Bear & Kilt Freehouse — Restaurant in Calgary

An Evening at the Bear & Kilt Freehouse, Calgary 🍁

Located in the heart of downtown Calgary, the Bear & Kilt Freehouse offers its patrons a distinct taste of the Irish lifestyle 🍀. I recently had the opportunity to dine there with a friend, and here's a balanced reflection on our experience, which I feel is a 3-star dining affair ⭐⭐⭐.

The moment you walk into the Freehouse, you can't help but get absorbed by the charming Irish pub vibes. Wooden furnishings, vintage memorabilia, cozy seating, and inviting warmth make the interior feel more Dublin than Calgary 🌍. It's a sight that pleases and a feeling that endears. The location is as good as it gets, conveniently nestled amidst Calgary's hustle and bustle, making it a great spot for locals and tourists alike to take a breather.

On to the main event - the food! I ordered the classic Fish and Chips, two pieces, while my friend opted for a Cheeseburger with Fries 🍔🍟. The fish was nicely battered and golden, maintaining the ideal crunchiness on the outside while keeping the fish succulent and tender inside 🐟. Paired with perfectly crispy fries, it was a satisfying take on this British classic. As for the cheeseburger, it was a mouthful of juicy delight. The meat was well-cooked and paired with the creaminess of the cheese and the crispiness of fresh veggies. It was, as my friend described, "a comfort food classic done right."

Now, the Freehouse isn't just about food and location, it's about the entire pub experience. This is where our journey took a bit of a downturn 😟. A group of customers in the pub were rather noisy, making it hard for us to enjoy our food and conversation. At times, their behavior even bordered on aggression, causing an uncomfortable atmosphere that somewhat marred our otherwise pleasant evening. I am hopeful that this was an isolated incident, but it's worth mentioning for those seeking a quieter dining environment.

To wrap up, the Bear & Kilt Freehouse certainly has a lot going for it. Authentic food 🍲, an atmosphere that transports you straight to Ireland, and a prime location in the heart of Calgary. However, our dining experience was dampened by the disruptive customers on this occasion. Nonetheless, it remains a good spot for a hearty meal if you're in the mood for an Irish pub experience in Calgary. Just be mindful that, like any lively pub, the noise level can vary greatly depending on the crowd. Happy...

Whoever’s managing B&K’s workers, please give your workers a raise. My friends and I don’t need to be given some remarks after one of us only tipped aka me. Many restaurants had been too reliant on tipping and it’s just sad. I don’t know why the call out was necessary. I’m a line cook and a server myself. I don’t know how your server has the audacity to call us out for not tipping yet he makes an awful service?

You don’t know what is going on within our lives and we always try to tip when we can.

The dude in the gray shirt already gave us a slow service from the start even when we were patient and the food was mediocre. Burnt yam fries, watery chipotle sauce, soggy burger bread, but we still ate it anyway.

I hate writing reviews like this because I know how it feels to work in the food/bar industry but it doesn’t excuse how mean/rude your servers are because customers can’t tip. Tipping should never feel like an obligation.

Do better, or tell your server to get a better job or ask for a raise. Not berate the customers for not tipping and promising to offer more slower service in the next visit. We won’t be coming back here...

i stopped by with a large group of people for a quick drink, there was only one server and they were visibly very swamped with the size of our group. i don't know if it was just the day we went, but there were other patrons playing pool near us and some of the older men kept coming to our table trying to tell us jokes, and it generally made the entire room uncomfortable. a couple of the people in the same group were also calling some of our friends strippers and the server simply brushed them off. maybe the other patrons were regulars, but the comments they were making were totally uncalled for and inappropriate, and the staff did absolutely nothing about it other than asking the other patrons to leave us alone. it also wouldn't be a bad idea for the staff to wear nametags or some sort of identifier that they work there, as one of the servers that came in later initially unsettled us as we thought they were another patron trying to buy us drinks or make more inappropriate comments. i don't think i would return as this pub does not have the right...