Robert WebbThe 5 Best Breakfast Diners in Vancouver
Already running late from work or an errand but you suddenly felt that hunger noises from your tummy?
You might want to stop by first or at least grab some food to take out and fill yourself with some good energy.
After all, the first meal of the day is done best without any rush and so we made you a list of the best breakfast diners in Vancouver.
How much does a meal in a breakfast diner cost in Vancouver?
As the old saying goes, “Eat breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince; dinner like a pauper.”
Don’t hesitate to spend money on food, especially for your first meal of the day so you might want to consider checking the list of costing range:
The Best Breakfast Diners in Vancouver
Given the cost range above, we selected these various breakfast diners based on the following criteria to assure the best choice possible for your food and overall dining experience:
1. Lucy’s Eastside Diner
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Food variation | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Quality of food | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Lucy’s Eastside Diner is known for its multiple signature dishes and for welcoming its customers with a vintage and retro interior. It surely knows how to leave a lasting impression on the overall dining experience.
Lucy’s all-day breakfast menu offers a wide variety of items. Among their specialties are eggs benny, breakfast burrito, sandwiches, pancakes, cinnamon French toast, and Lucy’s Scramble, among others.
Lucy’s Scramble is a classic breakfast dish made up of two eggs served with hash browns, bacon, mushrooms, onions, cream cheese, and a toast on the sides.
Another must try for breakfast here is Lucy’s Triple Threat. Its name is a word play for its three main ingredients namely three pieces of eggs, bacon, and ham.
One of the things to consider here is that Lucy’s is open 24/7 so you can enjoy its food any time of the day. Its breakfast meals are really something to really look forward to!
On the downside, since it’s open 24/7, expect longer queues than usual. Dining areas aren’t as spacious as other diners as well.
Lucy’s received good ratings and commentaries regarding its staff. Most of the customers we spoke to were quite satisfied and happy with the customer service.
Prices are relatively cheap compared to other diners. However, some diners revealed that there is quite an inconsistency as far as quality control is concerned specifically regarding the pancakes that are being served.
Regardless, Lucy’s is still a must try when in Vancouver. Besides, you wouldn’t want to miss out on a great breakfast meal while having that sense of nostalgia just because of one or two comments online, right?
Pros
- Wide variety of food
- Relatively cheap food
- Open 24/7
- Friendly staff
- Online orders available
Cons
- Satisfactory quality control
- Longer queues
- Not as spacious as other diners
Customer Reviews
Simply fresh and delicious
“The milkshakes were sooooo luxurious and freshly made. You also get to mix two flavors!! The meatloaf was fantastic and the servers were so nice 🙂 Fries are freshly made too! Super crispy and fluffy.” – E, Google Reviews
Top-notch service
“I loved this place. Went on Friday with a few friends. Lovely place, love the decor, food was great and service was top notch. They know what service is, unfortunately now days that’s so hard to find. Will most certainly be coming back!” – Claudia Feria, Google Reviews
2. The Templeton
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Food variation | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Quality of food | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
If you’re in for another trip down memory lane while eating a delicious breakfast meal, then The Templeton is the place to be.
The Templeton is one of the old school yet famous diners in Vancouver. It is known for serving breakfast meals, specifically egg dishes, burgers, pancakes, and toasts, among others.
Add a little flavor to your dining experience by playing the jukebox and blasting some classic music. You might want to try their milkshakes which are available in 11 different flavors.
We gave The Templeton almost a perfect score given vast options in its menu at a very affordable price.
The Templeton welcomes you with a well-preserved venue which speaks volumes about its overall image as a diner. On top of that, it provides quality customer service given its friendly staff.
The saying, “Old but gold,” pretty much applies when you visit The Templeton. However, just like most diners, its dining areas aren’t as spacious plus it has limited seating capacity as well.
Pros
- Wide variety of food
- Relatively cheap food
- Great customer service
- Well-preserved venue
Cons
- Not as spacious as other diners
- Limited seating capacity
Customer Reviews
Welcoming environment
“This spot is Awesome!!! It’s a cute small cafe with home style cooking. It has the cutest decor and the staff is amazing. We tried other breakfast spots in this area and they don’t compare. The breakfast is hot, fresh, and delicious. Everything was cooked to perfection. My hot cocoa was great too. We were visiting from Texas and this was one of the spots that reminded us of home with the food. Nice portion sizes too. The do have a cute clean restroom through the kitchen if you are like me and always need to go. You have to visit this spot whether you are local or visiting.” – Demetria Hargrove, Google Reviews
Old but gold
“Really cool, OLD SCHOOL diner! A line to get in, and worth every minute of the wait. Juke boxes, super tight seating, amazing coffee, great menu and a super fast short order cook. Pancakes were fluffy and perfect way to start the day in Vancouver.” – Vincent Thomas, Google Reviews
3. The Red Wagon Café
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Food variation | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Quality of food | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
We’ll get straight to the point and consider that The Red Wagon Café is one of the high-end café diners in Vancouver.
The Red Wagon Café simply offers one of the most delicious foods out of the multiple diners in Vancouver. It is well-known for serving pancakes, sandwiches, egg, dishes, and salads, among others.
For egg-lovers out there, two dishes that we found very unique here are the tofu scramble and the smoked salmon scramble. Its menu, however, only provides limited options.
Rest assured though that the food quality is superb!
