torokVancouverSince September 2, 200712 Reviews
(3.1)- Food
(3.6) - Service
(2.8) - Value
(2) - Ambiance (2.8)
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(3.1) (3.6) (2.8) (2) (2.8)Went here with some friends a few nights ago and ordered a pizza - think grease, with extra cheese, and some oil. The service is ok, the ambiance is about what you'd expect, but I'd say it has poor value. The rest of the dishes looked to be about the same value - cactus club or earls does a much better job.
The steaks here are great (at least, the "hawaiian" ribeye (which is pineapple slice grilled on your steak) and the medallions), but the sides are average at best - kinda like pub fare. I saw one poor guy with a side of fries that looked like soggy McD's fries. Myself, I paid an extra $2 to have my side of fries turn into yam fries, but the portion was so tiny it really didn't matter. My wife had the "pinky's plush" potato, which is basically mashed potato in a spring roll wrapping and deep fried. After we decided not to refill our martinis shortly after our steaks arrived, my wife and I never saw the waiter again, which would have been nice to have a water refill. I had thought this place was a bit upscale, but it was basically like cactus club with louder music. Hockey was on the TV. Kinda like an upscale pub, really, with better seating and better steaks. If that's what you're looking for, great, but if not then go somewhere else.
I've been searching for a fantastic reuben sandwich and my travels brought me to PHAT. Their meat is excellent and the Reuben was stacked high with it, but otherwise it was a fairly mediocre-tasting sandwich with slightly soggy bread (not crispy like you'd expect for a reuben). The staff is average; the counter staff didn't seem very happy to be there but hey - it's a busy sandwich place, what do you expect? Incredibly expensive for a sandwich at about $12 after tax, and I suppose it goes to pay for all the meat - if that's what makes a good sandwich then you'll love this place; if not, then you may find happiness elsewhere.
These guys make very good sandwiches and wraps for lunch, while you wait, and the prices are not too bad. Can be very busy at lunch hour though, and there aren't many tables so you'll likely have to take-away.
I went here for lunch and it was quite tasty and reasonably priced, so took some friends for brunch a few months ago. The staff arrived late (they opened at 10 but our waitress didn't show up until 5 after). The food took forever to come (probably had to start up the kitchen), and coffee refills were never offered. They seem quite popular in the evenings, but cater to an older (richer) crowd.
The food is as good as on my recent trip to Paris - this is among the best French cafe/bakeries in town. The review stating that the price is lower than in France is way off base though - this place is really expensive. But if you really need the best French croissants and desserts and are willing to pay for them, I wouldn't go anywhere else in town.
I've been here several times and find that the food quality is usually excellent, though it does tend to vary. The roast lamb is the best I've had, but the kalamari could be better. For the price point, the convenience of short or no lineups, and the nice atmosphere Candia's is a great restaurant and worth a trip if you love Greek food.
I was here a few days ago for the first time to check out the restaurant. The food was excellent but not very good value - Provence is more reasonably priced for comparable food quality. Also we had a bottle of San Pellegrino with our meal and the bill was $8.00. I would definitely have returned if the gouging on bottled water didn't leave a bitter taste.
The ambiance in this hole-in-the-wall restaurant is not the best, it's pretty sparse. Much of their business seems to be takeout. However, their food is *fantastic*, and the service is excellent. I've been here several times, and find that it's a great value with large groups as the servings are huge. Their ginger beef is probably their best dish.
Unlike the Provence in Yaletown, the service here is a bit slow. On a recent trip here, my wife and I had to wait at the front entrance for a few minutes while the host ignored us because he was having a friendly un-business-related conversation with a waitress. The bouillabaise was a disappointment; the staff, unattentive. Also, there's barely room to breathe in this place, they've packed tables and chairs in like sardines.
I've been here for brunch over half a dozen times now, and a couple of times for dinner, and never had a bad experience. The service is fantastic, and the food is excellent. The prices are a bit higher than elsewhere but fairly reasonable given the nice relaxed atmosphere and attentive service. If they were to raise the prices at all though, it might tip the scales.
As for the food - I tend to be picky about hollandaise sauce and theirs is the only one I've ever really liked; all of the benedict dishes are very good. The hashbrowns are real seasoned and fried potatoes, not thawed from frozen. The lunch paninis are generously portioned, and for dinner the ravioli dish is one of the best pasta dishes I've ever tasted.
If the place has a flaw, it's that sometimes it can be quite noisy.
Went here for Brunch. There is one waitress in the whole place; it took 10 minutes between ordering the coffee the first time and receiving it. When we asked for coffee refills they came almost 20 minutes later. The food, once ordered, was about 20 minutes in coming. The menu said all breakfasts served with multigrain toast, but they didn't actually have any, so we got dry "brown" bread (like white bread, colored brown). The food was edible, but not all that great. I will not be going back.
