Broken City Calgary
• 613 - 11th Ave. S.W. | Calgary, AB | T2R 0E1
Average User Rating:
7.66/10
7.66/10
Recommended by:
88%
88%
Sort Reviews by:
"Always a good time"
Martha
December 2011 — "I've been to Broken City a number of times over the years and I've never had a bad time. It's a great place to go for drinks and dancing, especially in the summer when the rooftop patio is open and you can enjoy a few pilsner tallboys at a picnic table in the hot sun.
Compared to other pubs, Broken City doesn't have the hugest menu -- they mainly do burgers, as well as some munchy stuff like nachos and poutine. I usually have their bugers or nachos, which are good but nothing to write home about.
But it's not really about eating at broken city -- it's more about the music and the drinks and the dancing. They have live shows all the time (which means it can be hard or expensive or both to get in some nights) and all other times, they tend to have a DJ. It's tiny inside so it gets really packed and you basically have to fight tooth and nail for a table, but it's worth the journey because it is a really fun place. "
User Rating
7.33/10
7.33/10
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"Jazz and a Burger"
mary
February 2011 — "Broken City is an interesting little space that has had several incarnations - this is certainly the most interesting so far as it is offering improvisational jazz open-mike on Saturday afternoons and we had the pleasure of hearing some of the strongest jazz in Calgary in a long time...there was even a 14-year-old boy and other young men who did a great job - definitely a fun space. The food menu offers snacks, breakfast, lunch, burgers and sides - the $$ range is from around $7 - around $15 so not too bad at all. They have a good and interesting variety of burgers where you can choose beef, turkey or vegan. I went for the Steakhouse Turkey Burger for $13.95 with a side of sweet potatoe fries included. The turkey burger came with blue cheese, tomato, caramelized onions and lettuce...the overall taste was very good and the meal was filling. They even offer a veggie chili as a side which is quite unusual. Broken City is a bar and offers the whole range of liqueur, beer and wine - I think Steamwhistle was supporting this jam and pints were on for $5.25 - good beer. The place is reasonably clean; the bathrooms have always had a bit of a funky smell but looked clean this time. A nice combination of jazz and food!"
User Rating
7.83/10
7.83/10
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"Cool Spot!"
Gary
February 2011 — "Broken City is located in the same spot that used to house TA Vern's. They have done some nice renovations, leaving the woody character, but adding a nice counter with stools and some booths. Broken City has quite a bit of live music and on the Sunday afternoon that I was there, they had a jazz jam. The performers were all quite young, the youngest being fourteen years old. It was a a lot of fun. (3-6 every Sunday) The server was busy but always managed to give us good service. I ordered a Steakhouse Burger. It wasn't cheap at a bit more than thirteen dollars. It was good though. I liked the blue cheese, caramelized onions, tomato and lettuce. All the burgers come with your choice of sides. I chose Vegan Chili, but Sweet Potato Fries , soup, Caesar Salad and more were also available. It is interesting to note that Broken City also serves breakfast. Check out their calendar of events and enjoy some live music. "
User Rating
8/10
8/10
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"Cool Bar, Great Music"
Lauren
December 2010 — "Broken City is one of my favourites bars in Calgary to meet up with friends and listen to good music. In the summer, their rooftop patio is a fantastic spot to sit in the sun, chat and have some drinks. The crowd is usually friendly as are the staff.
They bring in great bands many nights of the week and other nights they'll have DJs spinning. I've seen some really great shows there and have spent many a night getting down with friends on their dance floor.
On my last visit we stopped in for a couple of drinks (Pilsner tallboys are often on special, which is pretty great) and some food. The menu is simple but with lots of tasty stuff on offer including a variety of vegetarian eats. I tried the hummus with pita and veggies appetizer and it was really good. The hummus is homemade and one of the best I've tried. My friend had one of the burgers and said she really enjoyed it as well.
