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Jethro's Fine Grub
Category: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
3420 Dunbar StVancouver, BC V6S
Neighbourhood: Dunbar-Southlands
(604) 569-3441
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8 am - 4 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- 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:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
64 reviews for Jethro's Fine Grub
Review Highlights
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"There was also the chocolate chip banana bread french toast." In 5 reviews -
"The crab cake benny was delicious." In 4 reviews -
"The gold rush was delicious but we barely made a dent in it." In 4 reviews
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64 reviews in English
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Review from James P.
Vancouver, BC
This place is definitely the bomb! They have awesome all day breakfast menu and fantastic lunch options. My fav here are the shroom burger (best in town) and all hail the cuban (pull pork + 1000 island sauce)... and let's not forget their fries. Thank goodness they aren't bottomless fries. They are better than McD's fries, but a whole lot crispier and minus the salt.
I also tried their pancake once (hog = bacon). It was definitely too much for 1 seating, so i reheated it the next morning and it was still perfectly good!
The only down side is the lineup. They also give a four person table to just 1 customer regardless as long as you're next in line.Listed in: Always Good Food
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Review from Keith R.
5/25/2012
Have again: The Gold Rush pancake was delicious, but only the top pancake has all the goodies. I was surprised that the bottom pancake did not have all the stuff inside since the menu describes the pancakes in the plural. One star off for this. But, really delicious orange juice.
Not have again: The Hog Tied bacon pancakes were disappointing with thin bacon on top and none inside. Better to have regular pancakes and a side of bacon.
We had two orders of pancakes for 4 1/2 people. -
Review from Joy P.
Richmond, BC
5/5/2012 4 photos
Went here bec it was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. I was warned that it will be a long wait bec its a small place and ever since theyve been on tv it gotten really busy. After an 1 hr wait we finally got our seats. I ordered the Gold Rush Pancake and my friend had the Pulled Pork Omellete. We shared it of course :p..and i thoughtt...
Gold Rush Pancake
- HUGEEE
- sooo yummy, luv their syrup too, not so thick not too runny
- luv that they put fresh banans in the batter and the nuts gives it a crunch, LOVE IT
- will order this again
Pulled Pork Omellete
- its ok, nothing special
- the omellete needed that sauce big time, it was meat covered with omellete
- potatoes where blah, needed more seasoning
Verdict:
- Will go back there again BUT not looking forward for the longgggg wait. -
Review from Ernesto G.
4/19/2012
Excellent Service and good food.
Came here for brunch today. Service here is impeccable. The pancakes are HUGE and delicious. The corned beef hash was decent, but nothing to write home about.
Bring your appetite or be prepared to share the pancakes. Would come back for the pancakes, but only the pancakes. -
Review from Desmond L.
Burnaby, BC
5/16/2012
Food looks fantastic. But the demand far exceeds 8 tables. And they sit twosomes at foursome tables when there's a 60 min lineup. Terrible logistics.
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Review from Lucinda C.
Vancouver, BC
3/4/2012 2 photos
There aren't many restaurants especially in the suburbs of Vancouver. When you think of suburbs in Vancouver, I really mean only houses for blocks and blocks. So when you stick a diner in the suburbs, you are guaranteed to get massive line ups that could be half and hour to an hour wait. With Jethro's being the only diner in the area, you will be stuck in a line up unless you choose to drive another 15 minutes into Kits for the nearest diner. Their dining room is small. It only fits maybe 10 small tables. Some tables fit 4 and some fit 2. Oh, hope you're not the unlucky one that gets the table right in front of the window. Having people staring through the window to see what you are eating is quite awkward...
I ordered the $9 eggs & meat (chorizo) and my massive dish came with the eggs how I liked it made, the choice of toast, toasted and lightly buttered, hash browns which were mashed, still chunky with skins and pan fried. I can tell you that Denny's brekkie's are not as big and most of their dishes cost more than $9. My party of 5 also ordered their own dishes and we all shared their famous massive pancakes, the strawberries & cream, the size of your face. It think having the strawberries cooked right into the buttermilk pancakes gave the pancakes the sweetness it needed. We all said it tasted different compared to regular pancakes. If some of you are asking, yes, the pancakes tasted like it was made from scratch.
So I'll give you my 2 cents why I gave this place 4 stars:
- great hangover food
- a variety of different types of pancakes (only 1 type of syrup...does anyone really care?)
- eggs are cooked the way you want them to. I had mine scrambles...sooo good!
- big portions
- the diner had their own take on hash browns.
- prices of dishes are reasonably priced. I wouldn't say that it's expensive at all.
- independently owned.
- food is filling. If you can't finish it, take it home for tomorrow's breakfast. Or for most of us, it's dinner for tonight.
Why it's lacking a star:
- long line ups (weekends, more than an hr, weekdays, about 1/2 an hr)
- long wait for food to come. However, if you are in great company, the time will go by very quickly & you wouldn't notice the time at all. -
Review from Hugo L.
Vancouver, BC
4/23/2012
Excellent omlettes, great service and regular coffee refills. Benedicts not as good as Zen but the omlettes are amazing
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Review from Amy H.
Vancouver, BC
Way too overhyped. I mean, nothing was horribly bad but at the same time nothing was superbly outstanding.
My boyfriend and I arrived at around 1130am, was put on their waiting list, and were told to come back in 45 minutes. A 45 minute wait for breakfast? Ok, I guess, since this place was on one of our favourite shows after all. We went for a walk and came back within 50 minutes.
