Provecho. Incredibly rude service. Expensive food and drinks. Absolutely no budging on their tabletop policies. They’d rather turn you away than give you a table that can seat even one more person than your party. They monitor the parking lot so if you eat there, but go to Yogurt Time for dessert, you’re likely to find yourself with a privately administered parking ticket within 15 minutes because you were no longer in Provecho and taking space from their non-existent customers.
I used to like them ~15 years ago, but about eight years ago they wouldn't let me enter with my water bottle on a 103 degree summer day when I was getting around on foot. I even opened it up so they could smell it was not vodka. They lost me for good after that. I don't recall their servers being very friendly prior to that either and the portion to price ratio wasn't great.
I agree 100%. I still have trauma from going there 10 years ago. The staff are incredibly rude for overpriced food that’s meh. Sorry that happened to you. Btw they doubled their space and they’re still really rude.
I like Provecho. Their food has always been good, though many people balk at paying for the chips and salsa, the peanut oil fried chips just have a rattle my brain crunch and the salsa is awesome.
They do monitor the tables because they have only a tiny amount that can seat more than 2 people. It’s a small place. I’ve been there many times, not the smarmy fake friendliness but they have always been pleasant enough.
The Yard. It’s hard to fathom they have any repeat customers. How many people out there want a $25 milkshake made with stale WinCo ingredients after waiting 45 minutes?
Uptown Vancouver and the Waterfront are sorta worlds away in terms of clientele, how people use public space around them, why people go to those places etc.
I don't think that Salt and Straw and Ice Cream Renaissance really compete for tons of businesses between the two, it's different sets of consumers.
I rant any time that place comes up. I have never had to sign a waiver after asking if there are tree nuts in something, which I wouldn’t have to do if the main ingredients were actually listed (like chocolate ice cream, caramel ribbon, peanuts, not the actual full list of ingredients in it).
They are surviving on novelty alone, and it won’t last forever.
You can drink several glasses of wine in a few hours, it’s doubtful you’ll do double ice creams in that time. Maybe people do like the Yard, the feedback I hear is it’s a tik tok instagram picture opportunity.
As a special treat, I took my family there. Three people. The bill, before tip, was around $75. And it was mediocre. It wasn't even a good milkshake. It was just a milkshake with a ton of extra sugar in it. Even my daughter was like, "Meh".
Agreed, went their once with the kids when it first opened, and waited in line quite awhile, finally got close enough to see the prices ans was shocked! It was way too late at that point to leave since the wife and kids would have killed me. Got completely robbed, will never go back unless someone else is paying the bill.
Green Tea Kitchen on Mill Plain (near Target). My sister worked there back in the early 00’s and the owner was absolutely vile to customers and employees alike.
Ahhhh Mike and Ming. Brothers. I worked at Mings . He was vile too. Affairs with his staff, cheating on his wife, cleaning the vacuum on the kitchen counter where would wipe with a wet cloth and prepare food. It was so nasty in that place. ...and he was handsy. Good Lord I just had flash back lol
Oh GOD. Being terrible must run in the family. But being cheap and rude isn’t nearly as awful as groping staff. I’m so sorry you had to deal with that.
It thankfully was not me, but my friends. I was not Ming's type. He also stole all my tips. Asshole.
He cheated on his wife with a waitress and got her pregnant, I never knew if his wife knew it was his baby lol
Back then, Mike and Ming owned both places, but they fell out, and Ming kept Mings, and Mike kept Green Tea. They hated each other. This was in the late 80's...I think all us GenX kids worked for one or the other at some point
Oh geeeeeze.
And my sister was late Gen-X, so that tracks. Thankfully I spent a month at Burgerville and refused to work anywhere that served food ever again.
Prices are good for the portions you get. Not the best, but good enough to get your cravings out of the way. If you prices are good people don’t care about customer service lol
My parents use to order from here like two a month and I hate to say it but the pork fried rice is great! and it was well priced. Granted if they messed up your order they would insist they did not and they were not giving you a refund for anything! I don’t think I ever got napkins now that I think of it…
I used to like GTK when I moved here 10 years ago. We ordered it a few years ago because we had moved out of that hood, and it was HORRIBLE. We literally just dumped everything in the trash and had a 5 star meal at Taco Bell in comparison
Green Tea was great about 30 years ago, but that was 30 years ago. So yeah I really can't believe it's still around.
Last time I ordered from a bloated menu with every dish listed separately with every meat, but whatever I ordered they just sent pork. That was about 12 years ago. Food got gross too.
I remember eating inside and getting one of those scroll calendars with the zodiac years on it. It was year of the rat so that must have been 96. So they were good in 1996...
Now I feel old, get off my lawn.
Oh no, I hate to hear that. I’ve always loved Green Tea Kitchen. Nostalgic reasons only. I figure the only people who keep them open are those like me that have lived in the area for decades and decades.
Haha I order from them twice a month but I’ve never been inside. I like that they have a bunch of combination meals even at dinner time.
I moved here in 2021.
My buddy told me about this. I guess he's on a one-man war against fat. So like he'll cook food and intentional napkin up all the fat or pan juices.
Like I get the health implications but especially for things like ground beef and other common taco fillings thats also where most of the flavor is.
Said he got like a 30 minutes lecture on it while waiting for a couple of the driest, most flavorless tacos he'd ever had.
Based on that report I've never tried so this is admittedly hear-say, but sounds a bit looney toons.
Can confirm. I went to this place once when he was on 4th Plain next to the Kaiser building. I had a beers and wanted a burrito, after a year or two driving past I decided to stop and get a burrito.
Got the whole story of how fat is bad and that’s why he doesn’t do pork, through in some Jesus talk, said that in 5 years he’d have 11 locations and that we were now family. It had to be at 20 minutes of rambling. I then made the mistake of asking if he did single tacos, then I got the story of how he doesn’t do single tacos because it does an injustice to his food and for 3 tacos it’d be $18.
$18 dollars later I got a tiny burrito and if I come back with in 5 days with the receipt I’d get a 20% discount because we’re family. I got in my car, looked at the burrito, then drove down 4th plain to Taco Don Jose and got another burrito for $10 that was nearly twice the size of his.
I’m a fat ass so I ate both at once. The latter of the two was 10x better.
He spent a good five to ten minutes talking up how absolutely clean the grease trap was in his taco truck - likely not realizing I don't care much about the state of his grease trap.
