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Bon's Off Broadway
Categories: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants Canadian (Traditional) Breakfast & Brunch, Canadian (Traditional) [Edit]
2451 Nanaimo StVancouver, BC V5N 5E5
Neighbourhoods: Grandview-Woodlands, Hastings-Sunrise
(604) 253-7242
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 7 am - 8 pm
Sat-Sun 8 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
64 reviews for Bon's Off Broadway
Review Highlights
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"3 breakfasts all day any day." In 15 reviews -
"...walls are covered with movie posters and tons of graffiti." In 7 reviews -
"It comes with 2 eggs, pan fried potatoes, toast, and your..." In 2 reviews
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64 reviews in English
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Review from Jee M.
Vancouver, BC
2/10/2012
prefect hangover food
cheap
great for students and for anyone
if yours looking for classy think again
if you want fast good food this is it -
Review from Nicole F.
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Yeeaaaah. I'm pretty familiar with Bon's. It isn't good by any means.. and it's usually my last choice for breakfast, but from time to time I can be convinced to eat here. Especially when I'm broke.
The atmosphere makes up for the food, I suppose. This is the kind of place that you'll run into your other broke and hungover friends. And if not, you'll be surrounded by broke hungover people that you don't know, but they'll probably refill your coffee for you regardless of whether or not they're employed by Bon's.
There is the $2.95 breakfast, which is far better for omnivores. Vegetarians get a few slices of tomato in place of the sausage or bacon. Woo...
The pancakes are decent if you want to go that route. -
Review from Kas D.
Vancouver, BC
1/24/2012
Like pointed out below by Jason "highest deliciousness to price ratio I have ever encountered." You really cannot go wrong buying a full greasy breakfast for $2.95. Is the food frickin' best ever-amazing? No people....it's $2.95! $2.95! But is it still tasty and a steal of a deal? Heck yes! I love the fact that you can fill up your own coffee as much as you want.
The line is crazy which can be off-putting when I'm a hung-over hungry hungry hippo. But I've never regretted the wait once I've seen my bill post-grease. -
Review from Anna M.
Grandview-Woodlands, Vancouver, BC
5/17/2012
If you are looking for affordable breakfast with a very homey ambiance this is the place to go..
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Review from Jason J.
1/9/2012
$2.95 for the breakfast special? HOW DO YOU DO IT?
Bon's has the highest deliciousness to price ratio I have ever encountered. -
Review from Emily-Anne P.
Vancouver, BC
1/13/2012
Like many a reviewer I could leave it at $2.95 breakfast, but I won't. I won't because Bon's deserves more than that.
This place is a Vancouver institution and I've been breakfasting at Bons my whole life and it hasn't killed me.
To be fair, I don't go to Bon's all that frequently, but when I do I don't ever regret it.
The breakfast is great, you can customize it how you will, so when I was vegan I would ask for mushrooms instead of eggs, which give me a big lovely hash, now I get eggs but no toast and extra potatoes. Mmmmmm drown it all in ketchup and hot sauce and you are good to go!Listed in: Brrreeaaaakkkkkfasssst
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Review from Mo F.
Vancouver, BC
3/12/2012
Cheap and great. One of my staple breakfast joints!
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Review from Arnold P.
2/24/2012
Cheap Breakfast for Broke Students like me!
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Review from Herman E.
Updated - 11/20/2011
I really don't know how Bon's can keep his breakfast special at that price, $2.95. It has not changed in at least 15-20 years.
He still recognizes me when I go, but now he doesn't have time to chat anymore because the place is packed from 8 in the morning to at least 1PM. I used to go at 8 in the morning but that has changed, and now I have to put up with the lineups.
My menu ordering has not changed either. Breakfast special, with vitamin G (grease)........still no complaints from me for the 15-20+years!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/20/2011
What can I say about this place? I've known Bon's in it's previous life on the corner of Ash and… Read more »
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Review from Brian B.
Coquitlam, BC
8/11/2011
Let me preface this review with a small story:
When I was a child, I thought that 'gun point' was an actual place. I would always hear that "someone was robbed at gun point" or that "people were held hostage at gun point" and I thought to myself, 'why do people continue to go there?'
