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    Helen's Grill

    3.3 (101 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    HELEN'S GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Helen's Grill

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    Valerie K.

    We stopped by this spot as another X-Files filming location and the owners were so amazing and friendly. They even remembered the actors being filmed here. We had a great conversation and great eats. They recommended some key points to visit while on Vancouver Island that we took them up on!

    Mile High Club Sandwich!!
    Andrew W.

    As a long time institution in the Vancouver culinary world, Helen's Grill encompass old fashioned comfort food with real life history!! Ambiance ... everywhere you look, history is in front of you! These are not reproductions, counters, chairs juke boxes ... tells a story of the "good old days"! Service is always super friendly, and after a few visits, we have become friends with the owners and we make a point to visit them whenever we are back in town! My go to dishes includes : Greek Style Roasted Lamb .. super tender, juicy and at the same time, the roasted crust is super tasty!! Liver and Onion .. a rarity nowadays! Super flavourful with a huge mound of grilled onion and their house gravy!! Thank you for keeping this classic dish! In today's economy, it is super hard to keep a business going, I truly hope they will continue as long as possible, since this type of restaurants are almost extinct!!

    Montreal Smoked Meat Hash. A generous portion.
    Lingly W.

    Very old school diner vibe with an assortment of diner fare. Food is simple and good.

    Turkey dinner special
    Mary C.

    Helen's Grill has been on the Main Street landscape for over 70 years. I grew up seeing Helen's Grill and it's a classic old school diner framed by a long counter with swivel chairs, booths, juke boxes and a fridge showing off the pies. There are not many of these types of diners left so I cherish visiting when I can. Nothing fancy here but I enjoy the simple & good food, friendly service and atmosphere. I usually go for the daily breakfast special which included sausages/bacon, pancake and eggs. The portion is huge and I could never finish. Today was the first time I tried their dinner entree because I heard about their turkey dinner for $16 which included mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and roasted vegetables. I enjoyed the meal and the portion was a very good size. On top of that, I also ordered a single caesar's ($5) and pumpkin pie with ice cream ($7). Boy, I was full and a happy camper. As the diner was not busy, my friend and I had a nice chat with the owner: the impact of COVID19 on their family business, where is the original Helen, which actor filmed and sat in the booth we were sitting in (Sandra Bullock) and why so many Greek dishes on the menu (the owner is Greek!). To ensure family business survives and Helen's Grill remains on Main Street, I will be going back to try the popular roasted lamb and breakfast specials.

    Allison K.

    I ordered the Main Street omelette... two thumbs up ... I would not recommend the coffee though. It tasted watered down and was lukewarm. The setting brought back memories from when I was a kid going out with my parents. There is a working jukebox at each table. This was very cool!!

    Montreal Smoked Meat
    Vic D.

    Great diner food and excellent service. Can definitely recommend the Montreal smoked meat Sammy

    I've been wanting to try their calamari . It's really good and the bread that comes with it is good too . Did not disapp I'll be coming back for their dinner calamari entree for sure .

    Ronnel S.

    Old place in town that is open from 8 am to 8 pm,so many people coming here so i went to check out why,well maybe because vancouverites grew up dining at Helen's grill,based on some clients inside that i happened to talk during my stay,that they're coming here since their childhood,In my case that i did not spend my childhood in vancouver this place is not for me. Service takes forever,the floor is not so clean sticky actually,tables and chairs aswell,nothing special in the menu and for that pricing i can get the same dish in another place that is more neat and with free parking,washroom is also not clean,on my way to toilet the curtain is open exposing the kitchen,...another part of the place that is not so clean. Food wise i do not have any concern,burger,fries,eggs,calamari were all good,plus i love those little juke box they had,i am thinking of owning one like that soon...nice... No parking it will be on the street and metered one,decors are classic which i like,ambiance?not me at all,food presentation average,cant remember if they have a TV,there is wifi and its free. Good for family and kids too,old folks that are genuine vancouverite will surely love this place. noise level is average to noisy,corner lot and people waiting for the bus usually hangoput near its door smoking and chatting. Sorry guys no next time for me

    Beef souvlaki, roast lamb, calamari, and fish and chips

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    10 months ago

    Not a good experience, was treated poorly. Would not go back. Food was well presented and was a generous portion.

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    2 years ago

    This place is awesome. Been coming here for many years. Great food; good portions; quick, no-nonsense service.

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    3 years ago

    Great Food and Great Staff make u feel like Family highly recommended this place... Old School

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    The Northern Cafe and Grill

    The Northern Cafe and Grill

    4.7
    (336 reviews)
    4.9 km
    $$

    Ambiance: 3/5 Food: 5/5…read moreService: 5/5 This place is exactly what it promises to be! We had wanted to try this spot for so long and finally got the chance on a Saturday morning. The website says to get there by 8:30 if you want to grab a table without waiting which we thought was crazy, but when we showed up at 8:32 we managed to snag the last free table so they're spot on with their timing! Lots of parties showed up right after us and the waitlist was super long by the time we left. As for ambiance, it's meant to be a greasy spoon diner at the back of a lumber yard so that's exactly what it is. The only part I wasn't expecting and didn't enjoy was that every few minutes you got a waft of the washroom smell even though we were sitting far from it, mostly because there's not a ton of ventilation in a small spot. The staff were super friendly and attentive which was lovely! I got the veggie omelette which came with their shredded hash browns and bread and my partner got the burger and fries. Everything was delicious! Huge portions and well priced. I especially loved the hash browns which were crispy on the outside. Overall a great spot! Just make sure to get there early if you don't want to wait

