Crave Grille — Restaurant in Vancouver

Crave Grill

Saturday 6pm dinner (slammed) and I'm celiac (very sensitive). Gluten free proved fine for me, but very very limited on options. Frier is shared, so no tots, fries etc... Also, only 3 dressings are gf and milk free.

Atmosphere

Remind me closer to a sports bar, then a sit down burger joint, very cramped, very loud, seating outside or inside or bar seating. Multiple TV's playing sports kitchen viewable from most tables through the restaurant because it's an open design. I don't recall any music playing or if it was, it was just so loud I couldn't hear it. Wasn't very enjoyable for the family.

Our order:

Ordered basic Burger + bacon (gf bun) with salad (Honey Mustard dressing) {$19.50}. Kid got cheese burger & Fries {$10 I believe}. Wife got Korean BBQ Burger with Cesar salad {$22}. + 1 Soda & 1 kids milk.

Burger review:

All 3 burgers were very well done. Korean BBQ was overcooked and dry. Bacon was a bit overdone as well. The flavors were mostly there but too burned to call it good.

Gluten Free Review:

The gluten free bun was also completely burnt and tasted mostly like charcoal so I can't review the taste but the texture was good.

Kid Review

The kids menu was very lacking for kid entertainment compared to many other restaurants we go to around Vancouver. After talking with the server, the kids juice is not a healthy kids juice. It's a concentrated sugar added, not good kind. 4yo said she liked the fries a lot and the burger was okay but she usually loves burgers and wants to eat them 100% but she didn't want to eat all the burger and we assumed because it was burnt bad.

Salad review:

Wife said Cesar salad was fantastic. The garden salad was fresh and good as well.

Talk with Server

After the dinner was done, we asked the server if that was the normal quality of the food, and she explained that it's not normally burnt, and she apologized multiple times for it. We told her not a problem, we ate our food, not complaining for a discount or anything and asked to pay full price and refused what she offered. We want to go back and give it a second chance if the food is usually better. She said please do and according to the Korean BBQ is usually super juicy and messy and delicious. The day we went, server said it was very busy compared to normal because of the weather, time of day, day of the week, and they were slammed.

Checkout

Check came promptly. $50 & change. Server discounted the three burgers by 20% even though we said no. Payment was tap to pay or card reader that she had in her apron. Tip defaults I believe were 15%, 20%,...

Met a buddy here for lunch. Nice vibe, fairly clean. The servers were friendly and helpful answering questions about the menu since this was my first time. I ordered the prime rib dip, adding mushrooms and grilled onions with cajun tots, per the server's recommendation, and my buddy ordered the special, maple cheese bacon burger with fries, which is what I think it was called. Food was delivered quickly.

The prime rib dip was fantastic. It was very tasty with a good amount of meat without being too much. I added some horseradish, and boy did that take it over the top. It was one of the best dips I've ever had. Tots were good and well seasoned. My only complaint is that the onions were a bit over grilled for my liking. They were almost like an onion jam. I almost forgot they were there until I got that little hit of sweetness. Don't get me wrong, I loved the sandwich, I just prefer the texture contrast that a slightly less cooked onion would have provided.

The maple cheese bacon burger was a bit of a surprise when it showed up. I'm assuming my friend didn't read the menu well enough. The cheese was more of a cheese sauce. So a bit difficult to pick up and eat, more of a knife and fork meal. I was offered a bite, and it was a bit sweet for me. It needed a saltier contrast to balance the maple sweetness. We both commented that it was good to try but not something we'd ever order again. I'm not sure I could have even eaten the whole burger as sweet as it was.

I will definitely try and go back and try some other dishes. My only complaints are that our table was very wobbly. I tried folding two napkins to put under the base, and it only helped slightly. One of my pet peeves. I worked as a server for over 15 years, so I know that there's absolutely no excuse. You see it every time you wipe down the table. It can really make the dining experience unpleasant. Please get the tables fixed. It's not that hard or expensive. The other issue I had is, for a restaurant that obviously puts so much care and attention into the menu, how are you not brewing your iced tea. It's way too easy and inexpensive and so much better than the stuff out of a soda fountain.

All in all, it was a very nice lunch. Good service and a great sandwich. Would definitely recommend and will be coming back. Please just fix the tables and brew your...

Went to Crave Grille around 1:40, mid-week. A couple folks were sitting outside on the sunny patio with their pooch. We three sat inside at a big booth along the windows. The atmosphere was cool and relaxed and welcoming. It wasn’t super busy - a couple guys in the bar and a couple other tables had folks whose food, when brought to them, looked amazing! We three knew immediately that we were having burgers! Sammie tended to us and was terrific - friendly, welcoming, happy(!) all while being professional and attentive to anything we could’ve need - she’s the kind of person you HOPE to encounter when you spend your money on a fun meal out (daughter’s b-day). My husband had the Bleus burger with a side salad and my daughter and I each had the Traditional with bacon - one of us had fries, the other; tots. We also ordered some onion rings to start - wish I’d taken a pic of them as they were SO good! I’ve never had rings here - they’re a battered ring and by far THE best I’ve had anywhere (my fave panko rings are at Killer Burger). These burgers are immense! They are also delicious!!! Super juicy and the bacon was thick. The fries have that crispy stuff on the outside that make them just that much better than plain fries. The tots were also good - but I’m sticking with the fries lol. The whole experience at Crave was literally one of the best I’ve had - start to finish - in a LONG time! Even one of the folks outside high-fived our daughter as we were leaving as, due to our and their party donning Rams shirt and ball cap, respectively! Excellent food, outstanding service (thanks again, Sammie! You made our daughter feel extra special on her birthday-day!) and good...