We come here often and like the drinks but since this is the only country bar in Vancouver you would think they would play country music... However, the reality is they only play 1 playlist that is 95% Taylor Swift (not even her country album), Sabrina Carpenter and the same 2 Shania Twain songs. They don't like taking actual country song recommendations either and will say they "don't have the song". Also $25 cover is insanity. read more

Super fun! Music was all country as expected but a good mix of vibes. Free drink with admission when you get there early was also a plus

SO much fun! If you're looking for a country bar. Girls get in free on Friday's before 9. They have bars, a bull, cowboy hats for sales, and a dancing area. I also got a bucket which probably wasn't worth the money. But it tasted good. We came back here all weekend. Definitely coming back if I'm ever in Vancouver again. read more

The Yale Saloon - Cowgirl hat - Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Everything was super nice except for the manager Donny who was very condescending and offensive in the way he spoke to me and it was my Bachelorette. So not a good time. read more

Purchased tickets same day as the event from the Yale Saloon's website. Get there at starting time (8pm) and we are told that the place got bought out so they can't let us in. Get this - they can't refund us either. We spoke to the manager, Donnie, who was adamant that he could not refund us, could not let us in, and could only exchange the tickets for a different night. Well, we're visiting, so a different night doesn't work. I asked to speak to the owner or have the owner called but Donnie refused. Donnie claimed the place being bought out was posted on their social media but admitted it wasn't posted on their website, where we bought the tickets. We're not from here so we don't follow them on social media. So ridiculous. read more

My Mama always advised "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". That said, my apologies Mom, I'm being generous in my review at 2 stars. Servers could care less (they disparaged the incoming college crowd, and were lazy & rude to us; WHO is their preferred clientele?). Our serverS plural greatest concern was flirting w/ a male coworker. Food: Sliders & wings were okay. Drinks were seriously the weakest I've ever had!!!! If you glance at my other reviews, I Do Not craft a review unless I have accolades to offer, disappointed in Yale Saloon. read more

The Yale Saloon - This was a double vodka cranberry; such a lovely color of red (very weak). - Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

unfortunately all country songs the same, also they charged $25 when the place was mostly dead which was lowkey a scam

Love the cowgirl fridays! Girls get in for free before 9pm. I went here a couple times and found it to be pretty repetitive with the music. The line dancing and bull riding is fun. Drinks are way overpriced. Sometimes it's hard to find seating if you like to sit and enjoy a drink. Good service read more

Came by for some Thursday night AYCE BBQ goodness for $19, available 1600-2000. They even throw in a can of beer too. Parking is a bit lacking in the immediate vicinity. Best to look either under Granville Bridge, or along Pacific. The inside is western-themed as expected, with a bit of a funky twist. Neat wall of vinyl records on the wall. Staff are friendly and nice. The buffet itself is actually a lot smaller than expected. Purple cabbage coleslaw, egg salad, quinoa, cornbread, and slow cooked beans are the sides. Relatively decent quality, and quite tasty. The meat selection is some kind of turkey, pulled pork, and a chunk of beef brisket, which is cut by a staff member. Not really sure if the guy was new, but this guy was holding the brisket WITH HIS BARE HAND while he cut slices off it. Couldn't he have used a fork instead? Gross. Knock 1 star off for this. If management is reading, please train your staff. I'm pretty sure this must violate some food preparation standards. The other complaint is that they ran out of brisket by 1830 and didn't even replenish it, with a solid 1.5 hours left in the buffet period. I asked the staff and they simply said they were out. My friend and I found this to be quite unacceptable as well, as the brisket is 1/3 of the meat selection. Knock another star off. Overall the food is half-decent, but these 2 point listed brought an other 4 star experience into 2 star territory. As a result, I have trouble recommending this place, and don't think I will be back anytime soon. read more

See all

Ordered through one of food delivery company. Waiting time was 1 hour. And when I received the order, it was cold and absolutely different from the photo and description of the meal. Very disappointed. read more

