10 Best Places to Sit Down and Have a Beer in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Many a pub has come and gone on Whyte Avenue, but The Black Dog has withstood the test of time. This standby is popular with the college crowd as well as the local businesspeople, artists, musicians and neighborhood folk. The bar gets very busy on weekends, though, so show up early if you want a place to sit, or be ready to drink your beer standing up.

Set just far enough off of Whyte Avenue to escape the attention of many tourists, this pub is where the local actors from the Old Strathcona theatre community hang out for a brew and a delicious meal. It does tend to get pretty busy in the evenings, especially during weekends, but if you show up early and have a bite to eat, you can find a place to sit and have a great time watching the scene unfold.

This comfortable bar offers live entertainment, dancing, karaoke and great service from some of the friendliest bartenders in Edmonton. The bar primarily caters to gay clientele, but is open to everyone and attracts a diverse crowd.

Located in what used to be the University of Alberta power plant facility, this pub and restaurant now serves up beer, tasty food and great entertainment for the campus community and visitors. Friday night dancing takes second place only to the occasional live entertainment. The drinks and meals tend to be relatively inexpensive because of the starving student clientele.

Located on the ground floor of the Commercial Hotel on Whyte Avenue, this bar is one of the area’s longest-standing establishments and hosts some of the best blues and jazz music that Edmonton has to offer. With live music and a hopping dance floor, this place invites all kinds of clientele, from bikers to college students. The cheap beer doesn’t hurt, either.

Every night has something different to offer at Filthy McNasty’s. With Metal Mondays, Trivia Tuesdays, College Wednesdays, Punk Rock Bingo Thursdays, Dancing on Fridays and Saturdays and half-price industry nights on Sundays, this bar has something for almost anyone.

One of Edmonton’s premiere venues for live entertainment, the Sidetrack Café has been serving up great beer, food and music for twenty-five years.

Two rooms offer two scenes in this versatile downtown bar. The Likwid Lounge is a live music space that hosts local independent bands and rising stars of the Edmonton scene, while the Compound spins dance tracks. Nightly drink specials and cheap beer on Saturday nights are an added bonus.

Offering a lineup of live music and DJ nights catering to diverse musical tastes, from Indie Rock to Hip-Hop, Dance-Punk to Funk, the Velvet Underground is a great place to have a drink, get up and dance or check out the up-and-comers of the independent music scene.

Hosting bands from little-known local acts to big-name talents, the Urban Lounge is a popular Whyte Avenue location to catch live entertainment. On nights when there is no stage show, the music mix, ranging from alt-rock to hip-hop, keeps the dance floor packed.