I went to this place on 17th Ave. going to take out my service dog for a steak dinner and appreciation for his work for the month. I usually go to Earls, which is an amazing place on Stephen Avenue with great hospitality and amazing food selections. I walked into the national and they requested an outside seat because it was a beautiful day. The female staff member identified my canine as a female and asked what was her name. I stated Yep he is a male and his name is Goliath.. From that point on, I was treated with severe aggression and hostility by the staff members The waitress that approached my table was hostile in nature and when I explained to her that I wanted a regular Caesar if they made one, I would love one she was offended. I explained that a lot of places have a house style Caesar and I was looking for a normal style Caesar, and if they provided it complete aggression and attitude in her tone and how she addressed me. she then performs the worst duty of all, which is falsifying a report to a police officer. She had her superiors, called the police and stated that I threatened her with my service dog. There is no action on this of me, threatening her. There is no threat to her there is no hostility, and I recorded the whole thing with my glasses . Big shout out to Ray and Maia, with these glasses, I was able to prove my case and clearly clarify any questions at the Police we're having in regards to the accusation. Seven police officers showed up at my table after I had enjoyed a Caesar and was joyfully offered another by the mail manager. The table beside me was having a great conversation with me. They were a family from the US who were coming to Canada, and I was explaining to them the wonderful things I could see such as the Calgary stampede that was coming up. I explained and showed off of metal. My dog was given by a paramedic for the great service that he provides, and we were having a wonderful conversation before the police showed up. I own a service animal training company and promote my business through word-of-mouth . ! This was sheer defamation of character, belligerent, and lies, false accusations, and the worst service I have ever received in any of the establishments I've visited in the city If you are choosing a place to go to, I recommend you avoid the cra and abrasive nature of this one read more

National on 17th - Ray-Ban Meta - Pubs Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

We only stopped by for a drink. We enjoyed our talk with Dylan, the bartender. He was super friendly and gave us some great suggestions of things to do, including the Lilac Festival on 17th Ave. He poured a great beer and made a mean cocktail. In fact, he put together a sangria that was the perfect combination of wine and fruit and refreshingness for a hot day! Dylan was training a bartender and we got to witness his knowledge as he helped her out. The ambiance of National is very cool. It feels upscale and friendly at the same time. I'll definitely be back, if not this trip, the next! read more

National on 17th - Pubs Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Good selection of beverages and great happy hour, but the hrs should be 3pm to 6pm at least. The service is horrible. I sat myself down and waited over 15 minutes for the server to come and finally offer to get me a drink after dropping off a horrible, water stain menu. Service didn't improve much after my company joined me. The temperature inside was horrific as the AC "wasn't the best" as it was explained, well then crack a window or 7. Definitely not my favorite place on 17th Ave and highly doubt I'll be returning anytime soon. read more

Big shoutout to Allie, my blue-haired server who was an absolute ray of sunshine. She recommended the ahi tuna salad, and let me tell you, she nailed it. I was fully expecting to be stuck choosing between pizza or burgers at this location hanging out with pals but Allie was like "nah girl I got you, get this!" and I was a happy full of greens and clean protein kinda girly after that. The vibe at National on 17th is just what you want for a casual hangout with friends. The ambiance is super chill, and the patio is definitely where it's at. Pro tip: if there's a game on, get there early because this place fills up fast. Highly recommend for a laid-back, fun time and if you got this blue haired angel as a server that day be kind and tip a little extra as she's the bomb. read more

We didn't try much. Tried the Shaft (the one which had Kahlua). Others in the team complimented their pepperoni pizza.

This is a great casual spot for some drinks and grub. Their beer menu is off the hook and the food is reliably tasty. RATING: 9.5/10 - National: New School Pizza Their pizza comes highly recommended. Here we have the "New School" pizza--one of the best I've had in recent memory. The crust is what makes it--firm on the outside, fluffy on the inside with a nice slightly cheesy taste. Combine it with the creamy white sauce, spicy pepperoni, Italian sausage, plentiful cheese and you have everything you could want in a pizza. It's only $18 on Wednesdays! RATING: 8/10 - National: Okonomiyaki We also threw in some Okonomiyaki Tater Tots. The togarashi mayo adds a new dimension to what you would usually have on your tots, but man did it work! Although, they could've used more sauce. If you're looking for some great drinks, pizza and patio vibes, hit up National on 17th (National on 8th also has a wicked rooftop) read more

