Nightlife in Mission

At three locations across Vancouver, Samz Neighbourhood Pub invites patrons to hobnob with friends and enjoy a menu of classic pub favourites. As TVs broadcast UFC events and Vancouver Canucks’ slumber parties, cooks dish up everything from fish ’n’ chips and chorizo mac ’n’ cheese to pierogies stuffed with cheese and potato. Among more than a dozen burgers and sandwiches, the salmon burger—stacked with tartar sauce, pickles, and onion—stands out as an uncommon option.

Since filling their first glass with suds more than 30 years ago, the Sandpiper Pub’s affable staff continues to foster a casual atmosphere where White Rock citizens and surrounding communities can congregate for relaxed merrymaking. Out of view of the bustling dining room, Sandpiper’s chefs artfully plate classic British pub fare such as steak-and-kidney pie with homemade gravy and fish 'n' chips assembled in the shape of John Cleese. While the sun makes its daily retreat over the horizon, its brilliant blush spills through the bar’s windows and bathes all in attendance in its golden glow. Amid views of the bay afforded by its location off Marine Drive, a heated, covered patio facilitates scenic alfresco feeds and photo-ops of undercover snowmen masquerading as humans. A weekly calendar of televised sports games and live entertainment—including karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights and weekend DJ-fueled dances—brings customers back to the pub to share in its food and communal vibe.

Bringing an approachable style of tavern cheer to its Surrey street corner, Jack's Public House sets its hearty breakfast and dinner fare against a perpetually festive backdrop. Customers enter under Jack's long, blue awning and elbow up to the bar's rich woodwork or grab a specialty drink such as a Jackersonic gin and tonic before sauntering over to the outdoor patio area. Recent and enthusiastic new owners have revamped the menu and installed flat-screen TVs for keeping tabs on UFC, NFL, and soap-opera action. Each day delivers a different weekly promotion or event such as Almost Famous Karaoke nights emceed by sing-along enthusiast Jacqueline Stone.

Among the lively chatter of friends and the glow of 11 HDTVs, Rusty’s offers a home away from home where patrons can relax and beer spills are not a big deal. Bartenders pour tall, frosty glasses of Canadian and import brews and shake up martinis and cocktails. The menu offers eclectic dishes, such as perogies and chorizo, butter-chicken rice bowls, and Big Kahuna flatbread. Patrons can pop in to catch the Canucks, BC Lions, and Whitecaps or stop by on Mondays to flex their golden pipes or practice their duck calls during karaoke. As a part of the community, the team at Rusty’s looks to help their patrons drink responsibly and offers a complimentary pickup-and-drop-off shuttle service from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Lush green foliage wraps around one half of Roo's Pub and Grill, although the building cannot easily be concealed. Its large physical presence is matched by an extensive menu of hearty eats, including pasta dishes with hot chorizo and burgers formed in-house and topped with cheese and mushrooms.

A rough stone wall forms a backdrop behind the bar, which glimmers with a multitude of bottles, and a fireplace surrounded by dark wood cultivates a rustic feel. Patrons can entertain themselves after meals by heading to pool tables and dartboards, or they can let others do the entertaining during live music and open-mic events. Flatscreen televisions are also onsite, ensuring guests always know if there's a thunderstorm warning or a new commercial for car insurance.

Lamb sliders slathered in Guinness mustard and cured-ham-stuffed chicken served with a wild-mushroom whisky cream are just two of the Irish pub dishes served up at St. James's Well. From 11 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, patrons can lounge on wooden chairs, absorbing the homey pub atmosphere as they watch Vancouver Canucks and BC Lions games. Alternatively, groups can gather on the outdoor patio to drink Guinness while looking up at the sun as it sinks toward its nightly collision with the moon. St. James's also hosts live entertainment every Friday and Saturday night.