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Tomahawk Barbeque
Categories: Restaurants Barbeque Restaurants Diners Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants Canadian (Traditional) Barbeque, Diners, Breakfast & Brunch, Canadian (Traditional) [Edit]
1550 Philip AveNorth Vancouver, BC V7P 2V8
(604) 988-2612
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 8 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 8 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Breakfast, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Touristy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
42 reviews for Tomahawk Barbeque
Review Highlights
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"All i can say is YUKON and BACON Mmmmmm." In 11 reviews -
"...stars on organic beef, free range eggs, and organic juices." In 3 reviews -
"My burger was made from organic beef." In 5 reviews
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42 reviews in English
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Review from Dean H.
OK, if you don't know where this place is you might just miss it. Make sure your MAP on your smart phone is great, keep an eye open for some totem poles in the front and find some parking either in the back or right up front cause this place is the BUSINESSSSSSSSSSSSS!
Ok, first of all, the brewed coffee there is just great. I drink a lot of coffee and usually I am NOT impressed at ANY breakfast. This one is a MUST drink!
Next, the BACON, ahhh yes, I said BACON. Thy have this yukon bacon that is like a cross between canadian bacon and sliced bacon and you know what....dang it is good stuff. The flavor, how they cook it a little crispy, and the texture is JUST right.
Did I also say that our waitress was very helpful and super kind. I wish I had gotten her name to mention it here. She was informative about the menu, refilled my coffee, and also gave us the skinny on how to order. She was something else.
Then, comes the pancakes and the rest of the breakfast. It was all just good stuff. Seems like lots of locals go here for some good grub at reasonable prices and I have agree. If you are ever in Vancouver you need to drive across the bridge for this place. You won't be disappointed.
Go get some of the YUKON bacon goodness y'all! -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
5/3/2012 3 photos
* Ripoff *
The dictionary defines "ripoff" as:
"1. A product or service that is overpriced or of poor quality.
2. Something, such as a film or story, that is clearly imitative of or based on something else.
3. A theft.
4. An act of exploitation."
My reaction to eating here was all of the above (and yes, I ripped off that definition from the dictionary).
Now ripping off from Tomahawk's history:
"The original Tomahawk owner, Chick Chamberlain, began collecting interesting hand-crafted artefacts from the Indians themselves about 80 years ago..."
So the place is filled with First Nation products like weavings, carvings, etc. And some pretty bad stereotyping to boot like pictures of paper feather hats for kids. To get a feel, just look here: http://www.tomahawkres...
The placemat on the table has cartoon drawings that look like they are straight out of the 1950's which reinforce a ton of stereotypes while attempting to be cutesy.
I ordered the signature burger, the "Skookum Chief Burger" which was described as onions, lettuce, organic ground beef patty, Yukon bacon, egg, aged cheddar cheese, wiener, tomato, and Tomahawk special sauce. It was priced at $12.45, if I remember correctly. (I tried to check their website, where they conveniently leave all prices off the menu - hah!).
The plate arrived with underdone fries and a few wilty veggies on the side. Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
The burger itself had a nice bun. That was probably the best part though sadly. There was a mound of shredded lettuce that was bordering on absurd amounts. The tomato was severely under-ripened and had no flavour. The fried egg was extremely overcooked with a VERY hard yolk. The yukon bacon was ok, but could have been slightly less cooked. The wiener was commercial tasting and not grilled off properly. The cheese flavour got lost. The special sauce was a mayo based sauce with a primarily mayo flavour. And the supposed star of the burger - the organic beef - was awful. It was a very thin mealy, crumbly, overcooked, and underseasoned patty. Blech. Photos: http://www.yelp.ca/biz... and http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
Yes, a $12.45 ripoff.
To top things off, when paying at the register the guy tried to shortchange me by $10. I understand people sometimes make mistakes. But when I called him on it he immediately said, "Oh, sorry." and gave me a $10 bill without thinking about it - as if he was thinking, "I tried. You caught me. Oh well." Blech.
Will I go back? I think not!Listed in: Fool me once, shame on you.…, Vancouver Burgers
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Review from Ernesto G.
4/24/2012 3 photos
It's okay.
The service here is great. The french fries are the best thing on the menu...soft on the inside and crispy on the outside and served piping hot! The burger's good...organic beef is great, but nothing to write home about.
Note: Just like Dean H. said, make sure you punch the address into your gps...it's not easy to find since its off Marine Drive and it looks like it's in a residential area. Keep an eye out for the totem poles. -
Review from Ronnie S.
North Vancouver, BC
3/26/2012
DO NOT EXPECT FAST FOOD. For the third year in a row we returned to Tomahawk for my Wife's favourite birthday lunch (Mar '12). The food remains the stellar attraction of this place, and if you like quaint, old-style, classic restuarant's with a real local Native American flavour you should like the location as well.
