Trap Door Brewing

Have been here twice and don't think it is an overly great place. The beer is decent, a couple of really good ones but most are standard fare. Narrow deep room, high ceilings, low light and the service was just so-so. Bartender was take your order and go back to doing something else. Not impressed with the place. Parking is hard to come by as it is on the street. In no hurry to go back. Have only been there 3 times in the last 8 to 10 years.

 

 

Recently moved to the Ridgefield/Vancouver area, and so had occasion to stop by the other day. Located in the moderately busy downtown area, Trap Door is a fairly small brewery/taproom with a couple of TV sets, high ceilings and then a smallish bar area where 7 or 8 patrons can sit. The dining area holds around 6 or 7 tables, but then there's also a decent size patio area where one can hang out with beer and food as well. I don't believe there's a kitchen here, but there's 3 or 4 food trucks next door where one can go grab a bite. In any event, the taproom seemed like a low-key, relaxed, informal spot to hang out with a beer or three. In addition to the beers on tap, they also have a number of canned options if you want to grab something to go.

As for the beer selection, I think they had 14 different beers on tap the day I stopped by, mostly consisting of IPAs and APAs. However, there was also a pils, wild ale and ba RIS as well. As I had never been here before, I went with a sampler tray, trying nothing but IPAs and one DIPA. Everything I sampled was pretty good, and the dipa was quite good. I finished up with a taster glass portion of the ba RIS, which was also quite good. In terms of service, the taproom was pretty close to empty when I arrived, and so service at the bar tended to be quick and attentive. The bartender wasn't particularly interactive or forthcoming with a lot of information, but he was pleasant enough I thought.

Nothing extraordinary about my visit to Trap Door, but the beer here is pretty good and the taproom is a comfortable place to hang out. Also, by Vancouver standards the pricing here was fairly reasonable. My sample tray and the taster glass of RIS was just over $16 with tax. Will almost certainly be back, even though finding parking in the area can be something of a chore.

Pulled in here at about noon on a Friday. Upon arrival, the place was empty except for two people inside and one person outside. As we left, there were about six people inside.

They have a decent number of beers, but the style variety was quite limited. Of the 15 or so beers they had, over half were an IPA of some sort, with about 6 or 7 variations in the NEIPA. Would have liked to see more styles represented.

The beers we got were quite tasty. There are food trucks outside one can order and enjoy their food and beers in the covered and heated outdoor seating area. A cool little place downtown but the lack of variety wouldn't drive me back here. Also wasn’t enamored with the lack of draft beers as most of the offerings were 16oz cans. Not sure why they can everything.

This is one of my local spots. Good vibe with a regular uptown crowd. Bartenders are great and very helpful. While like a lot of places there are a lot of IPA variations to choose from, there is a good mix of other styles to choose from. Highly recommend stopping by and grabbing a beer or three.

 

Popped in for a quick noon pint as we worked our way back inland after a couple of days on the coast. Cool modern space, plenty of hoppy stuff on the board, but also some lighter, some darker, and some sour options. Got a kick out of some of the names they bestowed upon them. It was fairly quiet, just us and a few regulars sitting at the bar, but we felt right at home and were quickly trading stories and jokes with them, the bartender, and one of the brewers. The round we had was tasty and I wish we could have stayed longer, but the road waits for no one. Would definitely try to stop in again if we're ever back in the area.