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Smile Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants Diners Breakfast & Brunch, Diners [Edit]
424 W Pender StVancouver, BC V6B 1T5
Neighbourhood: Downtown
(604) 681-9911
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Breakfast, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
14 reviews for Smile Restaurant
14 reviews in English
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Review from Victoria J.
Vancouver, BC
2/15/2012 2 photos
I've walked by here a couple times and I finally went in. What attracted me to it was the name, the fact that they serve Chinese and Western food, and the old decor. Okay, most people hate the outdated decor, but I never care about decor, just the food and service.
BUT you're an 80s fan like me, you will appreciate their decor. Walking in, I felt like I went back to the 80s. There was even a very old poster of Sylvester Stallone on the wall lol! Plus, the radio station they were playing just happened to play an 80s song (although it wasn't an oldies radio station). It was fricken awesome.
I was greeted and served by a very friendly Chinese woman. She was the type of friendly person where you just can't say anything bad to them because they're so nice and hard-working/efficient. Anyways, I ordered the hamburger steak with mashed potatoes and onions. It was $8.95, which I thought was a good value. The server later came back with complimentary soup minutes later. Almost directly after that was my entree. With my entree I also got a little bit of salad and toast. Really fast service, great value, and very delicious!! Seriously, the cheapest eat I've had in a while.
You can't help but feel so optimistic in this diner...there's happy faces all over the menus and the workers are just so nice. -
Review from Takeshi T.
Vancouver, BC
2/17/2012
I've walked by many times and a few days ago I finally went in lunch time. I had ordered simple hamburger, fries and coffee. Price is approximately $7. Taste is not so special, but not so bad. Stuff is always friendly. Couch is comfortable for relax.
They have a free wifi. This place is better for relax. I will come again for purpose of reading book or something like that. -
Review from Danielle B.
Vancouver, BC
12/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Staff here has always been friendly and attentive. They serve great breakfast and a killer cup if coffee.
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Review from Tanya B.
10/21/2011
Reviews are suggesting that the breakfast will not make you throw up but seriously: go elsewhere. My instincts told me to leave but I stuck it out anyway because I was in the mood for greasy diner food and was hungry. I honestly thought, 'how bad could it be'. I certainly found out. BY FAR, the worst meal I have ever had placed in front of me. My stomach still turns when I think of it. I went for lunch ordered a Big Burger (or something like that). Super disgusting. I did try to eat it but couldn't stomach it. Go to McDonalds instead.
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Review from Chloë E.
Vancouver, BC
12/29/2008
Smile Restaurant is an ultimate breakfast destination -- we went in on the name alone.
This diner has requisite doses of grime and doilies. It's also in the borderlands (where downtown merges with the downtown east side) and attracts some definitive characters.
Our waitress spoke little English but got our egg and toast orders cooked just right with no complaints. We loitered over a crossword and she unhesitatingly refilled our coffees on each round. Prices were extremely reasonably -- about $6 to $7 for a greasy breakfast. There are other diner options too, but I rarely look beyond a classic American breakfast at these spots.
We aren't really hungover and downtown much lately, but the thought of a return trip to Smile Restaurant definitely puts one on my face. -
Review from Travers N.
New Westminster, BC
10/22/2010
The decor is definitely an old diner, and I mean an old diner, not a new restaurant with retro finishings. But they keep it reasonably clean, so I didn't feel the need to bolt.
I had the hamburger, fries and milkshake. The hamburger and fries was institutional cafeteria quality (bleh), and the milkshake was a thick milkshake complete with metal cup and spoon. The milkshake was the only thing I liked.
Places that look this dumpy should have excellent food. This had food to match its looks, alas. -
Review from pete d.
Vancouver, BC
6/12/2010
I'm pretty sure the name used to be "The Smile Cafe".. which is certainly more appropriate as the Smile's no 'restaurant' - but a classic greasy spoon to the core.
Full disclosure, I've been going here for years - since I was a young punk with barely two loonies to rub together and this little strip of Pender st was chock a block with used book stores. Even though I rarely visit nowadays, the owner Linda will still greet me with a smile and "hey long time no see - big burger* and a coke - how is your lovely wife?"
(* Big Burger combo = bacon mushroom cheeseburger with fires and a bowl of soup)
Back in the day, Smile was frequented by broke-ass artists and old men from rooming houses. Now when I visit I see a lot more well-turned out film school kids and foreign language students.. no matter though as it seems that the prices have remained more-or-less the same. The food is good, not great but not bad. The ambience is classic greasy spoon with booths and counter seating. Mix of Chinese and Western food, with your basic all day breakfast fare as well.
