Where To Eat - Mountaineering & Climbing Location Restaurant

Restaurant recommendations for Lower Mainland area mountaineering destinations.

Where to Eat?

Eating is an important part of mountaineering. However, this article is not about "mountaineering foods" in the traditional, freeze dried glop sense. Rather, it is more in the way of a listing of some worthwhile restaurants in a few places local mountaineers are likely to find themselves. Too often, climbers are unwilling to try a new restaurant in case it turns out to be bad; this leads to Tim Horton's syndrome where one ends up eating at a mediocre chain place just because it is a known quantity.

Additionally, where known, it has been listed where restaurants (or other eating establishments) are content to have customers linger for long periods of time. This can be useful when waiting out bad weather.

This list is lower Mainland centric. Others are encouraged to enter their own finds as comments appended to the bottom of the list.

North Shore: There is so much to choose from that it makes little sense to list it all. The Grouse Nest on top of Grouse is popular with Grouse Grinders. The microscopic ski area cafeteria on Seymour is passable if you need a grease fix. West Van and Deep Cove have Bean Around The World, a coffee bar far superior to Starbucks, and conducive to long periods of loitering. The Troller Pub in Horseshoe Bay makes a good stop off after going up the Lions, Harvey or Brunswick.

Bowen Island: Bowen Island Pub (the one at the top of the hill) is better IMHO than Doc Morgan's by the ferry terminal.

Powell River: Eagle's Landing Bistro near the Eldred Valley turnoff, or La Casita (Mexican) in downtown. Rocky Mountain Pizza does a decent lunch altho a slice is expensive by Vancouver standards.

Squamish area: There is very little reason to hit any of the chains, unless you are meeting someone, in which case Starbuck's is convenient. For breakfast, the Klahanie is somewhat pricy. Toasters in the Super 8 Motel is a nice place with enormous portions (good luck finishing ANYTHING). The Brackendale Cafe in Brackendale does a good breakfast too, although friends have complained of cold food. Eagle's Run cafe in south Brackendale is the best cafe for morning java. For lunch, this unnamed sub place on Cleveland, kitty-corner from the old Quinn's Cafe site, makes by far the best and cheapest lunch around. The guy is apparently running the place because he loves making sandwiches, not to get rich. You might have to wait a while, he works slow, but the results are worth it. For dinner, Howe Sound Brew Pub and Shady Tree are the two pubs. Each has their fans. Brew Pub has a better view and sometimes climbing slideshows. If you are a dirtbag seeking grease, the Mountain Burger House serves it. Expats can get meat pie's at Shakespeare's, or mushy peas and fish and chips at the Wigan Peir in Garibaldi Highlands. You can also get a grease fix in Brittania at Mountain Woman Fish & Chips.

Whistler: most everything is severely overpriced. But if you can afford it, there's lots to choose from.

Pemberton: hands down winners are Pony Expresso for breakfast, lunch and coffee, or just hanging out after a trip, and the Wicked Wheel Pizza in Mt Currie for dinner. Milk shakes in the summer at Shrub's next door to the Pony. Pemberton Hotel is a poor second choice to Wicked Wheel unless you like cigarette smoke and want to play a game of Keno. It does have a bar though.

Chilliwack: for breakfast, the Airport Cafe. Also does amazing pie for lunch. Closes early at 7 PM, so not a great dinner choice. Mill St Cafe in Chilliwack is the best place in town for dinner and wouldn't be out of place in Vancouver. Rather a 'hip' establishment, even imports Vancouver DJ's the odd Saturday night. On the south (Sardis) side, aside from chains like Earl's, the Major League 2 sports pub has ridiculously cheap food. Avoid the Jolly Miller Pub, it has slid down in quality. In the Chilliwack Valley itself, Pointa Vista Cafe and Auto Repair is almost the only game in town. It is just greasy spoon stuff, but the closest thing to the peaks if you just came down from an uplanned bivi on Slesse and are ravenous. Also opens early for the fishermen.

Bridal Falls: the Wildcat Grill on Highway 9 is just north of the turnoff, next to the gas station. Good food and open fairly late.

