Feenie's is a casual, Canadian bistro built on the reputation of the owner of Lumiere, its next door neighbour. Feenies offers high quality bistro fare for reasonable prices. In March 2004, it was voted by Georgia Straight Readers as Best New Restaurant. Similarly, the title was given by Vancouver Magazine editors in the same year.
Owner and chef Rob Feenie describes his vision for Feenies: "My vision is to offer the people the same exquisite ingredients we use in Lumière in a more relaxed, casual menu. A menu for all moods. Full of whimsy and cutting edge style that reflects the food that I eat at home. Approachable dining for everyone..."
Feenies can seat 90 guests total and features a bar, patio, private room and complimentary valet.
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Reviews
Added May 21, 2008 by WyWyWa of Kitsilano, Vancouver (3 Reviews) CLOSED
Closed - Will re-open as DB Bistro Moderne under the international banner of chef Daniel Boulud. When I ate at Feenie's I was unimpressed with the value, but the food was good and presumably gave a bit of the style of the fancy sister restaurant next door. Unclear what the change post-Feenie will produce - but I expect extremely high prices given the money that must have been promised to lure in Daniel Boulud. |
| Added Feb 23, 2008 by carinaycc of North Vancouver (9 Reviews) can't complain
I went during DOV, group of 6. Service was great (although my friend complained that the server never smiled...and my response was...my water glass was never emptied, who cares if he didn't smile)...
Food was up to standard to what it should be. properly presented, nicely cooked, served at a timely fashion (great for DOV time), and although portions were small, i can't complain b/c it was only 25 bucks.
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| Added Feb 9, 2008 by xlee8 of Delta (112 Reviews) DOV 2008
Food: caesar was typical. my b/f had the soup and he said it was very good. veal cheeks were soo good, but soo small!! there were 2 pieces the size of a butter clam on a bed of mash potatoes...as the filler of course. my b/f had the pasta which he said was tasty and was a bit more filling. my banana cupcake had waaaay too much cream...kind of tasted like carrot cake too. lemon tart was too sour for my liking. i came in expecting portions to be small b/c i heard their reg menu is small to begin with, but very tasty! my b/f likes the burger b/c it's very lean and the fries non greasy.
Service: our server was a little clumsy w/ the cutlery. for fine dining i thought they wouldve known who ordered what when food was brought out instead of making us put up our hands when they announced the dish.
Ambiance: very cozy and comfortable. we were seated in what looked like could convert to a private room, therefore, it was not as loud as the general floor which we appreciated. great for intimate dates.
Overall: despite the small portions i wouldnt mind giving the regular menu a try still based in other rave reviews. i'll just have to remember not to skip lunch that day! |
| Added Jan 26, 2008 by kewpiebaby of Vancouver (119 Reviews) Feenie's is on Fire
Our second DOV this year was Feenie's and it was very comforting to know that there was a nice place for food that wasn't pretentious like the "other place" next door.
When you walk into Feenie's you are immediately taken in by the nice and cozy decor and atmosphere. We were greeted right away and seated by the window in a little corner which was nice because it was away from the music but too close to the kitchen - where at certain points in the night, you could hear them screaming out "Salmon on level 1..." or "Caesar Salad upstairs" Other than that being a little weird, I give them top points for the excellent service and atmosphere overall.
Going early today when they opened was nice because we got a glimpse of what it's like when the music starts up and people slowly trickle in. Within 30 minutes of our arrival the restaurant is full and you don't feel rushed or uncomfortable in this urban little setting.
I started off with the salmon appetizer with the citrus fruit...yum, just made the whole plate quite zesty. My husband had the butternut squash soup, that was yummy, although a bit heavy but not creamy.
He had the Artic Char and I had the Braised Short Ribs for our mains which was advertised originally as Veal Cheeks. (Sigh, the ongoing battle with veal shortage in bc..) Each dish was cooked very nicely and complemented well with its various veggie sides. Just the right amount of taste to bring out the texture. Everything just seemed to melt in your mouth.
Finally to end our experience at Feenie's, the lemon tart with ice cream was really tasty. The sourness of the lemon was offset by the cold ice cream and just warmed up your mouth. The chocolate brownie my husband had was also very good.
We also ordered the mini mac and cheese for $10 extra, but totally worth it cuz that is some good mac & cheese!
Overall Feenie's is a great DOV, we quite enjoyed our dinner there. =) |
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| Added Jan 25, 2008 by CandR of West End (1 Reviews) DOV - A Great Choice.
Well, some of the negative reviews on this site nearly kept my wife and I from enjoying an excellent meal.
A friend gave us her Dine Out Vancouver reservation, and we were excited to try this restaurant. Feenie's is a loud, dark, and very modern dining experience. We were squeezed into a table for two in a row of such tables, scarcely a foot apart. The loud music pumping overhead actually helped make things more private, as you couldn't hear much beyond your table.
I started with the Caesar salad, and my wife with the soup, butternut squash, which she loved. My salad was a decent size, filling an eight inch salad plate.
For entrées, a nice piece of Arctic Char for her, and the braised short rib for me. The short rib was flavourful, and fell apart using only my fork. It was served on mashed potatoes and glazed carrots, and the portion sizes were perfect.
We would rarely order dessert, but the lemon tart with honey ice cream and citrus, and the white chocolate brownie were wonderful.
Our server was attentive, and the we were never left too long between courses.
Overall, it was great opportunity to sample a variety of flavours in pleasant surroundings.
I would definitely consider Feenie's the next time my pretentious sister from San Francisco is in town! |
| Added Jan 20, 2008 by CoffeeKid of East Vancouver (16 Reviews) Best DOV for us so far this year
My S/O and I are on a DOV (Dine Out vancouver) mission this year, with ten reservations, spaced over the two + weeks of the 2008 event, and Feenies was our third DOV.
It didn't disappoint. If anything, $25 for the three courses (I had the salmon, veal cheeks, and vanilla laced brownie) was almost an afterthought - the veal alone would cost $25 or more anywhere in town.
Everything, and I mean everything put before me was perfect. The 1st course was citrus cured salmon with frisee and creme freche - absolute devine combo. This is food pairing heaven. I was someone else complain about the sizes. Maybe they need to stick with Applebees; Feenies may not position themselves as "uber fine dining" but they sure are during DOV. And my main was huge for a typical Feenies / Lumiere serving. There's nothing wrong with the plate sizes here, unless you used to supersizing your big mac a lot.
My main was the veal cheeks, and it was possibly the best I've ever had. The dessert was a good palate cleanser, nothing super special, but a perfect end to the meal. I splurged and got a 1995 Firesteed Pinot to go with our meal, and it matched well. My partner was equally pleased with her soup (celery root and apple), arctic char and lemon tart for the finish).
Server was fantastic, even though there wasn't a single empty table in the place - I expected to be forgotten / overlooked, but no, our server was tops. This was a fantastic dining experience overall - only problem was the place WAS packed, and very noisy. |
| Added Jan 20, 2008 by azn_msfyt of Delta (174 Reviews) DOV 2008 - Disappointed
Food: I think small portions are the theme of this place. The smoked salmon consisted of 2 uber transparent sheets of salmon. Casear salads were very ordinary - only 3-4 croutons a serving though! Arctic char was tasty but so small I could finish it in 3 bites - wouldn't have been so bad if they had provided enough filler but I only received a few cubes of potatoes and 5 half sized string beans. Veal cheeks were by far the smallest portions I've ever seen - two smalls pieces concealed under a bunch of baby greens and on a scoop of mashed potato. My dining compadre finished it in under 5 minutes because it was so small. Taste was overall quite good but the portions were much too small - we ate again immediately afterwards at Angel Cafe (ha!). Overly large plates made the food appear even smaller. Drinks expensive for alcohol content.