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Came here with a bunch of colleagues who happens to be in town from Vancouver. I ordered their dry pop and the roasted chicken. I loved the roasted chicken it has a nice smoking taste to it. Not to mention the best part is the gravy. Its very unique. $19 get you half a chicken with salad and fries. The fries are not bad. I had left over and interestingly, the chicken taste even better next day. The atmosphere here is nice. It is a pub and can be quite loud. Service is ok. You run out of water and it takes them awhile to notice it. Beer and alcohol selection is lengthy. Only issue is that there are not a lot of selection for non-alcoholic drinks. Overall, I like this place. Great to meet up with friends here. read more

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Don't go here, really bad location. Service is terrible and prices are extravagant. Avoid at all cost!

Food is decent. Great selection of beverages. Service ofcourse, is what persuaded me never to return. I'm guessing the entitlement to guaranteed tips is what results in such service read more

I was here casually on a Saturday night and the people watching situation here is the peak of humanity. Characters, subplots, mysteries, loose ends, storylines tied together - I think there could be a movie made about the night. I will be thinking about these people for the rest of my life. read more

I will never return to this place. The discrimination I experienced as an edmontonian is deplorable. Ask I asked was a channel to be changed so we could watch the hockey game. Time and time again the servers "could not be bothered" attitude led to nothing being done. They could care less. It takes 5 seconds for a Chanel to be changed and the server nor the manager could meet that request. If you aren't from calagry I would not recommend this place at all. read more

The girl with a blonde streak in her hair at the patio is amazing! Great service! Great beer and food! The best in Calgary!! I'm from the states the service is great next time I come this will be the first stop! 10/10 read more

Alright, National. You're up for review! National is... well, kind of weird. But I like it. What do I think is weird about it? When you have menu items like corn dogs and tater tots on the menu alongside your fancy-pants beer selection, frankly, I find that a little weird. But I like your two bite corn dogs, so, I'm not complaining. Just calling you a little out of the ordinary. Maybe that's why we're getting along so far. The other "out-of-the-ordinary" menu items I'm on board with: - beer cheese and pretzel bread - duck poutine - fried mars bar I like your big windows and your patio, though we need to add at least another kilometre worth of patio space in this city in general. Whenever a place has a good sunny spot, it's bound to be packed no matter what! I also like that you've got the beer menu printed at each table. Though you've got the big beer board up behind the bar, it's hard to see that far when you're sitting across the room (or maybe it's time for me to go see an optometrist!). So good thinking on having it at the tables for us! Some people say your food and beer are a bit expensive for what they're getting. I don't find you out of price line with other spots in town. Now... about that private party room in the back?!? Things to consider: Most tables are long bench seating. Expect to share! Specials: Tuesdays, $1 oysters! read more

National on 17th - Fried pickle goodness. $6 - Pubs Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Hit up National on a busy, jam packed Friday night. Place is huge and they have long communal tables for people to eat and meet each other. They also have a ping pong table and two foosball tables in the back! For free - WHAT. Anyways, I met up with my sis and a few of her friends and they ordered a couple things: - Fish tacos ($16) - grilled fish with cabbage, pico de gallo, coleslaw and fries. These were fresh and my sis really liked everything. - Traditional poutine ($10) - comes with chicken gravy dips and fresh curds on your poutine. I'm not a big poutine fan but they were your average poutine you get in good 'ol Alberta. - National cobb salad ($16) - crab (fake crab that is), bacon, egg, avocado, radish, tomato and blue cheese dressing. So the story is we actually ordered roaster beet and arugula salad but our waitress brought out the wrong one. Place was way too busy so we didn't get it changed (first mistake). The salad was BAD. Blue cheese dressing was overpowering and worst of all, it was smothered in so much dressing that it made the salad unbearable to eat. Yuck, yuck, yuck. So lesson learned - don't get the salad, stick with the tacos looked good. I cleraly took one for the team by eating that salad. Stick to drinking here and I think you'll be fine. read more

