Darby's went above and beyond accommodating a big group in their downstairs for an afterparty that I attended. Not only were they able to book us with only 1 night notice, when I and a few others who had been running behind showed up a few minutes after they'd been supposed to close their kitchen, they let us order food. They did show a sense of urgency for us to order right away, but they weren't rude about it and weren't grumpy with us for the rest of the night; quite the opposite - the staff was very warm and left a really good impression. Most impressive and kind of unexpected given how small they are is the huge tap list. There's multiple options for just about every variety of beer. I got a Parkside "Nitro Button" Irish stout and really liked it! It didn't have the coffee flavour but it had the smoothness that you often get from coffee stouts which was really nice. I had the Chickpea Curry to eat. I might've described this a stew rather than a real curry just because it was less spicy than I was expecting, but it was still tasty. The picture makes the sauce look a little watery but that wasn't actually the case, I thought the consistency was good. Prices for food and drink are typical. Most food items are between $16-$20. Most of the beers are $7.5 for a small glass (10 or 16 oz depending on the beer), $8.5 for the larger glass (14 or 20 oz). $7.5 for 16 oz of beer in 2022 seems pretty good to me. Hoping to return to this cozy neighbourhood bar soon! read more

Darby's Pub - Parkside "Nitro Button" Irish Stout - Pubs Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Avocado tacos are FKING REPREHENSIBLE I should have read the fine print but WHO TF PUTS RANCH ON A TACO I'm not even Christian but these people need Jesus. Will pray for their souls, but based on my experience I gotta give 1 star. I don't understand how you can take such good ingredients and so thoroughly ruin them. It's a crime to food itself. read more

I am a fairly regular delivery customer and always give a 20% tip, but in the last year, I've often had them deliver at least an hour later than the scheduled delivery time. In addition, they often forget to bring their debit machine even though I've stated twice in the message that I'm paying by debit and they will need to bring their machine. I understand that's it a hard job and they are trying their best, I don't feel like it's the delivery person's fault. Sometimes it seems like they just don't get the info. read more

One line review: Mostly a good experience. My wife and I went for a spontaneous date to celebrate the achievement of one of our daughters, and my wife was in the mood for a burger. Instead of going to one of our usual burger spots, we decided to explore. We've driven by Darby's many times, so we thought we would stop in and have dinner on the patio. We had: - Canadian pizza - thin crust, meaty. This was bigger than expected and white good. It wasn't especially spicy, but we asked for red pepper flakes, and theirs packed a punch. It made a big difference. - Kitsilano burger - The burger was cooked very done but well-seasoned. The potato bun held up well given that we had no mayo. The lettuce was missing... Service was friendly. I will about to bring disappointed that he didn't offer a makeup on the missing lettuce -- or even bring out a leaf of it for me. Small things like that can turn an annoyance into a blessing. Oh well. We parked for free on the street. I think there are meters nearby. Bottom line: If I had the option, I would give this 3.5 stars. The food was a 4, the service a 3. I would give it another chance. read more

See all

Decent food and drink for a neighborhood local. Areas of Kits are getting pretty fancy so it's nice to have and support this old stalwart. Good selection of local beers and friendly service. read more

Darby's Pub - Beef Dip and a pint of ale - Pubs Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This is my favourite bar in vancouver! Best selection of rotating taps, plenty of IPAs which are my personal favourite. They also have a really awesome beer book where you can write every beer you have and when you finish it (50 beers) you get a $50 gift card, your name on the wall, and a t shirt. Also, they have the most excellent service and staff and good vibes overall!! read more

Surprisingly good place to grab a bite and drink. The food here is pretty much pub food - think burgers, fries, and wings. The drinks, however, is another story! They have daily specials as well as after hours (10pm) specials. Plenty of seats inside and on the patio. I went here on a Saturday with my friends and we were attended to very well despite it being busy. Our waitress made sure she came by to ask if we needed more drinks or food. I got the calamari starter plate and it was tasty!! I enjoyed the onion bits and thought it was a nice addition to the dish. I also had a Darby's classic burger and it was alright...it wasn't outstanding but it wasn't bad either. The meat patty was juicy and thick Would definitely come back for more! read more