When we got back and checked the list, we couldn't find our name. Turns out they crossed us off because they called us a few times already. Thankfully they just put us right back on the top of the list so we were the next ones to be seated. After about five minutes, we were seated right in front of the big window and I had my back right next to the door which resulted in cold drafts going down my back. Not cool.
This was the worst place to sit. I know this place is small and all, but they should either figure out a better waiting system, expand, or put some sort of blinds or curtains on the one huge window that we sat in front of. Since there were so many people outside waiting for a table with the menu posted outside pretty much right next to the big window, so many people were constantly standing right over me and my food. I get that they were probably curious about this overhyped place and wanted to see what the food's like, but it really got to me. Since I was right next to the window, people were standing so close to me that the only thing separating me from them outside was the glass. If the glass wasn't there, I'd probably be able to feel their breath or body heat. It was so incredibly annoying to have a crowd watching me eat my food.
My boyfriend ordered the Cowboys Breakfast while I got the Nutella French Toast. The Cowboys Breakfast was seriously nothing special - eggs, potatoes, sausages, etc. Pretty standard. My Nutella French Toast was very messy, sticky, sweet, and huge. I wish it came with a side of fruit or something refreshing to cut the sweetness and stickiness. It was good, but if you don't have a major sweet tooth, it can get sickening after the first one or two slices. It wasn't anything special either - just three thick slices of French toast smothered in Nutella then topped with what looked like a whole can of whipped cream. Seems pretty easy to make at home.
Pros: novelty of eating huge portions at a place that was on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and inexpensive prices
Cons: cramped space, long wait, having to wait outside in the cold, limited parking, being seated right in front of the huge window right in front of the crowd outside like a museum exhibit, and average quality of food
Verdict: I don't think I'll be back. There are many other diners in Vancouver that can serve better breakfasts - homemade will probably be better too. This place is overhyped and only good for the novelty of it. Guy Fieri, I don't know if I can trust you anymore. -
Review from Kent P.
2/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
As far as breakfasts go, this place has probably the best looking menu for an unhealthy morning meal. Especially useful when you are hungover. And it's across from a liquor store! The cowboy breakfast:
Three eggs, any style, with smoked bacon, sausage, grilled chorizo and chili smothered hashbrowns. Served with corn cakes.
Wow.
Those corn cakes were even better than pancakes and cornbread, the chili made for a great pile of goop to mix in with all that meat. The space is pretty small so it gets pretty busy on the weekend, but shouldn't have a problem during the week getting a seat. Free hour parking right outside. -
Review from Elizabeth L.
Vancouver, BC
4/7/2012
On the upside, Jethro's offers great value, strong coffee and gigantic, generous portions. The food isn't stellar, but it's decent. On the downside, expect to wait a long time for a table, and the room is squishy and tightly-packed.
The staff is both efficient and stern as hell: your server will offer to split the bill for your table but don't expect a smile while she does it. Seriously: they can be downright gruff, and not in that charmingly acerbic Elbow Room kind of way.
Speaking of bill-splitting, they also have a bizarre house rule where only 2 people per table can pay with their debit or credit card, so it's best if you bring cash. -
Review from Nancy W.
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Jethro's Fine Grub is located near UBC on Dunbar Street. It was previously featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. There is a lot of hype for this breakfast / brunch place for it's portions and even perhaps it's unappealing line ups.
It was Sunday after church at Tenth http://www.tenth.ca where Arthur Tymos talked about "Ministry at Work"- such a passionate and effective speaker who spoke from his heart. Initially it was just a birthday weekend for Dave, but we wanted to catch up with our friends @kathyko and @phoboy604; that we all decided to give this much hyped diner ran by a couple of rockin' hipster chefs serving hearty breakfast food a go.
Guy even branded them by leaving us graffiti on the wall.
Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of waiting in line or crowds; but being around great company perhaps made the wait and the plummeting winter conditions somewhat less terrible. We knew it was trouble when we arrived and there were hungry mobs circling in front of Jethro's and analyzing the menu like tigers circles their prey before a strike - identifying pre-attack; namely other patrons waiting in line, ahem I mean the food .
Dave taught a lesson about delayed gratification about how food would taste better after a long wait and in starvation. So we waited some more and tried to create conversation, after we ran out of topics we began to study the menu outside of the restaurant. We even considered driving Charles 'car into the diner in order to scared off the patrons and even plotted their death as they slowly. enjoy. a. hot. meal.
So we waited... and waited... and waited... an hour past - the cold and the growling of our stomachs has left us in an unbearable state. As the lady came out to call the next name we were very vocal about our disappointment because it wasn't our turn... We were almost delusional that we thought they had forgotten our names and other people cut in line in front of us... it was nearly 3pm.
As the lady came out one last time, and called Dave's name, our hearts pounded and Kathy jumped out of the car and screamed "I am Dave! I am Dave!" - we were almost in tears!
We told the waitress that we were ready to order ASAP but she left us with only water. But we finally got our food. So here are the items we decided on during our 2 hour wait...
South of Denver Omelette
Smokey pulled pork, sauteed onions, peppers, smoked gouda and jalapenos. Served with hashbrowns and toast; add avocado (1.50)
Unseasoned pork that was slightly over cooked wrapped in a thick egg omelette. I could not really taste the gouda and the jalapenos were not really spicy; however, there was a smoky flavor faintly teasing. This dish lacked some serious kick. But it was my favorite overall.
Crab Cake Benedict
The crab cake was fluffy with a crispy exterior that was used as the base of the benny. On top was poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. Poached eggs were perfectly cooked and the yolk oozed as you sliced into it. I would prefer more lemon in the sauce or even a slice of lemon on the side would suffice.
