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Whet Kitchen.Bar.Patio
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 1 am
Sun 11 am - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
21 reviews for Whet Kitchen.Bar.Patio
Review Highlights
21 reviews in English
-
Review from Florence C.
Vancouver, BC
3/20/2012
Who could have guessed Sammy J's rebranded restaurant in Granville Island makes much better food?
- They have the perfect burger, meat tastes freshly ground and not greasy. My choice is aged cheddar and alder wood smoked bacon. Yum! It's served with cranberry almond coleslaw, it's the only coleslaw I like in town. It has the sweetness of cranberry and crunchiness of almond.
- I also love their sandwiches, fresh ingredients on grilled foccacia or sourdough bread. My favorites are fish and braised beef ribs. Served with cranberry almond coleslaw too of course!
- Don't forget to order the crabcakes. You won't regret it. Real crab meat, they don't skimp on that.
- Other casual items that I approve are jambalaya & corn bread, and merlot braised short ribs. Again, you can taste fresh and not greasy ingredients. The meat is well cooked, and reasonably priced.
Don't go for Asian dishes, stick with Western choices and you won't be disappointed!!! -
Review from Ben R.
Vancouver, BC
5/5/2012
It was a Friday night just after work, and my labmates and I decided to venture out of our usual drinking places and go down to Granville Island for a pint or two in the sun. After walking through the streets of Granville island we decided on Whet for a drink, mainly because we wanted to sit outside, and the places location was facing the direction of the setting sun.
We arrived at Whet to a smiling waitress who upon our request led us to the patio, and I must say upon sitting down the view of the marina was lovely, definitely vindicating our decision as a group to branch out a bit for a drink. The atmosphere of the restaurant was nice too and it was in general a very civilized environment. Most of my friends were just here for drinks and I was pleased to say that I was surprised by the range of beers they had. As a British guy it was a nice surprise to see Fullers ESB on the menu, as well as Newcastle brown ale and Hoegaarden, "finally a beer that you can actually taste" I said to my friends.
The beers were nice until my friend realised that his ESB bottle said that the beer inside was more than 6 months out of date. He said he couldn't really taste it, but if they are selling a beer for $10 a bottle, one would hope for better.
Only one of my friends ordered food and decided on fish and chips, which came promptly and looked tasty. The batter didn't look greasy at all and you could tell that the fish was good quality. The portion size was generous and the chips were also very tasty.
However upon finishing of our first drink and food, the service did seem to slow down quite a bit. One friend had to ask for his bill repeatedly and even then, it took over 20 minutes to arrive. As the sun set (about about 7pm now) it started getting pretty cold outside and although there was a heater, it wasn't turned on, i suppose it may have been broken, but we weren't informed of this.
Overall the place seemed to have a nice way about it, and I reckon I would come here again. One definite plus is how nicely dressed the waitresses are. They all look classy and not half naked like at most other bars! -
Review from Christian M.
North Vancouver, BC
2/27/2012
I was out recently for a great night at Theatre Sports and my date and I were looking for a place to eat afterwards. Behold - two steps away was Whet. After reviewing the menu we decided to venture forth.
Immediately I was taken aback by the wonderfully designed bar and the lighting I could only describe as perfect (for my tastes anyways). However, I was sadly let down by the lack of anyone to great us. We simply tiptoed in and aimlessly started to find a place to seat. Eventually someone found us wondering about and helped us out. Our waiter turned out to be great, but when the hostess brought our food to us she simply "threw" our dishes on the table without evening mentioning a word.
Which brings me to the food; simply undesirable. My date had the jambalaya which she found incredibly salty and poorly prepared. Myself, I had the short ribs, which required five glasses of water to finish due to how dry they were. Needless to say, we were both disappointed.
Doubt I will return. -
Review from Jia min C.
