BNA Brewing

When the wife and I go down to Kelowna sometimes it’s easy just to grab dinner at one of the chain restaurants on the north end of town before heading home to Vernon, but tonight we decided to head downtown, fight a bit of traffic and try somewhere new. Twice in the last couple of weeks I had heard about this «BNA» place: first, on the radio saying they were in some magazine for having the best restrooms in Canada, and second, from a friend who was raving about the place.
The initial impression of the interior was great. High industrial type ceilings and interesting seating layout. I think we found the only two available seats on the bottom floor and we were waited on promptly by a very friendly server. She was very helpful with recommendations on their selection of beers, and with questions on the menu.
I would have tried almost everything on the menu, but if one thing was lacking I would say it was choices that appealed to my wife’s palate. I settled on the pork vindaloo which was a great spice level for a mass appeal dish, and had great flavor (could have used more roti, but I can never get enough roti). My wife ordered the sausage flatbread, which I snuck a sample or two of, and it was fantastic!
All in all a great spot for date-​night.

BNA is one of the first places we came to in Kelowna and we love it. We’ve been back several times. The food is fresh and delicious, very very well executed and thought out. They must have a great chef. Most of the stars here go towards the food. We were very impressed. They play good music and although it’s a HUGE space, they’ve made it feel cozy. It’s always quite busy, had 2 floors and the service so far has been nothing less than fantastic.
One thing: I really wish they would be open for Saturday and/​or Sunday brunch!!! They’d make a killing, and we would be there every weekend. Think about it, BNA.
**this is an update: BNA is still just as fantastic as before. They have a sophisticated menu and I’ve tried over 10 items thus far and have never been disappointed. Very consistent, and delicious.

Great beers on tap, cool atmosphere, and fantastic staff. 5 stars!

The house earl grey pale ale was great. Environment is a little sterile and typical of newer breweries.

Do yourself a favour & make this a stop for dinner. After hearing so many great things about this place, it blew me away.
We arrived close to 5pm & were able to be seated right away. The service was spot on. Every dish was spectacular. Drinks were delicious. And the venue is beautiful with the vaulted ceilings & wooden beams.

Mushrooms on toast… amazing! Okay I’ve tried almost everything and it’s all amazing! Not sure if I like the food or the atmosphere better… both are great!

Amazing beer amazing food amazing staff. Coolest atmosphere in Kelowna by far. I can’t say a single bad thing about these guys, they are rocking it.

Ok listen up: BNA is bomb. As in, best ever, you’ll never experience love like this again.
Boyfriend and I finally got to stop in after hearing how amazing it was for weeks. We popped into the tasting room next door first, which has a cute, kitschy vibe with old mirrors, mounted animal heads, and lots of amazing beer! We tried a flight, including their Earl Grey beer, their blood orange beer (Blood Sugar Hops Magic — best name ever!) and two others that were also great but let’s just take a moment to discuss one of the best beers I’ve ever had. Earl Grey. In beer. Yes, it works SO well. It’s not heavy, it’s a light, fragrant, hoppy beer that just totally blindsided me with deliciousness! I highly recommend you try it if you can.
Next door has a gorgeous little patio area with lights strung up over it, lending it a dreamy, romantic vibe. The inside is an outstanding feat of beautiful design — two floors tall with exposed beams, soft lighting, and very carefully arranged seating, it’s casual and intimate while simultaneously being fancy and a party spot — no mean feat. Downstairs has booths around the outside, and a mish-​mash of seating inside — anything from a wooden bench to oversized armchairs! There’s also a shuffleboard table, and the menu board is designed like a movie title display — so cool. Upstairs has a long table, and again a bunch of quirky chairs from chaise longues to comfy sofas. There’s also an indoor bocce court (YES!!!) and a long bar area beside it where you can look over the rest of the space and people watch/​talk about how you’re going to slide over the edge and sit on the moose head below you… no? Just me? Ok…
We tried the zucchini fries, ramen, and heirloom tomato salad; yes, it’s a little pricey but not very different from most spots. The portions are a little small, but that can also be a good thing — you can try more! All three dishes were excellent and the heirloom salad was bursting with flavour and juicy pieces of tomato! I could have had three. We had a slight issue with the ramen which we mentioned to our server — she apologised profusely then fetched the manager who again apologised, then brought us a gift card! The service was way, way above and beyond — we were extremely impressed!
This is truly an incredible gem that could easily compete in Vancouver, San Francisco, or New York. Kelowna, you don’t know how lucky you are — don’t screw it up! Go visit BNA, every day if possible, and let’s make this the institution in Kelowna it deserves to be!

We stopped in the BNA (British North America) tasting room tonight and had a wonderful time. We tasted three of the brews while the young man, Liam, explained all about them. Additionally, we learned a lot about the local brewery scene, restaurants, and just had an enjoyable experience. It’s great to come across a place like this that is intimate and casual. No pressure to buy beer, although we did! Really liked the Blood, Sugar, Hops, Magik IPA. Although we didn’t go to the restaurant tonight, we plan to go back and try it as well. I love that the guy who started this place just really likes to make craft beers, and he put together a nice place that deserves a stop on your itinerary.

Stopped in for a beer on the recommendation of our B&B host. He described it to have a «Friends”-like coffee shop vibe (but a bar instead) which turned out to be pretty accurate description. The space is big with high ceilings and plenty of seating including benches along the wall and couches and chaises in the center. There’s a shuffle board on the main level and lawn bowling on the second floor. Big selection of beers on tap, written on the big chalk board left of the bar. The crowd is mostly early 20’s-mid 20’s. Friendly service and an interesting food menu (we didn’t get to try) that seemed to have a fusion of different cuisines (Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Canadian). Great casual bar and good for large groups.

It was a packed Saturday evening, but we still managed to find some comfy chairs. I really liked the space, with its tall ceilings and wooden beams — very light and airy in the summer. The food was delicious, and though they had run out of several of their own beers, the ones we did manage to taste were tasty.
Really interesting crowd too, a mix of ages and styles — great people watching!

I had a great tasting as well as service experience at this brewery. You have to try the Earl Grey beer. It was very complex in flavour. Has a little caffeine too. I wish they opened a little earlier in the day, so I could come by and get a growler refill by 12 noon.

Amazing food, creative and extensive drink list (including a fantastic bacon cocktail) and a cool atmosphere. Terrific new place!