Grove Inn Restaurant

The Grove Inn serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the week and has an extensive menu. Set in a depressing decor of brick walls and brown everything, people clearly do not frequent this spot for the atmosphere. There is no pretention or sophistication here: even the wine comes from a box.

We arrived early and this restaurant was one of the few open before 10 am on Denman Street. The place was already packed with an older crowd and what appeared to be a handful of regular customers. This, along with the numerous Stars Of Vancouver / Best Of The West awards on the wall, got our hopes up for a great breakfast. Unfortunately, while the Grove Inn has won many awards over the years for "best bacon and eggs" and "best cheap eats", we soon understood why some of these award haven't been won since 1999.

When: Sunday, July 31th 2006 (9:45 am)

M says: I went for the Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon ($4.95) and was quite pleased with the generous amount of berries in the batter. Unfortunately, the grill in the kitchen was too hot and my pancakes were only partially cooked - I managed to eat half of my plate but even that required a big effort on my part. Also big disappointments were met in the bacon, which was overcooked and appeared to be of the pre-cooked variety, and the Orange Juice ($2.25), which was not real.

T says: M ordered what had caught my eye, so I went with the French Toast with Eggs and Sausages ($5.25). The toasts were flavourless and rubbery and had to be drenched in (fake) maple syrup to be edible. The eggs were well done but lacked seasoning while the sausages were of the cheap kind: pale and flacid with many cartilage bits. I also did not finish my plate.

Pro: It's cheap.

Con: Who cares about the cost of the meal when the food isn't good? Also, please be advised that the Grove Inn was closed down in 2002 due to a mouse and cockroach infestation.

Verdict: T says nay, M says nay. This was by far the worst meal yet.



Grove Inn Restaurant
1047 Denman Street
Vancouver BC V6G 2M4
604-687-0557

The Boathouse

The Boathouse has been a Vancouver staple since 1981 and has since expanded to 5 more locations.

The main attraction of The Boathouse is the deck. With its fantastic sunset views and wonderful eye on the crowds bellow, it is no wonder that getting a seat can sometimes result in long waits. We arrived at 6:45 and made it just in time to beat the sunset watching crowd. The place was already hopping and remained so throughout dinner. Much to our satisfaction, there was ample staff to accommodate the crowd. The clientele seems to be mostly made up of an after work crowd, but without all the pretension of business suits and martinis. Lots of loud chatter and drinks flowing didn't detract from the atmosphere. The only drawback to the crowd is the number of tables that are crammed onto the deck: this makes seating tight and subsequently you get to sit real close to the people next to you.

That Friday was one of the hottest days of the year and it was hotter on the patio than on the street. This seemed to cause the bar to have a slight "cabana" smell, such as the one you might find at a resort that has an outdoor bar that hasn't been hosed-down since 1989. While not entirely unpleasant in Puerto Vallarta, it's just a little strange for Vancouver.

Surprisingly, the most memorable part of our dining experience was not the food - although it was very enjoyable - but the service itself. The service is very attentive and blisteringly fast. The kitchen must have been well-staffed and trained because the food came out incredibly fast: no one on the deck had to wait more than 15 minutes for their food. Furthermore, the wait staff was friendly, knowledgeable and seemed very comfortable in their jobs. Drinks arrived quickly and we were never in want of anything for long.

The largest complaint is probably the VERY limited dessert menu. Two items for the deck menu is hardly a menu and almost laughable for a restaurant of that caliber. If the dining room serves a full dessert menu, why couldn't the deck as well?

When: Friday, July 21 2006. (6:45 pm)

M says: I decided to go for the Salmon Fish & Chips ($15.99). I have to admit that I have eaten some incredible fish n' chips while I was in New Zealand, and while I was not expecting this to rival it, I was expecting a little more. This said, the salmon was very moist and much better than Ivar's salmon fish n' chips in Seattle. The fries were slightly tasteless - they tasted mostly of the sea salt seasoning. Fortunately, while they had the appearance of having been fried in older fryer oil, they did not taste of it.

For dessert we shared the Key Lime Pie ($6.99), which surprised the both of us. More like a key lime cheesecake, it looked nothing like your average pie. Fresh and light with coconut shavings in the graham crust (albeit a slightly grainy texture filling) it was a good finish to the meal.

T says: I ordered the Three Mustard Salmon ($23.99). This item has been a staple on the menu for the past 25 years and is starting to show its age. While I wouldn't anchor a menu with it, I can see why it's been their calling card for so long. The salmon was remarkably well cooked (especially so for an end piece) and the sauce worked well with the high fat content of the fish. The Granville Island's Killer Ale ($5.79) is wonderful, especially on a hot summer evening while enjoying a sunset. This beer, specially made for The Boathouse, is worth the trip on its own.