12/21/2011
I was in Vancouver in September this year and even though I generally wanted to avoid the extremely touristy areas, as I'd missed Granville Island last time around, I wanted to check it out. I walked around hoping to satisfy my cravings for raw oysters, good local beer, and poutine. Unfortunately, I was not able to find a place to give me all three, but I circled back to Whet because of the attractive outdoor seating option.
I found the service to be excellent. The staff was extremely gracious and helpful. They were attentive but not annoyingly so. I got a craft beer made by Okanagan Spring. I can't remember what kind of beer I got, but it was very good and went very well with the oysters. Sadly, I failed to keep a note of where the oysters I got came from because they were definitely the highlight of my meal. They were definitely from British Columbia though, as I'd made it a point to get local oysters. I generally hold all raw oysters against a standard set by the first raw oysters I've ever had, Hog Island oysters from Tomales Bay in California. These oysters were better. They were sweet and buttery. Buttery in texture and taste. I remember that meal fondly and kick myself for not noting where the oysters were from.
I also got the cod fish and chips. They were served traditionally, albeit on fake newsprint. I thought the presentation was charming and the fish itself was delicious. It was lightly breaded and fried well such that the fried part was crispy and oily, but not too oily.
The patio and the view are unbeatable, as far as places on Granville Island go. Combine that with the excellent food and service, and I am definitely looking forward to going back here on my next trip to Vancouver. Because it is near the entry point of Granville Island, you can avoid most of the tourists who tend to venture deeper into Granville Island. Just grab a spot on the patio, get some beer and oysters, and enjoy the scenery and people-watch. I love this place a lot! -
Review from Stephanie S.
Vancouver, BC
6/16/2011
I watched a hockey game here and really enjoyed the experience as a whole. Our waiter was wonderful and very attentive. I started out with their cheese special, parmesean chicken, and corn bread. My sister and I shared the fish tacos..although she ate more because I found them a little too spicy for my liking. They probably aren't even spicy to a normal person, I'm just a weak spicy person. Sigh.
All in all I really enjoyed this place and will be going back for sure. -
Review from Michael L.
Vancouver, BC
5/26/2011
Tourist trap. Locals stay away if want anything more than just drinks.
This place was recommended to me by an acquaintance and the location is awesome and close to my place so I really really wanted to like it, and maybe put it into our regular dinner out rotation, but no dice.
It was a gorgeous sunny day on their patio and the service was friendly and prompt and my gf liked her margarita well enough, but the food was a huge disappointment. Really, with all of the fresh seafood and produce close by, it should be hard to screw up a spring time meal, but somehow they managed to.
Tomatoes on the boccoccini salad were old, translucent and mushy and the salad wilty. Our baked oysters appy with wasabi was nasty, the flavours so totally out of whack as to be inedible, and I normally love baked oysters of any kind. Our halibut fish and chips was ok, nothing great, but for $21, we were expecting more.The fries were frozen not fresh cut, and mysteriously, they cheaped out and used No Name Ketchup!! Don't mess with Heinz people.
I could tell that our server wasn't confident in the food, because as she cleared our plates that we pushed aside after a few bites, she didn't ask us why we stopped eating. She obviously knew.
We aren't complainers, so paid our full $85 bill for a light dinner for two with two drinks, and left immediately to get some good eats at Refuel. -
Review from Eeva V.
Vancouver, BC
4/24/2011
I visited Whet last night (a Saturday) unexpectedly with a group of friends (10 of us) and would definately recommend it. From start to finish the service and food was great.
Our group was out celebrating a friend's birthday. We had picked a popular restaurant on Granville Island but didn't make any reservations so we had a long wait. Since we had tickets for a show for later in the evening we opted to try another place. One of our group called ahead to Whet and they said they could set up a table for our group immediately. It was great to be accommodated so quickly.
When we arrived our waiter took our drink orders and was helpful with wine recommendations. Two people in our group had food allergies so when they inquired about gluten-free & egg free options the waiter made a few suggestion but wasn't entirely certain. He called over the manager who informed my friends with their options. We were all impressed with this extra level of service.
