Ambience on Thursday was great! Live music was so good!! Mac n Cheese was really good! Definitely a great place for a beer, good food and a great time while in Banff!! read more

Nice Irish Pub with extensive menu of beers and food. They have specials most nights. Very good fare with great value. Service was excellent! Recommendations: Main Dishes: Steak and Pie, Bangers and Mash; Appetizer: Lil Yorkies (Yorkshire pudding filled with roastbeef/horseradish with au jus) - definite must try. They also have a nice selection of hot chocolate / coffee drinks - on a cold winters night hit the spot. Dessert: Sticky Bread pudding was very good. read more

The Irish poutine was hearty with sausage and tasty gravy! It's a great appetizer to a thirst quenching beer, as well as an awesome dish to share with your buds. I've tasted better fish and chips. The fish was slightly overly crispy and too crunchy - bits of it were burnt unfortunately. The fish however was moist and delicious!! (Wish we had ordered another side of coleslaw) The chicken pot pie was soooooo good! The crust was flaky, chicken was savory - the dish was overall really tasty. I would definitely recommend this pot pie. I want to try the Shepherd's pie the next time I'm back. Waiters are super friendly! read more

St James's Gate - Irish Poutine - Irish Pub Near Me - Banff, Alberta

Surprisingly good food. Chicken pie was really good as were the fish & chips. Good atmosphere and good service. Would go back. read more

St James's Gate - Fish & Chips and chicken pie - Irish Pub Near Me - Banff, Alberta

It's a shame because when our food finally got to us, it was good. However, the slowness and our server, ruined the experience. Our family arrived after a long day of traveling. We ordered an appetizer right away. It took about 30-40 minutes to arrive, after we asked. Meanwhile, our server spent quite a bit of time sitting and chatting with a table of her friends nearby. When our appetizer did arrive, we asked how long for our meals. Our server said, "Oh, they're ready. Do you want me to bring them out?" I don't know if the timing mess up was hers or the kitchen's but our food did come out soon after that. We ate while our server continued to chat and laugh with her friends at the table next to us. My husband finally got up to go hand her our credit card, she never checked on us again. The shepherds pie and the 23 flavor steak appetizer was good, just not as tasty after our experience. read more

Had a great lunch there the other day with the family. We really enjoyed the mini Yorkies! A great appetizer to share. The kids Mac 'n Cheese was apparently highly regarded by the kid in the group! As was the steak and Guinness pie. It had a great deal of tender beef with mushrooms and carrots is a rich but somewhat overly salted gravy. I thoroughly enjoyed it but my other dining companion thought is was a little too salted. Overall a good experience with attentive wait staff and a solid draft beer menu, as well. read more

St James's Gate - Couldn't take the pic fast enough, as the mini yorkies disappeared! - Irish Pub Near Me - Banff, Alberta

On our rod trip to Banff we stopped here for lunch. Being half Irish myself I do like to check out local Irish establishments. It's definitely an Irish pub. According to the drinks menu they have a little story about the place and apparently it was built in Irish. Dismantled and shipped it here to Banff. Anywho. I had a pint of the Harp lager (Ireland) and the Banquet burger with onion rings. The onion ring that comes in the burger was over cooked unfortunately, and the bacon was a bit on the tough side. Other than that it was meh, ok. The side of onion rings was good while hot. But cooled very quickly do to the metal basket they were served in I'm sure. She had the turkey Brie sandwich. Served on a toasted sourdough (bad idea) it was pretty rock hard and they used what definitely looked like processed turkey. Not fresh oven roasted (as it should be) It also came with a side of cranberry sauce that according to her wasn't very good either. The service was definitely great but unfortunately I think the kitchen could do much better. Especially for what it cost is. With a $6 tip it cake to $60 and change. Definitely not worth that. There is going to be some live entertainment this evening so we will be returning for that. I do love my live music. Cheers Dino read more

