Is Trolley 5 the best, liveliest brewpub in Calgary?

Recently, my sister and I were gushing about the wildly popular happy hour at Canmore’s Bridgette Bar. Our one complaint: It was loud and crowded, especially for a Wednesday afternoon.

When I mentioned this to a friend and equally ardent fan of Bridgette’s daily half-price pizzas, he replied (somewhat disdainfully) “It’s not loud, it’s lively!”

Memo to self: 1) I’m old. 2) I need to get out more.

So when said friend suggested going to the “best, liveliest” brewpub in Calgary, I was all in.

As we strolled down 17^th Avenue, on a wintery late Saturday afternoon, I was struck by the pulsing scene—eats and drinks places jammed with, yes, young people who I assume live, perhaps carless, in the surrounding Beltline neighbourhood.

Our destination was Trolley 5, a brewpub so hopping that, at 5:45 pm, we had to squeeze into seats at the bar… and there wasn’t even a Flames game on. Of course, we almost had to shout to be heard over the din, amplified by a couple of drunken seat mates.

You can’t beat sitting at the bar

But it was a lot of fun, even for me, a Marathon Mouth diner and drinker who goes out of his way to avoid crowded peak hours.Most important, the beer was tasty; in our case pints of High Five IPA at happy-hour pricing. And the food, often a taproom afterthought, was exceptional—an expansive menu ranging from charred romaine hearts to duck confit banh mi. Our smoking hot wings were among the best I’ve had, and the house-smoked brisket sandwiches divine.

Some of the best wings I’ve devoured

I can see myself working through the menu on subsequent visits. Hail the noise.

P.S. Our bar seats gave us a front-row view of two fast-moving bartenders. I’m guessing keeping up with the beer orders trumped careful pours, judging by the amount of precious suds flowing down the drain.

P.S.S. Trolley 5 refers to the commuter line that once rolled through the Beltline.

Trolley 5 Brewpub
728 17 Avenue SW, Calgary
Opens 11:30 am weekdays and 10 am weekends
403-454-3731