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Crave Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Canadian (New), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
3941 Main StVancouver, BC V5V 3P3
Neighbourhood: Riley Park
(604) 872-3663
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11 am - 10 pm
Sat 9 am - 10 pm
Sun 9 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Malloreigh M. said: "After deciding to go to Bob Likes Thai Food and then changing my mind multiple times, I finally had supper there. Initially I was discouraged by the prices - higher than usual Thai food prices, and the place is much nicer than most of…" read more »
59 reviews for Crave Restaurant
Review Highlights
"OMG the short rib poutine is amazingly delicious."
(in 7 reviews)
"I love how they have a patio in the back."
(in 22 reviews)
"...have to recommend the pulled-pork sandwich for lunch/dinner..."
(in 4 reviews)
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58 reviews in English
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Review from Sofie C.
Vancouver, BC
9/10/2011
We sat on the patio on a sunny day and had the organic beef crave burger which was probably the best beef I've ever tasted.
I highly recommend this place! -
Review from Abi B.
2/8/2012
We ended up at this little restaurant by chance when our original dinner plans fell through.
I LOVE the buttermilk fried chicken cobb. The vegetables in the salad were fresh and crisp and the chicken was moist and delicious. The serving was generous and I almost wasn't able to finish it.
Our server was good and kept our water glasses full.
The food was a little on the pricey side; it was $16 for the salad. This kind of pricing is acceptable in downtown Vancouver, but on Main Street, that's pushing it. -
Review from Jason G.
1/29/2012
I came in for brunch to pass the time waiting for The Regional Assembly of Text (RAT) to open. There was a wait for tables, but I just sat at the bar since most of my colleagues are back in the states and I'm eating alone. The wait staff was nice, and seemed to know their customers. They were talking about a lady who had just walked in and apparently always orders pancakes but doesn't like them. So one of them said to tell the server to let her know that they were out of pancakes if she tries to order them. I like that.
The menu seemed ok, fruits, a couple bennys, french toast and pancakes, and then a brasied short ribs migas that I wish I would have gotten. They have something called butter potatoes which may be a Canadian thing I don't know about haha
I got cranberry ginger french toast, and it was ok. Very light on the toasted part of it's name. The portion size would have been a little more than enough if I had been into it enough to want to eat it all. The turkey sausage I got to go along with it was good, two nice sized links.
The atmosphere seemed pretty nice, and I bet the dinners are better than the brunch. I wouldn't go so far as to say I recommend it, but you could probably do a lot worse in the neighborhood. -
Review from Ken T.
Vancouver, BC
12/14/2011
Not too shabby! Came here thinking it was a different restaraunt but we were pleasantly surprised. They did mess up our order by not giving us the truffle fries and giving us regular but then just gave us a huge batch of the truffle fries anyway! Too many fries.....
Very good service and there are a few more things on the menu I would want to try. would come back for sure! -
Review from Realtor Darius D.
Vancouver, BC
1/10/2012
I've been on an unspoken mission to find the best burger in town, and I'd say they hit the mark! Being a foodie means I'm a bit critical of food, especially restaurants. Being able to taste a tomato (most tomatoes taste watery and mushy) in a restaurant these days seems unheard of, but they did it here! I had to ask the server if there was some special salt they added to the fries, as it has an underlying sweetness that I hadn't tasted recently. I won't tell you their secret, but you'll get the point once you try them. Service was great!
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Review from Rohan S.
New Westminster, BC
11/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Stopped in here for brunch a few Sunday's back.
There was quite the line up for a table (it's a really small space, so it doesn't take much for a line up to form.
We had a seat at the bar to work on a couple coffee's while we waited for a table. The coffee there is quite good. I don't know what beans they use, but I like. I only got halfway through my cup before a table opened up, so the wait couldn't have been that long.
They've got a very compact brunch menu with small fruit dishes to full on pancakes and eggs.
I tried one of the more interesting items, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon on a toasted croissant. All in all it was really good. Filling, tasty and all those good things.
The staff here is friendly, helpful, and quick to keep your coffee cups topped up.
I will be back here again soon!Comment from Greg G. of Crave Restaurant 12/2/2011
We're happy you liked Crave. We use JJ Bean coffee. Hope… More » -
Review from Ramon V.
