Bruncheria — Restaurant in British Columbia

Owners changed, and the first thing they did was take away the vegan/vegetarian menu😒

They still have tofu! You can sub it for meat in any dish at no additional cost. It’s cooked in an uninspired way, a medium firm just cooked on the flattop, no salt or seasoning.

My meal was overall bland, edible but nothing to write home about, I would not recommend going here.

All that being said, the serving staff are amazing, very friendly and warm service.

Edit to roast the owners reply:

I would like to respectfully push back on a few points made in your reply.

Firstly, while I understand the desire to offer “wholesome” options, it’s important to note that the determination of what constitutes a wholesome or acceptable degree of food processing should not rest solely with the restaurant, particularly when it comes at the expense of vegetarian and vegan diners. The term “wholesome” is subjective, and it becomes problematic when invoked selectively—especially when meat options such as sausage remain on the menu. For context, the average pork sausage is highly processed, often containing preservatives like nitrates and nitrites, fillers, and added sodium well above recommended daily values. It is difficult to reconcile the removal of plant-based meat alternatives on grounds of health, while continuing to serve items like sausage, bacon, and multi-meat burgers.

Secondly, the assertion that tofu is a replacement for a varied vegetarian menu is misleading. The preparation, as noted, is underseasoned and lacks the care and culinary intention given to the meat-based dishes. Moreover, describing tofu as a “wholesome alternative” when it is now the only alternative strips vegetarian patrons of meaningful choice. Offering a single, bland option in place of a once full-service menu is not a pivot toward health—it is a cutback in service.

Furthermore, the argument for “wholesomeness” is undermined by the continued presence of dishes such as the “Elvis-style French toast” (with bacon, peanut butter, caramelised banana, candied walnuts, whipped cream, and powdered sugar) and the “Monster Westminster Burger” (two beef patties, bacon, pulled pork, chicken, smoked ham, onion rings, mushrooms, jalapeños, BBQ sauce, three cheeses, and an egg). These offerings are clearly not curated for nutritional integrity, and I don’t take issue with that—people should be able to choose indulgent foods. But it’s disingenuous to invoke health as the reason for eliminating vegetarian options while simultaneously maintaining—and even celebrating—hyper-processed meat dishes.

The result of these decisions is that vegetarian and vegan diners are now second-class customers. Our experience is demonstrably less valued than that of meat eaters. While I recognise the financial challenges associated with running a restaurant and the pressures to streamline operations, I must note that the vegetarian and vegan demographic is not insignificant. Nationally, nearly 10% of Canadians identify as vegetarian or vegan. That number increases in urban centres and among younger populations—precisely the demographic of New Westminster.

It is clear that the changes made were not driven by a consistent commitment to health, nor by an effort to balance the needs of a diverse clientele. They appear instead to be convenience-based cuts that disproportionately affect those who rely on plant-based options for ethical, health, or cultural reasons. Those of us in that group do not expect preferential treatment—we simply ask for equal consideration.

I hope you will reflect on these points not as a personal critique, but as an appeal to fairness, consistency, and inclusivity in your offerings. Vegetarian and vegan customers deserve thoughtful, flavourful, and intentional...

Edit - Bruncheria was sold, so Dan is no longer the owner. It's still good, but without Dan, it's just not the same.

I'm biased. Allow me to explain.

We found Bruncheria at their old location, pre-pandemic. I was starving one night and we ordered breakfasty grilled cheese sandwiches off of the original late night menu they had. Clearly they put crack in the eggs, because it was 11/10.

Then the world went crazy, and most companies struggled, but those companies were not run by Dan, the guy who owns this place. He was always so quick to adapt his business model and menu to what the people wanted. He basically ran it as a ghost kitchen for a while. We're lazy, and don't cook, so we order in a lot, and are obviously obsessed with breakfast/brunch. We have ordered breakfast from every place you can imagine. After ordering breakfast from Bruncheria, we were ruined for everything else. There is not a single restaurant in the lower mainland that makes breakfast better, and certainly none that do delivery at that A-tier level. I lowkey feel like we pay Dan's rent with how much we order.

Then they moved. It's a gorgeous location, albeit slightly farther away from us shakes fist at sky...

But, even with the move the menu only expanded, and Dan's service is top tier. I wouldn't call this an economical place, but the food is definitely better than what you pay for it, so in my eyes it's a steal.

Did I mention that I'm a vegetarian? But like, one of those sad ones that misses meat, and Dan even has a FULL vegetarian/vegan menu and they use the same addiction inducing crack in his veggie meats. My partner can't eat pork, but oh wait, Dan has Turkey bacon.

Somebody give this man a prize, because this is the only restaurant that makes me uncontrollably angry if I wake up too late to order brunch on the weekend. It's also family run, like Dan has his whole family in there.

Stop reading this, go...

Thought I'd give it a shot since the local subway did not have a wheelchair width door. Neither did this place but the server held the locked portion open so I could get access. Server was attentive and kind. That's pretty much the last good thing I can say about the experience. Their dining area is an small enclosed patio space with AstroTurf for flooring. It’s accessed by entering the building into a towering boxes stacked corridor as an improvised wall, then immediately turning left back out of what might have been the kitchen area. Condiments are on each table in the small 1cup portion bowls. The kind you used to get with ½ a sandwich for the soup, on special at the old Woodwards Diner. I ordered the crispy chicken burger but without coleslaw or aioli. She stated it would then be the chicken and the bun plain. I suggest some mayo and it contained two globs rather than spread across the bun. A slice of tomato or pickle or even lettuce would have been nice considering the price. Total $23.00 before tip. The chicken breast was flattened and thus stuck out from the bun on all sides. It was extremely greasy. Possibly it was made in advance and just flash fried to heat up. Every other bite squirted oil. I didn’t finish it as it was so tasteless. I got fries. The same little bowl that held the condiments was the portion. The crispy of the fries was good due to being cooked in the blanching style. They served the pop in the sealed can with a mug of ice. It wasn’t classy but not technically wrong either. Overall, I am surprised they still exist. They have a very bad Industrial corner locale that is better suited to a gas station so it has had so many failed attempts in the last 30+ years. Maybe they are surviving on takeaway orders. I recommend they not bother with the before 4pm crowd and maybe focus on...