As with every Sunday lunch, the place is packed, the food is slow, and the servers are a bit overwhelmed, so you have to go into this place expecting that. Then if you can relax, enjoy good company, and savour your meals you should have a great time.
We did the usual burgers (love the weaners on them to give them a burger/dog hybrid kind of taste), the Reuben's where great, and if you like the all day breakfast omelet's you should be fed to full.
Looking forward to going back next year. -
Review from Jason D.
Vancouver, BC
3/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Back in the days when calories meant nothing, the Tomahawk was that special breakfast place where you were guaranteed your fill of rashers, eggs and coffee. Its location on the North Shore guaranteed you would only get there once or twice a year and always appreciate returning.
I recently returned to the Tomahawk after a 10-year absence. The Tomahawk doesn't have a foyer; it has an entrance, which was packed with people, mostly tourists (undoubtedly led there by Lonely Planet and the like) and north shore locals (visibly annoyed with the all the bloody tourists).
The Tomahawk was opened in 1926 and provides a visual snapshot of the Seventies. During that time, the Tomahawk has accumulated and displayed thousands of pieces of native kitsch; the stereo-typical effect of which delivers a subtle offensiveness that is only acceptable (if it is at all) at the Tomahawk given its 86-year history.
The Tomahawk isn't all "old-school". The food is great and I was very happy to see that it offers organic meats and free-range eggs. The owners, who remarkably remain the original family, and the staff were very friendly and courteous. We were asked several times if everything was ok which made it very apparent that our satisfaction was important.
Overall, the Tomahawk remains a great place to get a great breakfast served by great people. Unintentionally, it also serves as a reminder of how far we have come as a society. -
Review from Sarah O.
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Who really orders the Mixed Grill from Tomahawk? A platter overflowing with "Nine generous pieces of Yukon style bacon, two country fresh eggs, fried or scrambled, two slices of Klondike toast, hamburger patty, Weiner, aged cheddar cheese, onions and fresh sautéed mushrooms..." Seriously? Are you suffering from an extreme protein and fat deficiency or are you just into constipating yourself? Oh wait a minute! They use organic hamburger patties! What saving grace!
This place has been around for a long time and is a local BBQ hero of sorts. But when I went, it was empty and I got nervous. The decor is old school and they sell merchandise up front at a reasonable price.. though I hardly think anyone would actually spend money to buy a plain t-shirt that says, KEEP SMILING in big block letters. Providing old, nostalgic stuff for sale is a sweet idea, but I wouldn't be surprised it if those shirt have been there, unsold, for the past 30 years.
The burgers were small but good. Fresh ingredients and tasty.The fries were not the best thing and I was disappointed, since the portion was so small and it really should've rocked. I asked for hot sauce and I got 4 different kinds. Pimp shit. But in the end, the prices were expensive for what it was!
Our server was so nice. Way too nice. So nice, that she almost completely convinced me to buy one of their dusty, KEEP SMILING shirt, and start coming here regularly for niceness therapy when the cruel world makes me lose faith in humanity and I need to re-up on sweetheart, honey bunch, sugar plum goodness...and to make myself and Indian hat. -
Review from Brian F.
Vancouver, BC
12/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Wow - for a room that does not look like much... what a great experience. People running the show are great! Easy to feel comfortable.
You pay for what you get - but as a chef, I see a lot of quality on the plate.
The downside - the scrambled eggs look like #@&!. But taste fantastic.
Okay, truthfully; they had me at the Yukon Bacon. -
Review from Ron N.
3/20/2012
The Tomahawk Barbecue is known for organic beef and free range eggs as a part of their cuisine. They were featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. The place is small and has decor showcasing masks, carvings and art work from the Canadian First Nations. While some of the art may be authentic others seemed stereotypical, this includes the paper "Indian Headdresses'" that are given to the kids for the "Injun" experience. At times, the overall atmosphere felt like a Political Correctness Groups worst nightmare.
I had the CHIEF SIMON BAKER BURGER which is basically a Bacon, Mushroom Cheddar Cheeseburger with fries. A number of the burgers I'm told are named after Chiefs throughout the areas local history. I also had a soda that was probably 90% ice and 10% soda; you are only allowed one refill (for $2.75). The waitress told me that she would gladly bring me another soda, but that she would have to charge me again. She offered to bring me a glass of water which to my surprise was 90% water and 10% ice (opposite of the soda). We brought this up to Chuck the owner as we were settling the bill. His explanation was that the soda comes out of the machine warm, so they add more ice to cool it down (???). And that we could've had more soda if we asked for it, which contradicts what the server told us (???)...in other words he basically gave us the big blow off!
While the food isn't bad, it also isn't that great; the service is slow and the attitude is basically meh. I feel that they heavily rely on the nostalgia factor to attract customers. IMHO they are over-hyped and a bit overpriced. Maybe it's a good once in a blue moon experience for the featured Beef Dip & Meat Pie; the last time we were there was 4 years ago. Maybe we'll go again...in a couple of years. -
Review from Herman E.
