Sherman's Food Adventures: Hastings Warehouse

Hastings Warehouse

Sometimes, I wonder if McD's can actually qualify as cheap eats any longer (especially when there are no coupons involved).  I've spent nearly $30.00 to feed myself, Viv and the kids at McD's on many occasions.  However, it donned on me that I can spend roughly the same amount at a real restaurant such as The Warehouse in Downtown Vancouver.  So when I was in the neighbourhood of the Hastings Warehouse, we stopped by for some cheap eats (with realistic expectations).

Having already visited the original location as well the one in Whistler Village, I was well aware of what to expect.  For me, I like to compare The Warehouse to Allegiant Air since there is an advertised low price, but all the extras will quickly add up.  To begin, Smiles went for 2 dishes (and that's what usually happens when things are only $4.95) including the Bacon Poutine and Chicken Caesar Wrap.  Featuring crunchy fries topped with cheese curds, salty gravy and a decent amount of bacon, this was a serviceable version of poutine.  I would've liked to see more cheese, but I guess we couldn't expect much for the price.  Her wrap was pretty standard stuff, yet did contain a good amount of not overly dry breast meat.  It wasn't overdressed, so it ate cleanly.

I got 2 orders of Chicken Wings for the table including the honey garlic and salt and pepper.  These were actually pretty good where the meat was not dried out, even with the crispy exterior.  I enjoyed the simple salt and pepper wings more as the honey garlic was more sweet than garlicky.  For my main, I went for the Braised Beef Spaghetti that arrived as a modest portion (again, for the price...).  Not gourmet by any stretch of the imagination, it was decent nonetheless.  The pasta was decently al dente while there was enough meat for every bite.  I wouldn't say the meat was dry, but it wasn't overly moist either.  I found that the minimal amount of "sauce" enabled the pasta to stay chewy.  In terms of taste, there was a noticeable tartness to go with a background meatiness.

Swim also had beef in the Braised Beef Quesadilla served with guacamole and salsa.  Although not impressive to look at, the dish ate well with lots of beef in a slightly crispy shell.  Not aggressively seasoned, the decently tender meat was natural-tasting.  Again, the portion size reflected the menu pricing.  Loud Mouth decided on the Nachos as his lunch (not sure why...) and although it looked alright, there wasn't really much food on the plate.  Considering that a burger could be had for the same price, this was too small even for the low cost.  There was not much to about it as they were nacho chips with the usual stuff on top.

Of course the best values, IMO, at the Warehouse are their burgers.  Vape had the BBQ Burger featuring the usual produce with cheese and bbq sauce on a brioche bun.  Although the meat was far from moist, the rest of the burger was fine, especially the soft bun.  The side of peppered fries were like the ones in the poutine being crispy and light.  Worth $4.95 in our opinion.  However, not everything is worth even that low price (specifically the nachos).  Yes, the place is reasonable, but the food is generally reflective of that and as mentioned, the cost can quickly climb when adding extras, beverages and refills.

The Good:
- Menu price is cheap
- Serviceable eats

The Bad:
- Food generally reflects the price
- Price can rise quickly if you don't watch it   

1 comments:

Unknown said...

I agree that fast food outlets aren’t that cheap anymore as compared to previous years. I guess the higher the demand, the higher the costs get. My colleagues from the self storage and I often venture around nearby vicinity for a good hangout place that offers not only a

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