My Local Cafe

Really sad this place went out of business and turned into a sushi place. It was probably the best gluten free café in all of Vancouver. Mygoodness! is an awesome bakery and I highly recommend it, but they mostly have sweets and not as many lunch options as my Local Café.
They used to have homemade soups, the most amazing hummus sandwich, and they had this chocolate blueberry cake that was unbelievable. Miss this place so much!

With a zillion (or so) sushi places in and around Point Grey, this one really stands out. Prices are the same as other restaurants (i.e. cheap!) but the quality is there.
Inventive rolls and some great hot food (yakitori and noodle bowls) too. And all very fresh.
Good portion sizes too.
This place is already turning into a regular stop for ourselves and the kids

Great Veggie Sushi at fair prices. I been there twice for lunch and they have better then average quality at fair prices. They could work the service and paying the bill part out a little better, regardless I plan to go back there from time to time. It makes for healthy lunch and good bike ride from central kits.

Another good find for downtown quality on westside!
Ordered the Dream Caterpilla Roll, sure was real crab, and eel plus double-​layered avocado, good stuff. Tasty too.
Not sure if I was early for lunch, but they prepared a complimentary vegetarian spring roll!
Nice clean washrooms. Cosy décor. And I always prefer plastic-​wrapped chopsticks.

We normally go to a sushi place a block away from our place, but we heard some great reviews about the veggie options here, so we decided to drive over to give it a try. The décor is both spacious and cozy at the same time. We ordered the Snow Combo (avocado, yam tempura, and veggie on three different types of rice) and a spinach gomae roll. While we waited, we were served complementary egg rolls & salad as well as miso soup & tea. The rolls were very well made — rice was just the right texture and not too much of it. They sure did not skimp on the ingredients — we had left-​overs.
Prices are very reasonable for the quality. They have a lot of creative specialty rolls that I would like to try the next time. Definitely one to check out.

This place has recently changed hands — as of October 2011 or so. It is no longer a gluten-​free mecca (which I loved), but is now a sushi joint. In fact, the new name is My Local Café Sushi Gallery. Confusing to the customers that come looking for those yummy GF muffins. Oh well, not to despair.
In a city that is FULL of sushi spots, this one stands out. The rolls are inventive, and filled with super fresh ingredients. They also don’t use rice as a filler, but rather a complement to the rather large chunks of fish or whatever tasty bits assembled. And, you have the option of white, brown or black rice. The Green Caterpillar roll that I had the first time had me thinking about it for days: prawn tempura, with just a hint of cream cheese, yam and avocado on top. The wild (sockeye) salmon nigiri that I had was probably one of the best pieces of salmon I have had (and I HAVE been to Tojo’s). Having been back twice in one week, I am looking forward to the next thing I am going to try at the Sushi Gallery. Check them out!

Went here for a veg meet up and the food was really good. We got vegan gluten free lasagna. Maybe it sounds weird, but it was very delicious and I was impressed they knew how to cook.
The staff were really friendly and helpful and it was a nice night. I would come more often but I don’t live in the neighbourhood. But I definitely want that lasagna again! It was so good. Cashew cheese and some daiya. Yum

Food is still pricey but has taken a bit of a hit quality wise.