-----Food----- Great Yorkies and Guinness Steak Pie. Large selection of draft beer -----Cosmetics----- Feels like you are in the United Kingdom. -----Service----- Fast, friendly, efficient read more

Service was so great. Sat at the bar. Beer and whiskey selection was great. We had wings but that's it for food. Loved the history of the place. read more

Nice, dark, rustic, cozy atmosphere. Place was very packed and loud on the Friday night I went. I sat at the bar and despite the large crowds I never ran out of beer. No need to break out the "I need a beer right now mister" pouty face. While they have a great many taps, few are worth drinking. Call me a beer snob but I'd like to see more LOCAL brews on tap. What about some beer from Grizzly in nearby Canmore on tap? The food was WAY above-average for a pub, but portions were rather small and prices high (this is Banff though, so I guess that's the way it is most places). I got the lambchops and the flavor and presentation were top-notch. read more

Don't be afraid to take your vegetable loving friends to this Irish pub. The food is excellent and you know that the beverage choices will keep your Guiness loving friends happy too. I had the Kenny burger which is a delicious blackbean burger with red peppers, lettuce and tomato. Of course I had the sweet potatoe fries. They were spot on and not sweet, but salt and peppery. For dessert, I split a perfectly balanced (not too sweet, not too cake like) toffee pudding with a B52 coffee. The combination worked well and I would order it all again. If I could stay in Banff, I would be a regular. read more

Beef and Guinness pie was sooooo good! If you've never tried it, I highly recommend it. The Irish poutine was a strong average, traditional Canadian cuisine with a mix of Indian flavors. Service was prompt and very courteous. read more

St James's Gate - Irish Pub Near Me - Banff, Alberta

See all

Love, love, LOVE the fish and chips here. Classic cut of fresh cod cooked to crispy perfection. The steak and Guinness pie has a perfect puff pastry crust and is a perfectly sized portion. The cottage pie, however, came soaked in a layer of grease and didn't meet our high standards of traditional Irish pub food. And although the draught beer menu appeared extremely limited, it turned out they were switching over several of their taps. After two beers I attempted to order were not available, the bartender came by with a few samples of beers for me to try which were not on the menu yet. His recommendations were solid. Service was outstanding and friendly. I'll always visit St. James Gate when in Banff. read more

They have specials daily. But Thursday Night is especially awesome here: $1 off Irish beer selections and all-$10 Irish fares! (Sides are a half off as well.) I wish we had been here sooner. I rank this place my favorite in Banff. My husband and I ordered Lamb Stew and Irish Mac N Cheese w/bangers. OMG, they were so good! And the waitress was very nice as well. I wish I could take this place back to LA!! read more

St James's Gate - Yum! - Irish Pub Near Me - Banff, Alberta

See all

An awesome traditional Irish pub with good food at reasonable prices. We came in for lunch and were seated immediately. Our drink and meal orders were taken with in 5 minutes. I ordered the chicken/bacon/leek pie and a side of onion rings. My wife ordered the Cobb salad. Both meals and onion rings were very delicious. The waiter was very friendly and attentive to our needs. I will definitely come in here again when in Banff. read more

