Hawthorne Beer Market & Bistro

Good beer… I’m craving it! Bad food… how can you do poutine wrong??? Expensive burgers that weren’t worth the price. Meh. I’d do the bar and skip the restaurant. Nice atmosphere and servers though.

Very cozy restaurant/​lounge with a rustic décor that makes you feel very welcomed. The Hawthorne has a good selection of local craft beer that rivals any pub in Surrey/​Langley. That’s were it ends though. Food is sub par. Chef makes their sauces in house but the kitchen definitely needs help. Chicken wings were deep fried way too long and were barely edible. Prime rib burger was mediocre and seemed like a store bought patty.
For drinks this place is great. I would pass on the food when I go back.

If you’re a beer connoisseur, you’ll like this place. Servers were very informative on their beer menu. Food & service is good. I like the décor & if you need to get your sports fix they have tv screens. In the summer, they roll up the garage door for an open patio feel.

I LOVE this place. Unique menu and atmosphere, great service and yummmmy food.

I was here for dinner.
Excellent beer menu, which makes this place one of the best places to go for a beer in the Cloverdale and Langley area. However, I think that they should re-​think the use of a mason jar as the standard glassware for draft beer. The drinks menu is ⁴⁄₅.
I really wanted the food here to be great but I was less than impressed with the rubbery texture of the «prime rib» beef patty. I had the «Black and Blue» burger for $ 16.99 and while it was adequate, I do not think it warranted that price. The fries were excellent though. The food is ²⁄₅.
The service was good. The staff seemed very knowledgeable about beer, friendly and helpful. All of the tables were full but I appreciate that our group did not feel rushed.
I will definitely come back for the beer and will try some of their appetizers next time.

First time here it is great the burgers are great served with a nice salad and fries Beer selection is very good nice décor and fabulous service Our waitress was really sweet we asked if we could have the B C Lions game on and she was more than willing to roll down the screen
A very enjoyable time

I really want to like this place but overall it’s pretty much… meh. Cool Decour and some interesting selections but way overpriced, their happy hour ends at 5 o’clock, they always seem to be sold out of the beer that you want on the menu, service is okay at best, really really really really slow at worst. The wings and fries are pretty good value and tasty, if you can actually make it there before 5 o’clock for happy hour, that’s about it.

Great food, and beer selection!
The mussels were awesome. Draft beers are served in Mason jars, but if you prefer a nicer glass, they will provide.

Interesting place. Best selection of craft beers in Cloverdale.
Food menu looks good. They have happy hour from 3 pm to 5pm

We really wanted to like this place. It is close to where we live, and promised a bistro ambiance. The menu online looks promising, and a healthy smattering of beer choices is definitely a temptation. But unfortunately, on the whole, it isn’t something I’m going to go running to to try again. After all, some of the beer choices, like the Chimay, I can purchase at the local liquor store and cook my own interesting dinner. I must say, however, wherever they source the mussels is a very good thing. The mussels were perfectly cooked and large. There was a reasonable amount for the dollar. Unfortunately, the sauce we chose (BACON APPLE CREAM MUSSELS) was soupy and very bland. Unseasoned. Little or no salt. I would suggest trying another one of the other sauces. The bread they served with the mussels was excellent though. We also tried the dry ribs, which were typical of any pub at best. We were hoping the squid diablo would be hot and spicy, as promised. It was bland as well. Okay pizza, lackluster. The regular poutine had a lovely green peppercorn finish which made it stand out from most of the poutines that are served elsewhere. Kudos for that, but the fries themselves were not crisp, not even the ones that weren’t touched by gravy.
Not excited about the décor, although other people who have recommended it to me told me they like it. It’s a little too warehouse-​y for my taste, and had an odd recently painted smell, almost a slight tar, or old leather or shoes… Something truly odd. At least it didn’t have the mouldy smell that the previous restaurant had.
Service was prompt and efficient, even considering that the restaurant was reasonably busy.
Bottom line: if you really like mussels, it’s worth checking out. It’s the only choice on the menu that stands out from the other places I’ve been to. But don’t order the sauce we did.

The best. My new go to beer place, excellent atmosphere, unpretentious, great food. Amazing beer

Killer ever changing draft line. Friendly staff, place fills up quick. We had the mussel and crab pot– amazing. And the Frenchman pizza which was also amazing. We’ll be back for sure.