The Yale Saloon - This is what I ordered. - Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Look. I'm not going to say this is the worst barbecue in the city, because Vancouver has no shortage of terrible barbecue places (and no good ones at all). But what I will say is that you should never trust a hipster to make your brisket. The meat is consistently dry. The menu small. The portion sizes are paltry and the sides are terrible. I don't have a single good thing to say about the food from this place. Also, how do you mess up fried pickles? Seriously. Don't eat here. If you're coming for drinks, a dance and the mechanical bull, I guess you could do worse. This is about as country as Vancouver gets. But it still falls very short of the mark. read more

This is the most country you can get in this town of city slickers. Be ready to party with frat brahs and sorority sishters because this is their official meeting hub. The Yale has all the country hits so you can boot scoot n boogie your night away. Country girl shake it for me is playing in my head as I'm writing this. The star of the show is the mechanical bull. I felt like I was competing at the Calgary Stampede! I did not get any food/drink here but I look forward to doing so next time :-) The temperature inside is strange. Instead of a usual stuffy club, this place felt like I was under a heat lamp. My face was burning! read more

Absolutely no place I'd rather head out to with a few friends on any night out! Weekdays, weekends, it doesn't matter. The Yale doesn't disappoint! Courteous staff and bartenders, Aleah is such a joy to see whether it's at one of the beer buckets, coat check, it doesn't matter. The staff make you genuinely feel like they appreciate you're there, and are happy to see you! Great drinks for great prices for downtown Vancouver, and one of the best places to go if you have a country tunes craving. Awesome mix of more "honkey tonk" country, with modern favourites and a little T-Swift now and then! Can't wait until I'm back at my favourite bar with my friends :) read more

Get the nachos loaded with pull pork. Definitely something you can share between 3-4 people. Had a reservation for 7pm which started out quiet enough that we could hear each other talk. By the end of the night after lots of line dancing, the place was filled to the brim, blaring honky tonk music and of course, a long a line to get in and you have to pay cover charge. Get in early and wear your dancing boots. Always a fun night of line dancing. Food isn't bad either. read more

This is a fun place to go with a group, to celebrate an occasion. Yale Saloon really knows how to cater to large groups, particularly as we were there for a bachelorette party. Our group came here for dinner, drinks and line dancing and were promptly seated with our set reservation. The staff was very welcoming, hospitable and friendly. They made sure that everyone was having fun. Also, one of the employees all taught us how to line dance, which made our time there even better. Plus, for the bride to be, they put a cowboy hat on her and made sure to pay extra attention to her, calling her out to dance! We also had a memorable time, riding the mechanical bull! The employee who was there to operate the machine also helped you up if you were unable to step up on the bull, since it's high up on an inflated floor. The only minor issue was that there were holes in the inflated floor and sides, so it's not as firm as it should be. For the group/party dinner, there is a set three-course meal. You have a choice of a drink, an appetizer, an entree and dessert for $39. I chose the sweet tea (versus Coors), the pulled pork tacos, the smoked turkey plate and the Burt Reynolds shot for dessert. Unfortunately, the idea of a three-course dinner with a drink sounds better than what it was. The food was inedible. I barely could eat anything. The sweet tea was the best thing about the meal, which came in a mason jar glass, for a nice touch. But the pulled pork on the tacos was so, so dry and the tortilla was so stale that it was hard. I took two bites and called it good. The Smoked Turkey Plate was slightly better though. The sides were good, and liked that the potato salad and coleslaw were both chilled. But the turkey was super dry and couldn't even finish one strip of the meat I had. For dessert, I thought it was cool that they have an option of getting a dessert shot instead of the pie of the day, which was cheesecake, so ordered the Burt Reynolds shot, which the server described as butterscotch - a flavor I love. Unfortunately, when I took the shot - it tasted like medicine! It was horrible, and would never again drink that. Bleh! Everyone had fun for the most part, but I definitely would not advise eating here. The food was mediocre. Come for the line dancing and even if you don't like country music - it's still a fun environment and I really liked how everyone got in the spirit. Plus, the staff are the friendliest people! Or if you're drunk enough - ride the bull. It always makes for a memorable time, and since I'm coming from the Seattle area - bars with bulls are hard to come by these days. Glad to know they still exist, just in case... read more

