Nightlife Review

As summer starts getting into full swing, I ask you to ask yourself, “What’s my favourite thing about summer?” Is it the smell of freshly cut grass? Evening barbeques? Delicious fresh fruit from B.C.? Ha-ha, no. I’m talking cider and beer, and appies and sunshine, all served on a concrete platter with those cute sun umbrellas.

PATIOS

Picture this: the perfect summer day right here in Fort McMurray.

Late afternoon, MacDonald Island. “MacDonald Island?” you say?

After a riveting match of badminton, take a stroll over to The Fox Den at Miskanaw. The Fox Den has the largest patio in Fort McMurray, with beautiful golf course views and enough tables to fit you and all of your friends. With the reigning title of Best Patio in Fort Mac, it’s certainly a great place to start a patio day. Boasting an all new summer menu including Mexican, Hawaiian and all-in-one style burgers made with Kobe beef, butter chicken, flatbread pizzas, jumbo house-made chicken wings, and not to mention gluten-free options, they have something for everyone.

Jump in a cab (no drinking and driving, friends) and head back towards the city. If you hit A&W you’ve gone too far.

While writing this article, the next stop on the patio tour hadn’t yet opened, but it will be a necessary stop. Wood Buffalo Brewing Company, Fort McMurray’s latest and greatest for nightlife, has a menu of six micro-brewed beers, made on site. Not only is the patio new, keep your eye out for Alberta’s first micro-still to set up shop. That means home-made whiskey, vodka, you name it. Grab your drink of choice and head outside to the patio, equipped with a state of the art heating system (to keep you warm on cooler nights), comfortable patio furniture (because there’s nothing worse than trying to relax on stiff woven chairs) and that contemporary feel that Wood Buffalo Brewing Company is now famous for. The Brew House is going to be Fort McMurray’s summer destination for Red Bull parties, fantastic live music and food and drink you can’t find anywhere else.

For those who don’t live in the downtown core, there is an oasis in Gregoire that will be installing a patio this summer. Heck, even if you do live downtown, it’s well worth the trip up Beacon Hill to check out Prime Social Kitchen, in the Radisson Hotel. An extensive wine menu (for those girls nights), beautiful décor and classic entrées done just right. How do you go wrong? You don’t. Prime social kitchen is a great formal gathering place on the restaurant side or a fantastic informal hangout on the bar side. Once the new patio is in place, it will be the perfect destination for summer fun times too.

These are just a handful of the patios here in Fort McMurray, you can practically find one at every turn. The Fox Den at Miskanaw, Wood Buffalo Brewing Company, Prime Social Kitchen, Earls, Moxie’s, Boston Pizza Uptown and Podollan Pub are just a few on our long list of summer nightlife destinations right here, in our home town.

Cheers!