Their home brew, Bale House, is my new brew! Thanks for the suggestion of the Maple Bacon wings! Yum
Mark V.
Place rating: 4 Calgary, Canada
The chicken tenders were very good. A tad overdone but that is better than the alternative. The onion rings and pretzel breading was wonderful but the honey mustard was what made the dish. The atmosphere was good. Not too wild, but this could be because of it being a Sunday evening. Previous reviews had us hesitant, but I’m glad we proceeded. Maddi was our waitress and she did great.
Jenesa V.
Place rating: 4 Calgary, Canada
Really good food & you can’t beat a great selection of beer also! The honey mustard served with the chicken strips is amazingly tasty & the onion rings are some of the best in town. If you want great service sit in Maddi’s section!
Debra C.
Place rating: 1 Calgary, Canada
The music was so loud it made my teeth vibrate. Never ever going back. I’ll be deaf for a week! Couldn’t hear myself think, never mind have a conversation with anyone. Its not a night club! I don’t care how good the food is or isn’t — in fact it hasn’t even arrived yet! We checked the decibels with an app on an iphone and it was over 90dB which is in the range of hearing damage. The staff need to be wearing hearing protection.
Kyle H.
Place rating: 3 Calgary, Canada
Tasty food and very good service. Super busy!
Shane L.
Place rating: 4 Calgary, Canada
We visit here often the service has always been great. I too would like a better beer selection. Food has been good every time this is a comfortable place for an afternoon beer or few.
Linda C.
Place rating: 3 Calgary, Canada
The menu didn’t appeal to my appetite too much. But…the Spicy sesame wings were good. Good size, came out hot, and was not dry. The Shrimp special looked good too. Grapefruit beer and blueberry beer was good Super busy due to hockey game last night. Ok for once in awhile…
Blake C.
Place rating: 4 Calgary, Canada
I stay away from Hudsons after 7 when the teenagers start popping up as it becomes a nightclub atmosphere at night, however I don’t mind it during the day. I’ll average out my rating between both visits as the first time wasn’t very good but this time was great. Their summer specials were an interesting mix of Stampede/summer inspired dishes. I locked my eyes on an item when I noticed mac and cheese bacon sandwich. No! You’re messing with me aren’t you, Hudsons? Turns out they weren’t. It was piled with macaroni and REAL cheddar cheese and slices of bacon. The bread was browned nicely and the sandwich was very good. I was impressed by how filling it was. I washed it down with a drink that was a bit girly but delicious called the John Candy. The service was great and I was happy that our server was also the cutest there. BONUS! I’ll definitely stop by again before summer’s end.
Aymie R.
Place rating: 3 Calgary, Canada
A good local pub in Shawnessy — it’s nice to have more pub-style restaurants for us suburbanites! Hudson’s has a great Canadiana atmosphere, overall good selection of beers and wines, and a decent menu. The majority of the meanu is true pub-style fare — don’t expect a lot of healthy eats here! So naturally I had to indulge in the Lobster Grilled Cheese… because I can’t say No to lobster OR grilled cheese! And every bite was delicious! I would come back — Hudson’s has a good vibe and nice patio as well for sunny summer days.
Anah D.
Place rating: 3 Calgary, Canada
It was Saturday and what do you do when everyone is busy but you still want to have a beer and a bite to eat? My idea was to hit up Hudson’s near my humble abode. I strolled over around 6:30 and was quite happy with the two joyful hostesses. They smiled and just said«Come in and sit wherever you like!» There was no judgment, none of the«is your party waiting?» or the«oh, you’re alone?» looks. It was nice considering my last experience going to a pub alone. I sat at the bar and was greeted by another sweet gal; she explained the specials and gave me time to look over the menu. Afterwards one of the guys working behind the bar came over and took my drink order while I perused the food menu. I must say however, I was greatly disappointed by the selection of beer! Wasn’t this supposed to be a «Canadian tap house»? Where were all the great local beers and further all the imports? After I made my commitment to ordering the beef mini burgers I gave out my order to the same person(I didn’t actually get his name, but wish I did so I wouldn’t have to keep typing out«that guy») mostly because I wanted to give him a shout out. Not only did he have great bartending skills but he was also great at keeping everyone company around the bar and keeping up will all conversations, ours included. It made me feel a bit more welcomed and relaxed since sometimes I feel awkward sitting at the bar alone. On one further note about the service, let me just say everyone seemed to be on the ball and pleasant. It was a nice atmosphere to be around people that enjoyed working in hospitality. Now, food time… My first thought when my mini burgers(or sliders) arrived was«they’re so cute I don’t even want to eat them!» the presentation was great and I got them in a fast time frame. The one thing I didn’t like though was that the burgers were quite greasy, while biting into them I noticed that grease would drip out in every bite… The fries that came with were the standard pub fries you expect. It started to get really busy around 8:30 — 9:00PM, all the tables and stools were full and it was getting loud with the flames game and everything. So my solo trip at Hudson’s was finished. But I am definitely going to come back again with friends or by myself — just next time i will try something less beefy!
