Their Smoked Brisket Has No Smoked Flavor…read more Went to the Tidal Cafe for lunch, and sat outside with a beautiful view of the waterfront. My wife ordered the Tidal Bowl with smoked brisket, while I got the Beef Brisket Sandwich, which also had smoked brisket. It's not often you see smoked brisket on a menu for a non-BBQ place, so I was kind of excited for our orders. When our plates arrived, the brisket looked great and the pieces were generously thick. I couldn't wait to dig in. Then disappointment hit. The smoked brisket had zero smoke flavor, and the fat wasn't fully rendered. In fact, it was kind of chewy, which together with a lack of flavor was a sure sign it wasn't smoked long enough. To add insult to injury, my sandwich had a strong mustard smeared on the bread which overwhelmed what little flavor the brisket had. When I mentioned all this to our waitress (who was quite nice, btw), she sheepishly responded "Yeah, I'm a mustard kind of girl, so I like it like that." My wife liked her meal, but overall, I don't think Tidal Cafe understands how smoked meats should be done. Also, why is there a bar & a bar stool in their one-toilet bathroom??

Incredible brunch food and kind service! We went back again because it was so delicious, especially…read morethe bennies. Great quality, fresh, and good coffee too.

The food was great, service was good, and the ambiance was that of a small diner. It was packed to…read morethe brim but still good for walk-in. Don't recommend the vanilla iced coffee but the fruit and crepes as well as the sunny side-up egg were fresh!

This place is small so expect a 30 minute wait. They don't have outdoor seating so the bigger…read moregroup was probably 4 to 6 at max. Food was fine. Service a bit lackluster (forgot to bring jam and needed to be reminded). You can park on the street or in the hotel parking lot.

D's Cafe was my very first breakfast on the island. It is tucked away just off a "local" walking…read morepath - between a small marina and the tiny private airstrip. It is a lovely little cafe where you walk up to the main counter to place your order - and they bring the food out to your table. On the day we went - the cafe was totally packed with charm and locals galore. Service is warm and friendly - and super efficient. The food we had was fantastic - and they even customized the food for one of the members of our party to accommodate a special dietary requirement. The restaurant is also wheelchair / walker accessible with ramps for those which physical limitations. We had a delightful meal. Seating is off the front, the back and they also have tables inside. Surprised I am the first to review this gem. I believe they take debit and cash only. Parking is in an adjacent lot.

Gave it another chance yesterday, wasn't impressed the first time, so thought I would try another…read moremenu item. Blackened chicken wrap - no flavor at all, and very little chicken. I got a blueberry bran muffin to go for a quick breakfast the next day, well the 6 blueberries on the top were it.... not a blueberry inside and it was very sweet and cake tasting, not like any other bran muffin I had. Will not return or recommend. The location is great and the decor is lovely, that I will give it.

We had a killer brunch here last week. I had the Fraser Valley Skillet and highly recommend it. The…read moreonly thing that could have heightened the experience would be having a better hot sauce than Frank's!

Once again Yelp helped us to find a great breakfast spot while in Port Alberni checking it out. The…read moreplace is eclectically decorated, maybe not for everyone, but we liked it. Sat at the bar for something different. We were enthusiastically greeted and sat right away, menu's and water immediately. All the staff had smiles on their faces, and typical in a small town knew a lot of people's names as they walked in. Plenty of takeaway while we were there, so you know the food is good, and comes out hot. Our orders were taken (traditional brekkie) and our orders came out quite quickly in spite of how busy they were. The potatoes were a little plain for me, but I peppered as I usually do, and even added a bit of salt which I never do. The portions were a good size, the price was more than fair, and the service was great. We'll be back next time we are in the area and we'll give the lunch a go!

Called in Buddha Bowl with salmon from the mountain biking parking lot in Cumberland...lady on the…read morephone was great, food was ready when I arrived, it tasted great and it was healthy...a great choice!

As someone who is dairy free, this is 100% a place I will be coming back to. I ordered the chicken…read moreand mushroom quesadillas with dairy free cheese, AMAZING! Sometimes restaurants offer substitutions and then I try them, and it feels like they don't even try to make it good. This restaurant is the opposite. This dish didn't have me wishing I still ate dairy, 10/10 would recommend!!!