Smoked Salmon Benedict
Slightly grilled English muffin with fresh wild smoked salmon, again with soft creamy poached eggs. This was a lighter and more refreshing choice. All it needed were some capers.
Chocolate-Chip Banana Bread French Toast
Topped with caramelized bananas and whipped butter
An unusual combination for the morning, caramelized bananas, whipped butter, chocolate, and powdered sugar. Regular French toast is a little boring but the crispy and nicely browned outside gave our breakfast a much needed lift. The `toast` is not too sweet and texture was extremely soft. This toast makes me want to bake some of my own coco banana bread for Dave. Which makes me think this can easily be done at home in less than 60 mins.
I don`t know if it was hunger getting to my head or the expectation built up from the morning of dreaming about a restaurant featured on Diner`s Dive, It leaves a question in my mind to wonder whether it was worth a two hour wait in the cold.
It also made me doubt myself to wonder whether cheating on Café Medina with Jethro`s was the best idea. Sometimes big doesn't mean better... -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
2/10/2012 2 photos
* Stress leads to prematurity problems *
I had heard their pulled pork was superb, so I had to shuffle on by and give it a try.
One couple gave me an evil eye when I walked in the door and got seated right away - which confused me until I heard their conversation later. They were lamenting how long they had waited for a table but that, "It emptied out so quickly now." Thankfully I missed that joy of a line by coming a bit off-hour. But seriously, giving me a nasty look because I happened to get lucky on my timing? Sheesh.....
The customers all seemed stressed out. I'm not sure what it was, but there was a definite stressful vibe to the place. Perhaps it was the wait they had been through. Perhaps it was the ghost of Guy Fieri and staring at his graffiti he left above the door. Who knows?
The waitress also seemed stressed, and brought a half a cup of water. That was odd. In too much of a rush to fill the full glass? Odd.
After ordering she quickly brought some condiments which were basically signaling to me that the pulled pork would likely be on the milder side for the West side target market and that they offer ways to kick it up a bit in case you like spice. Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
The sandwich arrived. It was a generous portion of shredded pork. It did not taste like it had ever seen a smoker though. I think this was more of an oven method. That was disappointing as I really like the smokey nature of a good pulled pork. It also was underseasoned - I don't know if it ever saw a spice rub prior to cooking? Or perhaps it was rushed and not allowed to season long enough before cooking? It basically didn't have that long and slow rich smokey spicy flavouring I would look for in good pulled pork. The bun was warmed nicely and had a nice texture at least. The slaw also had not marinated long enough and tasted rawer than I would prefer. And there was MAYO on the bun?!?!? WTF? Mayo with pulled pork? Meh. Fries were fairly standard commercial variety, but served nice and hot at least. Overall it was nothing I would come back for. Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
I'm really glad I didn't wait on a line to get it, as then I would also have likely been just as stressed as all the other customers. Instead I was just disappointed!Listed in: Which wich is which?
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Review from Allan-ester D.
Vancouver, BC
12/21/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Took all the Derry family for a Tuesday brunch...loved it...not the nicest "waiting for a table" system but worth the wait.
6 of us could only eat 1/2 of my pancake order, they were awesome -
Review from Kal B.
11/14/2011
Guy Fieri has eaten at Jethro's.. and now so have I! It was on his recent DDD visit to Van. His 'autograph' actually adorns the wall close to the wall above the entrance.
The place is located on Dunbar and 16th.. got parking right in front on a monday morning which was sweet.. they are open 7 days a week which is another plus. We came at a sweet spot for timing.. around 945-10am.. cuz after about 10 min there was a lineup out the door! there's not a lot of seats in there but totally worth the wait if there is a line!
I got the La Nina bennies which come with hashbrowns. I also ordered a side of Chorizo sausage which was just astounding and bursting with flavour. Jethro's lost its 5th star cuz the poached eggs were overcooked and the yolk didn't spill out onto the plate as expected. Otherwise the tex mex chilli in the benny and the corn cake it was sitting on were all diviiiiine!
also on the table was a Papa's Benedict which kinda disappointed and was bland.. there was an expectation of maybe sour cream and bacon bits as it did tout itself as a 'Potato Skin' benny.
Drinks and food were 'cheap' for the quality you get! Total bill for 2 bevvies, 2 plates of bennies and a side of chorizo sausage was about $30 plus tax and tip.
Other folks' food that I spied, including the pancakes for instance, looked eye-popping good too! i'll be back for sure! -
Review from Henry B.
Vancouver, BC
As I approached Jethros, I overheard a patron coming out the door proudly announcing "I think I just developed diabetes! let's put our names on the list now so we can eat here again tomorrow morning". His group of friends all laughed out loud and they gave each other high fives. Oh, the things you see in the West end cracks me up. But what he said sums up Jethros nicely, hearty portions and long waits.
So my search for the best brunch in Vancouver takes me to Jethros Fine Grub. This little brunch place is sort of out of the way for most people unless you live in the West End. I was excited to try it out after reading all the great reviews.
I was expecting a long wait like the ones you see infamously at Cafe Medina and Twisted Fork. My expectations were correct as we were told it would take 1 & 1/2 hours! Seriously long wait times here, we ended up going across the street to Tim Horton for a cup of coffee but that only killed 15 minutes. Luckily some customers couldn't wait and walked away, so it actually took an hour and 15 minutes. It didn't ease the painful waiting but what can you do! At least, we got some suntanning fitted into our schedule on a nice sunny morning on Dunbar St.
