Helen’s Grill

It’s hard to find a place that you can have breakfast around noon that doesn’t have a 1 hr line up. I finally found a place and right in my neighborhood! I don’t need a fancy environment. Just a reasonable prices place with little to no wait with big portions for my favorite breakfast (bacon eggs sausages hash browns). Helen’s giant breakfast $ 11 for 3 eggs 6 meats i.e. Sausage bacon etc, hash browns and toast or tomato slices) fits the bill perfectly! I don’t know if they have all day breakfast but it’s 12:30 right now and I just about to dig into the giant breakfast.

Times seemed to have changed and I was hoping Helen’s Grill didn’t. We came here with another couple. Me and my Japanese Food Critique used to really like this place. Today it just seemed below average. Was it too busy? Not really? Was there short staffing? No, it seemed normal. But maybe they have a new breakfast cook. The eggs on the eggs Benny was small. It didn’t taste the same. Maybe we changed…
I ordered my regular of Greek omelette with feta cheese and side of sausages. There wasn’t much cheese inside the Omlette but there was a sprinkle of it on top. The side sausages either looked smaller or the plate got bigger. I have a feeling that in order to keep costs down they went to another supplier. Either way it wasn’t the same. However we still love this place and whenever we can come to Vancouver for breakfast, we always think of this place first and try to come down here.
It’s all about the nostalgia. Nothing fancy, just decent grub. There are similar places like this of «now similar» quality for less.
But Helen has the trump card. The little mini Juke machines per table.
Service –3 stars
Food presentation — 2 stars
Diner style — 4 stars for the jukes
Food flavour –2.5 stars
Diner style portions — 3 stars
Hipster likeness –4 stars
Coffee preparedness refills — 2 stars
Usually this is better. So next visit I’m sure will be 4 stars again.

Was here over the weekend. Had wrong directions going somewhere else and was craving bacon so ended up here.
Walk in and right away you will notice the old school and diner like feel of the restaurant. Right down to the 80s style jukebox with oldies music.
Anyway I ordered the Giant Breakfast with 3 pieces of bacon, 2 slices of ham, 3 eggs, hash browns, and toast for $ 10.50. It was indeed giant when it arrived and sure filled me up. The bacon was delicious. Hash browns were a little on the dry side, but nothing that ketchup can’t fix. There were also some floaties in my water, but it could possibly be expected at an old diner.
Oddly it took a while for us to get our bill considering it wasn’t too busy by the time we were done eating. Would definitely be recommended if you’re craving breakfast/​brunch at a diner style restaurant.

I’ve actually been by this place many times, however, dismissed it due to the outside. My good friend Sharon convinced me to come here as part of our retro afternoon (followed by some penny arcade action afterwards). We decided to go a bit old school in terms of our breakfast and get some greasy spoon action IE: Eggs, potatoes and toast.
Each table has a vintage juke box. Of course we already had our quarters set for the arcade later, however, spared one for the box. We played «Wipe Out.»
Our waitress at first was a bit rude when she gave me the WTF look when I requested an Omlette with only green peppers. Says that it was the first anyone has ever requested this in the 9 years that she has worked there. Don’t see anything weird about green peppers. Still didn’t warrant the look. I eventually softened her up and worked her a bit with telling her a story about green eggs and ham but still if I didn’t make an effort the reaction wasn’t called for.
Prices are cheap and the turn around for food was fast.
Free coffee refills. Coffee isn’t the best but hey… it’s free.

It’s a hidden gem. The food is great, the server was delightful and the atmosphere is fun. It’s a real diner, there are juke boxes at each booth that function. We put a quarter in, and chose a song and the whole diner started playing the song.
I’d recommend trying this place.

Diner lovers will probably find Helen’s worthwhile, as it’s totally legit. If that’s you, add a star to this review.
Helen’s been around forever. Working jukeboxes at every table, pie case, evidence of «updates» over the years that can be attributed to different decades, etc. Family owned. A true corner diner.
This is classic diner food — your basic breakfasts, sandwiches, entrees. You’ll walk out for about $ 10 to 12. There’s a *little* touch of Greek on the menu. Like many great Seattle diners, this one seems to be owned by a a Greek family.
The club sandwich was nostalgia inducing here. It tasted just like a sandwich my grandma used to make for me.
Breakfast is solid. Coffee is not as flowing as some diners, but they will refill eventually.
If you do not have a «Diners to Visit» list, you may not like it as much. You don’t come here for a gourmet experience as much as the atmosphere, for sure.

This was my hangout back about 25 years ago when the owner George took over from Helen who started in in the 50’s! I would often stop in (I lived just a couple of doors down), for Lunch and Dinner as the prices were great, and he always had a special.
Well, after 25 years later, George is no longer there, and while the character of an old time diner from the 50’s is still there, and they have a similar menu (many items from the old days have been pasted over with white paper), it seems the new owner just doesn’t have the passion that the original owners had!
It was a nostalgic experience, and I’ll probably go back, but hope that someone that really LOVES the place takes over as owner or the new owner hires a great manager and let’s them bring the place back to what it once was. Who knows, would like to stop by in a few years and see if things have changed.
I’ve always said, LOVE WHAT YOU DO! Or DON’T Do IT!