10/19/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I have a split decision.
The brunch menu is good and it's easy to give a 4 star rating for most items, but the dinners I've had definitely warrants 2, at most, a 2.5 star rating with lots of room for improvement.
On a previous visit, I had the ribs. It wasn't special. I've had the same quality or better at cheap pubs. They type of ribs that has a good coating of tasty sauce, but inside it's just steamy and blah meat.
I most recently visited with a Groupon, and they told us that the wait would be an hour. Fair enough, it was busy. We head down the street for drinks to pass the time, and returned only to be seated over 2 hours later. Arrived at 6:50pm, seated at 9:05pm. It's not their fault if a lot of people show up, but that's a pretty bad estimate of seating time.
We were fortunate enough to receive a free popcorn shrimp appetizer as part of the Groupon deal. It was pretty oily. I'd never pay $11 for that. I opted for the fried chicken cobb salad because, well, it has 'fried chicken' in the title. I'm a sucker for it. It looked amazing, but to my disappointment, the chicken was very bland, the skin was rubbery, and did not suit the rich flavourful taste of the blue cheese, bacon, eggs and avocado in the salad. I even thought twice about finishing it. I looked at the table beside me and a woman at the table had dicarded the chicken on her plate. Maybe she didn't like chicken, but what are the chances when it's supposed to be the star of the dish. I arrived back home with a displeasing taste on the palate. Dinner at Crave hasn't left a good memory for me.Listed in: Yelp's 30-day Challenge
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Review from J N.
Vancouver, BC
9/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been eating here since it opened, but never got around to the review. But how could I forget about crave?
Some notables:
The patio-quaint, quiet, and absolutely lovely on a warm day. (In back, in case you thought that the front one was the only one around. I like that there's an option where to sit and although we were two, we were "allowed" to sit at a table for three (but possibly because we arrived around 2 pm).
The cheeseburger-bun is ciabatta and a bit soft, but actually one of the BEST burgers in Vancouver. I kid you not. Fries pretty good and fresh, too.
Cobb salad with fried chicken- a bit too fried even for my decadent tastes but absolutely delicious. Next time, I might get mine grilled, however.
Waiter was pleasant and efficient until the end when he just didn't bother coming back to give us our bill. We finally had to get up and pay since the bees by our table were driving us crazy, and I wanted to take part of mine home. The bees weren't their fault, really, but it was kinda weird since all he would have had to do was to return with our bill so he could be tipped.
And yes, their brunches and rigatoni are really that fantastic, too. -
Review from Pineby F.
Vancouver, BC
8/24/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Consistently good food. I preferred it years ago when not many people went, and the servers were less overwhelmed.
While the service has suffered a bit in recent years, their food continues consistently satisfy.
Personal favourites include the guilt inducing, super heavy, short rib poutine.
I should clarify that my review pertains only to the dinner service, I found their brunch to be mediocre. -
Review from Kyla K.
Vancouver, BC
12/30/2011
A friend and I stopped in this past Tuesday for brunch around noon and we were happy to see they had vegetarian options, so in we went.
First of all, our waiter was terrible. At no point did he offer to refill our waters or coffees, and we had to ask twice for jam and ketchup. I ordered the veggie burger, which appeared to have been deep-fried?? Greasy and flavorless. The most heinous offense, however, was what happened when the bill came. My friend ordered the veg omelette and asked that spinach be added - waiter said no problem. However, when her omelette arrived, no spinach. We waited a while for him to come back so we could send it back but he never came back in the room and we were hungry, so she ate it as is. Of course when the bill came, she had been charged extra for the spinach. We advised him the spinach wasn't in the omelette and asked him to remove it from the bill. A few minutes later, he came back with the spinach removed from the bill, but said the chef insisted that the spinach WAS in the omelette and we just didn't see it. Seriously?! How condescending and rude. As if we are both idiots who "missed" seeing the spinach?? It wasn't in the omelette. Period. Totally unnecessary comment by the waiter and combined with everything else, we won't be back. -
Review from Cathy S.