Service: About the same as a BP. There was a tv in our section but the server said the manager didn't allow us to turn it on b/c it was only for presentation sakes. I was confused. Server dropped utensil on the table. A variety of servers helped us - no intimacy whatsoever.
Ambiance: Great looking restaurant - nice and earthy and a great place to chat. Loved the darker ambiance and candlelight.
Overall, I won't be returning to this restaurant for a normal meal if this is what they served for DOV - I thought DOV was used to attract diners to their normal menu but Feenie's failed miserably in this respect. Would warn others to stay away as well - there are so many other great restaurants that would give you the same quality of food but at greater quantities and/or lesser price. |
| Added Jan 15, 2008 by watersprite43 of Vancouver (2 Reviews) Very Disappointing
I went there just before Christmas with my boss. I found the service lack luster and the prices extremely high for what we received. I had never been there and had been really looking forward to it. The seating was very uncomfortable and the windows had no shades for the afternoon sun. I had the Rigitoni and found it to be very bland. There was not too much to get excited about. I had heard the Feenie no longer was involved with the restaurant and was sad to see his name still attached to a place that certainly does not live up to it. |
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| Added Dec 23, 2007 by eminh83 of vancouver (4 Reviews) small portion - rip off!
Small place, good bread while we were waiting for our meal. I ordered the Sheperd's pie and it was a disaster. It was so heavy that I only finished 1/2. My friends ordered the Ahi tuna sandwich and mushroom appy. The portion was so small that I it was a total rip off! Why the so-called fancy restaurants always serve extremely small portion of food?? |
| Added Nov 24, 2007 by Blueeyes of Kitsilano (1 Reviews) Disappointing
Unfortunately, since Rob Feenie left (or was pushed out as the media would say), this restaurant has gone down considerably in my opinion. Also, there is definitely not the same "buzz" around it. It is not very well frequented it would seem since Rob's demise and it is unfortunate as Feenie worked hard to establish that spot. Anyway, I feel we are so well supplied with wonderful restaurants in this City, that I feel Feenie's is overpriced for what one is getting nowadays. Too bad. |
| Added Nov 10, 2007 by Blueberries of Burnaby (5 Reviews) 2 Words: RIP OFF
This place is WAY over price for what the food is really. It is overrated in my opinion and probably a tourist traped due to the name of the restaurant. The only great thing about this miniature restaurant is the ambiance, the decor and the setting. I had the Cesar salad which was good but for 3 sleves of lettuce with a asking price of $10: this was a real rip off. The entree: I try the famous Burger at $16 which beyong: Failed to impress me: I had to send it back due to meat that was undercooked: When I received it back it was the same with a little improvement but to fing my bread soak in the red blood from the burger who was still undercooked: Everybody have to know that burger meat need to be cooked throuthly: well over there they don't apparently. Barely eat it: It was disgusting. My husband had the Rigatoni for $19 which was an heavy meal made with rich food to enhance flavour I assume. You are better of to go to L'Artista Restaurante if you which to have great pasta at a decent price. For the Burger, there is a place call Burger etc. in Burnaby and it is much better at the friendly price. Expected the unexpected at Feenie's: I would definetly not recommend at all. This place is a money grab. |
| Added Nov 1, 2007 by very_fab of Point Grey, Vancouver (1 Reviews) Great from Sunday brunch and weeknight dinners
I go to Feenies about once a month and everytime the food and service has always met my expetations, never great but never bad. I recommend Sunday brunch with your family. If you plan to go their at weeknight - plan on a noisy night. Once I've went their with my boyfriend, our entre took an extremely long time, but our waitress knew to make it up with a complimentary dessert.
Overall, I would recommend this place - worth my regular visits. |
| Added Sep 27, 2007 by ono_eats of Richmond (8 Reviews) Hmmmmmm good!
I've been to Feenie's twice and I can't wait to go back. Each time I say I'm going to get the burger but I end up getting something else because the size of it is intimidating. The guests that I'm with did order the burger and said it was delicious and I must agree with the tasting I had. The caeser salad is perfect and she short ribs melted like butter. The fries are crisp and dip a perfect match. |
| Added Sep 24, 2007 by colbster of Kitsilano, Vancouver (10 Reviews) Change your menu
I've been coming to Feenies for years, but everytime I go the menu is exactly the same. That's pathetic. I don't want to eat the same food every season, so why would you serve the same food at all times of the year? This is basic restauranteur-y that needs to be addressed. Rob is asleep at the wheel. Everything else is great though. A little expensive considering they offer less variety than the local fast food joint. Even Wendy's comes up with new sandwiches every month or so. C'mon Rob! Wake up! Stop resting on your laurels before people forget you have them. |
| Added Sep 4, 2007 by Monika of West Vancouver (2 Reviews) Ginormous Poutine!
I came here with my SO a few days ago cuz he was craving a poutine and I heard Feenies makes a mean poutine but I was a bit dissappointed; it sure was huge but there was't enough cheesy and all the gravy was drenched ontop but nothing on the bottom, very dry and boring fries after we finished the top half. For mains we had 'The best burger in Vancouver' which i think they should rethink hyping such an average burger, it was good, but no where near the best, especailly at 16 a pop. Other main was Beef Dip, amusing to see a special version of an ordinary beef dip, had cheese it in, was greasy but good. Room was very nice and special looking & our server was solid but nothing spectacular. Next time i might want to try the feenie weenie but i'm in no rush to come back here yet. |
| Added Sep 3, 2007 by bgrant of Vancouver (4 Reviews) Overated
I've been to Feenie's once before and I'll admit that it was pretty good, not as good as all the hype, but still good. So I decided to go there with my family for my birthday the other day, and the service left a lot to be desired. Our waitress was fairly pleasent but lacked the finesse that most servers in higher end restaurants have. The real problem however was that she forgot to put the order for my entree into the kitchen, so everyone else gets their entrees and she just tells me that mine will be out in a couple of minutes...not great but still okay. 15 minutes later it finally comes and by now we're not too impressed. So we decide to talk to the manager and he doesn't even seem to care too much and to top it off he gives us attitude and finally walks away without resolving anything. I've never had anything like this happen in any kind of restaurant before, not even in a White Spot. Needless to say none of us will be back. |
| Added Aug 17, 2007 by mj3bjb of main st (10 Reviews) Burger does not live up to the hype
My wife and I finally decided to try the famous Feenie Burger, I had big exectations after all the hype about it being the best burger in Vancouver.
The room is nice although a little cold for me, we sat on the patio it was around 3:00 pm and there were about 10 people there.
Well, we both ordered the burger, and although it was okay, it was not nearly as good as I was expecting the bun was fresh and the toppings were good expect for the small bit of regular bacon that was cooked hours ago, (for $16.00 bucks throw a slice of fresh pancetta or procuitto on it) but the patty was pretty bland, I thought it was under seasoned and although they state that they cook it medium mine was closer to well done, the fries were good and presented nicely in a silver cone, but the whole thing is not worth $16.00.