It's a very small place with a casual diner feel to it. There are only eight tables but the staff seemed to be friendly and efficiently getting the orders. They had the "East Van" symbol displayed on the wall in a picture frame which tells me one of the owners must be from East Van.
The menu is extensive and portions are very hearty. There were different types of hot sauces on the table including Tapatio, indicating some southern influence in this place. We ordered the Cowboys breakfast and Smoked Salmon Benedict. The egg in the benny was perfectly poached and the hollandaise sauce was very creamy and buttery, tasted great! The smoked salmon was very flavourful. But, the potatoes were disappointing, very ordinary with no hint of any seasoning. The skin was not crispy and it definitely need some herbs or seasoning. The Cowboys breakfast (bacon, eggs, sausage, chorizo, chilli hash-browns) was average.
The portions are definitely quite large except for the pancakes which was insanely large as I saw everyone who ordered it taking some home in doggy bags.
Overall, Jethros provide some fine "Grub", comfort food that is reasonably priced. It just didn't live up to the high expectations. If I'm in the neighbourhood again, I would try their french toast. But I wouldn't make an extra trip just for an average brunch. I would recommend coming here either really early after opening or late after 2pm to avoid 1 & 1/2 hour waits. -
Review from Amanda H.
Went with two other people at around 11am and had to wait an hour to eat. Parking was a cinch, though. I am still not sure why they sat us at a table for two when there was a table for 4 right next to us. As soon as we were seated they put TWO people at the table for four. I was pretty upset by this. I felt like I was eating in my own lap the entire meal.
Anyway, we ordered the gator bites, south of Denver omelet and the BLAT. Was all good but nothing spectacular. I was expecting the pulled pork to be great but it was very bland. Even the gouda cheese couldn't make up for it. At least it wasn't dried out.
The price was reasonable and service was OK. I would go back again but only with a party of two. Anymore than that and you will be severely cramped and it is pretty loud so if you are looking to have a decent conversation you can forget about it.
To be quite honest, after reading these reviews I thought this place was going to be awesome but it is a hole in the wall and I am not sure what Guy Fieri ate here that made him do a show about it. I will update this review after I've gone again. -
Review from Michael F.
10/16/2011
I got the corned beef hash because it's my favorite breakfast meal. The hash was very good and uniquely seasoned (spicy, smokier, burnt well in some places). The texture was standard, and portion size was just enough for one solid meal.
The pancakes were fluffy and home made and obscenely big. They seemed pretty good, and probably worth at least 2-3 meals in total. The toppings are well dispersed and the smear is on both stacks.
Thoroughly satisfying. -
Review from Bronwyn G.
North Vancouver, BC
10/25/2011
Clean, modern, chill place for breakfast. We arrived around 9am on a Tuesday morning and our party of 3 had no trouble getting a table. The service was prompt and friendly.
CORNED BEEF HASH - Saltier than I'm used to. The textured was more fine (kind of a homogenous mix rather than chunky). Came with four halves of bread and two poached eggs. I chose rye and it came as thick slices of dark rye. I wouldn't order it again because it was too salty for my taste. I would order the dark rye bread again though!
BISCUITS AND GRAVY- Never had before. Seems like the ideal hang-over meal. The menu says it's one biscuit, but it comes sliced in two and covers a whole dinner plate. Enough for 3-4 people to share. Again, saltier than I would prefer. Probably wouldn't order again -- but I'm glad I tried it! -
Review from Melissa K.
Vancouver, BC
10/8/2011
This restaurant is so out of place being in Dunbar, but it's good to get out of city center and visit an old neighbourhood. This is where you get the best comfort food. I've never had lunch but their breakfast items are great.
Their pancakes are amazing, and ridiculously huge. The gold rush was delicious but we barely made a dent in it. The one with the strawberries is good too, they have cornflakes on top which made it so good. We got the eggs Benny with potato skins underneath instead of English muffins, interesting replacement but so yummy. Never got a chance to try their French toast. It's nice that they have variations of different types. -
Review from Hipster C.
Vancouver, BC
10/23/2011
Lured in by the promise of pancakes the size of King Kong's head we decided to give Jethro's a try. And drum roll please . . . . was it worth the 1 hr+ wait?
Umm, no. The prices and the service weren't the problem it was the quality of the food. The eggs benny were cold, the English muffins underneath were soggy and possibly under-toasted. To top it off there was a sliver of cellophane from my salad. I'm not sure why underneath the mixed baby greens salad, there sat a booster mound of shredded iceberg lettuce.
I totally get that they are a small-business trying to make it work in the tough food industry. And I am all for rooting for them, but perhaps they can get some of the details over quality control worked out before I return.
PS The highlight of my afternoon, had to be watching the man who ordered the hog-tied pancakes (with strips of bacon baked into those aforementioned ginormous babies) take home his uneaten portions in not one . . . but TWO containers - I kid you not!
Recommended for non-foodies and the entertainment factor of trying to eat your skull's weight in pancakes! -
Review from Justin L.
7/31/2011 2 photos
As much as I love food, there are few meals or moods I crave other than breakfast/brunch. As Nigel Slater once observed, "There's something downright sybaritic about starting your day with a waiter at your side, notepad in hand." Of course, he was referring to the grand Wolseley restaurant in London where you also give up your arm and leg for small portion of eggs or porridge. Here at Jethro's, you get to indulge in some fine grub while retaining all your limbs and stretching your stomach, without emptying your pocketbook.