Bon's is much like 'gun point'. Why do people continue to go there? I just don't understand.
$3 sounds like an amazing deal for breakfast. And it is. The key word there being *breakfast*. What they serve is some sort of inedible swill that I'd feel bad giving to a dog.
Yet somehow this place is always packed. Maybe people like the idea of getting a complete colon cleanse package at discount prices - though I'm not really sure. Regardless, this is certainly one to be wary of unless you enjoy the idea of spending the next 2 hours on the crapper.
For specifics: The hash browns were soggy and had no flavor. The eggs were cold and over-coagulated. The toast was stale. The juice tasted somewhat of cleaning chemicals (I'm guessing this is due to the fact that the cups are so old that they are now infused with the sanitizer from the dishwasher). The entire restaurant looked like a bomb had just gone off in it. The one small glimmer of hope was the waitstaff who were extremely pleasant, though this does not make up for the fact that when I go to eat out I expect some sort of actual food.
Just so you don't get the wrong idea I have absolutely nothing against greasy spoon type restaurants. The problem here is that I wasn't sure that the grease on my plate was even from the same day. *shudder*. -
Review from Lex B.
6/6/2011
Oh Vancouver, we're so starved for a real, authentic greasy dive we flock to Bon's where we're not the only ones hungover enough that breakfast is a toss-up of whether we need to eat or puke, your friends are often already there, and you can just sit there all day transferring from coffee to beer, draw on the walls, and wait for someone you know to show up.
The atmosphere, yes, is fun. But I can be a hungover pain in the ass almost anywhere. Trouble is, I'll pay more for the privilege. BUT my food and drinks will be immeasurable better. What's a girl to do?
The food is not good. It really isn't. The breakfast is cheap, so if that's what you're after, have at it. Nothing else is really that cheap considering how not-good it is. And if you don't eat pork, even the cheap breakfast seems not so so great of a deal when a hearty couple of sausage links are substituted for a thin slice of flavourless tomato.
So yes, you can drag me here sometimes because I don't have to ride my bike up any hills to get there, and sure, it may be fun, but I will try my best to convince you to come with me elsewhere instead. -
Review from Cyndi H.
Vancouver, BC
3/29/2011
It's true, I am proof that Gingers don't have souls, I mean, who could hate on Bon's??
Well, I could.
Two strikes against me:
-I'm not a diner girl (give me hole-in-the-wall ethnic food over American any day)
-I dislike most breakfast food. It's greasy, heavy and... yawn.
It took a long time to be seated. There was no indication if we were supposed to wait for a table or just take one. The answer: just take one.
We seated ourselves in a booth, it's walls adorned with pro-cocaine graffiti. Having worked in the DTES as an outreach worker, anything that praises cocaine or a local dealer is a huge button for me. I've seen too many broken lives to think light of it.
Boy am I a mood-killer.
Between the dirty carpeted floors, below-average food I was deeply questioning why the place was so busy. The answer? Obviously because it's cheap, but know this: you get what you pay for. My plate of fish and chips came with soggy fish and a side of mayo (was it supposed to be tartar?). My amigo's 'melt' came with a rubbery Kraft Single instead of a slice oozing cheddar. There was no melting going on here.
Our server was a cute Asian guy. Two thumbs up for him--he was lovely.
Now take my review with a grain of salt; if you would rather spend $3 on breakfast than a delicious delicious banh mi sandwich then this place could be your next favourite. It's just too white to be my thing : )Listed in: 1-2 Stars.
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Review from Edward L.
The world needs more dingy diners like these. When you can stuff yourself for $3, it's almost harder to even beat this price cooking at home.
Parking is available on the side streets, but you may have to drive a block or two.
The $3 all-day breakfast is advertised on a huge poster out front, just in case you missed the rumours. The inside looks like retro 80s. There's even a coin-operated jukebox on the side, belting out classics such as Queen. The walls are a tacky yellow stucco, and have writing all over them from past customers. Reminds me of a university dorm hall.
The booths themselves are all torn up, and have been patched with duct tape. Everything looks seriously beaten up here. Awesome!