See all

Didn't have a great New Years Eve experience here. Banff is an expensive place wherever you go, so after doing my research from previous years I saw that St. James Gate looked the best. I kept an eye on the website for details and finally they were put up. It said to call for tickets and so I did. An Australian guy answered the phone, didn't know anything about it, put me on hold, then came back on the phone and said they won't have them until Tuesday. That was a Saturday I rang. So Tuesday came, all details were taken off the website, I rang and was told that they didn't know when they would be going on sale. Again I kept an eye on the website, finally the ad went back up but the menu had changed and wasn't as good. I still booked the tickets, but didn't get any sort of confirmation by tickets in the post or even an email. We arrived in Banff a few days before so we wanted to double check that they had our booking and to see what time we could reserve our table. We were greeted by an Australian guy who knew very little about what the arrangements were for New Years Eve. He went back and forth from his manager giving us very little information telling us that we had to be there for 6pm and food would stop being served at 8pm. I really didn't like the way that I couldn't choose what time I wanted to have our table for. Anyway we arrived for around 7pm, the waitress wasn't overly friendly until our bill started creeping up with alcohol. My personal opinion I think she wasn't giving the best service as the tickets were prepaid so it would affect her tip. Overall the food was good, I couldn't fault that at all. The DJ started around 9pm and was absolutely awful, he basically cleared the whole restaurant/bar. My mother was actually falling asleep at the dinner table. People who actually wanted to wait it out to midnight complained and he changed it. This was like night and day, but by the time it picked up half of the staff had been sent home. My overall review of this place is that it is so unorganised and very unprofessional! Very disappointed and for $60 it was way too overpriced based on the quality of entertainment that was provided. read more

This place ratings really suprises me. The beer were very good, and I do mean draft beers, that in another place in town they were able to ruin completely. Service was great, smily and attantive. Food was certainly good also. Worth the visit! read more

St James's Gate - Irish Pub Near Me - Banff, Alberta

Very disappointing experience. Drinks were adequate, service good (only reason I am not giving just one star) but the food was horrible. I ordered cottage pie and when the food arrived it looked nice. I had my tiny salad first and it was ok, but when I tasted the food it was super salty to the point where it was unedible. I was very hungry and had a few mouthfuls, but in the end left 80% of it and returned the dish to the server. I was concerned for my health and was not going to ingest so much salt. Instead of removing this dish from my bill, they only gave me a 25% rebate so I still had to pay 15 bucks for it. Beware of the food in this place - as my husband's dish was also sub par. If you want to go just for drinks it's ok. read more

My wife and I decided to give St. James Gate Olde Irish Pub a try for lunch and it was much more than we were expecting. The restaurants' atmosphere is truly old Irish pub. We had the mini Yorkshire puddings to start. This is a "Must Try".... My wife had the Bangers and Mash and I had the Steak and Guinness Pie for our mains. Both were outstanding! Top it all off with a pint of Guinness and you are truly in an authentic Irish pub. Service was exceptional. The waiter was very helpful with his recommendations. This is a must visit if you are in Banff. read more

Looking for a fun atmosphere with live music? This Irish style pub might be just what you're looking for! I had a craving for steak and Guinness pie and they definitely serve it here along with many other Irish favorites. The service was great, prompt and friendly, I'll be back my next trip to banff! read more

St James's Gate - Steak and Guinness pie! - Irish Pub Near Me - Banff, Alberta

Bar it self was great, food tasted awesome Downfall? The service. We sat with empty drinks for the longest of 35 mins, sure the bar was busy but the server didn't know how to organize her tables. Even tried to call out to her multiple times she wouldn't even look out way. At one point I had to go up to the bar to order the drinks our selfs. Between the four of us we had over a 400$ bill, with this kind of tab I expected way better service. We weren't sure if they were trying to get us to leave or not. Once I complained she came around a bit more but along with the bad service the entertainment was really depressing so we decided to leave. I would never return to this pub. read more

We went to get a meal here. The waitress was nice at first. As soon as the food came, our waitress disappeared without a trace. She did not return. We had to get our own water from the bar. We ended up helping ourselves after that. As we got water two more times, we noticed our waitress sitting at another table partying with her friends. When she saw us, she finally got up to see how we were doing. She left us. read more

Went here while we were on vacation in Banff. Service was great but the food was average. I got the chicken pie others with me got the Turkey Brie sandwich and the steak sandwich. The chicken,leek and bacon pie had no bacon and was shredded chicken. The saving grace was the pie pastry was perfect. The steak sandwich was ordered medium and came well done and chewy. I must say it was a real steak looked about a 4oz steak shame it was so over cooked. The Turkey Brie was okay not enough turkey and to much bread. read more

