White Spot

I meant to write this review sooner. I came here for a weekday dinner last week. The restaurant was busy but not packed. It was my first time eating at this location.
While we were enjoying our dinner, we were informed that this location was closing as of Sunday. As a valued customer, we were given a coupon to enjoy White Spots at a different location. They mentioned that they are looking to reopen White Spots in the area. It’s very sad to see this particular location go as it is very convenient and had parking spots.
The service was great. It felt more friendly than some of the other locations.
I ordered a Legendary Burger and substituted the coleslaw and fried for soup.
Clam Chowder — MEH:
— It’s a «red» clam chowder, which I didn’t expect. I personally prefer white clam chowder.
— The soup was full of vegetables and had a number of clams at the bottom. It was quite good for a red clan chowder and was very filling.
Legendary Burger with Lettuce and Tomato — YAY:
— I find burgers to be such good comfort food, especially the Legendary Burger.
— This is a simple hamburger with the special Triple O sauce. The sauce gives the burger the perfect balance. It’s the Triple O sauce that really keeps me coming back!
Overall:
— Great service here. Sad to see it go.
— Classic comfort food.

Ordered the chorizo hash, while good value with lots of that good meat, wasn’t spicy enough and the beans dont go well, IMHO.
Still, good service.

Was in town for an interview and was staying at a guesthouse a block away — seemed one of the few places open at 6:30 am. Server was very nice and smiling. Chose the benedictine eggs with BC steelhead: a decent portion of steelhead and two nice medium poached eggs, with a generous side portion of crunchy and tasty chunky hash browns. However, the one major problem was the hollandaise sauce — i assume it came out of one of those powder pouches one can buy at the supermarket because it had a horrible artificial lemon flavor which almost ruined my meal. The side so-​called black bean salsa was a big disappointment as well as it tastes both sweet and vinegary at once and I could not eat it. Overall I liked the hours, the service, and most of my meal. The breakfast options were decent for a diner.

I knew that this was going to be a line at any location that we went to, it is a given for this sort of event, however, they completely forgot us and it wasn’t until the guy I am dating mentioned something that we were seating right away. It took 40 minutes for our meal to come out which is understandable as well since we got in at the 6:30 pm rush. I am still giving it 5 stars since it is the only day of the year I can get a pirate pack as an adult, however, not impressed with our name being missed.

I LOVE White Spot, it’s one of my favorite places to get a burger but this location sucks. The service was slow and the food doesn’t taste as good as most White Spots. I wouldn’t eat at this location again.

Was here with a few friends a few nights ago. I tried to call and make reso but apparently they don’t take reso. Which was fine because my friends arrived early so they got a table by the time we arrived.
We all basically ordered a burger. Is it me or do their burgers look a lot smaller than before? Like the size of Mcdonald burgers but cost like double the price.
Anyhow, we also ordered an appetizer of the Monty mushroom bacon poutine. They mistaken that we wanted it with a burger. So, a person that we believe was the manager brought that out and it was a baked poutine with a burger. Told them that wasn’t what we ordered and it was suppose to be the appetizer poutine. He brought it back to the kitchen and brought us a regular side poutine with a burger. Once again we said that wasn’t what we ordered. He then brought us an appetizer size poutine and by then we gave up and took it as it is. That guy didn’t apologize or said anything about giving us the wrong thing and instead told our waitress (Sally) about it. Sally came by and checked up on us and I end up telling her it wasn’t what we ordered but it’s ok. She was nice enough to take that off our bill and apologized on the fact that she misheard us. That’s what I call good customer service.
Overall, I didn’t have high hopes for White Spot in general and this location looked really old. Parking lot is a decent size. But ya…

A Canadian Family restaurant and they have good burgers and cod fish and chips and that’s about it.

