It’s a boy! Or is it a girl? Either way, National on 17th has a sibling. The second location of the beer hall hot spot opened Thursday, April 18, 2013 to little fanfare. The new 10th Avenue location just opened its doors at 4pm, and there you had it. Occupying the space formerly tenanted by the Whiskey, the beer hall is just a couple doors down from Craft; can we call it Beer Hall Row?
The spot is multi-levelled with a mezzanine overlooking the main floor and a bowling alley being constructed in the basement (set to open in a couple months). Much like the space Craft is in, National on 10th is big, but they’ve segregated the main floor room with a giant rack of faux kegs, so it won’t feel empty when it’s not busy. But judging by Calgary’s love of “après” (work in this case), and the difficulty in scoring a table after 4pm, we doubt National on 10th will have a slow day anytime soon.
There are ping pong tables both upstairs and on the main level, as well as foosball. National’s signature long communal tables are also present at 10th Ave, as well as the same food menu. TV screens flash the beer selection, but are not quite as in your face as the original spot, and there are a series of booths tucked along one wall if needed for a serious tête-à-tête.
341 10th Ave SW