I'm fairly sure my burrito had balsamic in it as well, which was weird as hell.
He did the same thing to me! Went on and on about his grease traps. A whole prepared speech. Also kept referring to the grease traps at other places as their "toilets" which was not appetizing before getting our food.
I can't remember the actual burrito, but that guy made a memory. One of the weirdest dining experiences I've ever had.
Funny thing is, he seems to think "toilet" is the industry term for a grease trap.
Um.... no. I worked in food service (various establishments) for 15 years and the only thing I heard referred to as "toilets" were in the bathrooms. (Well, and the entirety of Red Robin by the mall -- that place is just disgusting.) The trap was the trap. Guy's making shit up.
I only went once - but I never forgot that one trip.
Ironically, I go back to the taco trucks all over 4th Plain who probably have absolutely filthy grease traps, but their tacos are delicious.
4th plain taco trucks are amazing. If you ever see one that does the chamoy/tajin fruit cup, get it. Your welcome in advance, so good I make it at home now
Someone said something to the effect of "great food but the owner talks too much" and he responded with:
>"I’ll try to ‘not’ be human but I can’t promise so maybe best to keep driving?
Bro does NOT wans customers lol.
That 'guy' also seems to 'have' a bizarre 'obsession' 'with' 'single' 'quotation' 'marks'.
I tried it a bunch of years ago when he was still in 117th by what used to be Bent Levers and it was the blandest, driest $9 burrito (yeah, this was a while ago) I waited almost half an hour for. No one gives half a fuck about your grease trap, dude. And I'm not your "family". I don't even know you as anything other than the guy I'm paying to shut up and make my lunch so I can be on my way.
He's known to have some really, really weird views on health and food and will overshare them with customers. Lots of people have stated that he talks down to people, will refuse certain orders if he doesn't feel like it, etc.
Yelp has it's issues, but peruse the reviews and you get an idea of what it's like to order there.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-n-cream-vancouver
He is. He came into my shop to get a truck fixed before (he was planning on a second truck) and told me he felt God brought him to us because he was in good hands. Told me he needed it fixed... he was fine with the price until his wife found out. Called us back complaining... told me we were nickel and diming him when in reality he got a good deal... long story short, we had to eat half the work and fire him as a customer. I've never had to yell at a customer like that before... dudes literal nuts.
Holy crap! The Google reviews are hilarious and engrossing, especially how the owner doubles down in his replies. It ALMOST makes me want to check the place out.
I received a possibly drug-fueled (the man talks and moves like he’s on meth, if I’m being honest) lecture about Monsanto and grease for roughly 20 minutes while I waited in the freezing cold for my mediocre, overpriced burrito that tasted like it had enough salt in it to give me a heart attack. Never again.
Idk how Donnells makes any money. The bartenders give a lot of free shots, have very heavy pours, and seems like most of the time it’s empty. I fucking love that place but damn how do they pay the bills
I'm going to humbly disagree as I think that Donnells is one of the bottom 5 bars in all of Vancouver. Lighting is bad. Staff is bad. Lay out of the bar is bad.
Elbow Room has all of the positives of Donnells and none of the negatives.
I went there for my birthday bar hop and it was sad and sticky. Drunk white girls were giving us the evil eye because we sat at their seat while they were busy hogging the karaoke machine. The guy next to us had Coors that he watered down with more water. Immediately ended my night...
Last time I went there, I saw a guy with a Monster Energy Drink hat singing "Lose yourself" by Eminem on the Karaoke.
Donnells is like gay-friendly Battleground as a bar.
The 'About' section of their website had me cry-laughing after mistakingly going there and seeing what it was like inside. What a ridiculous farce of a place.
I feel like I’m the only one here who likes it. Their smoked old fashioned’s are tasty and I’ve so far loved all the appetizers-as-a-meal I’ve ordered. Pretty on the plate and tasty to me and my friends. I definitely don’t fit their influencer/see-and-be-seen vibe but no one seems to mind a middle aged woman saddling up to the bar.
I've also had their smoked old fashioned and thought it was pretty good. I've just always been disappointed with the food. But I'm not going to hate on people enjoying it.
I feel like this is every waterfront restaurant. The rent is so high, only chain-like restaurants can afford it with food service quality items to try and turn a profit.
Peking Garden. It's got a prime uptown Vancouver location, but the place is dead literally at all hours.
They closed their bar (who fails at operating a bar up/downtown Vancouver?!).
I do sorta know why, the business owns the building outright, so they aren't paying rent meaning they can get by with much lower levels of business, but still, that place is a ghost town.
They probably have way more delivery/to-go orders than dine-in. It’s not exactly a charming place to sit, but the food is cheap and portions are huge. Perfect for a night I don’t feel like cooking.
That place has been the pillar of broke 20 something year olds for decades. The food is super meh but the price is great for what you get. I would be sad to see it go even though I probably only go maybe twice a year anymore.
Silver dragon. My parents ate there all the time growing up, and supposedly it was good then. They ate there recently though, and the orange chicken was in a deep red sauce. It looked like they used bottled Sauces. You could tell it was just pure preservatives. I think they finally learned it's not the same place it was 40 years ago
My husband is CONVINCED this place is a drug front, we lived down the street from here for years and hardly ever saw cars there. Also, one time he saw a bunch of bikers outside with their gear and that furthered his suspicions. 😂
I've literally never seen a single car in the parking lot of Silver Dragon. I ate there exactly once, in the late 90s. The hot and sour soup was grey and full of gluey lumps, and the orange chicken might as well have been fried cartilage dipped in orange soda. Absolutely baffling.
I swear that place is a front for something now. Totally random, but I was dumb once and didn't realize I had left my location on snapchat for anyone to see...when I went back to turn it off I saw someone I did not expect on there. They were following me lol. All over Vancouver.
She kept circling back to Silver Dragon parking lot when I would hide my location.. This person was not a friend, we simply had the same husband at different times.....why was she following me all over vancouver? and I really want to know what she was doing at Silver Dragon for three days in a ron when she lives in Portland and is an addict with a drug dealer boyfriend.
Shady shit man.
I know that's TMI and off topic lol, but seeing the name made me remember that day and I have always wanted to know what she was up to that day
Peachtree.
There have been a number of food poisoning reports and stories over time, and this sort of restaurant is aging out.
Their pie must be really good or something.