Updated - 12/24/2011
Yay! I finally got to eat a burger here.
It was surprisingly good, and the fries were pretty good too! I ordered the Capilano Chief burger. The one with the fried egg and wiener! I washed it down with a garden salad, just to be healthy. I have to admit, that I do prefer Romer's burger over this one.
This place is a little out of the way for me, but if I'm in the area, I will definitely be hitting this place up for a burger.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/18/2011
I wanted to try this place a long time ago and I finally got to do it. This was just after Guy… Read more »
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Review from Brad W.
Vancouver, BC
11/12/2011
All i can say is YUKON and BACON Mmmmmm!!!!!
My favorite classic breakfast place around.
Not fancy -just easy good ol' gluttony! seriously CANADIAN BACON. -
Review from Jess L.
10/1/2011
Yeah for all day breakfast!
The Yukon-Style Bacon & Eggs breakfast is massive - five slices of Yukon-style bacon (aka back bacon), two eggs served either fried or scrambled (with the option for free-range eggs for extra), hash brown potatoes, and two slices of Klondike toast (Klondike toast = thick toast?).
The burgers here are also good, and you don't get that heavy/greasy feeling afterwards. Then again, I had a really simple burger (the Chief Dominic Charlie Burger - with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, back bacon) but there were other burgers where you can get weiner slices and egg with your burger. And all their burgers are made with 100% organic ground beef. -
Review from Jason L.
Burnaby, BC
Major fail on multiple fronts tonight.
We came to check the place out after we saw them featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and were pretty excited. That excitement got killed pretty quick.
I called to check whether they take reservations for 6:30 on a Saturday night, and the guy on the phone said no, but walk-in's at at that time should have no problem. NOT!
This is the start of a what was going to continue to be a series of failures in customer service all night... We arrived promptly at 6:30pm only to find the line-up almost out the door! NO ONE was there to greet you and to at least give you an idea of the wait was going to be! There was already a sitting that was looked like it was ready to leave. The entire row of bench seats was empty! I am sure there were lots of people who didn't mind sitting there to get their dinners!
No one came to assign seating or take names for at least 5-10 minutes? There was a cashier girl there, but when asked, she didn't know a THING! She wasn't responsible for a thing and didn't care about a thing either.
There was a lady behind me complaining enough to make the guy in front of me be nice enough to go into the restaurant to ask for all of us!
What were the staff waiting for? Where's the manager anyways? He was just chilling in the back standing there doing nothing the entire time.
When the owner-manager FINALLY got around to walking to the front of the restaurant to start seating us, that's when the restaurant actually started filling out! I'm still super confused about what the deal was in making a lot of people wait. From what I could see, at least two parties left because nothing happened. I should've done the same.
Since we wanted to sit in a booth for two, we waited an extra 15 minutes and oddly enough another 10 minutes had to pass before one of the two waitresses came by! There were at least 3 other bus girls just doing laps of the restaurant! The manager seemed pretty un-interested in how anyone was doing. He didn't even help with a thing the entire time we were there.
So, we were finally able to order, and then we unexpectedly waited 45 minutes for our meal! The nice guy who went in earlier to enquire about seating for the whole group coincidentally sat on the benches opposite our booth and when they finished eating surprisingly noticed that we didn't get our meals yet! He felt so bad for us, he went to the manager to let them know! Not that we didn't let them know in the meantime!! WHAT THE HELLis going on tonight?!?!?!?!? And noticed several of the other people who were seated after us were basically finishing up and leaving! What about us?!?!?
By this time, my wife was furious and starving! Stupid move, guys...
The food finally arrives and that most definitely calms her down. I ordered the steak and mushroom pie featured on DDD. Very good, but not worth the wait or the neglect of service. The excuse was that the kitchen was backed up? NOT! Everyone else just got their stuff before us for some reason! What up with that?!?
My wife tried out the oysters on toast. The oysters were minuscule! The small saving grace for my wife was the Yukon bacon.
I tried their so-called custom coffee. What a disappointment. It's just diner brew.
Two more major fails to go guys, sorry for the lengthy write up.
So we're now at 2-hours in, and have finally finished our meals. Time to so wash-up before we leave. I go to the guys' washroom and upon opening the door, POOF, I run into a massive vapour cloud of paint thinner fumes! The entire boys room is thick with the smell! What is going on in here?!?!? Gotta do my business and get outta here before the fumes eat my clothes!!
I get back to my booth, and my wife noticed the oblivious manager holding a gallon-sized jug of paint thinner (or whatever gives off the same smell) with a rag!
DUDE! It's not even close to closing time - what are you doing with that stuff in the dining area especially during business hours??? And now that you've used the stuff (I don't know where he would need to use it in the first place), the place is starting to stink of it...Which sets off my wife since she hates that smell. I tell her to go outside to get some fresh air while I get the bill.