7/3/2011
After hearing a lot of buzz about Crave from some of our friends we decided to hit it up for an early dinner. The space itself is quite small but they have a small front patio and a large, lovely patio in the back which essentially doubles the occupancy on a nice day. Because of our early arrival we didn't have any difficulty getting seated immediately wherever we wanted.
The décor is spare and modern, in a good way. It appears that the customers were divided between those having cocktails and small plates and those having meals. Our service was immediate, friendly and attentive.
We started with an order of the Ahi Tuna Tempura Rolls with ponzu and ginger that is apparently one of Chef/Owner Martin's signature dishes. It was a winner and was thoroughly enjoyed.
My husband ordered the short rib "shorty" rigatoni and I ordered the fettucini pasta with tomatoes, spinach, olives, pinenuts, feta cheese and lemon olive oil. His dish was clearly the better of the two and would be ordered again in a heartbeat. My dish proved off-balance with a little too much lemon olive oil and not enough feta. With a slight proportional adjustment, this could be an amazing and flavourful summertime pasta dish.
I'd love to come back to try out their breakfast menu which looks very enticing. -
Review from Theresa W.
Vancouver, BC
8/16/2011
It's more of a 2.5, and I really wish I could've ranked this higher but it just wasn't working for me last night. Husband and I showed up for late dinner just after 9pm, and were seated promptly.
It kind of went south from here. The server seemed really uninterested in us, and by the end of the night (with our water glasses empty for half the dinner) I felt pretty uncomfortable and didn't want to stay there a minute longer. I get that it's been a long day and you've probably been working there all evening and you're tired. But it would have been nice if you looked at me the only other time you walked past, or not hid around the corner so I couldn't see you and we could've just talked, you know?
The food was good, and it was kind of the saving grace. The starter we got was fantastic - their popcorn shrimp is amazing. I was skeptical since popcorn shrimp sends off alarm bells of massive breading, but these had a very light coating and great seasoning. The sauce that came with it was delicious as well - a spicy mayo that added a nice tang.
I ordered the miso sablefish and husband got the lamb sirloin. Both were very good dishes. The sablefish was a bit on the salty side (I guess it was soaked in the miso sauce for a bit longer than it should've been), but the vegetables that came with it were fantastic. I could just sit down and eat a whole bowl of those veggies with a ladle, they were so yum. The lamb was great - seasoned well to bring out the natural flavours, and came with a fantastic scalloped potato that I pretty much ate half of.
Overall, the place is nice and the patio is a definite sell. I wish our server was more attentive (the table beside us was being served by someone else and I was jealous when they got two water refills when we got none), but the food was good and I left with a happy full stomach. Not sure if I'll come back, I guess I'll wait for some more reviews before making that decision later. -
Review from Scott H.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 7/25/2011
Stopped in again on Sunday for dinner in the sun. Got to eat in the garden in the back. Great little space for late afternoon dinner. Tried the Crave Burger this time, and was again impressed. Big paddy on a ciabatta bun with aged cheddar. Really nice. The wife had the veggie burger, and she wasn't as impressed, but really, who the hell orders a veggie burger?? It seems to defeat the purpose.
Always a good meal at Crave. Grade A garlic mayo as well.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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2/13/2011
Second time here, and still can't say enough good things about it. Great wait staff. We brought… Read more »
Comment from Greg G. of Crave Restaurant 12/2/2011
Scott....thank you so much for the comments about Crave. I… More » -
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Review from Andrea P.
4/7/2011 2 photos
Crave is small, cozy restaurant on Main St... it's easy to miss, I don't know how many times I had passed by without noticing it before my friend recommended it for brunch. Very very delicious.
This is one of those restaurants where you're reading the menu and EVERYTHING sounds so good and you just can't seem to pick one! They have a great mix of savory and sweet brunch dishes and unique specials. I enjoyed my brunch thoroughly and also couldn't help but drool over what the table next to me was ordering... it just looked delicious!
It's a pretty small little restaurant so get there early to avoid waiting in line. Lots of street parking available.
I can't help but love that it's conveniently located right across the street from Front&Company :) Shopping right after a delicous food coma = happy girl. -
Review from Ying W.
Vancouver, BC
5/21/2011
Was just there this past week and its been 1-2 years since my last visit. Pleased that they kept up their quality and I had an enjoyable meal.