    Really unique location in a lumber yard. Fortunately this means lots of parking is available…read more We came on a weekday and there was still a bit of a wait. The staff took our name and number and texted us around 20 minutes later once our table was ready. The hot chocolate was just okay, the breakfast food was good and what you'd expect from a diner, but what really stood out was the dumplings. They were so good, definitely get the spicy wontons! Really good restaurant but I'd recommend coming on a weekday if possible to avoid a long wait.

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    The Northern Cafe and Grill
    Northern Burger
    Northern Burger
    Northern Burger - Classic

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    Northern Burger - Classic
    Medina Cafe

    Medina Cafe

    4.2
    (2.8k reviews)
    3.7 km
    $$

    The hype and the line to get in are all valid. I can say it is worth it, even in the rain. What I…read morelove about Medina is that you can donate to a good cause to reserve a table. They chose a charity for the quarter and it's $10/person. I really wish more places did this. The service you get is top notch. So good in fact, that they will make you the drink of your choice so long as they have the ingredients. Can't wait to be back in Vancouver to have that Paella again.

    Ive been here many times over the years, and i recently came again after a long hiatus. The menu…read moreis largely unchanged. Still a solid brunch place, but prices have gone up significantly. Service was good, friendly. The restaurant is the same as I recall, clean enough. A little cramped and the seating isnt too comfortable. Its really not a good place to hang out for a long time, but rather sit down, eat, and get out type of place. I had the lavender latte and the Tagine this time. Ive had it before and at least its pretty consistent. Ive tried several other things on their menu in the past too, all pretty solid 4/5. Nothing standout as so amazing to deserve 5 stars, but consistent and tasty. I did have a reservation which they charge $10/person for, purely for donation to a charity and does not contribute to your meal at all, and also nonrefundable. While I find this somewhat annoying, I dont blame them for doing this from a business standpoint. They always have a lineup so there is no shortage of customers for them. There is no reason they need to deal with the headache of a ton of reservations. On the flip side, they honoured my reservation in a very timely fashion and I bypassed the line, so props to them for doing that part right. If you have to park, then you may find street metered parking or use one of the nearby paid lots.

    Photos
    Favorite Brunch Place - deliciousness n vibes!   Visiting after 15 yrs and still has the 'it' factor :-)
    Favorite Brunch Place - deliciousness n vibes! Visiting after 15 yrs and still has the 'it' factor :-)
    Fricassee
    Fricassee
    LesBoulettes

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    LesBoulettes
    Lucy's Eastside Diner

    Lucy's Eastside Diner

    3.1
    (374 reviews)
    1.4 km
    $$

    In the dearth of down-home diners in Vancity, Lucy's shines. Unassuming, lived-in, a little…read morecheesy, and open late - what's not to live? The milkshakes are LARGE and super customizable (including boozy shakes). The freshest veggie burger I genuinely ever had was here, served with a smile and a silly 80s soundtrack. The side salad that came with it, usually phoned in at a diner, was assorted greens with cucumber and tomatoes and chickpeas, with a nice honey mustard dressing. These little touches really make for a nice experience, and help the prices make sense - you really do get what you pay for. I've split a slice of pie and feasted on one of their stack of chocolate chip cookies. Yum. I've even come in for just a bowl of delicious tomato soup, served with soft sourdough. Unlike chain diners in the area, this is one of a kind. If you're into equal parts quality, friendliness and nostalgia, definitely give it a try!

    Went to Lucys for the nostalgia and late night eats; it was my GO TO waaaaay back when it opened…read more I was craving a BLT post movie. I ordered it with a side of poutine. We peaked in and there was 2 ppl working and nearly empty restaurant didnt bode well. My partner ordered a grilled cheese. The cheese wasnt melted atoll. My order arrived bacon was cooked well. But just one sad piece of lettuce, one single slice of tomato. Nothing tasted fresh. The proportions were so off; like an entire avocado? But barely and lettuce or tomato.... and the sourdough just tasted like bad white bread. Quality definitely went downhill. Literally everything but avocado was to little. The cheese in poutine was cold :( . Not melted. Wtf Subtracting from the experience : The staff working was nervous and softspoken. Which is completely fine. But he genuinely seemed like he didnt want to be there. Perhaps he was overwhelmed or it was his first day working solo. The next patrons tried to ask what his favourite thing in menu was and he wouldn't answer. Felt bad for the kid. The place was clean. The decor is still cute. Definitely our farewell meal there. Sad to say its no longer a fave for us. I have so many GREAT memories there.

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    Old school diner feel
    Old school diner feel
    Philadelphia Cheese Steak.
    Philadelphia Cheese Steak.
    Pulled Pork and Macaroni Hoagie.

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    Pulled Pork and Macaroni Hoagie.

    Helen's Grill - diners - Updated July 2026

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