OK - time to finally go - let's get the bill...something that should arrive quicker than the meal, I hope! OMG, it took like another 5 minutes and two asks to get the freaking bill! The killer to that was, before I got my bill, all two waitresses and maybe two bus girls had to sing happy birthday to another table! Man-o-man, what did I do to deserve this abuse???
A manager who doesn't care about service is reflected in all this floor staff. The place should've had at least 3 turnovers in the time we were made to wait. What poor management. -
Review from Tabatha Anne Y.
Richmond, BC
Solid, solid food. I don't go to North Van often, but when I do, this is the place I want to go to!
They have a great selection of famous for a reason burgers, and they even offer all day breakfast.
The inside is intimate and decorated in a fun, kitschy way. The service has always been average to above average and I've never walked out of here hungry or disappointed. The portions are BIG!
The Tomahawk is my little tradition every time we visit Grouse Mountain or Capilano Bridge. -
Review from Jesse T.
Vancouver, BC
7/2/2011
After struggling up the Baden Powel trail yesterday my compatriots and I were absolutely ravenous. One of our group had been to a diner conveniently situated near the foot of Lynn Valley Rd that served "the best/biggest burger this side of the rockies". SOLD! He remembered it as "The Captain" so it took quite some time till we arrived.
The outside of the "Tomahawk" doesn't scream restaurant rather being reminiscent of postwar bungalow or perhaps the toilets at a public park. My expectations were suitably lowered. However, the decor once inside reminded me of a X files episode (fittingly a picture of Mulder and Scully hangs above the bar) being full of curiosities and totems. Great vibe.
I had the SKOOKUM CHIEF BURGER which was decent but on the whole a bit disappointing. A bit too heavy on the shredded lettuce and the burger patty got lost amongst the rest of the ingredients.
I think I'll try this place again next time I'm up at grouse, they were closing down for the day when we arrived so that may have affected the quality of the grub. I'll update this review if I have a more positive burger experience upon my return. -
Review from Rachel W.
Burnaby, BC
10/7/2011
I pushed the boyfriend out of the way to get to the front door.
I've heard about this place for years but don't always make it over to the North Shore. Being we were next Stanley Park the other night, I thought, "Hey, why not? It's a quick ride over the Lions and down the street."
Another reason this restaurant came up on my radar is Guy Fieri of the Food Network TV series Diners, Drive-ins and Dives was in town 2 weeks ago and did a story on the place. A couple of things to note:
- Tomahawk is KNOWN for the Yukon Breakfast and the Bugers.
- Guy Fieri does not like eggs and he reviewed the organic roast beef dinner, beef dip sandwich, steak and mushroom pie and Yorkshire pudding.
- Episode air date TBA - Nov 2011 to March 2012.
PS: Jan 2012 Tomahawk was on the Canadian tv show last week: "You Gotta Eat Here! "
Don't let the outside fool you - it is next to a church and a bunch of houses. It may look like a quiet, dingy little place from the outside but inside you'll find lots od seating, a 14 seat counter bar like in an old dinner and TONS of Native Indian artifacts.
When I said at the start of this review that I pushed the bf out of the way to get in, I meant it. And I'll do it again when we go back :) -
Review from Kat S.
1/3/2011
I'm torn. I want to like this place more, but I just can't. I appreciate the fact that the place is a total institution, but I have still never really enjoyed it. And I don't feel the wait is worth it. The food is homemade, and plentiful, indeed. The grease factor, however, destroys my insides.
That said, the service is friendly, and the artifacts are pretty awesome. I do wish they would give the place a little love. It's not like they are hurting for cash. It is always packed, so perhaps some sprucing up (like the bathrooms) would not be such a bad idea.
Anyhow, I hadn't been back in a couple years and the last time I came I wasn't eating much meat, so this time I decided to try one of their famous burgers, to give them a fair review. It was big, and I liked the mushrooms and the real cheese, and the fact that they use organic beef. But holy hell, my guts were churning after my meal. And I ate a Five Guys burger with similar toppings a couple weeks before and that was not the case. It also took an hour to get our food, and even though we had arrived before another group, we were told they were ahead of us for a table, since apparently 2 different hostesses take names for tables. Lame.
So, for the homemade food, with dedication to free range eggs, and organic beef, they get full stars. But for the pain in my intestines, and the ridiculously long wait, they loose stars. They are okay if you go during less busy times, but I wouldn't wait an hour for their food again, unless you are really into the atmosphere of the place.Listed in: Beware the Meat Sweats
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Review from Lara O.
10/20/2011
I have been coming here since I was a kid, and it never fails me! Last time I went, I had the BLT which they happily made a BELT for me at request and for a tiny surcharge (big thumbs up) hubs had the chief simon baker burger which I sampled and was good, huge though and hard to eat! I only got through half of my meal as the klondike toast is so thick and delicious. We both saved room for the pies which looked and tasted amazing! we swap everything, so I can vouch for cherry and apple crumble pie both being amazing. They bake them in house and everything (I agree with another poster, diners have totally left this behind for miserable costco-sque pies) Service was ok, same as any other diner I've been to. The breakfasts are great by the way... definitely recommend! This place as others have mentioned can be busy, but those are almost the only places I want to go to :D
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Review from Debby D.