See all

Went to Darby's late at night and it was still quite full and they let you seat yourself. The staff were really quick to get us menus and drinks but it took awhile before they came back to take our food order. We originally ordered a calamari to share and we didn't find out until another while later that they were out of calamari. Sad :( Other than that, everything went quite smoothly. The food was a little slow to come out, but I guess the point is to drink. My friend ordered a burger and was given the wrong burger. Apparently the one he got cost more than the one he ordered, but he paid for the original so I guess that's nice. It was also interesting that I got a coupon from Yelp for checking in there. So check in!! :) Overall a pleasant experience, just a little slow. read more

See all

I have mixed feelings about Darby's Pub... their rooftop patio is nice and casual, but their service was beyond terrible. Trying the local craft beers was pretty cool. Not as cool as some of the brews in the states though. Right outside their restroom is a machine with what Americans call "scratchers," except we're not even sure what Canadians call them. The only difference with theirs is that they have little cardboard pull tabs, so no need to get all messy and bothered with a coin or your finger nail. We spent $2 on 4 scratchers and won $150 cash!! We were super excited! http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/QrnrYC8cP9FV-t354JgHiw?select=pbKRhu16wl-PWcytW3Mjsg Then we got our bill... we realized that the waitress had overcharged for her mocktail because it was charged as a cocktail... My sister didn't even know that there was alcohol in her "fake" mojito, but started to feel a bit dizzy. Anyone with some common sense knows that you don't mix alcohol with antibiotics... after a bit of arguing about how we wouldn't lie about ordering a fake cocktail, the waitress felt like a complete idiot because it could have really made my sister's antibiotics not work... thankfully they didn't charge use for their mistake! Sorry Darby's Pub, this is the end of the road for you! read more

See all

I've lived in this city for too long NOT to have tried this place. The patio is one of my favorites in Kits. It overlooks MacDonald Street and is away from the noise and distractions, so you can have a conversation. We came on a Thursday around 5 and had the patio nearly to ourselves. I wish I remembered our servers name but she was outstanding. So attentive and helped us pick out some yummy food. They offer tons of great drink options but also vegetarian/GF/vegan options! I ordered the chickpea fries (Garden vegetables, mixed herbs, orange basil dip) but the dip was not vegan so she subbed me some hummus at no extra cost! Crispy and hot, these fries were super filing and very flavorful. They also have the Beyond Meat Burger and Gluten Free buns so I got a burger (veganized) and a side salad. It was so good and hit the spot. Plus it was super affordable. Again, location is sick, the service was excellent, and the food was a hit! I can't wait to come back to this place! read more

Cool atmosphere, the rooftop is great! the menu seemed to have good items, but everything we ordered was not hot! All of our food was cold. Our burger was extra well done, yet cold! How does that happen?! I'm pretty sure they left our food sitting on the counter for 10 minutes before brining it to us. The burger does have a homemade bun that was like pretzel bread that was really good! Relatively inexpensive read more

