We are often asked where is a good place to go for brunch, coffee, dinner, live music or drinks in East Van. So in the coming months we will be featuring a list of some of our personal favourites as well as those we’ve been hearing great things about. As East Van covers are fair of bit land mass, we will be breaking up our lists into geographic areas such as Mount Pleasant, The Drive, Fraser Street and Main Street. Today, we are starting with brunch in Hastings Sunrise and its surrounding area and wish to thank our friends over at Vancouver East Village for sharing some of their tips. So here’s some spots we recommend.
Aleph Eatery: 1889 Powell Street – Brunch Served Wed to Sun 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Aleph Eatery is a Middle Eastern restaurant that opened in December 2017. They have a simple brunch menu which is vegetarian. One of the their brunch items includes Shakshuka a classic Middle Eastern breakfast dish with a spiced tomato sauce, organic eggs and fresh herbs. This is served with their amazing flatbread. Having been to this spot for dinner only so far, we can attest to some of the amazing flavours which explains why brunch is already a busy spot here.
Chomp Vegan Eatery – 2234 Hastings Street – Sundays 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Chomp Vegan Eatery is now serving brunch on Sundays from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. This still relatively new spot serves Berry Full French Toast, Bananana Pancakes, Memphis Slow Cooked Pulled-Pork Sandwich which is BBQ’d jackfruit, Avocado Toast and more. They use organic products whenever possible and have gluten free options available. For their full menu, visit Chomp Vegan Eatery.
Jackalope’s Dive: 2257 East Hastings Street Brunch Served Sat & Sun 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
So this is a newish spot in the Hastings Sunrise area offering Southern comfort and cold drinks. The décor we are going to describe simply as ‘eclectic’. For food, you will find corn cakes with baked beans, mac and cheese and slow cooked meal dishes along with cheesy egg bennies for brunch. As the owners are vegetarians, there are lots of veggie alternative items.
Scandillious: 25 Victoria Drive – Breakfast Served All Day
If you are looking for waffles, this is the spot. Whether it’s sweet or savoury, they have you covered with a few varieties all with a Scanadivian twist. Gluten free options are also available. If you aren’t brunching on the weekend, keep an eye out for Toonie Tuesdays and you get a plain waffle with syrup for $2.00. Breakfast is served all day Monday to Friday 7:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday & Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Red Wagon Café: 2296 East Hastings Street – Breakfast Served Sat & Sun 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
If you are any kind of foodie, you will know the Red Wagon Café was featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and their Pulled Pork Pancakes with Jack Daniels spiked maple syrup is now legendary. Although, if you follow them on Twitter or Instagram, you will see they make some amazing meals and the term ‘diner’ and ‘café’ is a bit deceiving, as they offer some great dishes. Again, line ups are common, so be prepared. Oh and remember to bring your appetite, no small portions here, great spot for sharing with friends.
Roundel Café: 2465 East Hastings St. – Breakfast Served 7 Days A Week Mon to Fri 9-4/Sat & Sun 9-5
Roundel Cafe is a funky spot that looks like an old diner all grown up. It has “retro tables like your grandma’s, booths to cozy into, fresh and vintage tunes in the background. Park the bike and the pup right out front and on sunny days the windows opened up. Often a full house, this is one of the oldest and most popular diners in East Van.” Say our friends at Vancouver East Village. The focus here is fresh, locally sourced, grass fed meats and organic eats. The brunches we hear are outstanding. The service is casual, fun and sometimes sassy. They are licensed with a few local beers on tap and offer ‘Spiked Boozy Shakes’.
Yolk’s Breakfast: 1598 East Hastings St – Breakfast Served Daily 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Yolk’s Breakfast has truly mastered the art of the perfect egg and that is their specialty as the name infers. Mind you, there are a few other things they are known for such as their fried chicken with waffles, beignets and of course a personal favourite the Truffle Lemon Hashbrowns (pictured below). Take note, there is pretty much always a line, so expect to wait for a bit. Having said that, we do give this spot high marks for hustling and keep things moving along. Food is great as is the service. Added bonus is they are now in new swanky digs at 1598 as of the end of November 2017, just blocks away from their former location.
While you are in this part of East Van, there is so much else to see and do. If you are looking to carry on after brunch and do a bit of wandering, you certainly don’t have to wander far. Less than a block from Yolk’s Breakfast, you can do some antiquing at the Antiques Warehouse. And mere steps from the Antiques Warehouse is one of East Van’s newer breweries, Callister Brewing. So you can pop in for some beer tasting. If you wish to walk a bit more, a few blocks away on Powell Street, you will also find Doan’s Craft Brewing. Doan’s not only has German style beer, but one thing we truly love, an arcade game with some 80 games include Pac Man and Galatica and only .25 cents per game. Other craft beer tasting options include Parallel 49 Brewing, Storm Brewing which are all within easy walking or cycling distance. In the same neighborhood at 1725 Powell Street is one of our favourite spots Odd Society Spirits which make East Van Vodka, Wallflower Gin, Mongrel and Crème de Cassis. If you get a chance, be sure to check out their cool lounge which serves some amazing cocktails. If you prefer tasting on the non-alcoholic front, there is Da Oliva Tasting Bar at 2632 East Hastings near Slocan. They have an amazing selection of olive oils and vinegars to taste. We could keep going as this area has so much to offer, but we will let you discover that on your own.
If we missed your favourite brunch spot that you think should be included, drop up us a line ILiveInEastVan@gmail.com and tell us why it should be included.
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Tags: Antiques Warehouse, Brunch, Callister Brewing, Campagnolo Roma, Chomp Vegan Eatery, Da Oliva Tasting Bar, Doan's Craft Brewing, East Vancouver, Jackalope's Dive, Odd Society Spirits, Red Wagon Cafe, Roundel Cafe, Scandillious, Storm Brewing, Yolks Breakfast
River District located in SE Vancouver along the Fraser River is hosting their 3rd Annual Winter Craft Fair. For those unfamiliar to the area it’s located at 8683 Kerr Street at the foot of Kerr Street just below SE Marine Drive). The Winter Craft Fair will be showcasing local products and vendors starting Sunday, November 1st from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. The Winter Craft Fair will continue every Sunday until December 27th. Admission is free. Some of the vendors they have lined up for the first two weekends include the Laughing Sparrow with modern handmade jewellery, The Beautiful Nomad with handmade jewellery made from shells, pearls, crystals and semi-precious stones as well as Stepping Stones Bakery, Chicka Bites Baked Goods and MB Furniture Revival, a local company which takes used furniture and turns shabby into chic. Note, although some of the vendors may take credit cards, many are cash only. So be sure to have some on hand. Come down by the river and support local.
ILiveInEastVan.com 