Order The Locus Takeout or Delivery
The Locus Photos
Business Info
The Locus Popular Dishes
THE LOCUS ATMOSPHERE
You might also consider
More like The Locus
Recommended Reviews - The Locus
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Great happy hour from 3 to 6 PM. Drinks were seven dollars so super affordable and a great pour. It's quite spacious and wasn't too crowded so we were able to stay for a few hours and have a great conversation. Service was attentive and checked in to see if we needed anything. We ended up getting the Dine Out menu and really enjoyed the appetizer salad that had blue cheese, arugula, and pear. I got the arctic char, shrimp Main course that had roasted potatoes, roasted bell, peppers, asparagus, and a little bread pudding thing that was quite unique. I thought it was a pretty solid meal and I was very stuffed at the end of the main. The variation of this course kept things exciting with each bite. The crème brûlée option caught my eye from the dine out menu (the other option was a cheesecake). It was definitely an incredibly unique crème brûlée with blueberry and lavender and something very unique and special. I like the taste of the caramel that was on top of the whip whipped cream on the side as well.
Impressive brecky 2 rivers egg benny is outstanding. Full brecky menu till 3 pm. Outstanding service
Happy hour til 6. Not only is the happy hour an incentive to get there early, but it also allows you to beat the dinner rush. The wings are a good starter, as are the calamari served two ways. The burgers are also decent, though meat on the drier side, at least the two occasions I had them. The main reason to visit this place is the seasonal specials. The menu has varied over the years, but seasonal specials have included bison, halibut, spot prawns and venison dishes. Staff are friendly, lighting is dim and seating is casual. Good place to chill.
What I thought coming to this place was that I've never noticed it before ! The signage outside is not very eye catching , a little worn and torn. The space inside was a bit on the dark side but cozy seating. They have daily specials for brunch. I went for 'brunch' at 1pm on a Sunday and it was not too busy and we were seated right away. We had called in advance to make reservations but they had said it was not needed. The menu is not too extensive but I tried the skillet with wild boar since that seemed unique. The dish was the definition of comfort. Cheesy, a good amount of meat , nicely roasted veg , perfectly cooked hash. My only complaint was it was on the smaller side - but maybe when I think of 'skillet' I think of the regular sized skillets I have at home haha. They had an a couple hot sauces - the Mexican style , green or red types. Someone who I assumed was either the manager that day or owner walked around and asked all the tables how everything was. Was a nice gesture that went the extra mile. I would definitely want to come back to this place to try other dishes !
Came here for a recent happy hour with a friend and had a good time. Happy hour is available daily 3-6 and 10pm to close and includes both food and drink options. We came Wednesday afternoon around 3 and they were just transitioning from brunch to dinner. The whole place was pretty empty, so we opted to sit near the windows as it's a bit dimmer further in the restaurant/pub. I tried both cocktails on the hh menu: the Lemoncello Cosmopolitan ($7) and the New York Sour ($7). Of the two, the sour was my personal favorite. It tasted exactly like lemonade; I couldn't taste the whiskey at all! The cosmopolitan was also good but a little too sweet for me personally. My friend had two different beers from the HH menu and enjoyed both. We also shared the karaage chicken wings and my friend also had the nachos, both for $11 during happy hour. The chicken wings were good and we both liked the soy sauce-based glaze, but it was a bit deceiving to call it karaage as it's a completely different taste than karaage. My friend unfortunately didn't like the nachos that much. We were one of the youngest patrons there; I definitely noticed the average age here skews older.
We came to Locus for brunch on a Sunday afternoon and there was plenty of seating available. I ordered the Locus skillet (steak) with a side of pulled wild boar. The food took quite a while to arrive despite there not being that many patrons. When it came, I felt like the food wasn't that fresh and the "best" part of the dish was the potatoes. The steak I felt was over cooked and a bit on the chewy side and there was not that much meat or veggies. The focaccia felt quite stale and was not toasty. I also felt that the dish was on the small side and not worth the price I paid. I felt like the dish would be something I could make better at home myself. I also didn't understand how a side of toast would be the same price as a side of meat.