See all

One of the worst experiences I have ever had at a bar. Avoid at all costs unless you want to be abused by the waitress or are prepared to be aggressively pressured into spending your entire wallet within the first hour. Attended trivia night with a group of 8. The bar was half empty for the first hour of the event and when asked what I would like to order, I asked for a corona which I was told was not available. After taking some time to look at the menu I didn't feel like ordering anything. The waitress came back and told us: "Not to be a dick, but you have to order something to be here." I was slightly taken aback, but thought this was reasonable and ordered eight dollar fries. When the food was delivered, the waitress placed the fries on the opposite side of the table from where I was sitting, to my surprise. This was the start of her passive aggressive and abhorrent behaviour. At this point, everyone at the table had ordered something, including a bottle of wine and food. The total we had spent within the first hour was over a hundred dollars. Slightly after the 1 hour mark, the waitress returns and goes on an extremely aggressive, demeaning and condescending rant, accusing us of having not spent enough money. To quote her: "You know you guys, you can't sit at the table for 3 hours and order 1 drink each. We're trying to run a business here like what are you thinking?". Everyone is in shock at the incredibly rude waitress but remains polite. When the table points out to her that everyone has ordered something and explains that if the bar wants to have an arbitrary policy on $ spent they should have it noted explicitly on their website or on the menu she responds with "It's common sense you guys". In what universe is a hundred dollars + spent at a table of 8 not reasonable within an hour? Even more so at a half empty bar with mediocre food and a lack of drink options. The waitress completely misrepresented the situation by lying about the duration of the night (the trivia only lasted for 2 hours). The MC of the trivia night himself simply mentioned that to partake in the trivia, everyone must order at least 1 item from the menu, again incredibly misleading. When someone at our table went to the bathroom the waitress accosted them and told them that she was sorry but was just doing what management wanted her to do. This was a blatant lie as she showed 0 remorse and continued to be incredibly rude. Furthermore, if the waitress wants to shift the blame to management, the appropriate response is to send the owner over so that expectations can be clarified. She ignored half the table for the rest of the night and wouldn't bring us our bills until asked 30 minutes after the event had ended. An automatic gratuity of 18 percent was applied to the bill to my great dismay. When I was paying and going through the tip options, she reiterates the automatic gratuity and adds a spiteful remark: "not that you were going to tip anyways". For what it's worth, the one other time I attended this event the male server was extremely pleasant and I was more than happy to tip him after ordering a drink. However, given the treatment we received this time, I will never be returning to Darby's and have discouraged everyone I know from attending the establishment. I've been to tons of trivia nights and I often only order a single drink or shared food with friends and have received nothing but pleasant service. Your misleading practices and abusive behaviour is appalling and I sincerely hope management rethinks their business practices and the waitress in question reflects on her actions. read more

This space in Kitsilano is legendary. It's become a landmark in the neighbourhood. Mostly due to its iconic liquor store and rooftop patio. The revolving door of staff always seem to be happy and friendly. Some say its s seasonal spot because of their remarkable patio, but its not just that. Darbys has created a vibe and offering that most regulars have come to enjoy. We are very pleased with the food and their commitment to always offering the best beers possible. With 32 taps, you are guaranteed to find something you like. Join their passport program and earn prizes over time. Its a great spot and we will definitely be back soon. read more

One of the nicer neighbourhood pubs in the MacDonald area. Parking is available in a small underground lot (so I hear), but if you come late enough, you can park for free on the street. The interior is quite cramped. People were bumping into my friend and I constantly. Guess all that traffic is a good thing, but there isn't really much one can do, short of removing tables (bad). I would recommend groups of no more than 4 to be honest. The night I was here, there was a live band. Good if you want to listen to their music, bad if you want to chat. My buddy and I were sitting on the far end and we couldn't hear each other. Beers are $5-7, which is average. I didn't try the food, and therefore cannot comment. The is also a patio upstairs, which they open up during the beautiful summer months. read more