See all

my wife ordered ribs, brisket, chicken, coleslaw and mac&cheese. it was about $60 worth of food. we had it delivered thru one of those delivery apps and the delivery time wasn't excessive. what was excessive was the sheer amount of salt in all of the meat. half of the brisket was so salty it was shriveled up like jerky. we didn't even finish a quarter of anything other than the mac&cheese. i specifically asked for no green onions. usually when an item has green onions in it, my experience is that the restaurant would notify me if an item i ordered has it pre-mixed into it and ask if i wanted something else as an alternative. that would be reasonable customer service but no such communication here. the coleslaw was basically half green onions. to top it all off, all of the food was ice cold. i have never had any food delivered that was ever that cold. and like i said, the delivery did not take that long from when it was picked up from the restaurant. i would never order from this place again. the bbq was inedible. i usually feel bad throwing food away because of the waste but no remorse chucking this stuff. it ended up where it belonged. read more

The bartender was very rude. He gave me a drink that was broken and had sharp plastic sticking out. When I asked for a new cup he refused.

I love the barbecue food at The Yale Saloon! My absolute favourite is Vancouver's Best Beef Brisket, it is so tender and juicy. It is my go-to order every time, as well as St. Louis Style Ribs with Texas Dry Rub, smokey and fall-off-the-bone goodness. Rotisserie Chicken Legs and House Smoked Farmcrest Chicken Wings are also excellent add-on items. For sides, I recommend Mac N Cheese and Onion Rings. If you dine at their dog-friendly patio, the Mac N Cheese comes in a little cast iron pan, keeping it hot and gooey. Onion Rings are beer battered, thin and crispy, just the way I like it! Rodeo Fries are not ideal for takeout as the fries would become soggy from the gravy and chopped tomatoes. House Salad is quite refreshing and tasty with dried fruit and lemon-herb vinaigrette. For drinks, American Vintage Hard Iced Tea and Okanagan Crisp Apple Cider both go great with the barbecue food. read more

See all

Can't say anything about their dinner, because we went there for the night club on a Saturday, which was terrible. It was one star for me and another invisible star because my friends had fun at least! The experience started in the car staring out the window where a young looking kid waved at me. Ew, don't wave at me high school student. That's creepy. I'm a decade older than you. Then I was in the line. I looked behind me and in front of me. The boys, not guys, were all college-aged, don't even think about sexy cowboys in hats and boots. Nada. Then it took us a while to get in. The bouncer was terrible. He didn't have any charisma or conviction whatsoever and was talking to you while looking in all the other directions like he's confused. Once we stepped inside, it was hot, stuffy and crowded. And the cover was $14... really? For a shitty club like this you have the audacity to charge $14? Someone was riding the bull and looked like she's having fun. The music was mostly country music which was my absolute nemesis. I really tried to like it. I couldn't do it, just not my thing, I can't dance to stuff like this even when I'm drunk. My annoyance might be just amplified with alcohol. But I'm really happy my other girlfriends enjoyed it. It's all good. Their sound system was kinda crappy though. The bathroom... probably the dirtiest that I've been to. For a semi-germophobe like me, it might have hit my limit that day. All 3 sinks were clogged. All soap dispensers empty. Two stalls didn't have bathroom tissue. Floor was wet. The best part was this - there was a guy who was rushing to the men's room while I was coming out. He couldn't make it in time and some of his puke landed on my jacket and my legs. Oh well how sanitary that was. That's the problem with a young crowd like this, you have young inexperienced drinkers who don't know their tolerance and can't hold their liquor. I don't think it will happen as often for a more mature crowd. That kid should be dragged and kicked out by security, as it happens in a lot of nicer clubs, but it's so chaotic and rowdy in there with couples making out in every corner so the fact that it was overlooked didn't surprise me. Even if I was drunk, I don't think i could ignore everything that i saw. Bad vibes since being in the line and I guess getting puked on shouldn't be a surprise to me huh. I'm glad we didn't stay for too long and the rest of the group seemed to have fun so I'm happy after all. But as for the quality of this club, I'm even generous to give them one star. I honestly think you can have fun dancing without being in such a gross and shitty environment. I just didn't feel comfortable the whole time I was there. This club is so subpar compared to any club Ive been to. I just don't think it's worth the trouble, the money and the time to come here for a night out. But if you like to have a night out where you see drunktards everywhere, get elbowed a few times by drunk dancing people, possibly get puked on by a young kid who still had facial hair, then maybe this is the place for you. read more

