VooDoo Lounge

I am celiac and am so happy to have found this place! The menu is almost fully gluten free. They even use gluten free oils when deep frying! I ordered the fish and chips and highly recommend them! Also had the gluten free beer selection.
Came during the day for lunch, I would love to check this place out at night!

So today at 4:30 pm in the voodoo lounge we had a server named Sha, that was flat out intoxicated, it was laughable at first but it got really bad towards the end.
We initially thought that she was just a bit off kilter but she was stumbling all over walking from the bar to the table 20 feet away. When she took our order for the drinks she spent a long while entering the order and when she brought them out tobthe table. She was spilling the drinks as she served them one of which I had to catch as she dropped it out of her hand.
So as the five of us waited with our drinks in hand she asked if we wanted food. We then placed our order of five dishes and a few two sides one ranch and one mayo says. Yes the food quality is still very good, so long as we were not eating it out of our laps.
The server had almost dumped the plates in our very laps if it was not for our quick hands. Now the server was only bringing the dishes to my friend and I because she had no clue as to which dish belonged to which person placed the order. This is normally not that big of a deal, I understand that with a new server or one lacking propper training this could occur.
Now most patrons that frequent the voodoo lounge know that when there food order is to go out to the customer the nice light gets turned on by the kitchen staff to let the servers know food is ready to be served.
Our server had forgotten the side of ranch and mayo. Which we reminded her along with another order of drinks when she asked if we still needed anything.
The drinks came as we were almost done our meal and still no sides of ranch and mayo. We inquired once more to which her reply was. «Well…the light has not turned on yet.» One of my friends has then asked if they were making the ranch and mayo from scratch. Which I found to be an intresting question, as I was still waiting on my side of mayo for my now cold frys. She then came back slammed the sides on the table and tried to ran off.
This is when we asked our server for the manager which she indicated there was non but agreed to get the owner.
We told the owner what had happened and asked him if he knew that the server was intoxicated. He laughed and said «Yes, she is».
I was dumbfounded!
How do you have an intoxicated server serving alcohol to customers. How can that server know when a customer has had to much to drink? Not to mention I’m sure it’s illegal.
One of my friend then asked the manager for our bills and that he should send that server home for the day.
After that comment the owner left and hid in tye kitchen. The server then left to the bar and came back empty handed. She grabbed a bit of till tape from her pocket and asked what each of us had ordered.
After we told her what we all had ordered we waited for 20 min while she and a couple other employees tried to figure out our bills. Which had no more then a food discount added of odd amounts ranging from $ 1.80 to $ 2.25. Not to mention that the bills were incorrect.
As far as i know she is still serving right now.
I never seen it so bad in my life.

Tiki. Grass and tonnes of bamboo. If there are people here, it’s a pretty fun place to party. Voodoo lounge is 80’s power metal meets jungle beach party meets gluten free. Weird, right? Yah, well it is — but if you go on a night when there’s people, it can be a really fun time! VooDoo always seems like the kind of place that you go to for a reason. I’ve really only ventured into VooDoo lounge because a friend’s band is playing, for charity events or softball fundraisers. I’ve never thought «it’s Friday night, let’s go to VooDoo lounge!» To tell you the truth, I’m having a tough time understanding why that is.
It could be the location along 16^th Ave is a little unusual. If you weren’t in the area you wouldn’t really think to go to a bar here, unless like I mentioned, you had some reason. That said, The Cat and Fiddle is pretty close in proximity and while no means a better place, they seem pretty busy. It also could be that I get more Club vibes than Pub vibes for the place. When I think of live music, wings and hanging out over beer and food, maybe I want something a little more casual. So maybe it’s this mish-​mash of identities that confuses me a bit. I’m not quite sure what they’re trying to do and I’m not quite sure who they want to appeal to. Am I that kind of person you want here? Is it a student bar? A cougar bar? A place to get dinner? A place for dinner? What?
I could see the the gluten free menu being really enticing if you’re into that. I also wouldn’t mind checking out a wing night based on a few of the other reviews. Chicken wings at a Tiki inspired lounge/​rockbar/​grill/​sportsbar/​club? Sure. :)

