By Jessica Wind (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: April 3, 2013
45975 Wellington Avenue, Chilliwack
604-703-0866
Hours: Mon to Sat 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Sun 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Prices: Food ranges from $10 to $15-$20; Beer averages about $7
With so many restaurants focused on locally-produced ingredients, it only makes sense that places would start to get creative. District Public House in Chilliwack’s downtown core is situated on the corner of Wellington Ave. and Young Road where they intersect with Yale Road West. Its menu features kicked-up combos of traditional pub food, but more importantly, it features over 30 options of locally-brewed craft beer. With that many options, many of which are on tap, and new seasonal offerings coming in frequently, there is always a new flavour to try. While the District Public House isn’t exactly a cheap dining option, it sure is a great option for good beer and food that is a step above the traditional deep fried everything that comes with pubs.
I went with the White Bark, a hefeweizen out of DriftWood Brewing Company in Victoria. It is a relatively light brew but lacks the usual carbonation that comes with a lighter body. It is smooth with just a hint of citrus that compliments a warm spring lunch. A Rueben is a pretty traditional option on standard sandwich menus. Sauerkraut is cheap to make and rye bread is always more interesting than white. District Public House’s Rueben features lightly toasted marbled rye, a healthy dose of sauerkraut, warm smoked brisket and Swiss cheese, but the thing that took this Rueben a step further was the heat. Banana peppers are featured frequently on District’s menu and my sandwich was no exception. A house-made grainy dijon mayo offered the final spicy kick – it had me soaking up every last drop that escaped onto my plate. Fries come standard and are lightly salted and peppered after being fried to golden brown perfection, but salad and daily soup specials are also an option.
The creamy chicken bacon soup was featured, and didn’t disappoint. Large chunks of bacon and chicken paired with vegetables made for an excellent partner to my Reuben. Instead of the usual individually wrapped, stale premium plus, soup is served with a small dish of fresh gold fish crackers.
The beer menu isn’t the only place that options are in abundance at the District Public House. Instead of their usual beef chuck slab patty, you can get your burger made with “District brined chicken” for no charge or a black bean or salmon patty for a bit extra. A gluten-free bun is also offered on the menu. Few options have traditional names, and force you to salivate over the ingredients before picking.
The Angry Pig Wrap boasts pulled pork, red onions, lettuce, banana peppers, jalapeño havarti and house-made four pepper ranch as well as an option for “Habanero Hot Sauce” or “Slow Burn Liquid Fire Suicide Sauce.” Most dishes cost under $15 but some, like “The Stacker” come in at $21.25. Presumably because this is a pulled pork sandwich and a burger in one, with a half pound of yam fries on the side – and believe me, the title doesn’t lie. The kitchen keeps differently sized sandwich skewers depending on the size of burger ordered; the skewer for “The Spicy BBQ,” featuring fresh onion rings on top of a beef patty, and of course more banana peppers, had a skewer that was at least five inches long.
The District Public House offers a classic bar atmosphere. One wall featured floor to almost ceiling windows, the other a real brick facade. The front of the room had a raised platform with tables and chairs that doubles as the stage for their live performances every night. The chalk menu boards, the beer and performance schedule being the most prominent, give off a local, fluid feel that is reinforced by the servers relationship to the lunch regulars.
If you are looking for good food and even better beer, and are willing to pay a few extra dollars to get it on tap, the District Public House in Chilliwack has you covered.
