This is the only place I would pay $20 for breakfast. Why? I'll tell you why... 1. The Space. 2. The Service. 3. The Food. The layout and floor plan just lifts. You know when you walk into a space, wherever it might be, and at times you either feel heavy and bothered, or light and comfortable? With this little eatery, the Feng Shui is on and an unburdened pump of positivity is present. So, this amazingly bright place is met immediately with smiles and continued great service. I can confidently say that this is the first place that has served me scrambled eggs the way I make them myself at home (Yes, I do actually cook :|). I asked for soft scrambled, and not only were the eggs juicy but fluffy...layers and layers of oil free, juicy well seasoned scrambled eggs. Perfection. The bacon I always ask for extra crispy, cuz limp bacon is just....well...criminal. And extra crispy I got and again not too oily or salty....just damn right. The hash browns were crispy on the outside and flakey soft on the inside like every pan fried potato should be, and the sausage was....well...like every breakfast sausage is at its best. I was actually surprised how good their food was. I was expecting less even at best. You know...after the pandemic many standards have dropped across the board with all industries across the globe. This was a nice refreshing surprise. There are two other branches of The Basic. One on Denman and the other on Davie. This one is by far the best of the three. They were also playing gently in the background songs that are part of my personal playlist I listen to...so that made the morning even better. read more

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Simple, casual atmosphere with friendly service. And the food is excellent. Good sized portions, made well. Good value. Definitely requires a return visit. read more

The Basic - The basic with scrambled eggs, sausage and sour dough toast. Recommend. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Great food, the Benedict's were tasty and well prepared. Our waitress was kind and attentive read more

The Basic - Beyond Sausage Benny - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Very solid menu and very solid service! We had to wait about 15 minutes for a table on the weekend but we were happy we did - the bf loved his chorizo breakfast and I approve of his hash browns I enjoyed my fluffy pancake meal and the waitress / host was prompt, friendly, and quickly corrected a mistake on my order (bacon instead of sausage). Would come back here and have added this to our weekend brunch rotation! read more

Excellent for breakfast; cheerful staff, food that schmecks, and lots of it. I'm always on the lookout for good cafes and dinners and this is definitely one. read more

Today we stopped at The Basic in Vancouver Canada for a late breakfast... It's a rather small spot and parking is a bit challenging especially if you are from Arizona like me...make sure to read the signs on the door. Entrance is the exit and side door is were the hostess is at. Sign in and find a spot to wait 20-25 minutes. Limit of 6 people per party and dine-in has a 1 hour limit. So make sure to be ready to eat and get-on-along. The coffee is good and the servers make sure you are never low. They have great tasting tap water and the noise level is manageable. You can see into the kitchen and it looks like an organized operation. Yes, it's somewhat tight but all in all, the service is awesome, the food is delicious and they have really clean/nice gender neutral restrooms with an digital screen that tells you the weather and other important information. I recommend it! read more

It's all about the food! I had an incredible breakfast called "The Mess"! It was incredible and most certainly made a mess of my appetite for the remainder of the day until dinner! The service was awesome, full of intellectual sparring and quick wit! An outstanding experience! read more

Love this place, amazing service and one of the best eggs Benedict's I've ever had. Such a cute vibe and everyone was so sweet! Will 100% be coming back read more

I have not been to the two other locations so this review applies to the Main Street location. We both ordered the corn beef hash at $18.75 per person. When our plates finally arrived I was so hard-pressed to find the smoked beef that I had to ask our excellent wait staff person, where the beef was. My friend ended up giving me some of his which was also scarce. As for ambiance, the owner clearly is only out to make a buck. There is no artwork on the walls whatsoever. He is definitely living up to what several reviews have referred to as "a hole in the wall". At least the eggs were done to perfection. read more

It's a cozy hole in the wall breakfast joint in the heart of Mt Pleasant. They now have some vegetarian options -- vegan with some modifications -- so we decided to check this place out. We each ordered their tofu scramble ($15.95 plus tax), which ordinarily comes with eggs -- we omitted the eggs and asked for dry toast to make it vegan. The tofu seemed like it was medium firm, and came with spinach, mushrooms and a bit of tomato. There was little seasoning other than salt and pepper and the flavour from the oil. The potatoes were cooked really well, lightly crispy, adequately oily. It was all on the oily side and not particularly inventive flavouring wise, but it was still tasty and certainly substantial. With a little more creativity, this could be excellent. They have decent bottomless coffee which rounded out the brunch nicely. Excellent, attentive and friendly service. Nice spot. We enjoyed our visit. read more

The Basic - Tofu scramble without eggs and dry toast (vegan) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

The big and delicious breakfast!! Kind, fast and friendly service!! My favourite place!! read more