I visit during here usually the day so in the sunlight and it’s different crowd here. There is usually only one server/​bartender on when I come, so I try to visit off lunch-​hours.
Love the gluten free menu!
I’m really tired of straws in pubs and bars that taste like celery salt. No exception here. Gross. Maybe I should be like John Catucci and bring my own.
The Food! Quesadilla really stuffed with chicken. Could use a touch of seasoning on the meat, or I just added a wee bit of salt — just fine. Served with a nice slight heat to the pico de gallo and sour cream. Portion good for sharing or at least two — there were 8 ¼ pieces — lots of food. I also ordered the calamari — it’s a treat when it’s not made by me. Unfortunately, the tzatziki for the calamari is made with sour cream not yogurt-​not as tasty as it could be, but the Calamari was pretty good.
I had leftovers I shared for a late night snack. We didn’t bother to reheat them, but I’d bet they would have done just great in the toaster oven.
Tried a new cider on the recommendation of my server and she was right. Called Savannah from South Africa, it was a light refreshing cider. Not overly sweetened or flavoured like some out there.
Overall, I enjoy visiting the Voodoo — as a celiac I can vouch that I haven’t gotten sick yet. Not many establishments are that successful in my food world.

This place used to be awesome when it was under the old managment. I used to take a group of peple (between 30 – 50 people) there every 4 – 8 weeks. I tried to make a reservation for the lower area recently becasue it’s perfect for what I wanted to do for my next event. Apparently 40 people eating and drinking isn’t enough for them to bother. I was told they don’t book for such small groups becasue they don’t charge for the room. Doesn’t make any sense to me, but whatever. I guess no money is somehow better than good money.
I’ve also been with a friend since new management. The wings are alright. Other food is pretty good. They changed the menu and took off some popular items since new owners came in. The servers are friendly but a little slow at times. Usually not their fault as they are always understaffed. The beer is never delicioulsy cold. Its usually just kinda cold, like it was put in the cooler recently (which is odd since I was having draft).
Old management…5 stars easy! New management…1 star.

Cold beer, cold wings (like just came out of the fridge but thankfully cooked through). Small «pints» and short, short, short skirts.

Gave third star cause the staff asked me about Allergies before I ordered
Had the wings, overly deep fried, sauces added after?
Literally over 6 dozen choices of flavors,
Over 30 gluten free
Staff under dressed for the weather but excellent service

Great food & GF DF options but FYI the service has been terrible every time & keeps me from going back more often

The first couple of experiences I had here were decent! The waitress loved our group; therefore, we were all in good spirits. She managed to be our waitress for the majority of our visits! Not too packed inside either whenever we go but that’s not a bad thing! Did anyone else notice the creepy image of the little girl on the wall? hahaha. Anyways, back to this review. The experiences were all good, except the last one. In an empty area, the waitress forgot to grab waters. She also forgot to bring the waters after 2 reminders. The wings kind of took a while but I guess that happens when you order quite a bit. The waitress also got us cleaning our own table without actually telling us to, as she asked us to pass things down to her. Is that weird, or is that just me? Other than that day, VooDoo is pretty awesome. A nice place to lay back and hang out with family and friends.

Great wings and awesome salad! Lol
Went here with a group of friends. I made the reservation on a Sunday and didn’t really feel like I needed it as it wasn’t too busy. Got sat down quickly and our friends slowly started arriving.
The wings are a little bit more pricey than other wing nights elsewhere around the city but perhaps it’s because of their selection and gluten free options! Either way I definitely think its worth it. The wings were a great size, not too small and not on steroids. They do have drummettes with the wings too so they are not ALL wings in case you were wondering.
I ordered salad too with my order. Neat concept where you are able to pick whatever unlimited free toppings! This was awesome as I don’t see too many places do this and the serving size was definitely for sharing! Some toppings are a buck or two. The dressings were great too!
Overall, casual atmosphere. Seems like a great neighbourhood pub with more healthy options than other pubs. I like what they are doing here and will definitely come back… especially for Sunday wing night