Bethany V.
Place rating: 4 Calgary, Canada
I have only been here twice but both times we had excellent service and good food. Last time we went was on wing night and as expected they were busy but that didn’t effect their service. We had a very knowledgeable and helpful server who assisted me in choosing the sauce for my wings. We also had about 5 others servers come over and make sure we had what we needed. Someone was always refilling our drinks and our food come out fairly quickly considering how busy they were. The only thing I could say they should improve on is their hostesses. They were not friendly and were actually a little rude when we joked with them.
Robert B.
Place rating: 4 Surrey, Canada
Love this place! Yes it’s a bit loud, yes the speakers are poor, the people frat like loud, but the beer is cheap and tastes great, not to mention cold… Had a shepards pie yesterday and the steak sandwich today and loved them both along with a 4.00 pint wow! Some may say the portions are small, but hey, we all eat too much and these are just right in my books! Not mention the prices are good too. If I am back this way I will be here!
Kyle G.
Place rating: 4 Calgary, Canada
I have always been a big fan of the Hudsons chain and I’m glad to see them in Calgary as well as Edmonton. The Shawnessy location lives up to the reputation that Hudsons has established in my eyes. The food was delicious(we had a poutine and some mini-burgers) and the various drink choices are always interesting. It was a nice day so we fortunately had the experience of sitting out on the patio. Although it was a Stampede weekend, it was still quite busy and we still received great service. All of the staff were very nice. If you like good traditional Canadian food(steaks, burgers, etc.) then head over to Hudsons and you won’t be disappointed.
Mark G.
Place rating: 4 Calgary, Canada
The service is good. The Canadian themed menu is funny and tasty and the patio is fantastic. It’s away from the traffic and has the sun all afternoon. Great place for a weekday beer and lunch.
Carol K.
Place rating: 2 Calgary, Canada
Just like her big sister downtown, Hudson’s Shawnessy attracts a rowdy crowd looking to have fun and pick up — at least on the weekends. While the average age of the patrons downtown is around 25, this venue seems to attract a fairly young crowd from middle to upper-middle class families living in the south. I’ve witnessed at least 3018th birthdays at Hudson’s Shawnessy. During the week, it’s not so bad. They have very good wings. Wing night is on Wednesdays. But if you’re looking for a place to hang out on the weekends, don’t come here. I paid visit on a Thursday night looking for a chill place to have a beer and I was greeted with a drunk blond girl trying to fight the bouncer. It’s a disaster pretending to be a nightclub. Some people like it, some people don’t. I come here because it’s convenient, but I try to avoid it on weekends.
Dustin H.
