Upon leaving our hostel in downtown Vancouver, we asked the desk attendant if he knew of any cheap breakfast places around town.
He mentioned a sit-down place offering a full breakfast for $2.99, which peaked our attention instantly. Although I assumed the full three-dollar breakfast would be something like a stale piece of sourdough toast and a glass of water, we decided to try it nonetheless. Driving further and further from the heart of the developing city, we found ourselves confined in a much more run down part of town more reminiscent of South Central Los Angeles than the dense, modern forms you’d normally associate with Vancouver. And soon we found it: Bon’s Off Broadway.
We pulled up out front and wandered in to put our name down on the list. With a bit of a wait on our hands we decided to serve ourselves some coffee and sit down out front in the plastic lawn chairs stacked next to the entrance. Peoples’ actions rarely surprise me – I’ve seen it all so to speak – but the people watching in front of Bon’s turned out to be quite the interesting morning activity for the four of us. Sightings ranged from a middle-aged punk-rock BMX biker whose leather vest read: “kill everyone now”, to a sixteen year old boy wearing a shirt stating “we want prenup!”, to a dancing disco roller-blader straight out of the 80’s.
After enjoying the wealth of delightful interactions out front, we wandered back inside to find our table open. We sat and looked at the menu, but it remained obvious what everyone would order: the $2.99 special. Rising above my initial expectations, the cheap meal consisted of a traditional egg, bacon and toast breakfast with complementary coffee all for that affordable three-dollar price tag.
Bon’s offers something different, a traditional cheap breakfast spot that attracts all of the non-traditional types through its doors. So if you’re in Vancouver and tired of the modern monotony of the bourgeoisie sector, hop on over to Bon’s Off Broadway for a good old-fashioned hearty meal to start your day!
