There are (in our opinion) two types of nights out. The kind you plan well in advance, complete with a new outfit and a hairdo you spent far too long on. And then there are the evenings where you’re at home, watching TV and ready for an early one, when your phone pings with a “Fancy going out?”.
While there’s nothing wrong with the former – and there are plenty of venues catering to it – Brewskis and Grub is a go-to place for those nights out when you don’t fancy getting dressed up. This unassuming bar on the fifth floor of the Crowne Plaza in West Bay has no airs and graces to it. High tables take up the majority of the lounge, a few sofas occupying the rest, against kitsch, theme-cementing touches of neon signage and posters for different drinks brands. There’s a huge LED screen in the centre of the bar, as well as plenty of screens showing live sport and replays.
There is, of course, one major draw to Brewskis and Grub – the fact that there’s a wall of draft hops taps where you can pull your own pints. At the time of our latest visit, COVID-19 restrictions have put this feature on hold. On the plus side, it does save you from the embarrassment of pouring a drink that’s mostly head and being rightly laughed out of the bar.
Can a venue whose entire raison d’être is out of action still draw in a crowd? The answer, in Brewskis and Grub’s case, is a resounding yes. While the novelty factor is dialled down, the bar’s appeal has seemingly held very steady indeed.
With good reason, too. First, there’s the excellent happy hour, where you can get hops for QR35 between 4pm and 8pm from Saturday to Wednesday, and from 4pm until 6.30pm on Thursdays and Fridays.
Then there’s the food (or ‘Grub’). Burgers, wings and some sensational mac ’n’ cheese fritters take top billing – but the bar also serves up a vegan section. Plant-eating revellers can tuck into Beyond Meat burgers and tacos, alongside eye-wateringly tangy Buffalo ‘no wings’, made from mushrooms or cauliflower (or a mix of both).
Finally, the friendly bar staff are really what make this place, with regulars greeted almost universally greeted by name. And if you can’t already tell by now, we highly recommend becoming one of them.
This bar promises you Brewskis and Grub, and it does just that – and extremely well, too. Head down for your next quiet one, you won’t regret it.
Open daily 4pm-midnight. Licensed. Crowne Plaza Doha West Bay, brewskisandgrub.com (4441 2550).