They reuse the ghetto-ketchup, and the other condiments come in those 80s plastic squeeze bottles. For some reason I kept thinking of "Pulp Fiction" the whole time.
The breakfast includes 2 eggs (done your way), bacon/sausage/ham, hash browns, and white/brown/rye toast with jam. The hash browns were the greasiest of the bunch, but everything was manageable. They're also actually cut from potato chunks too, not the thin strips you see at most other places. The cooks are definitely Chinese, as I can hear them yelling at each other in Cantonese.
The food wasn't the world's greatest tasting, but it's a better deal than 2 Mama Burgers or 2 Junior Chickens. Therefore, it gets my seal of approval. -
Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
4/24/2011
In the words of Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog: "I took a poop on... [Nanaimo]... Street, and it was immediately picked up and placed on the menu at... [Bon's Off Broadway]." It wasn't a Sam Wo in San Francisco tier reference, but that was by far the funniest line I heard all night when Conan O'Brien was in town:
http://www.youtube.com...
It hit home hard. I used to come here with my gang of ne'er-do-wells often after graveyard shifts or dusk-til-dawn poker sessions - winner or loser, everyone loved the huge greasy $2.95 breakfast. You will find nothing settles your stomach after a night of hard drinking like a greezy Bon's breakfast. Hell - at $3, some people got two breakfast specials... like a boss.
I must say I'm a bit surprised that people are so in shock at the price point. Yes, it's wicked cheap compared to other breakfast joints - but most American breakfasts are a couple eggs, 2 slices of toast, some potatoes and a choice of sausage, ham or bacon. All these items are dirt cheap - and it's not some pretentious joint adding 'organic' to the menu description, slapping on a $10 price tag and calling it a day. If you want that... head over to Roundel or Red Wagon on Hastings. I guess I don't consider it 'cheap' as much as I consider most breakfast joints 'overpriced'.
It's greasy and oily, but completely satisfying and the price has stayed the same for at least 15 years. It's total dive with graffiti all over the walls and lots of broken chairs. Food quality is 2-stars, but I gave it a bump with the value and service is usually pretty good. Coffee re-ups are speedy.
But I'm preaching to the choir I think - I find it hard to believe any real Vancouverite doesn't know about this place - it's an institution. Just remember that I'm the one that 'Inception'-ed 'dog poop' into your brain the next time you eat here.Listed in: East Van Eateries
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Review from Shannon B.
Coquitlam, BC
1/4/2011
It's really difficult for me to understand how this place has so many four and five star reviews. Do people actually ENJOY the food there, or is it just so popular because it's the "cool" east van diner to get your cheap breakie on? Now before you all start throwing stones at me, hear me out:
I used to frequent Bon's up until three years ago. Back in my days of being a young adult, I was perpetually broke and had low standards when it came to food, therefore a cheap meal with undercooked "hashbrowns" and sausage that made me sick and almost crap myself was just the way I rolled. Those days are no more; there are dozens of other greasy spoons that serve a better breakfast for relatively the same price and now I'm old enough to no longer give a fuck what's cool and not just go there because everyone else does.
To be fair, I decided to give Bon's one more chance before writing this review, so yesterday I went for breakfast. The place was packed and my date and I got there just before the lineup started forming. The service is still slow, the place is still filthy. I ordered the all day breakfast. It showed up 20 minutes later, the toast cold and hard. I ate the sausage and eggs but didn't bother with the rest even though I was starving, and anyone who knows me knows that when I'm hungry I don't leave food on my plate. My date had the vegetarian omelet which looked a bit better than my meal, but he confirmed it was pretty gross as well.
In conclusion, Bon's is still less that mediocre and I won't be going back, but I'll give them two stars for being consistent and for the fact that the sausage didn't make me sick for once.Listed in: The shitlist
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Review from Bill P.