Agassiz: I don't know much about the restaurants but the bakery next to the liquor store is probably the best in the whole Fraser Valley. Not open Sunday, though. Get a loaf of raisin bread, it'll be gone before Yale.

Highway 7: the Sasquatch Inn at Harrison Mills is traditional grease and/or beer stop when heading to or from the Chehalis. The redneck factor is high, so prepare to talk about monster trucks and firearms.

Harrison Hot Springs: I usually go to The Old Settler, after all, they named it after the my favourite mountain. The menu is OK too, and there's a good selection of draught beer. A friend of mine recommends the Lido, especially for seafood; it's a bit more pricy. The main burger stand in town is expensive and you don't get much for what you pay.

Hope: Home Restaurant has many fans, and is one of the Lower Mainland's better diners. The Silver Chalice is the pub if you need beer after climbing the Mousetrap. Dee's Riverside Cafe, aka More Than Donuts, is traditional for pie and ice cream after a summer climb. The ice cream is Fraser Valley local made and value for money. The Hope bouldering scene revolves around a restaurant, Darrel's Place, a legendary greasy spoon that serves all day breakfasts of ridiculous size. You can find it on Wilson St. near the Hope Municipal building and park. In the same vicinity is the Blue Moose Cafe which has good coffee and sandwiches. Rolly's Restaurant does pancakes well in the AM. If you are in a hurry you can get White Spot burgers to go at a Triple O's in the Chevron on the Hwy 3/5 side of town.

Boston Bar: do not eat at the Charles Hotel or adjoining Pig's Ear Saloon: too many health code violations for comfort. Instead, hit the Railway Cafe across the bridge in North Bend, or the 24 hour truck stop at Canyon Alpine, 5 minutes north of Boston bar on the #1 Highway. Canyon Alpine is much better than the adjacent Green Canyon Motor Inn across the highway. Canyon Alpine is also lounging-tolerant if you need to wait out a 2 hour rainstorm or dry out ice climbing gear (laundromat next door too!)

Lillooet: the ice climbing scene revolves around the Reynolds Hotel for breakfast, and Mugs and Jugs Pub for beer. The question of whether to eat dinner at Mugs and Jugs Pub or at a restaurant first is still unsettled, with both sides arguing persuasively. Vegetarian options at M&J are limited, so this factor may sway your decision. Dina's Place does decent Greek food. Mugs and Jugs seems quite happy to have you hang out, drying all your ice climbing gear by the fireplace, for up to 6 hours at a time in winter, provided at least one person in the party is sloooowly drinking a beer...worth noting if you can't afford a motel and didn't bring two sets of ropes and clothing.

Spence's Bridge: the Garuda Inn (formerly the Steelhead Inn), on the south side, is no longer run by Hare Krishnas, but still empasizes organicy-type food and fresh baked bread. Eat on the patio for a good view of nesting ospreys in the spring. The Log Cabin Pub is one of the nicer old school pubs around. Rumor's, on Hwy 1, does a business with rafting groups, but the food is not all that great.

Gold Bridge: the Gold Bridge Hotel is basically the only game in town. The restaurant is much more sedate than the beer hall. There is a place in Bralorne (Miner's Grill or something) but it never seems to be open when I'm there.

Cache Creek: although a plentitude of restaurants exist in town, the Nag's Stop Cafe, 5 minutes south, is by far the best, in my opinion. The Nag's is another combo restaurant and auto repair place (what is it with this combo?) At the other end of town, "Hungry Herbie's" at the north end of town, is pretty low quality, but offers all you can eat pancakes for breakfast for $3.95 - a combo the late John Millar was fond of capitalizing on before a day of Marble Canyon ice climbing. Perhaps it was this place Greg Child was thinking of when he characterized the restaurant he ate at on a return trip from the Waddington Range as "chew and spew"?
Recommended By:   Rick Barichello   Andrew Wong   Peter Malacarne   Gerry Kollmuss   Jennifer Nageli   Ron Enns   Zoran Vasic   Gareth Evans   Lee Lau   Jason Addy   Wulf Pirang   Ross Sturgeon   Mike Cleven   Jason Dixon   Robert Ballantyne   Mitch Sulkers   Steven Harng

Comments Insert

2007.07.13 Perberton and Mt Currie By Chris Nott
Pams Cookshack is closed and for sale. The pizza place in Mt Currie is now call Yukon Joes something-or-other and is closed on Mondays. Big Mountain Smokehouse is still closed. Service at the Pony Expresso is slow and I hope you like raw onion garnish. Service at the Wicked Wheel is also slow but the food is decent. Service at the Centennial Cafe is lightning quick but be wary of their western fare (the hot chicken sandwich was more along the lines of pressed chicken pieces with a thin gravy glaze with vegetable and bread garnish).

