Why: Renegades Bar & Grill in downtown Vancouver provides a place to sing karaoke, play billiards and poker and join in special holiday events in addition as well as Taco Tuesdays and Wing Wednesdays. The menu offerings are basic, and a full bar provides both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
Atmosphere: The building is clearly one of the historic structures of downtown that has housed many a business. Large plate glass windows wrap around the street-side corner of the building, and there is some outdoor seating along the sidewalk in a cordoned-off area. The space is very open inside. Bar seating is roped off from the main space. A stage occupies one corner, and two pool tables are located toward the rear. Walls are painted gray and trimmed in black. Metal siding has been utilized on some of the walls and to front the bar, which adds a bit of texture. Large-screen TVs are located in the bar area for entertainment.
What I tried: I tried the grilled cheese sandwich with tomato on sourdough bread with tots. My dining companions had a grilled cheese on white bread with fries, the chicken strips and fries, and the Renegade Kicker burger with jalapeños.
My grilled cheese sandwich had a good amount of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, and enough thin-sliced tomato was included to make it into each bite of the sandwich. The issue I had with the sandwich was the greasiness of it. The bread was saturated, and it had been allowed to cook slightly longer than necessary, so it smelled like a greasy kitchen. My dining companion’s grilled cheese, made on white bread, was not as greasy; but it, too, had spent too much time on the grill, which rendered it one shade away from burnt. Unfortunately, the tots were extremely greasy, as well, and unlike the sandwiches, could have spent a bit longer in the fryer.