Food: 3/5 Drinks: 3/5 Service: 3.5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Overall experience: 3.5/5 (1- Terrible; 3- decent; 5- Fantastic) National is a fairly new beer hall that opened up next to The Ship and Anchor on 17th Ave. It is always packed on the weekend so I was glad my friends and I found a couple of seats along their oyster bar. As the concept of 'beer hall' suggests, National has long communal (picnic-like) tables for customers, or you can grab a seat at their beautiful bar where display boards rotate through their beers on tap. It's very spacious inside and they have an equally large open patio. National has over 36 bottles and 70 different draught beers including Pale & Dark Ales, Lagers, and Hoppy ones. I was a little disappointed by the selection because they were all North American microbrews and a pint was considerably expensive compared to other places: $6/14 oz; $8.50/20oz; $14/Stein; $15/Flight. A bottle can run up to $15 for 650ml to $30 for those with a higher alcohol content. My friends and I opted to share a 1L 'Strawberry Lemonade' cocktail ($15) with vodka, strawberry, and homemade lemonade. If you love girly drinks, this is the one to get because it was refreshing and deliciously lemony. Their menu is reminiscent of a gastropub with gourmet items including oysters; ($3) in-house made salty snacks like spiced nuts and pickled eggs; ($9-$14) appetizers like mussels, beef tartare, and pretzels; ($18) pot pies; ($10-$16) duck and lobster poutines; ($15) prime rib and porchetta sandwiches; ($13) hamburgers, and unique desserts like a deep fried mars bar! They even serve a whole roasted pig for parties if you order ahead. My friends and I tried their 'Traditional Poutine' ($10) which was very disappointing. The fries were soggy, the chicken gravy was bland, and there wasn't enough cheese curds. However, the 'Key Lime Cheesecake' ($8) with honey comb and raspberry sorbet made up for it. The cheesecake had the right amount of tartness, a nice thin graham cracker crust, and a buttery texture. In general, their food is presented beautifully with care on rustic wooden cutting boards. I also had the advantage of sitting next to the oyster bar and kitchen so I saw a lot of the snacks being prepared and food come out. I suggest avoiding the salty snacks portion of the menu since they give you a very small portion and there wasn't anything unique about them. For anyone who is interested, the popcorn is you usual popcorn from a machine and you only get two pickled eggs (four halves) per order. My overall experience at National was just OK. It didn't really live up to the hype and I would have preferred to see a wider range of import drafts. Nonetheless, if you haven't checked out National yet, I suggest you drop by on a slower night. The atmosphere is lively and the staff are friendly. read more

Too expensive! And closed on Mondays! My waitress actually screwed up my beer order. My friend got my beer and I got his. And she would not replace my good scotch beer. Although she would give me a sampler of the original beer I had ordered, she would not replace my beer! This bar is brighter than the ship, but the food is about 40% higher at the National than at the Ship and higher than Sal's across the street (however, if Sal's is charging cover, the food probably costs the same.) I'm not likely to go back, except to buy just that Scotch beer on the menu for $9. But that's probably it. read more

Like their snack-y items. where can u find corn dogs, raw oysters, scotch egg, and lobster/duck poutine?! hehe. Cool little ticker type menu boards picnic table / mess hall set up. Crowded, loud, great atmosphere! read more

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Went to National with a girlfriend last night after our hot yoga session. The place was very busy for a Tuesday night. The server was prompt and took our drink orders right away. I was very impressed with my Cesar that was garnished with a cheddar cheese cube, a shrimp, a slice of pickle, AND a celery stalk. The drink was a bit strong (may have been the IPA they add in), but how can you complain when you have that much garnish. My friend and I shared oysters (Min. order of 6 at $3/oyster), shrimp (Min. order of 6 at $2/shrimp), and the mussels & frites. All of the food was exceptional, and we were pleasantly surprised with the extra oysters and shrimp that the kitchen had thrown in. The pricing of the menu is a bit more expensive than some other pubs, but overall when it comes to good seafood that is around the price you pay in Calgary. I will definitely be back to try some of the fantastic beers they have on tap, as well as some other items on the menu. I feel as though this could become a new favorite amongst me and my friends. read more

National on 17th - A ceasar that's garnished with a shrimp, cheese, a slice of pickle, AND a celery stick. - Pubs Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

The National beer hall brand has expanded significantly in the last couple of years in the city serving good quality food and drinks. This is my go to place for $1 oysters, however, recently the quality of the oysters and the shucking haven't been the greatest. But when you are paying $1 I don't really expect them to offer the world to me. Still, they offer east and west with all the accoutrements with a LARGE selection of beers, ciders, IPA etc. Definitely a good place to hit up with friends and people watch on 17th read more