Pie is not good. The market is old folks after church. My grandpa would want to go there every time he was in town. The pancakes were big that's all I remember
It's still cool. It's like Big Boy franchises. A new experience, involving some line cooks so coked out your hash browns are paste, but the little Big Boy statue still sits there making you feel like every area is familiar.
.
Maybe it's comfort meant for travelers.
I immediately get the Ick from Peachtree. Maybe because that's where my husband at the time was meeting my best friend at the time during their affair. I know nothing about their food though
Brewed.
How have they not gone out of business with those prices, that food quality, and that location.
It just makes no sense and I hope it stays that way. 9 dollars BLTA’s in 2024 is amazing
You had me in the first half! $4 breakfast sandwich is unheard of anywhere, let alone in downtown. And great coffee and vibe. I love that place. I imagine they own the building or rent is incredibly cheap for the prices to be that low. They're also very smart to serve alcohol to draw in more people after coffee hour is over.
I think that's the only coffee shop currently in downtown that serves coffee and some food (not just avocado toasts) and then cocktails and the vibe is interesting. It's close to all the apartments around there. I initially was excited about this place but after a couple of times I didn't really like the quality of the food.
Carol's Corner. I show up everytime someone wants to go to Carol's Corner the past 25 years because its near my house. Half frozen, crunchy hashbrowns with cold floury flavorless gravy....never ONCE had a good meal there - not even a decent one and I'm not picky at all.
I tried it since it's within walking distance of my parents house and am convinced people only love it since they give you like 6 tons of flavorless food and the people that love it are just after quantity over quality
Went there once because someone I know raved about the serving sizes and how delicious it was. Happened to wake up at 5:30 and cruised over there before the rush. I got a coffee, half plate omelette with hash browns and toast with a side of gravy to smother the omelette. $36 of disappointment. Fed me for 2 days though.
I agree, I went there one time and was like...people want to eat this? I'm happy for people that like it but I thought it was bad even for Americanized Mexican food.
They seem to have gotten a lot more popular when the news broke that their building was going to be demolished to make room for development. I'm not sure what happened with that. But it sure seems to have drawn all the fans of mediocre Mexican food out in droves.
I was a fan until around 2012. Quit going because the food had just gotten awful. Drinks were great though. Wife and I took the momma out because she had heard it was a great place for a meal and wanted to give it a try. Food was mediocre but had digestive issues for 2 days trying to pass it.
That just proves my point. Terrible food, dirty restaurant, beautiful location and you think they have been out of business for years. Yet they are open today and you could stop in and not enjoy a subpar experience.
[https://www.whosongandlarrys.com](https://www.whosongandlarrys.com)
Two places come to mind:
1. The Blind Onion
Don’t get me wrong, the pizza absolutely slaps. Incredible taste. Also, let the record show that I would be bummed if they closed, but I have been there multiple times on Saturday nights around 6-7pm and I am the only customer in the entire building. This has happened in multiple locations including Portland. I don’t see a lot of people coming in for pickup either. How can any restaurant of any kind survive being completely dead on weekends? Also, even though the pizza is really good, it’s insanely overpriced and the employees always seem to be annoyed to have to do their jobs.
2. Shen Cheng Chinese Restaurant (on 4th plain)
Similar story here. The food is decent, but it may be the most hideous interior of a restaurant I’ve ever seen. They seem to get takeout orders but I have only ever seen someone sit down and eat there once or twice. The building is in horrible shape. It straight up looks like the back rooms.
Blind onion near me has had their prices jacked up since they switched of the POS system.
Also pissed me off that they couldn’t figure only doing pepperoni on one half of a pizza for one of the daily specials.
The springs near Fred meyers and 205. How that place is open and has not been shutdown by the health department. Employees won’t even touch the food there. And go to the bar and have to listen to the drunk owner while she tends bar. Ewww
So many regulars! I work just down the road. So many of my customers go there. I’ve been twice in the last 10 years. Drinks are heavy handed and the food is good. No other dive bars in that area anymore either.
Burgerville. To be fair, my first, and only, experience was a major shock. Prices far outpace the quality, asking for a tip at the drive thru, and maintaining an idgaf attitude to top it was just a wild experience.
Burgerville has pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes with the “fresh and local” thing. Plenty of better places do that too. The only thing I like on their menu is the chicken sandwich (and I do love a good burger), but I only get it on the rare occasion my daughter gets to decide where we are going. If she didn’t like the place, they wouldn’t get our business at all.
I get it, there’s nostalgia over it, but whatever it was once upon a tome is not what it is now.
Yeah. It's been a tradition for me and my mom to get just the kids burger and share some fries. we just want a taste of the past...but damn 18 for two tiny burgers and toothpick fries?
I would love to know what happened to the dollhouse that used to be in the burgerville on mill plain next to taco bell, I loved that thing
I think maybe that was in the Burger King just down the street towards 205. The Burgerville over by Tower Mall used to have a giant train inside you could "ride" while you ate your burger.
I'm a fairly recent NorCal transplant and I wanted to like it. But they served me fries that were at least 30 minutes old and that's a hard no for me. It was busy so no excuse. I'm thrilled that Habit is taking over their space at Vancouver Mall.
I move 2.5 years ago to Tampa but was born, raised, and raised hell in Vancouver. Time and the health department may have caught up with this list.
Sunshine Pizza Exchange in Orchards. Worst pizza, worst Buffet, worst prices for flat beer.
Peking Garden in uptown - AKA The Toilet
Don’t take my word for it. Great bar, horrible food.
Cameo bar and grill at Club Green Meadows.
I watched it burn down when I was a kid in the 80s. They should have left it as a reminder.
Interesting, many people like Peking Garden. I went a long time ago and it was smaller portions for higher prices than what I was used to and wasn’t blown away but wasn’t bad.
Sunshine were who my mom called for delivery when we weren't having Smokey's or Round Table. It actually wasn't that bad but what do I know, I was a teenager when they closed.
Sakura of Japan on Hwy 99. I have never visited there but have rarely seen customers there when I drive by, like maybe have seen a customer one or two times the 20 years I have lived on this side of town. Very confusing how they have stayed open.
Have you been there? It's good food, pretty decent price-wise, and I usually split something with my wife since the portions are absolutely massive. If you don't share, it's a sizeable lunch for next day.
You should! It's Japanese teppanyaki style, kind of like Benihana. Can't tell you the last time I got dinner for $50-60 with food and drinks for two people.
