*Cue Nelly - Grillz feat. Paul Wall* "Yeah the whole top diamond and the bottom rose gold." Helen's Grill gives me the undeniable urge to chain smoke a proper, unfiltered, pack of darts, In one sitting. Bringing back memories of a time when people wouldn't smoke indoors because they wanted to, people would smoke indoors because they had to. A time when my grandfather didn't want to miss a second of the game, so he tossed me his Cadillac keys and made me bring the carton of Du Maurier from his trunk inside. Tabletop Wurlitzers are another retro touch giving anyone with a quarter the reigns to curate the patina of Helen's. Donna Summers started a dance party and the table to my North busted off the "I Will Survive" jail routine from The Replacements mid tzatziki dip. And although they've had a help wanted sign in the window for at least a year, when a girl came in to apply she was told they aren't hiring by the waitress. A moment David Attenborough's voice could only describe as "an act of female dominance". Maybe this was because she was significantly more attractive, maybe because she was unqualified. Whatever the reason if you are reading this lady in red lipstick, I'm going 1996 Steven Seagal like the entire Eastern Seaboard is on the line and making an executive decision, you're hired. Another executive decision made that night was a full calamari dinner which had me motionless by the time I could see the plate. Order breakfast at 7pm if you want, they're not going to say anything other how do you like your eggs. The sandwich lord in the back will put anything between two pieces of bread, like parking a Bronco in a Whole Foods parking lot. read more

Helen's Grill - Diners Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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was in the neighborhood for lunch. only 1 server that took a while to seat us. ordered a drink and a philly cheesesteak. drink had no ice and the order took 45 minutes. old small pieces of meat with hardly any cheese on a small baguette . my partner had a tasteless boring clubhouse . minimal food, service and quality for 50$. read more

Do not trust whoever recommends this place. They are either representatives of the Soviet starch factory that imports the drywall for Helen's disgusting hashbrown mix, or a 72 year old widower who yearns for the days when eggs came one way... limp on a plate in a puddle of dampness with a side of toast... and perhaps a dollop of hemorrhoid cream. OK, so maybe hemorrhoid cream never really came with diner eggs. But eggs and toast also never used to cost $8.99 and taste like moldy carpet. It has been scientifically proven that placing your breakfast in the clothes dryer for a mere 10 minutes produces 170% more flavor than Helen's patented cuisine method. My only humble tip is that you avoid this old standby like the pothole that it is. There is no need, perceived or otherwise, to encourage this sort of culinary ineptitude on Main Street. Can I get a witness? Please speak up. Helen should quit her day job and mix concrete... which is clearly her talent. This crap tastes the same as it did 15 years ago, and the cost keeps going up. read more

I like going to Helen's for breakfast because they serve good straightforward food that you might get at a truck stop way, way, way out of town. I'm hungry, I order eggs and bacon, it fills me up. Nothing fancy, just honest home cooking, except I don't have to do it. For lunch, they serve a mean chicken sandwich with fries. I like mine on white bread with a bit of butter. I guess you could call it comfort food. Although I've never tried it, they also serve Greek food, and there's a few bottles of ouzo sitting there behind the counter. I'm usually there too early in the day for ouzo, however. The best part of going to Helen's, besides the food, is getting to play songs on the little jukeboxes at each table. If the waitresses get tired of hearing the same ones over and over again, they do a good job of hiding it. read more

Helen is certainly 1 of Vancouver's top 5 greasy spoon restaurants. They can't make this stuff up! We are talking seriously old school Salvation army style dinner booths and surprise surprise we got a Jukebox. I am pretty certain Helen refers to the older greek woman who is there around the clock although I have never asked her name. They are well-known for the standard breakfast which isn't too bad; kuddos for both the pancakes and the home fries for sure. The second most popular thing there is the hamburger and fry plate. Definitely 50's style but strangely charming. Lets put it this way you know what you are gonna get when you walk in the door. Helen's, a lost little gem in the sea of restaurants out there. read more

I love Helen's for its simplicity. It's the kind of place you can just go in and say "bacon, over-easy, wholewheat" and they won't expect a thing more from you. No fancy pants here. Helen's is a bit of a trek for a weekend breakfast for me, but on my three visits I've never been disappointed or bowled over. The jukeboxes on each table are cute, but even I've let out a tired sigh at the second playing of Macho Man, or the like, at the table beside me. The coffee is decent although refills can be a little slow. If you go, sit in the corner window table overlooking the busy intersection. See that huge metal post? That's to stop cars crashing right through the restaurant. Just delightful! read more

