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Fray
Categories: Restaurants Cafes Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants Burgers Cafes, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers [Edit]
3980 Fraser StreetVancouver, BC V5V 4E4
Neighbourhoods: Riley Park, Kensington-Cedar Cottage
(604) 558-3729
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 5 pm - 12 am
Sat 9 am - 12 am
Sun 9 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
27 reviews for Fray
Review Highlights
27 reviews in English
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Review from Ellie V.
Vancouver, BC
5/18/2012
Mother's Day was a success with my fabulous suggestion of going to Fray. Good thing my parents are hip enough to know who Arcade Fire is, and that my mom played Barrel of Monkeys with my dad. The grandparents didn't understand the cheesy 80s music playing, but they appreciated the fancy tea pots and quick service with the coffee.
The menu is pretty small, but we all found something enjoyable on it. Being the vegetarian in the family, they were so thrilled that I had more than one option of a dish to order.
I ordered the Veggie Benny. I thought "wow, it's Mother's Day. I'm going to go full out." A perfectly poached egg was placed upon mushrooms and spinach, all on top of an English muffin. (It's supposed to come on polenta, but the chef made and oopsie! The server brought it out to me after though.) The homefries on the side were delicious as well, and somehow I managed to eat everything.
OH, and they didn't charge us for one of the meals, because of the occasion. Booonussssssss!
I love this place. It's right up there with Les Faux Bourgeois. -
Review from Jacob K.
5/24/2012
An excellent, friendly ambience. Almost like your own home with the board games on the shelves makes the Fray the kind of place where you'd want to go spend a rainy late Sunday morning meal.
I chose this location because of the positive Yelp reviews for it. A nice long table made it easy for the 7 of us to dine.
My quest for the perfect burger in Vancouver brought me to order, well, the burger. The burger is a nice piece of local beef. Very tasty. Make sure you hold the mayo. I do love mayo, except it may detract from the tasty beef and cranberry ketchup.
I hear the bennys were great. If I didn't already have eggs that morning I would have deviated from my burger-quest.
The only thing I did not like was the coffee. I'm a Tim Horton's man, so that is my measuring stick. For me, the Fray's coffee tasted stronger than I like.
Our service was great. I hope it is a reflection of the restaurant's attitude towards its clientele and not because it was the Sunday of a long weekend. -
Review from Bronwyn G.
North Vancouver, BC
4/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
I went here for supper, drinks, & trivia on Thursday night. Good experience, but not a home run.
ROSEMARY CHIPS: When you check-in to The Fray on Yelp you get a complimentary bowl of salty, rosemary-y potato, lotus, & taro chips. Very good, but I wouldn't pay the regular $5.50 for them.
DUCK POUTINE: This appetizer was only advertised on their Facebook Page. Wouldn't recommend it. The fries were not crisp, the duck was ground up into the gravy, and the cheese felt like soft bits of white cheese rather than cheese curds.
MAC & CHEESE: A basic white cheese sauce and radiatori pasta with a panko crust. Tasty but basic and definitely not worth the $12.95. Burgoo offers the same thing for $11 and for $14 you can get their Mac & More which is "chock full of aged white Cheddar, onion, thyme, bacon and peas, baked with seasoned breadcrumbs".
HOUSE WHITE WINE: On Thursdays you can take $5 off any bottle so a bottle of the house white wine cost just $15. It was wine from the Okanagan and tasted good to me!
TRIVIA: Three rounds, key-based trivia. Team w/ the highest score got a pitcher of beer. Team who's key was drawn got a $50 gift certificate to The Fray. The quiz-lady was great and the questions were good. -
Review from Suan J.
Vancouver, BC
4/20/2012
Dropped into the Fray for some trivia, snacks and beer. Pretty interesting place which takes a Canadian self effacing stance on Vancouver's/west coast hipster thing...
The Cool food cheap beer and pretty wicked trivia questions will certainly have us return for some of their famous brunch/ lunch. -
Review from Larry L.
Back again and this time brought my kids with me.
