Do you ever drive around Calgary, see a non-descript local pub with a dimly lit neon sign and wonder what’s behind those doors? You’ve lived in the city your whole life and somehow have never stepped foot in these neighbourhood fixtures that have been around for decades. Well, look no further than our deep dives into areas of the city that don’t get as much shine! Our crack team puts feet on the pavement of less-trafficked areas to find the hidden gems lurking just beneath the surface of Calgary’s urban sprawl. This is intended as a walking tour. DO NOT DRINK & DRIVE!
Bowness
Volume #3 digs into a longstanding northwest neighbourhood that hugs the south side of the Bow River. Bowness owes a lot of its charm to many of the eclectic inhabitants who have called the community home for their entire lives. The community is a real synthesis of Calgary culture with its mix of 100-year-old homes, brand new infill mini-mansions, parks, and a lively strip of unique businesses on Bowness Road. You really never know what you might come across in Bowness on any given day… but we’re about to find out.
Stop #1
Bar One
117 Bowridge Drive N.W.
Nestled inside of a Denny’s in the informally named Olympic Center, you’ll find Bar One. You might have to literally walk through the Denny’s kitchen and past the diner waitress Flo calling you “hun” to get to this establishment. A small bar and a few tables fill a small room with the feel of a Moxies from 20 years ago. The menu and beer selection scream generic faux-upscale pub fare, though the bar is a nice place to grab an ice cold beer from their mainstream selection. If you have too many brews one night and you’re hankering for some breakfast food, you can always scoot over to the attached Denny’s for a late-night Moons Over My Hammy. Before you move on, make sure to visit the bathrooms for a strange surprise: a cozy fireplace adorned with western artwork. The perfect showcase of a cozy-meets-trashy Stampede aesthetic.
HIGHLIGHTS: Cold beer, next-door Denny’s, bathroom fireplace.
Stop #2
Avenue 16 Kitchen & Bar
8220 Bowridge Crescent N.W.
Just a stone’s throw across from the Olympic Center’s parking lots you will find the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel. After walking through the lobby and a few winding hallways, you’ll find Avenue 16 Kitchen & Bar, a fairly standard hotel restaurant and bar with tourist-level prices. The most interesting thing about this place is the glass-doored private dining room that you pass by as soon as you enter — just in case you’d like to host a special occasion dinner with a small group while also being the center of attention like an animal in the zoo. Despite wearing the face of a much fancier establishment, they have Bud Light Lime on the menu. But manage your excitement, as it seems like a popular option and could be out of stock upon your visit. Time to finish your beer and head down a pretty sketchy hill to the main drag of Bowness.
HIGHLIGHTS: Dining cage and Bud Light Lime (maybe).
Stop #3
Bowness Pub
7930 Bowness Road N.W.
Walking through the older parts of Bowness really is a treat. Unique houses with strange lawn decorations and window stylings hint at the interesting people who might live inside. Right on Bowness Road sits a few mini-mall clusters on a large plot of land, and near the delicious Sweet Home Bakery and the old Bownesian Grocer you’ll find Bowness Pub. A charming and friendly dive bar if there ever was one! Inside, a few VLTs and a pool table are available for use and there are always some drink, shot, and food specials on. It’s dark, the walls adorned with an array of posters, the drinks are cold, and the nachos are huge (and delicious). A great place to grab some appetizers, cheers some frosty brews, down a Burt Reynolds shot, and then mozy along Bowness Road.
HIGHLIGHTS: Pool, food and drink specials and VLTs.
Stop #4
The Landing at the Bowness Community Association
7904 43 Ave N.W.
Head just around the back of the Bowness Pub and you’ll find the Bowness Community Association. Duck inside and head right upstairs to find The Landing, a small bar overlooking the NHL size hockey rink below. Here parents gather to grab a drink or eat a little snack while watching their little ones rip howitzers from the blue line. The options are a single rotating tap of local beer or their own branded “The Landing Lager.” Since sports are the main focus here, a pitcher seems apt to share with your team. Take your pint to the window overlooking the skating surface and marvel at the excellent talent of the Bowness community hockey players.
HIGHLIGHTS: Hockey and beer pitchers.
Stop #5
Leopold’s Tavern
6512 Bowness Road N.W.
Soon you will come up to the main drag of Bowness lined with a few businesses — sadly, bars like Hexters and Mikey’s Juke Joint are no longer around. In their place, the main watering hole has become a location of the Regina-based pub chain, Leopold’s Tavern. A lot of effort goes into each of these locations to make it look like a longstanding relic of the past. Walls covered with polaroids, stickers, old pictures, and memorabilia. It’s an aesthetic that makes the bar seem unassuming and inviting for people of all ages. A staple at Leopold’s is the Leo’s Fizz, their own house-brewed seltzer that is always on tap with monthly rotating flavours. If the grape flavour is available, don’t hesitate to make that your first drink!
HIGHLIGHTS: Leo’s Fizz (grape), mozzarella sticks and atmosphere.
Stop #6
Brewsmith Brewing Company
6311 Bowness Road N.W.
Further up the main strip of Bowness Road is a fairly new spot called Brewsmith Brewing Company. A decent-sized brewpub with ample seating and a nice little patio spot. Though a recent addition, it’s already a busy hotspot in the neighbourhood! Their brew selection includes some of their own unique concoctions like the Bownesian Rhapsody: Chicka Cherry Cola Sour and an Or-e-yo Chocolate Cookie Creme Brulee Cheesecake Stout. They also offer some cocktails and mocktails for the non-beer drinkers and sober folks respectively. The small food menu offers some great snack options including the Seattle Dog topped with cream cheese and candied jalapenos and the locally-made favourite, Deng’s Dumplings. Located along the Bowness Road’s bike lane and offering ample bike parking, this is a great stop no matter what your mode of transportation is for the day.
HIGHLIGHTS: Unique brews, inspired food menu and a nice patio.
Stop #7
Pazzer’s Pub
5032 16 Ave N.W.
For the final stop of the day, head towards the #1 Trans Canada Highway and you’ll find Pazzer’s Pub, Calgary’s ONLY Saskatchewan-focused bar. Someone’s gotta do it! Pazzer’s is a mainstay of the area, having been around for nearly two decades. It’s a friendly spot with reasonably priced beer, and their food menu features a lot of Ukrainian twists to traditional pub dishes, a nod to the province’s rich Ukrainian history. Somewhat close quarters make it easy to chat with your neighbours while you watch the next Roughriders game. Grab a pint, throw a couple bucks into the VLTs, and marvel at a great day touring a good chunk of the watering holes in the Bowness area.
HIGHLIGHTS: Food and drink specials and a Roughriders fan club.