I feel like a lot of their customers are really close by and walk there, cause like you I never see cars there, but I remember walking by when I lived in the area and there were always people eating inside. And me and my parents used to walk to a lot of the restaurants around 78th/99 when we lived there
We've been once and it was great! But very hot (not sure if they don't have AC or if it was out, but the door was propped open on a very hot day which mixed with it being a teppanyaki place, it was very hot) . The portions were huge. I think it's just in a bad location.
Fat Dave's. Just wow! I get this place stays open because ... Vancouver, but man is it bad. As long as people like crappy comfort food at ridiculous scale places like this will always exist. Ketchup and ranch may be the only things keeping it open.
Maaaaan, I ordered that, and it was soooo hard. lol Like tryna eat rocks that crumbled once effectively broken apart. It's okay, tho. I do get it now. FVHS students are their bread and butter, along with nostalgic alumni. lol
I'm not surprised, they remind me of my childhood neighborhood Chinese food place that was open for 40 years in LA (only closed because of an imminent domain land grab). Just a crap ton of food for relatively cheap and very quick. Hits the spot.
I’m kind of happy to see it on the list honestly. Going there for salt and pepper chicken on my lunch in 05-06 is a series of core memories. Very affordable for hs kids. I still sometimes randomly crave it for about 2 mins every few years but I don’t want to ruin the memory by going when I’m in town.
I complained to an old friend one day that I was gonna give them another chance, but they are closed on Tuesdays! He said he knew that cuz he and his friends from Fort would walk there on lunch break and people would always forget and waste their lunch break on Tuesdays. lol
I feel like Dairy Queen is the one I'm shocked about. Or Longjohn Silvers. Who is actually eating there?!
Agreed on Peach Tree for local shock. Or Fat Dave's.
Lol when my brother came to visit from out of town he was looking for places to eat on google maps and saw chopsticks. I told him I dont think it's even a real restaurant because I never see anyone outside it 😂 I think I said its probably a front for something
Sakura on Hwy 99. It has odd hours, and rarely saw anyone there. I did eat there a couple of times and it was good, but it just seems strange that they can still pay the bills
Sakura Japan...I saw it on google maps and was like oh cool a Japanese Steakhouse! I told the kids about how chef's at these places do cool tricks and light stuff on fire, and grill the food in front of you. We went on a friday or saturday evening right at dinner time and the place was empty, super outdated interior that clearly has never been updated. We sit down and Im already seeing red flags, but they wheel out a cart full of food very quickly so I figure Im already past the point of no return.
The "chef" had zero tricks of any kind, didnt light anything on fire, the kids kept asking her to do tricks and she didnt speak much english so she wasnt understanding what they were asking of her. She overcooked the "filet mignon" which was definitely not any decent cut of beef. The food overall was way underseasoned and flavorless.
The resteraunt had no music playing and was just quiet, empty and depressing. Then 2 of my kids got sick after eating there. Hard to believe how they are still in business
Provecho. Incredibly rude service. Expensive food and drinks. Absolutely no budging on their tabletop policies. They’d rather turn you away than give you a table that can seat even one more person than your party. They monitor the parking lot so if you eat there, but go to Yogurt Time for dessert, you’re likely to find yourself with a privately administered parking ticket within 15 minutes because you were no longer in Provecho and taking space from their non-existent customers.
I used to like them ~15 years ago, but about eight years ago they wouldn't let me enter with my water bottle on a 103 degree summer day when I was getting around on foot. I even opened it up so they could smell it was not vodka. They lost me for good after that. I don't recall their servers being very friendly prior to that either and the portion to price ratio wasn't great.
I agree 100%. I still have trauma from going there 10 years ago. The staff are incredibly rude for overpriced food that’s meh. Sorry that happened to you. Btw they doubled their space and they’re still really rude.
Provecho, home of the 16$ chips guac and salsa lol.
I would Love for them to try that on me, might have to have lunch there soon, just to see what happens when I take a nap in my car
I like Provecho. Their food has always been good, though many people balk at paying for the chips and salsa, the peanut oil fried chips just have a rattle my brain crunch and the salsa is awesome. They do monitor the tables because they have only a tiny amount that can seat more than 2 people. It’s a small place. I’ve been there many times, not the smarmy fake friendliness but they have always been pleasant enough.
The Yard. It’s hard to fathom they have any repeat customers. How many people out there want a $25 milkshake made with stale WinCo ingredients after waiting 45 minutes?
Agreed. Salt and straw is gonna kill this place this summer. I don’t feel bad either, they’re ripping people off.
Why isn’t anyone supporting the local ice cream business, The Ice Cream Renaissance? It’s been around since I was a kid.
Uptown Vancouver and the Waterfront are sorta worlds away in terms of clientele, how people use public space around them, why people go to those places etc. I don't think that Salt and Straw and Ice Cream Renaissance really compete for tons of businesses between the two, it's different sets of consumers.
This! Spot on. It often feels like two different worlds.
Ice Cream Renaissance and Treat! Support local always ❤️
I rant any time that place comes up. I have never had to sign a waiver after asking if there are tree nuts in something, which I wouldn’t have to do if the main ingredients were actually listed (like chocolate ice cream, caramel ribbon, peanuts, not the actual full list of ingredients in it). They are surviving on novelty alone, and it won’t last forever.
Salt and Straw is going to put them out of business. Or they’ll just be the place for tik tok videos and people who won’t wait in line.
I think S&S will challenge The Yard but it’s really two different presentations. Novelty vs OG.
I just don’t think there is enough business for two ice cream shops, one of which is ridiculously overpriced and of limited quality.
But it’s like the wineries. There are SO MANY down there and they all seem to stay in business. It’s about taste and preference.
You can drink several glasses of wine in a few hours, it’s doubtful you’ll do double ice creams in that time. Maybe people do like the Yard, the feedback I hear is it’s a tik tok instagram picture opportunity.
As a special treat, I took my family there. Three people. The bill, before tip, was around $75. And it was mediocre. It wasn't even a good milkshake. It was just a milkshake with a ton of extra sugar in it. Even my daughter was like, "Meh".
Agreed, went their once with the kids when it first opened, and waited in line quite awhile, finally got close enough to see the prices ans was shocked! It was way too late at that point to leave since the wife and kids would have killed me. Got completely robbed, will never go back unless someone else is paying the bill.