I wish the food were better. The breakfast potatoes were just ok. Maybe they would have been better if they were pre-cooked at little. My bread was stale and his was wrong (he ordered rye and got white). He asked for over medium eggs and they were really runny. It seems like a nice place but I can't see myself going again. read more

It was a nice, comfortable place to meet and chat. However, the food was expensive for what you get. Hubby had theBasic Breakfast which was okay. I ordered the Denver omelette and it was not even hot when it got to me. It was so thin and flat. I had a Denver omelette at Denny's s week before that was fluffy and so tasty. I said as much to the server when she asked how my meal was and she said that's how it's supposed to be. Other types of omelettes are fluffy. She didn't even offer to discount it as I didn't even eat a third of it. I was very disappointed. read more

Been here a few times for lunch with coworkers for brunch food. They have brunch and lunch menu during the day so I do get the omelette or eggs benedict. Last time I ordered the Popeye omelet. It had a lot of spinach and was pretty good. I was trying to have something a bit healthier. The service is quick and friendly. I would come again for a different dish. . read more

Sometimes you want a fancy brunch and sometimes you just want to go for something simple and delicious. Joe's Grill is a casual diner that serves brunch as well as lunch items everyday. I usually get the eggs benedict since I can't poach a proper egg or make Hollandaise sauce if my life depended on it. I decided on the eggs benedict with avocado and tomato. It was perfectly cooked with runny eggs and more than enough Hollandaise sauce. Props to the chef because it was made so well that I used it as dipping sauce for my potatoes rather than using Ketchup. My husband ordered the tuna melt and I usually sneak a bite, but I was too busy shoveling food into my mouth from my own plate this time. read more

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Best vibe when it's not too busy. So timing is critical as I like to avoid crowds. But why the best vibe? Ohhh it's because of the music. That day they had Elvis and Beatles and the Stones on play. My mother liked it and it helped set her mood. Which made the food more enjoyable as we reminisced on the wonderful songs we both loved from a bygone era. As for the food? It's your basic breakfast on Main Street. Or any of the other locations around town. And yes for everything, timing is critical. read more

Had the egg Benedict here. I wished they have the salmon egg Benedict unfortunately that is a seasonal special. So this winter seasonal special is bacon egg benedict. It was ok. not too bad. I had them add avocado and it was still ok. The portion is quite big but not for the egg benedict. I think most people come here order the waffle, regular breakfast or the pancake and those are seriously big. The place is a bit cold. Well staff are friendly and decor isn't bad. I did enjoy my lunch here. It does seem like an eat and go place. read more

The Basic - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Sliding fast! I'm so disappointed that one of my favourite local breakfast places, that I faithfully supported thru Covid, is fading in quality FAST. For the past number of weekends the cook has been serving subpar food. Bacon, that has obviously been sitting precooked for hours. The eggs served dangerous half cooked! When I commented to the waitress (very good waitress) the the response was "...this is how we do it!" Too bad....this is a recipe for a short business life span. read more

Had a fabulous time here! At the recommendation of many people, I ordered the Corned Beef Hash (11.25). First off, potatoes were AMAZING! They were crispy on the outside, well seasoned, and had chives, like a baked potato! The corned beef itself has the texture and taste of bacon. However, the magic really comes through when you scoop a bit of corned beef, with the crunchy green peppers, and a little bit of egg altogether. The smokiness of the corned beef really comes through when the green pepper sets the stage. Food comes out super quickly here too, so even if there's a line up, you'll never wait more than 15 minutes. read more

The Basic - Corned Beef Hash (11.25) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

The service was very good, Food was very tasty. Overall a very good breakfast experience at The Basic. Would recommend this place. read more

FOOD/DRINK:  41/50 No complaints. Always hot food. Always fresh. Basic, yet delicious breakfast options. Diverse enough to make you want to go there instead of making breakfast at home (yes, I'm talking to you, hungover person). I wouldn't describe the food as gourmet but that's not what you should expect at a place called "Joes Grill." However, it always taste good because the quality is there. If you're feeling lazy but want nom noms, go to Joes. SERVICE/SUPPORT STAFF:  24/30 Solid. Friendly. I've been there more than a couple times. Never have had to wait on my server. Unlike most breakfast places, the girls in there are all fun and super sweet. It's one of the reasons I enjoy going there TBH. They keep the vibe up. Thank you, it's a big thing that sets you apart from most restaurants. ENVIRONMENT/VIBE:  16/20 Modern breakfast diner. That's it. Nice little patio too. In the summer, don't mind if I do. It's pretty basic but it IS clean. Horay. OVERALL EXPERIENCE:  81/100 Yep. You'll see me again the next time I want a quick delicious breakfast and a good cup of coffee. I appreciate your business. Thanks! read more