Burnaby, BC
12/14/2010
I finally did it...I had lunch at Tomahawk Barbeque. I wisely chose to go on a Monday mid-afternoon (2:15 pm) to avoid the rush. I ordered the burger with mushrooms and bacon in it and my sis had the eggs benedict (she was bummed that pancakes ended at 11:30 am but we stayed anyways).
My burger was made from organic beef. Nice in texture and very un-dry. But it could use a little bit more salt to really bring out the flavor. Nice crisp tender fries, always appreciated. My sis had no complaints about the benny she ate. However, she decided to add orange juice to her order; her seven-ounce glass of organic orange juice cost $4.79! ACK!
The service was okay, not the most speedy service ever but overall it was satisfactory. -
Review from Serena S.
Coquitlam, BC
2/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
ok, so my husband is a major Diners Drive ins & Dives fan.. so when we saw this place featured, he knew it was a place to try and soon! We managed to get over finally on a sunday morning for brunch, somehow missing the major rush that came in after us. Its a cozy place, not many seats, be prepared to grab a spot at the counter if there's people milling about when you walk in the door, otherwise you'll be waiting for a hostess for a long while. We snuggled up to the counter and watched the show, checked out the decor while waiting patiently for the server to make her way over to us. We both ended up trying the beef dip, and were not disappointed in any way fresh buns, warm sliced organic local beef is what they advertise, it was full of flavor, and the dip was a tasty compliment. Given how busy it was, we expected a delay, but all said and done we were in and out within an hour. This sweet little place has been featured on 2 different food network shows, and it seems not all the staff is prepared for the sudden in flux of new customers.. Advise for people stopping here is go with the expectation that it will be busy, so be patient.
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Review from Allan-ester D.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
took my family here and everyone loved it...i gave it a bad review quite a while ago regarding their burger...i still feel the same about the burger i had...but this time i had the steak and mushroom pie and it was awesome...someone at our table had the lasagna and someone else had the roast beef dinner and we shared a piece of banana pie for dessert...all of it was excellent
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/17/2011
i took a friend to Tomahawk with high expectation on their biggest and most popular burger...i was… Read more »
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Review from Maya M.
North Vancouver, BC
4/10/2011
I think the appeal of this place and the reason why people recommend it is because of the atmosphere inside and the decor. It is really very charming with a long-house feel and tonnes of kitchy native decorations, paper headdresses for the kids to wear, etc. Not a native person in sight though but I guess that is the equivalent of eating "white people Chinese food!"
I had an omelette; it was "okay;" a bit watery from the sauteed mushrooms and they forgot the cheese the first time around. My partner in crime had a burger with wieners and a fried egg on top of the patty. It looked really good but the verdict was also "okay." I tried a piece of wiener and it was boiled-tasting. I do have to say (because it's always questionable at breakfast establishments) that the coffee was pretty good.
Service was pretty questionable. I understand that when you show up for brunch on a Sunday at 12:00 you aren't going to get the most attentive servers but ours forgot one of our drinks and the kitchen didn't put cheese on my omelette (considering it was one of three ingredients it was pretty noticeable) and it was lukewarm when it arrived.
So all in all not very impressed. We probably will not head to the Tomahawk again. -
Review from Mike K.
Vancouver, BC
5/17/2011
There are very few institutions like the Tomahawk Cafe in Vancouver anymore. It's been a landmark for 80+ years. I remember going there for lunch in my early 20's - so it was time for a trip back to see how the landmark fares!
As you enter the longhouse-like restaurant, you're instantly taken to a time of family-run diners. The decor is quaint, random, and completely awesome. While it's all very dated, it's dated in a very good way. I found myself looking around like a child, enjoying all the details.
Based on our waitress' recommendation, we both tried the Skookum Chief Burger. It sounded tasty - everything you can think of, including a hot dog and the kitchen sink on one of their organic beef patties. Sadly, I wasn't impressed. The hot dog really distracted from the burger. Even after removing it, I found I wasn't able to really appreciate the beef itself. Sad.
On impulse, I ordered a side of gravy for my fries - it tasted like it came from a box. Sad again.
Based on reviews elsewhere, I'd like to go back and try breakfast/brunch out. I'd pass for dinner and get my burger fix somewhere else. -
Review from Liza B.
Vancouver, BC
4/25/2011
Simple, straight up home cookin'. This is what I like about the Tomahawk. It proves that simple is best. Often there is a wait for seating, but we lucked out.
It reminds me of the kitschy breakfast joints I'd frequent with my parents growing up and I love it. The bacon is to die for and tastes like camping food! Very simple, but just great stuff.
