Brickhouse

Probably the diviest of Vancouver's dive bars. It's the kind of place you'll either love or dislike to a degree that you might want to leave as soon as you step in. There's a pool table, Christmas lights strewn around, interesting paraphernalia, an aquarium built into the wall, and very limited seating. Know the crowd you're taking before you go. If they're good with grungy places, you might have a fine night.

This place is best as the last stop of your night, but be warned -- there might not be seating when you arrive. The "seating area" is not designed to accommodate large parties. Think of it like a basement with a couch, a few small tables, and perhaps some stools. If you were hoping for a place to sit down and chat with your circle of buddies, this is probably not that place. Standing against the wall might be your best bet, or crowded around the pool table.

It might take forever to order a drink from the old Asian bartender behind the bar. (He was wearing a shirt that said "iPood" with a guy squatting on a toilet.) He does not take any crap from patrons and I respect that.

I'm giving an objective review, but I have to say, I love this place. The Brickhouse might be too ratty for you, but for those who love it, we love it.

If your looking to pick up a bed bug, this is the place for you.; the cushions and seats are as old as time and ripped and duct tapped. The older Asian bartender seemed friendly enough srt first until I asked him to put on music to dround out the vacuuming and he declined even before the bar closed. Then, when I tried to play music from my phone, he demanded I shut it off. I can only assume that he has worked there for years and years and feels entitled to shut the bar down before closing time. The entire experience made my skin crawl and lacked the slightest remnese of customer service.

Anyone who identifies as woman- beware. The man working the front door was rude and aggressive to the point that myself and three others felt unsafe. He was clearly drunk and/or high and was slurring that my friend needed to check a side bag, despite the five other people around us having bags of equal or larger size. She couldn't hear him because of the slurring and asked him to repeat himself and he told her she can go somewhere else. She ended up checking it, but the people behind us let us know he called her a skank multiple times once she walked away. Honestly checking the bag was no problem and the bartender was friendly once we got in, but I'll never be back. I felt gross and unsafe. We eventually had to have a nice man who heard the whole thing help us get the bag back. Hopefully the guy at the front was having an off day and doesn't call people skanks on the regular.

rock in a Comfortable atmosphere, bring a a few friends and some Zest the Brick House will do the rest :) service free of inhabitation's - food is unexpectedly delectable.

My first time back since before the pandemic. This place has not changed at all. It is still THE chillest place in town to grab a drink, and mingle with some real people. The Brickhouse is rough around the edges, but that is part of its charm. 5 stars.

Came here as a direct result of getting a tip from Reena M. This place delivers big time.

Parking is available if you look on the side streets. Otherwise you're looking at metered spots along Main.

The Brickhouse really is a Dive bar with a capital D. When I first tried going in, I went to the front door only to realize it was gated and padlocked. Huh? The signs on the glass tell you to go to the back. Simple enough, until you realize you have to go through a dingy alley completely with hobos. At this point you're also checking your back to make sure you're not about to get mugged or shanked. When you finally do get to the back, the door is also locked. Huh? Oh, you're supposed to rap on the door LOUDLY, then someone is supposed to open the door!? My head was filling up with crazy unpleasant thoughts when I went through this "Brickhouse rookie initiation" process.

Fortunately, the bartender came a-running and let me in after a few seconds of utter confusion. Wow, this place smells (literally) of character. By character I mean really really dusty upholstery. It was filled literally to the ceiling with vintage knick-knacks, from old textbooks (for those who want to feel "learned") to old soda dispensers. The entire bar is operated by one(!) cheerful girl, who has got to be the friendliest and most dedicated bartender I have ever met in a long time. More on her later, as she deserves a special mention. In the back is a pool table.

Seating came in the form of vintage mismatched (and somewhat dusty) couches arranged around the edges, as well as a couple of tables. The place had a very homely feel to it, as if you are in someone's basement. There were some oldies playing in the background, which added to the vintage feel.

The drink selection is quite wide, with highballs and cocktails to alcoholic eggnog to beer. The beer is some 8 types, all served draught. Only $4.75 (somewhat cheap) for a glass, and $17 (average priced) for a pitcher.

I need to talk specifically about the bartender. She went WAY beyond her duties for my friends and I tonight. When I asked about a beer, she gave me a small "sample glass" after telling me a couple of things about the brew in question. When my friends wanted coffees (some didn't drink), she gladly made a pot for them, no questions asked, for free. She even helped them add their sugars and creams. Our group left her a generous tip at the end of the night.

Even though a few of my friends initially wanted to cancel last-minute when they realized the location and surroundings of this bar, at the end ALL of them were very glad they showed up. The Brickhouse really is something. You won't be here for the upscale experience, but this is the place to be if you want character. Recommended.

I don't like jam, but dive bars are my jam. The Brickhouse is hella cool dude.

I can't describe the decor. Just check it out. Grab a pitcher and sit on one of many collectables.

This is one of the places you could spend hours at without even glancing at your phone.

Happy place.

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got, especially if you find yourself in the neighbourhood of this bar. Located 3 blocks North of the death metal bars and 3 blocks South of Crackville, The Brickhouse is the cozy nook on Main and Union that is so perfect that I probably shouldn't be writing about it.

This diamond in the rough looks exactly like what you always wanted to do with your treehouse. With it's elegant furniture, antiquated decorations, and just the right amount of dusty useless oddities, it emanates the human condition and feels like home. During the week it maintains its "coziest place to drink yourself to death" demeanor, but on the weekend it fills up with droves of people who all think they discovered it first.

Good for friends celebrating random things, bad for people trying to have sex with strangers. Just make sure you leave promptly when Leo the bartender starts playing "Hit the road Jack" over and over.

Brick House has a clock with No Time
Brick House has Goldfish that will not remember You.
Brick House has a Bitter Bartender, his name is Leo.
Brick House has 2 popular beer (420 & Pilsner),
the rest are Sour.

Thus this is the Tragedy that creates beauty in Life
Brick House is most Awesome on TUESDAYS;
Travelers from all over the globe
gather through Couchsurfing.

'Yay! I'm a fan'.

If you're looking for a dungeon-y, swanky, and utterly grungey-cool dive in bar to sink your butts in (because their seating is an assortment of comfy couches), then you're probably looking for Brickhouse.

Brickhouse is located only a walk away from Main Street-Science World skytrain, so it's accessible. The decór is neat, the music is mediocre, and the only bartender I've ever seen there is Leo. (I think he actually owns the place, but don't take my word for it.)

Leo's got a bit of charm, but has tendencies to scare off some customers with his cranky, grumpy attitude on the Friday and Saturday nights. Although, I guess if I had to serve a bunch of drunk assholes all night, I'd get a little impatient as well.

Other than that, there are some alright drink specials, nothing crazy. There's no food, so if you're just looking for a place to hang out with friends and play darts, pool, or just get cuddly on a couch and chat, Brickhouse ain't a bad pick.