Everyone enjoyed their meals & the ambience as well. There was music but it wasn't too loud so we could enjoy our conversations. The food arrived warm and good sized portions. I had the Filo salmon. This dish is salmon baked with cream cheese wrapped in filo pastry. It was accompanied by baby roasted potatoes and mixed greens with gorganzola based dressing. Everything on my plate was delicious! I enjoyed 2 glasses of malbec wine. I pondered having dessert but was quite full so I passed. Though a few of my friends enjoyed a sweet ending. They even brought out a slice of their red velvet with a candle for my friend's birthday.
One other note, a member of our group had ordered the steak and lobster and when her steak arrived it was not cooked to what she had requested. She told the waiter and they replaced her meal with a steak cooked as she wanted and also removed it from her bill. She got a free steak and an apology from the manager. Not all restaurants do that so I was impressed.
It's not always easy to accommodate a group but to be able to do that for a group at the last minute, for a special occasion and accommodate some food allergies shows me that this place has service and good food. -
Review from Patrick B.
1/25/2012
Normally when I visit Granville Island, I opt for one of Whet's neighbors, but on my last trip, I was glad to have tried out Whet instead. Service was prompt, the beer selection was excellent, and we all enjoyed the food. I had the chicken sandwich and a Kilkenny (which is getting to be more common in these parts, but still pretty rare). It was a fine way to spend the afternoon, and I would definitely go back.
-
Review from Paul D.
Vancouver, BC
5/2/2011
I was on Granville Island with friends on Friday for a day of patio surfing and we ended up at WHET for some post sunshine food and drinks.
This location has been a bit of a black hole for years but I think whet will stick--our table of six went through a couple of dozen oysters from the raw bar, some fish and chips, macaroni and cheese and a couple of sides. There wasn't a complaint from the group and the food was excellent and the service was polished and friendly.
I'd recommend the leather chairs and sofas in the lounge if you're not there for a sit-down dinner. It's super comfortable place to enjoy drinks and food.
I'll be back. Soon -
Review from Matt C.
Vancouver, BC
5/5/2011
I think this place is a winner for this location. I've been in a few times now and it's clear that this place is head and shoulders above it's previous incarnation as Sammy J Peppers. (Apparently it is owned by one of the original Sammy J Pepper owners, who has now splintered off to do his own thing).
Everything I've had has been tasty with a great fresh sheet and an eye for the local and sustainable, and the service pleasant and professional. It nicely fills a void on the island. It's less expensive and fancy than Bridges or the Sandbar and equal cost but way better food than Cats Social House. I hope it does well. -
Review from Alexander Bromley Clark D.
Vancouver, BC
3/6/2011
From the Sirloiner to Sammy J Peppers, the address of 1517 Anderson Street just has not been able to retain businesses for extended periods of time. There is a new kid on this block of Granville Island, and it's called Whet (Kitchen.Bar.Patio). It will be interesting to see how this new ownership handles the huge square-footage of the space and being just outside of the hubbub of the Public Market.
I popped my head in the other day and spoke to one of the new managers at Whet and he told me that the emphasis within this new venture is going to be local ingredients and bar-appropriate fare, rather than steak (a la the Sirloiner) or predictable chain standards (a la Sammy J Peppers). Most of the ingredients used at Whet will actually be coming from the Island, which is a great idea.
Whet is marketing itself as a bar and patio spot as well, so they had better start advertising drink specials. I am a regular at Granville Island's Backstage Lounge for their $1.59 cheap beer nights every Tuesday and Thursday, and it will have to take some crazy deals and/or uber-delicious dishes at Whet to earn my loyalty.
I want this business to succeed, but the competition is tough on the Island. I mean, come on...$1.59 beers! That is hard to beat, even if you have one of the largest patios in the city and local ingredients. -
Review from Paola C.
Vancouver, BC
5/26/2011
Went to this place with a large group on a Saturday night. Must say, it was pretty random. We got a group celebrating two bdays, a stag beside us, drunk guys yelling very loudly and kids running around?? Kind of weird...