My friends and I both enjoyed the lamb and tuna entre. Dessert was divine as well. I'm glad we went there as it's kinda slipped my mind on how good their foods were.
Their wine list prices are quite reasonable although not extensive. We were there on a Tuesday night and it wasn't very busy. It's a good place for catching up and chats between close friends.
The place is higher priced than their neighbouring restaraunts and bistro on Main Street as their food quality is comparable to fine dining. I still think this place offers good value for a special occasion meal if you don't want to pay the five star prices at hotels or higher end restaurant chains like C etc.
I love how they have a patio in the back. The patio is like a secret garden and I would definitely go back to enjoy their patio in the summertime! One of my fav Vancouver summer activities - sharing fun laughs & good foods with great company in a cozy restaurant patio enjoying the warm Vancouver sunshine :) -
Review from Eva B.
4/26/2011
I thoroughly enjoyed eating brunch here last Saturday. We were lucky to arrive during a lull and were seated right away. The services was friendly and fast. The decor is neat, tidy and modern. I loved the small touches like the photograph gallery and the fresh cut flowers all over the restaurant.
We were served fragrant tea served in a french press, turkey sausages, fluffy thick pancakes, boozy compote and french toast, and perfectly cooked eggs. I left so satiated I didn't feel the need to eat until late night snack time. -
Review from Stephanie M.
Vancouver, BC
Wow! Very cool brunch spot. I tried the vegetarian version of the "build your own" omelette with mushrooms, red peppers, tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, scallions, cheddar, blue and feta cheeses. Very tasty and more-than-generous portions; I wasn't sure how the combo of everything would work together, but it definitely did. The potatoes were decent and well-seasoned too, but as I've said before, not my favourite feature of brunch (though the server did bring me extra to share instead of toast). My fellow diner's French toast was also delicious (according to her) and beautifully presented.
Add some bottomless coffee and a friendly and attentive server to the mix, and you have a very successful brunch destination in my books. I also really enjoyed the modern and sophisticated decor (and the photography on the wall); somehow the restaurant, though not overly big, managed to feel bright and open.
Would definitely make a return trek out to Main St. for this! -
Review from Matt K.
10/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had great service here once we sat down, and they've got an interesting little courtyard-style thing out the back. Staff were very accommodating when we decided we wanted a lunch menu for lunch (it was past 12 after all)... Didn't feel super clean in there though, maybe it's just too small for the amount of traffic they get?
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Review from Hannah K.
Vancouver, BC
7/7/2011
I found this place through Yelp while we were on Main St. I had no doubt about choosing this restaurant reading all the good reviews. However, they caught me off guard on their food quality and the service.
It seemed like everyone working there had a bad day although it was only 11:30 in the morning... to a point where I felt uncomfortable dining there at all. Although it got little better towards the end, it was the worst service ever! (I did not do anything that could have instigated it.)
Their omelet was nothing special.. The tuna tempura roll was bland and came with just the plain soy sauce and frankly, I don't know why they have it in the menu in the first place.
I have no doubt that people wrote good reviews on this restaurant had good time dining there, but I think this place is overrated based on my experience alone....
(do not get the tuna tempura roll!!!) -
Review from Kristina C.
Vancouver, BC
2/28/2011
Crave is a really classy yet cozy restaurant which has great food. I've been here several times and have never been disappointed.
I love love love their short rib poutine, it's truly delicious. The shorty rigatoni, mac n cheese, crabcakes, BBQ ribs, yum yum yum! I've also been here for brunch, which can get super busy. The build-your-own omelette is great because they have quite a variety of fillings to choose from and there's no limit on how many types of filling you can get.
I can't wait for my next trip to Crave!Listed in: Main Street Madness
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Review from Annie M.
Vancouver, BC
We went there few times for brunch, however, they're so full and never get a chance to eat there.
We got there around 10 on Sat morning and they're so busy already. After few mins wait, we got seated. The restaurant is so small but they have deck area at the back with gas heater.
This place had a really great breakfast and lunch menu. My mom had 1/2 traditional Benny and I had omelette. We both liked our food, but we found the sauce of my Benny so rich and tasty. They used Omega enriched egg, so yummy.
By the way, the organic coffee was hot and good.
