The Black Swan Ale House

This is a tough one. Been here twice so far with friends… I love the old and aging décor, the place is packed with guys after work and the music is good. Def a local spot. I don’t mind the darkness as an Irish pub has to have a personality and this has it. great for crowds. The issue is sub par food and drink prices. I think they can do better. Tried a number of dishes and it was just meh. I would go for the social and atmosphere, but wishing food quality and drink prices were better.

Apparently this place has been around for a very long time. And you can kind of tell. Its dark, not run-​down but not overly updated either. I’d call this a real neighbourhood spot except there aren’t really any houses nearby. But there are clearly a lot of diehard regulars there so that says something.
The service is solid — the owner/​manager was there and recognized my friend who had last been there 10 years ago. So thats something. Our server was friendly and very laid back which was fine for a Sunday lunch.
On weekends they only serve food from their brunch menu which isn’t overly extensive so be prepared for that. The other weird thing was that they were out of key ingredients (that are not hard to buy at the grocery store right behind the pub…) for a couple of the breakfast dishes on their short brunch menu. As a result I ended up with my third choice of a meal and it was tasty (a short rib breakfast hash) but really filling.
Would I go back? Probably although not if I was choosing. Now that Ive read some of the wing reviews though I’m more tempted. So maybe!

Great wings, had the garlic butter and pepper wings and French onion soup. Very tasty
Good atmosphere and very friendly service. Will be going back the next time I am in Calgary

Good pub environment.
Lots of space for large groups.
Good food, made with «true taste» !
Poured a perfect cold Guinness!
Server was good– checked in often
Good was a little slow but it counted where it needed to.

Delicious Wings for a cheap Wing Wednesday!
The garlic butter wings are amazing.
The «hot» wings aren’t super hot… but tasty!
I’m a little sad that the wings don’t come with complimentary carrot sticks/​veggies so you have to order a separate side order of veg. but the food quality more than makes up for it.
The Wait staff seem pretty good. I’ve been on several different occaions and sat in different sections and had good service each time. ALTHOUGH on the last occasion, I sat in a section where it seemed the waitress had some regulars, who she paid MUCH more attention to. But as I said, she was a good waitress and food was brought fast and hot, and there were no problems. I’ll definitely be returning.

The Black Swan is right by where I get my hair done, so I have passed it a number of times but never actually tried it. I joined my parents for dinner there. The first impression was the pub seemed very dark. Not a lot of windows, so lacking some natural light. While I love the look of dark wood, it made the pub seem very dreary because there wasn’t much lighting.
I wasn’t overly hungry, so I just ordered the poutine lattice fries. The fries were cooked well, but it needed way more cheese. It ended up being gravy and fries basically. Also the gravy was super salty which made for some unpleasant bites. My mom and dad got the steak sandwich that was on special. They both said the steak was well cooked and the portion was a good size. I kind of wish I got the steak sandwich because it looked quite good. Oh well, live and learn!
I give 3 stars because the server was friendly and attentive, the beer I ordered was nice and cold (it’s surprising how many times I’ve received warm and flat beer at pubs) and the steak sandwich was well received by my parents. Perhaps I will return to try this famous steak sandwich!

Tried the brunch, smoked brisket, hash browns 2 soft poached with toast
Eggs overcooked
Toast with margarine no jam
Brisket hard and dry and pulled the long way into strings 4 inches long
Service is always good but this is not a brunch place

Food is passable if you don’t mind lukewarm fries. Reasons to avoid this place…
I was charged $ 2 for a dollop of regular mustard for my hamburger!
My partner has dairy allergies so ordered her burger and salad without cheese — both came with! Despite the place being mostly empty on a Saturday evening, service was slow, so we scraped the cheese off instead of waiting another 10 minutes for the waitress.
Was charged for large soup when ordered small.
Poor service from young waitress who kept using «I’m new» as an excuse. When paying the bill and asked about the extra charges, she said many of her customers complain about the same thing! We’ll, then maybe you should mention to customers the little things like basic French’s mustard will be $ 2, or that despite the menu you will receive and be charged for a large soup, at the time of the request.
Never mind that when you arrive, you’ll find the actual prices are 30%+ more than their on line menu indicates, plus different ingredients — online fish & chips indicate halibut, but arrive and it is cod. Don’t know whether the «bait and switch» is deliberate, but overall there is a distinct lack of integrity evident.
With pub-​style restaurants in every neighbourhood, there are many better places to choose.

Great hang out. If there ever was a local «Cheers» this would be it. After attending here for so many years and you just need a friend you can pretty much guarantee to walk in and know someone else that had sauntered up to the wood sippin a cold one. Food has never been disappointing and so worth the visit. They gave a coupon in the SUTP so why not head there and giver er a go. Ambiance is nice with lots of tvs for the games. Live bands and DJ nights too. Head down and get Swaned.