See all

Updated reviews. Made it a little earlier into the summer this year, but of course we waited an hour to get a spot on the patio, at 8:30 at night. Some things will never change. It's still a beautiful and very popular patio, unfortunately some things have changed. They no longer offer blankets for when you get cold. I always thought it was an awesome option. No more!! The menu has changed. It's mostly burgers now. My favorite dishes are gone or they have changed. I tried the Kits burger, which I have had I. The past but with chicken and a gluten free bun. It was still really good with lots of flavor and the bun is still great for a gluten free style. I ordered the kale salad as my side because it used to be amazing. This was basically a plate of Kale. Not so good! It used to have so much too it and now it's boring and tasteless. The burger and beer special they have always offered now comes with lots of rules. It's only applicable for the special burger that's not even on the menu. It's a super small burger with a thin patty. You can't just pick the burger of your choice like you used to be able to. You still can't order ciders with the special either. Oh and you don't get a side at all with the small burger that will leave you hungry. We also ordered wings and hey weren't very food either. They weren't very flavorful and the were very fatty. This placed used to be one of my favorites but he food has gone down hill and the prices have gone up, like freaking everything. They carry Marridale Mo'Moro cider now which is cool. It's a very nice cider at 6%, not too sweet. It's a bit steep though at $8.50 for a 14 ounce. Previous review: It's been a while for me. First visit this summer/fall lol. I was a little apprehensive because the menu has changed and what I wanted to order wasn't on the menu! I came here for the patio because it's such a beautiful Saturday and on the warmer side. Great people watching still.... So I ordered the Kits burger as a chicken burger with a gluten free bun. This still remains the only restaurant I have been to that makes good gluten free buns! That's hasn't changed here. This burger was fantastic. Very flavorful! The chicken was cooked perfectly, nice and juicey. Good amount of guacamole, lots of lettuce, fresh tomato, bacon and Edam! So tasty! I ordered the Kale salad as the side at that was fantastic. Lots of parmesan cheese. Oh how I love cheese. Great tangy dressing. This was a smash hit as a side salad. Very happy with the food here. Server was pleasant. Love the Darbs! read more

See all

Always a good time, excellent selection of beers and good food reasonably priced. Menu is a bit smaller post pandemic, I hope to see them expand again as business ramps up read more

Used to be one of my favourite pubs in all of Vancouver - was a regular. Used to have great bartenders, decent food, and an amazing tap list (pre-covid). The current staff have zero product knowledge, look at their phones more than the customers, and don't even tap the beer correctly. Atmosphere: the pub maintains its neighbourhood pub feel with sports games and karaoke nights (not something I enjoy, but some people may so I include this) Beer (why I come here): their rare brew event was a complete flop. They mis-tapped beers, they don't include allergen alerts on beers that have nut-based adjuncts, and the staff have no clue what the flavour profile of any beer is. Food: the food has declined. They used to offer a single order of nachos, but now only offer a massive plate for a table to share. The flavour of their food has also declined. The introduction of their pizzas have been okay. My biggest issue is 1) the lack of allergen information - this is a liability issue; 2) the lack of product knowledge; and 3) the lack of cleanliness of tap lines (some beers are infected due to unclean tap lines) - "we clean the taps once a month" as one of the bartenders stated is not good enough... read more

This pub is great for getting intoxicated just enough prior to walking down to the beach to lie beneath the stars for the rest of the evening. Great for meeting people in the neighbourhood as well as great for its easy accessibility by transit. Drinks are reasonably priced and there's enough hustle and bustle to make it feel busy without it being overly loud where you can't even talk to the person sitting directly beside you. read more

So this place is pushing a 3-star but I'm giving it a 4 because there's a rooftop patio and the service is really friendly. There's also a karaoke night which I've heard mixed reviews about. Only go here in the summer and sit on the patio. The inside of the pub is ugly and smells like a dusty old dive bar. The washrooms are kinda gross. The food is mediocre. Apparently iceberg lettuce is a type of mixed green. Who'd have thought? At least they tried to make it a bit interesting by sprinkling some cranberries. The chicken on the Lisa's Club sandwich was super thin. The sauce was decent and overall the sandwich was enjoyable. Kind of a rip off though, I would've liked a bit more chicken. If you get one of the sandwiches or burgers, pick the warm potato salad as your side (over the greens). It was pretty good. I almost forgot about the butternut squash dip with garlic bread. The girl bringing to our table accidentally dumped half the bread onto the table but it's ok, we ate it anyway! Garlic bread with a butternut squash and cheese dip. Pretty good! Service was really friendly, which helps bring this to a 4-star. read more

Darby's Pub - lisa's club w/ "mixed greens" - Pubs Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I don't even like beer but I enjoyed the strawberry beer here. It's not like overcompensated with fake flavour, it's more understated but present. Like an introverted strawberry. Although it was a weekend and super loud inside, I heard the rooftop is really nice so will have to come back one day to check that out. It's clean inside, service is attentive and friendly. Bonus: they have BOARD GAMES inside... that patrons can play with. Alcohol and board games? Yep. read more