My boyfriend and I make it a point to go to voodoo lounge at least once a month and we love it! We usually only go for the wings, with the occasional appetizers on the side, but usually the wings are enough. There are so many flavors and we are always up for trying new ones upon each visit. Of course we have our favorites such as honey mustard, BBQ, dill, Greek, etc. (Highly suggest you try all the ones have listed). They also have pints of black magic on special, which to tell you the truth, I don’t know exactly what it is, but I enjoy it! Wing nights are on both Sundays and Wednesdays giving you double the opportunity to check it out..

We head over to VooDoo Lounge once a month on Sunday nights for wing night. It’s never too crowded, the service is decent and the wings come out nice and quick. We love the Black Magic beer that is on special with the wings and we can easily throw back a few jugs in one evening. Our favorite wing flavour is Honey Mustard but I have a soft spot for the hot stuff. Step up and try the Johnny Cash! They’re the hottest wings I have ever had but they also have great flavor!
Parking is a bit of a pain at times. The clientele is very eclectic and hard to nail down but this isn’t a hipster bar by any means. The interior is cheesy but I kind of like the old-​school tiki bar feel of the place to be honest. The bathrooms are kept clean for the most part. The tables aren’t sticky and the chairs don’t seem to have any holes. There are also a huge projector tv and smaller LCD’s around to catch a game and aparently they have live shows but I have yet to catch one. All of the above are positives in my books!
I’m looking forward to try the other items on the menu, but for now I’m completely content with making VooDoo Lounge the regular Sunday wing-​night spot. Check it out in the summer when they open up the large windows and let in the gentle breeze from the street.

Checked out VooDoo on Wednesday for wing night and was SUPER impressed! My girlfriend is a celiac and seeing as Voodoo’s menu is almost entirely gluten free, it made sense to go here. We tried a variety of different wings, all were hot, fresh, and very flavorful! We also ordered a pizza to share and it was awesome. I also had one of the best cocktails of my LIFE here, something with grape vodka and berries, it was fabulous. I will definitely be back, this is my new favorite wing night spot.

I was looking forward to visiting the Voodoo Lounge. My sister is gluten intolerant and I have a dairy sensitivity so their gluten-​free/​lactose-​free menu sounded like a haven.
Unfortunately, «lactose-​free» literally does mean lactose free — not dairy free. So, in the end, it wasn’t much different than visiting any other restaurant for me: I couldn’t have the LF cheese or some of the wing flavours, for example.
For my sister, it was a nice break from having to eat salads. And the food was good, for what we had. Sweet potato fries were a little lacking, but apparently the wings were a hit (would miss out on the butter garlic and salt & pepper flavours in the future, though) and a chicken burger with mushrooms on it was yummy (and very tall!) The gluten-​free garlic toast and deep-​fried pickles were also devoured quickly.
Unfortunately, the service left a LOT to be desired. We were quite often left for 15+ minutes at a time, simple beers were a 30 – 45 minute wait after ordering, the food took over an hour and we ended up not ordering nachos as we were afraid of how long it would take. The venue wasn’t very busy so we can’t understand why the slow service. In fact, one table came in, sat down and left after 20 minutes when no one had been by to serve them yet.
All in all, I might be back if a group of friends was going, but there are far better places closer to home that I can go and find dairy-​free menu items so I won’t be going out of my way.

I have been here on a couple occasions, as they entire menu (including beer battered fish and chips) can be made gluten free.
My lasy experience wasn’t as good as usual, due to the fact they didn’t give me a glluten free bun. I ordered the build your own chicken burgen, as I was eating I started to fill out really fast and not feel so good. I noticed my bun looked the same as my friends who didn’t order gluten free. I stopped eating the bun and just continued on. None the less the food was good, the drinks are yummy and they have specials everyday.
I will definitely be back, but will have to ensure mine is gluten free.

