Central City Brewing has set up shop in downtown Vancouver, and are pouring some serious suds with some excellent food pairings.
The new Red Racer Restaurant takes over the old Dix building at 871 Beatty Street, and is Central City’s second restaurant after the flagship in Surrey.
So what is Central City bringing to the table with this new 200-seat restaurant? Here’s a look at what you can expect.
Atmosphere
At 4,800 square feet the space is a fairly good size and will likely feel spacious even when full. The new space pays homage to the former tenant, Dix BBQ & Brewery, retaining some of its original brick and beam character, mosaic tile work and design. Central City has taken the old space and added in features that feel very Victorian steampunk. There are oversized long tables, leather chairs, industrial lighting made from Seraph Gin bottles, and industrial accent pieces scattered throughout the restaurant. At the center of the restaurant is their private dining room which features sits a prominent cherry wood foeder barrel where the sour beer will be aged.
Cool little elements like the lighting made from Central City gin bottles and the Red Racer neon sign lighting the stairs to the bathroom make the space stand out.
Food
The menu at the new restaurant has a strong meat focus, something akin to Devil’s Elbow (operated by Howe Sound Brewing). Central City’s Executive Chef Carl Sawatsky has designed a menu with a southern BBQ style, featuring their signature build-your-own-BBQ-burgers, and dishes infused with Central City’s beer line-up, including:
- Devils on Horseback: Herbed goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped in crispy beer bacon and served hot with an IPA sauce.
- Quinoa Cobb V Salad: Black bean & roasted corn salsa, avocado, crumbled blue cheese, quinoa, sliced free range egg & mixed greens. Served with an avocado herb dressing & squash chips.
- The Zeus Burger: Lamb Patty, goat cheese, lamb bacon, tzatziki, roasted garlic, onion rings, fried egg, butter lettuce, vine ripe tomato.
This is a beer and BBQ joint primarily, with a heavy focus on the meat-eating crowd. There are some vegetarian options available, but this is definitely catered towards the meatatarians.
Beer
Obviously beer is the main focus at the new restaurant, and to that effect they will be serving 40 local craft beers on tap. This includes 14 of Central City’s own Red Racer and limited release beers, Hopping Mad Cider. In addition, they will have rotating taps of some of BC’s best beers and other award winning beers from across North America. The restaurant also features wine taps and a wine wall for those drinking wine in a brewery setting.
With a heavy focus on Central City beers, they’ve actually crafted a smart list of supporting beers from breweries like Persephone, Four Winds, Hoyne and more. One cool feature is the live cask update on their TV screens. You can easily see what’s pouring, how much each beer will cost and how much is left in the keg.
Prices range from $4 for a 10 ounce to around $6.50 for a 16 ounce. But they also feature one of the better happy hours, where most beers come in at only $3!
Ale/Sessions 