Vancouver, BC
9/26/2011
A greasy spoon popular with hipsters and related species, some of whom haven't quite mastered the idea of irony. Dear whining wannabe-hipsters: you are supposed to be ironically savouring the dirt and the cheapness of the food, not whining about it. Whining about it makes you look like bored, privileged suburban kids slumming it to impress your friends who are also slumming it to impress you - which I know, you're not, right? Please just go to Denny's or something more in line with your upbringing. Bon's is not for you. It's easier to look hip and ironic when you're not *actually* sneering.
It's greasy spoon food, prepared a la greasy spoon, nothing more, nothing less. If there is such a thing as "north american working-class cuisine", this is it. This kind of food hasn't changed in the 40 years I've been eating it, and probably for a long time before that. If you don't like greasy spoon food, for god's sake just don't go. That's like going to an Indian restaurant KNOWING you hate Indian food, and then complaining about it: it's just stupid.
The place operates on a tiny margin, because the food is so cheap. It is therefore not a pretty restaurant with numerous wait staff and cooks. You can get comparable food at Denny's and pay triple for the nice clean decor and (maybe) faster service.
Personally, I would like Bon's food to stay just the way it is. So please, please stop asking for it turn into an Olive Garden or whatever the hell you think is "nice". Too many good greasy spoons have been turned into crappy nouvelle "gastro pubs" because of this kind of whinging. -
Review from Jasmine O.
Vancouver, BC
1/6/2011
Good ol' Bon's. Yay, yes, I AM a fan. Have been since I can remember. It had actually been quite a while since I visited until this past weekend. It's only about 4 blocks from my house and I needed to use my bank's machine across the street anyway... Bingo! Cheap breakfast on Sunday with the wife.
I just forgot how loooong you have to tap yer toesies for seats and food on the weekends. Right. Well, a table for 2 is actually not that much of a wait but still, the food took forever... Also, being slammed in between two other "tables for 2" is not the most comfortable experience but hey! It's Bons! Sharing ketchup, hot sauce, creamers, pepper, and napkins with every table in reach is also a sure-fire way to see who's having the best day and who has a case of the grumps. Stop hoarding, you don't OWN that shaker...
Haha. Oh Bon's. You are something, aren't you? -
Review from Bran S.
5/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
$3 for a full plate breakfast? Of course I'm a fan. We're talking about seasoned potatoes, eggs, bacon and toast here.
I hear that non-breakfast items at Bon's are also good, so I might have a helping the next time I cross the border.
I don't care if I have to wait a few minutes or if I have to seat myself. I don't care that the place looks a little sketch -- you miss out on some of the best things just by being irked by appearances. What matters is that Bon's is a great bang for your buck, has tasty food, and is an excellent place to run into friends. -
Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
11/4/2010
How does Bon's give you a full breakfast for $2.95? I'm not sure I want to know the economics:food quality ratio, but desperate times sometimes call for bacon, eggs, potatoes, and your choice of toast.
We rolled in on a weekday morning, so it wasn't too busy and the service was friendly and quick from the crew of guys running the place. Neither of us had been to Bon's before, so we were surprised at how big it was (I always pictured it as a little hole in the wall) and the lack of your usual diner waitress types working the floor. I immediately loved the cozy old-school look of the place, from the eclectic selection of movie posters on the walls to the layers of Sharpied bathroom graffiti.
As for the food itself, at this price, my expectations were not high. But the breakfast specials came out lightning-fast, served with a napkin and a fork. With a squirt of ketchup from the bottle on the table - missing it's top - the whole meal was absolutely satisfying, with eggs done the way I like them and a packet of strawberry jam for the toast. What is the rest of the menu even for?Listed in: Diners
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Review from Rheanna F.
Vancouver, BC
8/2/2010
This is just about my favorite place for breakfast!! Does anyone even go here and order something aside from the breakfast special?! I seriously think that if someone tried to order anything else the kitchen staff would be in a panic. 'Does anyone know how to cook chicken?' someone would desperately yell, and meanwhile another cook would be hurriedly pulling on their jacket to run to the grocery store to buy ingredients like lettuce and broccoli.
I also enjoy how you basically have to fend for yourself for drinks and condiments. Bon's is always really busy and don't have a huge amount of staff, so knowing you can get up and pour yourself a refill of coffee is great! You don't have to look around expectantly and try to flag someone down, you can just relax and get stuff when you want.
