Cameo Cafe — Restaurant in Vancouver

Let us climb into the way back machine and twist the dial back about 25 years. The first time I ever ate at Cameo’s Cafe. It was dated then and it’s even more dated now except it now it’s a little dustier. They are shooting for a kind of elegant yet approachable dining on the golf course type of thing. I spent quite a bit of time on the East Coast, where this is done as if it were part of breathing, and cameo café just doesn’t really do it. None of this would make any difference if the food were extraordinary, but like the decor the food was dated as well. Perhaps if it overlooked a soccer rink instead of a golf course. It might make more sense because I’m afraid that hamburger was as tough and hard and round as a hockey puck. This does not portray the gentile and sophisticated atmosphere I think they might be going for.

There is an uprising of great burgers, extraordinary hand, cut fries with that perfect crunch going on in Vancouver. Cameo Café is a place stuck in time, a relic in amber.

Maybe they don’t want a younger and fresher audience, but as their old regulars pass away, I would hope that they would test the winds and realize that change is not always a bad thing. With a little training for the chef, great things could be possible.

So the burger, was pretty terrible. Chewy and hard and unimaginative, but there was one place that cameo Café did really well and that for me was the service. From the older woman who seems like she may have been there for a long time, waitressing is deep in her blood. She does it like an old cowpoke climbing up into his saddle every morning before the sun rises in the west. She does it almost without thinking,a path that she has walked 100,000 times. I would be willing to bet for a lot of regulars she is the next thing to being family.

The younger waitress, possibly under the tutelage of the standardbearer was great too! She was attentive, friendly, and unobtrusive. Revamp the restaurant, rewrite the menu, but do not let go of the staff.

Let me also say, I love the fact that they bring you not only iced tea, but a carafe so that you do not run out when they are busy. It is a touch. I have always loved in restaurants.

Cameo Café overlooks a golf course, and looking out the window is a little bit like looking out of a spaceship window at a different world. there are simply not that many golf courses in Vancouver. It makes you wonder, but it also gives you a pretty good idea of a major portion of their clientele.

25 years ago, I was not that impressed. If I had been, we would’ve eaten there often over the years but here so many years later, I see that that has not happened, and it’s for a reason. We were not that judgmental in those days. There simply were not that many great options in Vancouver, but times have changed and the food scene here has gotten much better. Cameo café should make a choice to either join the New World or turn the reins over to someone else. Nostalgia… Is not always what you wish...

Wow... where to start? It was a good half hour before getting our food, which was a surprise since there were only 4 tables filled at the restaurant. I ordered Eggs Benedict w/ toast for $12, and for the price I did not expect powdered Hollandaise Sauce, and but did expect the English Muffins to be toasted.. even slightly. I will say they eggs were just about right, but the rest was nearing inedible. It did not come with the toast as stated, but with a huge portion of Hash Browns, which was pretty good and at least gave me something to fill up on. My wife got Waffles, which she said were good, but came with cold syrup, and a side of a Toasted??? biscuit. I got a very weak coffee, and even had to refuse the warmer she offered because I have had better in a hospital. When asked how everything was, we said "I, guess it is alright" trying to hint that there was an issue, but not be an a## about it. The waitress said "well good then" and walked off without trying to see what could be done. Now we get to the bathroom... I couldn't believe that restaurant would have bathrooms in such a condition. Plywood bathroom stalls, green streaks down the walls, doors that didn't close correctly, and then there was the smell that could have knocked a pig off it's feet. If you think that I just have no idea what I am talking about, I was an Executive Chef for many years in fine dining, and have been classically trained. That being said, I could even appreciate Taco Bell and know when to expect certain things. But, spending over $30 on breakfast for 2 with 1 coffee, (my wife didn't even get a drink) for nearly inedible food, not to mention bad service, made me so angry I wanted to call Chef Ramsey and tell him to get his butt down here and save this place. The only saving grace for this place was the nice patio and garden. Without it, I put it below Denny's and Carrow's on almost every level. I will never be back, and would probably rather light $30 on fire just to watch the pretty...

We had one waitress who took to our drink order that took almost 15 minutes to get and the second waitress had no idea that we had ordered of beverage. After very prompt order taking service we waited for 30 minutes 10 to 15 minutes of which we saw our food sit in the window. We ordered soup which wasn't brought to us until our meals were brought to us.... We refuse to soup because there was no point our meals were here now (I had friend to my party about how amazing their soups were at this place)

When I sent back the soup the server was very agitated and I did explain that we watched our food sit in the window for very very long time and her response was well do you want to go boxes. My response was no I want to go spend my hard-earned money at a place and get hot food. If I wanted to make lunch myself I would have stayed at home.

We ate one quarter of our food because seriously it was lukewarm. I have been to this place many times and this was the only kind of experience like this that I've had there, it's usually very top notch.

Manager on duty was amazing and finished out our table after our server dropped our ticket when we clearly had 75% of our food left and then walked away. Is the manager on duty brought us boxes really took care of us was awesome at customer service and because of that we will be back for her service!!!

Other than one experience I would give it a four and a...