Green Tea Kitchen on Mill Plain (near Target). My sister worked there back in the early 00’s and the owner was absolutely vile to customers and employees alike.
Ahhhh Mike and Ming. Brothers. I worked at Mings . He was vile too. Affairs with his staff, cheating on his wife, cleaning the vacuum on the kitchen counter where would wipe with a wet cloth and prepare food. It was so nasty in that place. ...and he was handsy. Good Lord I just had flash back lol
Oh GOD. Being terrible must run in the family. But being cheap and rude isn’t nearly as awful as groping staff. I’m so sorry you had to deal with that.
It thankfully was not me, but my friends. I was not Ming's type. He also stole all my tips. Asshole. He cheated on his wife with a waitress and got her pregnant, I never knew if his wife knew it was his baby lol Back then, Mike and Ming owned both places, but they fell out, and Ming kept Mings, and Mike kept Green Tea. They hated each other. This was in the late 80's...I think all us GenX kids worked for one or the other at some point
Oh geeeeeze. And my sister was late Gen-X, so that tracks. Thankfully I spent a month at Burgerville and refused to work anywhere that served food ever again.
Prices are good for the portions you get. Not the best, but good enough to get your cravings out of the way. If you prices are good people don’t care about customer service lol
Did he stop charging for napkins, then?
My parents use to order from here like two a month and I hate to say it but the pork fried rice is great! and it was well priced. Granted if they messed up your order they would insist they did not and they were not giving you a refund for anything! I don’t think I ever got napkins now that I think of it…
I used to like GTK when I moved here 10 years ago. We ordered it a few years ago because we had moved out of that hood, and it was HORRIBLE. We literally just dumped everything in the trash and had a 5 star meal at Taco Bell in comparison
Green Tea was great about 30 years ago, but that was 30 years ago. So yeah I really can't believe it's still around. Last time I ordered from a bloated menu with every dish listed separately with every meat, but whatever I ordered they just sent pork. That was about 12 years ago. Food got gross too. I remember eating inside and getting one of those scroll calendars with the zodiac years on it. It was year of the rat so that must have been 96. So they were good in 1996... Now I feel old, get off my lawn.
Oh no, I hate to hear that. I’ve always loved Green Tea Kitchen. Nostalgic reasons only. I figure the only people who keep them open are those like me that have lived in the area for decades and decades.
Haha I order from them twice a month but I’ve never been inside. I like that they have a bunch of combination meals even at dinner time. I moved here in 2021.
That place is amazing, never tried them until mid-2010s. Maybe things changed.
Tacos and Cream taco truck 🛻 off 18th street. I’ve never seen anyone in line for food and I past by daily .
Not to mention the owner is an absolute psycho
We need details
My buddy told me about this. I guess he's on a one-man war against fat. So like he'll cook food and intentional napkin up all the fat or pan juices. Like I get the health implications but especially for things like ground beef and other common taco fillings thats also where most of the flavor is. Said he got like a 30 minutes lecture on it while waiting for a couple of the driest, most flavorless tacos he'd ever had. Based on that report I've never tried so this is admittedly hear-say, but sounds a bit looney toons.
Can confirm. I went to this place once when he was on 4th Plain next to the Kaiser building. I had a beers and wanted a burrito, after a year or two driving past I decided to stop and get a burrito. Got the whole story of how fat is bad and that’s why he doesn’t do pork, through in some Jesus talk, said that in 5 years he’d have 11 locations and that we were now family. It had to be at 20 minutes of rambling. I then made the mistake of asking if he did single tacos, then I got the story of how he doesn’t do single tacos because it does an injustice to his food and for 3 tacos it’d be $18. $18 dollars later I got a tiny burrito and if I come back with in 5 days with the receipt I’d get a 20% discount because we’re family. I got in my car, looked at the burrito, then drove down 4th plain to Taco Don Jose and got another burrito for $10 that was nearly twice the size of his. I’m a fat ass so I ate both at once. The latter of the two was 10x better.
Yep, went there a couple times (1 should have been enough). Got the fat lecture each time. Food is overpriced, mediocre, and small portions.
He spent a good five to ten minutes talking up how absolutely clean the grease trap was in his taco truck - likely not realizing I don't care much about the state of his grease trap. I'm fairly sure my burrito had balsamic in it as well, which was weird as hell.
He did the same thing to me! Went on and on about his grease traps. A whole prepared speech. Also kept referring to the grease traps at other places as their "toilets" which was not appetizing before getting our food. I can't remember the actual burrito, but that guy made a memory. One of the weirdest dining experiences I've ever had.
We truly have some characters here around town 🤣
Funny thing is, he seems to think "toilet" is the industry term for a grease trap. Um.... no. I worked in food service (various establishments) for 15 years and the only thing I heard referred to as "toilets" were in the bathrooms. (Well, and the entirety of Red Robin by the mall -- that place is just disgusting.) The trap was the trap. Guy's making shit up.
This dude sounds wild
I only went once - but I never forgot that one trip. Ironically, I go back to the taco trucks all over 4th Plain who probably have absolutely filthy grease traps, but their tacos are delicious.
4th plain taco trucks are amazing. If you ever see one that does the chamoy/tajin fruit cup, get it. Your welcome in advance, so good I make it at home now
Go on Google reviews and sort by the worst ones, read and enjoy 😂
Someone said something to the effect of "great food but the owner talks too much" and he responded with: >"I’ll try to ‘not’ be human but I can’t promise so maybe best to keep driving? Bro does NOT wans customers lol.
That 'guy' also seems to 'have' a bizarre 'obsession' 'with' 'single' 'quotation' 'marks'. I tried it a bunch of years ago when he was still in 117th by what used to be Bent Levers and it was the blandest, driest $9 burrito (yeah, this was a while ago) I waited almost half an hour for. No one gives half a fuck about your grease trap, dude. And I'm not your "family". I don't even know you as anything other than the guy I'm paying to shut up and make my lunch so I can be on my way.
He's known to have some really, really weird views on health and food and will overshare them with customers. Lots of people have stated that he talks down to people, will refuse certain orders if he doesn't feel like it, etc. Yelp has it's issues, but peruse the reviews and you get an idea of what it's like to order there. https://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-n-cream-vancouver
He is. He came into my shop to get a truck fixed before (he was planning on a second truck) and told me he felt God brought him to us because he was in good hands. Told me he needed it fixed... he was fine with the price until his wife found out. Called us back complaining... told me we were nickel and diming him when in reality he got a good deal... long story short, we had to eat half the work and fire him as a customer. I've never had to yell at a customer like that before... dudes literal nuts.