If you're looking for unpretentious, come-as-you-are greasy-spoon eatin' in downtown Vancouver - then Smile. -
Review from Mathieu Y.
Vancouver, BC
11/3/2009
The Smile Diner is an all-day breakfast diner in a great location above pidgeon park that is never really crowded. There's always a nicely upholstered booth available, and plenty of window seating. The staff are quite attentive and will address your party as soon as you walk in there. The waiter was a slow but happy old man who explained to us that they have all kinds of good things at smile!
My girlfriend and I ordered the breakfast special and a soda. It was served quickly and without flair, but still some enthusiasm. The food was well cooked, you could actually stick your fork in the bacon and the eggs were really yolky. The hashbrowns were nothing special. The overall portion was large enough to be a filling breakfast, but nothing better than my home cooking.
The only reason this is a 3 star place is because it definitely seems like one of those restaurants where you pay more for the decor. It's stereotypical greasy spoon food and decor, but the prices can go higher than $10 for a meal (not very greasy spoon like in my opinion!). Even the breakfast special was $5, and coffee almost $2 without a single free refill! In my opinion, diner's should be the kind of places where the waiter offers to fill your half full cup up if theyre bored. And they dont offer any kind of bread but white and brown. The washrooms are tiny and have no soap in them, which annoyed me as I like to wash my hands after I eat. Bleh.Listed in: Dive Eats
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Review from John H.
6/18/2010 3 photos
I'm adding at least half a star for the service, the amusement-park facade of the place, and the homey, oldtimey diner decor--which is marred, (or perhaps made more winningly unpretentious) by '80s-vintage hotel-style framed posters of flowers in urns and one naughty picture involving lowered panties (?).
Our waiter--I want to call him "host' actually-- was a tall, distinguished, white-haired gent in a suit with a big purple pocket square. This talkative fellow, a friend of the owner who was helping out, was very nice and boasted on the place in the way one can when a thing is not one's own. People in Canada frequently put me back in time to where strangers would chat with you a bit, and our host was of that type. He got my order wrong, but he was moonlighting, filliing in, and a really nice guy.
The grilled cheese sandwich was made from cheese spread rather than slices. But aside from that the meal was fine. Shake, burgers and fries were all tasty, neither a bargain nor overpriced. -
Review from Adrian B.
Kamloops, BC
4/22/2011
My fiance and I really enjoyed the banter of this cafe breakfast establishment...unprentetious, real, and a mix of melancholy. Its a cafe for gods sake, and has old fashioned values.
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Review from M P.
Vancouver, BC
10/25/2009 1 photo
Went there on a Sunday for breakfast. Large diner with many tables/seats. There were a few people when we got there around 12.30pm. Menu was brought within 3 min. We ordered coffee right away which took over 5 min to come. There is a decent selection of breakfast items on the menu, nothing fancy. The food was alright, nothing special. The prices were not exactly cheap, and they charge for coffee refill! The service was sub-standard. Would highly doubt that I would go there again.
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Review from Last action zero P.
Vancouver, BC
11/1/2009
I decided to try the smile diner, the prices looked reasonable and the décor was like a diner that was very inviting. The food was a HUGE letdown however as the shake I ordered was the worst I've ever had and I found several hairs in my food which disgusted me and forced me to leave. I'd never recommand this place except to maybe a death row inmate who had commited a heinous crime for his last meal.
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Review from Mohammad G.
8/5/2010
come on guys, its a diner. dont expect the world...but with that said. the food is quite alright and the fact that you can have free range eggs is a big bonus.
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Review from Aaron Z.
10/19/2010
Although my breakfast of eggs and pancakes was fine (nothing exceptional, but not problematic either) for what I paid, the manager/waiter totally creeped me out. First off this place is a low end breakfast and burger type place but the manager/waiter/guy who seems to run the place but also took our order was wearing a three piece suite which totally didn't fit the interior and ambiance of the place, especially since it was morning. Secondly, he had a totally weird demeanour and tried to drop history on the place which was also bizarre. He actually stated that the interior was original, which neither surprised me nor impressed me given that the interior looked old, tired, and in need of a serious renovation. Thirdly, the place was pretty empty but he said something along the lines of how it was really busy earlier which seemed unlikely to me, anyway, my gripe with this place is based on the uncomfortable feeling that came with the service, the food was fine.