Overrated for the so-called "old-style diner" appeal that Helen's offers. It's really just like going to Denny's or Dutch Pannekoek or that kind of joint. Shredded hash browns, standard burgers, so forth. It's so overrated for the price. If I'm paying $9 for bacon and eggs, you'd better have free range eggs, great bacon, and thick nice toast. But, no. You can do better. So, for that fact, can Helen. read more

Always meant to check this place out for breakfast because it looks so cool, but read mixed things about it. Finally tried it and was very happy with it. Classic bacon and eggs, perfectly done and served almost before I ordered it. Amazing. Home fries were very good and they do rye toast, which is nice. Coffee was decent and toast was actually toasted, which doesn't always happen. Only gripe would be the use of margarine rather than butter, but maybe I could have asked for butter. One thing you don't get much of in Vancouver is multiple toast choices like sourdough, bagel, pumpernickel, etc. Wonder why that is. Service was fantastic. Great lady who is efficient and charming and looks like she's been there a while. Really nice atmosphere, despite King Ed being torn up just at the moment. Haven't tried the other food, but if you want the basics, it's great here and with a great atmosphere. read more

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

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. read more

Helen's Grill - Diners Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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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. read more

Stayed around the area on vacation and just stopped in here after walking around one morning. I should have checked the Yelp reviews before going in. The food is extremely mediocre for the price. I had the French toast and some pieces were very eggy, some pieces were dry. The maple syrup was watery, isn't that a sin here? What a disappointment. I wouldn't go here again but maybe their egg menu items are better. read more

Helen's Grill - Below average French toast. - Diners Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

This has so much more history than I realized. My dad took me here and told me this was the second time he's ever been there. The first time was when he first immigrated to Canada. My mother also used to lend a helping hand at the diner for her sister that owned/worked there at one point. Anyway, it's exactly what you would expect from a diner that hasn't changed or reno'd or been torn down since the 70's!!! It's a pretty small place too. In fact, it doesn't have room to fit a highchair. So my son had a booster seat that didn't seem so stable but worked out. It felt authentic old school diner. Friendly speedy service. The waitress gave my son a couple of toys even to help keep him occupied. I couldn't resist but ordered the eggs benny. The eggs were overlooked but at least the hollandaise sauce made up for it. The hashbrowns though was like dry lumpy mash potatoes. My hubby seemed to like it though...but doused in a good layer of ketchup. The hubby got the usual sausage and eggs. Pretty standard, but he polished off his plate. My dad got the egg, sausage and pancake special. Good deal I think but the pancakes were looking a little burnt. The bathrooms btw are tiny with a capital T. I could barely make a full turn without hitting something and I'm a pretty small person already! read more

Finally got to check out this old place after driving by it so many times. Old world charm in a neighbourhood quickly changing. Place seems well maintained and clean. Nice big windows at busy intersection for lots to see. Omelette was pale looking for free range eggs and could be more cheesy. Coffee was not special for Starbucks $. Service was not rude but not friendly like other homey diners I visit. Nice to try but not a repeat. read more

This hole in the wall diner has fantastic service. While waiting to move into our new place (having just moved out of our old apartment- being homeless for a few hours) we played the jube box continuously, enjoying our free refills of coffee (not the best- but it did the trick!). We had a few troubles with the jubebox playing the incorrect songs (ones we had not chosen), so our waitress offered us a bunch of quarters so we could enjoy our wait time. Each time I get the egg's benedict which is not actually on their menu, but they do offer it. (Not lemony hollandaise sauce). Great place to go after a night out. Will return again and again. read more

Great place never been unhappy here Service is always good food is good prices are average Not in my local neighborhood but worth the trip read more

This place is a true neighbourhood gem - A 'real' diner serving great comfort food on diner crockery, complete with working jukeboxes on the tables - Bring some quarters and you can eat your breakfast while groovin' to Belinda Carlisle. My kids love their pancakes and sausages, and their server in the morning is a charmer. Just remember the booths were built 50 years ago when waistlines were smaller ;) Only suggestion is if you like your bacon crispy be sure to order it that way. For some reason their current cook sends the bacon out in a distinctly undercooked rubbery mode. They're happy to fix it though. read more

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. read more

Breakfast spot. Exactly what you would expect from the outside. Value price. Excellent service. Good menu options.

Helen's was great. It offers exactly what I expect in a diner: burgers, old school booths with rips and old fashion decor. 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. read more

Continue to be a fan of Helen's. Recent visit we tried a new special: a Montreal 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: http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/4krz_D9sCXxOD7Xy-fGqWQ?select=JJAgAVO66jOBvlAjJjt6RQ ) Still great friendly service. If a diner could feel like home, this one's it.... read more

Helen's Grill - Montreal smoked meat - Diners Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Horrible service. If you want to be treated like an animal go here. I am in the service industry and now more than ever people needed to be treated well. Horrible. Experience. Will never go back! read more

Not cheap, you would think it would be because it is an old diner, and the food was good but very simple .