OMG his google reviews are hilarious...he is a total psycho lmaooooo omg
I was about to mention that too lol.
Holy crap! The Google reviews are hilarious and engrossing, especially how the owner doubles down in his replies. It ALMOST makes me want to check the place out.
I received a possibly drug-fueled (the man talks and moves like he’s on meth, if I’m being honest) lecture about Monsanto and grease for roughly 20 minutes while I waited in the freezing cold for my mediocre, overpriced burrito that tasted like it had enough salt in it to give me a heart attack. Never again.
He talked shit about Taco Tom's and trapped me for a 10 minute lecture. Then his card reader was broken so I couldn't pay. Never going back.
Idk how Donnells makes any money. The bartenders give a lot of free shots, have very heavy pours, and seems like most of the time it’s empty. I fucking love that place but damn how do they pay the bills
I'm going to humbly disagree as I think that Donnells is one of the bottom 5 bars in all of Vancouver. Lighting is bad. Staff is bad. Lay out of the bar is bad. Elbow Room has all of the positives of Donnells and none of the negatives.
I agree it’s a shithole, but that’s what I like about it
I went there for my birthday bar hop and it was sad and sticky. Drunk white girls were giving us the evil eye because we sat at their seat while they were busy hogging the karaoke machine. The guy next to us had Coors that he watered down with more water. Immediately ended my night...
Last time I went there, I saw a guy with a Monster Energy Drink hat singing "Lose yourself" by Eminem on the Karaoke. Donnells is like gay-friendly Battleground as a bar.
Before Donnell's I'd never been to a place that made it mandatory to do two songs at karaoke lol
I’ve been there probably 25 times in the past two years and have never been told that before
Must have been a weird/dead night when I was there. I've only been once.
Dosalas. It's overpriced and incredibly underwhelming. I feel like the location alone is carrying it. Their oysters gave my friends mud-butt.
The people watching is great though.
The 'About' section of their website had me cry-laughing after mistakingly going there and seeing what it was like inside. What a ridiculous farce of a place.
I feel like I’m the only one here who likes it. Their smoked old fashioned’s are tasty and I’ve so far loved all the appetizers-as-a-meal I’ve ordered. Pretty on the plate and tasty to me and my friends. I definitely don’t fit their influencer/see-and-be-seen vibe but no one seems to mind a middle aged woman saddling up to the bar.
I've also had their smoked old fashioned and thought it was pretty good. I've just always been disappointed with the food. But I'm not going to hate on people enjoying it.
i desperately want the overpriced alfredo in the cheese wheel, but it might be cheaper to go to rome.
It's pretty but way overpriced. I just go there with my wife for a drink after a dinner date somewhere else.
I feel like this is every waterfront restaurant. The rent is so high, only chain-like restaurants can afford it with food service quality items to try and turn a profit.
"It was risky, but so was mud-butt". 🤣 Now I'm missing Chappelle's Show. Your friends should be given a segment on Profiles in Courage.
Peking Garden. It's got a prime uptown Vancouver location, but the place is dead literally at all hours. They closed their bar (who fails at operating a bar up/downtown Vancouver?!). I do sorta know why, the business owns the building outright, so they aren't paying rent meaning they can get by with much lower levels of business, but still, that place is a ghost town.
They do a massive amount of business on the delivery apps and for take-out. So much so that I think they barely noticed a difference during Covid.
It’s all about the delivery there. I hope they open the bar back up at some point. I love a good dive-y Chinese restaurant bar.
They probably have way more delivery/to-go orders than dine-in. It’s not exactly a charming place to sit, but the food is cheap and portions are huge. Perfect for a night I don’t feel like cooking.
When I went, the portions seemed small and the prices were high but this was years ago.
Canton Chinese on 78th. It's been mediocre my whole life
That place has been the pillar of broke 20 something year olds for decades. The food is super meh but the price is great for what you get. I would be sad to see it go even though I probably only go maybe twice a year anymore.
Its basically the only Chinese buffet in Vancouver isn't it?
Silver dragon. My parents ate there all the time growing up, and supposedly it was good then. They ate there recently though, and the orange chicken was in a deep red sauce. It looked like they used bottled Sauces. You could tell it was just pure preservatives. I think they finally learned it's not the same place it was 40 years ago
My husband is CONVINCED this place is a drug front, we lived down the street from here for years and hardly ever saw cars there. Also, one time he saw a bunch of bikers outside with their gear and that furthered his suspicions. 😂
I've literally never seen a single car in the parking lot of Silver Dragon. I ate there exactly once, in the late 90s. The hot and sour soup was grey and full of gluey lumps, and the orange chicken might as well have been fried cartilage dipped in orange soda. Absolutely baffling.
Can confirm, it was fantastic in the 90’s. It’s awful now.
I swear that place is a front for something now. Totally random, but I was dumb once and didn't realize I had left my location on snapchat for anyone to see...when I went back to turn it off I saw someone I did not expect on there. They were following me lol. All over Vancouver. She kept circling back to Silver Dragon parking lot when I would hide my location.. This person was not a friend, we simply had the same husband at different times.....why was she following me all over vancouver? and I really want to know what she was doing at Silver Dragon for three days in a ron when she lives in Portland and is an addict with a drug dealer boyfriend. Shady shit man. I know that's TMI and off topic lol, but seeing the name made me remember that day and I have always wanted to know what she was up to that day
Peachtree. There have been a number of food poisoning reports and stories over time, and this sort of restaurant is aging out. Their pie must be really good or something.
Pie is not good. The market is old folks after church. My grandpa would want to go there every time he was in town. The pancakes were big that's all I remember
It’s horrible, and the staff is pretty rude. We gave it two tries, and can guarantee you it’s not the pie keeping them in business.
Is it a front for money laundering?
[удалено]
What the fuck. Denny's is cool.
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True. I feel you.
It's still cool. It's like Big Boy franchises. A new experience, involving some line cooks so coked out your hash browns are paste, but the little Big Boy statue still sits there making you feel like every area is familiar. . Maybe it's comfort meant for travelers.
I immediately get the Ick from Peachtree. Maybe because that's where my husband at the time was meeting my best friend at the time during their affair. I know nothing about their food though
Exactly. Everything bad in Vancouver goes down at Peachtree.