The service was a little slack as well I think we caught them in the middle of a shift change as our servers changed half way through and niether one was all that friendly
Overall I'm sure that the high end items are done well especially in lumiere and this experience wont keep me from trying it one day but I think there are better burgers out there for much more reasonable prices |
| Added Aug 15, 2007 by PinkTink of Richmond (9 Reviews) I love Feenie's
I love Feenie's. I love their Feenie Burger. It's the absolute best burger I've ever had in my life! Simply mouth watering and so juicy! All the other entrees and apetizers are delicious as well. Their desert is also very well done. I've always had a good experience with the service as well. I highly recommend this place. It's like fine dining at a low price. |
| Added Aug 14, 2007 by -MG- of Lower Mainland (1 Reviews) Overpriced and overhyped
Visited with a friend for a lunch one day. We didn't come in with extremely high expectations but we were still left feeling disappointed.
The food, to start, was absolutely terrible. We both tried the foie gras burger after drooling at the idea of mixing our two favorite foods - foie gras and beef. However, it came out terrible. The burger was a greasy nightmare. Grease dripped right through the burger and all over us. Our napkins were drenched by the end of the ordeal.
We also tried the fries - one a regular serving and the other a poutine. The fries were just as greasy and soggy as the burger. The poutine lacked flavour. Even the lowly New York Fries serves up a better serving of potatoes at a fraction of the cost.
The service was equally as bad. The server seemed like he wanted to be somewhere else and wasn't all too attentive.
Overall, a bad experience. We won't be returning any time soon. |
| Added Aug 6, 2007 by cedarkid of richmond (1 Reviews) Disappointed!
Heard that Feenie's had the best burger in town so we had to try it (my husband loves burgers!). First of all, it was the first time I have been to a restaurant that all the staff make you feel like they are doing you a favour to serve you. Took quite a while to place an order and once we had our drinks, we were not asked at all if we wanted refills when glasses were empty! The food: my husbands burger was tasteless - you could taste the outside 'charred" burger taste but the inside was overcooked. I had the calamari sandwich - the first bit was ok but I really thought the flavours would 'pop' and it was horribly disappointing - it really was quite tasteless also. The only good thing was the fries! We both agreed that the worst part of the meal was going to be paying the bill at the end - way overpriced for the food and the experience. Sorry, wanted to love it but would never recommend it! |
| Added Jul 19, 2007 by gastropub of Vancouver (14 Reviews) Great burger
Just moved to Vancouver from Victoria so just getting to know the hot places. Really enjoyed the gourmet burger. Excellent service and decent price points for regular dining. Okay selection of wines and bottled beer but could do with some improvement. |
| Added Jul 19, 2007 by trudster of North Van (8 Reviews) Reliable and pleasant.
A great place for lunch...especially when the weather is nice and you can sit outside. I especially like the calamari sandwich. The burger is good but not the best in town as they proclaim. I've never had a bad meal here, the service is always attentive and the decor is amusing. Always a safe bet for a good lunch! |
| Added Jul 1, 2007 by discerning_palate of vancouver (34 Reviews) from great to so so
The first time I went for lunch in summer '05 it was great. The service was great and so was the food. So were the following dinners the following autumn '05 but the last time I went in summer '06 the food was just not good. I had raved to all how great it was so a party of us went and I was so embarassed. We ordered my favorites, the french onion soup which turned out to be sickly sugary sweet and the hamburgers which were spicy hot which they weren't before. I don't know if that was an anomoly but I wasn't about to try again after that huge disappointment. No second chances from me for a while. |
| Added Jun 30, 2007 by pumpkind of Unknown (27 Reviews) Smoke from the kitchen
We've been to Feenies three times, twice for brunch, once for dinner. The food is good to very good depending on what you order. Nicely done, well presented, the recipes are creative and enjoyable.
However what killed the experience was the smoke in the dining area that was drafting from the kitchen. It smelt like a thoroughly charcoaled piece of bread. We were seated in the area to the left from the entrance and they had patio doors open. You could literally see the haze looking across the room. And I would not complain in length about this if it did not last for 15-20 minutes and it did not happen both times we were having brunch.
Dinner visit was unspoiled though :)
Overall impression of the restaurant is that it is quite cluttered. There too many tables for the space they have. Also furniture, especially chairs, starts to show noticeable signs of wear, which is probably not what I would expect from the restaurant in this price range.
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| Added Jun 25, 2007 by luyendao of East Van, Vancouver (22 Reviews) Lumiere's better half
This restaurant named after Vancouver's golden chef Rob Feenie is a great place to dine, the last time i went my wife and i had the 3-course meal (less than 35$ each).
The food was fantastic, definitely french food but with mixed influences, the decor and ambiance is very nice, but a bit on the loud side if you planned on a quiet romantic dinner.
Rob Feenie is one of the world's top chefs for a good reason, and Feenie's delivers a great experience.
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| Added Jun 21, 2007 by PastryGuy83 of Richmond (4 Reviews) try the lemon tart
3 of my friends and I went to Feenie's on a June Wednesday evening, it was busy, and luckily we had reservations. I had been twice before; the first time the food and service were mediocre, and the second time the food was much better but the service was MUCH MUCH worse. But this review is about my 3rd visit.
for a drink I had the Diablo - a very unique drink that had some heat with it (i liked it)
the appetizer was next, Blue Crab Napoleon - this one was disappointing. all it was was cold crab salad quenelles (which were poorly shaped) layered with puff pastry. the plate was decorated with edible petals and a smear of balsamic reduction of sorts. personally i hate edible petals as decoration.
the entree was quite pricey, understandably so for the ingredients, and the quantity was a bit small for my liking, it was Duck Confit Shepperd's Pie. MMMmm... my 2 favourite things combined in 1: Duck Confit & Truffles (infused into the mashed potatoes).
Dessert was DEEEEELICIOUS Burnt Lemon Tart, with Candied Ginger Gelato, and Beet Compote. (i am a pastry chef and i truly thought this dessert was a great!)
As for my friends' plates here are my comments:
- the poutine was WAY too big!
- the apple tart was just drowned in caramel sauce (which isn't a good thing)
- the chocolate cake was not very tasty
- the beef tartar was SUPERB
and the service was good this time around, a bit ditzy, but good. |
| Added Jun 6, 2007 by Yenaii of Kitsilano, Vancouver (2 Reviews) Try the Peking Duck Clubhouse
You need to know what to order! Alot of my coworkers recommended the Peking Duck Clubhouse at Feenie's & I went there on a Sunday for lunch and their brunch menu doesn't offer it. I ordered an Omelette instead and my husband ordered the Feenie's burger + Poutine. The Omelette was very normal; the burger is excellent but a bit pricey. We went back a few days later for dinner cuz I was determined to try the Duck clubhouse. It's on the dinner menu YEY. My husband ordered the Porkchop this time. I have to say they are both excellent! Even tho we don't really like pork, the porkchop is pretty big and juicy. The Peking Duck Clubhouse is a Must Try (altho its portion is very very small)! I'll definitely go back for it!
Services was good our waiter is pretty attentive and very smart.
The ambiance is only ok.