If you don't want to have to loosen your belt, just wear sweat pants. The portions here are generous, particularly with the pancakes. But isn't that precisely what you want when you think "brunch"? You want something that fills the plate, that you attempt in vain to polish off (instead of nibbling to make last). It's that kind of spoiling attention that only your grandmother is/was allowed to show you, with no limits to food and love.
THE PANCAKES ($5 for a 'short stack' of 2) were soft and and gargantuan. BISCUITS AND GRAVY ($5) were similarly oversized; although the biscuits were a bit heavy/doughy, the housemade country gravy was some of the best I've tasted. (And I've had this stuff all over America.) Next time I'm getting the gravy atop the country fried steak.
CRABCAKE BENEDICT ($11) was delicious: perfectly poached eggs, light hollandaise, soft crabcakes. I would've liked the potatoes to have more griddled crunch -- otherwise, as chopped up russets, they were a bit too plain. The four toast halves were more than plenty.
While the CORNED BEEF HASH ($9) was tasty, it was far too salty, even with the poached eggs and toast, and even for my salty-philic palette.
COFFEE is nice and strong, promptly refilled.
Overall, this is my current go-to place for breakfast/brunch. And they serve it all day from 8am to 4pm. One of these days, I will have to force myself to order from the lunch menu, which looks just as appetizing.
But not-so-seriously, folks, do ME a favor and stay away -- I don't want the lines here to get any longer! -
Review from Emilie C.
Updated - 1/24/2012
Still the raddest brunch/most filling meal one can get on this side of town. This time, I went for the pulled chicken sandwich with gouda, and a side of caesar salad. May I state that this was the first instance that I was actually able to finish everything that was on my plate in one sitting (applause). The sauce in the sandwich tasted prime when paired with the juicy chicken shreds and carmelized onion. I also threw down some hot sauce in that bad boy. With every bite, I grew heavier, but I powered through, enjoying everything on the plate slowly. Let's just leave it at how not long after, I returned home and passed out in a food-induced stupor.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/8/2012
Definitely worth the weekend wait for brunch! The filling and delicious food is the perfect hangover… Read more »
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Review from Zoe J.
Vancouver, BC
8/9/2011
This is exactly what I am talking about when I talk about brunch. I am sad that a ton of brunch places in the city have turned into these small, expensive, over hyped but underperforming places. Jethro's brought me back to why I love food and love this city. GO TO THERE.
Now, the wait is super long, the location is a little out of the way for a downtowner, the service could have been one step more attentive (I think I drank all the waters on the table before they came back to refill), but none of that matters, because their food is amazing.
1) I am not a huge fan of pancakes in my brunch, but was bullied into getting a short stack by my table mates. WORTH IT. They are huge and fluffy, but moist. Everyone should get them! I'm sold.
2) Good biscuits are hard to find in Vancouver, as I find people aren't really sure what they are and how moist/fluffy they need to be. Jethro's nails it. SUCH good biscuits.
3) The chicken fried steak hit the spot in terms of substance and taste! So crispy and yet not rubbery. It was a great execution of something that, in my opinion, is not widely offered in Vancouver.
4) I got the baked potato omelet, which tasted like an inside out skillet. MMMMMMMMmmmmmMMMM.
Seriously, go there and get your grub on.Listed in: Brunch
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Review from J N.
Vancouver, BC
6/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yay! Finally got to go there today after a day of fasting, and illness. All good now. :) I was excited to be able to eat again and ready to try Jethro's, as it seems to be the most desirable new breakie joint these days.
Seemed like it would be a long wait from the people outside. But if you go in twos, like we did, we were seated within five minutes. Alas, this was on a Monday.
I had almost finished my sb grande latte since it was my first food in over a day, and they said nothing about it which was cool. Service was friendly and efficient. My partner ordered a coffee which he said wasn't as bad as people had stated. I would have ordered one had I not just finished mine.
Order:
Banana bread french toast-2 slices, not too big with delicious bananas. I should have ordered the butter on the side. It looked delicious but not necessary and way too heavy, even for fans of the 'works' like me. Tasted great but rich. Of course, since I scraped off the butter, I had to add syrup-. 4 stars
Egg Benny-seemed pretty good. Be careful with the hot sauce as it was HOT. The consensus was that it was ok. -3 stars
Waitress-courteous, friendly
Atmosphere-cute, not too crowded. Seemed quite clean.
I've been to a lot of awesome breakie places in my time. This was really a 3.5. It seems to me like the lunch (pulled pork) might be better?
I really enjoyed mine, although it seemed more like a dessert/chocolate chip muffin than french toast.
The pancakes looked really tasty too, as that's what everyone seems to rave about. And yes, they would feed two hungry people, but looked like they'd survive a take-out if you are the type to order doggie bags.
I actually only ate half of mine (as fasting, ironically, makes you crave food even less) but I'm already excited about eating the rest, later.
So I'll give it a solid 4 stars. Not sure if it's worth waiting for 1/2 hour however. But in Dunbar, this place is a real gem.
Also, free parking is refreshing, since even in Kits this is barely an option nowadays. Dunbar used to be the best kept secret in the city before everywhere became expensive; the success of this restaurant illustrates that this suburb is no longer a secret.
I'd love to see more awesome places open up around here, as other than Kokapelli (the best place for a quick lunch/desserts) there is nothing else worth writing about in Dunbar!
**Note**I ate the rest COLD at home and they tasted even better. :) Again, I could have done without that lovely whipped butter, but it's up to you.Listed in: Best Breakfasts/AM Snacks, "You Done It" in Dunbar
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Review from Rex S.