We are repeat customers having attended on opening night and about every 2^nd week since then. We love this place — the vibe — the décor — the craft beers — sitting at the bar and watching the bartender prepare the various mussel/​clam appetizers at the steamer. The revised menu, as of last week, is great — yummy burgers, pizzas, pastas and of course the not to be missed mussels and clams = if you haven’t tried them you are missing out. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the various ever changing craft beers. If you can’t make up your mind on which beer to try they offer mini mason jar tasters! Can’t wait to head down for Happy Hours soon! This restaurant is exactly what Cloverdale/​Langley area needed — something hip and upbeat and definitely unique. Well done!

We really wanted our dinner out at the Hawthorne to be enjoyable, but utterly disappointing sums up our experience.
The short story is that the combination of lack luster and overpriced food with an understaffed restaurant means I won’t be going back.
Now for the long story. We arrived just after 6pm on a Sunday night and noticed right away that restaurant was filling up, but there were only two wait staff and one person at the bar. It took a few minutes for someone to greet us. I thought, its busy, so maybe this a good sign?
The décor was a casual atmosphere. Drinks are served in various size mason jars, cutlery is mismatched, and fixtures have an industrial and repurposed style. We liked the look and feel of the place.
For beer, there is a variety of local craft as well as import beers on tap. There was also a good selection of imports (mostly Belgian) sold by the bottle.
The food selection is not as extensive but it is varied. Appetizers, mussels, salad, pasta, and steaks, salmon, chicken and meatloaf for main dishes.
We ordered the Belgian fries with three sauces, the mussels and clams in sea water with garlic butter, and the fried chicken on a savory waffle with arugula and goat cheese salad.
The first dish to arrive was the mussels and clams. Our order contained three mussels and a handful of tiny clams. For $ 12.99, this was very disappointing and barely enough to whet an appetite. The mussels were tasty there was just so few of them. After we received our order, the table next to us was told there were no more mussels. Maybe this explains the disproportionate number of mussels to clams in our serving?
Next up, the fried chicken. For $ 16.99 we received two boneless skinless chicken tenders that had appeared to have been dusted in flour and fried. They were not juicy or tasty. The meat was dry and stringy, and the coating added nothing. Not what you expect when you read fried chicken on a menu. These were essentially poorly executed chicken fingers. I’ve had much better at a family restaurant in a kids meal. The chicken was served on top on a bed mushroom sauce and a small, soggy waffle. On the side was a handful of arugula and a generous dollop of goat cheese. I was expecting more chicken on my plate for $ 16.99. It’s hard to make fried chicken that doesn’t taste good, but they managed to do it.
As for the belgian fries, we never received them but they were on our bill.
When we were asked how our meal was we were honest about our disappointment in the mussels. Our server, explained their situation with the mussel shortage and apologized. Without our asking, the mussels were removed from our bill.
The fact that the kitchen was out of mussels and the restaurant had been open for only 60 minutes speaks to some operational problems at the restaurant. Other patrons left and canceled their orders after finding out that what they ordered was not available.
The tables around us did not appear pleased with their orders. The pizzas were small for the price tag, and the soups underwhelming.
The server said things were usually not like this. If the Hawthorne wants to stay in business, I hope she is right. Overpriced, poor quality food, and missing order items are all ominous signs for the future of this place no matter how good the beer.

Wow. A beer market bistro in the burbs! Long overdue but I’m really glad that The Hawthorne brought it home. Craft beer, beer cocktails, mussels & clams in different beer broths (mussels with lager cilantro garlic lime & bacon apple cream ale are just two of the choices). We chose the mussel & clam pot with sea water and garlic butter and were extremely happy with our choice. You can order fries or a bread basket on the side. Of course we chose bread (for $ 2.95 I think), because who could leave all that wonderful broth behind! Plump tender mussels and clams that took up the whole shell. Fantastic quality, steamed to perfection. We also tried the dry ribs, and these were meaty and flavorful! Served with lemon to squeeze over if you wish… and we wished! Citrus on pork is highly underrated!
The craft beer menu is terrific. They have rotating taps in different sizes. I chose the 8 oz, being a work night (and me being a light weight!), of the Blanche de Chambly (unibroue from Quebec) for $ 4. The prices for 8oz start at $ 3! Try a few different brews and few menu items and you’ll have a great evening. Most of the beers I saw on the menu were local BC brew too.
Service was excellent, the atmosphere comfortable and a contradiction in terms, with sparkly chandeliers from the ceiling and rough wood finishes on the walls. You can choose from booths or tables or go the right when you walk in and get more the pub feel. Loved it. Like I said, the burbs were aching for a place like this. Nicely done. I’ll be back to try more beers and more off the food menu to be sure. Might just become a regular.
Well done!