National on 17th - Oysters, oysters, oysters - Pubs Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Came here for patio drinks and our server was amazing!! I didn't catch her name but she has tattoos and a blonde streak in one side of her hair. She knew all of the beers on tap and was very attentive and answered all of our many questions. Get the shafts on draft! Highly recommend this location and our server!! read more

I just didn't like it here, the space was uncomfortable. I like the community seating but i felt that it was a bit contrived here. Maybe because the rest of the place is so pristine, overall not what i look for in a restaurant/bar/wannabe-brewhaus. Beer list is good read more

The food was great, but the service wasn't. Our waitress was never around and took forever to bring out our drinks and the restaurant wasn't even busy. She also charged us for 4 alcoholic drinks, so they were expensive, that we didn't order. On top of that, she put an automatic tip onto our bill without telling any of us. We would have been fine with it if she had warned us about it, but it felt like a bit of a con because we got bad service and were forced to unknowingly tip 15%. Some of us realized too late that she had put the automatic tip on, so they tipped her on top of it, unfortunately. The food was really good though. I had the 3 mini burgers and a side of salad and was very happy with it. read more

My sister told me about "buck a shuck" at National so my boyfriend and I decided to come check it out. Uhm, yum!! Not only is it $1 per oyster, it's also happy hour on beer. I have to say that we went a bit crazy on the oysters. Oysters were the one thing I was craving in my pregnancy (and probably one of the biggest things you're not allowed to eat) so I was slurpin back oysters like there was no tomorrow. I was impressed, pretty good oysters!! My boyfriend tried the fried chicken as well, he enjoyed it and ended up ordering more. Not bad for fried chicken (doesn't come close to Jollibee for those who have had that delicious chicken goodness). Onto the beer. Sooooooooo good. Again, I haven't enjoyed a beer for 9 months, so I was just happy to be drinking a cool beer on a hot summer day. Great variety, great selection, and everything on tap. I'll be back for the buck a shuck! read more

Very lively during happy hour. I love the patio spot facing sunset. Best place to hang out with friends! read more

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When restaurant service is bad it isn't always necessarily awful. Sometimes merely annoying is enough to turn your back on a new (to me) place. Lunch yesterday was a series of service missteps. Our group of 5 walked into a barely occupied dining room (with a few people out on the patio) and waited 10 minutes before the server arrived with the water. The two servers on duty visited the patio a few times before this. Who can blame them?--it was a nice day filled with sunshine. Fortunately menus are on the table, so we could order right away. It took a little longer than I expected for our pub-style food to arrive but this was no matter; it was worth the wait. The food was good. But, wait! Strangely the poutine and french fry side dishes didn't arrive with the rest of the food. It took another 7 or 8 minutes for these to arrive. But they were each hot and tasty. My wife and I shared a fish and chips meal and had asked for an extra plate. The server produced a couple small dessert plates. I put the fish on one and the fries on another. Better to clean two small dishes than one regular sized one, I guess. When she finally arrived to clear our plates I was kind enough to pick up the fork she dropped noisily as she retreated. Another 15 minutes of conversation occupied the time while our benefactor had his credit card out prominently on the table, hoping against hope it would be noticed and a bill would arrive. Alas it didn't, and a walk up to the cash was needed. I suppose they want to encourage viewing of their big beer list on the screens behind the bar. Good food. Good room. Substandard service. read more

Looking at the older pictures of the food & drink here makes me sad, because that is so far away from the way National is today. They don't have oysters at all anymore & now have the smallest 'pints' in town. As a long-time customer I can say they used to have amazing attentive friendly management & longtime staff, but management has changed and the new manager is more concerned with hanging out & taking to staff instead of customers. She has not once stopped by to introduce herself or say hi as previous managers have & Staff turnover is out of control. The pint size used to be 20oz, it was reduced to 18, and now to a 16oz glass that isn't even full so it's $8.50 for what amounts to less than 16oz or a sleeve of beer. There isn't even the option to order a larger size anymore. Brutal. Seems like this place has been going downhill & is now in trouble. read more

