Surly Bob's was a
sports bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
** Chocolate bar
*Protein bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of ...
in
Yellowknife
Yellowknife is the capital, largest community, and the only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of t ...
,
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...
, Canada owned by Bob Ross and Lyle Denny. It closed in October 2012.
It served typical pub food and sponsored a
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
team, also named the Surly Bob's. The bar was located at 4910 50th Ave.
History
Precursors (1969 - 2003)
The establishment was founded in 1969, as The Hoist Room Pub and Grill. In the 1980s, it was known as Millie's Hoist Room. In the 1990s, it was known as The Bistro on Franklin's. In 2000, the restaurant became known as Jose Loco's, when it specialized in
Mexican cuisine
Mexican cuisine consists of the cuisines and associated traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican Cuisine, Mesoamerican cuisine. Mexican cuisine's ingredients and methods arise from the area's first agr ...
.
Surly Bob's (2003 - 2012)
In January 2003, Lyle Denny and Bob Ross acquired Jose Loco's and converted it into a sports bar. It had a full kitchen and Friday and Saturday nights were known as Lobster Night.
The Cellar (2013 - 2018)
On 8 August 2013, Kyle Thomas reviewed "The Cellar", stating that the food was "good, but generic". The Cellar offered a
veggie burger
A veggie burger or meatless burger is a hamburger made with a patty that does not contain meat, or the patty of such a hamburger. The patty may be made from ingredients like beans (especially soybeans and tofu), nut (fruit), nuts, grains, seeds ...
along with a homemade vegan soup special which was different every day.
The bar was closed on Sundays and Mondays.
In 2018, the Cellar Bar and Grill, which was operated by General Manager Dale Bardeau, was set to have a change in ownership, as Bardeau planned to move to
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
. In talks to take over the bar, one party sought to maintain the bar as-is, while the other would potentially close the bar for several weeks for a
rebranding
Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, term, symbol, design, concept or combination thereof is created for an established brand with the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investors ...
. In 2018, the bar moved uptown.
As Savannah's Family Restaurant (2019 - 2021)
On 18 March 2019, the bar reopened as "Savannah's Family Restaurant".
It served
East African and
Middle Eastern cuisine
Middle Eastern cuisine includes a number of cuisines from the Middle East. Common ingredients include olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates, sumac, chickpeas, mint, rice and parsley, and popular dishes include '' kebabs'', ...
, including
halal meat
''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...
(goat, lamb, chicken, and fish),
injera
Injera (, ; ; ) is a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, traditionally made of teff flour. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, injera is a staple. Injera is central to the dining process in Amhara community, like br ...
, lentils, and a veggie burger.
It was owned and operated by husband and wife Savannah Perna and Mohamed Mohamed.
As of May 2019, the Fat Fox Café was considering a move there, having closed its doors on 50 Street on 19 May 2018, due to issues with its premises.
However, as of October 2020, Savannah's Family Restaurant was still open, now serving hamburgers, wings, and
East Indian cuisines, such as
samosa
A samosa () () (Hindi: समोसा) ( Persian: سمبوسه) is a fried South Asian and West Asian snack. It is a pastry with a savory filling that mostly consists of vegetables like spiced potatoes, onions, and peas, but can also include ...
s and
goat curry. According to
Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor is an American company that operates online travel agency, travel agencies, comparison shopping websites, and mobile apps with user-generated content.
Its namesake brand, Tripadvisor.com, operates in 40 countries and 20 languages, and ...
reviews, "the food is beautifully spiced, hot, and served quickly"; they serve "nice Somali flavors", and the restaurant boasts a "very friendly owner and staff" The restaurant was inspected on 29 October 2020.
On 21 September 2020, the Yellowknife
Chamber of Commerce
A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...
announced that Savannah's Family Restaurant was nominated for the 2020 "Resilient New Business Award" by the public.
Until 5 October 2020, members of the public could vote online to select who would receive the award.
On 5 November 2021, it was announced on
Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
, and subsequently reported by