Raise your glass? Raise your standards!
Oh, where do I start? With the stupidest, rudest staff I’ve ever encountered?
If you have mobility issues be forewarned. The main entrance is off the 16^th Ave back alley. In addition to being sketch-​bag city, this means you have to go down a set of stairs –across a short landing — and back up some more stairs to where the doorman sits to enter the lounge. My spouse and I went on a Saturday evening and the doorman went into some detail about how there was a cover charge because there was a band playing. He directed us to sit at an open table at the back because we wanted to order food. He forgot to charge the cover. Oops!
When a waitress finally came over to us, she complained that we were sitting at a table that had been reserved. When we explained that her we had been seated by staff, she snapped that she’d have to check on that. She then disappeared and we were ignored for 10 or 15 more minutes. When our ‘waitress’ reappeared I had to go over to the bar to ask her if she was going to greet us or serve us. She was EXTREMELY RUDE AND DISRESPECTFUL and told me that she HAD greeted us and that she had a party of 35 to look after so she was «Soooo sorry if YOU weren’t getting any attention.» She was a bitchy thing for a 20 year old waif. I was totally shocked and said something like «Okay, I didn’t realize that was how you treated your customers here. Now I know.»
At this point her pimp manager was like «Is there a problem?» But as our problem did not involve hair gel he simply slunk away without attempting to address or resolve a single thing.
We had been trying to figure out what kind of drinks to order based on the tiny cards on the table. Apparently, flavoured vodkas were on special, the card had no list and the photo was too small to be able to read the labels on the bottles. Our waitress’s answer: «We don’t have a drink menu.»
AND SHE WALKED AWAY. I am not kidding.
When she passed by 10 minutes later we flagged her down to ask what they had for draft (no visible pulls or brands at bar). She repeated «We don’t have a drink menu.» At this point, we were wondering if she had any idea what her job actually entailed. We ordered a pitcher of beer and a pizza from one of their pre-​dressed options (Cheeseburger) and hoped for the best.
This whole time a large party of Native twenty-​somethings was partying and drinking around us. All were very attractive, nicely dressed, and polite. The girls were staring daggers into our backs because — get this — our table had been part of their 8pm reservation and was ‘given away’ to us at 10pm when the rest of their company had not arrived (they never did arrive).
The shooter waitress wandered by, so I thought I’d buy the girls a shot to assuage their indignation. Unfortunately, shooter-​girl walked right by us (we were, after-​all, invisible). After watching her make the rounds to other tables I noticed two things: How many times she repeated the line «I’m not good at math.» All her shooters cost the same amount BTW. AND No matter what people asked for she gave them the red Sour Puss. So, I guess that’s what I bought those girls with the dagger eyes. Anyways, they seemed happy with their shots.
The pizza itself was large and greasy, which is entirely acceptable for a Cheeseburger pizza. Good thin crust style. The large took up our entire 2 person bar table, which was a little tricky. When we asked to have the leftovers packed up our awesome-​SMRT waitress dropped a pizza box on our table and walked away. Classic. So — that was a bit of a manœuvre! But we got it into the box and bolted.
The band — a terribly embarrassing cover act; GnR, Trag Hip and spandex.
Quite the crowd, too: drunken brides shuffling around fulfilling stupid «Dares», depressing BFF bridemaids who look like they cut their own hair with a butcher knife, gang-​banger wannabe dudes in ballcaps/​shorts and the out-​of-​place, over-​the-​hill, rig pigs with deep pockets and white nostrils. The ladies were very dressed up. Straightened hair and mini-​dresses everywhere.
So, if you’re looking to look… and not eat, drink, or listen. Do do VooDoo.