2 stars for the (vegan) food + 1 star for the top-notch service that tried to make things right. I saw that they had "vegan options" advertised on their menu, so we decided to try them out for Saturday brunch. The first thing to note is that, coffee-wise, they don't have drip coffee, so they don't offer the usual bottomless coffee that most breakfast/brunch restaurants offer. Instead, you can order a $3.95 Americano and pay $1.75 for a refill - not ideal. As for the vegan options, they have a Huevos Rancheros and Garden Harvest Bowl ($18) that can both be made vegan. We got the latter, which is made vegan by substituting the egg for tofu scramble. The bowl usually comes with grilled focaccia, but apparently there is dairy in that, so they just omitted the bread. Our bowls came within 10-15 minutes or so - they were rather small portions, coming with a variety of veggies, potatoes, nice veggie sausage, and tofu scramble. The dish was barely seasoned, so it was a pretty bland dish; thankfully, there were a couple of decent hot sauces on the table to amp things up. The manager (?) noticed the smallness of our meals and offered to bring us additional food to make up for focaccia; he came back with some more potatoes and a small fruit bowl (mostly grape and blueberry), which we appreciated very much. That's some top-notch customer service. All in all, my constructive feedback is: -Offer a bottomless drip coffee to be competitive with other breakfast/brunch restaurants. -Revamp the bowl so that the vegan option is more interesting flavour-wise and has a suitable replacement for the focaccia. If the above two things are done, we'd gladly come back, as the place itself is very comfortable and the service is excellent.
We each decided to get a cocktail. Grayson went with the pineapple ginger mojito and I went with the french kiss. Both drinks were super super strong. Now I don't mind getting more alcohol in my drinks for what they're worth but they were so strong that it felt like we were drinking straight shots instead of light refreshing fruity cocktails. Since my drink had elderflower liqueur, pineapple juice and cranberry it was a bit lighter and sweeter than Grayson's who's had dark rum and grand marnier that took over the drink entirely. We ended up making our own concoction by mixing our drinks together. To be fair, I overheard that their bartender recently quit so this probably led to the heavy drink situation...so I recommend sticking to wines and beers until they are able to find a new one. At this point we received a basket of potato bread with spicy butter. The potato bread was fluffy and soft. Neither of us were too sure about the spicy butter but it added a nice touch of spice to the bread to add flavor. It was a nice change to your typical whipped or garlic butter. We went with the jumbo black tiger prawns as a starter. It came with 4 glistening tiger prawns, spinach, chardonnay-fish nage, and grilled crostini. The jumbo black tiger prawns were cooked to perfection and you could taste how fresh they were. They were transluscent and had a bite to them. Needless to say, they were amazing. We soaked the crostini in the broth on the bottom to pack them full of flavor before enjoying each bite of crunchy goodness. Yum.
The gothic decor is interesting, although I'm not quite sure how it fits in with anything. The service was pretty good - the food came out fast, our server was nice and attentive, just that the food was nothing to write home about. I found my miso poutine lacking in the gravy department, and what little gravy there was, it was incredibly salty. We weren't fans of the scallop and bacon - it was weird that it was so sweet. I wasn't crazy about the way my mushroom brie napoleon tasted, and my husband said his burger was just "alright". Not worth a repeat visit. Free wifi. Paid street parking available.
We came for lunch on New Year's Eve. The Locus is a standard, safe bet. THE WAIT: None there was no wait for lunch! There were plenty of open tables. THE FOOD: * BC Brisket Chuck Burger ($17) - 3.5 stars This had a good soft bun and a surprisingly juicy patty for well-done burger! I'm from the States so I'm used to having my burgers medium-rare.