The White Spot never fails to disappoint me in its consistency. That’s right, it’s always just as disgusting, every time I go. It looks to be an upscale sort of family eatery, yet I find the breakfasts here to be worse than at a Knight & Day or a Denny’s or iHop. The only time I will go into a White Spot is if I’m with friends, and we’re forced to because nothing else is around, or open, or all the GOOD places to eat have line-​ups. Considering the food is always greasy and poorly presented, it should be a third of the price that’s being charged. Shite Spot, step up your game or you’re going to lose out. I will never, ever, ever return.

Is it just me or is Canadian fare simply superior to the American food supply?
During my short visit in Vancouver, B.C., I was generally impressed by the distinction of clean facilities, fresh fare, and solicitously courteous service. On the last day of our visit, prior to our departure, we had decided to haphazardly walk into this establishment since we really didn’t have any other option for breakfast/​lunch. It was around 10:30 A.M., and so, we were given breakfast menus. Since I’m such a light eater, I just ordered a side of hash browns, a side of bacon, and a cup of black coffee. It’s been an eon since I’ve consumed bacon, and let me tell you, it was the BEST that I’ve ever tasted– lean, crisp, and hickory to perfection! As for the hash browns, they were not greasy and cooked to a very precise consistency. When I finally washed those breakfast foods down with the boiling cup of black coffee, my immediate feeling was heartiness in every sense of the word! Thus, this Canadian mainstay justifies the well-​earned entitlement of a legendary status!

I don’t particularly have fond memories of going to an actual White Spot, but I do remember having Pirate Paks, especially at birthday parties at The Zone. Those pirate ships were so cool. The fact that White Spot started here in BC in the 1930’s with Nat Bailey is also kind of awesome.
Since I wanted the ribs as well as the chicken, in the end I ordered the baby back ribs and crispy buttermilk chicken ($ 19) — and because I’m so healthy, I swapped the fries for a caesar salad. I thought the chicken was kind of disappointing, since it was a bit bland and the exterior was not crisp not crunchy. However, the ribs were definitely falling off the bone and quite flavourful, so that made up for it. Not bad for only being $ 4 extra since just the chicken was $ 15.
Although the BC chicken burger was ordered, the beef one showed up – I think it’s the bacon cheddar bigger burger ($ 12.99). Oh well. At first we thought the was supposed to somehow represent our province, but it actually stands for «bacon cheese» burger. This seemed to be a fairly standard burger, and I always do enjoy Triple O’s secret sauce.
The chocolate milkshake ($ 5) was good too. I always want to order this whenever I’m at the Triple O’s on SFU, but it makes me feel like too much of a glutton. However, I’ll probably reconsider next time since it was really just what I needed to go with the copious amount of meat.

Came here as part of my Brunch spree. I’m sure many people from City Hall across the street hang out here too.
Parking is plentiful in the lot surrounding the building, as well as on Cambie during select times.
The establishment is split into 2 halves: the restaurant section, and the bar/​lounge section. It’s nice to be able to pick where you want to hang out, though this place probably wouldn’t come to mind when you’re looking to go drinking at night. With that said, I wouldn’t recommend groups larger than 5. The booths simply can’t hold any more.
The staff were professional, and the food came very quickly.
I tried some of the strawberry milkshake. This is one of the better tasting ones, and it only comes with a bit of whipped cream, not an entire layer. Helps with one’s diet. *cough*
The Chuck Currie’s Favourite (burger) is one giant gooey mess. It was filled with sliced up Portobello mushrooms, and bluebrie cheese. This filling kept squishing out between my fingers while I was eating it. Well, at least they didn’t skimp.
The onion rings were a bit disappointing. I guess I should give them credit for using real onions, but the onions themselves were quite soggy. When I bit into them, I ended up pulling the entire onion strip out of the ring.
The place filled almost to capacity while we were here, so it wasn’t the quietest. But at least you know exactly what kind of food to expect when you come here.

