I've been coming to the Pub One20 for a number of years now and they've recently gone through some renos so this will be based on their latest incarnation, which, in my books, is exactly what I look for in a pub nowadays.
Some people like their holes-in-the-wall or secret dives that have some sort of kitsch factor for them, but this ain't either of those in the slightest. Updated completely for today's crowds and actually a place that attracts so many different groups, from work gatherings to families, this really feels like a community pub.
Atmosphere? Call it Main Street without the hipster pretentiousness. Chalkboards on the walls and TVs for those who need their sports, it's a high ceilinged expansive place with mottos painted in white on slate and lots of dark wood. Personally I like the seating variety, given that there are couches, fireplaces, dining seating, booths and longtables; without this mix I think it would start to feel a little much like a beer hall but instead still feels intimate or open, depending on my group's mood each visit.
If you don't read anymore but this, here are the reasons I go: always amazing craft beer choices (and I am BIIIG into the local craft scene); chefs offering up food choices that are hands-down above and beyond what you'd expect from pub fare (while still keeping nachos and wings for the die-hards); and decent service each time.
In Delta, I am far enough away from the variety of options I could find on Commercial, Main, or other hotspots in the downtown core that I want something that doesn't feel like a hotel-attached bar that's been around since its infancy and frankly has never served anything more daring than a Corona with spring rolls. The One20 is a true gastro-pub which makes one want to have more than a pint - their menu includes some of the better entrees that I've had at any pub, and I've even been enticed to have some of their salads with a beer, which is quite out of character for me. I recommend going on an empty stomach and expecting to have a lunch or dinner there with a few brews.
As for the beer? It is a welcome oasis for the likes of me - I'm a beer-snob, and my friends are the first to point this out in me. Not only do they partner with a local craft brewery to pour their own proprietary drafts (yes, more than one), they also have the likes of Four Winds, Strange Fellows, Persephone and others 365 days a year, with about 20 taps. Sure, this is not the Alibi Room or Craft with their 50 taps to brag with, but man if this doesn't at least make me feel at home with such smart choices for beer. Some of my friends rather have a bottle of red, so they push to drop by on Thursdays where the One20's special is to go next door and get whichever wine they like at the pub's liquor store, show the receipt at the bar and they'll bring glasses with no corkage fee (you'll have to check yourself what the fee is other days - like I said, I am a beer snob!). Back to the beer - they host brewmaster dinners with really well-thought-out food pairings.
It sounds like I'm gushing about this place, so here are the points that might turn someone off from here at times: the music can get loud at times when the staff seem to want to make the venue feel like a nightspot, which means we might as well be raising our voices to keep a conversation; not often but it can happen. There are a LOT of TV's playing sports - I'm not a fan of the games but my eyes can't avoid them no matter which direction I'm facing. And sometimes they close the restaurant-seating side to keep everyone at the pub side, so it restricts the choices if we're preferring to sit away from the crowds that day.
However, as you can figure out, I find this place is both up-to-date and enjoyable. The service is attentive overall and the waitstaff are intelligent, and they know their menu. Look, at the time of writing this Yelp says I'm the "Duke" so, yeah, it's an excellent destination for a reprieve from the pub joints in other parts of North Delta. read more