Overall, GO PEKING DUCK GO! |
| Added Apr 23, 2007 by Cancuk of Vancouver (12 Reviews) A great lunch.
I had a great lunch at Feenies the other day.
I had just had a meeting next door and I hadn't eaten all day, so I walked into Feenies. This is my first time here. It was a little later in teh afternoon, definitley after the lunch rush so it was quite slow. I sat at the bar anyway because I was alone.
I ordered the Peking Duck clubhouse. Very, very good. I have just spent a good portion of time in China, specificially in Biejing, and I must say this Peking duck is pretty close to authentic. Tender, flavourful... delicous. It was serviced on a rye bread with fruits/nuts/grains in it. I was sceptical looking at it, but the sweetness of the fruit really went well with the duck. It kind of takes the place of the plumb sauce that is served with traditional peking duck. To top everything off, it was a great price espeically for a restuarant owned by our most famouse chef... it filled me up and was 12 dollars.
I also had a glass of wine, and the total bill was 24. For such a high profile place, I was pleasently surprised with the price.
The service was efficient and friendly, what I expected.
Overall: very good. |
| Added Mar 22, 2007 by adrian888 of Mount Pleasant, Vancouver (3 Reviews) Good but not great
Casual, fun atmosphere...if a bit noisy. Menu is varied, but feels slightly lacklustre and tries to cover too many bases. I had the blue crab special salad (good) and the duck confit Shepards Pie (only so-so). Friends had the burger (pretty good) and the pork chops (better). Good value as most of the entrees were around the $20 mark. Perhaps a triffle overrated, though, considering the reputation of the head chef. |
| Added Mar 15, 2007 by cbluez of vancouver (5 Reviews) Very good again
We've been here 4 times in a span of 2 years.
Fortunately, unlike other reviewers, each time all has been very good to excellent.
Perhaps we've been lucky.?
Staff has been friendly, service & food very good to excellent.
Some complain it is too crowded..huh? Most busy restaurants are.
The bar area and main eating area are not large, so yes, it will seem more crowded than the Keg.
Ambiance is not Feenie's strong suit, although the bar area is kind of 'red'.....and it is pretty noisy in there..
The techno pop music is really irritating for sure. I'm sure a large percentage of customers are getting on in years and not 18. I'm a professional musician and the music in there is bloody awful.
I did notice that the Apple Galette was sub par from previous experience and the salad with goat cheese was pretty much just a wack of lettuce. The Sphagettini dish was tasty, but I thought they could have thrown on a bit more seafood..3 shrimps and a scallop???
After all noodles are cheap like borscht..actually, cheaper these days, and this place is not cheap.
The rest of our meals on a Tuesday evening were excellent.
Keep in mind, Chef Feenie is not actually cooking for you, and doesn't seem to be on this side much. I think if you want your gastromical mind blown, go next door to Lumiere.
I'm afraid the 'underchefs' on the cheap side are not always so great.
In the big picture of things, there are a 'few' other restaurants in Vancouver that are not so hyped and stand on equal & better ground for cuisine.
Let's face it, we do not have the genius & integrity of a Batali in town..(not that I've found anyway)
Also, the furniture is slowly getting shabby and there is a huge grease spot at head level on the wall at the first table. This is pretty unappatizing
All in all, I would say, go there with a plump wallet, do NOT order
fast food stuff, get something fancy, hope it's a good night for the underchefs & staff (like any restaurant) and enjoy. |
| Added Feb 27, 2007 by cflude of burnaby, bc (1 Reviews) hmm....
The 3 of us came to this restaurant for some famous burger, it is a little too juicy on my books, my wife and I have to go wash our hands once we lift the burger. Nevertheless still a pretty good burger. Does it worth the $16,.... hmm ??
dinning room is a little noisy and packed, we didn't really enjoy the evening overall. |
| Added Feb 17, 2007 by daisuke of Richmond (9 Reviews) pretentious but worthwhile
The waitresses/hostesses act like they own the place but what do you expect in this new era of designer food and superstar kitchen staff. The food for me personally has gotten greasier , but for the price, it's pretty standard fare nowadays. Nothing too fancy, maybe the peking duck club house or the lobster eggs benedict which is always too runny and lukewarm which might make some feel a bit queasy like it did me. I like the room and the space. A good date spot when food isn't the only thing to worry about. |
| Added Feb 16, 2007 by dragondrea of Vancouver (43 Reviews) Overpriced and overhyped
I have eaten here several times for lunch and the experience has always been terrific. That clubhouse sandwich is a solid meal.
So I decided to try Feenie's for for dinner on my birthday. What a disappointing evening.
The restaurant was way too loud and crowded. Service staff kept hitting the backs of our chairs all evening. When I pointed out this annoyance to the maitre'd, he snubbed his nose at me, shurgged his shoulders and walked away. Well la de da.
Out server didn't have the slightest hint of a clue about the wine menu or the food. Now the menu here is not extensive and it can't be that difficult to tell me what kind of fish is in the fish and chips, especially when they're on special.
Anyway, 5/6 of us ordered the fish and chips, and the other individual ordered the burger. The burger arrived, and the rest of us waited, and waited, and waited. Then waited some more.
When our food came and we dove in, we all found the fish and chips rubbery and undercooked. Gross. Fries were limp and dry. My friend's burger was "just okay"; he's had better at White Spot. Not worth the $16 price tag. We called our waitress over to tell her about the fries and her response was "Oh." We probably should have insisted they go back for re-frying, but didn't bother.
On our way out, we spoke with the maitre'd about the quality of the food and his response was to giggle. Yes, giggle.
So with the memory of chair-hitting, bad service, badly prepared food, and a bad atmosphere ripe in my mind, I will definitely not be going back here. |
| Added Jan 23, 2007 by lil_angel of Vancouver (11 Reviews) What happened to iron chef?!
Hearing and seeing Rob Feenie on food tv, I was excited to go and try Feenie's food. Knowing how crazy that place can be, I visited the restaurant around 3:30ish. It was rather quiet and the waitress was quite attentive until she started to chat with other waiters and waitresses. The cup was rather quite dirty for me to grab on and it was super sticky! The food took not to long to come out. The shepherd pie made of duck confit is definitely delicious but the one I ordered was scallop & prawn spaghettini. It was rather quite cold and the prawn was not cooked enough!! I ended up having stomach ache afterward. We tried destructive indulgence as dessert. THAT was good and melted in my mouth!
Maybe I was expecting too much from iron chef owned restaurant? I rather go to lumiere than go back to this place and buy/eat "inadequeate" food |
| Added Jan 5, 2007 by djwillis of Tsawwassen, (7 Reviews) no consistency
Went to Feenie's last week for the 3rd time this year and every time I go it gets worse. Had the eggs benny with solid hard boiled eggs covered with that lumpy egg scum. The waitress, when I complained just shrugged her shoulders and walked away. Looks like when they split the salad up between our plates my wife had all red leaves (bitter) and I had all green. Lots of staff but the wait was long with only 6 customers at that time. First time was good, second time mediocre last week the meal was alful. I've got $150 left in gift certs I was given maybe I'll try lumiere. |
| Added Dec 30, 2006 by Smitten of Kitsilano, Vancouver (2 Reviews) Overrated!