Gluten free, lactose free, it’s a menu you might want to check out if either of these appeal to you.
Voodoo Lounge is over on 16^th Ave. I first heard of it when some local shows last summer, but I hadn’t had a chance to venture in. Then, I had a best friend that decided it would be a good idea to move to Calgary, which has me on the lookout for gluten free and dairy free joints. Though I’m not sure if lactose free necessarily means dairy-​free, Voodoo Lounge remains on my radar for three reasons:
1) They make delicious pizza. I’ve had it on a few different occasions now. Must try: Acropolis
2) 25 flavours of wings that are gluten-​free. That’s right! Just follow the little symbol next to the flavour.
3) The kitchen is open until midnight… 7 nights a week. If you’ve got late night hunger, now you know where to go!
General tips: The tables are bolted to the floor. This scares me slightly, and makes me think I should be avoiding Voodoo on especially busy days. So, best time to pop in? For lunch or dinner on a weekday. Apparently they’ve also got a private party room in the basement.
Anyway, order the pizza. So far, that impresses me! Or… if you’ve got more dietary restrictions, try ordering from the salad bar! Add your choice of any free toppings starting at $ 8, then add chicken, steak, prawns, or Italian sausage for $ 3.50 each. Yummy, yummy salad? I think so!
Enjoy!

Voodoo Lounge is an awesome spot for several reasons. The menu, the service, the live music as well as the tvs.
The food here is fantastic. Wicked pizzas, a good steak sandwich, and everything is presented well and not just slopped on a plate like some places.
They have several gluten free options, and that includes half of their 50 flavours of wings. I recommend the Johnny Cash for the person who fancies himself a hot wing master.
The servers are all friendly, polite and attentive. Not to mention easy on the eyes. ;)
They will not hesitate to suggest something on the menu if you ask, so feel free.
There always seems to be something going on there. If not a live band, they’ll have a projector screen at the stage to show a sports event where you can see it from the majority of the place, if you’re facing the right direction.
Definitely a good place to chill with friends or get a little messy on a Friday night.

The voodoo lounge was a pleasant surprise. The booth was big and comfy and made visiting with all the interesting guests at our table all the better. The ambiance was fun but still not too loud. There are at least a dozen tv’s all playing sports for those that enjoy that kind of thing. I thought it was hilarious that all the tables were bolted to the floor. I guess the place can get pretty wild on the weekends.
Our server was nice and patient with all our questions and we asked plenty. She was fairly attentive and kept our glasses full. She was also training a new server and that didn’t get in the way of service at all.
The main pull of the voodoo lounge is the choice on the menu. Everything is basically a build it your way idea. For instance Colin had a burger so you start by choosing how many patties, beef or chicken and begin to build it your way from there. Choosing off a list of what you want on your burger and then which sides you’d like. Everything on their menu is the build it your way idea. I really love this idea because I’m one of those people who always wants to change the order on the menu to fit what I like. To be honest when you pay for a meal you should always be able to have it the way you want it as long as they have the ingredients.
Voodoo lounge also carries a list of fifty flavors for either wings, shrimp or pork bites. While having fifty options had me excited there are some HUGE problems with it. For one the list of flavors includes some inventive names but no explanation for what the actual flavor is. Some of the flavors are a dry rub and some were a sauce and the only way to really know was to ask. They really should make a small book to explain all the flavors and separate them by dry rub or sauce. Instead I spent twenty mins going over the list of fifty at light speed with a server and still barely knew what the flavors were like because she explained half as hot and the other half as pretty good. The last HUGE issue with the fifty flavors is that you have to have the whole pound in just one flavor. I have never had wings at a place that wouldn’t even let you do half one flavor half another. Even Regal Beagle will let you do between five and ten wings for each flavor and that includes on wing night. Given that voodoo explains their flavors so poorly it’s barely worth it.
As far as the actual food went I was pleasantly surprised. The voodoo jungle caesar is more than meal sized so if you plan to eat more it’s probably best to ask for the side caesar. Other than size my caesar was perfect. It was made with the hearts of the romain so the lettuce was crispy and a little naturally sweet. The dressing was not so much as too drown the salad and not too little so that all you tasted was lettuce. There was lots of fresh grated Parmesan all throughout the salad and plenty on perfectly cooked bacon. The croutons were sparse which is how I like it. The dressing was creamy with a touch of garlic and just a taste of tang. To be honest it was one of the best caesar salads I have had in a long time. I ordered the sweet chili shrimp and the honey garlic chicken wings. The sauce on the honey garlic wings was thick and well balanced but not that special. The chicken wings were the smaller sized bar kind which is how they should be for proper wings but they weren’t a great quality. Maybe they were old meat or maybe I’m just used to eating my organic chicken wings at home and notice the processed stuff too much. The sweet chili shrimp were better than the chicken as far as the sauce goes. The sauce was thick and sweet with just a touch of heat. The shrimps were disappointingly small. Colin said he thought his burger was not bad for a restaurant but we still make better ones at home. The fries were the home cut with the skin still on which are much better than frozen fries. The gravy tasted really weird, it was almost tangy and sweet while at the same time having the classic beef flavor.
One of my favorite drinks at a bar is the mojito and although there was barely any mint in mine voodoo still did a really tasty job of making mine. Lisa’s mojito had berries in it too. Colin had the voodoo on tap special house beer which was called black magic. It’s a really light colored beer that tasted like a lite pilsner.
For a lounge they do a pretty good job at food and service. I’d go back here in a heart beat unless somewhere like Catch or River Café was an option. They have a dress code that included no sweat pants, steel toed boots or bandanas so keep that in mind if you are headed to the voodoo lounge.