2007.07.12 Highway 20 in the North Cascades - Cascadian Farms, The Eatery By Vida Morkunas
Hankering for that espresso to help you deal with driving to the border, and with the wait to the border? I like to stop at Cascadian Farms near Mile Post 100 for that tasty hand-churned ice cream (made with the organic fruit and berries that they grow on location), I also pick up some fresh fruit to munch on which I am still driving in the US, with a strong espresso or two to help fight the sleepies on the long drive home. Between Rockport and Marblemount there's The Eatery which serves plentiful good healthy fare in a chaotic country kitchen atmosphere, delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Their cinnamon buns are legendary (they were giving them away at the SR20 opening this year). Mind the bunnies outside of the restaurant - there's hundreds of them. If you have some time to spare, Blue Heron Farm in Rockport is also worth a stop. Spendid organic produce.

2006.07.16 Pemberton - Pony Espresso Open Again! By Andrew Wong
The Pony Espresso reopened a few months ago. It took over the site of a former Pemberton restaurant whose name escapes me. Drive west past the Petro-Can, past the school, then look for the red building. New place has a patio, more room and seating, and level floors. Still retains the Pemberton casual feel. Nice place, but I somewhat miss the old charm of the almost-falling-apart feeling of the old place (cheek-to-jowl seating, bumpy floors). And the horse hitching post is no more.

2006.02.18 Pemberton Wicked Wheel Re-opening By Andrew Wong
As reported in the February 16, 2006 edition of the Pique Newsmagazine, The Wicked Wheel, formerly located in Mt Currie, is re-opening in Pemberton at the Old Busterino's site. Opening day is sometime by end of March, 2006.

2005.11.01 Sasquatch Inn By Jennifer Nageli
Updating Mike's suggestion, the Sasquatch Inn Restaurant is under renovation, logpile style. Their food is served at the pub however. Of special note is their hill sized shrimp ceasar salad, and the mushroom burgers. And for late Chehalis/Harrison starts you can collect beer from the store, at 10 o'clock on a Sunday, we discovered.

2005.10.03 Pony Espresso closed By Chris Kiely
In Pemberton, the venerable Pony Espresso as we know it has ceased to exist - but soon it will be reborn again in a new location! A couple of months, I'm guessing. See the WildWood in the meantime - just next to the Petro Canada in the same strip mall as the video store.

Also, in MT Currie, the Big Smoke (previously the Wicked Wheel) had closed down for in indefinite amount of time for reasons undetermined.

2005.05.16 For Fraser Valley By Lee Lau
I know this is a little higher class for climbing/mountaineering food but skip the Home Restaurant after a cold ski tour in the Coquihalla and head to Chilli's - a Thai Restaurant in the old town of Chilliwack on Yale Road. Yes! Great Thai food in Chilliwack - I kid you not

2005.05.14 Wildwood cafe By Chris Kiely
The Wildwood is another good place in Whistler (function junction) and also a location recently opened in Pemberton, in the new complex next to the Petro Canada that houses the video store.

In Mount Currie, the Wicked Wheel has closed down due to a series of unfortunate events, but is now replaced by a place called "The Big Smoke", specializing in BBQ. I've only been there once, and had the tortillas. Very good for a place that specializes in BBQ.

2005.05.14 Toasters in the Super 8 Motel is a nice place with enormous portions (good luck finishing ANYTHING). By Ray Borbon
I second this place.

Get the peacekeeper if you think you are hungry. Or if you want to share a breakfast.

Yum.

