The Fisherman's Boot - Richmond

My friend and I agreed to meet for lunch at the Fisherman's Boot. This cafe is really a dive, that being said one certainly can't complain about the prices. I opted for the homeade soup and sandwich for under $6.00.............how cheap is that?

This restaurant is located at the end of Trites Road inside the gated marine complex. We arrived around 11:30 AM on this wet Thursday afternoon to avoid the lunch hour rush and there were a few people having coffee. Most, if not all, of the customers were local workers or residents.The only reason we came to the restaurant was because the person we came with raved (maybe raved is a little too strong a description) about the Thursday fish and chips special for $7.95.My spouse and I ordered the following to share:• Fish and chips (2 pieces) with coleslaw ($7.95; regular price $8.95)• Clubhouse on rye bread with fries ($7)The self-serve coffee was $1.50 with refills with a choice of Van Houtte house blend, dark roast, Columbian and French RoastThe clubhouse was okay. You can’t go wrong with bacon, cheese, lettuce, mayo, tomato and turkey. The turkey was the processed turkey meat (thin sliced sandwich style)The fries were warm and there wasn’t that much of it. The battered fish was okay but lacked seasoning (and no lemon wedge!). The coleslaw and tartar sauce were okay. Our friends ordered the fish and chips and mushroom burger ($7). This time they were disappointed in the size of the fish; much smaller pieces than the last time they came.The total bill for the four of us before tips came to $31.40 (taxes included in menu prices).There is very little service at this restaurant – help yourself to water (which came in a used 4 litre plastic milk jug) and place your order at the cashier. The server brought our food in a timely manner.For a “greasy spoon”, the food was passable and the prices were decent.Overall, I would rate the food taste/experience at 2.75 out of 5; it’s okay.Notes and Tips:• My spouse originally wanted to have liver and onions but it was not available because it was sold out since it was the Wednesday special.• Cash only• Typical diner / cafe menu. See photos.• Restaurant seating with 3 booths, tables and bankettes for approximately 34 people • Washrooms are outside in a separate building (as far as I could tell)• Trites Road is located on the Eastern edge of Steveston Village very close to Britannia Shipyards; approximately ¼ mile away. Drive past the chain link and you’ll see the restaurant in the building facing you.• Lots of parking. If the lot is full there is plenty of street parking outside the gate.• My favourite place for fish and chips in the Steveston area is still the Steveston Café in the Village.

Breakfast is a basic meal, nothing fancy but sustaining, a foundation for the day and lashings of coffee. The Boot delivers! Well done food, great price, interesting atmosphere but if you need to rest your face on the table no one will object, lots of coffee and have I mentioned the great price. I will go every chance I get.

Penny's Place, aka The FIsherman's Boot, is a Steveston institution. The people who grumble about it are entitled yuppies who expect too much. Penny's Place is a cafe in the Paramount Building at the foot of Trite's in Steveston, specializing in hearty breakfasts and lunches (dirt cheap) and take out sandwiches. This is a place for fishers and locals, so if you expect high falutin' service, go to a high falutin' joint. Penny's food is always cooked perfectly and offers huge portions with a dose of salty humor. To families, your children may be exposed to salty seafarer language. To gourmets go elsewhere. To people looking for a great brekkie or lunch and a wonderful walk around a working site, come here.

Burgers. The big boot burger is possibly the best burger for the buck in greater Vancouver, $6.50)