The newly refurbished Yale Hotel and Saloon rests in that old section of Granville Street, you know where you used to go as a kid cuz they'd serve anyone. From the outside, you might get the impression that the Yale is a "blues/jazz" bar, but it's really not so much. Once inside, it's got the slick look of a modern country bar with must-haves like a mechanical bull you can ride after signing away any rights to retribution should you get hurt (you won't, the bull is surrounded by a bouncy castle playground and never gets going very fast, it's what they call a "gringo" bull). They've also got line dancing for the uninitiated and lots of country & western paraphernalia scattered around the room and bolted to the walls, and of course the obligatory giant flat screen TVs all over the place, Heaven forbid we miss a Canuck game. It's a big space with lots of room for large groups with a front area (home of the rubber bull) and a larger rear room, complete with wooden dance floor and mini stage area, presumably for those jazz groups that play there. They've got a kitchen that churns out average fare at best and a couple of bartenders that mix up the booze. So why the 4 our of 5 stars? Well, the staff is great. From the GM, Seamus, who's everywhere he needs to be and a right friendly fella, down thru all the many servers who are always happy to help and there when you need them. The Yale is an old hotel sitting near the end of Granville, that's been spiffed up and gentrified for the kind of clientele that they're probably hoping to attract. It's no real jazz bar, way too clean for that, but with a perky, friendly staff and decent enuf food and drink for the price paid, It's definitely worth a visit. And more importantly, the vibe the staff helps create makes for a fun night out for all. read more

See all

Love it! We hit up this place while on vacation and it didn't disappoint. I love getting to try places outside of the USA and it was definitely one that I would go back to. They have a great variety of dishes to choose from. We got the BBQ Chicken Sliders which were on point. read more

After living above for some time, I finally decided that it is about time that I tried the food, after all it is right below me. I am so very glad that I did, I was not disappointed. They were chock full of southern hospitality, even though it is clear that I am not a cowboy! The food was nothing short of amazing!! All in all, I have discovered a cool spot, pretty close to home,(ha ha), that is welcoming and I can eat great food at a reasonable price! Kinda makes me wonder why I ever looked elsewhere. Peace All!!, Gerald 'Spike' Peachey read more

The Yale is hands down the place to be Wednesday-Saturday, amazing music by and amazing DJ. Staff arre the friendliest in the city. Bull riding, pool and more games !! The manager Mehdi is a a class act man and treats everyone with respect. I've been honoured over the last year to make many many friends here and have had many many amazing nights!! If you ever plan to come here for the first time for a party or even just by yourself!! Make sure to check out my main girl Aleah at the beer bin !! She's one of a kind and willl make sure to take care of you ! I 100% recommend checking The Yale out if you haven't yet !! Best club in the city hands down!!! read more

We went to Yale after it was voted the "BEST" bbq in Vancouver in the Georgia Straight. What a disappointment! We arrived, unintentional during happy hour, and so we thought great, a chance to sample their BBQ and save a few pennies. We ordered the brisket sliders and the pull pork taco. We were shocked when the sliders arrived. There maybe 3 small pieces of meat per slider, each the size of a dime. The cost for this was $8. It was just wrong. The portion for the pull pork taco was better, but the taste was just so-so. We will not be back! read more

This place is lacking in so many ways. The in-house prices do not match their out of date website, and some items on the website menu are not even served anymore. Expect to pay more when you get there. The beer selection is terrible and only fit for a southern state. And unless you're a fan of Coors and mainstream beer, you're out of luck. When it turns into a club at around 10pm, the sound quality is terrible. It sounds like an AM radio turned up to 10. When it's busy, the bathrooms are filthy. Unless you're a 20 year old looking to get drunk for the first time, you can do better in downtown Vancouver. read more

I couldn't have been more disappointed with my takeout order from the Yale. The brisket was so tough, fat and overly salty that it was inedible. The cole slaw side had absolutely no flavour, as no seasoning or dressing had been added. Overall, a complete and total waste of money. read more

Always a great vibe. There is something for everyone. We had a great time the other night. We came for the food and stayed for karaoke. This place attracts a younger crowd and is always lit up with excitement. great place for celebrations and good times. read more