This is my favourite brunch spot. I've only been there twice but both times it was -* chef's kiss*- delicious and worth the price. Some brunch spots you pay for ambiance. Other spots, you pay for quantity. At locus, the price is worth the excellent quality. We started with the bread basket that comes with two spiced butters. One sweet, one savoury. Both good. The sweet one was like cinnamon sugar and the other one tastes like something that one would use to season meat. I wish I knew what it was so that I could replicate it at home. :). The first time I ordered this, the bread was soft but cold. When we went this time, I asked for it toasted and it was much more enjoyable. For the mains, we had a wild mushroom benny (subbed the cashew cheese for brie), a seafood benny, and a duck confit benny. Each bite and morsel was delectable. My favourite was the mushroom benny with brie as it was just "mmmmmmmmmmm" and savoury. My sister loved the duck confit as the meat was tender and flavourful. Before we left, we also ordered a bread pudding à la mode and it is hands down, the best bread pudding we've ever had. Perfect amount of sweetness, crisp outsides, and cocoa nibs or some chocolate on the inside. Each bite had such delicious, chocolatey goodness. I highly recommend. Despite all that we ate and all the sweet and savoury flavours, the best part is that when we left, we were full but did not feel gross. The portion sizes were decent, and as I said...what you pay for is quality. I don't know how busy it gets because I've only ever been in on quiet Wednesday mornings but the staff is quite attentive and very accommodating. They have lots of gluten-free and vegan options as well. And the cocoa they use is fair trade. Try it out! Tip: when you get your fruit, take it off your plate and put it on the side if you're not going to eat it first. This way it doesn't get gross and warm.
I've walked by The Locus more times than I can count but never thought to drop by for food. They're located close to Hawkers Delight and Nam Nam Noodles. We dropped in on a Sunday (with 7:15pm reservations) but there were less than a handful of tables occupied. Service is great, especially the bartender who is incredibly friendly and upbeat. The menu consists of appetizers, salads, burgers, pastas and mains. They offer a few weekly specials; fish and chips (Tuesday), butcher's choice (Thursday) and a three course pre-fixe Sunday dinner ($25.00). - Double tequila cinnamon sour ($10.00) - this was their special of the evening. Nothing too memorable. - Scallops & prawns ($18.00) - Hokkaido scallops, jumbo black tiger prawns and bacon with a maple brown butter sauce. You get two scallops and two prawns. Tasty but a very, very small portion. - Sunday three course family dinner ($25.00) - beet salad, Central Park Farms pork chop and cheesecake. Beet salad was pleasant with goat cheese, beets, roasted hazelnuts and orange. Pork chop was excellent; moist and tender. Everything else on the plate was executed well, especially the fluffy mashed potatoes. The cheesecake was heartier, more robust than we anticipated (reminded me of some GF desserts I've had) but was quite enjoyable. - Halda gwali BC halibut ($32.00) - halibut was a touch overcooked. The carrots were interesting; hard to bite, almost raw. Not sure if that was deliberate. Black lentils were delicious along with the roasted artichoke purée. - BC brisket chuck burger ($18.00) - came with a salad and fries. T enjoyed it; burger was juicy. Relaxed, easy going spot to grab a bite. Might have to check out their happy hour next time.
LOVE the Locus! This is our neighbourhood go-to spot for family outings. The service is great, the menu options are solid, and the food is great! Drink options are really good too - bartenders know what they're doing, and you'll be treated every time. A lot of our friends love Locus as well.. and we often go together for family dinners.
