Vancouver doesn’t have as many fast food restaurants as you may be used to if you’re from the U.S. Instead it has lots of small restaurants and cafés where you’ll find many different kinds of food, much of it satisfying and reasonably priced. Here is a list of excellent, inexpensive cafés and restaurants frequented by locals.
If you’re looking for the ultimate bargain meal, go to Vancouver Community College restaurant and cafeteria run by the Culinary Arts students at VCC. Lunch is served from 11:30-12:30 and dinner from 5:30-7:00. You can get cafeteria food most of the day. It’s excellent, healthy and really cheap.
Vancouver Community College is located at 250 West Pender. For more information, call 604-443-8479.
Japa Dog
530 Robson Street (walk up stationary restaurant)
Burrard & Smithe in front of Sutton Place Hotel) (stand)
Burrard & Pender (stand)
Waterfront Station (Stand)
604 667-4663
Japa Dog, started by a Tokyo ad salesman, is a very popular and unusually good gourmet hot dog sold at the 3 Japa Dog street carts and the Japa Dog store location.
Terra Breads Bakery and Cafe
2380 W 4th Ave
604-736-1838
Terra makes the best bread in Vancouver. At their bakery, you can get delicious sandwiches and soups and desserts that are a sort of a cross between bread and pastry. There’s also a Terra Bread in the food court at Granville Island. (See next entry)
Food Court at Granville Island
Granville Island Market includes an excellent food court with an international selection of food including Chinese, Indian, Indian, Mexican, Japanese, soup and sandwiches, sausages and hot dogs and Terra Bread bakery and cafe. Granville Island is a great place to visit and to eat on the run and on the cheap.
Burgoo
4434 W 10th Avenue
604-221-7839
and
3096 Main Street
604-873-1441
and
3 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver
604-904-0933
Specializes in comfort food; thick soups and stews full of meat and vegetables.
Elbow Room Café
560 Davie
604-685-3628
What locals like best about Elbow Room, besides the food, are the insults hurled at diners by the hilarious, irascible owner.
Finch’s
353 West Pender Street
604-899-4040
The baked Blue Brie, Pear and Walnut baguette is a favourite in this charming downtown cafe.Great selection of coffees and teas.
Go Fish
1504 West 1st Ave.
604-730-5040
A busy walk up outdoor cafe at Fisherman’s Wharf with excellent lunches, early dinners and long lines. Take along the phone number and when you arrive, call and place your order. By the time you get to the front of the line, your food is ready. Lot fewer people on rainy days. Open 11:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Habit
2610 Main Street, Vancouver
604-877-8582
Habit offers West Coast comfort food such as grilled cheese sandwiches, vegie shepherd’s pie and burgers. There’s a daily beer and whiskey shot to wash it down.
Hon’s Wun Tun House
1339 Robson
604-685-0871
and
268 Keefer St
604 688-0871
This place is big, clean, efficient, authentic and very popular. It is also perfectly located if you want an inexpensive lunch or dinner break while you’re shopping on Robson.
Moderne Burger
2507 West Broadway St.
604-739-0005
A really beautiful retro burger joint with fantastic burgers, milk shakes and malts
Thien Kim Vietnamese
2523 Nanaimo Street
604-253-8239
This modest little Vietnamese restaurant recently updated its decor and raised its prices slightly but the food is as good as ever. Cheap and good and friendly. Worth the drive.
Benkei Ramen
1741 Robson Street
604-688-6980
This tiny ramen restaurant has wonderful soup and, most often, long lines. Go early.
Sophie’s Cosmic Café
2095 West 4th
Vancouver
604-732-6810
Sophie’s is a old fashioned diner with an electic decor and serves giant breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
Stepho’s Souvlaki
1124 Davie
Vancouver
604-683-2555
This place is so popular with locals that it’s best to come for lunch or an early dinner to avoid long lines.
Thai Away Home
3515 Cambie St
604 873-8424
Thai Away Home is very inexpensive and good. Besides the food, you’ll find free recipes and hard-to-find Thai spices and herbs for sale, so you can make your own homemade Thai food whenever you want.
