A Burnaby pub and restaurant that just celebrated its one-year anniversary is really on a roll right now.
Biercraft opened amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the UniverCity development on Burnaby Mountain. It was doubly tough for Biercraft because one of its biggest customer bases – SFU students – was virtually non-existent because the school was closed to in-person classes for a long, long time.
But with students back on campus, Biercraft is usually packed and now customers can bask in the warm spring weather on the coolest patio in the city. Biercraft’s patio is like a zen garden, with a green and leafy tree canopy and the sounds of rushing water from the fountains located just across a stone meeting area. Imagine sitting on a patio and looking across at a cascading waterfall.
It really is a nice way to enjoy a beer and some food.
If the Biercraft name sounds familiar, it’s because there are several restaurants with the same name in Vancouver. This Biercraft, however, is the first franchisee and not corporate owned, one of the new owners told me.
Biercraft is located at 8902 University High St.
The place is cool and well-designed, with lots of big screen TVs showing sports as well as a kick-ass patio that has views of water fountains.
I don’t drink alcohol so I haven’t tried one of the many beers they have on tap, but other diners told me Biercraft had a fine selection to suit all tastes.
Instead, I come to eat and Biercraft’s menu is so good I often get my server to come back twice because I can’t make up my mind.
I’ve tried the pound of mussels steamed with garlic, herbs and white wine. Biercraft, however, has five different types of preparations for the mussels, including leek and pear, New Orleans, Neopolitan and Madrid. You can also get it with an incredible load of focaccia bread to sop up all of that sauce.
The menu also includes the usual items like burgers and steak, but there are some other cool items like a braised beef mac and cheese, pork shoulder lettuce wraps, dan-dan noodles, a beyond bratwurst as well as four different types of tacos, including one topped with sambal chicken and one with barbecue jackfruit.
For dessert I loaded up with a cookies and cream sundae that included some salty pretzels.
Since my first visit, I have come back several times and have enjoyed the quiet of the patio. Now if the weather can just stay nice for the next few months.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