Vancouver, BC
2/19/2012
Fnally went to Jethros's this morning, waited about an hour and a half for a table but I got to say it was worth it.
I order the chicken fried steak, came with 2 eggs, toast, and hash browns. Chicken fried steak was cooked perfect, the hash browns were great and I was completely satisfied with my meal.
M y friend got the B.L.A.T. Said it was good and was glad that there was actually enough avocado in the sandwich. Alot of places say the have avocado in a sandwich but really it's just a little spread on the bread, but it wasn't like that at Jethro's.
The two eggs and meat meal looks really good as well. Lots of food on the plate and seemed to hit the spot for my buddy eating it.
And last was the il Nina. Gotta say it looked so good that I think I'll be trying that next time.
I would strongly suggest trying this place out. Go early or wait in line. Either way it's good food and good times. Get R done. -
Review from Purdy J.
9/26/2011
Excellent place to start your day with a hearty breakfast. Jethro's is hidden away from the popular shopping areas but definitely worth the special trip.
Atmosphere: Small restaurant with seating for about 18-20 people. Clean, bright and comfortable. Tables aren't spaced too close together so you can really enjoy the company you're dining with.
Food: Good price and good value. The meals are filling, hearty, non greasy, a bit unhealthy (huge whipped cream served on extremely large pancakes) but lots of variety - you could get oatmeal if you wanted but why get oatmeal when you can make that at home!?!?
-Huevos rancheros was solid but not exceptional in flavour (black beans, white rice, 2 eggs on a flour tortillas that got soggy quickly and 2 grilled corncakes that were nice and crispy).
-Breakfast burrito is large filled with lots of potatoes and toasted on the outside.
-The pancakes with cornflakes are huge (as are all their pancakes): it's filled with lots of strawberries and topped with a massive swirl of whipped cream. Super fluffy and deliciously rich due to the buttermilk. You won't be able to eat the whole thing! Comes in a set of 2 but large enough to feed a family... They hang over a large plate and easily weigh a few pounds.
Breakfast for 4 with 2 beverages came to just over $50 including tax and tip. We were happy with full tummies and our wallets were happy too! -
Review from Vincci L.
It's true-those pancakes are massive!
Love this place. Menu options are great, with lots of different options. There's all different kinds of French toast, pancakes, benedicts, and omelets.
We were seated in a nice cozy corner of the small restaurant, and even though table space was scarce, we still had a great time.
I ordered the crab cake benedict. Homemade crab cakes were great, flavorful, and lots of crab meat. The Hollandaise was quite delicious too.
Then the pancakes-the 'short' stack consisted of 2 really large sized pancakes! There was also the chocolate chip banana bread french toast. Topped with carmalized bananas too!!
Coffee was always refilled, piping hot, just the way it should be. Great service, and even though there was a wait outside, they never rushed us out. Going to be back very soon!! -
Review from Stephen Y.
Richmond, BC
6/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Dropped by here in the early morning after a jaunt down to UBC and a run at the track. I was pretty hungry and decided that Jethro's was the spot to fuel up again.
I'm a pretty traditional guy when it comes to breakfast and I'm not the biggest fan of pancakes, so I just ordered a cup of coffee along with the two eggs and meat (eggs were over easy and I chose to have some chorizo grilled to go with it).
Eggs were typical fare, not too runny. The chorizo was dissapointing though, quite dry and the hash browns had a little carbon deposits on 'em. The coffee is just okay, nothing to write home about. I will say though, the portions were huge and I barely finished my meal.
I think I'll try an omelet next time I come by, but skip the coffee....better options for that around the block. -
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
5/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I kid you not - my order of pancakes could feed FOUR PEOPLE. Yes - FOUR.
I was debating between the Banana Pancakes, or for $1 more, you can get the Gold Rush, which is Banana Pancakes, walnuts and caramel, topped with more of that stuff with strusel....I'm thinking to myself sugar overload. My friend tells me - you may not come back and she was right... so the Gold rush I ordered, for $10. My friend got the french toast (my second choice).
The pancakes came out and you see people's eyes go big and mouths drop as they are given to ME :) Yes I actually had a moment where I felt like I was famous. These massive things were the size of the plate.. in fact I could barely even see the plate! And there were TWO of them stacked on top of one another.
At first bite, I was sold. Hot, gooey, banana, with the walnut crunch and the buttery strussel and the sweetness of caramel. Need I say more? The french toast was just as good (love sharing). The bread was thick, but coated well and I tasted cinnamon too, but I could be wrong. It was just good texture and not soggy.
I toughed it out and finished 3/4 for brunch, and I pretty much could not move after that. I saved the other one for take-home and ate 1/4 of it the next day for lunch . The other 3/4 went to the bf to enjoy!
Tip - Your entire party needs to be there or they aren't sitting you so carpool :) -
Review from Katie C.
Vancouver, BC
3/30/2012
my friends like it here for the ambiance-there's comfort food and the place is tiny, prepare to get cozy!
i would suggest their pancakes and their benedicts. firstly, as probably every other review has said, their pancakes are HUGE! there is no way josé that one person can finish those things off in one go (if you order them, plan to share...in any case you will end up sharing because there'll be so much left over). i love the gold rush pancakes...pecans and the incorporated crumble gives it a good crunch!
i would not suggest the south of denver omelette, it was quite strange. the ingredients weren't actually IN the egg, but rather enveloped by a egg...like a wrap! hard to eat. and the pulled pork was a disappointment, it was quite dry.
i came here on a saturday and it's not too busy during opening time. at around 10, the wait had gotten to 45 minutes.
and for those meeting up with friends, take note that ALL of you must be present before you can get a table. even if you're next to get a table and one member is missing, the table goes to the complete party next in line. -
Review from Adrienne R.
