Bannerman Brewing Co. — Restaurant in St. John's

Disappointed, Confused, and Still Hungry I really wanted to love Bannerman Brewery—or whatever it is—but I left feeling confused, unimpressed, and still craving lobster. Let’s start from the top: yesterday I saw an Instagram post from Bannerman promoting their new surf & turf lobster rolls. My best friend and I are on a self-declared lobster tour this summer (yes, we take shellfish seriously), and I immediately sent her the post with excitement. We made plans to visit the very next day, only 21 hours after the post went up. We arrived at 11:30 a.m., walked in, and were greeted by… a “seat yourself” sign. No host, no warmth, just weird vibes. Okay, no big deal—we were there for the lobster rolls. We seated ourselves and waited… and waited. After 15 minutes of being completely ignored, I went up to the bar to see what was going on. That’s when the confusion really kicked off. I was told that if we wanted coffee, we had to order it at the bar. Cool, but I mentioned we were here specifically for the lobster rolls. I was then vaguely told a server would come to our table at noon and was pointed toward the “serve yourself” water station with pre-portioned glasses like I was at a self-serve dentist’s office. No offer of drinks, no mention of a menu, and definitely no clarity on what kind of establishment I was even standing in. We waited until noon, a server finally approached, handed us a menu, and with great anticipation, we asked for the lobster rolls. Their response? “Oh, we’re sold out.” You’re sold out… of the dish you just advertised yesterday on Instagram? The same dish I told the person at the bar we were here for? To add insult to confusion, we were then told that the coffee bar is separate from the restaurant, and that is also separate from Bannerman Brewery. So… three businesses in one space? No signs, no menus, no explanations—just a maze of mismatched expectations. Here’s the kicker: my friend and I also work in the service industry. We’re very aware of how important tips are, especially in an economy where people are tightening their belts and restaurants are closing left and right. We tip well. We support local. But how are servers supposed to make money if customers are never approached? How is the business meant to thrive if we’re too confused to even order? In the end, we left. No food, no drinks, no lobster, and no clue what this place even is. We left our water at the table, took our hunger with us, and unfortunately won’t be returning. It’s a beautiful building—but I’ve been to plenty of beautiful places with way better service. A little warmth, communication, and clarity could’ve...

As you pull down your hat and hike up your coat collar as far as it is socially acceptable to so as the winds howl at you and the ice pellets beat against your face, you’d do anything you abandon this infamous Newfoundland weather. You glance up as you deliver at quick prayer, in the same moment, out of the corner of your eye you see a sailboat design pasted on the front of a building, your lifeboat. Prayers answered. I step through the doors and stumble back as the warmth of the wood stove thaws my weather beaten face. I find a table in the cozy corner and a server comes over immediately, perhaps it was the distress on my face that brought them by so quickly. “One latte and scone for the cold man please.” I say to them. That first sip of latte instantly warms the rest of my body and the first nibble of scone warms my soul. I devour these quicker than I care to say, these were not wants but necessities. As the server comes to collect my still hot but empty mug, I couldn’t resist ordering a beer for myself as I looked around to see my fellow colleagues sipping on theirs. I ordered a Past Tense, a dark ale as I thought it complimented the mood of the day, Dark! I sat back and sipped on my beer and listened to the crackle of the wood in the fire, taking in the peaceful and cozy atmosphere of the room. I looked around to see the happy, smiling faces of the people who were sharing the same experience that I was. After a couple refills of my glass and a decent buzz on, I knew it was time to face the gale and move on with my day. I thanked the kind server, paid my bill and bundled up to throw myself back out into the...

As a disclaimer, I'm Scottish and live in Germany so I've pretty strong views on how pubs and beer should be. Many people my view things differently!

Positives: It's a nice shiny building. Negatives: the beer and the food.

For beer, there is a current trend for sour beers and IPA's, and if that's your bag this could be the place for you! I like neither, and so this brewery wins a minor prize as the first pub (let alone brewery!) where i order the wine. The wine is red. I believe this is the correct color for wine: that's about all I got for feedback on wine.

Compared to other places to eat in St John's: the food is over priced, but they have averaged that out with smaller portions - so i guess that's fine. Actually, average is the perfect word, because if your feeling generous you can also describe the taste as average.

Why do i go here and why did i write a review? I have friends who insist on going here, and after several complaints the compromise was for me to write this review and then drink my glass of sadness ("wine") without...