Trying to avoid the chains while in Banff, decided to give this spot a try. Turns out it is the standard "Irish" pub full of generic pub food. Tried that traditional Olde Irish combination of nachos and wings - just like back in Dublin. The wings were the standard prepared ones you'd find in any spot that doesn't specialize in wings but needs them on the menu. The nachos were overcooked - as in the cheese turned into cement that bound all the chips together in one giant brick. The selection of beers was OK, but very overpriced. Our waitress was indifferent and gave the minimal amount of attention possible. read more

Dropped by for a wee pint after a long day of sightseeing and canoeing on Lake Louise. So glad we did! This place is a gem of a pub! Beer was very cold and service was friendly. We loved it! read more

This place was a great find. It looks so small, quiet, and actually closed from the front, but you realize as soon as you walk in how huge the place is and it was quite busy when we arrived for dinner (weekend of the 17th). The Guinness tasted fresh. I really wanted to try the mac n' cheese but felt I hadn't hiked enough to justify it so I ate healthy and had the shrimp skewers. They were pretty good. I think my husband had a hamburger if I recall and he thought it was decent. The first thing you notice is how attractive all the male waiters are! Seriously, we had some tall dark-haired Aussie....not a bad way to be waited on! LOL. Would definitely come here again....next time for the mac n' cheese! read more

Great food. - We went today on a Tuesday. - 2 for 1 appetizers - Mini Yorkshire sliders (yum) and bruscetta (also yummy!) - My friend had a green salad with chicken - I had the Irish Stew with these potato waffle thing which were also amazing. Fast service. - So fast, we couldn't believe it. Friendly staff - The ladies that served us were so awesome and accommodating! - Very attentive! Thanks St. James' Gate, we will definitely come back next time we're in Banff! read more

Good comfort food in Banff. Did not feel the mad crush of people. Had the Beef and Guinness stew which did not disappoint. My wife had the lamb stew which had a lot more potatoes than lamb. I guess that makes it authentic. Worth the stop. read more

St James's Gate - Slainte. A great pour and ambiance. - Irish Pub Near Me - Banff, Alberta

Great live music, long wait times for drinks. Busy pub, loud environment. It can be a little hub stop.

Super long wait time for a Thursday. Average place. Average drinks. If it had more severs and more variety for drinks this could be a good location for drinks/food etc. read more

Went for a Birthday pint or 4 at St James Pub. Nice place in downtown Banff and not hard to find. They have a big selection of beer on tap, but what really impressed me was the menu selection. Lots of good olde comfort food . I had the sheppards pie. Very tasty, but the portion was a little small for $12. My wife had the Curry mango chicken salad which she said was a little bland and flavourless. Go figure? I thought the curry would make it less bland, but after trying a sample, I agreed. But hey, its a pub, the beer is cold, service was great and they have menu with a wide selection. Pretty Darn good in my books! read more

We stopped in here for a drink & a bite to eat during a recent visit to Banff. I've walked past it before but never gave it much thought, however the reviews on Yelp were favorable so we decided to give it a shot. We were greeted immediately and given the choice to sit close to the band, or at a long table near the bar. We opted to sit near the bar, but we were glad to hear there was some live entertainment happening! The place is very spacious, with ample room for tables, mingling, and a stage area. There is also a desk with some merchandise near the front for sale. Very much an Irish Pub, and I like it! My bf was pleased to see the variety of beers on tap - he ordered a Kilkenny, which is apparently hard to find on tap in Calgary. I went with an iced tea (still hungover from the night before, this evening marks the first time Stephanie S. has been in a bar and not ordered alcohol). It was actually really good, tasted more like sweet tea than fountain iced tea, and I really enjoyed it. We ended up ordering the British Columbia Salt-Spring Mussels in a creamy white wine sauce to start. They were phenomenal. Served piping hot with garlic bread, the sauce had a delicious creamy base and the mussels were on point. I would return for those alone! I especially loved dipping my bread into the sauce once we were done the mussels. Yum. For mains I had the St. James Gate Burger, and it was excellent. The side was salad, which was basic but did the job. The burger was big, delicious, and filling. It certainly hit the spot, even if I was queasy beforehand. My bf had the Steak, Guinness, and Mushroom Pie - wow what a dish! It was huge and smelled awesome. I had a couple of bites and it was very rich, but definitely tasty. He seemed to enjoy it as he practically licked his plate clean! Our server was great, the food was excellent, and the price was right. The band playing that night was also awesome and I enjoyed listening to them, I will be making a point to return here the next time I'm in Banff! MUCH better than the Rose & Crown - TRUST. read more