Place rating: 2 Calgary, Canada
I don’t know how long THIS location has been here, but I know when the downtown Calgary location was set to open, I remember hearing so much buzz about it, I expected something really amazing. I talked to friends from Edmonton, where they already had a few locations, and they made it sound like this was the bar to end all bars and it was going to be the best thing to ever hit Calgary. I still haven’t been to the downtown location, but after seeing this one I can only describe it with one word… MEH. Not only did I not see anything that really blew me away, I found myself incredibly underwhelmed. In most regards this place was«just another bar» — the wood on the counters and tables was nice, seemed probably new, and the décor was probably a bit nicer than average(though still no serious advantage) everything else I experienced was bland at best, when it wasn’t all out negative. First of all, before we even got in to sit down, we were being advertised to. The space where a lot of comparable establishments would have someone greeting you and helping you find a table was instead filled by a woman who(without so much as a «Hi» or «How are you?») was thrusting fliers at people for some challenge they were doing that week across the chain where, if you eat a certain number of hot wings under a certain time limit, you get entered in a draw to win a trip to Toronto. Granted, you still paid for the wings, and from the number of people I WITNESSED trying this, just in the half hour or so we were there, I can guarentee they drummed up more than enough food revenue to have covered a much bigger and more exciting prize. Furthermore, it seemed the conversation I was having with the young lady I was there with was being interrupted every 5 minutes(or sometimes less) by a staff member feeling the need to call the attention of the entire establishment to the fact that another patron was entering the challenge(and then again a few minutes later when 3 – 4 staff members would gather around the table and start counting down the seconds to when the time limit would expire). This was incredibly annoying, and detracted from our talk so much we ended up leaving much earlier than we’d planned and heading over to the Starbucks in the Chapters nearby. Even while we were there I found the prices higher than average, and the bartending to be highly inconsistent(my first drink was mixed incredibly weak, while the second was so strong i was cringing with every sip). We were GOING to order food, but it took less than 10 minutes for us to decide(due to the distractions) that we weren’t going to be there long enough to bother, so I can’t speak to that aspect. All in all, I can safely say I doubt a second visit would be as annoying, once this whole challenge was done with, but I really didn’t see anything that made me terribly excited to come back, either. Perhaps someday I’ll check out the downtown location and see if it’s any better, but this one certainly didn’t live up to the hype I was given. 13⁄30
Sabahat N.
Place rating: 3 Calgary, Canada
K, its another of those suburban bars which are probably HOTSPOTS for suburbians. Or not. I don’t know, but heck, there is always a lineup outside if you happen to get there after 9:30pm. Which is rather strange because once you finally get in, you realize that almost half the bar is empty. I’M ONTOYOURMARKETINGPLOY, HUDSONS! HAH! The service has always been pretty good. Waitresses are helpful, and offer answers if you ask them questions. Infact, you should go on Thursdays because most beer and wine are $ 4 per glass. That’s a pretty sweeeeeet deeeal! The food is nothing to write home about. Nothing at all. I have had better pub grub at other pubs. The cooks here are perfectly nice guys, but maybe they need to change their menu. Oh but their wings are GREAT! The music is a bit too loud for any kind of conversation. So clearly, this is a place to go, get smashed, and probably hook up. In fact, every time I’m there, I see several make-out sessions happening in several corners of the bar. One of my favourite things at Hudsons, other than the cheap-ish drinks on Thursdays is the personal TVs you get at every booth. Ya man! 19⁄30
Cory C.
Place rating: 3 Calgary, Canada
I’ve been to Hudson’s south mostly only on Flames night and the odd Friday. For the most part I enjoy myself there. I’ve found the staff to be very friendly and for the most part prompt. The food is pretty decent and it’s priced pretty much the same as anywhere else. On weekends the crowd is a little younger so I tend to stay away but it still is a good time. If you’re in the deep south, I would recommend Hudson’s as one of your top 3 choices. 02⁄30
J. S.
Place rating: 3 Calgary, Canada
Fab food! The service was definitely slow but the place was really packed. We did a few laps around the place before we found a seat. My biggest complaint would be the prices — awfully expensive for the small portions, but overall everything was decent. I’d go back.
Jacqueline S.
Place rating: 2 Calgary, Canada
Very busy night Saturday ! Honestly not my type of place. Very loud and unable to converse beyond shouting. Waitress was very slow to serve. We waited over 20 minutes to order a drink aqnd she was not quick to come back. Indeed we orderd from another waitress who was not handling our area. Perhaps inexperience or understaffed, not sure? But in a places like this the wait staff should get that the empty glasses get no tips. Chicken teriyaky salad was decent, though. There was a very fast turn around of clients, again not what I would expect from a taphouse crowd. If service is good and clients are satified, they should be sticking around for a 2 to 5 hour shift. So why were there empty tables every 40 minutes?