The Templeton (web site, map, 1087 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-685-4612) is one of my favorite places to visit on the Granville Street strip downtown, for healthy nourishing food. The decor is retro with the original furnishings of a 1950’s diner, including juke box controls at every table, swivel bar stools, and lots of stainless steel. The modernized menu is packed with vegetarian options as well as some non-vegetarian choices for those into something a little more meaty.
This area of Granville Street is a colorful mixture of new, high-end restaurants, older greasy spoon places, night clubs with pounding beats, and a couple of remaining sex shops left over from seedier days. The street is in transition with the sidewalk widening almost complete, making it a safer place to walk at night (along with the sometimes rowdy crowds of night-clubbers). It’s only a five minute walk from the upscale Yaletown shopping and restaurant district to the east, and about the same distance to Burrard Street to the west and beyond that the West End residential neighborhood.
Some of my favorite items to order at the Templeton are the Macaroni and Cheese (around $10, served with fresh tomato salsa, three kinds of cheese, and an organic green salad), and the Med Quesadilla (also around $10, made with artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, green olives, aged white cheddar, fresh tomato salsa and sour cream). On my last visit however, I had already eaten something substantial earlier in the evening, so opted for the ultra healthy and “good for you” Dinner Salad (around $6.50, pictured below).
The Templeton is one of the few dining spots that is open with full service food late at night in the downtown area. I was there a little after 10:00pm on a Sunday night and they did Last Call for food at around 10:30pm. That’s pretty good for a Sunday. If it’s late and you’re hungry, it’s worth a shot – why not give them a call (604-685-4612) to find out if they’re open? =)
For more photos (and info about their breakfasts) please view Part 3, Part 2, or Part 1.
Dinner Salad from the Templeton on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver BC Canada.
Dix BBQ and Brewery (web site, map, 871 Beatty St. Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-682-2739)Â is a casual pub that specializes in American-style barbecue cuisine. Located downtown on Beatty Street very close to BC Place Stadium and GM Place, Dix is a popular place to visit before or after a sporting event.
Traditional barbecue in a young, fun, attitude-free environment.
I enjoyed some beer with friends, and also ordered a delicious burger item, the Drunk and Dirty Chicken ($11.99, pictured below) which their menu describes as chicken “grilled with your choice of: teriyaki, cajun, bbq or pesto – topped with cheddar cheese and bacon”. It was reasonably priced, a good sized portion, and mighty delicious.
The Speakeasy on Granville (map, 921 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-685-5531) is a pub located on the downtown Granville strip between Smithe and Nelson (closer to Smithe).
A speakeasy was an establishment which illegally sold alcoholic beverages during the period of United States history known as Prohibition (1920–1932, longer in some states).
The drink prices are downtown average and the place is deceptively large. I often come to this spot when I want to get a drink late on a Friday or Saturday night. Due to the size of the room, one tends to be able to sit down most times during the evening. This is certainly not a destination, but true to the name is a relaxed place to unwind.
Pictured below are the nachos and beer that I ordered with my friends. The food tasted great, and was around $10.
Nachos from the Speakeasy on Granville (pub in downtown Vancouver).
