Milltown Bar and Grill in Vancouver ( Well, actually Richmond, B.C.) was a lucky find for me. I was dining at another establishment, posting a pic on Social Media and was directed to this Bar by a follower. The recommendation came with such positivity about the place I could not contain my curiosity to try out something new and ended up going there right from the other place I was currently at.
I was not disappointed. Situated regally in the middle of an Island in Richmond right by the Airport this Bar is like arriving at a Castle with its own moat. The drawbridge is always down here as it is a thriving community of its own. 
Views of a marina and incoming flights are your choices with patios on both sides of the building. If you are more of an inside person, you will enjoy the rustic, wood accented ‘warm’ feel of the Bar immediately. Serving a demographic of younger to middle age you find a varied, yet happy vibe within the walls of this Beer Castle. Sailboat owners coming in after a sail, golfers from the nearby sites, locals who live and work nearby and everyone else in the City who has been lucky enough to find out about this place.
What stands out to me the most is the ‘feel’ of the place aside from it’s impressive location and views – this Bar has style, class and a darn good dose of ‘old fashioned’ service where you feel like you are the MOST important person in that place when you walk in the front door. Bar staff greet you immediately and are pretty good at getting to know you by name if you chat with them at any point in time. So, before long you’ll be like a ‘regular’ and get the royal treatment. This kind of service really impresses me – it should be the norm in most dining establishments, but unfortunately it isn’t, especially in the more casual and relaxed atmospheres of Bars and Pubs. I like to feel comfortable, relaxed and important as a customer when I’m hanging out in a Bar or Pub, and this place delivers consistently.
Paddy (left) and Scott (right) will be friendly faces who’ll you meet almost immediately – and you’d never know they were the owners of the joint by the way they work hard right alongside the awesome staff. This is also something that impressed me a great deal. It showed a passion to their work and a dedication as well as a willingness to do the ‘dirty work’ to keep it all running in alignment with their vision. It’s effective, I trusted the place even more when I realized they guy who wiped our table, brought us water and made sure we were happily seated was the owner of the place. These guys take pride in their Bar, and it shows.
Darryl Ponech is chef of Milltown and also the co-owner. Again, an inspiring dude who gets right in there to ensure you get the best of the best. I have yet to meet this fellow, but I know he’s awesome by the taste and enjoyment level of the food.
The Food – the most important aspect of a Pub or Bar other than the Beer. This food at this joint is spectacular in it’s ability to stay casual and very Bar like, but also be fresh, healthy and downright tasty. My favourites have been the smoked salmon flatbread – served on a bed of mixed greens with a drizzle of this fantastic sauce and heaps of salmon – you will be dreaming of it after you taste it and want more – all the damn time. Another one of my favourites is their Sunday night Prime Rib Dinner with all the trimmings and Yorkshire pudding – they offer you this memory of childhood and home for a shocking $13.95 only. They say it would cost more to make it at home, and they are absolutely right! This dish is one of the most popular after 5pm on Sunday as their special. I could go on and on about their fun menu and specials – but you should probably just check out the place for yourself and go every day of the week to try them all out.
Another thing I love about this place, is after you have had a few drinks, some fantastic food, relaxed, had a good hang out with friends – they offer FREE shuttle service to get you home safe and sound. Above and beyond doesn’t even cover it. Milltown Bar and Grill puts its Community values in action again and provides a service to show you they really do care, and they want you to get home in one piece.
If you haven’t discovered this Beer Castle yet, I urge you get on down there as soon as you can – the digs will quickly become your ‘go to’ for meetings, gatherings and other fun stuff. Don’t even get me started on their ridiculously fun Saturday Night Music Trivia – that’s a whole other blog post since I took a team one night to play and ended up with the grand prize. TWEET to share info on the Beer Castle: [tweetthis remove_twitter_handles=”true” remove_hidden_hashtags=”true” remove_hidden_urls=”true”]The Best #Beer Castle in all of the Land – @Milltown_Bar – comes with a moat and everything! #Vancouver #Foodie[/tweetthis]
Fun, Family, Food – it’s all there. And BEER, of course. Lots of good Beer. See you there!
