Should have listened to the reviews on here, but visited this restaurant anyway...

The food was a HUGE disappointment, my date ordered the ratatouille which was really just a bunch of veggies in tomato sauce baked into a casserole dish. I ordered the lamb stew which was supposed to come with home made dumplings. Instead it was more like a lamb grissle stew with no dumplings.

Service was good.

Value was mediocre considering I got a big bowl of mashed potatoes and grissle for $16 and my date got vegetables in tomato sauce for $13...

The ambiance was nice, warm, cozy.

Will not be going back.

Went out with some friends to celebrate the ending of the school term. Decided to try something hearty in light of the cold weather.

Food was for the majority good. My ratatouille didn't come as hot as I would have liked it, but the flavour was great. Wasn't missing or craving for any meat at all.

seafood chowder soup was amazing.

Kentucky Burgoo had a nice flavour, although the meat seemed a tad tough.

Irish Stew a little too subtle for my tastes, especially against the Kentucky Burgoo, but was alright as well.

My only complaint was the dessert. We had the sticky toffee pudding. Far too sweet, with nothing to counter the caramel that was literally drenching -everything-. Really just swimming in overly sweet caramel.. Wish we had tried the banana bread pudding instead...

Service was solid, albeit a tad slow at times, but she covered all the stops.

Value is on par with most restaurants of this caliber. Maybe a tad better actually as the portions are fairly large.

My friend described the ambiance as "The pub from the Harry Potter movie". Take that as you will, but I found it endearing.

I used to go to Burgoo all the time, but recently moved out of Point Grey to Kits, and don't visit as often. My last two trips were quite different, however, the first was fantastic with great food and fair service and the second had rather indifferent service and mediocre food.

The good review:
This was during the summer, probably during August. The service was fine, nothing special, but the server was polite and technically very proficient. They just aren't particularly friendly - not that they are in any way unfriendly, just not very cheerful. The ambiance, as always, was good old Burgoo, basic decor with a cozy, attractive feel. Very clean, very light, etc. Value was good, not great, but good. Some of the appies are a wee bit expensive for what you get (i.e. the guacamole) but the mains are very good value. Drinks were fair value, perhaps a wee bit more expensive than the usual, but also better composed and tastier. I had a mojito which was really, really good and a beer which was served icy cold - perfect. The food I gave an outstanding rating based solely upon this visit, because my ratatouille and french onion were both delectable. So good! I love french onion soup and have gone to several places in Van specifically to try their french onion, and Burgoo's is one of the best, if not THE best. The ratatouille, which is not something I have that often, was also spectacular. I would highly recommend either of these dishes.

The mediocre review:
Unfortunately, I was disappointed when last I went to Burgoo (September). The food was fine, not as good as my french onion/ratatouille combo, but I was there at lunch so maybe the day staff are not as good? I actually had the Irish Stew back in the day, and it was better, so maybe this was a one-time fluke. It wasn't bad, just not the same quality I expect from Burgoo. The value/ambiance were the same of course. The service, however, was indifferent, cold, and almost unfriendly. She wasn't exactly rude, just very abrupt. Didn't have a smile on her face the whole time. It's too bad, because I know this is a family-owned business (at least, that's what someone told me) and as a local place they should have friendly servers to interact with local patrons. Save the ice queens for Earls/Joeys/etc.

On the whole, I would definitely recommend Burgoo, but go in the evening because the staff seem to be better (kitchen and front-of-house). And also, the owners/management might want to think about asking their servers to step it up a notch.

We Love this Place! The sandwiches here are fab, and combined with a soup and salad make for a nourishing and satisfying lunch. Good beer on tap as well. We love to sit out on the the street side patio, and the interior is kinda funky too. Service is always adequate, although not stellar. A great choice for brunch or lunch. Highly recommended!