After "oooingg and ahhing" through the window of Feenies at the beautiful atmosphere, I decided to finally dine here. I absolutely love food and have been in the industry my whole life. I found myself boggled at what to order, I could not seem to find a dish that appeared delicious. I finally settled for the "famous" burger. I already knew I was in for a bad experience when I got all dressed up for a romantic evening and resorted to ordering a burger!! The burger however was tasty...but not nearly as tasty as the ever most friendly neighbours at 'Modern Burger'... at half the price!
The service was annoying, some girl that kept asking us every 5 mins if we wanted another beverage and if everyything was ok" She had no knowledge of the menu either. Any question I had she had to "check up on it". I guess she was hired on appearance only.
I would rather spend my money on better food and better service somewhere else. |
| Added Dec 8, 2006 by Russ of West End, Vancouver (4 Reviews) Over rated and priced burger
1. Patty is too thick and dry - taste in mouth is dominated by dry ground steak. Most expensive burger restaurants make the patty too thick in order to justify the big price. (The Surreal Gourmet on Food TV stated that regular ground beef cooked in a frying pan makes the best burger as it is the most juicy and flavourful - I agree)
2. Bun is pretty good, but I don't like yellow egg bread with a sweet taste for the bun. The Sesame seeds on top were good.
3. Sauce was custom made mixture of mayo, pickles and perhaps ketchup, pretty good but perhaps some hotdog mustard under the meat would be nice.
4. French fries were over-cooked and dry (probably had sat around too long) , this is likely not the norm in this place, otherwise they are good fries.
5. Music, started out with dry, intellectual be-bop trumpet jazz, this is the kind of jazz that people like feenie who are pretending to like jazz play, this was followed by some more modern commercial type smooth jazz. mediocre and pretentious.
For $16 this burger is over-priced, Moderne burger a few doors east is the better choice, and someone said feenie has been seen in there. The white spot car hop combo is a way better deal feenie! |
| Added Nov 21, 2006 by chefdave of Downtown (58 Reviews) Best Burger !
Well Feenies truly lives up to its hype ! Amazing room that is sleek yet modern. And the Food ? Well, its truly delicious. Their menu is simple with Robs faves which includes a Hamburger that has sides offered such as Poutine for $3 more and can u beleive it, Foie Gras for $25 in your Burger ! Let me tell you ! Its was the most delicious burger I;ve tasted. Truly unique ! Their raviolli was also tasty although the 4 pieces were way too small. Thy the Negroni, campari and gin ! |
| Added Nov 18, 2006 by jeudi of Vancouver (6 Reviews) Great service.
My four friends and I decided to go to Feenies for lunch and we had high expectations. The decor was fantastic, which was expected, and the service was quite outstanding considering that, being a teenager, sometimes my friends and I don't get the best treatment. The waitress was friendly and knowledgeable and understood that we were in a bit of a rush since we had a play to catch, so the food came quickly.
I had the duck club house, which looked absolutely lovely. The fruit and nut bread was delicious, but I thought it was a bit too thin for a club house (It kept falling apart! I even had to start eating it with a fork!). Also, it wasn't as crisp as i'd like it to be and a bit greasy instead.
Although, I'd like to come back and try the dinner menu.
3.5/5. |
| Added Nov 17, 2006 by anything19713 of south granville, vancouver (13 Reviews) OVERRATED!
this place has an interesting menu but the kitchen staff cannot deliver. in the 3 times i have been there they have always made basic mistakes in the preparation of the food. for example, the calamari sandwich had extra soggy calamari. ive also had the pleasure of meeting the great international celebrity rob feenie!! jeez the ego of this guy.... not a pleasant person |
| Added Oct 15, 2006 by insider of westcoast (5 Reviews) service killed it for me too
No specials listed and 2 hours for a 2 course lunch?! We shared the appetizer even! I felt like we were totally forgotton on the patio. The food was good- just good but I found it strange that on a menu thats so small they would have 4 dishes featuring short ribs. The chicken schnitzle while being well browned was not pounded-out and was essentally just a pan-fried big plump breast . . . |
| Added Oct 14, 2006 by alex of Burnaby (1 Reviews) waiters need lessons in service
reservation made but were not able to seat us on time, no apologies. water came with a bug in glass, no apologies. waiter was very unfriendly and gave the impression of being annoyed. The food was great, too bad the service wasn't the same. |
| Added Oct 12, 2006 by chris84bloom of Vancouver, BC (17 Reviews) a pleasant surprise...
i went out with my family and friends for thanksgiving dinner thing and i must admit i didn't expect much. but i was really surprised to find great food, great service and great atmosphere all at the same time. we made a reservation before six on sunday and the place wasn't really crowded. we ordered different things and they all turned out to be superb. the portion was just a right amount so we actually had some room for dessert. i was impressed by the interior and design of the restaurant as well... it was really beautiful.
one thing i really found annoying was the music. (although the music itself was okay) it was really loud... and the speaker was right above my head. also i don't think we would've gotten our food right on time if the place had been filled with people.
other than that, my experience at Feenie's was a great one. |
| Added Oct 9, 2006 by AdrianLovesFood of Downtown Vancouver (2 Reviews) Fantastic.
In a word the whole experience was fantastic. Feenie's menu offers something for everybody, and while I wouldn't describe the prices as a bargain, they are definitely reasonable for the quality of the food.
My wife and I went for our 2nd Anniversary dinner. We had escargot for an appetizer, she had the salmon, and I had the flat iron steak with prawns. We also had the warm chocolate fondant and the deconstructed indulgance for dessert. A lot of the reviews I've read claim they have had problems with either the service or the quantity of food. We found the service to be nearly perfect, the waiter was not constantly pestering us, but was attentive enough to make sure we had what we wanted. The food came in a reasonable amount of time. As for the quantity, I did not expect a large quantity of food given the type of restaurant, but I would argue that the steak could have been a bit larger, as well as the size of the salmon.
All things considered I would happily return for another dinner on another special occasion, I look forward to going for lunch, and I think everyone should go just for the dessert if nothing else. |
| Added Oct 7, 2006 by foodloverforlife of Vancouver (2 Reviews) Fame vs. food
I went to Feenie's with my friends as a group of 4. I had called ahead to make a reservation but did not get the time we wanted. We went to the restaurant to "line up" for their patio spots, and waited for about 30 minutes. While we were waiting, the hostess turned down quite a few people since the wait was going to be over an hour for them. The seats in the restaurant are quite limited in number.
The server brought us some bread which was small in portion. We were quite hungry at that point so we weren't too pleased about that. Restaurants with similar price range in Vancouver are often generous with their bread supply, I guess it's not the case with Feenie's. Two of us ordered the famous Feenie burger. The burger was good, but not I-definitely-have-to-come-back-for-this kind of good. Will I go back again? Probably. Was the food worth the price? Meh. I think it was mostly the ironchef's fame I was paying for. |
| Added Sep 25, 2006 by bizby of Vancouver (6 Reviews) The Feenie Weenie wins
Great place on a sunny Vancouver afternoon when the doors are open and the wine is flowing. The decor was fresh...last year, but is starting to look tired and a little soiled. And please, Mr. Feenie, teach your servers what Campari is. |
| Added Sep 25, 2006 by jimmycurN of UBC, Vancouver (9 Reviews) Great BC food, cool as hell atmosphere
Sunday night, party of three arrived at 7 without a reservation. They couldn't have been more accommodating or welcoming. They explained clearly that there would be a wait but we'd be able to be seated at around 7:30. Actually it was only about 15 minutes before we got a table.
