If the walls of this place could speak they would yell "Douche bags ahoy!" Then peel themselves off the building and join you at the Ship next door.
The National is everything I hate about Toronto condensed and magnified through that distorted mirror image of a business trying to appeal to a crowd that doesn't live there.
Let's look at the facts;
- Decent selection of beer but the "stock ticker" style board is a pain in the ass to read because of how often it changes.
- Music so loud and bad that I honestly can't remember what was playing because my brain is trying to spare me from the painful memories.
- Rude/indifferent wait staff that weren't really concerned with a table of ten for some even though we drank (possibly too much) and ordered food.
- More Affliction t-shirts than a UFC fight in Vegas.
- Tiny bathrooms for a place that looks like it has a capacity of well over 200.
- Mediocre food with mismatched pricing. Pub food should be cheap, unless it's bad. This place had the double wammy; bland food that was too expensive.
Conclusion;
The good people of Calgary need a better beer hall. The expectation has been set so low that the National comes off as attractive.