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| - Replacing the old, dark, once very popular Mercury Lounge, National brings in a bright, inviting new space to 17th Ave. This beer hall boasts a variety of seating arrangements with beautiful interior finishings. I was impressed with the way they made use of the space. They have lots of bar seating, group tables, and communal bench seating in the middle with numbers etched in each spot so that the wait staff knows where the food order goes. They have a decent variety of beers on the menu. I couldn't try many since I had to work the next morning, but I'll definitely come back because they have an eclectic list. The beer menu is organized by draughts and bottles, and then types such as "crisp and clean," and "red and hoppy," to steer non-beer connoisseurs in the right direction. Of course, they have options for non-beer drinkers too such as litre sized mason jars full of cocktails. Among the lists of beers, they have Rotational Selections which are written on the chalk boards and, obviously, rotated. I tried a Rotational Selection - the Rogue Irish Lager. It wasn't awesome... kind of tasted like feet. But that's okay, because there are probably better beers on the menu! You also get to pick the sizes: 14 oz, 20oz, Steins, and Flights.
They also offer salty snacks, a raw bar, sharing plates, burgers and sandwiches, a sweet menu, etc. It seems like a lot, but it wasn't an overwhelming menu. It felt like a decent selection without being redundant. I ordered the 2 bite corn dogs. They were made with yummy smokies and served with mustard and some kind of mayo dip (I think). It was delicious! I think three mini corn dogs was probably too much, but it would have been perfect to share with two other friends.
I had a great first experience. Since it's only a few blocks away from my new place and owned by a friend's cousin, I'll definitely be there a lot. Unfortunately, I can't give it a 5 stars yet because they need to earn it, but I am very happy to give it a solid 4 star rating! Yay, National!
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