There's something nice about being assaulted verbally when I'm outside of New York that makes me feel like I'm back home, and that's exactly what happened when I walked into The Elbow Room, where saucy comments from the staff are part of the schtick. The thing that makes this place really rise above the self-imposed kitsch is the food, which is pretty damn amazing.
Everything is homemade and is so fabulous that we ate here every morning for three days straight. You have to try the Big Ass Pancakes, which come in either 6" or 12" sizes. When the waitress asks how big you want your ass, I highly recommend going with the smaller ass - it's a ton of food and you are requested to donate spare change to an AIDS charity if you don't have a clean plate!
Other great things on the menu include the French toast with strawberries, eggs Benedict and the turkey club on cranberry sourdough bread with cream of spinach soup (this might not be one of the soups of the day on your visit, however). The fix-it-yourself tea, coffee and water table is brilliant - not only does it fit in with the faux grouchy atmosphere, but it is easier to fill up your own cup rather than waiting around for an already overwhelmed server to do so.
Other than the food, my favorite part of The Elbow Room is its exceedingly flamboyant owner, who struts around the room cooing, "Hello, Girls!" to each and every table while making funny comments. After paying the bill for my Big Ass Pancakes on my first visit, he snapped, "Girl, you like everything BIG!"
Yes, I do.
The Elbow Room gets an all around A for providing an exceptionally entertaining atmosphere while offering solidly delicious, made-from-scratch diner fare.
Fantastic stop - highly recommended!
THE ELBOW ROOM
560 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2G4
Phone: 640-685-3628
Hours: Mon - Fri 8AM - 4PM; Sat - Sun 8AM - 5PM
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