When we’re looking for breakfast as a family we really like to go to Helen’s. Feels like they care about you and they get coffee to the table quickly. I have the eggs Benedict regularly and my wife really loves the feta omelette. The breakfast pancakes and sausages for our daughter go along way, I usually end up eating half of one. It can get busy so I do recommend either being there a bit early or after the initial breakfast rush.

I have now been here on a couple occasions and I’d say both times were a success. My only slight complaint is the rustic chairs. Upon my 1^st time sitting down I wasn’t quite comfortable with being so close to the table. Honestly, it felt a bit cramped and I’m not even a big person. Aside from this, food came super quick and hot. The service here seems good as well :) I ordered the Great Breakfast each time. The eggs were a bit bland tasting but ketchup helps to remedy that. The ham was nice and thick and so I’m super pleased about that. All in all it was a good portion to fill me up real good :) If you’re looking for a walk back in memory lane and rock music and all day breakfast, this is your place.

This place used to be very good… what happened? I usually have the hot beef sandwich… it comes with mashed potatoes or fries and veggies. Last time I got no veggies and the beef was on some sort of sandwich bun. A few days ago I had the hot turkey sandwich and, again, no veggies. And it didn’t taste very good… the meat was very poor quality. But the pancakes have never let me down. And the servers are always great. I don’t expect gourmet food… it’s a diner… but they really do need to improve the food.

This is a place with debates. It has been around for a long time, but I never went. So, I decided to give it a try. I went to here a couple of times, and one bad and one good. It is a tie. This is a diner place, where breakfast and comfort food is served.
I normally ordered bacon, egg and hash brown for my meal on weekend mornings. So, that was what I ordered. When the dish delivered, the hash brown was way too greasy in my opinion, and the bacon was not crispy at all. The bread was good though, sourdough was the winner.
On the second time visit, I ordered the Florentine egg benedict. The eggs were cooked well. The hollandaise sauce was slightly on the weak side, but that was good. Again the hash brown was too greasy. It came with slices of tomato on the side. Not bad overall.
My comments for this place so far:
Value: ³⁄₅
Food: ³⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
The service was on the up side for sure. The server came with smiles and was helpful and friendly. She was never stressed out, and running around for tables. I must give her credits for that. Also, each table has a jukebox which plays oldies. Fun to mess around with. I wonder what my nephew say when he sees this?! I bet he had never seen this before.

Oh Boy… not great. Yesterday We dropped by for Sunday brunch. It looked kind of retro-​cool. We were seated straight away but then waited 10 minutes for drinks. 10 minutes later they took our order: corned beef sandwich with fries and bacon eggs. Simple right? 20 minutes later my sandwich came very greasy with room temperature fries. The bacon and eggs came with cold toast with butter smeared unmelted, burnt tasting bacon and eggs less than appealing eggs.
There was not a lot of attention from the server… like almost none.
When the server finally came over we said it was not good and she quickly acknowledged that and removed it from the bill. The two bottles of Diet Cokes were awesome!
This place has some old school charm and probably lots of potential but there is lots more room to improve.

Please note: The two stars is not a reflection of the food itself, but more a reflection of the fact that they NEED MORE STAFF ON WEEKENDS!
We’ve eaten here twice before; once on a weekday at lunch time and once on a weekend for brunch. The food is actually rather nice! When we went on a weekday, they were quiet and so we were seated quickly, served quickly and got our food quickly. The same could not be said for when we visited for Sunday brunch. We obviously expected it to be busy (it’s Main Street on a weekend, so everywhere’s always busy), but most places know this and so they provide enough serving staff. Helen’s don’t seem to have figured this out yet! We waited about 40 minutes for our food to come out, and the serving staff were running around like crazy people!
We tried again this weekend, thinking «maybe someone called in sick and that’s why they were short on servers last time». Sadly, I just don’t think they’re adequately staffed on weekends… ever! We stood there for about 10 minutes before deciding to seat ourselves (there were free tables, but no-​one had time to clean them). We sat there for about 10 minutes and no-​one had even given us menus! So, we walked.
I really do hope they read this review. I would definitely go back again as their food’s very enjoyable. Please get more staff in on the weekends and we’ll come back.

