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Mitzie's
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (Traditional) Restaurants Chinese Canadian (Traditional), Chinese [Edit]
179 E Pender StVancouver, BC V6A
Neighbourhood: Chinatown
(604) 689-9763
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
16 reviews for Mitzie's
16 reviews in English
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Review from Kevin W.
1/1/2012 2 photos
There are hundreds of Chinese restaurants in Vancouver, so I don't know how I decided to stop at this one. I don't exactly have regrets about it, though. This place offers slightly above-average American Chinese food... wait, this is in Canada, so why is it American? The difference is negligible anyway; they accept American currency and the menus are in English. It's not likely that you'd feel out of place here. It's also not likely that you'd have any huge complaints with eating here.
Much of this restaurant is standard fare. If you've been to Chinese-American restaurants before, you should have seen this all before. The staff are able to speak enough English to take your order, the Chinese speaker is going to have an easy time here, and there are burgers on the menu?! Steak, salads, omelettes, sausages, cereal, hash browns, and toast round out the menu. It almost feels like a casual American diner run by Chinese people, and the prices are all reasonable. To be honest, they even look like American prices because there's essentially no exchange rate here. They took my U.S. currency as if it were Canadian, and I really appreciate it when restaurants do this especially in cities close to the border.
I ordered a pineapple fried rice here. I'm not used to seeing chunks of sliced pineapple going into fried rice, but it turned out to be not such a terrible idea. I still think I prefer the more usual meats like pork with fried rice. It also comes with scrambled eggs, peas, carrots, and onions. For fried rice, pineapples are about as far as surprises go. The meal was preceded by a small bowl of egg drop soup. I like how they don't even attempt to hide that they're American Chinese. But a light appetizer before the main part of the meal is always a good thing to have. It gives you something amusing to do for a while and is even more pleasant when you weren't expecting it.
I don't know whether it was because I had too much soup or iced water, but I was full before the rice was gone. Since I didn't want to carry it around or throw it away, I finished it anyway. My stomach felt like it was about to explode, and that's a great feeling to get from a relatively inexpensive restaurant. Almost everything on the menu is under ten dollars, and since they took my U.S. bills (but gave me the correct change in Canadian), I didn't even have to worry about not having their country's money. It's as if I had never left home, making Mitzie's a very convenient stop for a traveling American. The food here isn't absolutely outstanding, but had it been, this place might have warranted five stars. -
Review from Greta K.
4/18/2012
After a very long trek from Bellevue, WA, we parked at a garage down the street and randomly chose Mitzie's because we were both hungry and it was a Chinese restaurant. They really did have a huge menu with everything from breakfast to Chinese to western cuisine.
I was craving some vegetarian (tofu mainly) and had one of the combos with vegetable lo mein, tofu chop suey, and a spring roll. Two others that were in my group had lo mein and chop suey and another had a combo with sweet and sweet pork and fried rice. My favorite item was the spring roll, although I wasn't sure if there was any sauce to accompany it. The food was good, although I wasn't sure about the cleanliness of the place or the service. We weren't able to look up reviews on our phones because we didn't want to pay roaming charges, so we took a chance and it wasn't a bad one, just not spectacular.
One thing, which I feel bad about was that we tried to put the tip on our credit card and weren't able to after the card had been charged so we had to leave American money. I hope they weren't too upset. -
Review from Kenneth E.
Vancouver, BC
3/17/2012
It's a good place if you've got a casual group who wants a bit of everything: western chinese, breakfast (english & chinese), even apple pie desserts. A chinese version of a diner, w/ its outdated booth seats but nevertheless, an informal place to have even a drink and not be bothered by its friendly staff.
Right on the corner of Pender & Main, besides the Waves Coffee, so you can steal the WIFI signal at times...parking is tough though. -
Review from Michael C.
Vancouver, BC
8/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Now known as "The NEW Mitzie."
Hmmmm What's new besides the sign? I don't know. My memory of this place is quite vague, however I do remember coming down here and only ordering the red bean slush while I was young. Ah, the good old days... talking about gossip with my friend, not knowing a thing about responsibility, and money was giving to us.... *sigh* Fond memories of my childhood.
Though I didn't remember much about the decor at the time, I remember the red bean slush was pretty darn good at the time. If they renovated this place since then, I won't know.
The "NEW" Layout?
Right off the street of Pender & Main, up the stairs sitting above Chinatown (well, slightly higher up), The NEW Mitzie a Chinese Western diner. This greasy spoon has seen better days. When I look at this place it kind of reminds me of old pictures that I've seen of my parents in the early 80's, but I guess that's what gives this place character.
So when I sat down, for some reason I decided to order real food cause I was huuunn-gry!! Ohhh I should have preserved my memory of this place and only came in for the red bean slush. :(
The "NEW" Food?
