Fishermans Boot

Great prices, lots on your plate & «reasonable» quality at this hole in the wall.

Gem is the word you see very often in reviews for this little joint. I’m proud to say I discovered this little gem entirely out of luck; my work happened to send me to the area. Quick search on my phone suggested the Big Boot Burger from fellow diners. When i went inside it was half full, mostly locals. There’s a sign behind the counter that says something like «we charge $ 10 extra for rude, obnoxious, arrogant, etc etc behavior». That seems fair enough, I wonder what experiences they’ve had? The interior is nothing special, a few tables and the usual couch type seating against the wall but everything was well organized. The burger came pretty quickly to my surprise, as there were two orders ahead of me. The first thing I noticed was that this was a homemade style burger. The meat is actual real 100% beef, just like grinding it in your own kitchen, not that processed frozen stuff. Nicely seasoned. Juicy. Comes with lettuce, tomatoes, pickle, red (!!) onions, cheese, bacon, and mushrooms, all on a sesame seed bun. And a personal sized portion of fries. The photo doesn’t entirely do it justice, because the patty was very thick. Like thicker than a quarter pounder but freshly made and oh so soft and juicy. All this for only $ 6.50. I’ve tried quite a few burger joints throughout the city including the many in downtown and no more will I fight through traffic, pay extra for parking and wait in line for a decent burger.

I used to live in the area and go here often, well maybe not so much, but quite a few times, but I don’t get by often these days. I no longer live in Steveston, but on the east side of town. I finally got to go this day with a friend who likes to walk, so we got off the bus near Trites, did a tour of Britannia and then took off to the Boot. I was hoping my friend, owner, Penny still owned the place, because I hadn’t seen her in five years, or so, and she was.
This is a small, unpretentious Canadian «greasy spoon» — I mean this with kindness — and I was interested in seeing if any changes were made to the décor, which was dated, or the food. Luckily, some friends of the owner decided it was getting a little dated, and she couldn’t afford to do anything about it, so they all pitched in and repainted the place, and ditched the way too old blue carpet, and put in hardwood flooring. The place was looking a lot more spiffy than the last time I visited, but as I kept telling the friends I introduced to the café, that you’re not eating the carpet, just the food :-)
Both myself and my friend had burgers, and compared to the mystery meat you often receive at the fast food places, we both recognize these as beef burgers, and very good ones at that. I had the cheeseburger, and my friend had the Boot burger. Can’t remember the exact prices but they were somewhere in the six dollar range, and nothing on the menu is over $ 6.75. That’s about one dollar higher or more than it was last time I visited a few years ago. Definitely good value for the money as nothing was greasy. The home-​cut fries with their skins on were good, maybe too much so, as I’m a type II diabetic trying to keep the carbs down, and I ate them all… my bad. But I did make up for the other day at another restaurant by telling the server to hold the rice and give me extra salad. She told me I’m the only man who’s ever asked for more salad :-)
Anyway this café is a one-​person operation except during the busy period when she has one cook working with her, so it’s no surprise that the menu is small — two small pages. No wasting time trying to figure out what you want to eat, but many of the «greasy spoon» café staples were on the menu. I think there was even a salad in their, maybe two, but hey, we didn’t come here for salad.
Many years ago a friend and I went there, and we had our usual inexpensive, but tasty lunch or breakfast or whatever we had. I remember ordering Manhattan style clam chowder, which was very flavorful, but missing clams, so I brought this to Penny’s attention telling her it was the «best vegetable soup I’ve ever had, but where’s the clams?» Penny replied in her typical fashion that she «had the clam on a string, and pulled it out before serving.» That’s what you can expect eating here. Good, unpretentious food at very low prices with a dollop of humor for a side dish. :-) Thanks Penny, you made my day.

The Boot has good old fashioned diner style food, built in entertainment named Penny, and has had an interior facelift recently. A nice new paint job and no more ripped seats in the booths has made it a bit more inviting, and fortunately hasn’t driven away the local fishermen and dock worker regulars.
Although the menu is limited, everything on it has 4 star taste.
Breakfasts are large. The pork with apple sausages are different and delicious. 3 eggs, 3 sausages, hash browns, toast and coffee for $ 5. Where can you get that breakfast at that price?
The burgers are great! The Big Boot Burger and fries is large, juicy and delicious and the boot fries are great too. This burger tastes like burgers from your youth if you’re old like me:). A nice thick fresh ground beef patty with whatever topping you choose. The Big Boot Burger costs $ 6.50 and would cost double that in many restaurants and probably wouldn’t taste as good.
The clubhouse is a old fashioned, basic clubhouse that just tastes great. Much better than many fancy clubhouse sandwiches I have had in other restaurants. I’m sure the other sandwiches are just as good but I like the clubhouse so much I’ve never tried the others.
Penny has a special every day and a soup in addition to the regular menu. Of course fish and chips and clam chowder on Fridays. The location of this restaurant guarantees very fresh ingredients.
The Boot is easy to find. Follow Trites Road (off Moncton St) the very end. Drive through the intimidating looking gates without worry. The public is welcome here if you like diners, you will love the Boot.

Although I have lived in the Trites Road area of Steveston for ten years now, I had not really explored the Steveston Harbour Authority lands till this beautiful cold day.
I stopped into visit «the boot» for a fisherman’s breakfast which included coffee for an amazing six bucks! It included three eggs, two sausage links, two strip of bacon, hashbrowns, and your choice of toast. Very filling!
The place is very dated but I could see this place being a gem for the local work community as well.
Penny is the owner of the place, and she is well known in the community for food & magnetic personality from the old #284 ANAF club. Just remember that this place is no frills and she’s a very busy lady working hard in and around the kitchen, so enjoy your food and enjoy a nice walk afterward to burn off those calories!

Classic diner with good cheap food. I have only been there for breakfast — a couple of specials that don’t change, and the usuals.
$ 5 or $ 6 for a good size breakfast, obviously very casual. Food is definitely tasty and home made, not coming from Sysco for this place.
Interior is plain and simple, mish mash of coffee cups, perfect for what it is.
Cash only, so don’t even think about trying to use debit/​credit.

This place really takes you back in time. It is located in Steveston inside the gates of a commercial fishing marina (or pond) and is open to the public. If you like dinners, grease, good food with tons of atmosphere and some real personalities around the tables you’ll love the Fisherman’s Boot. From the ripped seats to the book exchange and the friendly chatter of Penny the owner this «hole in the wall» has really endeared itself to us.
Expect a wholesome but very limited menu. Nothing over $ 8.00. Breakfast and sandwiches are their specialty. All day big breakfast for $ 6.00 including coffee. The interior hasn’t been renovated since the 60’s or early 70’s but that is one of the things that makes this place special.