Darby's Pub - Pubs Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

For a little adventure, park in their underground. The near hairpin turn of an entrance keeps bad drivers away so you'll likely get a spot. Stair door had the the below mural of sorts. Cool. We didn't see any clear directions to get to the pub so we somehow ended up in their store room. As we headed back down the stairs we caught a bum trying to steal empties. He slyly vanished with a pretty hilarious look on his face. They have a pretty patio with lots of wood elements and a view of the mountains. Food reviews: Deviled Eggs - Doesn't come close to others I've tried Nachos - Order the 1/2. Not bad. Duck confit poutine - tasty rendition They have a pulled pull sandwich with a pretzel bun which is on my hit list because the bun is a great idea. With a bunch of open mics and such and within crawling distance of my bed, it'll suffice. read more

Darby's Pub - Found in their parking lot. - Pubs Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I think this is my first 1 star rating. I ordered their Fish & Chips and a vodka Soda. The fish was underwhelming & greasy. The fries were not crisp but limpy. I didn't complain though because I hate that. I did order another vodka/soda. Honestly, I feel like their Soda was flat. Service: crappy. There were only 2 tables besides me. Staff sit there and Chitti-Chat and smoke outside. It's not a welcoming atmosphere. read more

Tried to get lunch here today. We were excited to see that there were seats available on the rooftop patio at 1pm on a sunny Sunday afternoon. We started with a couple of Caesars, which were excellent. I ordered the Kits burger with cheddar and bacon, and dining partner had the fish and chips. The server was very friendly, but our food took quite a while to arrive (25-30 minutes). The fries served with both dishes were pretty good, as was the fish (though we make better fried fish at home). My burger, however, was inedible. I could tell it was burnt as soon as I took the first bite, and flipping off the bottom bun revealed that it was charred to a thick black crisp. I do like a bit of char in my burger, but this was just obscene. How any kitchen staff could knowingly serve this is mindblowing - and if they didn't know, that's even worse. Hamburgers are one of the simplest foods to cook, apparently they hire the lowest of the low for their kitchen staff. Won't be coming back here for food again. read more

Came on a busy night last week. We sat at the bar. Bartender nice and friendly, however the short one who saw and sat us first wasn't all friendly. Food also took an exceptionally long time. read more

Great cocktails and amazing service, but the food was over salted. I could barely eat my cauli bites with Maui sauce, and my friends pizza was undercooked too. Would come back just for the sangria, nachos and view read more

Oct. 15 I have been here a couple nights now and it is always busy. They have a large draught selection and one night there was a live musician and tonight (Sunday) I guess it was kind of an open mic night for musicians and there was some really talented people up playing the guitar. The music was a bit loud for our group to keep up a conversation but I bet the roof top patio is hopping in the summer!! read more

Darby's Pub - The wisest words are always written in the bathroom stall. - Pubs Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

When you can offer great burgers, poutine and booze AND deliver, that's a bonus star. No need to leave the couch ;) Quite the large pub, good L shape bar, and plenty of tvs around. their sticky toffee pudding's deleesh too. And like their liquor store next door. Parking's a bit tough here. It's a good neighbourhood atmosphere, and servers generally on time with everything. right at the corner of macdonald & w.4th ave. read more

Friday nights are packed ! Must try the buttermilk fried chicken! It was hot, crispy and moist. It also came with corn bread! Another one in my top 5. It was topped with onion corn mixture and drizzled with honey. Mmm delicious. The duck confit poutine was great too! Not your usual poutine with the cheese curds so don't be disappointed with the amount of cheese. They use cambozola cheese which tends to melt into the sauce. You never know when your juicy duck, carmelized onion and fries bite will include that strong rich taste. Very unique. The ale Mac n cheese had spinach and tomatoes in cheese sauce and an ale ( can't rmb what it was). It was yummy. Best thing about this place is the huge selection of craft beers. Lots of IPAs. My personal fav is the parrellel 49 seedspitter. read more