I previously had them at 3 but dropping to 2. The brisket is good. I recently ordered the sampler (which is a sampler of *sides* which is pretty stupid for a $25 meal but whatever) and they were all pretty weak. I'm pretty well-versed in BBQ, and, well,... BC is not. The slim girl with bad skin who works the bar on Sunday can barely hide her disdain for customers. If you can manage to have a good experience here then power to you. read more

This place just re-opened after being closed for what seems like forever. What got my interest was that the outside makes it look like a cool blues place, but once you get inside, it looks like some middle-american country bar. The music? Country as well. It's too bad though. There really isn't any legit Blues-type bar in Vancouver, and that would have been fucking awesome to see. Kind of a let-down. It's essentially a big room with really small tables, and an average sized bar. It was empty when I went, so I guess they're finding their legs at the moment with regular customers/bar patrons. I decided to give the food a try, as there aren't many legit BBQ places around downtown. The food was just about average. Pulled Pork was ok, although the sauce was kind of an odd type of sauce, as it wasn't really suited to be used with pulled pork (kind of sour/bitter). Pulled Pork definitely needs a sweeter type of BBQ sauce with it. They have your typical sides that you normally see with BBQ, like slaw, beans, and cornbread. I have to give it to them with the cornbread though. It was really well made, pretty fucking good. That's one thing they managed to knock out of the park. Beans were not your normal beans, it was kind of a mixture of all types, which was an interesting change. Slaw was ok, maybe a little dry, could of used a tad more dressing. My biggest gripe is two-fold, as it goes hand-in-hand. The prices are quite high, and the portions are not very large. If they could increase the portion sizes of their meat, then it would justify the prices. I recommend that they either cut the prices, or increase the portions. Otherwise, you end up with $40 worth of nothing, and a bewildered empty stomach You should take a look at their take-out container. It makes you think you're getting his huge fucking meal, and you open it up, and there's barely anything inside. Way to get my hopes up Yale Saloon. There is some potential there, but there's a long way to go before I would consistently eat here. read more

The manager working on the evening of Sat, Jan 22nd (around 9 or 10pm) created a very unwelcoming experience. As someone who has worked in hospitality, I was very disappointed with his inability to exercise compassion. His tone of voice and body language was very disrespectful. There was a group of six of us enjoying a birthday celebration, and the manager definitely put a downer on the evening. We will not be back. Highly recommend not going to the Yale if you're looking to have a good time. Customer service isn't hard. Figure it out! read more

Never go here. No blues. No live music. Obvious new ownership. It was awe full. Bouncers were unfriendly at closing .

I'm not impressed with this place. The highlight of the place would have been the servers who were all friendly and attentive. What turned me off is the food and the associated prices. From the waitress's recommendation, I ordered the BBQ Chicken Sliders for $13, which consists of 4 tiny sliders, with crispy chicken and bacon in between waffle-like 'buns'. I also ordered their apparently very delicious, served on the skillet Mac and Cheese for $12. While I come away very full, a $30 bill for just an OK food did not leave me with a good impression. To be fair, I probably should have ordered their BBQ platter considering that this place seemed to focus on that. Also, I probably should have dropped by during weekend nights instead of weekday nights to maybe experience the 'fun' they advertised in their site. The bottom line for me is whether I would come back again and since this place is new, I would probably give it another chance, hence my 3 star rating. read more

I never expected to find the best BBQ I've ever tasted while visiting Canada. This place is amazing! Delicious food, kitschy atmosphere, friendly and attentive staff - come on down, you won't be disappointed. Heartily recommended: the buffalo chicken sandwich was done perfectly, and the chili was just beautiful. read more

The Vancouver Goes Country yelp event was great fun! The mac'n'cheese pops were tasty, the buffet was stupendous, but best of all... after the yelp event, I slipped into the back room where Harpdog Brown was singing and blowing on his harp! Yes! Although the front of this venerable establishment is dressed up like country, with steer heads mounted on the wall, tvs tuned to sports, and Jeezez Christmas, a mechanical bull!, folks, just walk past that and settle in for blues live! OMG, the stories those walls could tell. Seriously though, the food was wonderful, tasty, lots of it, and the new manager is bright and cheerful. I just hope the blues fans make it past that bull. Harpdog is in residence Wednesday evenings from 9pm onward. The room is a nice size, no stage, so more of an intimate vibe going. read more