My daughters BF seemed to like the Eggs benny he had and my daughter and son both had thier famous French toast. I had the Eggs Benny with Blue cheese and it was very good. Opted for a side salad instead of the tater fries and I was set.
Solid food.
The meal came to about $80 for the four of us and that was a bit pricy for breakfast.
Which means, I'll have to save up before I can eat here again.
I will be back for sure, but will have to budget a bit beforehand.
The plus side is you know the quality will be good and the service is always attentive with smiles.
I made three new customers for the Fray and I'm sure they'll be back for dinner to try out more.
This word of mouth thing is starting to catch on!Listed in: Where to go after a Yelp…, UYE = Unnoficial Yelp Events
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/1/2012
Ordered the beet salad and the mountainview burger and came with a flock of Yelpers.
It was after our… Read more »
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Review from Isabelle G.
Vancouver, BC
4/2/2012
Come here for a Yelp event hosted by Reena. Very good choice of place and surprisingly not busy for Sunday brunch.
I appreciated the adult themed activity pages which included coloring the missing tattoos on Henry Rollins and adding hair to Arcade Fire (I made them all have troll hair). There is something about anticipating French toast and coloring Henry Rollins to look like a hipster that made my Sunday.
As with all Yelp events thus far, the company was awesome and can change the atmosphere drastically. Had I been here with a party of two, the atmosphere is noticeably plain and lacking in personality. There are board games scattered around for amusement, however, generally speaking there was no ambience.
I ordered the Cornflake crusted French toast, a gluten nightmare, however, with the menu description as it was I needed to try it. My stomach badly regretted it and an hour later due to my gluten intolerance, I ended up puking on the side of the road on the way to meet a date for chocolate tasting. Sadly the sickness wasn't as worth it as I was hoping.
My definition of French toast is pretty standard with room for a few variations, however, nothing on my plate resembled my definition of French toast. The effort and creativity was appreciated, however, where was the egg battered seasoned bread for starters?
The presentation was awesome, however, using baguette with the outer skin baked didn't allow for the Cornflakes to stick. By the time it arrived on my plate, the flakes were few and far between. It was layed in a citrus cream cheese that rather than complemented the syrup, heavily distracted.
The presentation looked awesome like a large slice of cake, however, not filling, therefore, ordered 2 polentas and a scrambled egg, both gluten free and done nicely.
Our waitress was extremely friendly and cheerful and she addressed all of our culinary and dietary concerns and even joked with us a bit. -
Review from Stephanie M.
Vancouver, BC
4/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Joined fellow Yelpers here for brunch after the brave few among them donated blood for the Blood & Brunch UYE organized by Reena M. My first impressions were a funky and laid-back atmosphere (complete with "adult" colouring paper) and the fast & friendly service. A bit of a hike from my usual downtown 'hood but very easy to get to by transit.
As for food, I was welcomed by the complimentary chips that I got for checking in. Free food you say? Sweet! I'm not usually a "chip" fan but 1. I was craving salt; and 2. the addition of taro root and other ingredients to the usual potatoes made them more unique. My farmer's omelette was a very generous size and an absolutely delicious combo of cheese, sausage, onions and red peppers inside the eggs. Also, our server was able to substitute a nice fresh side salad for the usual bread, to accommodate my gluten allergy.
Overall, I was impressed with the quality of the food and speedy service. I was worried about the fact that I had arrived later than everyone else, but my food arrived very quickly so I was able to start enjoying my meal before everyone else was finished eating. -
Review from Brian S.
4/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fray is actually using a somewhat tried and true formula in the modern restaurant biz.
Find a location in Up and Coming part of town. Create a Menu that the New Residents like and hopefully become a destination for others, who enjoy a good place to eat without the hassle of going to a location in a busy trendy area. Where the rents are higher and the menu prices will reflect the higher operating costs.
I think Fray has the right formula but I just did not feel the food was really great. My Hamburger was good not special. I know they use local beef. My Wife ordered something called the superfood salad it was good but not super.
At Fray the Service was very good, it had free on street parking The tables are Spacious they have Free wifi. I think the food I ordered and paid for was just A-OK. I know food costs money but I don't think it would break that bank to serve a few potato's with a burger or omelet .