Lets start with the worst steak ever served to me in my life. I was really hungry and I didn’t finish it.
I wrote this place off and have gone back because of work. Clients going there, co-​worklers, etc. That original impression scared me but Ihave had nothing but good food and pretty awesome service since.
The atmosphere is nice and dark. Sorta old world cool. Read Old World as 1979.

Pretty much your standard, run-​of-​the-​mill pub with the exception of a very nice garden just off the back patio. Shaded, with benches, it makes for an «at home in the back yard having a beer» kind of feeling.
Also, and this might sound strange but it’s something I’ve noticed in Calgary, they serve Imperial pints (20 oz) and not the wimpy 16 oz pints most other places provide. Those extra 4 oz make a big difference.
Decent food, with a surprisingly good steak sandwich which is often on sale. Busy during lunch and on wing night, but never too busy that you can’t find a table. Service is on-​par with pretty much every other pub in the city.

This is right beside my work, so one day a friend and I decided to swing by for lunch.
It was dark and dreary inside, and there were only a few tables occupied. With groups of middle-​aged to older men. My friend and I went and sat down beside a window which was shuttered down and I commented on how dark the place was. My friend asked the table next to us if they were okay with us opening the blinds. One of the guys were like «its TOO BRIGHT»… so we only partially opened the blinds. I didnt want trouble, but I really needed some lights if I was going to see what I was eating.
I ordered the steak and kidney pie, cuz I’m adventurous like that. I asked the waitress if the kidney was overpowering in the dish. Her response was «oh, IIIIII have never tried it», vigorously shaking her head, with her eyes huge. Way to make me feel confident in my order, lady. I ordered it nonetheless.
Anyway, when my food came, the pie was actually quite good. It was steaming hot. And pretty delicious.
I may/​may not go back. If I do go back, it would mainly be for the steak and kidney pie, which I dont usually get cravings for. I wouldnt be returning for the atmosphere or anything. I usually like my regular haunts to be bright or cheery. Or sexy. Black Swan was unfortunately neither of these.
⁵⁄₃₀

I wandered into the Black Swan found a table for two and sat down. While I was waiting I was checking the messages on my phone. Eventually the waitress wanders over and announces the table is reserved and I have to leave. So I did as che clearly had no intention of serving me. I spent a few minutes in this place and never sampled the food or drink therefore I am unable to comment on it. I can however comment on the service as I now have a new candidate for the worst and rudest service ever. There was nothing on the table indicating it was reserved and I am pretty sure she made this up. I’m also pretty sure the Black Swan does not take reservations, especially for two people. My impression of the experience is I am from the wrong background, the place is misnamed and should really be called the White Swan.

I’ve been to the Black Swan house on several occasions, mainly for their beer and wings specials. Beer is beer except when it’s served warm, watery, and nasty, and what I’ve had at the Black Swan wasn’t of the sort. The wings over time have been between average and good. They’re served quick no matter how many you’ve ordered. Sometimes I did find that the wings were a little small and sparse in meat. But then again having given up on calculating how many pubs serve cheap wing night and how many chicken farms there are in this country, those chickens weren’t given much time to linger in this planet to get fat and big.
I’ve heard several stories about the Black Swan and the insanity that occurs when male testosterone and female insanity mix. But the times I’ve been here there hasn’t been any trouble at all, just a regular crowd of sports fans and wing/​beer lovers

One of south Calgary’s longest serving pubs (I guess technically an «Ale House), The Swan has always been a comfortable place to hang out. Even though it’s still a decent place for drink and food specials, not to mention great staff, it just isn’t what it used to be. What it really comes down to is the crowd, or should I say lack thereof. Not bad for a nice drink with friends.

I stopped in at The Black Swan Ale House a couple of nights ago. Although I didn’t stay long (with no more hockey to watch, I get a little antsy at pubs these days), I got the gist of this place. Allow me to summarize:
— Pretty typical pub atmosphere
— A variety of beers (30 of them to be exact)
— Delicious wings (if you’re into that)
— A full menu
— Very spacious
— Pool tables
— Darts
— Big screen TVs
Questions anyone?

I used to come here for Friday night name that tune with ally friends. As of late this has just become a great place to hang out and have a few beers. Good selection, good food, and good staff.

The Black Swan has some of the best wings in town. They’re meaty and full and cheap some nights of the week. It’s also a great place to watch the hockey game and have a few beers.
But they won’t let you take wings with you for the road. No, that is strictly prohibited. We must have been hungry that night, because I remember my friend stuffing a bunch of wings in some napkins and hiding them in a bag. Our waitress didn’t seem to notice. She must have thought we swallowed the bones.
Anyway, the Black Swan is a great little pub to check out.