Vern’s

To be quite blunt the owner is a dick. We walked in, went to get a drink and he gets upset because we didn’t ask please after we ordered drinks. He asks if we are from America and we say no, we are from Edmonton. And he responded, «well Canadians would know to say please» I don’t know what stick is up his ass but he is a grump who wants to ruin other peoples good nights. Most shocking part is he’s the owner!
You won’t find me here again, I will find somewhere else to spend my money that’s for sure. But. I still won’t let grumpy pants ruin my night, Im having a great time with my peeps :)

This place is a dive bar in the downtown of Calgary. Normally I love dive bars because the people are always down to earth and honest.
Unfortunately I was treated extremely disrespectfully by the staff. Now normally I would just file a complaint with the management or the owner. In this case however the person in question was the owner.
Bad attitudes and disrespect at that level of management really says volumes about the type of establishment that this is.
I will never come back to this bar and I will never recommend it to anyone else either.

A dive bar in the best run-​down-​but-​not-​especially-​dangerous way. A stage for live garage bands, low light, bathroom scrawl to pass the time, and a somewhat abused pool table are serviced by friendly, will-​have-​a-​real-​conversation-​with-​you staff. The basement establishment’s décor consists of mostly band stickers, which along with sentimental attachment are probably the only things holding the place together. Good beer and liquor prices, especially for being downtown!

Vern’s is the best venue for up and coming local and travelling bands to perform. It is a quaint and humble basement location with a billiards table. The Walls are covered in bands’ stickers, posters and cymbals. Great atmosphere.

Vern’s is great for live music but that is it!
DO NOT DRINK THE DRAFT BEER– you will die if you are lucky

Best dive in the city. Never had a bad night at Verns. The floors are sticky and the punks are crusty just the way I like it. Good bathroom scrawl to keep you entertained. Friendly atmosphere, everyone just has a great time.

All the other reviews were right, it was my first time here seeing a few bands and it was great. Friendly staff, I ran a tab and they all remembered my name and had a pint being pored when I came up to the counter… remember your please and thank you’s… excellent time will be back.

This place rules. Always good music and friendly faces. The employees seem to have a rad time and I’m always either insulted or shamelessly hit on by the owner. I love you Clint.

Vern’s is hideous. I doubt anybody has put any thought into the way this place looks. It’s like everything was just there when the place was built, and the only reason you replace something is when it’s broken and too dirty for the duct tap can stick anymore. It is the bar equivalent to a punk rockers beaten up grungy party basement.
So… basically what I’m saying is — VERN’S IS AWESOME!!! I LOVE VERN’S!
Love it, or hate it, and trust me it’s going to be one of those two, Vern’s is pretty much the ‘as real as it gets’ music bar for the Calgary music scene. This is the place where beginner bands get there first start and where the YYC music big guns love to come back to to pay their respects and feel at home in their first home. Vern’s is where it all comes from.
Pro-​tip: 100% of the cover charge goes to the bands. I hope you’ll find that $ 5 or $ 10 split between two or more bands is a pretty small price to pay for live entertainment. The beer is cheap, so after five pints of Alberta Genuine Draft, you’ll have more than made your money back, and you’ll have had a heck of a good time.

I want you to close your eyes and picture this… Wait, dummy! If you close your eyes then you can’t read my review! But imagine this… you’re at a house party in a scuzzy part of town (believe me, I’ve attended my fair share!) and your buddy’s band is playing down in the basement. There is a keg of cheap beer in the corner of the room and the smell of fart is so pungent it’s as if someone let it rip directly on your upper lip. This is the best way to describe Vern’s!
Everyone refers to Vern’s as a dive bar and that’s cool by me; even I don’t mind slumming from time-​to-​time (just ask your mother!) But seriously, this place is a hole but at least it’s not prancing around pretending it’s something it’s not. The tables and chairs look like they were pinched from local garage sales since nothing matches but this makes some sense since they probably get trashed all the time. I did admire the broken cymbals on the wall, they definitely added to the authenticity of the experience. Heed my warning though; avoid the washrooms! We had the unfortunate luck of sitting 30 feet from the can and every now and again I would be rewarded with a gentle waft of ass-​smell. I wasn’t necessarily surprised as this seems to be a common thread on most reviews, but you have now been forewarned that the rumours are true.
I probably would have never gone to Vern’s if a co-​worker wasn’t performing there that evening. But would I go back? In one word, yes! The beer is cheap, the entertainment was decent and the people watching was spectacular! The crowd at Vern’s is the most unusual rag-​tag group of misfits I have had the pleasure of eavesdropping on in my life! You have everything from the post-​tween LG’s to the strung-​out middle aged rockers to feast your eyes on. The Black Pilsner on tap was delicious and cheap and I got to see first hand just how talented my co-​worker is as a musician (even though it told him he sucks). Vern’s has a chill community vibe that is uncommon in most bars. For example, I caught the owner call one of the patrons a floozy and as they laughed it off he poured her a shot on the house. My kind of guy!
I’ve been to house parties in my past that closely resemble an evening at Vern’s, vile smells included! Call me nostalgic but the parallels were enough to make me not hate the place.