Well, well, well… this was a surprise — in both a good and a not so wonderful way. I leave Kitsilano for a while, and come back to find this little place — after being disappointed with Aphrodite’s not serving breakfast before 10am.
At 9.15, I was impressed. It was nice and quiet. I didn’t look at the menu (my fault), because the kids wanted waffles and I had Quinoa porridge, with a Chai Tea. $ 40 later…
Why wasn’t I warned that a gargantuan dollop of stewed fruit would be slopped on top of the super-​dry waffles? Kids wouldn’t eat the dry waffles. Could possibly have built a gingerbread type house with it… ok, now I’m being mean — but even I didn’t like them, and I’m a healthfood nut 95% of the time.
Did I complain? No. Why not? Because from 9.30 the place was fill to bursting point. We sat in a vibrant (too loud), squished (everyone sitting on top of each other and not able to move from table to table without fear of piping hot coffee being accidentally spilled on 3 year olds head. The kids dumped the (lovely) stewed fruit onto my porridge and the line-​up went from the cash register to the door, and there was no chance of having anything rectified in time.
/​/​Not great for kids, unfortunately and most sadly.
/​/​Not great for the wallet. I shouldn’t have tipped, because the service was slow, clunky, and they couldn’t remember some stuff (sorry!)
/​/​Waited service — for the price — would have been much prefered — and it would help lose the losers who are treating this ‘premium’ place like an office. Surely that’s what Starbucks is for ;-)
/​/​The chai tea doesn’t compete at all with East Is Easts (though I loved the froth and big line of cinnamon on the top)
Overall, overpriced and not the kinda experience I’d expect from a café that has as high vegan standards as it does.
Would I go again? I wouldn’t go out of my way — no sirrreeee.

The delectable nanaimo bar made up for the not so great muffin (blueberry banana). Also I came here a long time ago and I remember the food being delicious and I appreciate that it’s healthy (well the meals anyhow) — but nothing to write home about. But it was good enough for my dad, who hates healthy food.

I made the long, long, long trek out to Alma to visit this café because I needed a place to study where I could also eat (vegan) lunch. They don’t have wifi here — which I appreciate, because it meant it wasn’t full of UBC students — but they were super receptive to me sitting there working on my project. I was, in fact, the only laptop in the joint the whole time I was there. Most of the other customers were middle aged or older people having a calm lunch and/​or conversation.
I ordered a portabello burger and a peanut marinated vegetable salad. Everything was fresh and delicious; I felt like I got what I paid for. I wish I had gotten something a bit more adventurous, but there will be a next time, because I enjoyed my time there.
Staff were all wearing white, like a real kitchen. It was very cute. Accommodating people. They knew the ingredients in everything, which was refreshing; it looked like the staff had a good deal of autonomy, rather than being told what to do by a soul-​crushing kitchen overlord.
Good music, too. I had been listening to my iPod on the way there and they played several of the same songs while I sat in the restaurant. The manager (I assumed) put on Bonobo and I got a copy of the album as soon as I got home. I always appreciate it when I like the music in a restaurant; it’s a sign of good taste. My taste in music is obviously the best taste in music; all of the friends I have in my homogenous subcultural group agree.

I love great little cafes with a friendly, cozy vibe, good coffee, and fresh, local fare… this is one! The food is fantastic: fresh, creatively prepared, with options for gluten free seekers like myself.
My boyfriend and I went for breakfast. I had the orange-​buckwheat waffles with a fruit and pecan compote served with maple syrup (the real thing) — delicious and such a rare find for a gluten-​freer! To drink, I had an americano, which is how I order my coffee to ensure a strong cup. It was smooth and strong — perfect. I also tried the coffee and have to say it gets 3 stars from me which is darn good. Mike, had the «The Local»; poached eggs on toast, baked with asiago cheese on top, garnished with alfalfa sprouts and served with a fruit salad and the most amazing yukon gold potatoes. I’m not sure how they got their potatoes so flavorful, they are delicious! As I was pondering this, Mike remarked at how orange the egg yolk was, a really good sign that an egg is fresh.
The best part, it’s not overly expensive. Then, add in the quality of food and friendly staff and it’s REALLY not expensive. How refreshing. We love eating well, but it can be difficult to justify when it costs so much. Thankfully, My Local Café is making eating well much easier.
Thank you My Little Café!

Yum. But how is coffee «local»?

I came, I ate; however, I feel that I did not fully conquer.
Don’t get me wrong… this place has a distinct charm, a decent location, and a pretty good capp (see: every other review I have ever written). On the other hand: the soup was under-​salted, the chairs are not that comfortable, and there was just something missing in the way of warmth and coziness.
My conclusion: I would happily go back here but I can’t see myself becomming a regular.