St. James's Gate is a great little pub in Banff that offers a good selection of drinks and pretty decent food at relatively reasonable prices. I quite enjoyed the meatloaf, despit spilling a lot of it on my shirt. The food was good, the drinks were cold and the service was prompt despite how busy the place was. If you want a good, authentic pub in Banff, this is it. read more

I'd imagine this place would be popular during St. Patty's day, but everyday is St. Patty's day here. Nice looking old irish pub. Charming waitresses in their leprechaun length skirts. As in most small town regions in Canada, everyone is friendly. Great beer selection. They have a huge list of beers to choose from.Sample 'em till you drop. Then crawl home. read more

Lots of room, lots of alcoves to keep things intimate, lots of dark wood and lots of beer on tap. The pub food is better here than in most spots in Banff, with excellent fish & chips and a daily curry. The steak, mushroom and guiness pie is awesome, a favourite of my friends. Sports games are shown on TVs, but it's not a rowdy sports bar, and from time to time they'll have small solo live performances, but usually not the type that distracts from friends and conversation. read more

I found this place while on vacation near Banff. What a fun way to spend an evening! My husband and I were here for dinner and were so impressed with the food and the service. I had the bangers and mash and he had 'hunters stew' - both were SO GOOD. The cook really knew what he was doing. The waitress was attentive and kept the Guinness coming. The place was pretty busy for a Thursday night, and was great for people watching. At around 9pm live music started and they were very good. We sat near the stage but the music wasn't over-powering like I often experience at those sorts of places. Good food, good vibe and down-to-earth wait-staff. read more

Just finished eating here and it's great! I had the Kenny Burger (veggie burger) and it was amazing and flavourful (also, the patty held together which isn't always the case with veggie burgers). The Guinness crab & asparagus soup was delicious as a side as well. The atmosphere is really nice, and if I wasn't heading straight for the road, I would have loved to spend more time here savouring a pint and relaxing. I will definitely be back when I come skiing this winter. read more

We had a great afternoon at this pub! The beer was cold and the food was great. We had Poutine and the mini Yorkshire Pudding for appetizers. Both were yummy and enough for four to share as a light snack. We did notice that the whiskey list was quite extensive, can't wait to try them next time. read more

St James's Gate - Wow what a whiskey list! - Irish Pub Near Me - Banff, Alberta

Always the best place to visit in Banff. I make it a point to come here every time I'm in town. The Lil Yokirs are to doe for and the poutine is exquisite! Yum! Harp, Guinness, Smithwicks, and all the scotch your little lush heart desires. This place is less a pub and more a destination. read more

So unexpected!! We came in for drinks while we waited for our original restaurant of choice to open up our seats and ended up staying for dinner instead. What a great decision!! Pub food extremely well executed. One of the best Mac 'n cheese ever!! We had it with bangers as well and it was sooooo gooood!! The whole dish was so tasty, and not overly salted like it normally would be. I actually felt good eating it and not grossly stuffed afterwards. The fish and chips was great as well. The fish was so flaky and the fries so crisp. I didn't love the coleslaw as it wasn't as creamy as I like it to be. My friends also had the bangers and mash. I could eat those bangers all the time. read more