Fort McMurray’s favourite taphouse
Home to independent music lovers and open mic fanatics
Tavern on Main – Taphouse & Grill is a place where the beer taps flow and open mic nights are most favoured by its regulars.
Located at 9708 Main Street, motorists can see the tavern’s pub front entrance from Fort McMurray’s bustling Memorial Drive, which is connector road to Highway 63 and runs through the edge of the downtown core.
When its guests walk into the taphouse, they are welcomed by the main bar that’s as long as the pub itself and the open space allows patrons to see all in attendance.
As for its décor, it has a rec room feel with music posters and beer swag. Winston Churchill quotes are shown on the walls and include his famous phrases like: “Bessie, my dear, you are ugly, and what’s more, you are disgustingly ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober and you will still be disgustingly ugly.”
The signage adds to the humorous and laidback atmosphere the establishment succeeds in.
During the day, the place hosts to the afternoon lunch crowd with menu options from the grill including traditional burgers, chicken wings and fries – and anything else that pairs well with a brew.
By night, it sets the stage for professional and amateur musicians to take part in their weekly open mic nights. Every Thursday, the stage has a full set-up and invites anyone to test their talents.
Fans of local radio host Mike Jones of Country 93.3 can find him at the Tavern on the regular as he hosts events like ‘Name That Tune!’ and other community fundraisers to support social profits like Some Other Solutions.
Another favoured regular event is the Tavern’s lip sync battle competitions, which has brought in community guest judges to review and determine who takes home cash prizes.
On its Facebook page, the Tavern on Main receives 4.2 stars out of 5 based on the opinion of 161 people.
Recent guest Carbery Shane recommends the Tavern:
The Tavern has a long-running list of musical talent that creates a concert-like atmosphere. Whether it’s a full band or single man show, Dan Tulk, Dave Martin, Grizzle Trail, Max Noseworthy, Slowcoaster, Eva La Prairie and Brian Pottie are just a few of the many to take the Tavern stage.
The next scheduled event is Name That Tune! and will be guest hosted by Andrew Pottie from The Borderpines on Wednesday, April 17 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. To play, guests need to bring a team of two to six people to the Tavern.
For regular updates and event listings, check out the Tavern on Main’s Facebook page. It’s open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.