PAM GRANT DINING OUT
BROWNS SOCIALHOUSE
Address: 809 Douglas St.
Tel: 250-388-0200
Hours: Open Monday - Friday, 11 a.m. - midnight, weekends 10 a.m. to midnight.
Major credit cards and Interac accepted. Wheelchair accessible. Rating 3 1/2
Perched on the edge of Victoria's mini homage to Yaletown, Browns Socialhouse resembles the offspring of a bank lobby and a sports bar.
Walls of elongated puttycoloured subway tile and bare concrete are accented by dark wood and even darker upholstery.
The only splashes of colour are provided by numerous televisions and a blue large sign that says "socialize."
It made me wonder if the decor inspired the name, given the lack of apostrophe. This is not to say it's unwelcoming. In fact, each time I've visited, I have received a prompt greeting that, in all but one case, struck me as truly welcoming.
My first visit was during the NHL playoffs and involved deep-fried food and beer, so it doesn't count. But toward the end of the summer, I noticed a sign on the edge of the patio advertising brunch, so, map in hand, I wandered in posing as a tourist one morning and took a seat at the large bar.
Brunch dishes include blueberry compote waffles with maple syrup and vanilla whipped cream, and corned beef hash dotted with peppers and onions, topped with poached eggs and Hollandaise. With one exception, everything is under $12. Unfortunately, I don't like eggs and I didn't want anything sweet, so I chose from the regular menu.
Browns offers the typical collision of cuisines that small chains seem to be claiming as their corner of the culinary market in Western Canada. You can begin with Thai-inspired chicken soup and follow with a quesadilla stuffed with green chillies, Jack cheese and red mole chicken, or fettuccine tossed with roasted tomato, blackened chicken and bocconcini, before finishing with key lime pie, should you still have room.
I ordered an extra-spicy Caesar loaded with horseradish and olives from the weekend drinks list that did more than the coffee I passed on could ever hope to do.
I continued with a burger topped with hickory bacon and cheddar, minus the barbecue sauce. It looked and tasted freshly made and came with simply excellent hand-cut fries.
Throughout my meal, the bartender, who had taken note of my map, chatted amiably and offered good suggestions for the downtown area on a Sunday.
I had only one complaint, and it would be the first thing I noticed when I returned for lunch later that month.
My sister-in-law is loath to complain about anything in public, but when I slid into our booth and shot the speaker above our heads a dirty look, she looked at me and said "So loud!"
After we struggled to hear each other, I stopped a passing server to asked if the music could be turned down. "We're not allowed to," she responded. "Then may I speak to your manager?" I replied. The manager never appeared, but 90 seconds later, the music was reduced to a reasonable level.
We shared edamame and chicken wings to begin - not remarkable, but not bad either. Mark's entrée, Parmesan-crusted chicken stuffed with Boursin cheese, bore an alarming resemblance to shake and bake, but was not bad, paired with a well-made rice pilaf and fresh vegetables.
Yoriko chose fettuccine Carbonara, which, though made with Alfredo sauce, blackened chicken, smoked bacon and peas, was not Carbonara but a decent dish nonetheless. My entrée was a mound of the same mixed rice pilaf that came with my brother's chicken, topped with thick slices of seared tuna, and a wondrous salad composed of mixed lettuces garnished with feta, walnuts and dates, topped with wasabi-spiked mayonnaise.
Over a shared dessert and coffee, the music began to blare again, so we left sooner than we had intended.
Returning for an early dinner weeks later, I was not surprised to find the volume unchanged and the room half empty again. We asked if the music could be turned down a notch and were told no, but as before, moments later it was. A shared sushi roll would have been great had the rice not been overcooked, but we loved the salad it came with. Jessica made an impressive stab at the Phatty melt - a burger with smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and cheddar, nestled between two grilled cheese sandwiches. I had a Singapore chicken curry that included the extra dose of heat I requested, but came with chunks of cold, raw cabbage and beansprouts.
The fairest word I could use to describe the food would be inconsistent. Some dishes are very good, others are weak and presentation is uneven. That being said, nothing was bad and prices are better than average.
The service is better than average for downtown Victoria, as is the product knowledge. But as long as the music is blaring and lurching from Selena Gomez to Frankie Valli (if there is one song I never want to hear again, it's the theme from Grease) before a round of hip hop, they may find people choose to "socialize" elsewhere, at a place where they can talk.
Save the club atmosphere for 8 p.m. or later.
Average price for two courses and a non-alcoholic beverage, excluding tax or tip: $30.
RATINGS
Rating 1 Below bad
Rating 2 Below average
Rating 3 Average
Rating 4 Above average
Rating 5 Excellent