The place is pretty laid back and you never know who you'll bump into. Last time i went there around 1pm and bumped into some friends who were still up and still drinking from a party the night before. They were playing a weird game with dice and hadn't touched their giant plate of fries. One of them explained 'this is our favorite place to come down from mushrooms.' That's something you don't hear everyday!Listed in: Below the poverty line and…
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Review from Anne W.
Vancouver, BC
12/26/2009 ROTD 2/9/2010
Bon's. What is it about the place that elicits such fondness from Vancouverites?
Let's face it. The place is a Dive with a capital D. It's unkempt, there is a decided lack of service, and you're hard pressed to get a seat for a weekend brunch.
I like it.
Bon's is the kind of place you go to with your nearest and dearest - the people who you don't need to impress and who have no need to impress you. You serve each other coffee (or even put another pot on, if need be). You talk loudly and raucously. Nobody minds.
If you enjoy truck stops, seedy blues bars, and have fond memories of your first basement apartment, Bon's will make you feel right at home. -
Review from Lindi C.
8/6/2008
Home of the $2.95 breakfast.
Seems like a great idea at the time, trust me, I know. But, I don't suggest you order it. It made me so incredibly sick. I've never eaten a breakfast that actually gave me a headache AND made me want to puke.
My friend said that sometimes there's a guy that's dressed up as a cowboy that comes around and fills up your coffee. I didn't see him when we went, which was a shame! The staff and guests are all a bit eclectic. The service is that kind of non-chalant, dive diner type of service. I wouldn't say the service is rude, it's just pretty much non-existent. You see people walking around filling up other people's coffee, grabbing their own ketchup and waters.
It was definitely an experience eating here, I just wouldn't say it's a good one. -
Review from Megan S.
12/8/2008
I had a lot of preconceptions about this place. On one hand, I seemed to hear good things about it everywhere. This is "the" breakfast place in town. I think I might have even seen it in a popular travel guide. But then there are those rumors that the food is gross, it's just a place to be seen, the meals are heart attacks with a side of grease.
Well, I went today- Sunday morning at 10:30
Rumor #1: It's Busy: Confirmed.
It was busy, we were kinda blocking the doorway for a bit, but the line moved quickly. And there's a nice jukebox right in this area, so we were pleasantly amused. Good selection of classic rock. 3 songs for $1. Here's what my picks will be next time: Riders on the Storm, Bicycle Race, and Personal Jesus. We had some ACDC going- nice breakfast music.
Rumor #2: The food is not high quality: Negative (but debatable)
My french toast was excellent, the pancakes got a standing ovation. Well- not really, but it was the item people were most excited about. We had all heard the potatoes were questionable and greasy. I think they were fine- but the side order was HUGE, so keep that in mind. Is this place any greasier than another breakfast place? No. But the food has more character than the corporate diners.
Rumor #3: Iffy service: Confirmed
Thank goodness they give you a pitcher of water right at the start. Because these guys are busy! There's no way they could have kept my tiny water cup filled. Those drinking soda did receive one refill in the middle of the meal. Our order seemed to take forever, and then a few items were neglected. Forgotten items arrived shortly after. But there was confusion and shuffling of plates to get the right food to the right person.
Rumor #4: Interesting Pricing (This is a rumor I'm kind of making up, but see below why...): Confirmed
Ok, everyone knows about the $2.95 breakfast. Yes- good deal, and a TON of food. Probably 2 people could split it. But I do encourage you to examine the menu carefully. Here's why.... French toast with a SIDE of bacon is $1 cheaper than ordering French toast WITH bacon. Is that retarded or what? So- just be careful about crap like that.
Decor was interesting- yellow textured walls with movie posters. The juke box really was a winner with me, although from our table it was hard to hear. The tables are nothing special, and I would not recommend this place for large groups- unless you don't mind splitting up. Worth checking out. -
Review from L K.
Burnaby, BC
8/4/2011
You're stupid if you eat anything other than the breakfast here. It's cheap, it's greasy, and it's easy. Always leave satisfied, and it's supposed to be gross, and packed, and all over the place. It's all part of the charm, and the genre of the restaurant. You don't go there for a quiet meal, or for anything else on the menu.
