! Maybe this is the way they make you drink more cuz you are super thirsty at this time.
Nice idea. Expensive. National has a great idea where all the beers are Canadian. Most of the craft breweries in Canada are represented.
I have attended the 'buck a shuck' night and it as is expected where you pay $1 per oyster. The only downside to National is the price, where even a simple entree and a couple of drinks will leave your wallet creaking.
Good Time and Atmosphere. It is refreshing to see a new concept in Calgary turn out to be successful. Went for casual drinks and appies with my wife on a Saturday and was pleasantly surprised. We arrived about 7pm and the place was nearly full. The family style seating is interesting for a pub but it works. The door person was polite and showed us where to sit immediately. It took a few minutes to get served but after that the evening flowed smoothly. The food coming from the back all looked fantastic and the selection of draught beers is second to none. The menu is a bit different from regular pub grub which provides a nice spin on your typical Calgary pub experience. Definitely recommend this place but you should arrive early as it fills up.
One word: Oysters. The variety can't be beat, for this category of dining atmosphere. It's the best thing they serve here, besides the beer, which always poses a challenge because it's difficult to drink hard after eating a ton of raw oysters ;)
It's a great place to enjoy the company of your friends! Went there last night with a big group and our waitress was awesome!! Recommend the beef tartar, charcuterie and the buck a shuck oysters. I'll be back!! Thanks National!
Really enjoyed National today! Patio was nice and service was fast and friendly. Was impressed with the menu, lots to choose from whether you want something to graze on or a full meal. I ordered the chicken club...so tasty, the chicken was moist and flavorful! Unfortunately a wasp liked my sandwich as much as I did, so we moved inside. The interior is gorgeous and the staff were very accommodating with us moving! When we were paying our server told us about a beer pairing dinner they have coming up, it sounded awesome!!! Can't wait to go back!
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Nom nom. I had been waiting to get a chance to visit national beer hall as i had heard very good reviews from friends who had been - i was not disappointed! unfortunately i can't drink for a little bit longer (prego) but my mouth was watering at the amazing list of craft beers. lucky for me there was a yummy ginger beer on tap and the people i was with were able to enjoy several beers on my behalf. i like the "one price fits most" philosophy and it made my friends more willing to try a variety of beers instead of sticking with just one. would be cool if there was some sort of beer passport or checklist you could keep to see how many taps you could sample (would go with the train station menu too!).
the venue itself is lovely. simple yet sophisticated. we were inside, but the outside patio is huge. we were at a smaller table, but the long picnic tables would be great for large groups or small social ones. you can tell a lot of thought went into the planning and the overall appearance. i think our waitress was fairly new, but was fast and helpful.
as for the food, i knew i would like the place right away when i saw frickles, or fried pickles on the menu and boy were they delish! our group also shared the corn dogs which were far superior to the doughy bland kind you usually get. i ordered the fish tacos as my main and by sight alone they were a hit. so colourful and tasty and nice to have grilled fish instead of the normal batter and fried stuff. others enjoyed the mussels, the national cobb salad, scotch egg (cooked perfectly) and a porchetta sandwich. everyone was happy with their meals and left feeling happy and full. i will definitely be back (especially when i can start sampling some of the beers). well done national, well done.
Loved the multiple beers on tap and had great service. Our bartender was very good.
Great Experience. My auntie, my cousin and myself came to National on tuesday evening. My cousin and I are from Vancouver and it was our first time here, as well as my Aunt's. Our server Andrea was super friendly! My aunt said she was looking for a "normal beer" and she laughed jokingly and then probed to find out what kind of beer she normally liked to drink. She explained that she liked Coors light and she suggested to try the National blonde lager with a lower alcohol content. My cousin and I both asked as well, i asked for one from BC and my cousin one from Calgary. She knew right away which ones we would like and all 3 were different and excellent choices! We orderd 2 p outines and some wings all really great, definilty better than typical pub food. Afterwards we chatted about living in Vancouver (she had lived there as well) and she suggested some good places for us to go out in Calgary. Overall an amazing experience! If I lived here, I'd for sure be back!
Love it!. Great location and the open concept is perfect for socializing and a wonderful selection of fun food to share. Will be back!
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Just OK... nothing special!. My wife & I eat out 7 days a week and are always tempted to try new places and realize that their service may not be fine tuned in the early stages of their operations. This place is owned by the same group as Model Milk, Double Zero Pizza and I believe maybe also Flames Central. Personally I do NOT like communal tables (like in this place)... nor do I enjoy the new trendy "share everything" concept with the dishes that so many other places try to distinguish themselves from their competition. We both had the burger and ranked it "run of the mill" where there was nothing really special. In fact, there are quite a number of other restaurants in Calgary that would beat National for the title of Best Burger. The fries were way too salty for our liking. On to the beer! Can't say that the selection is too little, however, I would have liked to have seen some of my favourite bottled varieties such as Newcastle, Leffe, Chimay, etc. But, then again, tasting a different variety isn't all that bad an idea. The patrons that frequent this establishment are one tiny step above the Ship & Anchor - a little "blue collery" with plenty of ink to keep people watchers occupied! Their corner patio and selection of beer may convince me to return on occasion.
Home run. This place is a home run. Wide open concept with huge beer selection and long table seating. The food is excellent and the service is very friendly and comfortable. My new favourite place on 17th Ave.
My best description; North American brasserie. 70 North American craft beers on tap and numerous bottles. Excellent atmosphere. Inviting space. Friendly staff. And the Duck Confit poutine is amazing!!
So Far So Good. I've only been twice, but the servers are very pleasant and the beer selection is impressive! It's almost overwhelming the size of the beer list, but it's cool to have such a wide range of choices. Craft brews have become a huge thing in Calgary as of late, and National does it right. I have only tried 3 things off the menu and they weren't awesome but weren't bad either (Aside from the Fried Mars Bar, which was incredible). I will definitely go back and try some more of the lighter snacks/appies. The atmosphere is really cool and comfortable, great lighting and a nice patio with big windows that open up. I will definitely be back a lot more this summer!
Great Food, Great Beer. I Love this place!! great selection of beer and great Food!!
will defiantly be back!!
Love the vibes here!! Waitress was very nice ☺️The pepperoni pizza and salad *so so good!!* 😆 I really liked how they split the salad for me and my friend because they knew we were sharing without us asking! Very thoughtful
We enjoyed a delightful Happy Hour here. They have some nice drink and pizza specials from 3-6 PM. The service was friendly and attentive. We’ll be back.
This place has some amazing burger and fries. The service was good. Even though they were super busy they were very accommodating. We were able to sit outside all thanks to our server. Will go back again.
Had the pleasure of having food and drinks recently and wow what a great experience. Staff were professional and respectful all evening. The food was to die for with some great suggestions based on your taste buds.
We went there for a weekend brunch. We ended up in National mainly because all other places we wanted to go were packed! We didn’t intend to go there but it turned out to be a nice surprise!
The quality of food was great. The highlight of the brunch was RICOTTA PANCAKES. They are must haves. The service was not exceptional though. The server checked on us only couple of time and we had to search for her even to get our bills. They seemed super under-staffed for a busy weekend day.
Love the pizza, love the beer and love the vibes.
Classic college bar vibe, with an upscale touch. Huge beer selection and great food, it makes for a good night out with friends. Don't expect a quiet venue either: The music is great.
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