We had Baked Pork Chop on rice, Siu Long Bao (I just really wanted it ok!!!!), and 2 egg breakfast.
The pork chop was huge! Thick piece of pork on top of fried rice (but only egg). This was alright, but a touch heavy on the seasoning. 2 Stars
Siu Long Bao.... ok SLB 101, can't steams these buns without something underneath it, ie banana leaf, piece of carrot, paper, or even just heavy spray of the steam basket! The buns were stuck onto the basket and ripped the buns as I tried many different ways of removal. Nothing worked. Now, if you guys never had SLB, they are soup buns and you need to keep the bun intact so you get the soup when you bite into it. Anyways. this didn't matter anyways cause there was no liquid on the inside. Soupless buns with a thick tough skin and dry meat. 0 Stars.
Breakfast was good. Simple and you can't go wrong. Came with Hash, toast & jam, eggs (any style), and bacon. 3 Stars
This meal came out to $25 after tax/tip. We were quite full after this meal and didn't finish everything cause of it's size and frankly I didn't really want to eat anymore of those SLBs. :( Value.... mmmeeehh 2.5 Stars
The "NEW" Service?
The woman who served us was nice, but only spoke Mandarin and broken English. We put in our order and she reads back our order to us then puts it in with the chef. We did have to ask another service for our drinks again cause she did forget. Food comes and so far it looks alright, but then she brings us Mushroom omelette. "Uh... we didn't order this. You even asked us how we wanted the eggs done.... over medium."
There was some communication issues with our server and she seems to let a few things we asked for slide, however we had no issues when we asked any other of the servers for something. I guess it really just wasn't her day. Like I said, she was nice and based on the over service of all the servers (cause we asked all for help lol) 3.5 Stars.
My "NEW" Memories:
I look through the reviews from other Yelpers and it seems like a hit and miss for a lot of you. Unfortunately this was is quite a disappointment to me. Perhaps I should have just ordered my dessert drink and be on my way.
It was quite promising when I first walked in here and seeing how busy this joint was and I guess maybe I had higher hopes of this place for taking me back to my childhood memories. Either way, this place was a bad experience for me and I'm not even sure if I want to come back here for that red bean slush anymore.Listed in: Chow Down C-Town
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Review from Curtis H.
Vancouver, BC
8/10/2011
I grew up in a small town, and always went for lunch with my mom at greasy spoon diners, and truck stop restaraunts. This place brings me right back to my childhood. Good, greasy, fast, and cheap.
I always have the deluxe burger with bacon and cheese... onion rings, and gravy... and guess what the price is.. $8.95. HOW CAN YOU GO WRONG!! They have all day breakfast, and an extensive "western" menu. They also have chinese food as well, which is very tasty.
On the downsides, the place is old old old, and really rundown. it is the epitome of greasy spoon. The bathroom is pretty scary... and sometimes there is a bit of a language barrier with the staff.
Definitely worth it if you are lookin for a quick, cheap, old fashioned slop down. -
Review from Paola C.
Vancouver, BC
5/27/2011
Honestly, I've actually never really tried the chinese food here, my husband and I usually pop by on a Sunday afternoon when Mcdonalds is no longer serving breakfast and we have a huge hangover.
It is just your standard eggs, sausage, hashbrown, toast order! I can't see how it could be made better than any other place that makes it as simple as that. But it is inexpensive and a good portion of food!
So, if you live close by like us and want inexpensive breakfast food, go there! Friendly service, fair prices and good food :) Perhaps next time, I will try an actually asian dish -
Review from Debbie W.
1/3/2012
My husband loves Egg Foo Yung and this restaurant didn't dissapoint. We popped in there for lunch on a trip through Chinatown because we were looking for a sit-down restaurant to rest our weary selves after strolling up and down the streets checking out all the wares in the many stores. He got the lunch special and at $6.95, it was gynormous (is that a word?). I'm not sure how he managed to finish it off, but I guess the prospect of carrying it all the way back to the hotel motivated him. It's not that often that he gets to enjoy that dish, so he was satisfied. I tried their steamed rolls and there were a lot more of them than I expected. But, not really my cup of tea. Next time, I would probably go with the egg rolls which I initially thought of ordering. Refreshed and satisfied, we headed off for more sightseeing.
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Review from Vincent N.
Vancouver, BC
1/23/2011
The restaurant is now called New Mitzie's and to be honest I have experienced better for the money that they charge. It's still an HK style cafe.
I had the Satay Fried Noodle with Chicken, and it wasn't that special. It tasted as if I could make it myself in all honesty, and I would know exactly what type of ingredients and method to use. It was plain, very low on flavour, and was probably one of the most boring noodle dishes I've had.
My friend had the Curry Beef with Rice, and the curry was way too salty.