Stopped here for breakfast before heading back to the ferry. Lots of parking. Restaurant clean and…read morelots of natural light. Servers were friendly and helpful. Large menu with many options. I had the Avocado Toast, my husband had the Scramble Sandwich. Both delicious and generous portions. Tasty coffee too! The dessert display case had some delicious looking in house made treats and bread. I definitely want to go back one day to try lunch or dinner and a dessert! Would highly recommend.

Meh Food was good enough for breakfast. Not fancy, and not bad. The service was complete…read moredisappointment. Ordered water, got coffee. My husband said- no problem, he would keep the coffee. Waitress walked off and never came back with my water. Had to track her down twice to request water before I finally got water. Ordered basted eggs with English muffin, got eggs over medium with whole grain toast. Politely said, I actually ordered English muffin, (did not mention that I didn't order fried eggs) she said "are you sure you don't want the toast? I said, no, I would like the English muffin. She walked off and served several other tables and started filling their drink orders. My husband tracked down a different person to get my English muffin, by then my not basted eggs were cold. I get it, mistakes happen to the best of us. A simple acknowledgment or apology would have been welcome, but not a word. It made me feel like I was the one being difficult and I hate being that person. It isn't cheap eats, so I simply wanted what I paid for. The fried potato hash towns were tasty and well seasoned, the eggs (however they were cooked) were good enough. Overall the food is what you expect for a traditional breakfast. If you don't expect amazing service you will enjoy the meal well enough.

The Most Charming Breakfast Place in Courtenay…read more I believe whoever was in charge of this location's look and feel was at least partially inspired by Hobbit architecture. It was delightful dining here and the food was pretty good too! My wife ordered the Two Poached Eggs with Whole Wheat Toast & Jelly breakfast, while I created my own sandwich (Montreal Smoked Meat on an Onion Roll with lettuce, tomato, and avocado). I also got a cup of their soup of the day (Cream of Butternut Squash). Everything was delicious. Service was prompt and friendly. And we got to experience what eating breakfast for Frodo & Bilbo Baggins must've been like. Highly recommend if you're in Courtenay and want to get away from the typical run-of-the-mill diner or cafe experience for breakfast.

I'm on a quest to visit all the Yellow Delis. This is my second since being in BC. The maté tea is…read morealways delish, i had the green-unsweetened and a yellow submarine sandwich with the spread of the week; sun dried tomato! My sister had the veggie burger and my nephew some of the housemade (equally delicious) granola. The food is always yummy but I'm usually here for the exceptional customer service and interesting people i meet, they didn't disappoint. Chatted with Ben today, super friendly even had some chapstick made on the farm for me to try! It's super nice so make sure you grab one when you pay. Took a cinnamon bun for the road, you should too!!!

First time ever as a Canadian in Qualicum and I am ashamed I've never been. We coasted down Island…read moreHighway and passed by this, I made my partner turn the car around. Shore is exactly where it says... on the shore of stunning Qualicum beach. It reminded me of being in Hawaii. We walked into a very short line during lunch and placed an order for a burger, shrimp tacos, fries and two root beer milkshakes. We were given a buzzer and waited. All tables were full but they clear out fast. The ladies who took our orders were super sweet and even asked how we enjoyed our meal. Prices were normal for being on the island. The spicy shrimp tacos were fire . Nice and clean washroom there. Side table with all condiments and water. Really family friendly and lots of parking. Cant wait to come back!

During the summer months, we eat at Shore at least 3 to 4 times a month. It is our go to place for…read morethe best codburger, fish tacos, fish and chips. You name it in the seafood line they are number one. Lindy and Steve are absolutely amazing and Lindy is an absolute sweetheart , with her amazing smile and Steves nice too lol Sometimes we drop a table and eat in other times we just bring a blanket or sit on a park bench and do the takeout method . Either way I've never had a meal there that does not rank a 10 out of 10 then if you still got room, you grab an ice cream and then you go home and sit on the couch rubbing your full belly lol well that's what I do anyways. I love everything about Shore Restaurant so does Leeanne we never think twice about where we should go eat we just go "let's go to Shore.! "