My favorite pub in the city - doesn't quite match the beer selection of the Alibi Room, but the food is better. One of the most comprehensive beer lists around, and not just by dismal Kitsilano standards. Not only is the selection huge, but they do a very good job with curation, so it's difficult to go wrong. Absolutely top-notch pub food. The classic burger is my go-to, and both the fries and the cajun chips are addictive sides. For starters, the polenta fries and the mac'n'cheese poppers are very nicely done. The poutine is also delicious, if a bit small. To top it all off: one of the best/only rooftop patios in the city. read more

3 strikes: - Forgot our order until we asked about it 30 minutes later - Did not apologize for making us wait - Added an extra charge for substituting chips for fries (the burgers we ordered came with chips) even though we didn't order fries and when I pointed it out, the server said "sometimes chips are called fries". I then said "then why did she ask if we wanted chips OR fries??" to which he had no answer but also didn't fix the bill. I would NOT recommend this place. Horrible service. read more

Our third and final stop on our return to Kits was Darby's Pub. What happened?!?! When I used to go there last summer the service and the quality of the food was great. Now.....not so much. It took almost ten minutes to be served and another ten to get our two beers. We could see the server waiting...and waiting... and waiting while ONE overwhelmed bartender tried to deal with the entire pub (cheap/poor management?). The server was nice and worked her a** off but she could only do so much as the place seemed VERY disorganized and chaotic (poor management?). The food (wings) was far below what we had had earlier in the evening at Yaggers and cost 20% more. I used to like coming here but if you are going to charge premium prices for lousy, disorganized service and crappy food I can go elsewhere. read more

Darby's is a fixture of Kitsilano. Its been around for over 30 years; my dad drank there, I drink there, and my future children (I assume) will drink there. Darby's is famous for its roof top patio that gets plenty of sun and attention in the summer months. They have a decent selection of craft beer and rotating taps of local beer. What I'd like to review today is the brunch menu which is shockingly under rated. A few days ago My parents, my wife and I thought to have lunch at Darby's. Their brunch menu was still on and so we decided to delve in. I had the Eggs Bennie, full on style, which came with bacon, ham and hash browns. The egg was cooked perfectly and the yolk runny. The hollandaise sauce was great. For 12 dollars, it was excellent value. My father had the classic burger which was OK. Solid but lacking condiments such as mayo and mustard. My mother had the basic eggs and bacon with hash browns. The 3 pieces of bacon were extra crispy and the dish itself was a quite a lot of food. The real recommendation here is the Croque-Madame that my wife ordered. Part ham part cheese part egg sandwich this dish was savory and delicious. If you try any one thing at darby's, try this sandwich. The beer specials for Sunday were 4.50 Darby lagers which I would not recommend. Overall I would recommend Darby's for summer drinking, hangover lunches and Karaoke on Wednesdays. read more

See all

A friend and I were cruising Khatsalano Street Festival ~ and despite all the food trucks, we wanted to sit down, cool our heels, and have someone service. I had NOT been in Darby's since the early 90's ~ when I was young and living nearby in a basement suite in Kits. It was super busy, but the staff was on their game, we grabbed a table, and did not have to wait long for a smiling server to come over and get us drinks. We had the Chickpea fries which were amazing, and the poutine was excellent as well. The wait for food was short, again ~ Darby's seems to be used to being smoking busy and both the front and kitchen staff coordinate very well and efficiently. The downstairs seating was air-conditioned, which was a relief after walking for hours. Service was excellent ~ friendly and more efficient than most and our server carefully watched us for eye contact during our visit ~ something most servers do not do. Darby's menu is much more varied and more interesting than most pubs. The chickpea fries, polenta fries, cajun smash fries, chic-fu bites, and mac and cheese poppers were very interesting additions to the menu ~ and vegetarian-friendly. Lots of gluten-free options ~ and crazy numbers of beers on tap ~make this one of the most well-rounded pubs I've been to in ages! Definitely recommended. read more

We were there in the middle of the afternoon so it was pretty quiet. My wife had a burger special that she liked. I had the grilled ham and cheese - loved it. The beer was pretty good, too! read more

Probably the worst value for food in the neighborhood. I give up on eating there long ago. If you like $9 dollar beers and inattentive staff this is your place.. read more

Drinks are good. Food could be better. The pizza is dry and not enough toppings. Expensive for what you get.