All Aboard!! Jump on the bandwagon and pony up to the bar on the National Express. This train of draft and debauchery is departing 7 days a week - and is always a good time! From raucous good convos with complete strangers you meet at the German style beerhall tables, to the glorious patio, this place has got it all. So take a gander at the flickering list of brews on the numerous boards, order some tasty treats like the tater-tots, duck nuggets or beer cheese spread & pretzel bread, and prepare to have a grand 'ol time! I can't wait to pop in for a Buck-A-Shuck night next time (I believe that's on Tuesday). read more

If the walls of this place could speak they would yell "Douche bags ahoy!" Then peel themselves off the building and join you at the Ship next door. The National is everything I hate about Toronto condensed and magnified through that distorted mirror image of a business trying to appeal to a crowd that doesn't live there. Let's look at the facts; - Decent selection of beer but the "stock ticker" style board is a pain in the ass to read because of how often it changes. - Music so loud and bad that I honestly can't remember what was playing because my brain is trying to spare me from the painful memories. - Rude/indifferent wait staff that weren't really concerned with a table of ten for some even though we drank (possibly too much) and ordered food. - More Affliction t-shirts than a UFC fight in Vegas. - Tiny bathrooms for a place that looks like it has a capacity of well over 200. - Mediocre food with mismatched pricing. Pub food should be cheap, unless it's bad. This place had the double wammy; bland food that was too expensive. Conclusion; The good people of Calgary need a better beer hall. The expectation has been set so low that the National comes off as attractive. read more

Hit up the National if you want great beer and decent food at an average price. The National is a quite loud beer hall with big long bench style seating as well as a few smaller tables with chairs. We started out our meal with the jalapeno fritters and the soft pretzels. The jalapeno fritters came with 5 medium sized fritters with a side of dip. I really enjoyed the fritters as the separation between with the fritter flavor and the jalapeno flavors were obvious and still worked well together. I enjoyed the soft pretzel more, however, as I will always be a huge fan of soft pretzels. The pretzels at the national were about the size of my palm and were slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was salted quite well and served with some type of butter that I found to be quite good. The pickles and pickled onions that were served alongside the pretzels were nice as well. Next up were the main courses. I ordered the prime rib. The first impression I had was awe at the size of the portion of meat I received. The beef slab was served on top of a bed of potatoes, carrots, and beets. There was also a large Yorkshire pudding on the plate. I was disappointed that there was no gravy with the dish, so I would suggest ordering that. Also I was surprised at how cold my meat had gotten by the time it was served to me. If you're going to serve that size of prime rib, please look into getting better/more spicy horseradish! The Yorkshire would have been better with gravy and the vegetables were good. Overall the meal was still above average but you have to pay for that serving size. I also enjoyed the drinks I was served and we received good service all night, about the level you would expect. Overall, the National is good place to grab some beers or dinner if you don't mind the noise and select menu. read more

READER BEWARE: I am probably going to offend most people with this review, but if I were to describe National in one word, it would be WEIRD! Just a random night out with a couple friends, started at Rose and Crown to watch our buddies band play, then someone said there was duck perogies at National, so we headed there. It was duck poutine, not perogies and they wouldn't serve us food anyways, as we got there just before 11, but by the time our server got to us it was 11:03 and they stopped serving food at 11. Are you kidding me?! I can see if we popped in at 11:30, but we were there before 11. Anywho. We're sitting enjoying our drink and noticing the crowd. It feels like we're at the Met on Stephen Ave. The new corporate watering hole with a side of hipsters, hippies and I'm not even sure what else. Oh and to the guy passed out, probably puking under the table next to us, GO HOME!!! You're wearing a wedding band and you're still in your work clothes. Get a grip. It's Thursday night. So after a drink, we got out of there and the general consensus is to not add that to the top 10 list, not even the top 20. read more

Don't make a reservation. Don't even fucking dress up. And for fuck sakes, do not wait in their line. Roll in this bitch like you are Johnny Depp (you know, greasy hair, sunglasses inside, sans deodorant) and head straight to the bar, it is fucking huge. Park your gigantic ass at the bar and order pickled eggs, scotch eggs or their in-house gorgeously made pickles. The menu is a smorgasbord of yummy food and their beer selection is an alcoholics wet dream. You'll rack up quite a bill (but you are rolling like Depp, remember?) but then again, just sucker a date into paying so who gives a crap. Five fucking stars for doing to eggs what KISS did to the women of the 70's, or something. Keep up the good work. *John-hug read more