2003.08.13 Wow, lots of info - maybe a good idea to put this information into town records By Scott Nelson
Drew,

Great idea for an articles, but given the enthusiastic response it's starting to get pretty long and difficult to sort through. Maybe we could convince Robin could add a 'Places to Eat' data field to the town records so all this great information could be sorted out better. Scott.

2003.08.08 Rowena's By Don Luymes
I think Mike Cleven is referring to Rowena's, which is part of the Pretty Family's stable of properties which include Sandpiper Golf Course, on which Rowena's is located. There is a second restaurant on the golf course that opened just this year, called the River's Edge. It's a bit more casual than Rowena's, populated mostly by golfers (be warned . . .).

2003.08.07 Chehalis eats/dining By Mike Cleven
Should have thought to mention the Sasquatch Inn already, which is your typical greasy-but-hearty beer parlour food. But for those who've had time to shower after their climbs, there's a very nice restaurant on the Harrison River, just up from the highway; fine dining and good service, a bit pricey but highly recommended. In an old Victorian/Edwardian-era house as I recall. Not "Lucy's" or "Andrea's" but something like that - the possessive form of a woman's name.......sound familiar?

2003.06.19 Mission area By Wulf Pirang
The pub in Ruskin that Mike Cleven refers to is the "Shake and Shingle" and the food is first class. 5 km east of Mission on hwy.7 is "Micheals Restaurant".The 8.95 steak special wednesdays equals or betters many at twice the price. Oct 05 update -- Micheals has had new owners as of May 05 and the above no longer applies .

2003.06.17 near Hope, on Highway 1 By Vida Morkunas
J's, a truck stop. Used to be called JR, but now it's just J. Decent coffee, real fruit pies made in someone's home (there was a choice of apple, cherry or blueberry when we pulled in), tea, cookies, home made soup. Decent service, watch the highway traffic from the windows.

2003.06.09 Prince George to McBride: A culinary tour By Ross Sturgeon
If one finds oneself traveling between PG and McBride here are a few of my favorites: Prince George(heading N into town): Husky Station. This is a 24/7 establishment where one can also get a tank of gas and a shower. Prince George (heading E out of town on Hwy16): Mr. G. The last stop for a large root beer screamer (ie the mother of all squishies topped with soft serve ice-cream). Purden Lake: The Purden Lake Café. This is now the only stop where one can inquire about the local road conditions en-route. It is also the only tank of gas between PG and McBride. Dome Creek: The Dome Diner. Forever a monument on HWY 16 the diner has recently fallen on hard times. Anyone interested in a new career should call the number painted across the boarded windows. The pay phone out front still works. McBride: Jennie’s ‘Splash and Gas’. Jennie’s is a mountaineers-meca of townly needs. There is a laundromat, convenience store, café (with FRESH baked goods) and showers. Try the cinnamon buns!

2003.06.09 Mountain Burger House RIP By Drew Brayshaw
One of the wonders of guidebooks is that they go out of date as soon as they are printed. Thus it is with the Mountain Burger House in Squamish. It is no more. In its place is the new "Mountain Buffet and Salad Bar". Only time will tell if it offers anything comparable. Of course, the late MBH was nothing to write home about in terms of quality, so....

2003.06.09 Lytton brekkie By Mike Cleven
Not that you'd have a reason to have breakfast in Lytton, unless you're heading somewhere more interesting and got an early start. But I do have to recommend the pancakes at the Lytton Hotel Cafe; surprisingly fluffy and rather large - and also cheap. Big, fat sausages if that's your thing, too.

2003.06.09 One other Lillooet munchie place By Mike Cleven
The bakery, across from the Gas Station and the Museum. German-style baked goods, great sausage rolls, hideously wonderful creampuffs, and more. Not to be missed for pastry lovers......

2003.06.09 More food places in Lillooet and Lillooet By Mike Cleven
Lillooet: the Reynolds may be OK for breakfast, but it's phenomenal in the evening with the Chinese smorg! This can be very busy - it's the closest thing there is in Lillooet to "going out to dinner" and it's very popular. But the food is very good and surprisingly varied in the range of what's on the steam table. Best place in town for a major chow-down.