I would go there for breakfast more often but probably make the rsvn next time avoid the line up. -
Review from stan s.
Vancouver, BC
4/5/2011
Discovered Crave while looking for a lunch spot on Main Street today, it was a great find.
I had an organic beef buger with blue cheese. I can say one of the best burgers in town. Fries were cripy and house made.
Will be back often!! Good Eats and Great Service. -
Review from Soupmistress Y.
New Westminster, BC
9/19/2011 2 photos
Great Pan roasted halibut cooked to perfection. Love the use of fresh corn and the gnocchi was melt in your mouth!
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Review from lucinda k.
Vancouver, BC
3/13/2011
I wish I could rate a restaurant purely on decor and service, because then Crave would get 5/5, but had to factor in the food...
Techniquely I think my visit was a ~2.5/5 for dinner. I had the mushroom/leek soup (I usually LOVE mushroom soup- esp Oliver Bonacci's in Toronto) which came as a healthy portion, but unfortunately lacking in flavour- I kept looking up for a salt shaker (which there wasn't one).
I also got the beet salad with goat cheese. The good: huge huge portion, a good plate to share. The not-so-good: again, not so flavourful. The beets were shredded and perhaps cut pieces would work better.
I really wanted to like this restaurant--the service was great. My friend got the shorty rigatoni, which was good-- so maybe their meat dishes are where they shine for dinner. -
Review from Alisa B.
5/4/2010
I had a mollusk/bivalve craving last nigth and my bf being the utmost patient and understanding man in the world said "Yes, dear" and quickly joined me on yelp to find me some mussels! We settled on Crave after a few other shot down ideas (me doing most of the shooting the poor man).
Crave is small, a food-bar/waiting area to the right of the door and general seating to the left, a wine cellar at the back of the restaurant, shattered glass decorum with black tables and chair on top of gray floors and walls. Very hip to it. The lady was happy and praised our orders.
I had a Cava my bf had a beer, we shared the mussels, mac n' cheese, and for dessert the Toffee Cake. My cava was still fresh which made me very happy not to lose bubbles, the mussels were divine! Not skimping on either sauce or bacon lardons or mussels themselves, it was a healthy portion. Be aware its 2.50 for extra bread and that is PER PIECE!!! No worries though the sauce was so good we got two extra orders and supped away happily. The mac was divine! The pasta in it perfectly aldente, top beautifully but not overly so gratined, cheese sauce was NOT a heavy bechamel with nutmeg (thank god) it was on the contrarty creamy and decadent... yum.
Dessert gets a paragraph all to itself. Warm Toffee cake with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream. Ice cream was fabulous quality, sauce was to die for good and cake was YUM! It reminded me a bit of a bran muffin flavoured with a ton of toffee and warmed.... it was sooooooo good!
I had a really good time and will DEFINITELY go back. Minus a star (yes a whole star) for being skimpy on the bread, charging for it and giving me a stale piece!Listed in: Places You'll Find Me in…
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Review from Juan R.
Vancouver, BC
1/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Took 20 minutes to take my order but the California Benny was delicious.
This is a good restaurant but not as great as They think they are. Best time to go is in Summer time because they have a nice patio out back. No salt on the tables equals pretentious. Always feels a little cold in this place. I'd give it 3 stars in the summer cause of the patio. -
Review from Brett C.
Toronto, ON
9/3/2010 1 Check-in Here
My girlfriend and I went to Crave for a late afternoon lunch. We started with their popcorn shrimp. She loved them, I liked them a lot but they were a bit salty for me. For the main course I had their pulled pork sandwich hold the slaw. It was very good; not overly tangy like Memphis Blue's can be, all while staying nice and simple.
Service was also very nice. They accommodated us moving our table twice (bees were out in force that day). Both of us left happy. -
Review from Bart E.
Vancouver, BC
10/21/2009 ROTD 3/2/2010
Worth Craving!
Crave is one of those tiny but great restaurants sitting in Mt. Pleasant. We arrived sans reservation on a Thursday and were seated at the bar. Wine list has a good selection of by the glass and the on tap beers were few but great. After a dance with their french fries we were seated and enjoyed some fine cooking.
I had ribs with a very good side salad and a house dressing. The wife had some sort of sandwich that was WAY too much food but fabulous.
