Alibi Room

Alibi RoomAlibi Room
Alibi RoomAlibi Room
Bar, Eatery

157 Alexander St
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1B8
Canada

(604) 623-3383 | map
alibi.ca
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.57
Reviews:
30
Ratings:
78
pDev:
7.44%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by TriggerFingers:
Photo of TriggerFingers
Reviewed by TriggerFingers from California

5/5  rDev +9.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
If you are in Vancouver and can walk through Gastown, past all of the tourist shops, until you start to see train tracks and residential neighborhoods-- keep going, you're almost there!

The Alibi Room was great! 5/5!

I stopped in a few weeks back for their Sunday brunch. I have to say, it was probably my favorite dining experience while in Vancouver.

10:00 AM and the place is about 1/3 full. I took a seat at the bar (which was empty when I arrived, but gradually filled up later) and the bartender (who I later found out was one of the owners) took my breakfast order and asked if I wanted a beer. Being from California, I asked for something I can't get in the states-- she poured me a pint of her favorite beer in the place-- a local ESB that was exceptional (don't remember the name)!

Breakfast was perfect and the beer really hit the spot. I can only imagine how packed the place is in the evenings. Halfway though my meal, another bartender came over to check on me. He and I talked beer for a little bit and he told me of a store a few blocks away with some hard to find bombers to take back to the states! How cool is that?

Really, this place left a great impression with me! Top notch service across the board--overall fantastic!

I took the skytrain to St. Augustine's later that night and the atmosphere of the two places is completely different (St. Augustine's being more of a local neighborhood sports bar). Both have nearly equal beer selections, but the Alibi Room was my favorite!

Unfortunately, I was not able to make it back there again before I had to fly back.

In Vancouver, this is (and for the most part St. Augustine's) the place with the beer selection that you are looking for-- just depends on what type of atmosphere you are into-- a winner!
May 09, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of Rasmonton
Reviewed by Rasmonton from Canada (AB)

4.6/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Excellent gastropub with a well curated list of (mostly local) beers, with a good selection from all the major beer types. I had a flight of four, plus one or two extras, and they were all excellent. Nowadays you can find a place serving food and a hundred beer on tap on every street corner. The difference here is the obvious care and attention they have paid to finding quality beers.

Food: tried a veggie burger. One of the best I’ve had. Can’t comment on anything else. The food menu had a decent selection.

Service: this was the one weak spot. My waiter was friendly and knowledgeable, but after taking my initial order I never saw him again. Had to flag down someone else to get another beer. The place was busy so I guess he deserves a bit of slack but it was still below par.

Overall I would definitely go back for the beer and food.
Feb 12, 2020
 
Rated: 4.33 by BeerBucks from New York

Jul 29, 2018
Photo of Mista_Carta
Reviewed by Mista_Carta from California

4.64/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
This is your "must go" Vancouver beer spot or as they call it "Modern Tavern." There are a couple other great breweries/brewpubs and plenty of good bottle shops but if you only have time for one...

Alibi Room is conveniently located in Downtown Vancouver just off the beaten path a couple blocks away from the busier portion of Gastown. Great space with high ceilings, a warm wood/brick interior and adorned with a few cool contemporary art pieces. Trains can be seen moving in the yard behind...

Boasting 50 taps roughly half land in their "LAGERS, PILSNERS, PALES, IPAS, STRONG ALES, ETC." category, the next largest category being "SAISONS, BELGIAN STYLES, WHEAT ALES & SOURS," followed by a few "STOUTS & PORTERS" and "CIDERS." It's a daunting yet well-curated menu which they keep up-to-date on their website. The bulk of the taps feature the best of the best from "local" breweries—Brassneck, Parallel 49, Dageraad, Superflux, Boombox, Moon, Fuggles & Warlock, Beere, Twin Sails, Yellow Dog... They will occasionally tap kegs from the US but they predominantly feature Vancouver/BC brews. The brews on offer are great. There are several BC breweries that do IPAs & Pales well (yes they even have great NE-Style "hazys") and Alibi has numerous to choose from. There are also great options for sours, saisons, blondes, wits. Alibi currently has four stouts on one of which is barrel aged. Again, tremendous beer menu—you should be able to find something (if not several things) that you want to try. They do offer a flight of four. Bartenders are knowledgeable and helpful.

Food is exceptional. Their motto is "Local. Free-run. Ocean-friendly. Naturally raised." and you can tell. Sophisticated (but not too fancy) takes on small plates, charcuterie, salads, sandwiches, burgers and a few "entrees" all well crafted from local, artisanal ingredients. They do brunch on the weekends but DO NOT do lunch (believe they open at 5) weekdays.

Alibi Room does have a full bar so you can tell your wine/cocktail (again mostly local, well crafted/curated) friends it's not "another beer bar."

One of the only downsides is that they do get busy (as would be expected in a place like this). If you can plan your visit I would suggest making a reservation, if you can't (and you get there at a busy time) be prepared to wait. I think there is a Vancouver (or BC) thing where every patron must have a seat... So even though it looks like there is PLENTY of standing room near the bar they won't let you in.