I likely be back again and I will likely update my review but right now I m A-Ok with Fray.
Also Thanks Fray for the Yelp Check-in Bowl of Chips they where tasty. -
Review from Stephanie C.
Vancouver, BC
3/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Free rosemary chips w/check-in! Good start. I had heard great things about the Fray, however I think my expectations were too high... The meal started off well w/Blue Buck on special for $4.50, and the Portobello Fries. The only issue was that it lacked seasoning, but I love mushrooms and breading on fried food, so I could let that slide.
For our entrees we had the mac and cheese, and five spice roast chicken. However these dishes were underwhelming... Once again they both lacked SALT. My biggest issue w/the mac and cheese was that they called it mac and cheese. It tasted more like an alfredo sauce and was pretty much tasteless, which is strange considering it was supposed to have sharp cheddar!! The chicken was ok, but NEEDED SALT, was slightly overcooked.
Overall, the atmosphere is fantastic and super promising, and great service, but the food was quite disappointing. -
Review from Matthew C.
Vancouver, BC
3/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nice atmosphere. Awesome posters on the walls. Good brunch menu! Slaughterhouse includes an egg, 3oz steak, sausage, bacon, peameal back bacon, hash browns and toast for 16$, everything cooked to perfection and just about exactly right portion size. Tasty and fun. And board games too.
Also order the rosemary potato chips for the table. Seriously.Listed in: Brunch Club
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Review from Kristen M.
Vancouver, BC
3/20/2012
We recently went for their Trivia Night - glad we did! The food was delicious, drinks were good and the service was friendly and quick.
Will definitely go back. -
Review from Malloreigh M.
Vancouver, BC
1/26/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I kind of love Fray. I went there for the first time on a very slow Wednesday in that dead week between Christmas and New Year's, just for a drink. It turned out it was Wine Wednesday and they were selling bottles of OKV red wine for $15. It also turned out that when I checked in on Yelp, I got a free bowl of hot 'n' greasy rosemary potato chips. It also turned out that they had Settlers of Catan AND the 5-6 player extension.
So now I go back to Fray about once a week. Sure, I could play Catan at home, but I don't really have a table, and nobody serves me my wine at home. Even though "Fray" is a really cheesy play on the street "Fraser", I go back all the time.
Oh, right - I had the portobello burger, and it was alright. My girlfriend had the Veg on the Coucb and it was - very veg heavy. So, as far as we're concerned, the food is pretty standard pub fare, but ethically sourced which we like, and there are some creative options that you don't see around a lot. I appreciated that.Listed in: Just One Drink
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Review from Theresa W.
Vancouver, BC
** 200th Review! WOOHOO!!**
Why Fray?
1. Free chips with a check-in! What? I know, right?! Perfect for sharing :)
2. Service was great - they knew we had a time constraint, so they were quick with all our orders and ensured we were out when we needed to be without actually rushing us. We felt completely welcomed and it led to a great night out.
3. The food was all-around fab. I ordered the wild mushroom ravioli, and was blown away. Had a taste of the mushroom burger, and loved the goat cheese tomato sauce combo. The chips were great too - seasoned with rosemary! The orange panna cotta was alright - it's just a panna cotta with a few tangerine slices on top, not orange-infused like I had originally thought (though reading the description again, it doesn't say that anywhere, so my bad).
4. Board games!!! LOVE board games! But that being said, their board games are in need of some serious TLC. Connect Four was literally in pieces, Operation was missing all but four parts, and I'm fairly certain the jenga blocks were off by a few as well. They do have a good supply of games though, and I really wanted to bust out the Settlers, but again, time constraint. Jenga works great if you ensure you clear away all your drinks / food.
Overall, I could come back for another test run hands down. Hopefully they'll get some new games, or fix up the old ones? Taboo / Catchphrase would be perfect additions!Listed in: ROTD!
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Review from Cee L.