I am only reviewing from my one super lame experience at National, be forewarned. But for reals, we arrived on a Wednesday night and no one was at the door to greet us. We were finally seated at a giant table that we "shared" with someone else and waited 20 minutes for a server to attend to us, and after trying all we could to flag someone, we just left. The hostess now at the door didn't even acknowledge us as we left. read more

I was very impressed by National which I visited on a Monday evening. I had a Mill Street Cobblestone stout and the Prime Rib sandwich. I also shared the chicken pot pie. I really enjoyed the Cobblestone. It was my first time trying it and it is on par with my favourite beer Boddingtons. The Prime Rib was great as it came with hot mustard with arugula inside. I love a sandwhich that makes me almost cry and give me arugula as a treat. The Chicken pot pie was excellent though hardy. I would suggest not biting into it right away though because it was very hot when we received it. Burned my tongue a bit. I really love the space that the National has developed. Save one white pillar in the middle everything is open here with communal seating in the middle. The large screen with airport-style of beer display behind the bar make it possible to not need to open your menu. It is fitting that this place be next door to the ship because really they are opposites. Though sometimes I prefer a place with more nooks and crannies, the national is place where I could spend a lot of money. Loved my experience! read more

I am classically disappointed with the situation of this bar. The feeling is a pub that is fun for the successful, but in order to maintain this status, they disallow hats or torn jeans or other unacceptable clothing. Generally I wouldn't have any issues with this, but you have to see the precident they are trying to set when you first enter! I laughed out loud when I saw the door staff wearing jeans and a hoodie, telling the guy in front of me in line that his factory-torn True Religion Jeans were not allowed in. They have a fantastic bar selection and lots on tap. Too bad the staff have an issue over what you wear. I wore a hat on my visit as I was going on the patio, however that is not allowed. The idea of a hat is to protect from the sun, and not to reflect your affluence. read more

Came in for a pre-game drink and light dinner, and we weren't disappointed. While the menu is a bit pricey, the Sunday specials made it well within reason (half-price apps and $6 pints). Beer selection was massive - about 100 on tap - and the two dishes we had were great. The traditional poutine was one of the best we've ever had, and very rich. The sliders were also fantastic, and I'd highly recommend that combo to anyone. Service was good too, and I'd return for sure. read more

Replacing the old, dark, once very popular Mercury Lounge, National brings in a bright, inviting new space to 17th Ave. This beer hall boasts a variety of seating arrangements with beautiful interior finishings. I was impressed with the way they made use of the space. They have lots of bar seating, group tables, and communal bench seating in the middle with numbers etched in each spot so that the wait staff knows where the food order goes. They have a decent variety of beers on the menu. I couldn't try many since I had to work the next morning, but I'll definitely come back because they have an eclectic list. The beer menu is organized by draughts and bottles, and then types such as "crisp and clean," and "red and hoppy," to steer non-beer connoisseurs in the right direction. Of course, they have options for non-beer drinkers too such as litre sized mason jars full of cocktails. Among the lists of beers, they have Rotational Selections which are written on the chalk boards and, obviously, rotated. I tried a Rotational Selection - the Rogue Irish Lager. It wasn't awesome... kind of tasted like feet. But that's okay, because there are probably better beers on the menu! You also get to pick the sizes: 14 oz, 20oz, Steins, and Flights. They also offer salty snacks, a raw bar, sharing plates, burgers and sandwiches, a sweet menu, etc. It seems like a lot, but it wasn't an overwhelming menu. It felt like a decent selection without being redundant. I ordered the 2 bite corn dogs. They were made with yummy smokies and served with mustard and some kind of mayo dip (I think). It was delicious! I think three mini corn dogs was probably too much, but it would have been perfect to share with two other friends. I had a great first experience. Since it's only a few blocks away from my new place and owned by a friend's cousin, I'll definitely be there a lot. Unfortunately, I can't give it a 5 stars yet because they need to earn it, but I am very happy to give it a solid 4 star rating! Yay, National! read more

National on 17th - Water glasses - Pubs Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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I've been to National on 17th a couple of times, and frankly am underwhelmed. In theory, National has the potential to be a great spot. For me, a great pub needs the following: 1) Ample seating and no lines - National 17th does not have this - it is a pretty small space, and you are packed into picnic-style tables surrounded by randoms (note: do not try to have a private conversation at this pub). 2) Good music to get the party started, but not so loud that you can't hear yourself think and need to scream at your date/friends - National 17th does not have this. The last time I went, I ended up TEXTING my date so we could have a conversation. Thankfully the date was not a total bomb and we are still together almost 9 months later (note: I have not been back to National since this date). 3) Great beer and pub food selection - Check! National does have an awesome beer menu and yummy pub snacks. I think the 17th Ave location is on the small side for the crowd it draws in, so I'm very interested in checking out the 10th Ave location to see if it has more capacity. read more