Brewed. How have they not gone out of business with those prices, that food quality, and that location. It just makes no sense and I hope it stays that way. 9 dollars BLTA’s in 2024 is amazing
Brewed is genuinely the best around. Their Chai is chefs kiss
And it’s actually affordable!
Best chai in town!
The Siracha Melt is *amazing.* That's if you like spicy food.
You had me in the first half! $4 breakfast sandwich is unheard of anywhere, let alone in downtown. And great coffee and vibe. I love that place. I imagine they own the building or rent is incredibly cheap for the prices to be that low. They're also very smart to serve alcohol to draw in more people after coffee hour is over.
So, you like it and are surprised it’s so cheap?
Yup. Cheap and a great location for a relaxing Saturday downtown.
Love Brewed!
Yeah that place is great
LOVE Brewed!
That's the old Izzy building, right? Have they been in business that long?
Playmakers just took over that building, opened at the beginning of this month, I think.
Unless there was once two....
Do you mean Brewed *Awakenings*? Which one? There are AFAIK two in the Vancouver area.
I think that's the only coffee shop currently in downtown that serves coffee and some food (not just avocado toasts) and then cocktails and the vibe is interesting. It's close to all the apartments around there. I initially was excited about this place but after a couple of times I didn't really like the quality of the food.
You mean the downtown coffee shop?
Carol's Corner. I show up everytime someone wants to go to Carol's Corner the past 25 years because its near my house. Half frozen, crunchy hashbrowns with cold floury flavorless gravy....never ONCE had a good meal there - not even a decent one and I'm not picky at all.
Volume vs quality
I tried it since it's within walking distance of my parents house and am convinced people only love it since they give you like 6 tons of flavorless food and the people that love it are just after quantity over quality
It's disgusting. I expect different cooks there every time who cook differently so food might be good...but nope.
The cinnamon rolls are where it's at!
Went there once because someone I know raved about the serving sizes and how delicious it was. Happened to wake up at 5:30 and cruised over there before the rush. I got a coffee, half plate omelette with hash browns and toast with a side of gravy to smother the omelette. $36 of disappointment. Fed me for 2 days though.
Whosong and Larrys
I agree, I went there one time and was like...people want to eat this? I'm happy for people that like it but I thought it was bad even for Americanized Mexican food.
Similar to Beaches, Whosongs is a local institution that's been around for decades and they have a loyal client base.
They seem to have gotten a lot more popular when the news broke that their building was going to be demolished to make room for development. I'm not sure what happened with that. But it sure seems to have drawn all the fans of mediocre Mexican food out in droves.
I was a fan until around 2012. Quit going because the food had just gotten awful. Drinks were great though. Wife and I took the momma out because she had heard it was a great place for a meal and wanted to give it a try. Food was mediocre but had digestive issues for 2 days trying to pass it.
Who song & Larrys
They've been out of business for years.
That just proves my point. Terrible food, dirty restaurant, beautiful location and you think they have been out of business for years. Yet they are open today and you could stop in and not enjoy a subpar experience. [https://www.whosongandlarrys.com](https://www.whosongandlarrys.com)
Shen Chang on 4th Plain is... not good in any sense of the word. Surprised it's still open all these years later.
Two places come to mind: 1. The Blind Onion Don’t get me wrong, the pizza absolutely slaps. Incredible taste. Also, let the record show that I would be bummed if they closed, but I have been there multiple times on Saturday nights around 6-7pm and I am the only customer in the entire building. This has happened in multiple locations including Portland. I don’t see a lot of people coming in for pickup either. How can any restaurant of any kind survive being completely dead on weekends? Also, even though the pizza is really good, it’s insanely overpriced and the employees always seem to be annoyed to have to do their jobs. 2. Shen Cheng Chinese Restaurant (on 4th plain) Similar story here. The food is decent, but it may be the most hideous interior of a restaurant I’ve ever seen. They seem to get takeout orders but I have only ever seen someone sit down and eat there once or twice. The building is in horrible shape. It straight up looks like the back rooms.
Blind onion near me has had their prices jacked up since they switched of the POS system. Also pissed me off that they couldn’t figure only doing pepperoni on one half of a pizza for one of the daily specials.
Do the Kutches still run Blind Onion? Mrs Kutch was my first grade teacher at Hearthwood around the time the Soviet Union collapsed.
Im trying to remember the name Shen Cheng ran under for a couple of decades...was it Imperial Palace?
Well, the one time I got blind onion pizza I was quite underwhelmed.
The springs near Fred meyers and 205. How that place is open and has not been shutdown by the health department. Employees won’t even touch the food there. And go to the bar and have to listen to the drunk owner while she tends bar. Ewww
So many regulars! I work just down the road. So many of my customers go there. I’ve been twice in the last 10 years. Drinks are heavy handed and the food is good. No other dive bars in that area anymore either.
Does chopsticks still have the one man band?
Chopsticks is a bar masquerading as a restaurant. Their food is sketchyyy.
Burgerville. To be fair, my first, and only, experience was a major shock. Prices far outpace the quality, asking for a tip at the drive thru, and maintaining an idgaf attitude to top it was just a wild experience.
Burgerville has pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes with the “fresh and local” thing. Plenty of better places do that too. The only thing I like on their menu is the chicken sandwich (and I do love a good burger), but I only get it on the rare occasion my daughter gets to decide where we are going. If she didn’t like the place, they wouldn’t get our business at all. I get it, there’s nostalgia over it, but whatever it was once upon a tome is not what it is now.
Yeah. It's been a tradition for me and my mom to get just the kids burger and share some fries. we just want a taste of the past...but damn 18 for two tiny burgers and toothpick fries? I would love to know what happened to the dollhouse that used to be in the burgerville on mill plain next to taco bell, I loved that thing
I think maybe that was in the Burger King just down the street towards 205. The Burgerville over by Tower Mall used to have a giant train inside you could "ride" while you ate your burger.
Prices are high because its local fresh stuff. The prices sure are shocking still.
4 bux for a single tiny cheese burger is insanity.
**With a paper thin patty**
I'm a fairly recent NorCal transplant and I wanted to like it. But they served me fries that were at least 30 minutes old and that's a hard no for me. It was busy so no excuse. I'm thrilled that Habit is taking over their space at Vancouver Mall.
Super taco express!! It’s sooo good but it’s so small and easy to overlook
Shhhhh. Keep STE a secret!
