Was watching the news in CTV the other day and, on their Where We Live segment, they mentioned it would be closing soon. Mentioned this to a friend and she was surprised I haven't had one of their burgers yet. So we went there today.

Ambiance is minimal. A couple of tables and that's it. Not much service to talk about either. You make your order, wait for it and that's about it.

As for the food... I ordered a mushroom burger (one patty, mushroom, slice of tomato in a bun) while my friend ordered a chuck wagon (two patties, onion and cheese in a bun). We also ordered some onion rings. The order, without drinks, was just $10. We had to wait for several minutes for our order - at least they are not almost pre-made (McDonald's? BK?). We sat down and started eating. Size-wise, they are good for the price. The meat itself, well, not much to talk about. They look like burger patties you could get in the supermarket. We could taste the other condiments, though (specially the onions). The high note (?) was the onion rings. Light batter and rested before serving.

Overall, I will have to say I didn't miss much by not going there before. For the same $$$, I would have rather gone to La Grotta Del Formaggio for one of their panini (a full focacia sandwich would have been around $10, as well). So, since they will be closing by the end of March 2008, next time somebody mention Wally's, at least I will be able to say I tried their burgers.

I have a soft spot for this place, as its one of the last remaining independant drive in burger joints in the Lower Mainland. I'm sad to say, however that the food has steadily gone downhill in the last ten years. The burgers are good, but no longer great, and the oil in the deep-fryer needs to be changed more often to get rid of the slight rancidity in the fries. The biggest change I notice is that the place no longer seems particularly clean. Not that it was ever spotless, that would be expecting a little much for this kind of place, but everything seems coated with a fine layer of grime and grease. I wouldn't recommend against it, but for me, my occasional visits are more to reconnect with my youth than for great drive in food.

Real authentic drive in style! This place has been in Vancouver since the 60's. Its tasty, cheap and has so many neat side orders! Some people complain "its not like it was back in 68 or 72" or whatever but in my opinion those are the cranky old "they dont make em like they used to" types who constantly complain about trivial little things(no offense!). Bottom line is that Wally burger is better than its closest competition (White spot, A&W) and if you dont believe me just ask one of the Hot Rod guys who come for good food and good times at the many show and shine events the location hoasts. This place IS VANCOUVER HISTORY so lets try to keep it here forever!

I've only lived here 6 years, but my husband said this used to be a great place. Not anymore, in my opinion. The food is lousy and the lady who is always working in there taking your order is not that nice.

We never went back after the time that she told us it was cash only and we went ahead and ordered and said we would go to the ATM at the station down the block. I guess one of us should have stayed there, because when we got back from the ATM she had not even started our order. She didn't trust us to come back.

I still remember that day my family and I went to Wally's (we lived near there) to watch them film an episode of 21 Jump Street there. My sister was trying to get a glimpse of Johnny Depp and since I was too young to know who he was, I was just there to watch the big commotion. No Johnny Depp, but we did see Holly Robinson.
Wally's burgers has been around since as long as I remember. They are apparently the last of its kind for drive-in burgers. Their burgers are good, but I think it's more a nostalgia thing when going to Wally's. Regardless, I would hate to see this sort-of landmark go away.