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Review from wanderlust c.
Vancouver, BC
3/25/2009
$2,99 $2,99 $2,99
You get what you pay for at this hole in a wall.
Busy, erratic and at times self service.
overall a great place to meet up for breakie. -
Review from Richard H.
Vancouver, BC
3/12/2011
You know what! For a greasy spoon, offering good food for little money, this is as good as it gets! This is my Sunday afternoon sanctuary; after the rigors of the week, to sit down with an All Day Breakfast and Pale Ale, is quite simply, heaven! The food is consistently good, there's plenty on the plate, it comes fast and hot and with a smile from the servers.
Quite simply put, this is a great little eatery! -
Review from Maha E.
12/25/2009
Bon's is probably Vancity's most well-known all day breakfast joint; keep that in mind when you're picking your time of arrival.
Breakfast here is cheap, but decent.
The place is sporadically decorated with memorabilia from past decades, and it requires a bit of self-service at times.
The washrooms are kind of scary, but the writings on the walls are mighty entertaining.
Recommended Main Deal: the $2.95 breakfast, of course.
Score: you get slightly more than what you pay for. -
Review from Emma G.
2/25/2010
Fancy food this ain't. But tasty, cheap, and fun? Yes.
I am a sucker for everything dive related - dive bars, kitschy diners, the like. This place is dingy, greasy, and awesome.
Breakfast is $2.95, so even if it was terrible, how could you complain?! But it's not - it's actually pretty tasty. Greasy and delicious.
It's always crowded, so get there early and don't expect five star service. Just enjoy your greasy bacon and have fun! -
Review from Emily S.
Vancouver, BC
2/23/2010
Well 2 hours later I can write about my Bon's experience.
25 minutes of waiting for a table.
15 minutes of waiting for someone to clear off our previously used table.
10 minutes of waiting for someone to acknowledge our presence.
25 minutes of waiting for our food after we placed an order.
But don't let the cheap prices scare you away from the quality of the food, it's grease-tastic and you will smell um, lovely? once you re-enter society. -
Review from Garry C.
Whistler, BC
7/18/2009
I came here with some friends on a weeekday mid-morning and the place was lined up - a good sign that people are willing to wait - it was cheap, ($2.99 all day breakfast) but was it good?
We didn't want to wait so joined a fellow diner who was very friendly and accommodating. Bon's has it's share of friendly people that are not afraid of strangers.
We had to wait a bit for our meals, but understandably it is a busy place because of the cheap food. Luckily we had some good company.
The portions were huge and looked great - I almost wanted to get bacon and eggs just for the all day $2.99 breakfast special. Instead I got three pancakes and home fries for under $5. I ate everything I was served, but it definitely filled me up!
Good food, large portions, reasonable prices, great company = good value.
I'll be back for sure!Listed in: Vancouver Eats
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Review from Miss M.
Vancouver, BC
11/28/2008
Please note before continuing that I am giving this place 5 stars based on my frequency of visits and based on how much I love it for what it is - a wonderful cheap ass dive! It is in no way a 5star restaurant. LOL!
$2.95 breakfast is the ONLY food to eat here. It comes with 2 eggs, pan fried potatoes, toast, and your choice of meat. You can opt for fruit to replace potatoes if you are feeling heavy and it's only a few cents more.
Every time I go, I order my eggs over hard, sausage for the meat, and rye toast. I have never been disappointed for what I get at that price.
The crowd is very commercial drivey (piercings, working class, old people, bohemian, etc.) and I enjoy the eclectic crowd. Service is straight up and brief, as they are busy serving the masses, but if you want coffee you can grab it yourself. Some might complain about that, but I think that gives it a 'make yourself at home' feel.
The decor is super tacky - and so appropriate. Movie posters and graffiti all over the walls, 70s looking booths/furniture. The place is as humble and non-pretentious as it gets, and some may miss that aspect and see only the dive. -
Review from Mathieu Y.
