Vera's Burger Shack - Wrap your lips around these burgers

No matter how many wonderful and varied things there are to eat in the world, sometimes there's just nothing like a nice burger, and the bigger the better. Vera's Burger Shack has become one of the best places in Vancouver to indulge in your hunger for burgers, and Olympic fans with an appetite, a love for beef patties and a sense of humor will find themselves very pleased indeed!


About the restaurant: Vera's Burger Shack is a local Vancouver-owned franchise of restaurants sprinkled all over the city, particularly downtown and in Kitsilano. They all share a very basic and sparse decor that echoes that of a 50's burger joint, with simple booth seating at small square tables. The walls are covered with tongue-in-cheek menus and posters listing all the available trimmings and asserting that their version of a "low fat" burger involves taking off the bun. All in all, it's not the best in terms of comfort or atmosphere, as there isn't much in terms of music or television and the seats aren't the most comfortable, but it's certainly servicable for what it is. The servers at the cash register are friendly and boast a cheerful sense of humor, often joking with customers and laughing. However, there is no table service; you come up to the counter to pick up your meal. Also, the food here takes a bit longer to prepare than other fast food restaurants, so be prepared to wait a little while. Many people take this into account and prefer to phone ahead (or order online).


The food: Like Memphis Blues, Vera's Burger Shack makes absolutely no pretense at being a "healthy" eating establishment. This is not where you come when you're on diet; this is where you come when you're dying for a giant juicy burger and a mountain of crispy fries drizzled with sauce. And boy, does Vera's nail it. Their burger menu reads like a love letter to meat, cheese and veggies, with dishes like the Cantor (which is topped with a giant slice of salami and fried onions), the BBQ burger (provolone, BBQ sauce, fried onions and bacon) and the Baja Burger (cheese, guacamole, salsa and hot peppers). You can also customize your burger with a huge variety of toppings, including "The Usual Suspects" (ketchup, mustard, lettuce, etc) and more unusual trimmings like roasted garlic, fried egg and blue cheese. You can also select different patties such as veggie, lamb and turkey, allowing for further customization. Naturally, by the time you're finished crafting your monster burger, it's the size of... well, a monster.

Taken from Vera's Burger Shack.

All the ingredients are fresh and tasty, and the burger is moist, savory and absolutely perfect. The beef patties particularly are of really high quality, with a taste that evokes that of a sirloin steak. The juice soaks into the toppings and bun and makes the experience a satisfying (if somewhat messy!) affair. Just try to have one on an empty stomach, as the sheer weight of meat and toppings is extremely rich and filling.


If burgers aren't your thing, try one of Vera's hot dogs, which applies the same love of mountainous toppings to wieners. Vera's fries also deserve special mention; they're thick and crispy, with the skin still on, and fantastic for any fry fanatic. And yes, you can also order poutine here! Round it up with some yam fries, onion rings, milkshakes and so on, and you have a superlative burger experience!


My favourites: The Cantor, the Vera Burger, the BBQ burger, Vera's fries.


Cost: Vera's burgers are a bit more expensive than in comparable places (certainly far more than McDonalds) but that befits the excellent ingredients and giant size. The basic burgers cost about $6, while the speciality burgers loaded with meat and cheese go from anywhere from $9 to $11. Upgrading to a combo (drink and fries) is an extra $4. You can often get slightly better deals by ordering their daily special; each day features one burger at a reduced price.


Take-out?: Yes. Not only that, but you can order ahead online or over the phone.


Delivery?: No.


Licensed?: No.


Website and menu: Here.


Location(s): There are several branches of Vera's located downtown, in Kitsilano, and in other areas of the city including the airport. Link to Google Maps.


Summary: Burger lovers both local and international should take the time to try Vera's Burger Shack. One bite and you'll be converted. Just be sure to use the napkin... you'll need it!

Old Spaghetti Factory - Best value for money in Vancouver

Despite originating in Portland, The Old Spaghetti Factory has long since evolved into a Vancouver institution, attracting both tourists and locals looking for a great meal at a ridiculously low price. With branches both in the trendy neighbourhood of Gastown and the snowy slopes of Whistler, this should be #1 destination for Olympic budget chasers and people looking for a great meal for the family.

Richmond branch. Photo taken from Danny and Jeremy at Urbanspoon.

About the restaurant: The Old Spaghetti Factory cheerfully embraces a sort of kitchy retro charm in recognition of its 39 year history, displaying a large collection of vintage posters, scales, gas pumps, bicycles and other items. The Gastown branch even has an old streetcar trolley set up inside the restaurant; diners can sit inside it and enjoy their meal in an atmospheric relic of Vancouver's past. Mood lighting, stained glass, menus smattered with turn of the century ads and simple checkerboard-cloth covered tables gives it a warm and homey atmosphere, made even more welcoming by the very cheerful staff.