National was the chosen spot last Saturday for some birthday shenanigans. Thank goodness we got here by 8pm because there was already a lineup forming at the door! Craziness!! We found a spot at the benches and squeezed 6 of us into a 4-person spot and reassured the troubled-looking waiter that "we'll be fiiiine!". Cozy is good, right? But soon our group grew and the group at the table next to us left, so we gradually expanded and took over both spots. This was probably a good thing because most of the people in my party were partaking in some kind of unofficial alcohol olympics, and would very likely scare off innocent leisure-drinkers if they found themselves in our proximity. I liked the menu! The food list was big and varied, and looked delicious. The beer list was even bigger! Too bad I was the DD for that evening or I would have tried several of them! The place is modern, fresh and energetic, yet still keeping the 'beer hall' feel. Absolutely loved the huge windows and slim white brick walls with slim chalkboards with beers listed on them. NICE work on the decor! The patio is also huge! It wraps all the way around 17th ave and 5th St! The service was decent, nothing to complain about! National is all in all a fun place. I would go back and try more of their beers. And split the 'Deep fried Mars bar' with said birthday boy because although I promised that to him at the beginning of our meal, it was all quickly lost in a frenzy of Steamwhistle, He'Brew, St Ambroise, Jamesons, Jaeger and pickle juice. read more

This location is not up to the standards of the others in the city. We've been here twice, and that's enough. One thing I will never understand is a server who forgets about a table who has no beer. Beer is a great way to drive revenue at your pub, hence most servers come by before you're even done. This one forgot about us for lengths at a time, on a day where it was very quiet in the restaurant. We had a few friends who ordered food. Two were forgotten, one got the wrong order, and the other was charged for something complete different than what they received. One of the two that never got their food (1 hour wait) just cancelled, the other said she'd still take it but just bring it to go as we wanted to just leave. Of course, it was not brought to-go. At this point the situation was just funny. More of a cringey nightmare than anything. In summary: Forgot orders, brought the wrong orders, ignored requests, overcharged, forgot about the table, and then still wanted to point out to us that "that doesn't cover the tip". Right. Not going back here. Extremely poor management. We should all demand more out of our pubs! read more

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I went to the new National pub with some ex-coworkers for lunch. It's right beside the Ship & Anchor, which I thought was a pretty bold move. But as another reviewer pointed out, the Ship is always full so might as well be there to capitalize on those extra people and carve out a name for yourself. The best of times: - The space is just beautiful. It's got floor to ceiling windows and wraps around the corner onto 5 St. Tons of light. There is a nice large outdoor wrap around patio, with south and west exposure. There is a long wraparound bar on the inside, as well as big communal seating in the middle. It sort of reminds me of Wurst, except upstairs and with natural light. It's very inviting. The decor is kind of farmhouse-chic, it reminds me of the restaurant Farm. There is a large oyster bar which caught my eye. - The beer menu is extensive and delicious, with a large number of rotating seasonal beers. - I had the Pulled Maple Hill Chicken sandwich with a side-order of fries. It was very tasty, on fresh ciabatta. Good flavour. The menu didn't look overwhelming and had a number of appealing options. The worst of times: - The service was *really* bad. I will grant that there were about 10 of us, so I guess it can be hard to coordinate that logistically. My beer didn't come out for a good 20 mins. Lunch didn't come out for close to an hour. - The waitress messed up our bills, putting some of my items on another person's bill. This is despite the numbers carved into the table, so the wait staff knows who ordered what. - Very expensive. My pulled chicken sandwich was $14, and only comes with the sandwich. To get fries with the sandwich, I had to pay $3 for a tiny side of fries in a cup. $17 is just too much for that. The beer was expensive too, 8.5 for an imperial pint. These are in unfortunate contrast to the Ship, where both the food and the beer are reasonably priced and delicious. I'm hoping National can iron out some of these kinks because I really liked the space. I'm definitely going to give it another shot. read more