By today's standards this place is unique in decor; not fancy, not clean lined and minimalist, and not out to prove anything. This place has clearly stood the test of time by being true to itself. -
Review from Danielle M.
Vancouver, BC
6/14/2010
The Tomahawk is boss when it comes to burgers, kitsch decor and service.
Organic beef and Yukon bacon fulfill your carnivorous cravings, accompanied by your choice of salad, onion rings, yam or potato fries. I am still full twelve hours later.
Oh, a note to order a Boylan soda pop float. -
Review from Liz B.
Vancouver, BC
11/6/2010
Went for brunch with the brood this morning. Although they don't take reservations, if you ring en-route, they will put you on the waiting list, which is helpful.
Were a touch disappointed to only be able to get breakfast, but since this was our second trip and had not been able to get in the first time, we weren't going anywhere!
Had the Yukon breakfast and it was OK, not the best breakfast I had ever had. Bacon was nice, but not as crispy as I like it, so me being picky! Wasn't not blown away by the breakfast, but service was excellent. Will definitely be back so we can try out the main menu, but wouldn't bother with the breakfast again. -
Review from Pam H.
12/28/2010
Well it's a rather long cab ride from Vancouver for breakfast, but the food was very good. My bennies were excellent. Eggs were poached perfectly and the Yukon bacon every bit as good as everyone says. My question was: is this Yukon bacon what we call "Canadian" bacon in the states? Anyway, it was good.. the potatoes not so much.. service was good.
I would only suggest going from Vancouver if you have a rental car, the cab ride made it an expensive breakfast. -
Review from Sean M.
Burnaby, BC
In my world breakfast stands out as the favorite meal of the day. To me nothing is better then the smell of eggs, bacon, hot toast and coffee all merged together with the bustle of a busy diner crowd. It's like magic.
Any place can cook an egg and toast some bread but it's rare to find a place that does it well and makes you wanting more even after you left, the Tomahawk BBQ is just such a place.
Portion sizes are huge, one might say dangerously large. Back bacon is uses liberally like one uses a hose to water grass. On my visit I dug into a 10" steak, hash-browns, eggs and two slices of their klondike thick toast and my companions both had omelets.
The atmosphere is very unique, styled after a First Nations long house (both inside and out), even if you eat alone you'll be entertained.
Pies! Now i'm going to take a side line here and say the pie is a misplaced item in the modern diner. To me pie is the greatest desert and a variety of pie is rare rare treat. They actually have a pie cabinet with a variety of pies but one i'll mention is the pumpkin / mincemeat combo. Two great pies combined into a 1 - 2 punch. Simply amazing.
The Tomahawk does more then just make amazing breakfast and are supposedly known for a pretty kick ass burger menu as well.
Check it out I highly recommend this place. -
Review from Will W.
Burnaby, BC
8/31/2009 1 Check-in Here
First things first, I can only, regretfully, review breakfast. Now, normally that wouldn't be so bad but the thing is that we got there too early for our intended lunch and I really had my stomach set on a Skookum Chief burger.
But what is life with regrets? Especially when the breakfast you get to feast on (feast is an appropriate word as you will see when your food arrives) something like the Yukon breakfast. The Yukon bacon (which I'd never heard of before but will never forget) was fantastic and plentiful. The scrambled egg was fluffy. The hash browns were hash browns. And the toast was toast.
Wife had the pancakes and I am smitten (I never use words like smitten, btw) with their maple syrup.
Our 3 year old daughter had a great time and ate half of the pancakes, then went looking for more.
So to sum up: Great breakfasts. Great place for friends, family, little ones, everyone. Great atmosphere.
And I promise to come update this after I get my burger.
(would have been 5 stars but there was a slight service screw-up with our syrup and butter... if it happens again I'll let you know). -
Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
9/11/2008
You haven't had a really big breakfast until you've experienced a Tomahawk breakfast. Bring an appetite. Bring two. Even if you don't get the Yukon Breakfast - with five (!) pieces of back bacon, eggs, hash browns, and toast - you're still going to need room for all that glorious sugar, salt, and fat you're sure to be ingesting. They also serve traditional diner food for lunch and dinner, although I've only ever come for breakfast. On our last visit though, the husband and I had a bit of dessert with the breakfast (his idea) in the form of a spectacular piece of homemade pie.
I know, I know. North Van. Bridges. Horrors. But it's probably as close as one of those East Van hipster hangover heavens, and worth the trip over the Lions Gate for the atmosphere. The Tomahawk resembles a longhouse from the outside, complete with totem pole, and the inside is completely decked out with the original owner's extensive collection of Native art and curios. Much of it came from the turn of the century tourist trade, so it's quite unlike the high art you see today. Very un-PC, some of it. I believe page 132 of Douglas Coupland's City of Glass book is taken inside the Tomahawk as well. I also love the placemats... you really have to see them.
It should go without saying that there will be a lineup on weekend mornings... -
Review from Suze D.