11/24/2011 5 photos
Can I award ELEVENTY!!!!!! stars? Because Jethro's Fine Grub totally deserves that many!
On Monday, yes 4 days ago, we saw Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives where the 3rd location visited by Guy Fieri was Jethro's Fine Grub. Turns out, it aired in the States, but not in Canada yet. It won't air until the 2nd of December. Because of that episode, we added Jethro's because of that episode.
We had some traffic heading over to Jethro's. We almost turned back. We are so glad we didn't do that. We did find parking right out front because we arrived at 9am, just when parking is allowed. Even though it's a small location (or maybe because it is) the sign at the door asks for you to wait to be seated. The server waived us over to a table right next to the heater. I was so cozy warm on this cool November morning sitting at that table. Since diners, and restaurants of that size, are usually drafty and cold, the coziness was really nice. This is not fast food. We sat down and I immediately ordered coffee, not having had any for my day yet. It came right out.
We had some discussion about ordering, and the server was very patient. The staff was super nice. We had a lovely conversation with the server and with the owner, who came out to talk to us briefly. They have some regulars, which they definitely have some affection for. It's nice to hear that. The wait for the food is standard diner wait. You can see slightly into the kitchen, which is interesting.
We ordered 3 different pancakes and the crab cakes Benedict. I'll start with the one that's not like the others. The crab cake Benedict was good. The sauce was a good hollandaise, the crab cakes were good crab cakes, and the eggs were runny. The potatoes are homemade and delicious.
Now onto the pancakes. The strawberries and cream was ordered. However, they were serving with blueberries instead. That was actually even better! These were good pancakes. These were huge pancakes!! The Hog-Tied has a full side of bacon cooked right in and topped! This was a good pancake, and when you got a bite with a large piece of bacon... YUM! The bacon has a nice maple flavor that complements the maple syrup. The final pancake order was the Rooster, which is an espresso shot in the batter and dark chocolate chunks, topped with whipped cream. These were served so hot, my whipped cream melted and kept falling off the sides. I made a huge mess! They came and cleaned up the table while I was still trying to tackle this baby. Every person at the table tried every one else's item. The Rooster was voted the best thing at the table. Both kids said they'd order that next time. It was a delicious chocolaty treat, and certainly not too coffee-y. I opted out of the chocolate gravy. I'm glad I did because that probably would have been too much chocolate for me.
These pancakes are Family vs Food! None of us ate more than a quarter of our pancakes. These are 2.5 pounds of pancake! What's great? They said they heat up really nice in the oven. Thankfully, we stayed in a suite with an oven. The server wrote down the reheating directions for us and we have breakfast for the next day (and possibly the day after that.) When considering this is now 2-3 breakfasts, the cost does not seem so bad. Because of the size of these pancakes and how absolutely delicious they are, they are so worth the price.
Yes, we'll stop there again on another trip to Vancouver. Thanks to leftovers, it's like we go twice in one visit! -
Review from Allison F.
4/25/2011
I've had Jethro's bookmarked to come to for breakfast as soon as I saw that you could get pulled chicken instead of just the usual porky options. So, a Friday off rolls around and we made the epic trip out. There was a lineup out front when we arrived, and we were quoted 30 minutes when we put our name down. This area of Dunbar doesn't provide much sightseeing early in the morning but there's a bench to have a seat on and if you're lucky, it'll be sunny.
The wait ended up being an hour and we noticed that you can do takeout, as well as dine-in. We were showed to a table in the front corner and offered a drink right away. I ordered a pink grapefruit juice and tall glasses of water were provided. The juice is not freshly made and is a la carton.
I chose to try the baked potato omelet with pulled chicken instead of bacon. My fiance made his own omelet with bacon, and apparently that comes with shredded cheese as well. The eggs are super fluffy and we both enjoyed that. One section of my omelet had tons of sour cream, while the other had tons of partially melted cheese. A little more even distribution would have made me happier. Pulled chicken was also just a seasoned chicken breast, cut in to cubes. Sadly not what I had been dreaming about. My toast was so dry that it turned to dust while eating it, but the fruit salad provided a large selection of your typical salad fruits and was good. Overall, both meals were enjoyable and equalled the 'A-OK' rating.
I don't know that I would wait another hour to dine here, but in a restaurant that seats ~24 people, we were in and out within 45 minutes. Pancakes are larger than the plates and they have a wide variety of items to choose from on the menu. Staff are also super friendly and quick to have a laugh with you at people who walk in, expecting to receive a table right away. -
Review from Alison S.
7/28/2011
Definitely coming back here.
We ordered the Gold Rush pancakes (half stack) and the South of Denver omelette. The pancakes, like everyone else said, are HUGE. They're freaking out of this world ginormous. My boyfriend's face became a mixture of disbelief, excitement, and regret. Regret because he knew there was no way all of that delicious pancake was going to get into his stomach, at least not in the next 3 days.
Which is a pity, because I think Jethro's has made pancakes that even I like, and I am normally not into the breakfast-carbs. They're fluffy and tasty, which just the right amount of bananas added in to make them moist but not soggy.
The omelette was also really good, although with a few too many jalapeno peppers for my liking (in hindsight I should have asked for them to be left out). The pulled pork in the omelette was really moist and flavourful.
If we came back I'd have to try one of those pancake options myself, although it's going to be a hard toss-up between that and the mouth-watering looking Bennies I saw being served! -
Review from Chantal S.
