The Charlatan is a pub located on Commercial Drive. It boasts the largest patio on the Drive and in-house smoked meat. They have brunch on weekends and specials throughout the week.

We came here for a brief meeting, so we just ordered appies. Our first appetizer was the Nachos ($14.95- we added guacamole and chorizo sausage both $3 more). Look how big the nacho plate was, it was amazing! By far the biggest nacho platter I’ve ever seen (okay, maybe rivalled by Foundation’s nachos!). Three of us were eating (two guys and myself) and we STILL couldn’t finish it. There was definitely a lot of toppings rather than just cheese – green peppers, olives, jalapeno peppers.

The salsa, sour cream and guacamole came on the side. The guacamole was very fresh but it could use some cilantro for a bit of a bite.

My friend ordered the chicken wings ($11.95) and chose the “911” flavoured – which was basically the spiciest wings on the menu. He convinced me to try one and it wasn’t super spicy. It’s great when wings are spicy but still enjoyable that you don’t need five litres of water to cool down the fire. What really surprised me was how big these wings were! Where do they get these huge wings and where can I get some?

We also ordered the Edamame ($6.95) – I didn’t try it but my friend was saying it was a bit oily and had a very distinctive taste of sesame.

Food:
I’m always surprised when I find good pub food and the Charlatan has probably been my best experience for pub food.

Service:
Our server was relaxed and very friendly. She came to check on us frequently but not to the point where it was a bother.

Ambiance:
We sat in their lower dining area which had this cool retro-70s vibe to it. Very cool.

Value:
The prices seem about right for the kind of food served here.

OVERALL:

Check out their menu here.
The Charlatan on Urbanspoon