North Vancouver, BC
Updated - 5/26/2011
ok, I said before I would never go here again.
ARGH!!! Why do i not listen to myself?
It was a weekday, lunchish time, and I my bestest girlfriend and I were famished for a brunchie kind of lunch. She mentioned she'd heard of this Tomahawk place, and I thought what the hell, maybe the different circumstances would give us better service. No such luck :(
Well, the server was nice enough, but in an almost empty restaurant it still took forever to get our simple poached eggs and toast. Not only that. When we ordered we talked at great length about how we liked our eggs cooked. Cooked whites, runny yolks. The server agreed wholeheartedly how important this was and how gross runny whites are.
Well, if she came back after delivering the breakfast within a reasonable time, she would have had those eggs returned. They looked cooked but weren't. The time it took to get service was just too long, so we ate what we could.
I realize now that the service time has nothing to do with how packed the place is. I also realize that you can't trust the cook to know how to poach an egg. LAME!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/23/2011
The food is good as expected but every time I go there the service gets worse. We waited at our… Read more »
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Review from Randolph A.
6/3/2010 2 photos
Before doing our tourist expedition to the Capilano Bridge, we needed to eat! We were recommended this place for their great breakfast and short drive from the Capilano Bridge. So we were off... We get there I think around 10am and the place was pretty busy. We had to wait about ten minutes before we were seated.
I guess this place is famous for their Yukon bacon so I had to go with that. My friend and I end up ordering the Campfire (the smaller version of the Yukon Bacon and Eggs) and my two other friends order the Tomahawk Traditional. I also ordered the Cranberry juice which apparently is freshly delivered to the restaurant every morning. I had to try this out... never had that before.
When we got our food, our eyes glistened as we were about to tear up some food! Everything looked so good. The Yukon bacon looked different from what I was accustomed to. It was a circular slice of bacon.... not the long rectangular strip I'm used to looking at. Either way, it smelled great and I took a bite into that first. Delicious! Perfect texture where it's wasn't too crunchy or too soft and with a hint of sweetness too. I then had the hash browns which were probably the best hash browns I have ever had. Cut into small cubes, these hash browns were crunchy and flavorful... no oily taste either!
I then take a sip of my cranberry juice... Whoa that's GOOOOOOD! That's cranberry juice?!? This time I take a gulp! The juice tasted and smelled so fresh. It was real thick and pulpy too... the way I like it. What's crazy too is that it didn't have that strong, almost bitter taste like all cranberry juices have out there. I wish I had a glass right now.
Since Canada is also known for their syrup, I had to take one of my friend's pancakes and syrup in return for hash browns and toast. It was worth the trade because I swear the pancakes with the syrup were off the hook too! Probably not the best pancake I've had but definitely the best syrup I've had. The syrup was light with just the right amount of sweetness. It didn't overpower the taste of the pancake but complemented it very well.
If I were to come to Vancouver again, I would make sure to drop by and have breakfast here. Not only did my friends and I have the best breakfast ever but we were able to meet the owner of Tomahawk, Chuck. He was a very nice guy. He was the one to ring up our bill and also made the time to talk to us a bit at the register. Our waitress also was really friendly and attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. Great service. -
Review from Matthew B.
8/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
We came here based on the mostly excellent reviews and unfortunately they didn't deliver. The burgers were dry and mediocre. The ambiance was bleh at best. It felt like an old, run down denny's (only the prices were too high for that.)
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Review from Jack S.
Vancouver, BC
Fun decor: diner meets souvenir shop meets log cabin. I went for breakfast and the place was packed (literally, the tables are quite close together, cozy and a bit loud). There was a short line-up, though we only waited about 10 min on a Sunday morning for brunch (not too bad). There are several 2-4 person tables and a row of stools along the bar (the same stools in fact from the original 1929 Tomahawk Barbeque, so says the back of the menu!). The interior is rustic, like a log cabin - totems line all the walls and old tools, instruments and other memorabilia hangs from the rafters.
The food was, well, it didn't meet my expectations - remember though that I went for breakfast. The eggs were fine, the toast was fine, the pancakes were fine, the BACON was FANTASTIC - giant. thick, hand-sized slices covering my "Yukon Breakfast" (their morning specialty). Would I go there again for breakfast - maybe, it didn't knock my socks off. However, given the BACON, next time I will definitely be getting the Benedict.
Coffee was so so, orange juice was fresh squeezed, they offered free-range organic eggs for +$.50 on your order. Service was great, fast, friendly, and attentive despite the crowd.
On the way out we spotted the other signature dish on someone else's table. A giant burger with more on it than would fit in your face. Perhaps my next visit to Tomahawk will be for lunch or dinner. -
Review from Mark S.
Calgary, AB
6/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
A little expensive once you add in Orange juice and the extra charge for organic eggs. Everything was fantastic though, Eggs Benny and Egg White Veggie Omelette. The Yukon bacon is truly amazing! Would recommend for breakfast. I have also heard that the burgers a great.