I personally wasn't happy about how the food turned out. I only brought my friend here because the old Mitzie's was so much better.
The truth is, I probably won't be giving this restaurant another shot until the potentially change owners again. -
Review from Tommy G.
Vancouver, BC
7/28/2010
This is a mixture of HK-style, Chinese restaurant and with some western dishes too. I was here about 10 years ago and had some of their Burmese food items which were delicious at the time. Now it seems as though only "Burmese Style Noodles" and "Burmese Fish Noodle Soup" have survived on the menu.
We had the Portugese Chicken on Rice which was a huge portion for about $8! It was quite tasty - good balance of curry and cocunut flavours. We also tried the Burmese style noodles which was basically a flat-broad noodle - kind of like the Shanghai-style noodle you can get in many restaurants but with little shrimps - tasted good but was not what I was hoping for and didn't seem Burmese either!
Atmosphere was spacious and clean. Mixture of tourists and locals dining there!
Decent place with good prices but nothing too special. -
Review from Anthony F.
Vancouver, BC
3/9/2010
Background: I'm Chinese and grew up on Chinese food.
Food: HK-style diner food, some of which is particularly catered to Western tastes. Malay fried rice, turkey soup, and baked pork chop are all average... nothing here seems terribly above average. Try to stay away from spaghetti dishes, you'll get overcooked noodles. Sauces are straight out of a can and not embellished upon with vegetables.
Service: Really good for an HK cafe. Waitresses here smile, and I kind of resent that because Chinese service is typically not like that.
Ambiance: Also good for an HK cafe. Quiet 2-level diner with many 2-seater booths. Seats are comfy.
Overall: I'd rather sacrifice the good service and ambiance for some improvement in the quality of the food, but this place is ok if you're not looking for anything special. Lunch combos are $8. -
Review from Shawn W.
Burnaby, BC
12/6/2010
Clean, cheap, big portions and tasty if not fantastic food.
The service was friendly and quick without being overbearing.
Will defiantly stop in again for a cheap but tasty meal in Chinatown. -
Review from pete d.
Vancouver, BC
6/1/2010
Having grown up in Vancouver, and spent most of my life in the East End - I've always had a fondness for Chinatown and the old school style Chinese/Canadian restaurant.
Mitzies is one of those.
Formerly a Binos (a now-defunct homegrown Denny's type restaurant that back in the 80's afforded a fantastic view of the old school pagoda-style BC Tel phone booths made famous in the Payolas "China Boys" video.. http://www.youtube.com...) Mitzie's has been operating here for the better part of twenty years. Unpretentious to say the least - they offer your standard Chinese / Canadian fare which is great if members of your dining party have varying tastes and looking for a cheap meal. Burgers to chowmein to porkchop on spaghetti to your classic breakfast.
These types of restaurants tend to get looked down on by food snobs - but it's worth noting that prior to the massive Hong Kong immigration of the late 80's - these types of Chinese greasy spoons were some of the only games in town, and I think they deserve a bit more respect for that. Today, as old school Cantonese speaking Chinatown is being eclipsed by new school Mandarin speaking Richmond - I suspect these types of restaurants will be fading away for good
Cheap prices. Prompt service, decent enough food for what it is. They have a lovely Burmese soup with noodles, chicken and boiled egg in a rich coconut curry that keeps me coming back. -
Review from Tara T.
BC
11/23/2008
This is a Chinese style classic diner, one of only a few in the city. Located in Downtown Chinatown, it offers everything from all day classic breakfasts to traditional Chinese meals.
The menu is a culinary wonder with a list of items as long as your arm. Almost anything is up for grabs from pancakes and eggs to garlic broccoli and roast dinners! I ate a lamb roast when I was here and it was very good, albeit only a diner meal so not of Michelin quality but definitely better than expected. My boyfriend had the broccoli, which was great and our friend had the pancakes, which looked delicious. Admittedly we didn't go down the Chinese food route, but I would be happy to go back and try some more culturally authentic dishes.
Mitzie's is a relatively large place filled with booths and friendly staff. I loved my meal here and would gladly come again. -
Review from Dean P.
Abbotsford, BC
10/18/2010 1 Check-in Here
I stopped in hoping to cure a lingering cold with my usual cure-all: wonton soup. Unfortunately for both me and my cold the soup was bland and uninspired.
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Review from Waleed A.
Vancouver, BC
Very good customer service. The place is nice and clean. The food is good, although not amazing. And as a bonus, it's next door to Waves coffee shop, so you get free wifi in case you need to check your Yelp account :)
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Review from Stephen B.
2/19/2009
Mediocre food. Mediocre Service. Everything about it was just... not great. I love a great Chinese food dive, that's why we went to Chinatown after all. This place was a miss though. Keep looking.
