A Retro Breakfast at the Roundel Cafe

There was already a lineup of people waiting for a booth at the door of the Roundel Cafe when I arrived just after the 10 a.m. opening time Sunday morning.  I squeezed past and found an empty stool at the counter.  The place was a buzz of activity and cheerful voices.  Within minutes a steaming cup of coffee was set before me and a server recited that day’s specials.

“Vegetable Benny with beets and onions or something sweet:  pancakes with syrup and fruit.”  She informed me they only use produce that is currently in season so this particular vegetable Benny will not be on the menu again.  I chose the Vegetable Benny and sipped on my coffee while I observed the bustle around me.

The Roundel Cafe, on East Hastings near Nanaimo Street, is about as retro as you can get from the red vinyl covered counter stools to the wooden booths with the small juke-boxes and a few small chrome tables out front.  Even the staff seems ‘retro’.  A crew of energetic young men prepare the food in the kitchen while the busy young women servers wait the tables.  The sounds of old Blues and Patsy Cline take you right back in time. In fact, this whole block of East Hastings Street is where I used to hang out as a teenager back in the 1950′s and it hasn’t lost it’s charm or retro style.  Some of the same shops exists including the Italian barber shop, and another cafe now called “The Master Chef”  that used to be the “Jolly Joan” in my teenage years. It’s all a step back in time.  This is still my ‘hood, and is quickly becoming another version of nearby Commercial Drive, a bohemian, artsy area, just a few blocks to the west.  The cafe was opened in October 2006 by Mick Bateman and his partner Dina who dreamed of opening a cafe in honor of her Croatian grandfather who grew up in the district.  The cafe is on the site of the “Blue Sky”, that operated years ago.  Their mandate was to serve healthy food and to provide a place for the locals to enjoy.

The Roundel is always a busy place, popular with young and old and that day it was crammed full of diners.  But the service is quick and it’s entertaining to watch the playful antics and hear the banter of the staff while you’re waiting.

My order came eventually, a plate heaped with enough food to feed two:  Two poached eggs on a bed of fresh beets and onions and English muffin smothered with home-made Hollandaise sauce, roast potatoes and small  salad. The waitress refilled my coffee cup and I ordered a glass of organic orange juice as a side:  a hearty breakfast for just under $20 and an hour or so of pleasant entertainment.

All the food here is grilled or confection. Gluten free and vegan meals are offered.  They make their own catsup, hot sauce, jam and Hollandaise sauce as well as tofu burger. The Roundel is popular any day of the week and their home-cooked style menu includes dishes such as  breakfasts with roast potatoes and yams, gluten free & vegan meals, huevos rancheros and those popular hot-selling Bennies. There’s a Kid’s Breakie menu too.  A good selection of sandwiches are offered for lunch as well as salads, burgers and slow-cooked chili.  Most meals are priced from $8 – $9.  There’s also a drink menu with draft beer and milkshakes.

So if you want a real trip back down memory lane while you dine, be sure to give it a try.  On Sundays, get there early. You’ll be glad you came!

The Roundel Cafe

2465 E. Hastings Street

Open every day 9 am – 4 pm, except Thursday/Friday it’s open 9 am 9 am

No reservations. Wheelchair accessible. Kid  friendly.

Located just four blocks west of the PNE, Coliseum, Playland and the Racetrack.

How to get there:

By public transit:  #10,16 or 135 buses.  Get off at Nanaimo Street.

By car:  There is street parking on Hastings and Nanaimo Streets nearby.