By Joe Johnson (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: July 17, 2013
20620 56 Ave, Langley
(604) 534-3455
Hours: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Price: Up to $14.99
The journey to culinary delight has, this week, brought me to Langley for the Rendezvous Pub.
This sports bar is located on the corner of 56 Avenue and 206 Street, right in the old downtown core. While it’s easily missed when casually driving by due to its brick and mortar design and low-key signage; it has actually been operating there for over three decades now.
Upon entering, the first taste of atmosphere was dark, stuffy and weak on air circulation. But for four in the afternoon, there was a sizeable amount of people enjoying themselves.
To my immediate right was a small alcove, nestled in front of the bar. The main sitting area was up three steps to the left. Unsure of where to sit, but not wanting to be too conspicuous in the middle of the bar, my friend and I saw a patio and made our way outside.
It was nice to have the protection of a sun umbrella, the croons of classic rock and a pitcher of Canadian. We also had the picturesque view of the parking lot.
While there was a slight delay in being waited on due to a mix-up in a shift change, I was impressed when things did get sorted out. The service was one of the better experiences I’ve had in some time. The waitress was very friendly, fun and genuine.
While trying to decide on an appetizer it was pointed out that we had luckily come right in the middle of their daily half-price appetizer deal. Most of the items were typical fare, but seeing the spicy crab and shrimp dip the decision was settled. The average price for the appetizer was $10.99.
Only a couple minutes later, it was delivered – a creamy sauce covered in a layer of thick melted cheese and a considerable amount of tortilla chips. The chips were slightly brittle breaking through the cheese, but it was absolutely delicious. Not so much spicy, as the name would suggest, but more zesty; the chipotle was certainly noticeable.
After powering through the appetizer, a tougher decision had next to be made. Tired of hamburgers, those were ruled out. Sandwiches and wraps didn’t sound filling enough, so the two of us both ordered from the entrees.
Again, we were waited on quite quickly. I went with the fish and chips and my friend ordered the perogies and sausage, both for $12.99.
Fish and chips are very much a standard, but not always the best choice. They often turn out over-battered and greasy. However, once the food was brought over, that turned out to be far from the case.
The presentation was above expectation for both our dinners, given that it was a relatively average-priced sports bar. It looked like my friend had about eight perogies on his plate, with a foot-long sausage laid on top.
But back to the fish and chips, I had two sizeable pieces of breaded pacific cod. Breaking into them with my fork was a magnificent pleasure as the fish sparkled in the sunlight and tasted amazing. My worries were set adrift as it was very clean and the amount of fish under the batter was bursting out. The fries were plentiful and good enough, albeit an afterthought.
We both attempted to devour the meals. But it wasn’t long before it began to feel like a sequel to The NeverEnding Story. This dinner was one of the greatest food struggles I’ve ever had the pleasure to take part in.
In the end, I gave up with about a quarter of the fries left. But I was satisfied as we sat back on the sun-drenched patio. The Rendezvous Pub offered fantastic service, great food and a very reasonable price.