I'm just down the street there burgers are great. They are consistent and usually a busy great atmosphere. It looks as thought they have an extensive beer menu as well. read more

Pretty small place but has a cool vibe, free parking is easy to find! The servers were good, very friendly and checked on us throughout our visit. Ordered the Nachos and they were very good, they didn't skimp on the toppings and I felt the upcharge for the chicken was worth it considering the amount you receive. They had a bunch of drink specials, beer & burger etc.. I didn't drink anything but great for those we are. I specifically came for the Nachos and right now Darby's is in the top 2 for the best I've found so far. I would definitely return and recommend this location. The rest of their menu looked very good as well. read more

This place has definitely modernized after the days where it was rumored to be a complete dive bar! The menu was quite up to date, with more than half of it being burgers. The burgers are quite creative though. And they don't come on a round bun, but instead a six inch ciabatta bun! I had the guacamole and bacon burger. I forgot what it was called. It was quite delicious though. We also got a plate of the potato chip nachos were were just what we needed with beer. And they are one of the few places that make their own potato chips from fresh potatoes. Awesome! The drinks list was pretty decent. I had a French Toast martini, though, and that was nothing reminiscent of a French toast. It was quite awful. All of the other mixed drinks were nice though! So glad I finally made it over here. They do karaoke on Wednesdays (if not all nights?) after 9pm. Next time I'm staying for that! Plus, the server was extremely accommodating to our group of 17 girls. read more

A Night at Karaoke Act 1 We arrive, find our table of fellow Yelpers and Yelpettes, become deeply immersed in songbooks, order drinks, write songs on slips of papers, wait in anticipation of our moment on the stage. Wet my throat with a Raspberry-Lemon Mojito. Mmm. Act 2 Kat gets us clapping; Crystal shakes it. Yay! I submit some songs, but the karaoke DJ is too deeply immersed in his laptop to look up. Wait some more. The husband won't let me look at his song selections; says it's a surprise. Act 3 Drunk girl with obvious daddy issues ends her song with some prolonged boobshaking for the tables at the front, throwing of cowboy hat to the guy who seems to have brought it for the purpose of regaling us all with "Cotton-eye Joe," and air kissing. If there was a pole, she'd have used it. A procession of Kits chicks are called forth for ironic renditions of modern country. Act 4 Long pauses between karaoke songs with filler music. Pennylane is called to the stage; she practically has to find the song on the karaoke guy's laptop. This must be the worst karaoke host I've ever experienced. Most of the time, they introduce people, sing a couple songs of their own, and use that 3 1/2 minutes someone is singing to oh, I don't know, cue up the next song! On a high note, our server seems nice, and brings me a second drink pretty quickly. Act 5 Begin to officially hate Darby's karaoke. Some decent singers go on, but after almost 2 hours of drinking and waiting, we don't get to sing anything. I'm past attempting to order food. We bail, heading down the underground parking lot, where our car is still the only one parked there. (A sign on the ramp reads "Small Car Only!!!" Heed it.) Encore As we're driving up the teeny-tiny ramp (curved for extra fun), we just barely miss running over Daddy Issues with Cowboy Hat, who is now passed out cold on the ramp, with some meathead (second-year B.Com, I can just tell) bent over her, staring blearily into our headlights. He drags her up and to the side. She sags drunkenly in his arms. Ah, UBC. Memories. Bra-vo, Darby's. Your karaoke is as bad as the sideshow is good. Maybe I'll try you again when the circus is gone. read more