Anways, the service here was excellent. Our server was very attentative but not one of those "just eff off already and let me enjoy my time" so that is a plus. I must say, this place is pretty pricey. I get it though, Granville Island, going for the upscale, trendy modern feel. But our pitcher cost $20... really? The burger was really good too though but again, pricey. And it wasn't the absolute best I have ever had.
One of the only complaints I really have about this place was the very uncomfy table that we were given. It was really low and the chairs seemed to be to high for them so it was kind of hard to eat? And considering we were there for quite some time (food + drinks), it ended up being a very awkward seating arrangement.
Wait, I lied, I do have another complaint. THE MUSIC. Again, I get it, trying to go for the upscale, trendy modern... But really? Wtf were they playing, it was some kind of african, brasilian, modern, 70s pornish type music... It was really getting the best of most of us and it was setting up a really boring atmosphere. And of course, just our luck, they changed the music just as we were leaving. -
Review from Gretchen C.
Vancouver, BC
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
the patio is hands-down one of the best winter-time patios i've ever been to. it's heated properly, right by the water, and the sun was hitting where i was sitting perfectly, so it literally felt like i was in the middle of summer, even though it was actually probably five degrees out that day.
the cocktails they had were really delicious too - i tried the strawberry cucumber mojito and the soho sunset (which was some lychee concoction with red alize).
we were only planning on staying for a drink or two, but the patio was so amazing that we ended up there for a bit longer. i tried the seafood chowder, which was amazing, and it was a shame i wasn't hungry enough for a full, huge meal because everything on the menu looked so appetizing. definitely want to go back to try some of the seafood items on their menu, and definitely going back to enjoy their perfect patio on the next nice, freezing, sunny, weekend day we get in vancouver. -
Review from simona h.
Vancouver, BC
5/1/2011
I went to catch the game last nite with some friends after work... AWESOME that they took us in right away and had a booth right infront of their big screen.... but thats where the good ends...
My friend ordered the fish tacos... and she said it was very bland no flavor, the ceviche was goos but the toritillas were dripping with oil or grease.... my friend and I split the veggie sandwhich and it was drenched in some mayo sauce.... so I ended up eating only the oily veggies inside.... and then I ordered a side salad and again it was drenched in dressing..... its a shame our waiter didnt come by once to ask how everything was :(
I might come back for their ceasers.... but food???? no thanks... I think it could be better if it wasnt all so oily and greasy... maybe we just lucked out and got a bad batch of everything....
so ya not a great first time experience for me :( -
Review from Raza M.
7/9/2011
I liked the vibe and the food, but the service wasn't up to the mark.
So here we were, late in the evening on the island, looking for a place to eat, when pretty much all the casual eateries were closed, so we drop in here. The place was nice, well decorated, and had a nice patio by the water (barely, but you can see a lot of boats). By the time I went in my friends were already seated, the server came and greeted us. We ordered smoothies and lemonades (no one among us was big on drinking that night), and I must admit the Ocean Breeze was better than any other smoothies I had elsewhere, but it came in a tall narrow glass, so there wasn't a lot of it. I ordered Filo Salmon and that was more than enough to compensate for the little portion of the smoothies, it tasted great too, only if it came in bite sized chunks as it kept breaking down. The only let down came when we asked a server for some water. See we waited for our server to return for a while but when he didn't we asked another one to get some water, and instead say "sure" she said I will send your server to you, when she could have just told him "hey, by the way, when you go back to table, bring them some water too". Overall, it was missing that something for a pricey restaurant that will be 4-star on Yelp. -
Review from Maria H.
6/28/2011
My husband stumbled upon this and it was the best find of the day. All of our food was excellent, service was very good, and the setting was lovely - right at the marina. I had the fish and chips (you can choose from 4 fish) - the halibut was amazing. All 4 of us enjoyed it very much.
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Review from Linda H.
