the cannibal cafe

good burger joint. best veggie burger in the city perhaps, definitely up there. they offer every type of burger you could imagine. the sides were just ok.

my wife saw this location on tv and we decided to go out and try it. i considered their largest burger but decided i wasn’t hungry enough to finish it and went with a double bacon cheese burger. the greeter/server was a friendly and knowledgeable person and gave excellent recommendations regarding their menu. the food was great and i really enjoyed their fries. the only mark against was the individual manning the cooking station was observed by my wife handling raw meat and instead of washing his hands he simply wiped his hands on his towel and continue handling other food.

have you ever wanted to enjoy a burger with a side of punk rock? if so; this is the place for you. located on commercial drive, this restaurant is literally named after a song by the punk band snfu. it was also featured on you gotta eat here! in season 5.

the vibe is a whole ton of fun and the edginess of the restaurant adds so much to the entire experience. the servers are all very friendly and covered in piercings and tattoos. my favourite thing are the hundreds of vancouver gig posters wallpapering every inch of the walls. i found myself reading as many of them as i could see! i visited on a saturday evening and our accommodating server seated us near the back of the restaurant (a perfect area to take in the scene of the whole place).

i'd heard that their shakes were pretty good, so i started there. their boozy shakes sounded especially fun! i picked the black forest shake (chocolate ice cream, milk, fudge, 2oz cherry bourbon, topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle - $11.95) because i was obviously there on serious business. this is a great item to order if you want to have dessert before dinner and you also want for there to be booze involved. this was a pretty good milkshake and it captured the elements of a black forest cake quite well. creamy, sweet, with a hit of bourbon. (but i have to say, the best boozy shake out there is still the legendary shake at save on meats.)

cannibal takes a lot of pride in their beef - which is a desirable thing to see in a burger-centric joint. their beef is certified organic from bc, so it doesn't get more fresh and local than that. of course i was going to order one of the cannibal specialty burgers and it had to be the big blue (blue cheese stuffed patty, a crispy onion ring, more blue cheese, horseradish chive mayo, l.t.o.p​ - $14.95). i also ordered hand-cut fries ($2.95) on the side. as a lover of blue cheese, this burger seemed like a majorly obvious choice. this burg was solid. i liked the patty because it tasted very fresh and was very clearly homemade. i especially liked that there was still a hint of pink inside and that it hadn't been cooked into oblivion. i did, however, find the patty to be a little bit dense and i couldn't really find the blue cheese inside. luckily, the blue cheese on top was much more prevalent and added the funk that i craved. the onion ring was perfectly battered and fried, it added a great crunch. i liked the bun because it was buttery and had a nice bite to it. the pickle was delicious. this burger was very messy!!!

the fries were good! they were cooked to a perfect golden and the seasoning on them was delicious.

maybe not the best burger that i've had in my entire life, but definitely a very decent one made with good ingredients.

the overall experience at cannibal café was a good one. it's a really cool restaurant with a fun atmosphere. the prices seemed a little bit high (especially with no sides being included with the burgers) and the food could've been a little bit more exciting. they serve a weekend bunch that i will certainly return to try.

this is a casual joint on the drive that's best known for serving up gourmet burgers. i went there for my birthday as they give you a complimentary american classic burger (if you have your id with you) with the purchase of either a drink or a side. i decided to get a side of onion rings to go with my burger as well as an oreo milkshake. the burger was quite tasty; the onion rings and the milkshake were fantastic. while i got a good deal since the burger came free, i do find their regular prices to be a tad pricy: most of their burgers are currently going to $13-15 without any sides. in terms of service, the waitress i had was very friendly; however, i do feel that they appear to be somewhat understaffed: there was only one person in the kitchen when i went, and some of the tables did take a while to receive their food. all in all, i did quite like this place, and i think it's definitely worth checking out for some classic american fast food.
american classic burger (free on birthday, normally $10.95):
3.5/5
this consisted of two 3oz patties, american cheese, ketchup, mustard, mayo and l.t.o.p. (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle). this was a simple, basic burger that was done quite well. i normally don't like beef patties, which can often be dry, but here the beef was actually reasonably moist and juicy. the bun was toasted, and crispy around the edges while soft and fluffy in the interior. the cheese and condiments provided great flavour. although the burger was not very large, it was quite tall and i actually couldn't fit it into my mouth (insert dirty joke here): i had to remove some of the vegetables in order to eat the burger.