Vancouver, BC
10/6/2009
For the price and the atmosphere, bon's in the best all-day breakfast diner in Vancouver. It's not the best restaurant in Vancouver, and not the best bar, but it is the best diner you will find for the value.
Bon's is usually quite busy, as has been stated numerous times prior. The line up can take up to half an hour just to be seated, and then expect your meal to take up to another 45 minutes after you order. Put a couple of really long songs on the jukebox or something, maybe even twice.
The breakfast special has a lot of choices to offer. Between ham, bacon, sausage, and fruit/tomatoes/etc and a choice of breads (brown, white, rye) and even poached eggs, you can make the $3 breakfast your own meal (even ask to substitute the potatoes for french fries!). The soup of the day is usually not as good as the sandwich it can come with, and the pie is terrible (I've even recieved it frozen!).
This restaurant has a pretty dedicated following, be it Sunday afternoon brunch or Thursday afternoon pitchers. The crowd is quite varied, although nobody seems to really dress to impress while eating here. I have a friend who ate nothing but two breakfast specials every day while he lived in Vancouver!
Expect to serve yourself coffee, water, and pop while dining here. The numerous condiments are usually scattered about the restaurant, so be prepared to ask other diners for their hot sauce/HP sauce, syrup, etc. as well. If theyre very busy you might even want to take a volunteer role busing tables! Good work experience?
Overall, a very laid back place to meet your friends and have some food. It's usually not very loud until someone starts playing music on the jukebox, so it's not difficult to hold a conversation here, especially with the non-imposing wait staff who are probably too busy to ask you if you're doing alright every ten minutes.Listed in: Dive Eats
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Review from tee a.
5/27/2010
Our server dressed like Woody from Toy Story... what is not to love? :) Prompt refills, simple menu and the best breakfast deal in town. $2.95 will get you breakfast all day. Choice of meats, eggs, toast and hash browns.
I've been going here for years since my high school days and still, nothing has changed.. even the price! Greasy, unhealthy, big portions and cheap.. that explains the long line ups and the huge crowd on the weekends. Parking can be tough at times, so come early! -
Review from Kaeleigh E.
Calgary, AB
8/26/2010
It's OK food for a fantastic price!
The food is not great but honestly I think a lot of greasy spoons would charge a lot more than $2.95 for the same mediocre breakfast.
It's a fun spot to go once in a while. Would probably go more if I lived in the neighbourhood (or if I had ever lived in the neighbourhood) but every so often pals and I would trek out of our way for some really cheap breakfast! -
Review from Matthew L.
Edmonton, AB
7/2/2010
It's Vancouver's equivalent of a New York Diner. It's a greasy place where you can get breakfast for $2.95, They may use processed cheese instead of real cheddar, but that's part of the charm.
While I would never go out of my way to eat at Bon's, it's a great option if you're in the neighborhood and hung over.
Waits for food are always fairly long, but service is friendly. And they do a pretty good job with gauging how long it will take your food to come out. -
Review from Cameron M.
Toronto, ON
12/8/2008
I gotta say after many many visits to Bon's, I worry maybe its intoxicating effects have worn off on me. It is still a good, cheap breakfast in Van but having explored other options and had a few misfires, I worry the hype has gotten too much for the actual restaurant to handle.
Yes, the brunch is cheap. One of the best cheap to amount to good ratios in the city. For the specials you're paying around $5 for a fairly big plate. They do just about every side right as well but the bacon has been iffy a few times in my books. Still, you can't ding them much for the quality you get vs. the price you pay.
The wait is there but not insurmountable and definitely not the worst in the city. If you have a little gumption you can even get big parties in there quite nicely.
So yeah, I don't have massive problems per se...it's just mid-level. I've had numerous better breakfasts for just a few bucks more and definitely more consistent breakfasts quality-wise for the same price.
If friends are taking you to Bon's it's no issue. I'd suggest it if you're in the area. But if you're looking for an interesting, exceptional breakfast then you should probably try somewhere else. -
Review from Jason A.
Vancouver, BC
1/6/2010
Bon's.
Years ago I went to Bon's quite frequently.
That was a different time.