My bf and i love this restaurant! It's our number 1 pick when the weather is cold because it warms us right up. We always order the Irish Stew and Soup & Sandwich. I always wanted to try the fondue but we can never give up the stew and the sandwich, and ordering three items is way too much for us. My favourite sandwich is the Vegiterranean. It is the most delicious sandwich i've tasted. All the soups are amazing, especially the butternut squash soup. Service is prompt and friendly and the ambiance is cozy, which adds to the comfort factor. I noticed the Burgoo is also participating in the Dine-Out this year, and the fondue is included! Yay, we are going for sure! Best place for comfort food!

came here for lunch and it was deserted, it was just us and another couple in there.
ordered the pacific chowder and thought it tasted dull and was too watery for my liking... i like my chowder thick and flavourful which this specific soup was not anything like those qualities
the grilled cheese was delicious though: crispy (but not burnt), cheese-filled and tasty. definitely made up for the sub-par chowder.
service was great, very nice waitress with a polite attitude and was attentive to us while we were there... no complaints.
the prices are solid, nothing is more than $15 really.. it is lunch afterall so not too many people are willing to spend that much so Burgoo is a good place for cheap eats
overall, lovely place with a nice variety of lunch dishes.. would return here more often if it wasnt so out of the way.

Comfort food is a great way to describe what you get for at Burgoo Bistro. Very hearty choices make you feel at home. The simple dishes are very satisfying and beat cooking at home. The overall ambiance is also very comfortable, and doesn't try too hard, it's dark but not too dark and a very cozy restaurant. Value for money is great too, and selection is great. Must Try!

Went with a couple of friends for lunch today. I had the Beef Bourguignon and was pretty dissapointed. There were only tiny little bits of beef and lots and lots of carrots and a few pearl onion. It was mostly all carrots. For $16 you expect something a bit better. The sauce was just OK. One friend had the Irish Stew which she enjoyed; wish I had ordered that instead. Other friend is a vegetarian and she had the Ratatouille which she said was just OK. Probably wouldn't rush back.

finally tried Burgoo after passing by it everyday on the 99-B Line bus. Contemplated Burgoo vs. Enigma at one point, a while back, decided to try Enigma instead, but made the wrong choice....regardless, finally got to try Burgoo yesteday for lunch and it was fabolous! I had the special Muffeta sandwich or something (italian meats -ham, salami, diff. kinds of cheese, olive tapenade, open faced sandwich with their spinach (feta, bacon bits,) salad...sister had the beef bourginon (prob. spelt that wrong)...and it was excellent, as well. Service is good. I'm so glad I found a new lunch place. =). A mmmmmust-try!

My husband and I went to Burgoo for Sunday brunch/lunch and arrived at 1240p. We were greeted warmly and seated promptly in a cluster of 4 tables where 3 additional parties who had just arrived were also seated. We were the 2nd out of the 4 tables to sequentially order - 2 soup & sandwich combos (these items were off the "non-brunch" menu).

Approximately 25-30 minutes later, all the other 3 tables (including the 2 which ordered AFTER us) received their food. We were noticably confused and our server eventually said that the delay in our food was because we ordered off the "non-brunch" menu. However, we quickly pointed out that one of the tables who ordered after us had ordered completely off the "non-brunch" menu as well, and received the same soup we ordered. She apologized and said it was a very busy time.

We were not impressed with this invalid excuse and asked if we could at least get our soup first. Finally, at 130p we received our soup. By the time we received our sandwiches at 140p, all three of the other tables had already left the restaurant. The food was average and certainly nothing elaborate or worth coming back for. It was definitely not worth waiting 1 HOUR for.

Our server did apologize several times and at first offered a 10% discount. I calmly said that we would be expecting a "significant discount, not 10%". She offered us the manager's contact information and ultimately, we were given a 46% discount. We were finally out the door by 2p.

In summary, BAD ORGANIZATION, BAD EXCUSES, MEDIOCRE FOOD, and A WASTE OF TIME.