Tap Union Freehouse — Restaurant in Vancouver

You know when you slip on an old pair of shoes that are comfortable and have good memories? Well coming into Tap Union Freehouse was a little bit like that, except not as smelly. It felt comfortable and familiar. This is the kind of place where friends meet, it has character and atmosphere, the wood exudes history and a sense of solidity. Tap Union is the kind of establishment that finds a place in the community like a favorite tree that gives shade and comfort. I loved the upstairs, ascending to a little world that feels like a community secret, an epicurean hideaway. But to the food. I got the Philly Cheesesteak and was a little surprised that there was no cheese in it. Ah… I’m not sure you can call something cheesesteak if there is no cheese in it. It wasn’t bad, in fact it was pretty good, but I missed the creamy texture and balance that a touch of cheese would have brought to the table. And it was lonely sitting there on the plate like a little lost orphan sitting at the train station. Some chips might have been just the thing to round out the plate and validate the fairly high prices involved. I ordered iced tea, and was directed to the cooler for bottled tea, which I’m afraid kind of sucks. That stuff is never good. Maybe it is because it’s a beer place and their focus is in the hops and nothing else matters as much. Those of us who do not imbibe alcohol, for whatever reason are an afterthought. A house iced tea is a gesture of welcome and is appreciated. Maybe the owners are not tea drinkers and as such, simply do not have things like that on their radar? All those things being said, I still liked it there and would bring friends and family to talk of arcane philosophies and muse about the chaotic future.

It wouldn’t take much for the place...

Was on my way home running errands downtown, decided to stop for a growler fill but had my 5 month old son with me and wasn’t sure if I could bring him inside. So I parked out front and called to ask.

The person who answered uttered a single word I couldn’t hear — sounded like “memew.” No “hello”, no “this is such & so speaking”, just an inaudible mumble. I wasn’t sure if I called the right number so I asked the person if they could repeat. Same inaudible mumble. I apologized and asked again to repeat. Same mumble but followed with “THAT’S WHO YOU CALLED ISN’T IT?!?!” Again, I apologized for misunderstanding and just assumed I had the right number, asked my question, and got the answer I was looking for.

So I went in, got my growler filled, and not only did this same person under fill my growler, she didn’t say anything more than the bare minimum to complete the transaction. For example, once I paid (and tipped 25%) all that was said was “here you go” as she turned on heel to do something else. No “thanks for coming by”, no “have a great day”, just “here you go.” I actually didn’t discover the growler was under filled until I had already loaded my son back into the car and was getting ready to leave. Had to unload everything again, go back inside, have it filled up completely, then re-load everything back into the car.

The whole interaction was unnecessarily awkward, unpleasant, and unwelcoming. Not to mention, this person was rude to me for the crime of not understanding a single inaudible mumble when answering the phone. 10/10 bad customer service and...

I've been there twice. Both times I had their pork tacos and they were delicious, although they were better on my first visit for some reason. The reason for the 3 stars instead of 5 is die to the staff. On my 1st visit I was alone celebrating my birthday by myself. I used to own my own 5-star restaurant 26 years ago so I enjoy discussing the business with other restaurant employees. When I was choosing a beer with my order I asked the gentleman who was taking my order his opinion. He wasn't very pleasant or helpful and acted as though I was putting him out. There were maybe 2 or 3 other customers there at the time. When I told him it was my birthday his response was not what I would desire from any of my employees. His response was not anything to make me feel that he could care whatsoever. I didn't expect anything free or a party for me but he could have at least smiled and said something kind. That was a turnoff. The 2nd time I was with a friend and ate outside. It started to rain and no one came out to assist us in moving inside. Their follow up after being served was none. I don't care how delicious a restaurants food is if the employee's aren't helpful and kind and their service is poor I will never return there again. I gave them two tries and that's all I need to know that they don't deserve my business. There are so many other choices for restaurant's with just as delicious if not...