In the 5 years I lived in the Kensington/​Hillhurst region, the space which now houses the VooDoo Lounge has changed hands more times than I could count. It’s been a karaōke bar and a one point it was a bikini bar. In the neighbourhood it had a reputation as a place where businesses go to die. So when a friend recently suggested we go there to try out their wings selection, needless to say I was incredible skeptical.
Thankfully VooDoo Lounge is an amazing little gem. So leave your previous impressions at the door.
First off, for anyone who’s familiar with the location or has been to one of the spots previous incarnations — don’t worry. The place has completely transformed. It’s clear that the new owners have invested quite a bit of money in revamping the place. A full array of new TVs and a modern take on the Tiki/​Voodoo vibe encompasses the walls. It’s not the place you once knew. Instead, think of some of the more established sports/​lounges in the city such as F.A.T.S., The Yardhouse or even Melrose. So the décor is definitely up to par with other types of sports lounges in the city.
While I could go on about other elements of the décor and transformation, the biggest change is in the food. One of the most surprising elements of the VooDoo lounge is their extensive Gluten-​Free and Lactose Free menu options. It’s not every day that a bar of this nature has Gluten-​Free or Lactose Free options, let alone actually understands the true nature and importance of these dishes for those who suffer from the diseases. For most bars GF food is just a trend and not really taken seriously, but VooDoo Lounge is completely different.
Not only is there extensive options for Celiacs, but between 35−45% of their Wing selection is Gluten Free. (Which in turn was heaven for my wife). The menu also sports Gluten Free substitutes and also Lactose Free alternatives for most of their food options. Their menu also has an extensive caveat which just goes to show how seriously they take issues of cross contamination.
Anyways, the food is fantastic. We only tried out the Wings, but our friend’s Side Salad looked really well done. The wings themselves were of a good and natural size — not those mutant type large size wings. But more importantly the flavor selection was amazing. Our party of four tried 8 different plates of wings ranging from your typical Hot/​Salt and Pepper to Curry Mango, Baja Chipolte, Sweet & Sour and Chili Lime. Chilli Lime was by far my favorite of the variety we tried and the reset were just as good.
And yes the Wings my wife had were completely Gluten-​Free. My wife is a very sensitive Celiac and didn’t run into any issues. So needless to say this place was a dream come true for my wife.
Anywho, I could go on and on, but I was truly impressed with the VooDoo Lounge. Not only did it shatter my previous expectations, but it absolutely knocked the food out of the park with a great selection of Gluten Free Wings.