This place serves truly top-notch food & drink. If visiting Vancouver make sure you get here. If you don't have a lot of time, start here.
Mar 11, 2018
 
Rated: 5 by CPAles from Illinois

Aug 22, 2017
 
Rated: 5 by psoriasaurus from Thailand

Jul 18, 2017
 
Rated: 4.61 by mattmarka1 from Minnesota

Jun 21, 2017
Photo of atigerlife
Reviewed by atigerlife from Hawaii

4.76/5  rDev +4.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
I've been to Vancouver many times over the years, and always wanted to stop by this place. Finally, on this trip, had a free couple of hours and walked on over. Glad I did.

First, I got there b before 11 a.m. on a Sunday. Many tables taken with people eating brunch. They all looked happy. I sat at the bar, about 10 chairs, which were all empty when I arrived. Relatively small place. Nice vibe. Funky.

About 40 beers on tap, mostly local. Very nice. The bar person, Francesca [I think] was exceptional. During my time there, I watched her do her job. Very professional. Very busy going around. Enjoyable to watch someone who takes pride in there work. She recommended a couple of beers, which I tried. Very nice.

Overall, a very pleasant experience. I'll definitely stop in the next time I'm in Vancouver. Worth the visit.
Apr 23, 2017
Photo of surfcaster
Reviewed by surfcaster from North Carolina

4.98/5  rDev +9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Can't say enough good things. Fortunate enough to go on a British Columbia takeover so everything was super local and many were things that would have taken several days in B.C. to have tried.

Beer was incredible.

Service fantastic and food was on par with beer. Just on edge of Gastown and the trains going back and forth behind just add to the character.

A must visit in Vancouver if into beer and food is top notch. A 5$ (ca) 13oz pour for most everything a bonus.
Apr 12, 2017
 
Rated: 4.51 by krome from Illinois

Jul 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.75 by RushMe from Illinois

Jan 18, 2016
 
Rated: 4.45 by Texasfan549 from Texas

Dec 07, 2015
 
Rated: 4.29 by barleywin from Missouri

Oct 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.95 by kristinc from Canada (BC)

Sep 26, 2015
 
Rated: 4.36 by anteater from Oregon

Aug 24, 2015
 
Rated: 4.64 by SDRedDevil from California

Jun 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by johnyb from Florida

Jun 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.47 by Canada_Dan from Colorado

May 29, 2015
 
Rated: 4.7 by souvenirs from Canada (BC)

May 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4.45 by wisegreensoul from Idaho

May 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.35 by Anaxagoris from Washington

Feb 09, 2015
 
Rated: 4.68 by WQuirk from Canada (BC)

Jan 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by ScottJWing from Ohio

Dec 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.33 by italianstallion from Wisconsin

Dec 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by smekermann from Canada (BC)

Dec 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.81 by imfinished from Canada (BC)

Dec 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.7 by HipCzech from California

Nov 24, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Caishalea from Canada (BC)

Nov 15, 2014
Photo of Stanislager
Rated by Stanislager from Canada (BC)

4.75/5  rDev +3.9%
This place breathes with brew culture. Always a night to remember, always a brew to remember.
Nov 15, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by cam477 from Canada ()

Nov 13, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Caz from Canada (BC)

Oct 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Erik-P from Canada (BC)

Oct 01, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by monkjuice from Canada (ON)

Sep 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by cbnz from Canada (BC)

Sep 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Lucnifter from California

Sep 14, 2014
Photo of buschbeer
Reviewed by buschbeer from Ohio

4.51/5  rDev -1.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.25
I stumbled across this place in an article when researching my trip to Vancouver, and am I ever glad that I did. I had the opportunity to go on a Friday evening. The place was packed. There were three bars in here and my friend and I were lucky enough to find a couple seats.

The beer menu was phenomenal. It was tough to select a few beers to try. My palate had grown weary of the IPA's, amber ale, and pale ales that were prevalent in the Pacific Northwest. I was happy to see a wide variety of styles. I had a porter, pumpkin stout, barrel aged wheat wine, a Flanders red. They were all great. The bartender was friendly and knowledgeable.

The only drawback to the experience was the guy I sat next to. He seemed mentally unstable. When he went to the restroom one of the bartenders asked if he was bugging me and offered to remove him from the premises. I was having such a great time trying the beers that he was merely a minor annoyance to my evening.

I ordered the bison cheese steak sandwich. I'm not gonna lie. I don't remember how it tasted. It just soaked up some of the fantastic beers that I was trying. But it's probably safe to say that it was great considering how awesome everything else was.

I really liked this place and wish I would have had a couple nights to sit in this place and try more of the beer and food. I would go back any chance that I had. It was THE highlight of my trip to the northwest.
Sep 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by aoampm from Hawaii

Sep 04, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by AdamNowek from Netherlands

Aug 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by strongaf from Washington

Jul 10, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by timlyon from Arizona

Jun 27, 2014
Alibi Room in Vancouver, BC, Canada
Place rating: 4.57 out of 5 with 78 ratings