Bells & Whistles is located near Fraser and Kingsway in Vancouver. They have a rotating tap of beers and a variety of food items to pair with them.
Of course, there is also something going on at Bells & Whistles. Right now, they have launched their Wünderbar Oktobeerfest pop-up until October 6, 2019. If you can’t be in Germany for the real thing, celebrate in style at Bells & Whistles.
Interior
There’s always a lot of different events hosted at Bells & Whistles. I love the centre of the room with the long tables and big screen. If you aren’t into mingling, there are other cozier tables if you want to be in the comfort of your friends.
At the rear of the restaurant, you can play some skee ball and shoot some hoops.
Menu
Seasonal Beers
I am loving all the beers on the menu. There is a good range of Oktoberfest beers from Germany to Vancouver. I tried the Persephone Oktoberfest and its a good beer from Gibsons, BC. Its a German Märzen that is an amber lager with hints of caramel, spices, and malt.
Warm Pretzels
The little round pretzels are more like buns and they are served with a tangy honey mustard dip. It came out super hot and steamy. Best eaten warm as it’s the best way to enjoy it. They honey mustard sauce was pretty good.
Currywurst – Vegan Edition
They have currywurst made with Beyond Bratwurst on top of curry ketchup fries. As a meat eater, this was very impressive. The curry ketchup really ties that taste together. All the meat eaters were so into this. They do have their regular bratwurst made with Two Rivers, which is also good.
Oktober Feast Platter
If you’re sharing a meal with friends and want a bunch of things to nibble on, the Oktober Feast may be a good option. It has pork schnitzel, Two Rivers Bratwurst, rosemary bacon, German Potato Salad, sauerkraut, mustard and pickles. Really good quality meats they use.
All items are easily sharable among 2-4 people. Not a full meal, but just nibbles.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Smoked Pork Shank with celeriac remoulade, green cabbage and hickory sticks are inside this. It is served in a milk bun with fries but you can always swap it with onion rings too.
This was my favourite of the 3 sandwiches. Lots of flavour from the pork and the other ingredients balance it out.
Eggplant Schnitzel Sandwiches
This has fried eggplant, braised sauerkraut, and a caper and mustard aioli. It is also served in a milk bun with fries but we got onion rings instead. The eggplant was pretty chunky and tough to eat. As the skin in pretty tough and the center of it more soft, the eggplant schnitzel would slide around. Even though it is called a schnitzel, it didn’t resemble it at all.
When you bite into the sandwich, you can only taste the eggplant as the aioli and saukraut doesn’t stand out at all.
Pork Schnitzel Sandwiches
This has fried pork cutlet, braised sauerkraut, rosemary bacon, and a caper and mustard aioli. It has all the same items as the eggplant schnitzel but with the pork instead of eggplant. I liked the crunch of the pork schnitzel. It’s not as large and extravagant as schnitzels you can find in Germany, but a decent portion in a handheld format.
Streusel Sundae
There is the base of the vanilla soft serve, streusel topping, and a caramel-apple compote. It’s always nice to end the meal with a sweet treat. It does melt quickly as it is soft serve. I enjoyed the crunch of the streusel and the sweetness that comes with the caramel-apple compote.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a place to celebrate Oktoberfest with friends, check out the Bells and Whistles Wünderbar Oktobeerfest pop-up. Some items are a hit and miss, but there are a few surprises like the Currywurst with Beyond Bratwurst option. The Oktober Feast Platter is a good item to share among the table too with high quality meats.
Address:
3296 Fraser St, Vancouver, BC