Now: Bon's is quite a bit east for me and doesn't hold the array of options I'd like (veggie sausage, vegi-toppings, tofu, multiple bennys, etc).
But when Mister Coffee got to talking about it the other day we decided that we'd get ourselves over there and re-acquaint.
If you don't know about Bon's [...] you're greeted by: movie posters plastered to the walls -ubiquitously, a classic diner style layout and decor, and the smell of a pool; you'll love it.
We knew the waitress -which was funny; the salt shaker had too much rice; and the sugar was caked to the exposed lid of the jar.
We sipped our saucered coffees and ordered:
The standard breakfast (ya gotta -only $3 or something).
And a tomato benny -one of only two benny choices.
The potatoes were very tasty and the coffee was delicious.
The eggs and bacon were standard.
The muffin was soggy.
Next ... a surprise!
The benny sauce is white and chessy! and good!
There is a little too much but still ...
Undistinguished hot sauce on the table -tabasco variant (quite tasty); full ketchup, and a zany cast of locals that provide for great gossiping/gawking.
All in all a pleasant though greasy-esque affair.
Location: Nanaimo Street @ East Broadway
Princess Pancake's rating
egg: B
sauce: A
muffin: C
toppings: C
potatoes: A-
Mister Coffee's rating
egg: B
sauce: B
muffin: D
toppings: B
potatoes: A- -
Review from Rachel P.
Vancouver, BC
9/10/2009
I don't usually drink drip coffee (purely because I work in a cafe and get to drink espresso all day every day) but for some reason at Bon's I feel compelled to smash at least 6 cups. Its bottomless, its kinda average, but with 4 creamers and 4 teaspoons of sugar it makes me happy, and I feel like I'm in a real diner drinking them. Plus, it makes the dude in the uniform come back and chat to us when he tops us up. Yes, he is possibly the most cheerful human being around. Bon himself (the man, the legend) is always there waiting tables, busing, making drinks, really just being the glue that holds this place together.
This place is pumping. The queue can be out the door (be prepared to be patient to score a booth), its noisy, and its interesting. A mixture of psuedo-hipsters and genuine scumbags I have plenty of people-watching over my enormous mushroom and cheddar omelet, pan fries and toast for $5.99. I'm not sure which category I fall into personally. Probably scumbag.
The $2.99 breakfast special is so large and tasty and the price is insane. Its not fancy, but its somewhere where you can take your friends out for breakfast, spring for the bill (feel like a big wheel down at the cracker-factory) and still have change in your pocket to buy a beer to go with your eggs.
Sometimes you wait a bit for your meal, but considering the amount of people they churn through this place I think the turnaround on your order is amazing. Go to Bons to sit for an afternoon, nurse your hangover with coffee, bacon and syrup and check out the other customers. Its like a home-away-from-home. -
Review from pete d.
Vancouver, BC
6/7/2010
Lousy service, long waits and mediocre food.
Bon's will always have a fond spot in my heart as the place where we invented the game "punch-ironic-hipster-facial-hair-no-return". But what started out as a fun game has left me with a perpetually sore arm.
Bon's is literally crawling with 20 something hipsters which other than cheap breakfasts might be its only redeeming quality (if you're into that sort of thing).
I used to enjoy Bon's when it was an under-the-radar and unpretentious cheap breakfast greasy spoon.. now it's a cheap breakfast greasy spoon with line-ups and scenesters. -
Review from Chloë E.
Vancouver, BC
11/12/2008
When I can pay for my breakfast in loose change, my expectations are only so high. But after a half dozen visits to Bon's, I've never been disappointed. Sure, the eggs are never over-medium (heck, I hardly know what I'm ordering when I ask for it...) and the potatoes are occasionally a shade under-done, but I never have to wait for a coffee.
On weekends you will have to wait for a table due to the hung-over hoards visiting for the $2.95 breakfast special The staff deals well with the crowds and I've never a nasty look from an overwhelmed server here. They seem to take the frenzy in stride.
The old security guy frequently makes the rounds, topping up water and coffee. He's even got a holster of, if I remember correctly, salt and pepper.
Definitely one to try if you've never been and then decide for yourself.