As a long time patron, I think it’s about time that chip in on the Helen’s debate.
Helen’s is where I go on a lazy Saturday morning after an especially awesome Friday. The coffee is fresh, and promptly refilled. It’s not Vancouver-​dark style, but it’s easy on a delicate stomach. The water is cold and refreshing, and most important, breakfast is served all day. Just roll up and choose either a table or a retro style booth, and wait for the delightful staff to serve you.
Helen’s serves classic diner style food, with shredded potato hashbrowns, a bread selection that includes everything from sourdough to rye, and squares of jam and jellies. The fries and bacon are served crisp, and the eggs in any style you want. It’s not fancy. It’s down-​home, simple cooking that’s filling and inexpensive. I’ve had everything from the Gyros to the Burgers but I keep on coming back for that simple bacon and egg breakfast, with coffee and a glass of water. Under ten dollars, unlimited coffee and water service, with meaty bacon and perfectly cooked eggs? To me, this is the perfect start to an indulgent Saturday morning. One that I fully intend to have again.
Additionally, unlike some of the other all-​day-​breakfast places in towns, I’ve never gotten sick from the food here. It’s usually awesome. However, every once and awhile, on the super busy days I have received some less than excellent food. I understand that not every day is a perfect day. And you know, I forgive Helens, I really do. It’s a rarity that I do not leave full and happy, ready to tackle a day full of adventure. Or maybe a nap on the couch.

I have always avoided this place because of the mixed reviews however, I was pleasantly surprised.
Took Ma there and she was giddy as a school girl. The relics made her smile. Making your Ma happy is always a good thing. Considering the place is super old school and carrying originality it was very clean.
Coffee was bad, weak, tasteless. But the friendly attentive staff made up for that.
We had Florentine eggs Benny with a side of sliced tomato. The hash browns were dry but I just added some Catsup. It made it better. Slightly better. Eggs were cooked perfectly.
Overall I was happy with my meal. Would I go back: Yah sure. It was 8:30am on a Sunday. It was open! Would it be my first pick: No… But I’m sure my Ma is gonna drag me back.
Thank you Helen’s for the pleasant surprise.

I just loved this place. Fortunately for me they had steak and eggs as their breakfast special. They use real steak and cook it just right. I wonder if they get their steak from Windsor Quality Meats?
I wish I had tried it earlier as I just want to eat breakfast there every day. As other people have mentioned the atmosphere is great too, old-​school diner style with booths, and individual juke boxes right at your table.
Loved it. Only complaint is that they seemed to be a bit tight with their coffee cream :)

In a word, disgusting.
My wife and I went here today for a late breakfast. Even though we are in the restaurant industry, we are FAR from picky (we eat at other cheap cafes often); we do however, expect basic quality. She ordered a grilled cheese with salad/​blue cheese dressing, and I had ham and scrambled eggs.
When the order arrived, I could not believe what I was seeing– her salad was a tiny bowl of cheap, browning iceberg absolutely drowned in budget blue cheese dressing poured out of a big jar, and her sandwich was two slices of bread with processed cheese. This was something like $ 7 – 8. She said it was terrible.
My meal looked sickly and brown, and tasted worse– seriously the worst breakfast I’ve ever had. The hashbrowns were flavourless and dry, looked totally unappetizing, very odd tasting, the ketchup tasted stale, the processed ham had a chunk cut out of the top of the piece, and the eggs were a strange, slimy brownish-​grey. The waitress also only gave a dish of marmalade and peanut butter for the toast– no jam? I had to get up and ask for it. Service was OK over all though.
I could not even finish my eggs as they were slimy and runny in the middle and just looked disgusting, and tasted old and strange, like they were fried in used bacon fat or something.
As my wife’s meal was so small and poor-​quality, she was still hungry so we went kitty-​corner across to Solly’s for a schmear and coffee– $ 2.50 on special and was MUCH better quality and more sustenance than what she got at Helen’s. I should mention that my ham and eggs was $ 7.95– I’ll NEVER go back here as I can get this same meal, FAR better, for $ 5.00 at the Nice Café, $ 2.95 at Bön’s, $ 4.00 at Sunny Spot or the diner on the NW corner of Broadway at Main. The Nice Café is worlds better for quality– I’ve yet to have a bad meal there.
There is just no excuse for this complete lack of care and quality– doesn’t the manager/​owner monitor what’s coming out f the kitchen? I guess they just don’t know any better; these were shameful meals. You’d think that a grilled cheese and salad, and ham/​scrambled would be the easiest thing to pull off, particularly after being in business for so long, but it was just garbage.
Seems that people are willing to forgive a plate of greasy ass just because the room has vintage décor– sorry, I vote with my tastebuds. Hey, I’ll give ‘em this– they know how to put bread in a toaster, press the button, and put it on a plate when it’s toasted and spread butter (or likely margarine) on it. That’s the best I can say for this dump.

This place should be renamed Helen’s Diner.
The mini jukeboxes, the good food (at cheap prices) and the 60’s era décor… you can’t replicate a place like this.
I love it, and I keep coming back for more. :)

Helen’s was great. It offers exactly what I expect in a diner: burgers, old school booths with rips and old fashion décor. And with the added bonus of personal juke boxes, c’mon now!
Food was good (had the bacon cheese burger with a fried egg inside), service was great (not too in our face, but present just enough!), and prices were fair! love it.

Continue to be a fan of Helen’s.
Recent visit we tried a new special: a Montréal Smoked Meat Sandwich on Rye.
Meat was juicy and delicious. Nicely marbled meat. Fresh and super tasty!!!
Bread, although it had an odd shape, was a delicious light rye. Nicely done Helen’s. (Pic:
)
Still great friendly service. If a diner could feel like home, this one’s it…