4 years ago
6 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
7 years ago
I decided to take myself out for brunch before hitting up the Riley Park farmers market on Saturday. Locus gave me absolutely everything I was looking for. Service was great. Food was delicious. Coffee was caffeinated. I felt well attended to, but also comfortable to just hang out and read my book without being bothered. The server offered her suggestion for my brunch, and I was not lead astray. My hash was excellent, and I loved that it came with a good sized salad on the side. I'll totally be back! read more
7 years ago
My girlfriend and I were here for lunch. We ordered the protein Benny and classic eggs. The service was great. The food came in a reasonable time. The food was fine. I would prefer the hush browns to be less brown. Other than that, everything was great. read more
7 years ago
Happening place on Main Street. Good people, good food and great atmosphere. Prices are reasonable and food is good. Ordered the grilled ling cod and scallop dinner, with vegetables. Beautiful presentation and the meal was delicious. Mango chutney and red beat purée... wow! paired with a nice glass of Beach House Sauvignon Blanc! The servers were attentive, we had 2 ladies tag team and check up on us. I only disappointment was the carrot cake, dense crunchy and served naked.. by the means of cream cheese on the side? read more
13 years ago
Oh how I adore you brunch! But sometimes it can be so elusive because so many other people love you! Hooray for Locus though - since they are one of the few places to take reservations! On a snowy Saturday afternoon, me and my girlfriends entered a warm, cozy, trendy cabin like oasis for brunch. Lots of delicious options to choose from: waffles to a wide range of eggs benny to omelets to french toast and much more! They always have a huge selections of drinks: fair-trade coffees to teas to hot chocolate to libations to make your brunch a tipsy good time! Love how the Caesar came in a mason jar! While waiting for our food, seated in a comfy booth, we had a basket of bread. I devoured the cinnamon bread with some maple butter - SO GOOD! Soft and chewy - carb heaven! The chipotle butter was interesting, in a yummy spicy way. I decided on the Pulled Wild Boar Benny. The wild boar was soft and tender and had a lovely flavour like its cousin pulled pork. The pork was rich in flavour but with the perfectly poached egg and crispy, chewy english muffin, and hollandaise sauce it was a magical combination. To tie it all together, the roasted potatoes were cripsy on the outside and soft on the inside. A side of fruit was a good refreshing way to end the meal. I tried a bite from each of my girlfriends' meals... Blueberry waffles = delicious! French toast = delicious! Crab and shrimp benny = delicious! Overall, wonderful service (waters always topped up) and laid-back atmosphere that allowed us to catch up and enjoy our meal and not feel rushed. I will be back for *boar* ;) haha read more
This seems to be a popular place for birthday dinners, and I can see why. They have a large drink menu, with many of their cocktails available as pitchers. A cool and interesting vibe, and great service. We came here over the long weekend for a surprise birthday dinner. Our birthday boy was a bit late, but our waitress was very accomodating in that she brought us bread and made sure that we all had waters. There was no pressure for us to order drinks. When the birthday boy did arrive, the waitress made sure that she knew which one it was. We all shared a pitcher of the Champagne and apricot nectar sangria, with Champagne, Bacardi white rum, Brandy, Peach Schnapps, and Red Passion Alize, and apricot nectar juice. This was yummy, but couldn't really taste the alcohol. For food, I got the Miso Glazed Alaskan Black Cod, with chow mein noodles, roasted peppers, bok choy, green onion, ginger, shitake dashi. The cod itself was flavourful and soft, not overly cooked. The broth however, was a bit oily, which I didn't particularly enjoy. Also tried some Pulled Chicken Carbonara, and it was quite good as well. Creamy sauce, with wild mushrooms bits. The waitress was very nice throughout, refilling our drinks and made sure everything was alright. In the end, she even brought the birthday boy a free slice of their chocolate cake! read more
16 years ago
I was surprised the place was fairly empty when we came here for dinner despite it being the day before Christmas Eve but it filled up more later in the night. We were lured to come here because of the photos of every dish on their site - everything looks so good & we pretty much knew what we wanted to order because we even arrived. Plus, they are very veg-friendly. The restaurant decor is totally something you'd see in an art school sculpture department. Fantasticly eerie. I had the risotto cakes entree and chocolate mint creme brulee for dessert. The risotto cakes were amazing. I'm a vegetarian and something about their seasoning seriously made me think I was eating bacon when I was eating the mushrooms. Could be a good or bad thing. I just thought it was crazy that they were able to do that. It was like an explosion of flavours. The dessert was pretty good but their use of sad little out-of-season strawberries & blueberries as garnish wasn't really a smart move, in my opinion. I'd rather them use in-season fruits and have them taste MUCH better. My boyfriend had the potato gnocchi and a pie with a really long name. They were both really good although it was my first time trying gnocchi so I have nothing to compare it to. Our waitress was nice and polite. The vibe was super laid back and almost slow. So a good place for quiet conversation and a long relaxing dinner. A++ for food. It was delicious! read more
