Rating / 3 out of 5 stars

Helen’s Grill Restaurant on Main street is an old fashioned mom and pop diner that serves breakfasts all day. Old school juke boxes are situated beside each table with burgundy booths and black and white checkered floors. Helen’s is like a time warp.

It’s been while since Tre and I have dined here, but we were craving for some greasy spoon dishes and didn’t feel like hitting our usual spots. So we thought it would be nice to check out Helen’s Grill & Restaurant again. Like other old school diners, Helen’s menu is basically diner food plus some other ethnic cuisine — usually those originating from the owners’ homeland. So in addition to sandwiches and burgers, Helen’s also offers Gyros and other Greek dishes like Souvlaki.

(Top to bottom: 1. The standard greasy spoon condiments. 2. Mmm… eggs and sausage.)

Tre orders the all day breakfast special. For $6.95, the breakfast comes with: two eggs, pancakes, and sausage. I order two eggs which comes with hash browns and toast, also for $6.95. The food is so so. The eggs were cooked nicely and the pancakes were light and fluffy. But the hash browns needed some more love. They were tasteless, bland and mushy.

(Clockwise: 1. An old school jukebox sits next to each table. 2. Atmosphere. 3. Toast and jam.)

The prices are a bit high compared to other mom and pop diners. And the food didn’t really satisfy our greasy spoon cravings. For $23 including coffees, taxes and tips, we could have ate at another greasy spoon and had money left over. Helen’s Grill and Restaurant does have a unique atmosphere, which some greasy spoons lack. But even though the atmosphere was cool, the food was lukewarm.

Perfect for:

Reminiscing.

The Details

4102 Main St, Vancouver
604.874.4413