One of the things you also need to consider why you need to try The Red Wagon Café is that it offers a wider dining area compared to most diners. Their al fresco dining area certainly enhances the experience.
Given these conditions, we consider The Red Wagon Café a lovely place for a hangout spot or even dating spot.
Just one friendly tip again, for as long as you have that budget, don’t compromise money for one savory dish.
Pros
- Open everyday
- Good reviews on food quality
- Welcoming environment
- Al fresco dining
Cons
- Food is relatively expensive
- No reservations
- Limited selection of food
Customer Reviews
Hats off to the chef
“I think this might have been the best breakfast I’ve ever had. The super trucker was amazing. Creamy scramble eggs, perfectly cooked back bacon and thick pancakes. Hats off to the chef. And the serving staff were fantastic! So polite and friendly! Thank you for a wonderful experience! It made my day!” – Kevin Girdharry, Google Reviews
A warm welcome
“Great location for a hearty breakfast and lunch! Good prices, classic food, consistent quality. Love the music! Staff are quick, efficient and friendly. The pesto oil is delicious and the new spot is awesome!” – Gee, Google Reviews
4. Sophie’s Cosmic Café
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Food variation | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Quality of food | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
There’s a reason why Sophie’s Cosmic Café easily becomes a returnee in one of our lists. If you haven’t checked it out yet, Sophie’s is already included in The Best 5 Breakfast Cafes in Vancouver.*
For one, Sophie’s is definitely one of the go-to diners here for having the widest selection of food and beverages.
Secondly, Sophie’s, a café diner which has been running for the past three decades, offers various specialty dishes from its egg dishes, omelettes, burgers, sandwiches, milkshakes, and coffee.
Its milkshake menu alone offers 25 different flavors and the specialty coffee and tea are also a must try!
We also suggest that you take a cup of its Cloud Nine and Diamond Coffee among its specialty drinks.
We also consider Sophie’s both a family and kid-friendly diner not only because of its retro vibe but also because of the food selection.
Sophie’s welcomes its customers every day and its food quality gives justification for its relatively expensive price range.
Then again, Sophie’s dining area isn’t as spacious as other diners. But if you don’t really mind waiting in line and enjoying food over tiny little spaces then Sophie’s is a must-visit for sure.
Pros
- Has the widest selection of food and drinks
- Offers many specialty dishes
- Open everyday
- Established name for the past three decades
Cons
- Dining area is relatively cramped
- Relatively expensive food
- Longer queues
Customer Reviews
‘Absolutely killer’
“Great little cafe, tons of cool nostalgia all over the walls. Coffee was great. classic eggs Benny was perfect as well. Pancakes were huge and fluffy. But the deep fried homefries? Absolutely killer. Maybe the best breakfast potatoes I’ve had.
And our server was a delight, attentive, patient and friendly.” – Stefan Rees, Google Reviews
Friendly crew
“Excellent service. Our hostess found us a table close to where we could be with our dog and our server, Tim, took loads of time helping with our food and beverage order. The food was delicious and well presented. My kids loved their natural and flavourful milkshakes. We will definitely be back.” – More Memorable Events, Google Reviews
5. Fable Diner
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Food variation | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Quality of food | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
In this list, Fable Diner likewise almost got a perfect score based on the criteria that we have provided.
Fable Diner is a personal favorite among this list for many reasons
Aside from giving the best presentation in its food, rest assured that Fable Diner will be able to bring you another twist with its high-quality taste and flavor.
They have a wide selection among egg dishes, burgers, sandwiches, and salads, among others.
If you simply want a classic breakfast, we suggest trying its All-Day Breakfast or Breakfast Sandwich.
The same goes for its B.L.T (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato) and Main Street among many choices for its burger menu.
Fable Diner is also known for serving top-notch breakfast meals made out of house-made, fresh, and locally sourced ingredients at a very affordable and reasonable price.
Reservations are allowed in Fable Diner and its dining areas, which brings you a mix of old school and new school vibe. It is also much more spacious compared to other diners.
Due to its popularity, expect a crowded place and longer queue than usual so booking early reservations is also highly suggested.
Overall, we took the liberty to add Fable Diner because we don’t want you to miss out one of the best dining experiences in Vancouver.
Pros
- Open everyday
- Wide variety of food
- Reservations allowed
Cons
- Usually a crowded place to visit
- Expect longer queues
Customer Reviews
Better than advertised
“Great and reasonable spot for breakfast! Coffee was really good, and the service was excellent! The “basic” breakfast was perfect and we appreciated being able to have avocado as a side option instead of meat. It seemed as though everyone else in the restaurant was having a milkshake so we are planning to return another day to give one a try! Recommended!” – Jacqueline Cullimore, Google Reviews
Extra delicious
“Small diner with creative dishes. Their menu is small but every dish has amazing quality and flavour. I had the salted caramel French toast and damn it was delicious! I was also eyeing their milkshakes which are extravagant and creamy but the meal was filling enough already. Will definitely come back to try more stuff!” – Den D, Google Reviews
FAQs about Breakfast Diners
That concludes our list of the best breakfast diners in Vancouver. We hope our reviews helped you in selecting where to grab your first meal of the day.
If you’re not in any rush still, what better way to follow up a satisfying breakfast with coffee. Fortunately, we got you covered as we present to you the best coffee shops in Vancouver.
