Located on the western edge of Gastown near Waterfront Station, Steamworks Brewing Company is one of the most popular restaurants in the Vancouver area, and one of my favorite places to hang out and enjoy craft beer with my friends.

The Steamworks building towers above Cordova Street near Richards

Steamworks Brewing Company first opened in 1995, and it gets its name from the famous Gastown steam line that runs through the premises. Steam is use to fire the kettles that brew the beer, and according to the Steamworks website, “the instant heat of steam allows for greater brewing finesse, and most importantly great tasting beer.”

The brewing area can be seen across from the kitchen, and on your way to the washrooms, downstairs in the pub section

As I often do when I go to a brewpub, when I was there last week, I ordered the tasters. I was lucky that they had 8 different beers available at the time, so I was able to get 8 taster glasses (sometimes they only have as few as 6, but I would say the average is around 7).

Their usual assortment of delicious beers. The dark and light ones stuck together near the menu are German beers left over from the 2010 Olympics

Here is what I got to taste during my last visit. All text in brown is part of the beer’s description taken from the Steamworks menu:

Lions Gate Lager Our Lion’s Gate Lager has a light body, a very crisp palate and a soft, hop finish, which is imparted by the exquisitely gentle Czech Saaz hop variety. The Lions would approve.
Signature Pale Ale Plenty of British Crystal malt in the grist lends this ale its rich colour, its caramel maltiness, and adds the occasional whiff of toffee to the nose. An addition of American and German hops to the kettle at the end of the boil is used to suffuse our Pale Ale with a gently spicy hop finish.
Empress India Pale Ale This ale’s golden amber colour only hints at its full-bodied flavour. Its sumptuous maltiness is tempered by a goodly amount of bitterness and a mouth-filling hop flavour. In order to finish our I.P.A. with a truly fresh hop bouquet, we dry hop this ale in the serving tank with both East Kent Goldings and Mount Hood hops.
Heroica Oatmeal Stout A generous portion of rolled oats and lots of black roasted barley give this beer a warm, roasted nose, and a distinct dryness that succumbs to waves of lingering satisfaction.
Ipanema Summer White Unmalted wheat and oats are used in the grist to lend this brew its smooth, light body. Coriander seed and Curacao orange peel are added to the kettle to infuse this beer with a subtle, perfumey spiciness. The result is a light wheat beer with a fruity, tart finish – the essence of summer.
Nirvana Nut Brown Ale
 I’m not sure about this one. This is the name that was on the sheet below where the taster glass was on, but I can’t find any mention of it on the Steamworks site.
2 Special beers Two of the beers were German beers left over from the Olympics (During the Olympics, Germany House was right beside Steamworks).

Steamworks also brews a selection of seasonal beers throughout the year. The ones I’ve tried so far are:

  • Skinny Tire Hefeweizen
  • Raspberry Frambozen® (my favourite)
  • Sour Cherry Ale
  • Great Pumpkin® Ale
  • Blitzen® Christmas Ale
  • Ginger beer

Since I moved to Vancouver in 2003, I’m sure I have been to Steamworks more than 100 times, and I still like to stop by for some of their delicious beer at least once every month. It’s not just the beer that is good, though; a lot of their food is also really good, and they have quite a large number of menu items to choose from. A few of my favourite menu items include the Beer Battered Halibut & Chips, the Baked Spinach & Crab Dip, the Chorizo & Chicken Quesadilla, and their awesome yam fries with balsamic glaze and pesto mayo. There is definitely something for everyone there.

One of the things that I find really cool about Steamworks is actually how huge it seems to be inside. There are so many different sections, including the Uber Lounge, the Wine Room, and the Harbour View room. I get the feeling that I can enjoy some slightly different atmospheres all in the same building. My favourite places for gathering with friends in there are the Harbour View room (great place for dinner parties) and the pub section, which are both located downstairs. Down the spiral stairs, you’ll also find a small waiting lounge, a pool table, the Wine Room, kitchen, washrooms, and the brewery itself.

Steamworks has a sister restaurant right next to it called the Transcontinental. It’s located right inside Waterfront Station, and it has a much quieter and more elegant atmosphere than Steamworks. I personally prefer Steamworks, but I have been with people who thought Transcontinental was better. One good thing about it, though, is that if you have a group that is pretty big–let’s say 6 or more–and Steamworks is full, you can usually go to Transcontinental and get right in there.

You can see the Transcontinental banners on Waterfront Station. The Steamworks building is to the right.

Transcontinental has almost all the same beers as Steamworks, and also a few others that weren’t brewed in the brewpub, but you can’t get tasters there (yet). Also, it seems that the menu items at Transcontinental are a bit more expensive. For example, Fish & Chips at Steamworks is $16.99; whereas, at Transcontinental, it’s $18.

Though the service is usually quite good, which is quite a feat considering how busy it is, Steamworks is not without its faults. One thing that really stands out for me is the time I organized a party for some of my friends to try out the new pumpkin beer they had just begun serving there. Despite the fact that I called ahead to make sure it was there, when we all got there the next day, we were told by our server that they had just run out of the pumpkin beer, and wouldn’t have any more until the next week. What made that extra bad for me, though, was that the exact same thing happened to me the year before.

Anyway, even after 7 years, Steamworks still remains one of my favourite restaurants in the Vancouver area for gathering with friends, and enjoying fine beer, good food, and a pleasant atmosphere. If I ever have friends visiting me here from other countries, Steamworks is usually one of the places I will bring them for a good dining experience in Vancouver. I’m not sure if it’s because I want to give them a good experience, or if I’m just using it as an excuse to go and try out their beer again.