Urban Fare
305 Bute St
Vancouver, BC
(604) 669-5831

J: I’ve been to many supermarkets and some impress me with their food, some impress me with their services, and some impress me with both. And while Ed and I were in Vancouver staying at the Marriott Pinnacle, I found a supermarket with all the qualities I was looking for. Urban Fare on Bute is pleasing to the eye both in their food selection and the design of the store. It doesn’t have that giant American supermarket feel.

It feels more intimate and it won’t be causing this Hungry Bloke any stress should I shop here. And it is not just the layout of the store that makes me feel welcome, the staff were exceptional in their service and very warm to a stranger like me. I’m glad I took the initiative and investigated this place for a bite to eat. Ed, fortunately, had both legs to walk in the store with had he not gnawed them off during his food deprivation.

E: When considering we were wandering around downtown really late at night when most of the decent eateries were closed, I was going to give James an earful of “Are we there yet?” He was doing the boy scout guide thing that night. I should have learned my lesson from long ago. While he likes to claim finding Urban Fare, it was I who pointed out this market that bellied up to a bunch of surprises. They had tantalizing jarred items like Monkey Butter. To see this place had a diner still operating at this hour had me ready to say, let’s eat here.

Like we had any other choice.

J: But what a choice! Burgers are made fresh from the counter. For $9.99 you get a healthy helping of toppings. You can have chicken, pork or beef. I chose beef. They pulled it out from their fridge to grind up instead of pulling from the freezer. The cheese was not processed slice but was cut up from real blocks. Of either Cheddar or Swiss, I picked the neutral country. You can add extra toppings at a choice of two items for $1.

E: I have to wonder what forest was explored to find the mushrooms in my burger. It had this wonderful woodsy taste that I never found in any of my culinary excursions. That alone made my burger beyond wonderful. The bun was no doubt locally sourced, as it was still delicate even at this time of day.

J: The bacon in the burger was crispy and had just the right amount of salt. I was making squeaking noises with approval. And what a way to eat this meal. Late at night, this place was calm and so was I. I felt very zen.

E: I feel this place has great value for its buck. For less than $10, I got the equivalent of what a high-end burger place would charge here for a few dollars more. And when I can polish off the fries in an instant, that’s a sign of an establishment knowing how to make a french fry right. It was downright nom nom in my gum gums and I almost opened up my can of peanut butter just to try them out then and there on my burger.

Fortunately, the Monkey Butter brand can be found around the lower mainland and Vancouver Island, so I know where to get my maple bacon flavour.

I’d return to try out the rest of Urban Fare’s menu. If I’m raking in the bucks, I’d want to live nearby. As some passersby have indicated, there are apartments in the area. I just wonder how much the mortgage is here in the Coal Harbour area?

4½ Blokes out of 5