The Basic - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I only recommend the breakfast or sandwich options. I suggest you watch what everyone else around you is ordering and it is usually the brunch items. The breakfast portion sizes are generous and filling. The sandwiches you cannot really mess up on. However, the burger was an unfortunate miss. It was very dry. Service was slow, but the place was packed so it was expected. Staff came around refilling coffee regularly. I am not sure if they enforced the $1 refill for the organic coffee. I would think at $3 a cup that refills should be free. I did not pay the bill so I was not sure if staff were keeping tabs. I did get a coffee refill as it took awhile for the food to arrive. Overall, I would stick to the breakfast options first. The eggs benedict and blueberry pancakes were really good. read more

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Considering the limited breakfast options in the area, these guys are solid. Nice diner feel to it. Usually order the corn beef hash, and if you 'em runny, don't get the eggs soft-poached. For $11, pretty good value amd taste. Friendly service, will be back. Cool she asked if I wanted cutlery (no). read more

The Basic - What champions eat - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

When testing out a new breakfast spot I always go for the cheese omelette, this is how I gauge dinners. Joe's became our regular breakfast spot the second it opened and I still haven't strayed from their three cheese omelette. It is a thing of beauty, a work of art. Always perfectly cooked, packed with gooey cheese and delicious. The portions are very generous, never skimping on their hash-browns (which are very tasty). I rarely make it through the toast and often ask for only one peace. I don't eat the pig but have it on good authority that the chorizo hash is great. You can tell this is a cook who prides himself in his work and I've got to thank him for that. You can taste the love in the food here. Joe's Grill was exactly what we needed in the neighbourhood, unpretentious, good dinner food that is comfortable being just that. read more

I was disappointed yesterday with a clubhouse sandwich I ordered. It's $18.95 with side of salad or fries. The "turkey" and the "ham" were each thin, highly-processed slices of formed meat. Real turkey and ham isn't that hard. Simply not good enough to serve that processed stuff. No flavor. Breakfasts are good there. read more

Small little cafe with good food and friendly service. Portion was decent. Our server was was friendly and efficient.

Went on Boxing Day... there were 2 waitresses there. We stood by the door for 5 min and were not greeted. A man at another table waved us to have a seat, apparently doing the waitresses job for them. If it's a seat yourself type thing, we would appreciate a sign. The service and meal were completely mediocre. The taller waitress looked hungover from Christmas or something, expression was very unimpressed as she zoned out. My avocado tomato egg benny was disappointing because there were only 4 thin slices of avocado and a sprinkling of diced tomatoes on the whole thing, as shown in photos. The only good thing about it was the flavour of the hollandaise was quite good, but otherwise definitely underwhelming and not comparable to the west 4th or denman locations. Likely will not go back when there are so many great options out there. read more

The Basic - Less than a quarter of an avocado present in this "tomato and avocado benny" - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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This place is underrated. We were extremely satisfied with the service, food, and level of detail that they paid to our food. The food was hot, tasty and a great value. read more

The veggie hash is fantastic! Stopped by there last weekend with my husband when the initial place we tried to stop at looked packed. Randomly ended up at Joe's, sat in the patio area, and had a great breakfast. Our waitress was fun and kept my coffee filled. I was surprised by the little packets of peanut butter along with the jelly for toast, but I definitely used it.. I'm always up for peanut butter. We both had the veggie hash, me with over easy eggs, my husband with scrambled. We both thought it was very satisfying, but obviously mine was better with the over easy eggs. read more

Ordered their classic eggs Benny with ham and 'the mess'. The eggs were ok aside from the hollandaise sauce which tasted terrible. Similarly the mess was okay. read more

My first 1 star. I'm sick of being treated like a sub-human by servers. I've worked in the service industry and I know exactly how I treat people as a server and how I behave as a customer, so I know when I'm being treated poorly ON PURPOSE. We came here early on a Friday morning and the place was empty apart from 2 other tables of diners. The server told us to sit anywhere so we picked a spot outside thinking we would get our breakfast quick and easy since the place was basically empty. Our server came by and my partner asked for a cloth to clean the table with since he thought it was dirty, he made a mistake and the server quickly pointed out that the table was clean and began rubbing the table with her hand to show that there were no dirty spots. Nice, point proven and germs spread. Whatever. So we ordered and the food came pretty quick and was good, but I can tell you I did not get any eye contact or check-ins from our server. She kept my fiancee's cup of coffee full though. Now we've eaten and are ready to leave and my partner decides to get up and pay since our server hasn't been by in a while. I still have half a plate of food that I want to take home with me but she still hasn't come by and my partner has now returned to our table having paid. SO now I bring my own plate inside so that we can get a box to get my food to go. She gives me a box and no cutlery to get the food into the box with. I walk back to our table and grab a used spoon to scoop my food into the box with. WHAT THE HELL. read more

