Given the brouhaha of Red Wagon it obviously necessitated an eventual visit. My gf and I lucked out on a quiet weekend afternoon between the lunch and dinner hour detail as it is always busy when I pass by.

Whether deliberate or not, the space itself feels predetermined as it is decidedly unkempt but with peppy indie rock looming in the background. Positive ambiance relies solely on the customers themselves but we were one of only a couple of occupied tables at the time. The waft of lemon cleaner and mop water was a big turnoff for us as one of the staff members decided it would be a good idea to mop the floor during service. Considering the proximity to food it may stifle one's appetite.

Now, the menu is small but it makes for easy decisions. My gf's pulled pork sandwich had an ample fill though I found the meat itself bland if not for the sauce while my gf found it a touch too tang. The fries were plentiful and crispy. I started with the butternut squash soup of the day, which was simple and creamy and mildly seasoned. My crispy pork belly sandwich was akin to a Vietnamese banh mi combined with chinese bbq pork. The pork was tender with a nice sweet and slightly salty tinge but the pickled vegetables completely overpowered each bite. Much of the baguette collected the pork fat making it a greasy adventure for butter fingers. My "chips" were homemade through and through but far too oily and lacked crunch. We finished off with a slice of apple pie which had a good filling of apples without the typical store-bought taste and a nice crust.

Kitchen speed is slow so lunch hour excursions beware. Our server was friendly and I noticed she checked our table from afar however no water top ups and several mistakes on their end namely: wrong drink order, I substituted the chips for fries but received chips and was then subsequently charged for the fries I didn't get anyway. At the time we were one of two occupied tables so that was was a strange oversight.

One trip already yielding such mixed results..I may need many visits to like this place.

Stopped by here for Lunch. Was recommended by a lotta people I know, so I figured to give it a shot. Our Server recommended the "Club", so that's what I got. It was a Sandwich with Turkey Salad, Lettuce, and bacon. The Bacon was crispy, and Sandwich was sliced in 4, but, well put together. The fries were really crispy and good. I enjoyed it. My friend had the Pulled pork sandwich. It looks pretty awesome. I nicked a piece of the Pork, it was ok. The Sauce was made in house I think, and was a bit tangy. The food here is decent, came out quick and hot. I thought that it was a bit pricey considering it's just East Side Diner food. The portions weren't particularly big neither, enough to fill, but, not enough to stuff. For the price, I'd figure it'd be a bigger Sandwich or what not, but, it was alright. I thought the service was good. They came by prompty, refilled our water consistently.

If I was in the neighborhood I'd stop by again, but, I wouldn't go out of my way. And, I would NEVER even consider waiting 45 minutes to eat at this place. I just think that it's a lot of hype.

Waiting in line for 45 minutes for brunch at an out of the way (for a downtowner) diner can only mean one of two things: a) this place is a total score, or b) this place has been over hyped.

The Red Wagon Cafe is a quaint, no frills diner on the corner of Hastings and Garden Drive, one block West of Naniamo. Self described as "a neighbourhood joint", this place clearly caters to the low-key East Van crowd. The unpretentious, mom and pop decor make it a great option for a lazy afternoon, weekend brunch.

With pork belly clearly on my brain, I couldn't make up my mind between the Crisp Pork Belly Sandwich: with pickled vegetables, jalepeno, cilantro, and mayo on a baguette with chips ($10.50) or the Crisp Pork Belly Confit: pork belly, two eggs, homefries, griddled tomatoes, salsa verde, hollandaise and toast (11.25). Luckily for me I didn't have to use my Sunday afternoon brain to decide; the sandwich is only available during the week.

The two thick pieces of pork belly were melt-in-your-mouth buttery, crispy on the one side and deliciously fatty on the other. Both sat atop a half a roasted tomato that helped cut the richness of the pork belly between bites. The eggs were covered in a mildly spicy salsa verde and the home fried potatoes drizzled in a tiny bit hollandaise. Before going I had read a few reviews that found the potatoes bland. They were right, the potatoes did not have much flavour, but a little table salt fixed that quickly.

My trusted brunch partner, Adam, ordered the Pulled Pork Pancakes with Jack Daniels maple syrup ($12.50). While I personally find pancakes too heavy to make an entire meal out of, I could definitely see myself ordering these, perhaps to share, next time. The Jack Daniels gave these hardy pancakes a serious boozy edge while the pulled pork added a richness and toned down the starchiness of the thick, fluffy pancakes.

It wasn't until we were paying our bill that we noticed a handwritten sign on the wall above our table advertising $5 mimosas, caesars or Red Wagon (boozy) lemonade. I'll definitely be seeing a charge for a mimosa (or two) on my bill next time.

I have a particular fondness for hole-in-the-wall joints, and this place is no exception. The only thing that might deter me from going back was the long wait to get it. This might just be the perfect place to keep up your sleeve for a mid-week breakfast or lunch.

I was really craving a great breakfast and I found raving reviews on this restaurant,so we went on a late Sunday morning, got to the restaurant around 11:45am, there was a line up inside and outside, we thought the wait would be short, boy were we wrong! The restaurant is small but clean, it has decors to give you that old diner feel. The music is good. We were offered coffee while we waited which was nice! However we didn't get seated until 1pm! Service was good, but slow! The front of the house was working the crowd but the kitchen was taking forever to cook. By the time we sat down, food came another half hour later I ate my pork back eggs benedict so quick I almost don't remember how good it tasted. The portion was small but satisfying. The hollandaise sauce was well prepared, free ranged pouched egg was cooked to perfection, there was bacon bits with the hash browns. The shredded back bacon was good. $10 for the meal, you can substitute the eggs for free range eggs for an additional $1. I think the price is a bit much for such a small portion, but the breakfast here is unique. They have specials every day, its a local joint in East Van, they are very busy so do not go hungry and expect a table without a long wait.

been here quite a few times now cuz i'm officially addicted. the food here is so amazing - so fresh and made with perfect texture and balance. come early on weekends cuz there's usually a wait. service is efficient and brusque but it's okay, they're super super busy. love the simple and scrumptious food, the neighbourhood cafe feel and the reasonable prices. plus the chef adds new items all the time! can't wait to try them all!!

Went there for the first time several days ago and had brunch. I had the pork belly with scrambled eggs. Their scrambled eggs are the fluffiest I've ever had! The pork belly was really flavourful and really tasty. My meal also came with potatoes (meh for me but enjoyed by my dining companion) and toast (choice of sourdough, multigrain, or rye -- go for the sourdough!!). I found the portion size to be a little big -- would have been fine without the potatoes.

Service was attentive and friendly even though the place was packed!

I would definitely eat there again.

Just a warning...although I don't know if they will always give out gummy cola candy with your bill...don't eat it unless you don't mind the server using her hands to grab them out of the jar. (Of the two servers working, only one of them did that.)