There were a lot of featured items but we all started with the shiitake and button mushroom soup, which was a milky puree, no mushroom pieces, but presumably tons of spores... topped with a garlic foam and truffle oil. It was incredible. I will crave it.
I had the ahi tuna sandwich, the tuna was a bit overcooked - really it was grey all the way through but with a cool center. It also had a little guacamole on it and was it shiso mayonnaise? It tasted really good.
The others were happy too with the steak (came with frites) and the sablefish, it was all excellent. |
| Added Sep 19, 2006 by lowawa of Kitsilano, Vancouver (14 Reviews) Average
Compare to other hyped restuarants, this one is an average. The Ambiance was great. The candles, the decors provides a good mood to the place. The food were good, sometimes amazes me but none very memorable. The dine out menu were terrible, the salab and the lamb were the worst. They both taste awkward to me. The service was good since we were a large group but it could have been better if they weren't so short in staff. |
| Added Sep 2, 2006 by Junior98 of vancouver (14 Reviews) Nice place to go for drinks and appies
This is a fun place to go to for drinks and appetizers to share among friends. It's a stylish place especially on the bar side, it feels like a trendy bar in Manhattan. The food is good but not exceptional, but the presentation and atmosphere make up for that. There is maybe one or two waitstaff that I don't think is particularly attentive but there's definitely a few that shine. Will definitely keep going here. |
| Added Aug 13, 2006 by swjunkie of Vancouver (4 Reviews) 40 minutes for dry burgers?
I went to Feenie's about a year ago and had some excellent burgers. Just went there today and I must say I was really unimpressed with the service & food.
It didn't start off too well; the place was fairly empty when we arrived yet it still took the hostess & a couple of servers at least 7 minutes to confer on where to seat us. When they did they squeezed us at a table too small for us and as a result the servers kept running into my chair all afternoon.
We ordered promptly and then waited...and waited some more. All the while 2 other tables seated after us had ordered the same thing as us and recieved their food. Our server came back and put the tray of condiments on the table and I assumed our food was coming shortly. Not so. So half an hour past and no one had come to tell us what was taking so long. Finally, we managed to flag down our aloof server who came back to tell us that there was a sudden order of burgers in the kitchen and not enough room on the grill. Okay. 15 minutes later 3 out of our 5 dishes came out and the rest came after everyone was half-way through their meals. Worse, the feenie burgers were dry and definitely not up to par as one of the best burgers in Vancouver. The manager apologized for the wait, but didn't make any concessions when the bill came out.
All in all, I think I would have fared better going to the White Spot across the street. |
| Added Aug 2, 2006 by moonie of Kitsilano (5 Reviews) worst weenie i've ever had...
Okay so after writing that horrible review of the fast food Italian restaurant on 4th avenue that shall remain nameless, I felt the need to write a bad review of what some would consider a "hip" restaurant.
I went to Feenie's maybe a month ago with some out of town guests who for some reason seem to worship the man with the name. I will say that the restaurant is pretty cool looking...very nice decor however a bit cold for my liking. The colour red is supposed to make people more hungry, however looking at that damn red wall made me want to have some Tylenol.
The food was decent....friends had the Fish and Chips which cost $17.99....pretty pricey considering it was probably left over fish from the weekend that was turned into a "special"....go to Pajo's in Steveston instead for this tasty greasy treat. Another friend had the infamous burger and got a strange look from the server when she asked for some mustard....good lord someone call the food police...this woman has the nerve to ask for mustard!!!!
I for some god forsaken reason opted to have Feenie's Weenie..perhaps just b/c I think its a ridiculous name or I subconsciously wanted to be able to tell people I had that damn weenie and hated it. And let me tell you I did hate it....the bun does not fit the weenie!!! And it tasted bad...nothing worse that a bad tasting weenie that doesnt fit into the bun. Shame on you Iron Chef!!!!
Well thats it...I have spoken against the wonderful Rob Feenie. Go there to be seen...perhaps have a drink and say you ate at his damn restaurant....but please don't go there for the service or food. |
| Added Aug 1, 2006 by Smittyj of Kitsilano, Vancouver (4 Reviews) Great Spot!
My husband and I have been to Feenies quite a few times - we live a few blocks away. We love the Charcutterie - excellent value for the $$. THey are also very good at accomodating special dietary needs - I have a few food allergies. We have enjoyed sitting at the bar the most - the bar tenders are great, and so are the Martinis! The patio is OK - a bit noisy being right on Broadway (buses), but overall an excellent spot! We prefer it to Lumiere! |
| Added Jul 24, 2006 by lori-o of Point Grey (23 Reviews) Doesn't live up to the hype
I tried Feenie's twice last week — once for lunch with a girlfriend, and once for dinner with my husband and another couple. Neither visit made me want to return.
Although the food was good, it wasn't as good as what I've had at many other restaurants in town, including restaurants where meals cost much less than at Feenie's. Perhaps I was expecting more given that the restaurant is always busy and there is often a line-up — I figured if it was that popular, it had to be fantastic.
The duck club sandwich was excellent! The Feenie burger is big and juicy, but surprisingly doesn't pack much flavour — it depends on the fancy condiments. The halibut was average. One of the leaves of romaine lettuce in the caesar salad was brown and wilted — something I wouldn't have expected at a restaurant run by Rob Feenie.
The servers are "aloof." They certainly aren't warm and welcoming. The decor is very good (the sinks in the washrooms are great!), but is offset by an almost unbearable noise level. |
| Added Jul 5, 2006 by aaunheim of Vancouver (13 Reviews) mixed feelings
I went to Feenie's for lunch yesterday for the first time, and we sat on the patio because it was a nice day. The first ten minutes that we were there did not put me in the best of moods, since no one came to talk to us. We were in a very visible spot, and 2 or 3 different people came out to serve there tables, but no one greeted us. I had to get up and go inside to ask for someone to come out and serve us. Being in the industry myself, this is very bad.
Once we did get a server, he was very nice, prompt and friendly, and told us that the manager would take care of our first round of drinks. This was appreciated. We ordered a few things to share. The charcuterie platter, which was good, but I thought would have been bigger. The steak tartare was amazing, with a quail's egg, one of the best I've tried. The onion tart was very nice, the bacon on top a nice touch. Also a side of green beans, cooked perfectly and a nice amount of spice. They have a nice beer list, wine list is ok, and overall a nice time, after the first 10 minutes! I would go back eventually, but not for a while. |
| Added Jun 18, 2006 by pookins of Vancouver (2 Reviews) Okay
I was expecting a lot more after visiting Lumiere. My boyfriend and I shared the duck confit, which is a duck slow cooked in fat. It was very tender but not as flavourful as I expected it to be.
I ordered the Sheperd's pie and I thought it was extremely SALTY! The sauce that went along with it helped with the saltyness but I didn't want to have to use it. My boyfriend on the other hand said it tasted fine.
He ordered the Feenie Burger. The burger was good but not as flavourful as it should have been. A buger at Red Robins would have been more worthwhile except it doesn't come with all those condiments. It was huge for it's price (14$).
We had a good waiter. They kept our waters full the whole time. Some waiters seemed friendly and others seemed like they were just there because it was there job.
