Fable Diner Vancouver Restaurant Review
A Diner for the 21st Century
The “diner” concept seems a bit quaint nowadays in this age of millennial hipsters seeking the next trendy vegan menu to go along with their elaborate coffee concoctions and microbrew beers. Yet in the historic Lee Building in Vancouver where there’s been a diner in place since 1949, the Fable Diner continues to attract loyal patrons, and the typical Fable Diner review tends to give it high marks.
Ambience
It’s a diner, and thus it’s quite casual and very friendly. There’s parking for cars and bikes, and it is wheelchair accessible too. The waiter service is extremely accommodating, and they take reservations and allow for take-out, though there’s no delivery service. They do have free Wi-Fi, and undoubtedly this helps keep the noise down to average levels.
It’s simply an unpretentious place where groups of friends can hang out, relax, and enjoy some comfort food. It does adhere to modern dietary trends, which is why it follows the farm-to-table philosophy so you can be assured that you’re munching on ethically grown and raised food.
Food
Though they do have all-day menus including all-day breakfasts, for the most part they have different menu options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can come in at any time, though for busy hours you may want to book a reservation just to be sure. On weekend, though, they don’t let new guests in from 3PM to 3:30PM as they use that time to prepare for the following brunch period.
There’s a full bar complete with lots of BC wines, and of course you can ask for your favorite cocktails too. Since this is a diner, you can get your milkshakes and they even have an authentic milkshake machine. The flavors tend to change regularly, though often you can find coffee, banana, and peanut butter chocolate milkshakes among the choices.
Start off with the roast duck pancake, with kewpie and kimchi, along with the crispy and tender fried chicken with the ranch dressing, pickled jalapenos, and hot sauce powder. For burgers, you really must try the iconic FD Burger made from grass-feed beef from their local farm. However, for a change there’s the Broadway Burger, which comes with bacon and kimchi plus there’s an option to add an egg.
They’ve just recently added a breakfast menu, and they’ve got lots of options. The West Coast Toast offers avocado with smoked salmon, fresh horseradish, and salad, with an egg optional. There’s also Peanut Butter and Bacon Oatmeal, with salted walnuts and roasted apples. The Truckers breakfast offers a veritable feast with the eggs, bacon, and toast accompanied by pancakes, jam, and potatoes.
The breakfast drinks include Suzie’s Lemonade (fresh squeezed lemons with soda) and fresh organic orange and grapefruit juice. They do offer drip coffee, but then the java isn’t really up to snuff when it comes to modern coffee bistro standards. But then again, that ought to be expected—it is still a diner, after all.
Verdict
Count as another rave Fable Diner review. The dishes are well-prepared, tasty, and affordable, while the whole place is casual and friendly. Come in and relax—it seems designed to really set you at ease with its unpretentious vibe.