Toronto, ON
4/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Everything was tasty, but especially those portobello fries! Ohhh how delicious those juicy, crispy slices of deep fried goodness were. F-bombs were a good combination of tastes, the 5 spice chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the pork belly had a nice crisp to the fat but the meat itself was a little tough for my liking. Walls were lined with games and a glance at the drinks revealed good drink specials... would be nice to return with more friends to play games and have drinks!
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Review from Andrea B.
1/25/2012
Fray is the boy next door with charming looks, and gee-golly, he's got real potential...if it weren't for his darn tootin' underwhelming personality.
At first glance, Fray transports you to a time of simplicity and homeliness, a time when iphones didn't exist. Oh, yes, finger swiping is a thing of the future. Here we colour in pictures to avoid awkward silences. LOVE IT! And with homeliness comes a homely crowd of moms and dads.
At second glance, the food comes out. No more love.
Veg on the Couch:
So much potential, but tasted....um....had no taste.
Beet Salad:
Sssallllty. Must've stolen the flavour from the Veg on the Couch.
Others tried the different Fray burgers and gave it a shrug of the shoulder, as if to say "It's not good enough to form words with my mouth, but I'll move my shoulder up and down".
First impressions weren't great, but maybe Fray will get better with age. -
Review from Angela L.
11/19/2011
I don't know how much I would like this place in another context, but it's certainly a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. It's one of the only places around to just stop in for a casual drink or a bite to eat, and for that, I am grateful. They have a decent beer selection (Red Racer IPA on tap!) and very reasonably priced drink specials every day of the week.
Their food menu has been recently redone, but it's still not particularly exciting. You win some, you lose some. As for the ambiance, it does seem a little bit contrived, in a way. There's a little too much emphasis on "fun". And how fun is that?
Others have mentioned that it's a bit "cold"...and yeah, it is literally cold in here. The last time I visited, the bathroom was like an icebox. Bring your hats and scarves. -
Review from Bronwen M.
Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Vancouver, BC
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been to Fray a few times now and, holy smokes, do I ever like it.
They're open late every night, so they're the perfect place for a late dinner or snack. They have amazing drink specials -- you can't go wrong with a $15 bottle of wine and a game of Settlers of Catan, I say. They focus on good, local food, which is really nice, especially in this neighbourhood.
And the menu is great! Try the warm beet salad, the in-house potato chips, and make sure you try the portobello burger. I've eaten a lot of portobello burgers in my life, but none as juicy, flavourful, and well-rounded as that one. The goat cheese and tomato sauce are a wonderful touch.
With one weird exception, all the servers I've encountered have been lovely. Staying and chatting when there was time, and helping us get out quickly when we were in a hurry.
The place does sort of seem to be suffering an identity crisis but, overall, the concept works and I can easily see myself becoming a regular. -
Review from Robin M.
11/5/2011
Let's think about this for a moment, shall we? Aside from aptly named F-bombs and insanely entertaining colouring supplies, what is Fray offering here? Just what is Fray about?
If I were a book cover judger, I'd wager that Fray is about boring food for boring people who lead boring lives in front of their big, boring televisions. Lucky for me, I've encountered enough terribly designed hardcovers in my lifetime to know that's not even close to being an accurate summation of a work's worth. Lucky for me I decided to see what Fray is about.
So what are they about? Fresh, local ingredients (hullloooo Pemberton beef! And who's that? Ahh, slooooow roasted Fraser Valley pork. Magic words, they are), presented in a warm, rich blanket of comfort food that's guaranteed to make me look past the bland interior and on to the FIVE DOLLAR glass of wine. This is Vancouver. That is cheap.
And I will be back.Listed in: 30-Day Yelp Challenge, Fill Me Up Vancouver
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Review from Grace C.
Burnaby, BC
2/23/2012
Nestled amongst a bunch of Asian restaurants along Frasier is Fray. I headed down on a Sunday night to see what the fuss was all about. The menu was all over the place, I couldn't quite decide what to get, so it was a good thing that there were a group of us. Lots of Tongue-in-Cheek names (Sex Pistols, F-bombs, you get the picture) for their offerings, and that annoys me. Let's see if the food can overcome.