We were too stuffed to do dessert.
The ribs were fall off the bone. The service was very prompt and positive.
Whole meal: two apps, two mains, three drinks: $65. GREAT value.
Only downsides are slightly crowded -- and don't go expecting glam. Go in craving comfort food and go home happy! -
Review from Jenni B.
11/16/2009
I finally made it to Crave after way too long of wanting to check it out.
I arrived later on in the evening on a Saturday night, and had a bit of a wait for a table. But thumbs up for bar seats and a glass of wine while waiting!
All the staff I interacted with were great - attentive, friendly, efficient. We were probably there long after they wanted to close but they let us be and didn't rush us out the door.
The food was really good, totally surpassed my expectations. I actually ordered the organic burger with fries - ahhhh organic burger to die for! A fist pump goes to the delicious fries.
Best part for me was the ambiance. It wasn't loud, I was easily able to have a conversation with my dining partner, but didn't feel like other tables could hear. The restaurant is small, and I would say cozy. I liked the decor, totally my style so I found it really comfortable.
So score to Crave, it gets a full stop Yipeeeeee! -
Review from Maddie H.
Vancouver, BC
7/8/2011
Crave is a neighborhood standby. I've been multiple times for brunch, lunch and dinner. Their consistency is what keeps me going back.
I would have to recommend the pulled-pork sandwich for lunch/dinner and the smoked salmon croissant for brunch - both are winners!
On weekends sometimes it's hard to get a table and they are very strict about no reservations (even phoning ahead saying you are on your way doesn't get you anywhere...) so try to avoid the peak hours unless you don't mind waiting in line. Though, last time I checked, they will phone your cell phone when your table is ready, if you feel like walking down to 20th and browsing the boutiques instead of waiting outside.
Their food is yummy, upscale casual. Nothing mind-blowing but always consistent and always good. I would recommend checking it out if you're in the area! -
Review from Raymond O.
Vancouver, BC
5/21/2009 3 photos
In my opinion Crave is the hippie version of Cafe Medina (which is more hip in terms of ambience). Instead of Downtown Vancouver, you get the Main street neighbourhood. We went there by 1pm on a Sunday to get a tasting of their lunch menu, but they were still serving breakfast. Yes, breakfast menu at 1pm. Apparently on weekends they extend the breakfast time. Fair enough.
My breakfast food for my...umm...lunch meal was good. We started with a fruit smoothie which consisted of blended yogurt and their fruit of the day that happened to be mixed berries. I wanted more fruity flavour and sweetness (so I added honey) from the drink, but texture and thickness was spot on. Feels like I'm they're using frozen mixed berries and something I could definitely just make at home using Costco ingredients. For CAD5.00 it's not really worth ordering, but it does add to the breakfast experience.
What I do recommend is their Breakfast Caesar. Definitely a great mix on the light side. Not too peppery or strong and excellent for, drum roll please, breakfast. This is something I would order another glass of than the smoothie.
Egg white frittata for CAD10.00 is a good starting point with it's asparagus, tomatoes and spinach ingredients served with a side of toast and potatoes. Although I enjoyed the frittata very much, I'm disappointed with the toast which was over heated and was bordering on being tough. Same with the potatoes which varied from having a mix of soft to crunchy cooking like they came from a different batch of cooking or they were stacked pile high to make a lot in one go.
It's impossible not to end up ordering Eggs Benedict off the breakfast menu. Make mine traditional, please. Again, main item is flawless. But the side potatoes have the same mixed batch which got me thinking that the person cooking the main dishes is the seasoned cook, while the one in charge of the side station of the kitchen is the apprentice.
Ambience-wise, it's pretty much laid back and comfy both with it's dark walls when choosing the interior portion or the patio - which you should be prepared to wait as this is the popular choice.
Staff is excellent which I give 5 stars for the service. Typical of a Canadian restaurant, they are there somewhere around when you need them and out of your face so you can dine in peace for the most part of your meal. For example I had to ask for butter for the toast and catsup for the eggs and both times they brought one each per person automatically.
So why only 3 stars? Well, for now I'm waiting to be wowed with the food offering. Like I said, I've experienced breakfast and the taste and presentation is what I've seen from other restaurants.