3 words. Steak and Eggs! Greasy spoon diner which has been around a long time. Located on a busy intersection in an older neighborhood. Jukeboxes located at several tables. What got my attention was the steak and eggs. read more

I tried Helen's again after a long absence. First experience was good. Second experience was terrible. There was a large spider on my window and as I have a fear of them chose to leave half way through my meal. When I was paying I mentioned it to my waitress who laughed at me. I then complained to the manager who made excuses for the extremely unprofessional waitress. Oh well won't be going there again. Plus the coffee is terrible!!! read more

Tiny little old school diner with juke boxes at each table, really giving you that old diner feel. Little booths which are nice which I always prefer over tables any day. I appreciated that they also have a full liquor license as well. The food portions were decent and the pricing was fair but the waitress we had was inattentive being that there was only one other table. Can't judge the business for that however because every waitress is different. It's a decent little hole in the wall with good grub of you wish to go enjoy with a friend because it's not loud. Yes I'd repeat read more

Helen's Grill - Eggs benny - Diners Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Went to Helen's last week for the first time in ages. The food was excellent. I guess they're back on track. Or maybe the two times I went where I was disappointed were just a glitch. I'll be going back on a regular basis now. read more

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 Cafe, $2.95 at Bon's, $4.00 at Sunny Spot or the diner on the NW corner of Broadway at Main. The Nice Cafe 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 decor- 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. read more

It's changed hands in the last few weeks. All the great old staff are gone, same with a lot of the character. I had breakfast there this morning and I'm still suffering. Greasiest omelette I've ever had. Hash browns are worse than they ever were. I loved it before, but..... read more

I first visited Helen's in 1999 and I am sure that it was unchanged since the 70's. Now in 2011, the time warp is still in place. They still have the table top juke boxes. I like breakfast here, plain eggs, bacon, sausage, toast but, the pancakes are very good and better than most. The low price is right for the quality so I will keep eating here. read more

Finally went there for breakfast after driving by for years and years and years and never going in. Service was a little ragged the day we went, even for a greasy spoon (turns out the dishwasher ditched work, and they were short-staffed, but still, chill out waitress lady). The stressed-out waitress practically barked at us to sit at the counter, then didn't give us menus and coffee until we asked, several minutes after sitting down and being ignored. Things got better when the food finally arrived. The guys in the kitchen know how to turn out a good, basic breakfast -- their hash browns are especially good, soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Also, their beer is really cheap. read more

5 stars for what it is - an original Vancouver diner passed on through 3 generations of family. Nick, the new family owner, just took over from his uncle and aunt who, gasp, retried. Took my son there for the daily special of beef spareribs, mashed potatoes, and veggies that was just like it was Sunday night at Mom's, all for around $20. Where can you get this anymore? All good. Nick's smart enough to keep what has worked yet bring in some new items as well. read more

This is an old Vancouver institution. I remember seeing this restaurant ever since a was a little kid in Vancouver and they still exist at the same location with the same interior - it seems like everything is original including the signs outside. Food... well, nothing spectacular, it's your typical American diner food of hamburgers and fries, spaghetti and meatballs, and steak and mashpotatoes. Due to the fact that the owners are Greek, you can order some Gyros and other Greek dishes like Souvlaki. Service is poor and the seats feel nasty dirty and sticky like honey. read more

I had eggs Benedict. They were fantastic, but I filled up too fast on the also fantastic chocolate milkshake I ordered first. This place was really great, a really lovely 50's style diner. But the girl serving us was the real star of the show. I just loved her. (If she's reading this, I'm the one with the weird mom making her daughter drink the apparent 'salt and ginger ale' remedy). I didn't catch her name but what a doll. Great service. read more

I went back. Their french toast is to die for. Eggy and good.. even better doused in syrup. Seriously.

Walked down here after leaving The Reef cause the service there was horrible and had a great home cooked meal and very friendly service that I would expect from a good diner. read more

Helen's is a typical coffee shop/diner. Nothing crazy amazing, but no surprises. We went and grabbed some quick breakfast on Saturday, and the server was quick and topped up my coffee at the perfect moment. I always like that. Could have been slightly cheaper considering what it is and considering Nice Cafe further down Main does basically similar stuff but for something like half the price. Points for awesome jukebox! read more