I wish I were 10 again so I could order a pirate pak, matey. Then again, I guess I could always order one to go and no one would ever know.
Ate lunch here yesterday and I was lucky enough to snag the last parking spot in their parking lot. There were some spaces on the street in front of White Spot itself but I’m not fond of parallel parking under pressure.
Had the Spot Salad with chicken. The serving was quite big, the greens were fresh, the vinaigrette was just right, and the chicken was a tad on the dry side. I also had a red clam chowder and it was pretty good. My friends had the Dippin’ Chicken and the quesadilla. I’ve had those before and they’re pretty good. They were reminiscing about the homemade BBQ sauce which apparently is not as good as it used to be. I’m not sure because I never really ordered it.
Service was pretty good. Our server was friendly and attentive. I still prefer going to the White Spot at Oakridge just because I can park wherever I want and then shop afterwards. This location isn’t so bad either but maybe better for those who live or work nearby.

Good food decent service.
I got the Double double and as stated it was legendary. The GF got the turkey plate and it was good. This is an old fall back for comfort food cravings — but the service has been sketchy the last few visits.

Agree regarding the staff.
We came here for lunch and we received very good service. The lady was super nice to us during our meal. Even though they seemed to be short staffed, she went over and beyond what I expected from a White Spot.
Noticed they had a couple of new items on their menu. I got a Currie’s Favourite Burger, which was a burger with brie as well as portobello mushrooms. The side Caesar I got with it was very fresh, in fact one of the better ones I’ve had at a White Spot in a while. The burger was decent, mushrooms were a little overcooked, but the brie made the burger better.
There’s a free parking lot in the back as well as on the side. Lots of free parking on the street as well.
Again, great service made my day that much better.

The last two apartments I’ve lived in have had a White Spot within walking distance. The previous one at Georgia/​Nicola I didn’t really visit that often. Not exactly sure why, maybe just a few too many experiences with slow service? I dunno.
Anyways this locaiton is now my local White Spot and thank goodness because they have the best staff of any in the chain I’ve experienced. I find myself here once every two months I would say, usually for breakfast or dinner, but sometimes for lunch. It’s a quick meal where I know what I’m getting (the safe option).
Like any such chain restaurant they struggle somewhat with the consistency of the service and food. You end up getting a wide variety of reviews from 1 star to 5 stars, however many of the staff here are experienced, give good service and probably stick around because of the good tips they get as a result of their good service (lucky us).
My favourites at White Spot:
— grill & greens — zoo sticks, fries, burger (ask them to add lettuce, tomato, onion for free), and caesar salad. Tons of food for a good price, get another small salad and could be shared between two people
— salad — i like their mediteranean and taco salads. Sometimes they can really dump on the dressing so might be a good idea to ask for the dressing on the side.
— zoo sticks — deep fried zuchini… i’m usually thinking of these when i’m wanting to come to white spot. Love the sticks an the ranch sauce they serve it with.

I watched a lot of the Canadian channel growing up. I always saw ads for White Spot, but living in Washington, I never got to try it and it always seemed like a magical mystery restaurant that I always wanted to try.
I’ve been a few times before, and had decent experiences. It’s nothing fantastic, but I never had a horrible meal there until I went to this one.
I ordered the blackened Cajun chicken which came with asparagus and mashed potatoes. The chicken was awful — so, so fatty and all the blackened flavor just slipped right off when I cut into it. The mashed potatoes were also powder potato buds, which I found out by their poor mixing. The asparagus was ok though, not too stringy. It cost about $ 16 though, which is crazy for a crappy meal at a crappy diner.
The two guys I went with both ordered burgers, and neither of them liked their meals either. The waitress asked if they wanted cheese or yam fries and didn’t mention that both options cost extra, which I thought was rude.
I think that overall, White Spot is having an identity crisis. It thinks it’s fancy and it brags about their chef school, but really it’s crappy food and high prices when it just feels a step up from Denny’s.