I will drive slower this time and come for lunch or at the point they actually serve it I should say late, late lunch (early dinner, lunner?). When I do then I'm going to re-evaluate it and hopefully justify why this restaurant is aptly named as such. Until then, at least that's something to crave about.
TIP: Lots of street parking is available along the restaurant's block and lots more along Main street, but difficult on the weekend. There are nearby neighbourhood areas, but watch out for signs that specifically state it's reserved for the residents only. -
Review from Tracy P.
Vancouver, BC
4/18/2010
The place is very tiny. I think it maybe seats 25ish people? Very minimal, modern decor. There's also a very lovely garden patio in the back. The brunch menu is affordable and is served until 2pm daily. My boyfriend his benny and it seemed pretty standard, nothing too spectacular. My truffle parm poutine smelled divine. Although, to be honest, while intensely flavourful and delicious, I'm not really inclined to agree it's "poutine", since there were no cheese curds. They just seemed like really fancy fries, covered in deliciously tender short ribs meat and au jus. The parm was there, but you couldn't really see it, and you couldn't really taste it, since it was fighting with the very strong truffle scent.
Surprise about the foie gras mayo. For whatever reason, I expected it to be whipped into the mayo, for a smooth texture, but it was actually just good mayo, with huge chunks of foie gras in it. Not sure I really dug it or not. Seemed unwieldy to dip fries in, and overly decadent for something already so rich.
But hey, at $12, that's a pretty fancy deal. And overall tasted epic. Yes, epic.
I'm kind of a dinner person, so I'm looking to try their dinner menu soon. They have fried chicken cobb salad, and I have a hard time resisting fried chicken... -
Review from Evilyn T.
1/31/2010
After reading some of the reviews here, I decided to try out a new breakfast place, so I convinced the posse to convene at Crave for breakfast. The four of us met for dunch, and had a short wait at the bar area for our table. The restaurant is pretty small, so I imagine it must get pretty packed in there for dinner on weekends.
We got seated, ordered our drinks and our waitress let us know the magic word of the day was cesars, since they were on special for $5. I don't think any of us were in any shape to start drinking after our Saturday night bender, so it was waters and coffees all around.
I had the California Benny for breakie, with real bacon and not the back bacon that it usually comes with. As I waited for my breakfast, I noticed the couple next to us had ordered the Cranberry Ginger French Toast, which looked amazing! I was going to leave my crew to ask our neighbours for a taste test, since I was having breakfast envy,
but after drooling on my hand for a few minutes, my breakfast arrived.
After looking over my plate and the table, I looked at the waitress who read my mind and said "ketchup?" I nodded as I grabbed the salt & pepper detonators and our server threw a little fresh ground pepper on my plate. I kind of hate it when restaurants don't just have ketchup on the table, but I guess putting it in a little dish for you does look a lot fancier than just leaving a warm bottle out for flies to suckle on.
My breakfast was pretty good, but it wasn't amazing, I think next time I will have to try that French Toast! The service was great, we got coffee refills really quickly and the staff were all very nice, and the prices were decent, my benny was $10. I am definitely returning to Crave for breakfast since everyone really enjoyed their meals, and I want to give this place four stars for a dish that I can't get anywhere else, but I haven't sampled enough of their menu to do so. -
Review from Littlefish B.
Vancouver, BC
10/8/2009
My favourite patio for the summers of 2007, 2008, 2009 - an oasis on Main Street. No reservations, open breakfast, lunch & dinner.
I can attest to the tuna roll and crabcakes being outstanding appies.
The Capellini pasta and Buttermilk Chicken Cob salad (virtually guaranteed corony in a bowl, but I've taken the risk & I'd say it's worthwhile) should be on your list. My husband raved about the blue cheese hamburger.
While the patio is my summer haven for personal and business, the interior is small. I'm ok with it as I like the vibe, food, staff, but it won't be for everyone all the time. -
Review from Vincci L.
11/21/2009 3 photos
Tried this new place out in August of 08. We arrived early on a Saturday night and avoided a wait. It's a small restaurant. We opted to sit inside instead of the patio because it was a hot day. There's a row of bench seating, with small tables along it. It's a modern looking place, framed photos line the wall.