Ok, this is going to be a great review. Best country atmosphere on the west coast, great smoke house food, amazing drinks. Highly recommend this pre and post concert!! Honestly we had the best time before the Luke Bryan concert, we were all there to honour my nephew who passed away last year and he lived and sang Luke Bryan songs even at his most lowest times. We really connected with the AGM Aleem Allidina. My nephew loves Batman- who also came frequently to visit at the hospital and was a Pall Bearer, Aleem identified himself with Batman which was really cool. Anytime you're in Van City please visit this place and maybe even ride the bull!!!! read more

Their kitchen was closed by the time we got there so we left then came back for drinks and to watch drunk people sing and dance. We came on a Sunday night so it wasn't busy, except for some regulars. It was karaoke night so the place was fun and entertaining. My boyfriend got the first round of drinks and the bartender didn't card him, and although she was a BITCH and very stand-offish, he still tipped (bless his soul). Our friends got the next round and she asked for all 4 ID's then started to accuse us of having fakes, which made no sense...(why would we have fake ID's for 19 year olds from Washington when the legal age is 21 in the states??) she looked up something on her phone taking at least 10 minutes, so I got annoyed and wanted to suggest leaving, but she finally gave us our drinks. A few drinks were poorly made or made incorrectly, and I wasn't drunk at all so I was able to tell the difference. The bus boy rudely took our drinks without asking if we were done, and kept coming back to our table to see if we've finished. I felt rushed to finish my drink, but at that point I was sick of their shit so I didn't care anymore. Overall, bad experience with this bartender but not as bad as at The Morrissey across the street. read more

They serve Coors & have mechanical bull riding! Friendly service. read more

The Yale Saloon - Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

I'm sure the bar itself is cool, but lets talk about the bouncers. I went there and it was nearing closing time, but everyone talks about this place to I decided ot jsut check it out, The way this place is set up there's a bouncer outside, and then a cashier inside with another bouncer next to her. I go to the bouncer outside and ask the cover, he says $10, which is fine. So I give him my ID and just conversationally I say "I've never been here, I'm probably just gonna go up to the cashier and peek inside to see what its like." HE then pauses, and says that he has to keep my ID and to come back for it when I pay. I ask why, and he says thats just what I have to do. This makes no sense as I would have to pay to get into the bar ANYWAY, so I'm not sure why he would NEED to keep my id. I leave it and I go inside to the cashier, and I just look around from there, I ask her a bit about the place, she describes it and was super nice, then I notice the bouncer from outside come in and whisper something to the inside bouncer. Anyway the cashier was like, "you know what, its your first time here and its already late, you can just go inside" , note, I didn't ask her to. I say "oh ok, thanks" As I'm about to go in the bouncer inside, grabs my arm and pulls me back (rudely) and says, "hey you didn't pay!". I told him the cashier said it was fine, he said he didnt care. So I went to the cashier and I guess I'm petty because I then put $10 into her tip jar (she was really nice anyway), and was about to leave when she tells the bouncer its ok, I paid. I go inside and take a walk around but those bouncers left such a sour taste, that the bar was really cool but i likely won't be going back. I don't know what made these bouncers think I was trying to scheme my way in or anything but, it was very rude. Went back outside and got my ID from the bouncer outside, and left. read more

The food here is delicious, particularly the smoked meats, the jalepeño cornbread, the slaw and the beans! While our meat did come out a little colder than it should have, this was promptly fixed by our server and another person (who I assumed to be the manager on duty) and the food cost was removed from our bill. A great response from the service team. Highly recommended for that cornbread...I'm still daydreaming about it! read more

Great night we had at the Yale Saloon, fantastic food, great service, entertainment, live music, even a mechanique bull. Make sure you ride it before dinner comes though. To start we had Mac and cheese pops and chicken wings very tasty, and well you can't go wrong with chicken wings, following that, an awesome platter came, featuring Turkey Breast, Pulled Pork, Brisket with a side of baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad & jalapeño corn bread. The meats were perfectly cooked, moist, very tender if i have pick one will be the pulled pork so juicy!!! , truly confort food. Overall it was a great experience, definitively I am coming back, this place is great for big groups, probably corporate & team building events, I might be having my birthday party here this year. read more