Broken City is a really great spot for a bite to eat or a big night out. "
User Rating
7.83/10
7.83/10
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"2nd Anniversary Dinner"
July 2010 — "Fantastic meal from start to finish. The owner greeted us and thanked us for visiting his restaurant. We had the feta bruschetta and the saganaki to start. The saganaki was the best appetizer I have ever tasted. Incredible flavor! My salmon was great and my wife's chicken was very good as well. The vegetables had tons of flavor too. Our desserts were very good, but a little on the small side. We both left the restaurant very satisfied and both looking forward to returning to try some different entrees. Our server was attentive, but not obnoxious. Highly recommended overall! "
User Rating
7.60/10
7.60/10
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"Sweet, Sweet Patio..."Keith
September 2009 — "...standard pub food.
I haven't really dug the food here since they streamlined the menu. Yet, I seem to make a habit of not eating before coming here, so I always end up ordering something.
Last time I was here I ordered the Broken burger with yam fries. I guess if there's an advantage to the new slim down menu, its that our order came out pretty quick. Although it also was midday and the patio wasn't that busy, so who knows.
In any case the burger was okay. What was tasty were the yam fries. I should have just ordered a basket of them, cause they were delicious!
The service was commendable, with our server very amiable and quick to ask for refills on our pints.
Of course the reason we really go to Broken is the awesome rooftop patio. Seriously, this is a great place to spend an afternoon and night."
User Rating
7.17/10
7.17/10
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"WOW Mexican"Siobhan
August 2007 — "I went to Broken City for lunch today. I had been very disapointed with the food in the past, but hey, the rooftop patio is great. We were really surprised when the server told us that they had a new chef and that the place was going to serve only Mexican food starting tomorrow.
While we were trying to decide what to eat, the chef came up and introduced himself. I asked him about the new menu. He then offered to let us try a few of the new dishes. He sent us 3 different plates to try. WOW! fantastic food. We all loved it. It seems to have come along way from the last time I ate here. The best part is that we were not charged for the food.
I will be going back to see that if it stays the same in regards to the food quality."
User Rating
8.83/10
8.83/10
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"Yikes! Very Slow Kitchen!"
Sarah
July 2007 — "We went to Broken City for lunch today and sat on their patio. It was a great patio and the service was really good, as far as drinks are concerned. However, our food took over an hour and we only ordered grilled cheese sandwiches, fries and salads. The server was very apologetic, but that doesn't make up for the fact that it took so long. No discount was taken off the bill either. We spent 1.5 hours there and wolfed down our food, which was pretty disgusting... the grilled cheese wasn't melted, the yam fries were nothing to rave about and the salad was basically taken out of a bag. I'll go back to drink, but as far as eating goes... I'll choose another downtown establishment."
User Rating
5.83/10
5.83/10
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"A Big Thumbs Up for Lunch!"Alejandro
June 2007 — "I just had lunch at Broken City and liked the entire experience. My drink (beer) was tasty, my sandwich (pulled pork) was delicious, the atmosphere (sunny rooftop patio) was top notch, and the service (nothing to say here) was excellent. Go early, have fun."
User Rating
8.50/10
8.50/10
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DescriptionPopular among local hipsters, Broken City is a laidback and fun pub that hosts a range of special music nights as well as local and international DJs and live bands. The bar's rooftop patio is heated and gets packed on warm summer evenings so get there early to avoid the queue. Special nights include Bring Your Own Vinyl Mondays, the Wild Rose Jazz Jam on Saturday afternoons and Rocksteady Saturday nights.
Location Information613 - 11th Ave. S.W.
Calgary
AB
T2R 0E1
Zeus in Concert
May 23
Canadian rock band, Zeus will be performing at Broken City with Night Committee and Kenna Burnima. No minors, must be 18 or over.
May 23
Canadian rock band, Zeus will be performing at Broken City with Night Committee and Kenna Burnima. No minors, must be 18 or over.
