Sunshine Diner

In a quest to expand the area in which I try out breakfast joints, my team-mates and I pushed out into Kitsilano this week. Our destination was a little 50's-type diner called Sunshine Diner, located on West Broadway, between Stevens and Trafalgar Streets (2649 West Broadway). In addition to the usual suspects (Kimmy and Rozi), I was joined by my fine, feathered friends, Aaron and Cam.

For starters, I could pick out at least one reason that this place had the word "sunshine" in its name. The place was very, very bright without the use of much indoor lighting at all. Carved figurines of the likes of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean lined the tops of the pony walls, and old 50's artwork was all over the place. The booths and tables were also upholstered true to the vintage vibe of this diner. Also, I was informed by Rozi that the big draw of Sunshine Diner was their milkshakes. (Could anything scream 50's more than a tasty malt?)

As we sat down in a booth, we were greeted by a delightful, young lady. Considering that it was 10am on a Monday morning, she was more than chipper, which was a huge bonus. All five of us ordered coffees ($2.55 each with unlimited refills) and began looking at the menu. Let me just say, if you ever have a craving for an omelette, come to this place, as there was a very extensive selection of them on this menu. Additionally, there was a multitude of pancake/egg/benny specials, along with the regular burger/sandwich lunch specials. As we poured over the menu, the server brought us our coffees, which was delicious, along with a selection of cream and milk. (Options? Yes please!) After a couple of more minutes, we all made up our minds and our orders were taken. For the sake of convenience, I'll simply list the orders.
Me - Two pancake breakfast special. This consisted of two pancakes (surprise!), two eggs and three slices of bacon. (Total: $18.11)Rozalyn- 1/2 order of the "Romero" eggs benny, along with a side order of home fries. (Total: $15.75)Kimmy - Same as Rozalyn, except a full order instead of the half order. (Total: $14.96)
Cam - "Blackstone" eggs benny, home fries added, as well. (Total: $14.96)
Aaron - 1/2 order of the "Sunshine" eggs benny, with home fries. (Total: $15.75)

Now, I have to say, coffee refills were not an issue in this place. They continued to fill our cups faster than we could empty them. All-in-all, we had about 3 refills before our plates of food arrived, which clocked in at about 10 minutes. When it did arrive, we were not disappointed at all. My pancakes we golden and delicious, the bacon was cooked to near-perfection and what they called "2 eggs" looked more like 3 or 4 eggs. This applied to everyone's eggs benny's, as well. The home fries (a fancy name for pan fries) were done perfectly and the food just looked overall amazing. Everyone agreed that the food was delicious and that the portions were of exceptional size. Rozi, Aaron and I decided that we'd top it off with some of the famous milkshakes. Coming in at $4.75 each, we were given a number of choices/combinations of flavours. I chose a vanilla/espresso one, Rozi went with an almond/espresso and Aaron took a peanut butter/chocolate one. They were all amazing. My tongue was overcome with a tsunami of flavour from all three of the milkshakes. The almond/espresso one was a bit heavy, but it was still delicious.

With a final tally of $18.11, this was my most expensive breakfast to date. At the same time, it was excellent food, there was utterly amazing/happy service and the atmospere was first-rate. The entire team gives Sunshine Diner an A+, especially if you're willing to spend a few extra dollars. But hey, you have to treat yourself sometimes, don't you?

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse