Austin B.
Yelp
tl;dr the impressive sour lineup and fun bar fare are sure to satisfy at this approachably delicious Squamish brewery
Squamish may seem at first like a scenic-yet-suburban pit stop between Vancouver and Whistler. But don't sleep on Squamish's limited-but-delicious food scene. A solid place to start is Backcountry Brewing, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it bar and restaurant on the back side of the towns main shopping plaza. Since debuting in 2017, Backcountry has been a British Columbia beer darling; now, Backcountry prides itself on an ambitious lineup of limited-release beers.
From the outside, the converted warehouse blends in with the rest of the industrial block. But inside, Backcountry is lively and inviting. The accents sport a tan and teal color palette. The bar to the right is decked with retro bulbs and a letterboard menu. Sound-dampening panels and camo-shaded lamps hang down from the soaring exposed HVAC. Each table is decked with a laminated BC map and mid-century modern chairs. Eighties tunes echo around the halls.
My partner and I visited Backcountry after a full day of hiking, ready to chow down; we ordered a sandwich, a pizza, and a few flights. The Soprano -- Italian Sando was piled high with capicola, mortadella, and prosciutto cotto on a fluffy, poppyseed-laden foccacia. Our side of Five Guys-style, wedge-cut fries was rich and salty, and we loved each one of Backcountry's house-made sauces more than the last. The Meat Your Maker pizza was a deliciously nostalgic riff on the classic meat-lovers pizza. The thin crust stood up against the hefty helping of toppings, and the poofy cornicione paired perfectly with the exciting sauces.
On the brewery side, the flights proved to be a fun deal. Across the beers, I was most impressed by the sours. Our collective favorite was the "Plan B? We Need A Plan C, D, E, We Need More Alphabets" (a basil-forward pineapple sour), while the "I'll Take You To the Candy Shop" (a peach-centric sour) and the "Might As Well Go For A Soda" (a gummy cola-esque cherry sour) were strong competitors. Meanwhile, the non-sour beers I tried were relative duds, including the "Never Taken A Shortcut Before?" oatmeal stout and the Sneaky Peach Cider.
The service was friendly but somewhat inattentive throughout the meal, and the bill came to about $60 (after tax and tip). More than anything else, Backcountry satisfied -- it achieved the ideal brewery balance of fun, elevated, and casual. After our stay in Whistler, I admittedly had low expectations for Squamish, but Backcountry Brewing was a beyond-pleasant surprise, and I surely would visit again.