My boyfriend and I would mostly not go there again. We could do similar things for cheaper. |
| Added Jun 3, 2006 by foodfanatic of South Vancouver (295 Reviews) One of my favourite destinations for brunch!
Very reasonable pricing for west end dining. Portions are even a little more generous than some other places I have been to, so it all depends on what you're used to.
Service was always friendly and pleasant for me and even fairly accomodating for some diet-related restrictions for my dining party. The drinks are usually quick to arrive though the food consistently seems to take a while longer... probably less than half an hour in most days, though it feels possible that long. So go on a nice bright day & not too hungry then you might not notice the slower than expected kitchen.
The Feenie burger is juicy and thick especially if you add the extra serving of bbq beef rib meat, it'll taste even better--though might get a little messy. The onion tart is delicious! Love the crust! The portion allows enough room for dessert if you are a semi-lighter lunch eater. The creamsicle and sorbets are mouth-watering delicious! It's easy to be tempted to make a meal out of all of the dessert offerings. The duck leg with hard-boiled egg on salad is so beautifully presented, I'd order that again and again just so that I can see such adorable plating work. And then there's the french toast... mmm.
For breakfast/brunch/lunch fare, Feenies is probably the way to go while for dinner, treat yourself to Lumiere.
Ambience varies depending on which section of the restaurant you get seated at. If it's the room by the patio then it will definitely be a brighter, noisier experience. If you want a classier, romantic one, get seated in the area at the back or anywhere in the room right in front once you enter the restaurant. |
| Added May 22, 2006 by eyu1 of Yaletown, Vancouver (17 Reviews) Average
The menu selection is very big and although the food is original, its very small portions are a pooper.
The service is good and the waiters are very knowledgable on what is what on the menu.
The restaurant is very nicely designed. |
| Added May 9, 2006 by MargieG of East Van (4 Reviews) Sorely disappointed
I didn't want to like Feenies, I wanted to love it. I am a big fan of Lumiere - having had nothing but fantastic experiences there - and I wanted to take some visiting friends to Rob Feenie's casual place to show them that truly oustanding comfort food could be had at a reasonable price.
I wish I'd checked it out prior to bringing along any out of town guests.
And it wasn't that the food was so bad, it just wasn't great. Certainly not Iron Chef great anyway. We agreed:
1. The burgers were all pretty good, but after waiting 50 minutes to get them, we expected more than 'good'.
2. The poutine was downright shameful.
3. Service seemed a bit pretentious: Thirty minutes in, when we politely asked how our food was coming along, our server snootily said, "It shouldn't be much longer. We're busy. You're lucky you even got a table."
4. The desserts were truly delicious and almost made up for the disappointing night. Almost.
I wish I could say I'll try Feenie's again, but it's likely I won't. Frankly, I was left feeling nothing but embarrassed that I'd taken my friends out for such a mediocre meal at a much hyped restaurant.
|
| Added May 9, 2006 by diamond of vancouver (5 Reviews) Feenie's!
Feenie's is a good cheap eat. The food is good but not great. It is nothing special, except their french fries are pretty good. It's like every other diner, you can get a burger and fries. The other thing that makes this place different is that it's fun because it's a upbeat place with lots of young hot people. The service is pretty good and the interior design makes is neat because you can watch people on Broadway and yet it can be cozy and nice for a couple or a group. |
| Added Apr 1, 2006 by supertaster of Arbutus, Vancouver (1 Reviews) 3 strikes you're out..
I love the look and feel of Feenie's -- very nice sidewalk area with well set proper tables & chairs and linens. I want to like Feenie's...but I can't. Each visit I have made something went terribly wrong. Strike one: my companion's burger was served with a tray of condiments, some of which were mayonaise based. The mayonaise based condiments had a little crust over top--as in they were old or left out. maybe both. Either way, unappealing as can be. Strike 2: My vegetarian burger was a very mushy soggy affair. Not enjoyable, it was heavy and tasted like boxed felafel mix. Strike 3: Squid Salad: A whole lot of squid, which was undercooked. Presentation was a little surprising as it looked like a small bucket of very pale white squid upended on a plate. After one of the above sessions, there was an illness event that shall not be described.
May I say though every time the desserts were fantastic. Hooray for the pastry chef. |
| Added Feb 5, 2006 by trufflina of Edmonton, Alberta (2 Reviews) Dine Out 2006 Birthday Dinner!
I am a big fan of Chef Rob Feenie! I decided to spend my 25th birthday in Vancouver, and my friends and I went to Feenie's for his Dine Out 2006. It was awesome!
For an appetizer I had the beet and horseraddish salad, entree I had the chick pea fritters, and for dessert I had the chocolate cherry bread pudding!
This was a very excellent meal and worth every penny! The service was great and I was stuffed when I left. I would like to have met Rob Feenie himself, but I bet he has a very busy schedule!
Next time I'm in Vancouver, I am going to try his other restaurant!
Awesome Job Rob Feenie! You are my #1 Hero!
|
| Added Jan 25, 2006 by KaY-o-Ree of East Vancouver (23 Reviews) Food Is Awesome!
I went to Feenie's for Dine Out Vancouver - it was worth every penny for $25.
Appetizer - mussels in a tomato broth. The broth was sooooooo good, slightly spicy, very tomatoey. Mussels juicy, not overcooked.
Entree - Mission trout. WOW! Crispy skin, tender fish. WOW!
Dessert - 3 large scoops of sorbet. Soooooo yummy!
The food did it all for me! The service was excellent - waitress was careful to check on us once in a while, and the host was very friendly. I will definitely go again! |
| Added Jan 14, 2006 by whataview of yaletown (66 Reviews) Trendy diner
The food and service are not bad here though not memorable. It was not expensive considering it is Rob Feenie's. It is a unique and interesting place for lunch if you are looking for something different. |
| Added Jan 12, 2006 by Rasputin45 of UBC, Vancouver (67 Reviews) Don't go to Feenie's with a large group
I went to Feenie's for a celebration dinner, party of 10. Once we sat down, the waiter didn't come for drinks for at least 30 minutes. Another 30 minutes before he came for our dinner orders. We were starving, and I think many people over ordered because we had been waiting so long. The bread didn't come until AFTER we had ordered. When it finally arrived we ravenously tore through it. My boyfriend and I split an order of the chick pea fries as a starter (excellent-- cheesy, creamy, crispy on the outside with an aioli on the side for dipping, a great buy for $5).
I had ordered the Feenie's burger with the short ribs add-on for dinner. It seemed to be medium rare, more rare than I like it, but it was definitely good. I found the short ribs excellent, rich, meaty, with a hint of slow cooked red wine and onions, but they were swallowed up by the burger. I ended up picking them out and eating them separately. At the end of the meal, a waiter actually tried to take my plate away (I mean physically taking it out from under me without asking) TWO TIMES before I was done. Both times I had to tell them I wasn't finished yet. I felt rushed and that was very unpleasant after we had been waiting so long to eat.
Pricewise, Feenie's is sort of a tricky restaurant because they have what I call "traps" on the menu: items that are ridiculously small for the price (like the crab ravioli) or expensive up-sells (the short ribs added on to the burger for $7 -- consider the burger only costs $12 with fries, and the short rib portion added on is only a few bites). Because of this, and because everyone had ordered so much out of extreme hunger due to the long wait, the price for the dinner per person was much higher than it has ever been there for me in the past (about $50 a head including drinks).