 The Old Spaghetti Factory is very popular and as such there's often a bit of a wait to get in. Luckily, there are some comfortable seats for waiting customers, and usually it doesn't take very long. The restaurant can also be a little noisy at times, especially during children's birthday parties.


The food: The Old Spaghetti Factory excels at providing hearty and satisfying meals with a simple and homemade taste. They make their own soups, salad dressings and spaghetti sauces, all of which are fresh, thick and flavorful. I'm a huge fan of their clam sauce as it is so thick and creamy that it echoes a great clam chowder. The pasta is soft and tender as are the meat dishes. Special mention also goes to their bread which is always warm from the oven and served with garlic butter (my favorite!).  There's nothing pretentious or overly fancy here, and there doesn't need to be; this is the kind of food that everyone can enjoy, from the eager foodie to the picky eight-year-old.

Picture taken from Fit and Fabulous.

Not only is the food good but the servings are absolutely fantastic for the amount of money you pay. With an order of spaghetti (which covers a rather large dinner plate), you also receive a sizable pile of salad smothered in fresh dressing and a dish of spumoni ice cream (similar to Neopolitan except with pistachio instead of strawberry), as well as bread and tea or coffee. I am particularly fond of the thousand island salad dressing, and the ice cream is an unusual but incredibly effective mix of sweet and slightly salty tastes, and the perfect finish to a large and satisfying meal.


My favourites: Spaghetti with clam sauce, spumoni ice cream, Cookie Monster smoothie.


Cost: This is where the Old Spaghetti Factory really shines over almost all its contemporaries. In my opinion, you cannot get better value for your money in all of Vancouver. A complete meal including bread, large salad, large plate of spaghetti, ice cream and beverage of choice goes for only $10. If you order some of the fancier pasta, it goes up to a mere $13-14. And again, these are all extremely generous portions, meaning that even those with large appetites will walk away satisfied.


Take-out?: No, although you are welcome to take leftovers away.


Delivery?: No.


Licensed?: Yes.


Location(s): The Old Spaghetti Factory offers several locations in popular areas, the main ones being in Gastown and Whistler, making this an ideal choice for Olympic visitors. Link to Google Maps for Vancouver and for Whistler.

Website and menu: Here.


Summary: There's a lot of great reasons why the Old Spaghetti Factory has remained a popular Vancouver institution. Great atmosphere, excellent food and absolutely amazing pricing makes this a winner by any restaurant standards. If you like spaghetti, have an appetite, are looking for a great deal or just want a good family restaurant, make the time to try this place.

Picture taken from Fit and Fabulous.

Guu = Japan + tapas = yum

One of the fastest growing dining trends in Vancouver is that of the izakaya, a Japanese word for a drinking establishment that also serves tapas-style food. Offering a quirky and unusual selection of Japanese dishes, these restaurants have become much more about the food than the drink. One of the oldest and most popular izakaya in Vancouver is Guu, a fantastic chain of restaurants that pushes the envelope of fusion cuisine and “bar food.”

About the restaurant:  Anyone who has been to Japan will find Guu a really authentic experience. The interior is slightly dim and atmospheric with a wooden bar in front of the kitchen and a very Japanese look to the place. As the hostess seats you, you’ll be greeted by a chorus of chipper Japanese voices as you’re announced. For me, it brings back memories of little izakaya places in the back-alleys of Tokyo.

The staff are all very cheerful and friendly, and happy to explain the more esoteric items on the menu. The restaurant is a favorite among Japanese ex-pats and students, and it can get quite lively and crowded during peak hours.

The food: This is not your average sushi place; while there are a few “common” dishes like yakisoba, the majority of Guu’s food is unique and unusual. You’ll find things like beef tongue, croquettes, fried shrimp and mayonnaise and takoyaki (deep fried octopus dumplings). All of them are absolutely delicious. 

Guu uses particularly excellent meat in their dishes, especially beef; the beef tongue is wonderfully chewy and juicy while their striploin (one of the specials) is tender and melts in your mouth. There are a lot of particularly good fried dishes as well, such as pumpkin and egg croquette (the mashed pumpkin is a sweet and mellow counterpoint to the tangy mayo sauce). There are pleny of unusual ingredients like duck breast, cod roe, shark fin, eggplant and pork cheek. And if you’re not feeling too adventurous, try out their oden (a sort of hotpot with broth) or grilled items. Again, no matter what you order, it will be fantastic and well-prepared.

It’s also worth noting that several of the Guu restaurants have somewhat different menus. I usually go to the one near Robson, but many people find the menu at Guu with Garlic the best. If you like one, try and make time to try the others.