Bottom Line - The food is A-OK (3 star description). The bread served before the meal was pretty good. Came with a friend on Sunday, 30 January 2011 for lunch. We originally wanted dim sum a block down, but the wait there was a bit too long. The restaurant looks pretty modern; however, I noticed that the waiter computer is running on Windows95 (they had to reboot it). WHAT?!?!?! Do you have to dial in that shit? Anyways, it's a good thing that the food was more fresh than the operating system. Service was friendly, though the food took forever to come out of the kitchen (so we asked for more bread in the meantime). I had a seafood benedict for $14. It was good, but the hollandaise was a bit too tart. My friend had the Main Street Eggs and it looked pretty good. Along with a glass of juice for each of us (carrot for me and orange juice for him), our total came to $33.00 + 4.62 HST + 7.00 tip = $44.62 total for the two of us. I'd come back... though hopefully next time we'll be able to wait it out for dim sum. read more
11 years ago
Locus has a cozy, casual and trendy vibe with interesting decor and nice ambience. It specializes in fusion food, but the overpriced food was not that great nor the wine. Everyone here on Yelp seems to rave about the brunch or lunch, but we came for dinner for a friend's birthday dinner and were very disappointed. At least the cocktails were yummy. I wouldn't come here to eat, but more to chill and drink. The one really gooood dish was the Szechuan Seafood Penne. Everything else was not good or just average. Not worth the prices. read more
8 years ago
8 years ago
14 years ago
With a full breakfast and brunch menu that includes some great vegetarian options, Locus is my go-to casual brunch spot. The food is reliably hearty with traditional breakfast fare like huevos rancheros (my favourite!), scrambled eggs, bennys, pancakes and waffles that are a lot tastier and health conscious than your average diner. Coffee is excellent, but doesn't come with free refills. Their chocolate hazelnut mousse cake is phenomenal, with a crunchy meringue base and a rich but not-too-sweet chocolate body. Mmm-mmm. The atmosphere at Locus is relaxed and comfortable. Service is friendly. The space can get loud during weekend brunch and lunch, so if you're looking to have a quiet heart to heart with your dining mate, consider the tables up at the front, separate from the main dining area. read more
10 years ago
Really good food with unique combinations and friendly staff. We started with the Brussel sprouts and Brie cheese - both were delicious. If you have to choose one, get the Brussel sprouts. I asked the server about the three seafood options and went with her recommendation. The seafood plate - noodles, mussels, prawns and scallops was great. Very nice sauce. Not much menu selection outside of breakfast, so I only gave a four. read more
8 years ago
8 years ago
This place was really good for brunch! I liked the atmosphere and the staff were nice/friendly. They were totally accommodating for our keto-based diet requests to make alterations and even suggested substitutes. The coffee was small and we were charged for refills, but everything was tasty and I'm sure we'll be back! read more
11 years ago
Stepped in here for lunch with some business partners and enjoyed it very much. I went for the honey Mead to drink. It was okay. I probably should have went with the Saison but there's always next time. My entree however, was fabulous. It seems to have a bit of an Asian fusion theme and so the penne pasta that came with chicken and unbelievably spiced chorizo had creamy Schezuan sauce to accompany. I've never had anything quite like this and I LOVED it. I definitely recommend this unique pairing of flavors to anyone perusing the menu. My friend's veggie burger came with fresh potatoes and looked quite good as well. read more
I still like this spot after many years. They have excellent service and great food. I stopped by after work for a happy hour drink & appetizer. I was more than satisfied. All beer on tap were $4 a pint...a hard find these days. I also was happy with their selection of local beer. I had the Fat Tug IPA, which is one of my faves. For substance, I had the prawns & mussels appetizer. All appies %50 off at happy hour. The food was fresh. I especially enjoyed the prawns & the broth. The service was great! It may also be due to the fact it was happy hour & not too many folk were out and about yet, but I was impressed. I was quickly served, given bread w/spiced butter as I awaited my order & was constantly checked on. Good stuff! Thanks, Locus. read more