onion rings (side, $4.95):
4.5/5
i loved these. the batter on the onion rings looked thick, but was incredibly light and crispy, and stayed crispy even when they cooled. it was served with a side of chipotle mayo, which was creamy and had a nice bit of spice. i was a bit disappointed with the portion: there were only 6 onion rings present.

oreo milkshake ($7.95):
4/5
i have to admit, i have to admit that i was a bit disappointed the milkshake didn't contain any crushed cookie bits. it was still very tasty however, with a great chocolate and vanilla flavour. it was quite thick, and you have to wait to allow it to melt a bit before being able to suck it through the straw.

delicious burgers and poutine. i was too busy chatting and totally forgot about taking pictures....overall, good food, good ambience and good service.

was here for dine out- no regrets. never once set foot in cannibal even after living in the neighbourhood since a child. glad i finally did! food is homey- looks pretty unassuming but is such good comfort food. has east van character- one of my friends who came to dinner hated it which only made me love this place more. old concert posters plastered all over the walls, happy tattooed and pierced servers, loud loud loud! my kind of place. defs a place worth popping into and checking out, even if only once.

always a favourite to visit.  the burgers are great, but we actually love brunch the most.  their eggs benedict is generously portioned and well balanced with the salad on the side. the value for your money is insane.  makes getting a drink with your meal almost guilt-free.

the burgers were amazing...i thought mine was good till i tried my gf’s tuna burger. it was even better. the service is great andre the music totally rocked.
only room for improvement would be a bigger dessert menu but there are also lots of other dessert places on the drive.

we moved out of e. van a few years ago and i miss cannibal cafe the most. one of the best burgers in the city. staff is great and always welcoming.

pretty good burgers. been here twice. nothing i had is going to cure cancer but pretty solid lunch.
if i wanted a burger on the drive i'm coming here

ordered myself the veggie burger with yam fries. as soon as it arrived, my mouth was gaping wide open due to the size of the burger! it was definitely massive! i hurriedly wanted to take a bite! the yam fries were crisp and lightly salted and the side of aioli dip complimented the fries perfectly well. as for the burger, it wasn't that great. the veggie patty was crispy on the sides but quite soggy in the middle so the burger came apart quite fast. other than that downside, i wish the place included sides (fries, salads, etc.) with their burger. the burgers are quite pricey as it is. my burger alone was a whopping $12.95 and the "sides" you choose is an additional price. the yam fries was an additional $3.95. portion size is great but quality of food is a "meh" for me.

no complaints about my turkey burger (the farmhouse) - cranberry + turkey genius. m’s american classic with yam fries in the background. p got the american classic as well, with a side of poutine, and the poutine could’ve been a full entrée by itself. maybe he got this because he’s from montreal?

the food is incredible, the atmosphere is fun, and the staff went above and beyond, as we chatted the night away; they offered us a warmer place to sit as we'd decided we could deal with being near the door (which always opens due to the popularity;)  and then offered us tea and hot water with lemon.. which kind of seemed a little opposite to the vibe that the servers give off, given the tattoos and then the rock and roll music playing.  but it really speaks to their attitude and interest in seeing the guests enjoy themselves.  that food though.  i had a burger with blue cheese, it was perfect; my friend had the vietnam burger and found it had fun and surprisingly complimentary flavours.  kudos guys.

welcome to my blog where i share my opinions on being an adult and post my reviews of stuff i buy and things i eat. feb 13 birry eats: quick look at the cannibal cafe. location: the cannibal cafe - 1818 commercial dr, vancouver, bc. meal: the steve martin jerk burger - somewhat disturbing it's named after someone at the "cannibal" cafe. one glass of beer (pitcher of beer on special was $16.00).

update: december 2017
i came in for my free birthday burger. i love a free meal!

i had a last minute errand around the area. i was told there was another cannibal cafe location around this area. i had such a great experience last time down town that i had a craving to try it again, and thankfully it's consistent. the service is excellent here and very friendly. their burgers are juicy and delicious. i had a fantastic fast meal. i'd love to come again and i recommend others to try it.

my favorite is the big blue cheese burger. it has the crispy onion ring in it. management did a great job here. all the servers are so friendly and professional. i love this location