Here is the Portobello Fries...and yes, they call it that on their menu. I liked the architectural presentation, but I liked the taste even better. Lightly battered sliced of portobello...these were shocking good. Wonder how many other restaurants are going to imitate this!
We had a kid with us that night, and his meal came while we were eating the Portobello Fries. This is their Macaroni & Cheese for kids. I regret to say that I didn't try this, but as least it's not the neon orange KD that I was expecting.
Our next appy was their Rosemary Fries. I like the curl and crunch but the rosemary was lost on me. They charge $4.95 for these but reminded me of the ones that The Keg gives out for free with drinks at their Thurlow location. The rosemary sort of got lost on me.
This is a shot of the TaunTaun Burger (yes, another punny name), and it was good. Pemberton beef with pulled pork, bacon cheese and all on a purple yam bun...served with some salad to make it all better. It was a good burger but gosh, I wish more people would toast their buns!
My mom got the Spinach and Blue Cheese Salad...and um....yeah, that's exactly what we got here. The veggies were fresh, and I would have to say...plentiful...if you like that sort of thing.
We also got the Porchetta Sandwich with bacon and horseradish mayo, on top of a "rustica bun". To be honest, the bun was the same as the purple yam bun. That aside, it was a healthy serving of roast pork, and oh, yes, bacon! But the crackling was missed!
This was my dinner, the Fat Bastard Pork Belly (yes, punny). Unfortunately, the bastard they harvested this belly from was anorexic. I wanted more...more pork, more skin, and more taste! What I was served was decent, the skin wasn't crispy enough, but my biggest complaint was the portion. There was more porchetta in the sandwich than what I got. Perhaps they were running out, I don't know...but the caramelized apples are supposed to be an accompaniment, but were it not for them (and I hate warm fruit in a savoury dish - no Hawaiian Pizza ever), I would have been hungry. As it was, I was loading up on Portobello Fries and coleslaw!
I think this place deserves a revisit, but not for a few months. The servers are fairly new, ours certainly was. I believe she had to "check with the kitchen" three times during our order. I would rather go to a place where the staff have eaten everything and have informed opinions about everything on the menu. -
Review from Sean M.
Vancouver, BC
1/22/2012
Brunch this AM. Had to run home cause all their booster seats were in use, so parents call ahead if you don't want to schlep one (good thing we live close). I had the frittata, and everyone else had bennies - thumbs up all around. Little guy had some French toast and a self guided tour of the establishment. Food was good, I liked the decor - cheerful and funky without trying too hard for the hipster vibe. We'll be back!
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Review from Shannon B.
Vancouver, BC
We've been back to Fray a couple of times now and the food continues to be consistent and the room lacking. It just feels so cold. I really do want to hang out for longer but the room just isn't as inviting and cozy as the food is.
I am excited to pop in for brunch and am extremely happy to see the neighbourhood supporting this place.
It is very nice to see the owners take the feedback given and continue to tweak things to maximize Fray's potential.Listed in: In the 'hood, Great Places to grab a pint
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/10/2011
Being a local to this neighbourhood brings me great joy to see new businesses like Fray setting up… Read more »
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Review from D M.
Vancouver, BC
10/3/2011
FRAY was yummmmy! had the nicoise salad and portobello fries!
super cute spot setting the scene for things to come on Fraser. now I don't have to go all the way to Main to have some good eats in a cool atmosphere! -
Review from Emma L.
11/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I don't really understand this place. From the outside it looks like a boring burger joint. With the colouring supplies and hipster bingo sheets, it seems to want to be a cool hangout for 20-somethings. But the clientele when I've been there has been middle-aged couples. Something's not quite right about this place.
As for the food, eh. I only had a small dinner when I was there, but the f-bombs tasted too much like bacon and not enough like fig, and the portion was tiny compared to the price. I don't see how that's a shareable plate. My seasonal squash soup was yummy but not exciting, and the homemade rosemary chips I got thanks to a Yelp check-in deal were delicious. They were supposed to get a new menu that day but they weren't back from the printers, so maybe the dishes will be more exciting now. We'll see.
