The Lion's Den Cafe — Restaurant in Vancouver

My partner found this gem of a cafe and we had come here together one Saturday for the first time. We were both craving and seeking some GOOD patties! As a Jamaican, I believe it to be THE ABSOLUTE closest I've ever tasted to that of the ones made in Jamaica. So much so, that I felt the need to share a review!

One of the cafe's owners, "Ken", had greeted us from his motorized wheelchair upon entering the front door. After we received our order, we stayed and chatted with their chef and cashier who were both very fun and sweet people to speak with and who shared with us a brief lore of their beloved neighborhood cafe.

Ken had by this time used his cane to get up and had walked over to us by the kitchen bar table where we had just received our orders and were ready to head out.

Regardless of not being able to speak very well at all (due to recovering from a stroke), the chef (his partner) had overheard him trying to speak with us and had lovingly interpreted for us that he really wanted us to return to join them for their anniversary celebration with "Big Al's Soul Food" cuisine coming up in September and as a transition for first timers, also really wanted us to sign their cafe's calendar...so we did! ☺️💛

It was the most wholesome of interactions I've experienced so far from any cafe in Vancouver from very warm, welcoming, and friendly people too! It's a great sign of a great spot and I highly recommend you plan for a visit sometime too!

I'll definitely be returning to try more of their truly filling soul food made with pure joy and love as it should be! This is the place to go if you're feeling homesick for some Caribbean-style breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you see Ken, make sure to say hello! This man has the strength of a lion and is clearly loved by all!🦁💛🌴 Next time we return, we'll take a picture of the meal! It was so good that we ate it faster than the thought occurred to snap a photo of this experience. Another great sign! Haha! Cheers to the team, friends, family l, regulars and do-gooders of the Lion's den Cafe who had supported them and who have continued to support them to enable their cafe to remain open to this day! One love and as Ken says, "Have a...

This place is a gem.

It seems every day Vancouver loses a bit of its soul to bars like Colony and Browns social house. In a city with skyrocketing rents, people seem to be paradoxically transfixed by restaurants and bars that give less and charge more. Faux-fancy plates and $16 chicken wings are the new norm. People complain about gentrification while they sip on cocktails and drink craft beer in rooms “adorned” with polished concrete and white walls... Many of these bars and restaurants are places you could go to for years and never have anyone who works there learn your name or offer you a warm smile.

Herein comes the Lion’s Den. If you want a break from the impersonal, expensive experience of going to most restaurants/bars in Van, then pop into this place for a huge, tasty, home-cooked meal. Being in here is like being in a friend or family member’s living room.

I went in there earlier tonight. I had a huge plate of Jerk Chicken and Oxtail on rice with beans. I was even given a Jamaican paddy probono (when will that happen at Browns?) This plate was massive and I cleaned the whole thing off! Absolutely delicious and fall-off-the-bone tender. The presentation? Try this out: who cares! That’s right, “whooo cares.” It’s not about looking like it was plated with tweezers and forms, decorated with drizzles of infused oils. It’s about good food and good company, big portions and a bit of fun. This place is family run. The lovely couple who run it are warm and inviting. Pop in and say hello!

These places don’t need to disappear. All you have to do is go eat in them and they’ll stick around! Leave a big tip when you come because the bill will be a fair price and the service will be warm and friendly.

Oh, and don’t expect your food to come right away, but who cares! Have an extra beer. You need it along with a good, more than fairly priced, huge and delicious serving of lovely, humble food with flavours you only get when something is...

I am beyond disappointed in my experience at this restaurant. I came in after work around 4:15-4:30 looking for a place to sit down, have a cup of coffee and get some work done on my laptop for around 45 minutes as I had to make an appointment later that afternoon. I had already been to a cafe nearby that did not have any outlets, so I walked in to ask the employees there if I was able to use their outlets while I had a cup of coffee.

The first thing that the employee working there said to me was "you know its common sense to close the door behind you". Shocked, I apologized and looked back to realize that I had left the door about an inch open.

When I explained to the woman there that I wanted to use the outlets while I had a drink she replied with "You know its a restaurant not a cafe right". Again, shocked that someone was so openly rude, so I told her that if she didn't want my business to just say so. She claimed that I misunderstood her and and its fine, which at that point I told her that its okay, and that the entire interaction was so uncomfortable that I'd be going somewhere else.

I am shocked that someone would be so blatantly rude. For context, there was not a single other person in the restaurant, and I asked about the outlets before I attempted to sit at a table.

It is very disappointing as I would have loved to try the food there, I work in the area and am always by their restaurant, which funny enough, is ACTUALLY A CAFE, not a restaurant. The literal name of this place is the lion's den cafe. I don't know if this woman's attitude towards me was because of my race, gender, appearance or what, but this was by far the most appalling behavior I have experienced in a...