6 years ago
9 years ago
16 years ago
I LOVE eating at Locus - the food is simply delicious! Brunch, lunch or dinner... it's all good. ;) You may find yourself waiting for brunch on the weekends, but rest assured it's well worth it! Dinner time is usually a lot easier to get in - we often get our pick of tables when we get a night time craving for Locus goodness. Either way, day or night, I've never had a meal at Locus I didn't love! read more
12 years ago
Very solid 4, considering the ambience, uniqueness and to have this eclectic place in Main St, in what seems like Gastown, Locus does it good. A date worth place to impress, casual, yet the curvy, neon-lit bar does give a hint of trendiness. There's also a nice fireplace column smack in the middle, and a forest theme on the right side, so it's a bit of a weird mix. But back to the food: ordered the duck skillet and benedict with the Wild Boar, and both were deleesh. One minor criticism is the lack of duck meat, esp. in comparison to the boar which was all over the place, a heap so big that some were falling off the well-crispy english muffin. And the latter came with a nice side of cut fruits too. Liked the cheese, hash browns, caramelized onions and my excellent choice of poached eggs so every bite came with the good gooey stuff. Side order of house green salad a nice bonus too. AMEX accepted, I knew I should give this a 5 star ;) Lots of metered parking all around. clean washrooms. read more
7 years ago
16 years ago
Food - 3 1/2 stars Ambiance - 3 1/2 stars Décor - 3 1/2 stars Service - 3 stars Value - 3 stars Brunching is a lovely way to jump start a wonderful and relaxing weekend. This week is no different - my boyfriend and I visited Locus on Main. Located on Main st and King Edward Ave, Locus serves a fusion of modern and classic brunch favorites. I adore the natural yet Gothic décor at this restaurant - it provides a very lay-back and relaxing casual dining atmosphere. The service was a little slow and we waited over 10 minutes for the menu; however, we were pleasantly impressed upon the presentation of the bread baskets with slices of raisin and sour dough bread. The bread was delightful - warm and soft paired with 2 types of delicious whipped butter - sweet cinnamon sugar butter and savory sun-dried tomato butter. We ordered: Traditional Benny $13 - Fraser Valley smoked ham, fresh tomatoes & hollandaise served with rosemary nugget potatoes and fresh fruit. The highlight of this dish is the ham - it had a nice sweet and hickory balance of smokiness and texture. The other ingredients were average. Main St Eggs $13 - 2 eggs any style with edam cheese, baked beans, sour cream and chorizo links. The chorizo was simply awesome. The other ingredients were average. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Locus; however, the food was average and not mind blowing. If you are an early bird, arrive between 9am ~ 10am and enjoy their Early Bird Special for $8 - featuring two free range eggs, nugget potatoes and your choice of chorizo, Mennonite turkey sausage, spicy lamb sausage, veggie links, ham or bacon. read more
7 years ago
Amazing food. I was able to order lunch for breakfast (pretty much my favourite thing ever). The scallop salad was to die for and the bread bowl was a really nice touch. Great service and nice music choice as well :) read more
9 years ago
Locus is definitely a spot you must try while in Vancouver. It's located right on the corner of Main and E King Edward Avenue. It's a bit dark from the outside but the inside has a semi-gothic, rustic, "eclectic" feel. My friend and I went early on a Saturday for brunch. I had the Wild Boar Benny which was delicious af and she had a chicken sandwich that tasted like everything great about Thanksgiving wrapped in one dish. They have plenty of beers on tap and cocktails to sip on while enjoying your meal. Also, don't feel bad if you eat your brunch in silence with your company because you're just too into the food. It happens. read more
6 years ago
8 years ago
4 years ago
12 years ago
Had the stuffed french toast, which is really more of a french toast roll as the fruit stuffing is spread over the toast and then rolled up and fried. It was a bit over-fried for my taste (there were even some burnt black bits). Overall, it was only ok. Service is pretty good, the server came by with the bread basket and explained to me what bread and spreads they had etc. read more
More info about The Locus
4121 Main Street
Vancouver, BC V5V 3P6
Canada
Riley Park
Directions
(604) 708-4121
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.locusonmain.com
Full menu
Hours
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
From the Business
More Info
Health Score
The Locus Reviews in Other Languages
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
12 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
14 years ago
16 years ago
11 years ago
10 years ago
9 years ago
13 years ago
14 years ago
16 years ago
6 years ago
15 years ago
7 years ago
12 years ago
