The Roadhouse

Roadhouse is your typical trashy club. Lots of creepy dudes, girls wearing very revealing clothes and a very small dance floor and venue in general. The way it’s set up it dumb, you have to go downstairs to go to the washroom. lol. I’d only go here for a special occasion like someones birthday or bacholette party but I definitely wouldn’t just choose to go here on my own circumstances.

My best friend and sister went on a girl weekend road-​trip to Calgary.
I have never been there; so i had no idea what places were good, where to go etc.
Best friend always raved about the roadhouse so away we went! Upon arrival we were waved in– which my recently turned 18 year old sister thought was awesome…. No id checks, no cover fee (I like that haha), and no bag checking. My little purse held my flats– which i was able to shove my stilettos into later. I was very surprised they didn’t bat an eye to my little purse.
The crowd consisted of 18 – 25 year old’s. I expected country to be playing (living in a small town we don’t have the country bar so i was a little bummed) but they only played one country song that night.
Over all i had a great time, the bouncers were good; my drunk sister had a blast (sorry to the bouncers for her behavior… again ;)), the bartenders looked to be having fun and we made it back to the hotel safe and sound. When we do another girl weekend I will want to come back and check it out again!

I had a blast. My only regret is that we didn’t go Saturday night too. Now we’re headed back home. But the staff was awesome. You can tell they just want their guests to have a good time. And there is something going on every night so don’t hesitate. Get on out there.

I will preface my review by saying I have not been to the Roadhouse for many, many moons. When I was between the ages of 22 – 27, this was a fun place to come and dance. But again, that was many moons ago!
I recently went on the 1^st Saturday of Stampede. They had a big tent set up, along with other outdoor bars and seating areas. For the 1^st weekend of Stampede, I was surprised to see that it was completely dead. Good for those who can’t be bothered waiting in line for Nashville North or Cowboys. But bad for those who aren’t keen on partying in a half-​empty tent and drinking lukewarm, overpriced canned beer.

Was there for about an hour when exploring clubs in the area. The dance floor was too small, weird people at this one (creepy guys following me around or getting all over me in all the wrong ways), only played two songs that were okay, condoms on the floor it the lounge area. My least favorite of all the clubs I went to that night.

looking at these reviews, majority are Caucasian and knowing it wont allow minority in. not a good place to have fun

Let’s get cronked! If that’s your goal, Roadhouse is probably a safe bet for a fun night out. Big space, lots of music, and the drinks keep comin’.
Roadhouse… yep, I was there. Not actually all that long ago either, my visit was maybe a month or so back. See, I was out celebrating on a Sunday and a bunch of us wanted a place to hit up the dance floor. We had quite an age range of us too and thus different music tastes. I wasn’t sure they’d like some of the other spots I’d try and head to… so, we popped into the Roadhouse instead.
For a Sunday, it worked, although there was still a cover charge at the door, but whatevs. It’s everything I’d expect a Calgary night club to be. And at 19 – 21, I was all over that scene. Now? A Sunday visit was just fine. Room to move, only two strange men hovering around us attempting to pick up girls and no lineup keeping us outside.
I did enjoy the fact that there was a DJ competition on that night.
And during Stampede? Multiply your typical Roadhouse night by about a hundred times. If you love it, you’ll probably love it more, if you hate it… well…
April Underdog Challenge: ⁹⁄₃₀

Okay to be fair, in the interest of full disclosure: I hate night clubs. I very rarely drink (and NEVER drink to the level most do in these establishments), I haven’t attempted dancing since an embarrassing home movie was made and laughed at on an almost daily basis when I was about 5 years old, and the quintessential «bar skank hookup» isn’t something I aspire to, or even respect in other people, so I really never have any reason to even go to these places unless dragged by friends.
That being said, I can generally separate my hatred of the scene from problems with an individual establishment, and give it a more or less impartial viewing… but I honestly don’t think I could hate the Roadhouse any more if I were paid to do so.
First of all, this place seems to be a «love it or hate it» sort of spot, and in my experience (with a few notable exceptions) those in the «love it» camp tend to consist of tight shirt wearing, gold chain flashing, posturing douchebags and girls with fake EVERYTHING who’s entire contribution to society is seeing how small an outfit they can get away with wearing in public (not that there’s anything wrong with small outfits… but sometimes I’m not sure if these clothes are so tight it cuts of the blood circulation to their brain, or if they just didn’t have any to begin with.) Obviously there are exceptions to this rule… but they’re so vastly out-​numbered by those that prove the rule, that it’s almost not worth mentioning.
I’ve only ever stepped foot in this place ONCE but I was so unimpressed by everything from the décor, to the lights, to the music, to the clientele and even the staff that I immediately felt like even the small cover charge I had paid was one of the greatest scams of all time… and having lived just down the street from it for a couple of years and having to deal with the club’s key demographic on a nightly basis, my resentment has grown to a boiling point that the only thing that kept me from torching the place myself was fear of the legal ramifications.
I can’t honestly vouch for any particular club, given my stance on the entire scene… but I know that the second somebody admits to liking the Roadhouse, I subconsciously cut the chances that this person will be worth conversing with any further in half.
I normally try to close even negative reviews with a condition under which I would actually recommend a business… but in this case, I honestly can’t think of one. This is one of the rare instances where I wish a 0 star grade were possible.