I'll come back again and try it out with a group of friends, but to be honest I wasn't all that impressed. -
Review from Sitka D.
Vancouver, BC
10/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
We had dinner here last weekend - the food was marvelous (try the F0bombs), the service was great and we had a wonderful time!
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Review from Chris C.
Burnaby, BC
11/14/2011
Dined here for the first time yesterday. My first impression of the place was fun. Kind of a modern diner feel. My friend and I were greeted promptly and we sat ourselves in a cozy booth.
The server seemed a bit disoriented. But was still able to give us a little details on the menu and the restaurant. Being in the industry my entire life I could tell she was inexperienced or having an off day. Even though she wrote my order down she still had to return to the table to confirm what I ordered.
I requested the chef to make us something from the lunch/dinner menu as I was looking forward to trying a few of the items I saw on the website. The F-Bombs had a nice flavor, however the bacon was a bit over charred and it was lacking a big of sweetness. Maybe a kiwi balsamic reduction?
My friend ordered the eggs benny. She loved it. It looked like a standard benny.
I ordered the fray burger. The cranberry tomato ketchup seemed to be non existent. I couldn't taste it at all. I liked that they used a purple yam bun. I forgot to ask if it was made in house...
The salad that accompanied my burger was very lightly dressed. I felt like it could have used more flavor.
For dessert we shared the choc-banana spring roll. It was lacking. I could tell right away that the banana they used wasn't quite ripe enough yet. When baking you need to wait until the banana is almost completely brown so it is sweet enough for the dessert. The vanilla ice cream was very good. I always enjoy it better when there is real vanilla in it. The spring roll wrapper needed salt. Not sure if those are made in house or store bought, but it definitely didn't enhance the flavor of the roll. The textures were perfect, but I would love to see maybe a hazelnut drizzle instead of the honey.
The restaurant is still new and they are tweaking and undergoing a lot of changes I'm sure. I can't wait to see what they do next. They are definitely on the right track. -
Review from Sarah p.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 10/24/2011
It is unfortunate yelp does not provide 1/2 stars as my review should be 3.5 stars and be titled "Fray Redo".
After a disappointing first visit Chris suggested we return on his dime. Not only was this gesture appreciated but having spent 20 years in a previous life in the biz, it was exactly the kind of response that should be provided if you want to attract the locals and the positive buzz. Moreover, he was prepared to live with any negative comments we may have.
So last Friday we went again. I must say at 8:30 pm the room was loud. Previously we had been at 9:30 pm and did not notice this. Apparently there is no fabric/baffles to absorb the sound. May be the atmosphere they want....just saying.
So we felt it was only fair to order the same items. Basically did the appy menu excluding soup and potato chips.
F-bombs.....good....agree with one reviewer that a cheese option may improve..personally would use goat or gorgonzola
Hubby says mushroom fries were good and more plentiful, just needed more sauce to dip in ( this is a theme with him, feels the tiny sauce containers are too small and either need to be larger containers
or maybe 2 provided)
Sliders had more pork and were not dry at all.....liked these...again needed more sauce
Fury chicken...these are 5 drumsticks deep fried....not sure what the fury is...having travelled extensively in Asia and Pakistan I found these had no flavor to be called "fury".....if I am going to eat deep fried it really needs to be something special.....these really did not deliver and at $10.95 seemed just not worth it
personally I think a different sauce and a baked variety may be more appealing
had again the chartecurie platter....cheese slices larger...very good
funny thing about the bar....no martini glasses.....not huge deal but perhaps 1/2 doz would assist
looking forward to a brunch option
so having done the redo it has improved and the feeling is the owners are striving to listen/learn and tweak where required.....nice job.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/18/2011
I was so wanting to like this place. Read all the early reviews and was hopeful that a new place in… Read more »
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Review from Brian J.
Vancouver, BC
10/1/2011
What a great addition to the neighbourhood. F Bombs were great as a start. The chicken was very tasty and moist! My wife loved the salmon. We will definately be going back.