Slllllllllloooooooooowwww service in a half empty mini restaurant. 45 minutes and still no fish and chips. There are better choices on Main Street. Pass on this joint. I won' return. read more

Joe's grill within walking distance of my apartment! woohoo!! This place occupies what used to be the Well. It was completely renovated to become Joe's Grill. The one on 4th is one of my favourite breakfast spots, so I was hopeful that this new location would be as good or better. Fortunately it was! The decor in this new location is a bit more "new" looking than the other location (due to the recent renovation), but it's still the same diner style and good food. The waitresses were extremely friendly, with excellent service, both of them constantly coming by and asking us if we needed more coffee, water for tea, or a refill of ice water. They also asked how we were enjoying our food, which I always appreciate at a restaurant. I ended up have "the mess" which was basically a whole bunch of breakfast food scrambled on a plate. It was extremely delicious, prepared just right and was just the right amount of food for my very empty belly. Definitely a solid addition to the neighbourhood, will definitely head back soon! They have a few outdoor seats, so looking forward to breakfast on the patio this summer. read more

Alright guys, get your shit together. My first time and last time. Before I start this review, I would like to say that I know what it's like to be in the service industry.....Customer Service? These folks have little to none. We came for breakfast. There was 2 other tables occupied. I had to get up twice to ask for coffee. Mind you coffee was very fresh, but hard to get. Breakfast. We're here for breakfast, so check our coffee cups. I ordered the avacado&tomato benny subbed for toast on the side. Toast was great, hard to mess that up. Oh, I had to get up and ask for jam. I don't want to get up at a restaurant, for coffee and jam unless I'm at Timmy's. (At least they are happy to see you). The hollandaise sauce was so 'soupy'. So soupy, you can see from the picture I posted. My egg was so soft, another 30seconds would have been advantageous. The avocado and the teaspoon of diced tomato was fresh. But that hollandaise was soupy and raw. Food was below average. Service was way below average. Coffee was great. Star is for the coffee. Joe, you have a "ppl love us on yelp" sign on your door; but not my love. read more

The Basic - Gross hollandaise - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Are you tired of the garden variety breakfast joints? Are you sick of the thick grease-laden foods from diner-esque joints? Do you just want a good hearty breakfast / lunch from a guy who damn well knows how to cook? Look no further than Joe's Grill on Main! I love the food, the prices and everything in between. You gotta try it to believe it. For you young parents out there, they have high chairs and they love kids. read more

its a simpe breakfast. Cute and cozy especially to get away from the Vancouver rain. I can't say i would be back for the food but its decent. read more

The Basic - Eggs any style - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Friendly staff with great food. No BS, nothing super fancy. Just great wholesome breakfast. Will be back.

Now named "The Basic". Stopped for a quick breakfast and felt compelled to write a review. If you want proper, friendly, quick and attentive service, I would highly recommend this place. No pretensions, no "too cool for school" attitude. Prices were reasonable, food was delicious and came out quickly. But, most of all - the service was GREAT!! Left Friday around 9:30 and sat by the window. Not sure the name of our server, but you've got a good one there!! read more

Delicious eggs and bacon. Not fancy but a great spot for breakfast.

I had my misgivings about going here at first, (I used to go to the one on Davie years ago, but the food stopped being good, so I stopped going), but I was very pleasantly surprised. Good food, lots of choices, efficient and friendly service, and very reasonable prices. I had bacon and eggs which comes with potatoes and your choice of toast. I also ordered a side of sausage 'cause I was damn hungry, and a side of Hollandaise. I really liked the potatoes. They were real...not those vile deep-fried nugget things so many places serve these days (yuck!). The Hollandaise was decent too. Tasted like it was probably from a mix, but I've had way way worse. My man had the waffle combo, with bacon and sausage, both of which he really liked, but said the waffle was just Ok, and liked the ones I make from scratch way more (good!). My only disappointment was that the prices for booze were not good. I think it was $6.25 for a Mimosa, don't recall the Caesar price. That's a real bummer indeed. I guess I will come here for brunch, then go to the Five Point for their cheap Mimosa's. If you don't have weekend brunch booze specials, then I'm pretty much out. Sorry, but I'm not paying almost as much for a glass of cheap sparkling wine and cheap orange juice as I do for my breakfast. Like I said though, it's right by the Five Point, so I'll make an exception. Besides, it' doesn't really have a "lounge about and drink" vibe to it, and that's some of what I want when it comes to weekend brunch places. It does have a patio though, so that's a bonus. I'd rate this place 3.75 stars because of the lack of booze specials, but I'm feeling generous, cause everything else was pretty good, and I'll be back for sure. Four stars it is! read more