Mission: well, not quite Mission but much the same as the Mission Springs - the pub at Ruskin, about 1/8 mile off the highway on 287th. Can't remember its name right now; amazing food and not as Keggish as Mission Springs can be; amazing log building, too. There's also very good food at the restaurant in the new hotel at Hurd & Lougheed (Best Western?) - this is just before the hill down to the bridge exits and plaza before the main part of town.

Maple Ridge: a few months ago someone took me to the Sawdust Shack, off Dewdney Trunk at about the 260th St; not quite at 272nd - can't remember the side street exactly; drive up a mile or two off the Dewdney Trunk (north) and you'll find it; or something like that, on the edge of a gravel pit/works yard just off the south end of Golden Ears Park, but nowhere near the park entrance. Major lineups for Sunday brunch, and well worth the wait. Great french toast! The Billy Miner Pub by the Haney WestCoast Express Station also has great food. Oh - on Dewdney Trunk at about 228th or 227th (226th?) there's an Italian restaurant that's utterly excellent if you're into pasta; can't remember its name but you'll notice its distinctive peaked/sloped peaked-gables (it used to be the Dog'n'Suds Drive-In).

Tyax Resort, Bridge River Country: not pub food at all, but if you've got the budget much preferable to the Gold Bridge Hotel; European-cuisine dining with a phenomenal view of the northern Bendor peaks overlooking Tyaughton Lake. Said to be the best wine list in the Interior, too.

2003.06.08 Horseshoe Bay eateries By Vida Morkunas
Ya-Ya's bar near Trolls has great oysters - sure, if you are into oysters - but oh, the fish and chips, the burgers and the beer are excellent there after a good long hike. There's a fireplace inside, and a terrace outside - four season seating! Good grub, good prices - a nice place to wind down after the weekend's efforts. Ya-Ya's appears to be more 'local' than Trolls nearby (also good food, but less casual). And then, there's the Boathouse across the street, right on the water. The terrace is nice and casual - great for having a post-hike beer at sunset (with tapas).

2003.06.06 More dining/snack options By Steven Harng
Coquitlam: Hon's, decent Chinese food and inexpensive.

Maple Ridge: Marina's Gelato, best place to get Italian ice cream. Way better than the ones in Vancouver. GM Restaurant, a great family owned Indian place with a name that has nothing to do with cars.

Mission: Mission Spring Pub? I am a bit fuzzy on the name. Located just outside west of Mission. A good place to hang out and play volleyball.

Port Coquitlam:Deer Garden, also a quality place to get Chinese food.

Port Moody: If you like Mexican, you have to go to Charles. Food is great(quantity and quality) and inexpansive. Great atmosphere too.

  Vancouver Island
Nanaimo: Gina's, a good place to go have Mexican

2003.06.06 Great Food & Service in Lillooet By Robert Ballantyne
In February, after 5 days away from civilization -- and on that day we had skied 35 kilometers -- we drove from the trailhead to Lillooet. It was night and everything was closed. Someone was vacuuming in the Greek restaurant. I knocked on the door. "Sure, come on in. We can serve anything that does not require reheating the deep fat fryer." The food was reasonably priced and tasted great. The menu had outstanding choices and generous portions. Very friendly family service too. Mom in the kitchen and daughter running the dining room. Recommended.

2003.06.06 Whistler By Mitch Sulkers
Hey, (tongue somewhat in cheek) we scrub routes, bushwack for hours, endure the blackflies and horseflies, sleep without a pad, dodge falling rock and ice, all to get to the top of a mountain, but we can't take the energy to find the good deals in Whistler? Well, try La Tortilleria for cheap but good Mexican Food, Splitz Grill for the best lentil and/or carne burgers on this side of the planet for under $10 as a platter (Lentil Burger platter is $7.95--remember to ask for Split's Sauce for your fries), or Samurai Sushi for cheap but delish raw fish. Junction Cafe has heavy duty breakfasts for a few bucks every day of the week and is close to numerous trailheads; Riverside Cafe at the Riverside Campground has all the excellence Colin Pitt-Taylor can dish out for a coupla twonnies a hit. On your way north of town? Stop in at McKeever's to get a good hit of fresh-baked goods or soup from Gone Bakery.