I made a visit to the Vancouver Flea Market (web site, map, 703 Terminal Ave. Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604.685.0666) and tried their cafeteria.
In case you haven’t heard of the Vancouver Flea Market before, here’s a little description from their web site:
The Vancouver Flea Market is a thriving environment where all kinds of dealers and sellers propose their treasures. Here you will find all kinds of things from collectibles and memorabilia to everyday household items as well all the things you thought you didn’t need!
The market is a 5 – 10 minute walk from the Main Street Skytrain station. Admission to the market is only 75 cents, and that lets you into the main showroom where you can browse all the tables of endless cool stuff (I picked up a piece of fools gold crystal for $8), and into their busy cafeteria which serves filling, hot American-style food at very low prices.
Speaking of the food, we tried the Traditional Burger (an amazing deal at $3.85, shown in video below) and the T.O.C. Omelette ($4.50, also shown in video below), which was a 3-egg omelette with tomato, onions, cheese, toast, and a small coffee. I opted to get an apple juice instead of the coffee and it only added about 40 cents to the price. The food is quite similar to Denny’s restaurant but is cheaper, and the atmosphere is not as fancy as Denny’s.
The Keg Steakhouse (web site, map, 1499 Anderson Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-685-4735) is a restaurant chain with a location on Granville Island, and several others around Vancouver’s Lower Mainland area (visit their website for a list of their other locations).
I like the Keg. The food and service is consistantly good, but my problem is I always order too much steak. I have a soft spot in my heart for the baseball steak and it always beats me. Next time I visit the Keg I will explore the menu a little bit more.
The Keg is great for a quiet dinner with friends or even someone special. The many nooks and crannies of the restaurant are cozily furnished and have fireplaces throughout. There is also a bar area with upbeat music.
I ordered one of their Keg Classic Dinners, the 8 oz Teriyaki Classic Sirloin steak with a Caesar salad (both pictured below, $23.95), and it was served with a selection of stir fried vegetables and a big baked potato. I especially like all the toppings they have for the baked potato: green onions, sour cream, butter, and bacon bits. They also served some very nice sourdough bread (with big pieces!) while we were waiting for the meal to arrive. The steak looked small, but it was actually quite filling.
Caesar salad at the Keg Steakhouse restaurant.
8 oz Teriyaki Classic Sirloin Steak ($23.95 including Caesar salad) from the Keg Restaurant on Granville Island.
The Hamilton Street Grill (map, web site, 1009 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-331-1511) is a casual steakhouse in downtown Vancouver’s upscale Yaletown neighborhood. In addition to steaks, the Hamilton Street Grill offers tempting seafood and creative “small plate” appetizers created by their chef.
The HSG (as it is affectionately called, not to be mistaken with MSG which the chef most certainly avoids in his/her kitchen) is a favorite lunch place for me and my coworkers, as our office is nearby. Lunch prices are in the $11 to $15 range and dinner entrees are in the $25 to $35 range. The restaurant’s menus are available on their web site.