I ordered a Tokyo Rose cocktail, sake,hendricks,cointreau,cran and lime. It came in a nice pink, and just the perfect mix of sake and everything else.
Starting off with the popcorn shrimp-it's a gourmet version of a favourite snack of mine. The batter is not too thick, and just enough crispiness. The sweet chili mayo goes well with it. A good sharing appy.
Food:
mussels wild game chorizo chips, garlic & herbs, bread....mussels were a bit small, dish was ok in flavour.
J got the organic Crave burger-I didn't try it, but it looked good.
We had a good time. It's not too noisy, and a relaxed atmosphere.
Prices are reasonable here, and service is attentive. Next time, I have to try the brunch. -
Review from M F.
Vancouver, BC
5/26/2011
One of the best burgers around, maybe the best fries in Vancouver, great appetizers, good steaks (although the old steak frites are sadly gone from the menu), and good beers on tap (although there are only two to choose from). Desserts are also excellent. The menu is small but thoughtful; there's a nice mixture of comfort food and more gourmet offerings. I've only been for brunch once but I recall that being pretty good as well, if not spectacular.
I've been to Crave a lot over the last few years; it's hard to think of another restaurant in Vancouver with the same combination of quality of food, price, and ambiance. -
Review from Anastasia A.
Vancouver, BC
8/28/2010
Amazing build your own omelette's, Cobb salad it wonderful, mmm, organic burger.
Odds are if you go there you will love the food and like the service and want to go again! -
Review from Dani B.
5/21/2009
I used to live 3 blocks away from this place and even though I only went here a handful of times, I liked what I got every time. I must say I prefer the brunch over the dinner because it had more vegetarian options, but all-in-all the food does not disappoint.
This place has a hip, but not hippy, vibe and I wish it were a bit bigger so I would never have to wait for a seat. Nevertheless, great place and if you're here on a sunny day, sit on their small but cute patio, it's splendid. -
Review from Mike G.
Vancouver, BC
10/6/2008
Wow. 'Shorty Poutine' - that's poutine made with truffle parmesan fries, shortrib jus, and, oh yeah, shortribs - is unbelievable. It's also basically un-finishable, even between two people, as it's gigantic and happens to be a dish made of fries covered in shortribs. And that's just a starter!
My girlfriend and I decided to try this place based on some friends recommendations, and we weren't disappointed. It's a pretty small spot from the front, with just a few tables. We had to wait about 30 minutes, but thankfully the waiting area is right in front of the bar, and there's a counter table to sit at, overlooking Main, while you wait. We had a drink and then headed out back to our table on the patio.
The patio itself is really nice - it's small, enclosed on two sides by taller buildings, one side by a fence, and the other by the restaurant. But it's got some nice landscaping around the tables and lots of heaters. We really enjoyed spending the evening sipping drinks and munching on poutine. Although, when our mains arrived, we weren't much in the mood to eat any more! I had the shorty rigatoni, as this dish had been recommended by a few different people. It was awesome, although I wouldn't recommend doing a short rib starter and main course. The portion wasn't huge, but it was incredibly rich and filling, based on the shortibs and the cheesy pecorino ragout sauce. My girlfriend had the ribs, which were good, but not outstanding.
Unfortunately, the service at this spot left something to be desired. The bartender was great - she was chatting up a storm with us while we waited for our table. The hostess and the waiter, however, seemed a bit distant and almost snarky. We were starting to get pretty frustrated when it started to rain near the end of our dinner and the waiter was paying no attention to our pleas to get the bill cleared up so we could get out of there!
Crave was started by the ex-chef at the Four Seasons, and he has since opened another location in West Vancouver (Crave Beachside) which is closer to home for me, that I'll probably try soon. Hopefully it will break the curse that has plagued the Beachside location for the last few years! Also, he opened Fraiche, also in West Van, that I'm planning to try next week which is apparently fantastic!
Stay tuned for that... -
Review from Debbie P.
3/16/2010
I love coming here when it's warm out in Vancouver since they have a really cute back patio area behind the restaurant.
I came here the first time after a friend of a friend suggested we come here to try their short rib poutine since I'm such a sucker for poutine. I've been coming here ever since that day for lunch.
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