By Brittni Brown (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: January 30, 2013
Location: 46170 Yale Rd E, Chilliwack, BC
Prices: Up to $14
Hours: Daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This little gem lies quietly tucked away from the busy hustle-and-bustle of Chilliwack’s downtown core. Located just outside of Chilliwack’s Five Corners, at 46170 Yale Road, Uptown Grill quietly awaits hungry customers. The restaurant, which happens to sit directly across from the old Paramount Theatre, has definitely seen busier days; however, despite a slowing in business, the cuisine has remained delightfully scrumptious. With a cheap menu, warm environment, all-day breakfast and no line-up, this restaurant gets two thumbs up.
If you’re looking for some grandma’s cookin’ this is the place to be. Uptown Grill seems to serve a bit of everything, from all-day breakfast to liver and onions. The menu includes hot sandwiches, wraps, chicken, pasta, classic entrees (such as liver and onions or fish and chips), burgers, salads, soups and more – you name it, they’ve probably got it. Prices range from $6.00 to $14.00 with large portions. However, this is not the place for fine dining; the food is greasy, lightly battered and very filling! The name is quite ironic actually, when compared to the menu. But, I can’t deny the quality of this place’s breakfast; it’s delicious.
During my latest visit, most people in the restaurant appeared to be over the age of 50. However, that could have something to do with my afternoon visit, on a weekday; but, I’m thinking this place likely draws an older crowd since it has been in the area for decades. Nonetheless, I felt very welcomed and comfortable during my visit.
The building is certainly not eye-catching from the outside – the exterior is rather plain, and the building partially blocked by a large tree which has been awkwardly placed on the sidewalk. As for the inside, it is what I would call rustic. It is a single-room dining area with wooden floors and an open floor plan; it is not an overly large space. One wall is neatly lined with red, fabric booths fit for four people – I should note that the furniture and flooring appears to be well worn in. The rest of the dining area is filled with wooden tables which seat groups of either two or four. Although the space does feel a little cluttered, there is something warm and homey about it. The walls are coated in a cozy mustard colour with red and black features. One thing that did feel out-of-place was the wall art; paintings of Victorian women and what appears to be Italian architecture hung evenly spaced throughout the area. Being that this is more of a diner than an upscale restaurant, I found this a bit odd, but cute since the staff and management consisted of elderly women.
My service was excellent. The server was not overly present or absent and my drink was always filled. My food was brought out hot-off-the-burner and didn’t disappoint.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this hidden gem to someone looking for a good breakfast spot, a quick bite, or somewhere to read a book or paper over a coffee. It was friendly, quiet, cheap, yummy and worth every buck; I will definitely be returning.
