By Jim Campbell (Suds Magazine’s Vancouver Reporter)
Last night I had a craving for something different. It was 6:30pm and the Canucks game was to start in one hour… I fired up ‘Yelp’ and started browsing through different neighborhoods for places to eat/drink that would satisfy my hunger.
As a big fan of craft beer I’ve been struggling to find a decent pub outside of Vancouver. It seemed I was lucky to find a pub with a single craft beer on tap in my area. In fact, one of the last pubs I went to the waitress did not even know what ‘craft beer’ was.
I first looked through White Rock’s listings… then Langley (my area)… nothing. Finally I checked Maple Ridge. At the top of my search was the Kingfishers Pub – five stars! I proceeded to look them up online as I seemed to recall seeing their name in some CAMRA posts. Sure enough, their website told me they had a wonderful selection of craft beer (See here: http://www.kingfisherspub.com/).
Although very close to where I live distance wise, I had to make the trek over the Golden Ears Bridge (Pay the toll) and snake my way through Maple Ridge to get there… it’s a little further than I like. They are right on the water next to the Old Albion Ferry – that ferry would have been very convenient for trips to the pub! Maybe I can find a boat to take me across the Fraser!
Craft Beer Taps at Kingfisher Pub in Maple Ridge, BC
My first impressions of the Pub were very good. Beautiful, modern décor… I was surprised that on a game night it wasn’t terribly busy – we got a nice booth right away with a good view of the TV screens over the bar. Once I sat down we were almost instantly greeted by our waitress, Erinn – a genuinely friendly, fun, and knowledgeable server (potential “Suds Magazine” server of the month!). I asked if they had any deals with CAMRA and she was quick to tell me that yes, CAMRA members get 10% off their food bill – sweet! I ordered up a pint of Lighthouse Race Rocks Ale and my fiancé had a Stanley Park Noble Pilsner.
http://www.lighthousebrewing.com/products
http://www.stanleyparkbrewery.ca/index.php?page=7
For dinner I had the Chicken fajitas… I am one of those guys that if there are chicken fajitas on the menu, I will typically order them – so I’ve eaten my fair share of them! The fajitas were excellent! I was brought a solid amount of seasoned chicken over top of onions and peppers with all the fixings – sour cream, homemade salsa, homemade guacamole, fresh cut butter lettuce, and shredded cheese. It seems most places I have fajitas I either run out of chicken or soft tacos… I had plenty of both!
My fiancé had a very unique ‘Albion Seafood Salad’. It was loaded with fresh scallops, prawns, salmon, and cod/halibut (Not sure). I had to try it – and it was fantastic!
After dinner I had room for one more pint, so I ordered a Red Racer IPA – a solid local IPA that I drink often. I then asked Erinn to explain the Pub’s ‘Membership’ into their Beer Club. For $55 you get an annual membership – it gives you 4 sleeves a month, invites to cask nights (including a free glass), stein nights, and other functions. I signed up immediately!
When I finished signing up, Ted, the owner of the pub, came to our table to thank me for signing up. We chatted for a few minutes about craft beer and their association with CAMRA. It was a great personal touch that wrapped up our visit so well.
I am really looking forward to this Thursday’s cask night – Red Racer Pale Ale, dry hopped with Centennial Hops! It will be a great prequel to a long weekend down at the Leavenworth Fest of Ales.
Overall a five star experience! Great food, great service, and great beers! Off the beaten track, but certainly worth finding the next time you’re heading down Lougheed Highway!
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