Vancouver, BC
4/8/2011
Fresh products from Granville Island is a great concept however this restaurant just did not deliver on anything original. Staff are friendly but not experienced and lack of training comes through clearly. Had fish tacos and fish was teeny tiny pieces of fish cooked in batter in advance and served cold in the taco. Other ingredients were nice and fresh but did not make up for the absence of fish. Served with a lump of brown rice on the side that was the only warm item on the plate however not terribly appealing as dry rice on it's own. We left without being asked how our meal was and even if we wanted.dessert before she brought our bill. I think that was just a reflection of the lack of training the staff received. Overall a disappointment and although we live a block away we won't be back. There are just to many other good choices in the area.
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Review from Lara O.
11/30/2011
Went here for a friends birthday last weekend, we were a large group of 20. To accommodate us and our reservation, we had a set menu. Ceaser salad was good, chicken manicotti was only okay. It was obviously cooked far in advance and sat around. The chocolate cake dessert was tasty! Service wasn't the greatest, my husband left to go to the bathroom and the waiter freaked out and said that he was changing seats and said he has to sit where he orders, I was like ok well when he's done sitting in the bathroom he won't move again. Geez. Hubby ordered the chowder, 6 of which at our table had to be sent back for being cold. My entree arrived double plated because the plate they had it sitting around being kept warm on had been under lights for so long. We ordered a bottle of champagne and they didn't have ice buckets to keep it cold. The restaurant was almost dead and the service was terrible. I know groups are hard, but when the rest of the place is dead it shouldn't be that bad for the kitchen or the waiters.
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Review from Sonya S.
Vancouver, BC
5/30/2011
I liked this restaurant, and I'll go back. The food was good, and the service was good. It is a huge improvement from Sammy J's, and the location is amazing.
I let the server know that I don't eat Gluten. Although it was clear that he didn't know what I was talking about... told me there was rice in the dish I was ordering (jambalaya). He did let the kitchen know, and had what looked like the manager come to the table and talk to me about my order. He explained that it contained no direct wheat or gluten but couldn't be sure that there was no cross contamination. As I am not a celiac, I was not too worried. Once I got the dish, it was heavily spiced and contained sausage. Both were delicious, but often a bad sign for gluten avoiders and I would never recommend this dish to a celiac!
As this is a common occurrence when dining out, I have reduced my rating by one star only. Overall it was a tasty dish with a very nice way to watch the sun set into the skyline! -
Review from michelle w.
Vancouver, BC
8/7/2011
My friend and I tried Whet tonight....... Don't bother. We had crab cakes, which never got ordered at first, then when they came we both could have passed! They were eatable but barely. For my main I kept it light with there Ahi Tuna salad.... Again, might as well have stayed home and cooked myself. The tuna wasn't bad but the salad was a handful of bag lettuce, grated dry carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers.... It was overpriced and unfortunately not worth returning....
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Review from Casey D.
Vancouver, BC
6/4/2011
Beautiful space, great patio, but the food? Meh, I've had better. I had the seafood chowder, which was quite good and I would recommend. But I also had the roast chicken with pesto linguine. When they set down the plate in front of me, the first thing I noticed was that the chicken skin wasn't browned at all, so it didn't have that golden brown colour that a good roast chicken should have. I peeled off the skin because it was really fatty looking (when browned properly, the fat should be rendered out, leaving the skin nice and crisp). When I took a bite, I was so disappointed because the meat was overcooked and was completely bland. The linguine had pesto and sundried tomatoes but sadly, this also was bland. I'm actually watching my sodium lately and have gotten used to low-sodium food, but even I had to add some salt to this! The caesar salad that accompanied the dish was slathered with way too much dressing. I feel like if each item on the plate were tweaked a little bit, it would have been such a different experience. It's all in the details, and at the prices they're charging, I think customers deserve a product with more care put into it. Would I go again? Yeah, I guess so. I'd like to try other things just to see how consistent the kitchen is, and also, the patio is so great. If nothing else, I'd have a big bowl of that chowder - it was the highlight of my meal.
