Vic’s Diner in Abbotsford

 

To see a diner next to a standard hotel is odd and foreboding.  Diners are usually near or within gas stations to cater to hungry truckers and drivers looking for filling affordable good-portion meals.  Or they can be on their own in a low-rent area in town, or along the highway.

Vic’s Diner is on Clearbrook Road, Exit 87 TransCanada Highway 1 in Abbotsford BC  - 69 km (43 miles) southeast of Vancouver BC Canada.  Right in front of the westward ramp, attached to the greyish Abbotsford Hotel, with a bit of uncertainty, I pulled in around 9 am in front of Vic’s Diner.  Will it be really a diner or more like a hotel facility?  Seeing a silver-haired couple walking in, my trepidations were a bit assuaged.  When I got in, saw the newish diner booths, and more silver-haired couples, I said “maybe it won’t be that disappointing.”

A solicitous server Maria showed me a table.  “Let me just clean it”, she said.

M: Do you want coffee?

Ice-cold water please

M: Are you in the hotel?

No

M; Here for the Abbotsford Air Show?

Yes

I asked for the special listed on the white board “Klondike Special” 3 eggs, ham, choice of chorizo or Farmer’s sausage, cubed potatoes, onions and toast.”  CAD$13.00 though the sign says CAD$13.99.  plus tax plus tip

Do you poach your eggs?

M: Yes, do you want it soft, medium, or hard?

This is truly Canadian – in Canada whether poach, basted, or fried – they can make it soft, medium or hard.

Medium please

M: For toast, multi-grain, white, wheat or sourdough?

Multi-grain please

It was very quick.  Within 8 minutes, the plate was set.  The poached eggs were perfectly round all in one ramekin.  The ham, chorizo sausages were the commercial packaged variety for restaurants – but they were tasty and rightly heated.  The almost identical mass-produced potato cubes were crunchy and blended well with the inch-long white onion strips.

The toast surprisingly had no butter.  Maria – do you have butter?

Maria, who is Vic?

M: There is no Vic.  This place used to be a Ricky’s (restaurant chain) and they were planning to call it Ric’s.  We said, no it can’t be Ric’s, so Vic’s it became.

Mid-way the appealing breakfast, silver-haired Phyllis took over who came over and asked If I need anything.

Maria (left) and Phyllis

Vic’s Diner, although a menu that emanates from package to pan, is worth recommending.  Truly Canadiana

Address:  2073 Clearbrook Rd, Abbotsford, BC V2T 2X1  It is next to the Chevron gas station.  Tel 604 859 6789  Open 7 am till 3 pm everyday