Yeah, okay, it’s gluten-​free. Yippy-​skippy.
I was all thrilled when I did my research and found a place that’d be less likely to be jam-​packed, being off the beaten path, for my gluten-​allergic aunt.
The food’s okay. The «waffles» my aunt had, she enjoyed, but they screwed it up – the waitress said with EITHER «roasted fruit» or the «maple-​pecan» topping, and they served it to her with both once she orded the maple-​pecan, but the real issue was, she recognized the waffles as tasting exactly like a commercial gluten-​free pancake mix she uses at home.
My eggs Benny, though, sorely disappointed me. Let’s see why.
First, the menu listed it as having this veggie patty (about the size of a toonie once it arrived, on the side) as well as potato latkes (I was REALLY excited about potato latkes), and then, you know, who doesn’t love hollandaise?
So, no potato latkes. NEIN! DENIED! No one in the restaurant had any, I was too annoyed to investigate why, but you think we’d have been told.
And, the Benny? I’m not kidding: A tablespoon of sauce on each half of the sandwich.
A TABLESPOON.
And my «easy» poached eggs were both medium-​hard.
HERE’S A TIP, cafes. When I want to diet, I’ll diet. When I’m ordering an EGGS BENNY, you know what I’m NOT doing? I’M NOT DIETING. GIMME MY GODDAMNED SAUCE.
When you’re not buttering the English muffin and then you’re only giving me a tablespoon of sauce? And there’s no cheese? And there’s no meat?
Yeah. Your café is run by the Hollandaise Nazi. NO SAUCE FOR YOU.
In the end, it seems like my take on these kinds of places is right — the gluten-​free people get what they get and they’ll like it, or they won’t get anything else.
It’s disappointing, and I was disappointed. Period. The end.
Next time I find a place like the Wallflower Modern Diner, who will accommodate gluten needs, but who don’t cater to it. What a disappointment.

Always great service and really good food… They don’t have as many salads as before but the food is healthy and fresh. It usually takes quite a while to get your order so it’s not the best if you are in a hurry… if you do have time it’s worth the wait!

I was delighted to hear this place serves gluten-​free sandwiches, vegan pizzas, and other goodies. The coffee-​shop vibe was just urban and refined enough to make it feel classy, and the staff was just endearingly sloppy enough in dress and mannerism to offset that classiness and make it feel comfortable again. It felt like the kind of place you just want to go back to, particularly if you get one of the nice little outdoor spots on the nice little shaded patio on a sunny Sunday afternoon in June…
I had a gluten-​free pesto sandwich, which was delicious and filling. It took about 20 minutes to make and the place wasn’t busy, which is the only reason why I rated them a 4 instead of a 5 (5 being perfection in my economy), but the server apologized for the tardiness, so I won’t otherwise hold it against him.
Gluten-​intolerant people MUST go here at least once. Gluten– and Diary– or Egg– intolerant people must ABSOLUTELY go here, because this is one of the few places that serves gluten-​free vegan food.
They also bake gluten-​free bread for special order on 24 hours notice. I haven’t had it, but a trusted friend says it is delicious.

This place used to be some hippie cultish place that served up great veggie fair. Now, it is comfortable modern café that makes unbelievable fresh, tasty food.
Their soups are perfect, the sandwiches are healthy and the staff is amazing. If you live in the area this is a must.
Must be amongst the best lunch spots in the city.

Organic coffee is served piping hot.
A couple feeds each other a bliss ball at the till.
At the sugar nook, a debate regarding the merits of brown sugar vs raw sugar ensues… raw sugar wins.
The bopping kitchen pumps out eggs on toast and sammies.
A baby and woman have a screaming contest over sign language. Ironically, the woman wins.
I sit, plugged in and happily type away.
Ahhh… Saturday mornings at my new fave un-​local local spot.