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Review from Irena L.
4/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
SunRun did it for our appetite on Sunday so we decided to try this place out since we heard the portions are delicious and generous.
The place doesn't take resos. We got there around 12pm and the place was packed, and the line was formed at the door. At that point wait was about an hour so we decided to sit at the ''bar'' for which there was no wait.
Place is cool, all in indian pictures and stuff and decorations hanging everywhere. They even have their souvenir shop. It's really a touristy place. Service was prompt, food took about half an hour, but it's ok since the place was full. I had a florentine eggs benny and my bf had a burger with a beef patty, wiener and a fried egg on top with yam fries. Benny was not really good because hollandaise tasted like nothing and it was too runny. His burger suprisingly wasn't really good either. You'd think with all those things it would be delicious, oozing with flavour, but nope, didn't happened. At that time my thoughts were - I should have gone to Vera's Burger!
I give it 3 stars because of the ambiance, and concept of the restaurant. I also rate 5 stars on organic beef, free range eggs, and organic juices! I LOVE THAT! I just wish it was more tasty!
Overall, I would recommend you to check the place out, or take your out-of-town friends there just because it's so unique. -
Review from Carolyn C.
Vancouver, BC
2/2/2009
One of the last great theme diners in Vancouver The Tomahawk Barbeque is a native themed restaurant built in the 20s. The food is classic diner fare turned amazing!
One item on the menu, the "Skookum Chief" is a burger with not only a patty and cheese betweens its buns, but also an egg, bacon, a hot dog weiner, lettuce, a dill pickle, mayonaise, tomato, onion and relish! All on a burger, served with fries!
The Tomahawk Barbeque has an old fashioned diner atmosphere with walls painted with native murals. The wooden rafters are filled with old artifacts that the restaurant traded with natives for food in their early years and colouful totem poles stand out front.
While eating at The Tomahawk one cannot forget to wear the 'traditional headdresses'. Think of those Burger King crowns, but with paper feathers! Its true! Disposable paper headdresses & amazingly huge meals for a fair price all inside a classic theme diner from the 20s! It really does exist, and the best part is, it's largely undiscovered by tourists, so it feels just like a neighborhood diner!
I have been there with large parties on several occasions and they were very accomodating. The one down side is that from Downtown Vancouver it does involve going over a bridge. Once in North Van though, it is not hard to find and definitely worth it! -
Review from Namit M.
12/25/2009 3 Check-ins Here
Ate here after a 10 year gap. No doubt this place is an institution.
However, it has certainly gone downhill over time. Not saying its not good, but its definitely great anymore.
The first issue is the coffee = I remember it being very memorable but not so this time (and tried from two different pots).
Stuck with the Yukon and it was very good. The bacon was a little undercooked but still tasty , the hashbrowns were very flavourfull.
My partner had the pancakes which were very good.
The service was somewhat spotty,but acceptable. Not sure if we will make the trek from downtown back a lot but definitely will not wait ten years to return. -
Review from Matt C.
Vancouver, BC
3/1/2011
It's complicated. I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could.
The food is pretty good, and I love the kitsch, which is what saves the tomahawk for me; I mean the placemat alone is worth the cost of admission. Problem is, the cost is steep. $11 for two pancakes, 2 eggs and 2 dinky sausages. $12 for a fry up. Presentation was poor, service was not great (had to flag for more coffee) and believe it or not, I was still hungry after finishing and had to order the famous bacon a la carte! ( It was very good, but not traditional Canadian peameal so let there be no confusion)
While the good may outweigh the bad at t-hawk, the value is poor and the place is clearly coasting on reputation.
That said, it's a friendly, and very atmospheric place to have a cup of coffee at the bar. North Van old-timers and the odd celebrity add character. So bottom line: If you don't mind paying a bit extra for cute surroundings, check it out. -
Review from Sophia S.
Vancouver, BC
5/6/2009
Awesome place for breakfast! Great food, incredible service. As a new mom with a 4 months old baby, sometimes I need a place to regroup before starting the day. This morning I went there, half asleep. The minute I walked in, I was greeted with a warm hello and a smile. The servers are sincere and friendly. My order came in less than 5 min. Unfortunately, it was cold (which sometimes happen in any breakfast place). When I was trying to get the server's attention, CHUCK, the restaurant owner, was already on my table, asking me if I need any help (quick and friendly response, I'm impressed :-). When I explained to him what happened, he took my plate away and within 3 minutes, he served me a brand new plate, piping hot. I am very impressed.
Whether you work from home or outside, Tomahawk Barbeque is a great place to start your day. It's a true family dining experience. Plus they have great coffee !! (love they way they serve the coffee... they give new a new cup everytime). Great job Chuck!! :-)
http://www.tomahawkres... -
Review from Liv F.
West Vancouver, BC
5/12/2011
A fun place to go with family. You can get a better breakfast somewhere else, but try the Tomahawk at least once!