I used to live in this area and would come to the Spot now and then with my wife. A few days ago, I came back, it brought back some pretty good memories of the two of us just sitting, eating, chatting and enjoying a meal together. Simple basic food. I love the salads here. So on my latest venture sans wife and with a crazy bunch of people (all great and awesome BTW ! :)) I had the Roma burger and a Spot salad. Very good!!! Again, loved the salad. This location seems to be very consistent over some of the other locations I’ve been to. The Spot has always been something we grew up with as kids. The Pirate packs for the kids are a real treat. Once you have one as a kid, you always want another. Growing up with something like that makes for solid memories dining with family. Something good, grounded in a solid foundation that leads to adult hood. Can White Spot really have that kind of affect? Well, it did for me.
We always loved going to the spot with Mum. And when we met our Step Dad for the first time, It was at the Spot.

Great service, Good Food.
The service at this white spot has always been great – I usually receive better service here than I do at other restaurants which serve fancier pricier food.
On one occasion people in our party ordered pints of beer, but unfortunately all their pint glasses were dirty and waiting to be cleaned. Our server gave instead two sleeves and charged as a pint. They seem pretty accomodating in this manner about all their food service.
Their salads are very large and filling, I always make sure to ask for the dressing on the side as usually it can have a bit too much of it.
Their burgers hit the spot when that’s what you’re craving.
All in all a good fall-​back joint.

I’m not sure what White Spot is trying to be. But overall I’d say it’s not working.
My immediate impressions:
–Kid friendly. Lots of kids in the waiting area, lots of highchairs around the restaurant.
–Strange lighting. The lighting is a little low– but not in a way that creates a mood. This is more like ‘depressing office’ lighting. It just comes off dim and unwelcoming.
–Booth seating reminds me of an IHOP.
–Wine glasses on the table? This doesn’t fit with the rest of my impressions so far. Is this a fine restaurant? No. Is this a romantic restaurant? No. Does anyone actually get wine here? Not sure.
For the food. I tried the chicken finger appetizer as my meal. I like Burger King’s chicken fingers better. They were pretty boring– and remind me of something you could get in the freezer section of your grocery store. My husband got a hamburger. It was «fine» but not exciting in any way.
Prices were decent, but not worth returning.

White Spot is a Vancouver mainstay. It has been around since 1928, so it was already an institution well before most of us were born. It started off as a drive-​in and was considered to be a pretty innovative restaurant during this time. Combined with founder Nat Bailey’s ambition and groundbreaking menu, White Spot became a success.
Since then, a number of years have passed and White Spot, sadly, has failed to stay current. Every visit here brings a flood of nostalgia. The menu and website espouse all these culinary values, promoting freshness and innovation, which is inconsistent to the reality of the restaurant. This restaurant is about tradition. The sameness (or consistency to some) that has helped maintain so much loyalty from some of its patrons is what has alienated potential new ones. There’s nothing inspired about the food here, even when they’re trying to introduce new fusion-​inspired items.
Burgers comprise a large portion of the menu, most of which are topped with large dollops of their infamous «Triple ‘O’ Sauce». Over the years, they have introduced more pasta dishes as well as some others with a more international flair. You can see Japan’s ghostly influence on the teriyaki chicken rice bowl and Indian’s effect over the butter chicken. But even with that, the flavours remain bland.
The breakfast menu leaves much to be desired as well. Drowning in oil, it was far too greasy and the recipes generally rely far too heavily on salt as the main flavour. It lacks freshness and depth that would come from a simple sprinkling of basil or thyme.
Anyway, be that as it may, they are somewhat conscious of changing times and try and address the concerns and needs of their customers. There’s a section on their menu dedicated to those who are more health conscious and there is now a decent amount of vegetarian food as well.
Despite all this, I do have a soft spot in my heart for White Spot. Remember Pirate Paks? And they really do make the best milkshakes in town… although my tastes veer more towards their full-​stocked bar now.