All right it’s time I give my two cents on this place
it’s a meat/​meet market all right. You can’t face one side of a wall without seeing primal mating courtship at it’s rawest. I can mock these youngins all I like, but I remember those days when the surge of hormones blurred the boundaries of privacy and public for me.
But even if you’re old and feeling like you’re past your bedtime time, you’re likely to meet people like here like yourself and given the right sociable mindset, you too can have a good time. Heck saying «no more fake IDs I just turned 18!» makes for a universal inside joke! The open space, accessible bar areas, high-​energy DJ’s, Top 40 music, and emergency ready security staff will make sure you have a good time. Its all in what you make of it!
As for drinks. it’s the club, you might as well get your crunk-​on somewhere else before heading over here.

Roadhouse!!! This place in downtown looks like a dead place from outside-​an old building kinda. But it’s the other way around when you get inside. Rocking place!!! It’s truly a nice place that we shouldn’t miss in calgary’s night clubs.
The first time I went here, I was not allowed as I was not carrying a valid id. So ID is a must to get in. The second time, we succeeded to get in. And I was never sent back with a reason that I was not the «right crowd».
Nice music, tasty drinks, nice dance floor, good crowd. What more we need at a night club to tap the leg on the dance floor with the right music.
I had been to this place thrice and all 3 times I have enjoyed it to the best.

Ok Roadhouse, it’s great to see that you have a Unilocal check-​in offer. Great to see that you’re making the best use of Unilocal that you can. However, if your check-​in offer involves finding someone and that person isn’t working that night then you need a back-​up plan. I was told at the door I could talk to the DJ, nope. The DJ told me to ask at the bar, no luck their either. I tried a random beer tub girl just for fun and she was as useless as the rest of the staff.
Shockingly I had a great night here otherwise as compared to my experiences in years past when I lived in Calgary. Could have been the fact that I was drinking with Tom Green in the VIP area and was being served free beer.

First time visiting I wasn’t allowed in because I wasn’t dressed like a cowboy (and never will be). Second time my friend couldn’t get in because he wasn’t the «right crowd» (AKA «white»). Nothing special about this place allows it to be so picky about it’s clientele.

Checked out Roadhouse on a Thursday night it was pretty packed but nothing special. I thought this place would be a country type bar but clearly it was just posing.
Even though the club was pretty packed it wasn’t a fun night. It has a really young crowd and most of them were stumbling over themselves drunk. The music is what you can expect, top 40 and the staff was alright.
I am in no rush to go back.

The first time I went to the Roadhouse, fairly late into the night a bunch of girls crowded behind the DJ to dance and take their tops off. Me and my girls left in a feminist huff, but for some reason it became our go-​to club. Maybe because they played a little more than just the typical top 40 (although that was there too) mixing it with country, but especially rock. The remixed beats were perfect to dance to.
Back in Uni, many of my friends did not have class until late on Mondays, and we would party it up at the Roadhouse’s industry night, basically the only place that is full on a Sunday. And it was always packed with an eclectic mix of people. I have so. many. stories. It was 100% a meat market, but of the couples I know who met at a club, all of them met at the Roadhouse. It was like the place generated long term relationships to go along with the one night stands at last call. It was very strange.
Anyways, the place is your typical club: three levels, a dancefloor with a stripper pole, several bars, and a huge meat market. The bouncers were hugely racist, so it was not particularly representative of Calgary’s diverse cultures and to be honest that really pisses me off.
Tons of pretty people, and the bathrooms were down a long set of stairs that were a huge issue for drunk people but hilarious for anyone sadistic enough to be standing by them.
For me, this was the best club of Calgary until one night I went sober as a favor to a friend (I had to work the next day) and realized how sleazy and loud and creepy it is when you aren’t well-​lubricated. Take that as you will. I’ll always be fond of the good times, so it gets a four for at least four nights of fun.

Just another pseudo-​cowboy bar in Calgary. The crowd is white-​bread and the music even more so –playing remixed top 40’s into the night. If you are looking for a predictable night of expensive booze, low-​cut tops and dancing at one of Calgary’s many meat markets then the Roadhouse is the place to be. But with Calgary’s cultural and nightlife scene blooming the way it is why waste your time at a sub par bar?