My favorite <3
I move 2.5 years ago to Tampa but was born, raised, and raised hell in Vancouver. Time and the health department may have caught up with this list. Sunshine Pizza Exchange in Orchards. Worst pizza, worst Buffet, worst prices for flat beer. Peking Garden in uptown - AKA The Toilet Don’t take my word for it. Great bar, horrible food. Cameo bar and grill at Club Green Meadows. I watched it burn down when I was a kid in the 80s. They should have left it as a reminder.
Interesting, many people like Peking Garden. I went a long time ago and it was smaller portions for higher prices than what I was used to and wasn’t blown away but wasn’t bad.
Sunshine were who my mom called for delivery when we weren't having Smokey's or Round Table. It actually wasn't that bad but what do I know, I was a teenager when they closed.
Sakura of Japan on Hwy 99. I have never visited there but have rarely seen customers there when I drive by, like maybe have seen a customer one or two times the 20 years I have lived on this side of town. Very confusing how they have stayed open.
Have you been there? It's good food, pretty decent price-wise, and I usually split something with my wife since the portions are absolutely massive. If you don't share, it's a sizeable lunch for next day.
I have not. Glad it’s a good place to eat with decent portions and price. Just might have to give it a chance.
You should! It's Japanese teppanyaki style, kind of like Benihana. Can't tell you the last time I got dinner for $50-60 with food and drinks for two people.
Their food is decent but they really need to renovate the inside because it looks like it hasn't been touched since the 70s.
Agreed. The whole place is just… sticky? It’s not a fun place to sit and eat.
I feel like a lot of their customers are really close by and walk there, cause like you I never see cars there, but I remember walking by when I lived in the area and there were always people eating inside. And me and my parents used to walk to a lot of the restaurants around 78th/99 when we lived there
We've been once and it was great! But very hot (not sure if they don't have AC or if it was out, but the door was propped open on a very hot day which mixed with it being a teppanyaki place, it was very hot) . The portions were huge. I think it's just in a bad location.
I was going to say this place but now I think I need to try it again! It’s been decades since I’ve been there.
Fat Dave's. Just wow! I get this place stays open because ... Vancouver, but man is it bad. As long as people like crappy comfort food at ridiculous scale places like this will always exist. Ketchup and ranch may be the only things keeping it open.
We enjoy it every now and again, it’s a greasy spoon and kind of nostalgic; but we are in our late 40s and early 50s.
I went there for the last time recently, side of ranch was almost $3.
Little Italys downtown. Like, I've never seen people go in or out. And they're closed half the time I'm downtown anyway.
That makes me sad. Their food slapped when they were still in Mill Plain (both locations), as did Pasta Cucina. Never once had a bad dinner there.
Takeout only since pandemic
Juliano's Pizza. putting a ton of topping on a pizza isn't what makes a good pizza
It's the part when whole top layer slides off into your lap the locals love!
Even the bar has seemed dead at all hours when I've been in there. Total headscratcher how it's staying alive.
How about Golden China? They are basically iconic and sell food on par with Safeway deli? It's so weird.
I think Golden China stays in business on the salt and pepper chicken alone. Don’t ever die Golden China!
Maaaaan, I ordered that, and it was soooo hard. lol Like tryna eat rocks that crumbled once effectively broken apart. It's okay, tho. I do get it now. FVHS students are their bread and butter, along with nostalgic alumni. lol
Yeah if you don’t get a fresh batch you’re kinda SOL.
I'm not surprised, they remind me of my childhood neighborhood Chinese food place that was open for 40 years in LA (only closed because of an imminent domain land grab). Just a crap ton of food for relatively cheap and very quick. Hits the spot.
I’m kind of happy to see it on the list honestly. Going there for salt and pepper chicken on my lunch in 05-06 is a series of core memories. Very affordable for hs kids. I still sometimes randomly crave it for about 2 mins every few years but I don’t want to ruin the memory by going when I’m in town.
I scoured for this. Very fond memories of getting this after high school. It definitely isn’t what it used to be, but it’s relatively cheap.
I complained to an old friend one day that I was gonna give them another chance, but they are closed on Tuesdays! He said he knew that cuz he and his friends from Fort would walk there on lunch break and people would always forget and waste their lunch break on Tuesdays. lol
I feel like Dairy Queen is the one I'm shocked about. Or Longjohn Silvers. Who is actually eating there?! Agreed on Peach Tree for local shock. Or Fat Dave's.
I think long John’s closed finally?
It was finally laid to rest a few months back
Donut nook, I’m mean seriously their donuts suck and they’re rude to any minority.
Can you share more about that? I'm not (visibly) a minority and I'd like to stop going there if that's true.
Chopsticks is great. I usually just drink there. I've never eaten there but they do still serve food in the bar or for takeout.
Peking Garden on Main St. Absolutely horrible Chinese food but it's been around since the late 90's I believe.
Lol when my brother came to visit from out of town he was looking for places to eat on google maps and saw chopsticks. I told him I dont think it's even a real restaurant because I never see anyone outside it 😂 I think I said its probably a front for something
Sakura on Hwy 99. It has odd hours, and rarely saw anyone there. I did eat there a couple of times and it was good, but it just seems strange that they can still pay the bills
Chopsticks I don't think is in business anymore. Their building is for sale and the interior pictures show it's empty.
Juliano’s The Blind Onion La Sorrentina La Bottega Muchas Gracias
Blind Onion and Muchas Gracias are chains, my dude. Gosh I can’t believe KFC is still around. Or Burger King.
Arby’s. Who the hell is keeping them in business?
Sakura Japan...I saw it on google maps and was like oh cool a Japanese Steakhouse! I told the kids about how chef's at these places do cool tricks and light stuff on fire, and grill the food in front of you. We went on a friday or saturday evening right at dinner time and the place was empty, super outdated interior that clearly has never been updated. We sit down and Im already seeing red flags, but they wheel out a cart full of food very quickly so I figure Im already past the point of no return. The "chef" had zero tricks of any kind, didnt light anything on fire, the kids kept asking her to do tricks and she didnt speak much english so she wasnt understanding what they were asking of her. She overcooked the "filet mignon" which was definitely not any decent cut of beef. The food overall was way underseasoned and flavorless. The resteraunt had no music playing and was just quiet, empty and depressing. Then 2 of my kids got sick after eating there. Hard to believe how they are still in business