My favourites:  Gyutan (beef tongue), pumpkin and egg croquette, scallop on garlic toast, takoyaki.

Cost:  Like Tsunami Sushi, the cost of your meal really depends on how much you eat. Each dish is approximately $5, meaning those with a small appetite can eat for very cheap while ravenous and eager tasters may find themselves spending quite a bit more.

Take-out?:  No.

Delivery?:  No.

Licensed?:  Yes.

Location(s):  There are several locations in Vancouver; my favorite is the one near Robson Street, while another popular one is in Gastown. Link to Google Maps.

Website and menu: Here.

Summary:  If you like Japanese and are willing to try something really different, you can’t miss Guu. Proving that there’s far more to Japanese cuisine than sushi and rice bowls, it brings an authentic piece of Japan to Vancouver, and offers amazing tastes and textures to boot.

The Irish Heather - my first gastro-pub experience

And now for something completely different!

Among the various unusual restaurants you can experience in Vancouver, one that’s gaining a good deal of attention is the “gastro-pub,” a rather fancy name for, well, a pub you can eat at. Unlike places like Wings and other sports bar/restaurants, however, the food and atmosphere at gastro-pubs is much higher class, with rarefied ingredients and high quality cuisine. I’ve never really been to one before – “too rich for my blood,” as I told my friends! – but a recent meetup with the maintainer of Follow Me Foodie has opened my eyes to a whole new way of dining that doesn’t break the bank. Thanks Mijune! ;-)

The Irish Heather was a great first experience: steeped with a certain mystique and sophistication while still offering hearty, delicious food that anyone with tastebuds can appreciate.

About the restaurant: The Irish Heather actually comprises of three linked but distinct establishments:

-                    The Irish Heather is built in the style of a traditional Irish pub, right down to the oak finish… the hardwood floor is from the Guiness brewery in Dublin! This is the area most strongly identified as “gastro-pub” where the emphasis is equally on good drinks and authentic from-scratch meals.

-                    The Shabeen is a whiskey parlour in a separate building, accessed via a small courtyard out the back door. In contrast to the Irish Heather, this is a slightly smaller establishment with much greater focus on the drinks.

-                    The Salty Tongue actually doubles as a café as well as the main “dining room” of the Irish Heather. Boasting a more modern look than its counterparts, its main focus is a 40-ft long communal table made of solid reclaimed wood. During breakfast and lunch, an assortment of muffins and sandwiches are available here. During the evening, diners (especially those with children) can sit here and enjoy their meals. Also hosts the long table events.

All three locations have friendly wait staff and a pleasant atmosphere.


The food:  My visit to the Irish Heather was unusual in that I did not order from the menu; rather, our group took part in the Long Table series, a set menu event hosted during the month of January and ending, unfortunately, before the Olympics begin. Having said that, I’m sure their main menu is as high quality as the meal I enjoyed.

Our meal was smoked pork chop with bacon braised cabbage, crisp potatoes and apple-raisin gastrique, along with a glass of apple cider. The pork chop was one of the sweetest, most tender cuts I’d ever tasted, with a texture and taste close to cured ham or bacon. The cabbage shared the same taste thanks to the liberal use of bacon chunks, and it made a wonderful moist bed for the pork chop. The crisp potatoes were actually close to fries or potato chips in crispness and provided a crunchy counterpoint to the otherwise soft textures, and the apple-raisin dressing gave a strong, sweet kick when mixed with the cabbage or chop. All ingredients were fresh and smooth-tasting, and blended perfectly together. It was one of the best pork chops I’ve ever tasted!

In contrast, dessert – a Boston Cream pie – was somewhat underwhelming; while it wasn’t bad, it was not particularly memorable, and the chocolate was a little undersweet. The cider, which was produced in the Okanagan, was very strong, and a bit too alcoholic for my tastes.


My favourites:  Have only been once, but the aforementioned pork certainly qualifies!


Cost:  For the Long Table Series, the meal + cider cost only $15 per person. On the regular menu, entrees cost $14 without drink, with desserts and appetizers coming in at $5-7.


Take-out?:  No.


Delivery?:  No.

Licensed?:  Yes. As befits such an establishment, The Irish Heather offers a robust variety of ales, wines, whiskeys and other alcoholic beverages.


Location(s):  In Gastown, on Carrall Street. Link to Google Maps.


Website and menu: Here.


Summary:  If this is a taste of what gastro-pubs have to offer, then both Olympic visitors and I will have to give this more of a shot! If you’re looking for a more esoteric experience for your money, give the Irish Heather a try. You may not look at Irish pubs the same way again!