A&W Canada — Restaurant in Maple Ridge

I don’t normally leave reviews like this, but what happened at the A&W drive-thru around 12:45 AM needs to be heard — loud and clear.

I was in the car with two friends — myself (a brown female), an Asian female, and another brown female. We were just trying to get food. Instead, we were refused service, treated with hostility, and left feeling unsafe and disrespected.

While we were waiting in the car, a group of men — on foot — started harassing us in the drive-thru line. Instead of doing anything to stop them, or even acknowledging how unsafe the situation was for us, the female employee with glasses became angry with us. She refused to serve us, acted cold and rude, and let the group of men go before us — even though they weren’t in a vehicle and arrived after us.

Let that sink in: we were in a car, we followed all the rules, we were being harassed, and she turned her anger on us instead. We were ignored, dismissed, and punished for simply existing — as women of color — in a space that made it clear we weren’t welcome.

We left shaken, humiliated, and furious. This was more than just “bad service” — this was blatant discrimination and deeply unsafe behavior from an employee who should never have treated us that way.

If A&W cares at all about customer safety, professionalism, or basic decency — this should be addressed immediately.

Do better. This...

The last few months this place has really gone downhill. A problem with the order every time we go now. Yesterday was about the last straw for me I think. After ordering only two items (a sandwich and chicken strips), I opened the bag to find one of them wasn't what I had ordered at all. So I got to spend my time waiting to be acknowledged, explain that I didn't order whatever this sandwich was, but chicken strips- which is why we ordered sauce for strips (and I later noticed I was charged for). Then I got to wait while the girl angrily smashed buttons on the register, and then told me I'd have to pay another $2 to get what I had ordered in the first place. Never mind that she charged me already for something that should have come with the strips to start with. I paid the difference because I was in a hurry, but when I get to OVER pay for a mistake that was not my fault, get flipped an attitude about it, and you can't even bother to apologize? ...

As far as fast food goes, A&W has always been near the top of the list, however this specific location (East Maple Ridge) really stands out to me. There were a few months where I'd be coming home from work at 2 or 3 in the morning and I'd consistently stop here for an uncle burger and a poutine. Day after day, even during the graveyard shift, this place had fresh cooked patties and quality produce. The lettuce was always crisp, the tomato never mushy, and the onions always fresh. The bacon always tasted delicious (not like batch cooked bacon from the day before). On top of this, the staff were consistently smiling and friendly. It is clear the employees at this location care about the food and service, and hold themselves to high standards. I have the utmost respect for them.

I have also been here during their dinner rush and the quality is equal. I'd also like to note that during this time the lineup moved efficiently while still balancing the quality...