Vancouver, BC
1/14/2012
On a cold snowy morning, my husband yanked me out of bed, and we hurried to get ourselves dressed and toddler ready to go eat at Jethro's. Got there at 9:30, and the line had just started.The lady said 30 minutes, so we stayed in the car, and I went across the street to get a muffin at TH for my hungry daughter. By the time I came back, they were ready for us.
Pancakes were good, fluffy and big. Eggs were also fluffy, but not too much flavour, and potatoes were nice, but also could use some spice. Very small place, I think 8 tables. So it doesn't take much to fill it up. I think you have to get the specialty food for it to be that good. I've had better plain pancakes at Denny's. The most remarkable thing about the pancakes was the size of them! You certainly get a lot for your money! For $5, a short stack can feed 2.5 people. If I go again I would get the flavoured pancakes or an omellette. -
Review from Jacqueline S.
Edmonton, AB
4/19/2011
My friend and I stopped by here at 9 am on a Monday morning (a good time to go for only a short lineup). She recommended the place, and I had never heard about it before, and thus had never read the reviews.
So, for starters, the place is small, the server was good, the coffee was meh, our food came fast. That's all fine and good.
We spent a lot of time chatting and not really looking at the menu. Finally I just ordered something (pancakes with bacon, I thought) without really paying much attention.
What I received was two pancakes, easily 10" in diameter, one of which had bacon cooked into it. It looked delicious (and it was), but I don't know how any one person can possibly eat that all at once. If you can, I'm not sure I can respect you for it. Fortunately, they seem prepared for such an event and after I had stuffed myself as much as I could on only half my order, they brought me a box to take it home in.
My friend got an omelette with pulled pork which also looked good. Their whole menu looked tasty, and judging by the lineup that formed while we were eating, it probably is.
I just hope that my leftover pancake will be comparably tasty tomorrow morning. -
Review from Erin H.
Vancouver, BC
3/14/2011
Went for brunch here last Sunday and was pleasantly surprised. I'm not often up in Dunbar, but when my friend suggested it, I was game!
Apparently they're known for their pancakes here... If pancakes are your thing be prepared to take home a doggy bag - for $10 you get 2 pancakes. However, those two pancakes are GIANT - plate sized and about 3/4 inch thick. Huge. My friend who ordered them ate half of one and declared herself full.
I had the cornbeef hash which was super salty (but corned beef is...) with two perfectly poached eggs on top. Great.
It is tiny, so it works best for groups of 4 or less, and be prepared to wait if you get there after 10:15!
Super friendly servers too. Sparsely decorated - only thing on the walls is grey paint (and one framed picture of the East Van sign).
Maybe not worth a drive all the way up to Dunbar if you live far away, but it's an awesome little neighbourhood joint!Listed in: The quest for the perfect…
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Review from Raven Z.
Vancouver, BC
12/3/2011
This place is seriously overhyped
The pancakes and French toast genuinely can feed four to five people. It's massive. They were tasty. We managed to get in with no wait, but a restaurant with 10 tables is pretty ridiculous. The service was ok at best. Not spectacular
The prices are very decent for the amount of food you get
I had the five cheese Mac and cheese. Definitely underwhelming. I did not enjoy it at all. Super heavy and I'm not entirely sure it was made with a cheese sauce
I doubt I will return. Too much hype for not enough enjoyment. -
Review from Cait j.
Vancouver, BC
10/20/2010
Jethro's is totally gonna keep kicking so much ass if they keep up what they're doing. I wasn't surprised we had to wait, the place is tiny but the turnover seemed reasonable. The menu looks goooood. Like, really really good. Diner fare with a more delicious twist. It took a while, but I decided on breakfast and ordered the pulled pork omelette. I dont even like omelettes but figured one with gooey pulled pork, jalepenos, smoked cheese and fried onions... COME. ON. Great choice.
I havent been to a restaurant in so long where I want to try everything on the menu. Pretty exciting.
Cant wait to go back and slowly start devouring the menu, one item at a time. -
Review from Kimberley D.
5/11/2011
Friendly staff. Diverse menu, but although there were plenty of vegetarian options I can't recall seeing any vegan ones. Brunch until 4pm on a weekday is a good thing. Huevos Rancheros came with rice, which was odd. Chocolate chip banana bread french toast was a good balance of sweet yet not sickly sweet.
The lack of alcohol was disappointing. A mimosa or bloody mary often helps kick breakfast off right. The coffee was also disappointing... not atrocious, but unexciting drip.
No wifi, but our table had outlets and it seemed like a decent place to do some reading / work in the afternoon. -
Review from Tiffany N.
8/10/2010
Jethro's Fine Grub represents all that is good for breakfast. Friendly folk serving up fine mornin' fare. And I'll eat to that any day.
Crystal took me to breakfast here on the last day of my recent trip to Vancouver and I ordered up the Cowboy's Breakfast - three eggs, cooked any style, with smoked bacon, sausage, grilled chorizo, and chili smothered hashbrowns. Now, see when I read this I thought it meant that the chili was make with chorizo and sausage, but in reality you get the eggs, then some bacon, then some sausage links, then some chorizo links, then some hashbrowns smothered in chili. Hello heart attack! How you doin'?
Delicious is the appropriate answer here.
This dish also comes with corn cakes. And while you may think you don't need any more food, think again. These puppies are worth finding the extra room.
I'll be back. (Hopefully. If I ask Crystal nicely.)Listed in: Tiffany C's adventures in…