Vern’s Tavern: Local Musical Watering Hole
Small, dark, filled with broken chairs from mosh pits past and the famous cymbal wall are all sights one can expect to see after climbing down the grungy flight of stair into the bar.
This cosy rock and roll bar is a place where local musical talent can find refuge.
Clint Pike, owner of Vern’s Tavern has a simple approach to the musical talent he chooses to showcases, anyone and everyone.
To view a full article on Vern’s Tavern please visit my website:

Vern’s is a dive where you’ll always see interesting punk/​metal/​hardcore shows. Think of your stereotypical dive bar from movies, and you can get the idea. Yes this includes the bathrooms from time to time. OK… most of the time.
Be prepared for it to be really loud too, since it is a small venue. From the bar to the front of the «stage» takes about 5 – 10 steps. If the band is really good, you’ll see some moshing up front as well, so keep that in mind when you choose where to sit or stand.
For the clientele it serves, this place is perfect. I doubt they’d have it any other way.

I enjoy Verns, it’s a total dive, but that doesn’t bother me. I actually kinda like how there are old cymbals covering the walls and a sticky floor by 11. I like the owner too, he’ll remind you to say please when ordering a beer, and he’s got a good attitude towards his clientelle. If you’re gonna act like a horse’s ass, you’re not welcome. If you want to get boozed up and shove around in the crowd while some heavy rock and roll blasts in your face, he’s the first guy to encourage that. But he’ll quickly advise you to keep your elbows down, and be considerate.
This place is a part of a community, to dismiss it as a dive is ridiculous. Chances are, if you have an issue with how Verns does business, you are probably not welcome.

What an honor to play here! Vern’s is definitely one of the most interesting dive bars in the city, a basement suite with poor lighting, interesting décor (the wall behind the stage is covered in beat-​up cymbals), cheap swill for beer, and heaps of melty nachos. The owner and sound guy, Cliff, is a stand-​up guy, a grizzly with a heart of gold. Everytime the Outlaws hit the stage here, whether for Sled Island or an everyday metal show, it feels like home, and we know we will sound as good as we wished we were.

Vern’s is the ultimate dive bar. I say this because they have a regular clientele, relatively cheap drinks, and they are located in a basement.
They have a wide range of musical performances, mostly metal, punk and new age rock. The shows obviously occupy most of the night time hours, and can draw a crowd. The place really picks up at night. The shows seem to bring a lot of people to the place, since they are among the few venues with heavier music. The crowds are usually young music lovers, who party and dance no matter who the showcase band is.
The sound guy, as well as the owner, Clint, is a super friendly dude, albeit a little scary. He can be quite intimidating, but once you engage him in conversation you realize he’s not so scary after all. I’ve been to Vern’s for the sole purpose of having a couple drinks and great conversation with Clint.
Vern’s is also a good place for lunch and day time hours. They often have really good specials, both drink and food, which only the regulars really know about. People will often go to Vern’s just because of their lunch menu. The place sometimes fills up at lunch, but usually remains empty in the late afternoon, until the shows start at night.
Best dive bar in the city? Probably not to everyone, but it’s definitely a good time if you’re looking for cheap drinks, quick food and some decent, heavy music. It’s by far my favourite dive bar!