Don't think I hate Feenies-- I only hate their service for large groups.
the full version of this review is published on my blog: http://opinionista.blogspot.com/ |
| Added Jan 10, 2006 by mmfood of Richmond (13 Reviews) a little overrated, but a good experience
My first impression of the restaurant... it's definately a nice looking place! It's dark, romantic, decked out in shades of reds, oranges, etc. it looks sexy to state it plainly. Although it looks to be a classy place, it's more casual than it seems. Everyone's chatty and having a good time. It's not one of those fancy quiet places, so if you're looking for a hush hush type place, this isn't one of them.
However, be prepared to wait for a while, even if you've made reservations. We made them and still had to wait almost an hour before we got our table so be prepared to sit for a while. Kill time by reading the restaurant reviews hung on the walls or grab a drink by the bar (if there's a seat available that is.) But because we had to wait so long, they asked if we wanted anything to drink and we got drinks on the house. The food we ordered was delicious! With the exception of the poutine which was just okay. Basically the only big difference is that they don't use regular potatoes to make the fries. The main dishes were great and prices are reasonable. They weren't tiny portions like some of the dishes that other "posh and pricey" restaurants serve. We also ordered the Iron Chef crab dishes from the menu. 2 thumbs up for the taste. 2 thumbs down for the price. Be prepared to drop down a few dollars for a bite sized appy....that's absolutely to die for! I wanted to keep that bite in my mouth and let it melt forever! The dessert gets my nod of approval as well.. I think it was vanilla creme brulee or something like that. Yum!
As for the service at Feenie's.. The hostess was really polite and our waiter was very nice and friendly. He was outgoing and chatted with us whenever he came by our table and generally made our experience at the restaurant wonderful. I hope he's our waiter again the next time we go! |
| Added Oct 5, 2005 by pkwok of Shaughnessy, Vancouver (80 Reviews) Good overall, but not memorable
This place does very good business and often gets high ratings in magazines, but in my many visits here, I have found the food to be merely good but not memorable, certainly a BIG notch below what you can get next door -- at Lumiere or Lumiere's Tasting Bar, owned by the same owner, Robert Feenie. However, the price is not high, and the wine selection is good, so overall, you are still getting reasonable value for money. |
| Added Sep 29, 2005 by madddskillz of Burnaby (58 Reviews) poor food
Went here a while ago with a party of four. Took forever to get seated, even when it was pretty late at night and on a thursday. The food turned out pretty bad. Two people ordered the ravioli from the iron chef menu and there were large lumps of salt in both of them. I had a poutine which was really really bad. Don't really remember what else we ordered, but we had all agreed that it was bad.
Haven't been to lumiere, but hope that it's not too similar to our experience at feenies. |
| Added Sep 10, 2005 by nonioise of Fairview (1 Reviews) Bad service, OK food
Having planned to have a great meal with great friends, end result fell somewhat short. We called ahead well in advance to reserve a table - word on the street was this was a fine dinner experience, good food, excellent ambiance.
We arrived about 10 minutes ahead of our reserved time - and where therefore expecting to wait a few minutes before getting to our table. No so. almost 1 hr later we were finally seated - the "excuse" given was that the previous guests had "over stayed" and that had pushed our reservation back. We ordered our meal and some 30 minutes later the main course finally arrived - all, that is, exect for one meal - they had "missed that one". It finally aarrived after all our guests at our table had finnished their meal. They did not charge for the drinks, but the evening was obviously not we had planned for. As for the food, well, it was pretty "plain". We have not been back since then. No reason to do that again.... |
| Added Aug 29, 2005 by sukidale of Kitsilano, Vancouver (1 Reviews) Not to Expectations
Crab Raviol ($14): reminded me of canned crab, definately not fresh
Pizza ($10): super yummy, light and favorful
Roasted Sable ($26): waterly and bland, very disappointed
Burger with short ribs ($19): not pleasing texture, doesn't go too well with ribs.
Chicken salad ($18): bland and chicken dry and over done
Warm Chocolate Fondant ($7): Super yummy the best part of dinner
It took over an hour just to get our appetizers and even longer to get the main course. The waiter was very good at appologizing every 15 mins and getting us more bread.
Over all disappointed and will not return and will not recommend this restaurant for dinner as for lunch and breakfast I will not come back to find out.
Not a way to spend a birthday. |
| Added Aug 14, 2005 by MOISESSO of VANCOUVER (9 Reviews) Not as Expected
Service and ambience where outstanding, I order the Feenie's Burger, patty made of excellent quality meat was PINK, and because that, the bottom of the excellent bun was WET.
French Fries in my poutinne where over cook (brown).
I hope Rob will take some care of this review.
Customer experiences like mine normally are one in a hundred, so my advice is to try this nice place |
| Added Jul 27, 2005 by Rasputin45 of UBC, Vancouver (67 Reviews) a very LA vibe
not that that's a bad thing... and the food is way better than you would get at a comparable LA place, at a very reasonable price. I've been here twice now. The first time was with a big group, and service was VERY VERY slow... I think we waited over an hour after we ordered for the food to show up. I ordered the eggs benedict which was delicious but the portion was small, and after over an hour of waiting I was ravenous. I felt worse for the people who ordered salads, which were also on the small side when you are starving to death.
The next time I came there were only two of us and I ordered the burger. That's definitely the way to go. The burger was big, delicious, and the fries are so good. My boyfriend had the vegetarian burger and he said it was the best he's ever had. We will definitely be going back. Note: The reviewer has submitted a more recent review for this restaurant. This review does not affect the overall rating and is displayed for information purposes only. |
| Added Jul 12, 2005 by Elkaso of Richmond, BC (9 Reviews) Gotta try the burger!
There's a $12 burger on the menu - you gotta try it - it's the best burger I've ever had. Nice atmosphere and good service - a must try. They have a Prix Fix menu that is quite reasonable for more formal dining. |
| Added Jun 30, 2005 by latelier of SE Vancouver (69 Reviews) Feenie's: Nice Restaurant, Nice Food
Paid a lunch visit on 06.29.05 at around 1:30 pm with a friend. Their patio was still teeming with people; yuppy locals and professionals - having their lazy lunches and just chatting over their glasses of Chardonnay. We were seated at the bar area with the swanky faux red velvet walls; the banquettes were dead sexy and upon entry, we immediately knew that we wanted to sit THERE.
Given that prime lunch hour was over, we were the only diners in the bar area but that was fine. For an appetizer to share, we ordered their tantalizing tuna tartare - it was perhaps the most tasty tuna tartare dish I've ever had - lots of different Asian flavors and textures - from cilantro, tamarind, sesame oil to seaweed. For my entree, I had their Sheperd's Pie with Duck Confit filling. It was a luxurious version no doubt - a little on the small side portion wise, but otherwise it was quite satisfying. Loved the side gravy - rich and velvety. My friend had the Halibut dish - he commented how he could immediately tell the ingredients were of higher quality and loved it - presentation of that dish was uncompromising and exceeded both our expections. At only 15.00 per lunch entree, we thought it was a great deal for the experience.
Service was fine - I seemed to get a pretensious vibe from our server, but perhaps it was due to the glowing red walls in the bar messing with my head. I will be back indeed. |
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