Pro: The Boathouse offers unrivaled versatility on Denman Street by offering three different dining experiences. One can choose from "casual upscale" dining in the dining room, pay-per-view sports games in the pub or the covered / heated deck for an "on the edge" view. All three experiences offer a different menu. The deck enjoys great views of English Bay and the menu comprises of quality, yet simple seafood dishes at reasonable prices. What more could you ask for?

Con: It can be quite a wait for a table on the deck, even though with the speedy service they seem to have a fast turnover. In spite of the wonderful sunset views, this is not the place for a really quiet, romantic evening with your significant other.

Verdict: T says yea, M says yea!



The Boathouse Restaurant
1795 Beach Avenue
Vancouver BC ?
604-669-2225
www.boathouserestaurants.ca

Fatburger

Founded by Lovie Yancey in Santa Monica CA in 1952, Fatburger's first Canadian franchise came to Vancouver's Denman Street in May 2005. After two more Canadian additions, the Canadian franchisee for Fatburger is currently planning to open more than 20 locations throughout Canada in the course of the next few years.

The location on Denman Street has the signature 1950's retro-style décor of the usual Fatburger with neon lights, an open kitchen with counter seating, music and sports memorabilia on the walls and a jukebox that plays great tunes. This location also has a garage-style door which opens-up to the street. Witty signage welcomes you into the shop, inviting you to step into this "taste bud recovery center".

Fatburger, which prides itself on using fresh ingredients, is immensely popular along the American West coast and has even earn itself an entry in Wikipedia. Burgers and sandwiches are made to order and only never-frozen 100% USDA lean beef and 100% cholesterol-free oil are used. Burgers are made to the customer's liking and can be customised. Patties come in two sizes: Fatburger (1/3 lb) and Kingburger (1/2 lb) and all patties can be doubled-up. Add-ons include bacon, cheese, egg and chili.

Also available is the Turkeyburger and the Chicken Sandwich, as well as a veggie patty that is looked-down upon by the meat-loving folks at Fatburger. From the fryer one can get skinny or fat fries as well as onion rings that "come from onions, not the freezer". And to quench your thirst, fresh lemonade and real hand-scooped ice cream shakes complement the usual soft drink options.

When: Sunday, July 16 2006. (9pm)

M says: I first heard of Fatburger when I was in Las Vegas, where it had been described as a "must-do" on par with casino attractions. The Fatburger on the strip was jam packed, with long lineups and customers sharing tables in order to get a seat. There I ordered the Bacon Egg Sandwich and I was hooked. I read the tray liner and I got really excited: a Fatburger was set to open in Vancouver soon.

Since its opening, I have been back a few times and I am never disappointed. I have also never encountered an ordering mistake, which is quite a rarity in my case (I seem to have a 1 in 4 incorrect order running streak). I always order the same thing: the Fatburger Cheese Deal with added bacon and egg ($11.56). The deal comes with fries (I like the skinny ones) and a drink.

All I can say about Fatburger is that they make a damn good, juicy and tasty burger. I don't put sauce in my burgers and sometimes that can result in a dry burger, but not here. It's a satisfying eat that always fills the spot.

T says: The burgers are quite large enough to accomodate the splitting of fries, making it unnecessary to double-up on a combo or the meat. In light of this, I ordered the Fatburger Cheese with bacon and egg ($7.96) and was left satisfied. The burger was juicy and pleasantly pink. Looking forward to saving room for a shake on my next visit!

Fatburger vs. Vera's Burger Shack, by M: There is a big debate about which burger joint on Denman Street serves the best burger, with many taking sides. With Fatburger as the new kid on the block, it seems that a small army is standing by Vera's. While Vera's burgers are good and quite comparable in price to Fatburger's, I often find their burger to be quite dry. I have also noticed that they will change their bacon from regular strip slices to back bacon without warning, changing the taste and texture of the burger. I have to admit though that Vera's fries are better and that I do love to indulge in the poutine. I think that people's disappointment with Fatburger may come from the fact that Fatburger is fast food-type burger, not the type you'd get at a fancier sit-down restaurant.

Surprisingly, there's even some fighting within the BC Lions' CFL team as to which burger shack they prefer. While Fatburger is the "official" burger joint of the Lions', Vera's is co-owned by a former Lions player and pictures of current Lions players can be found on the website... can anyone say breach of contract?

Pro: Excellent taste!

Con: A tad expensive for fast foodod-type burger.

Verdict: T says yea, M says yea!

Update: Fatburger now also offers combos with beer, instead of just soft drink or milkshakes.



Fatburger
1101 Denman Street
Vancouver BC V6G 2M7
604-689-8858
www.fatburger.com
"The last great hamburger stand"
Logo © Fatburger