VanFoodies.com

$29.95 for a 3-course prime rib dinner, who would say no to it? Planning a birthday dinner for my friend, I was given a specific criteria that the restaurant must be by the water. So, Cardero’s came to mind. Along with the affordable menu, now the Sunday Night Prime Rib Dinner just made the deal even sweeter. Done. Decided.

Food

The 3-course dinner is definitely a bargain. I started my meal with a Seabreeze Martini, followed by the first course – Caesar Salad. I liked how the romaine leaves weren’t chopped into small pieces and the house-made dressing was not heavy like regular one. The 10 oz Prime Rib was more than enough for one serving. However, mine came with some fat and strains that cut it down to about 7-8 oz of meat. Still a lot of meat for the little lady. I ordered a medium rare but it arrived a bit too pink. It’s still edible to my standard, but I wished it’s cooked for just 10 seconds longer. The dessert was irresistable, despite the fact that the 7 of us already shared a 8″ birthday cake. The Chocolate Mousse Torte was creamy and soft, and very tasty. We ended up finishing it after a big slice of birthday cake.

Service

Have to say, I was a little disappointed by the service quality. It started alright when we arrived at 6:30pm and ordered our round of drinks. As the night progressed, however, we saw less and less of the server. He’s pretty much only here to collect dirty dishes and bring us our next course, as per our request. It took more than 30 minutes before the 2nd course was served. And he never came by to check on us – he seemed to be occupied by other tables and only dropped by when we called for him. It struck me that the restaurant might be under-staffed, which was poor planning for a sunny Sunday evening. In the end, it took us 3 hours to finish the dinner, making the early-morning starter stay up beyond her usual bed time.

Ambiance

The restaurant reminds me of the Boathouse chain, full of fishing-related decorations. The patio is situated right by the sailboat dock, giving diners a nice view of the waterfront, accompanied by luxurious sailboats. The downside is, they don’t seem to have many tables to accommodate large parties. With a party of 7, we were seated in the centre of the restaurant. All the tables by the water were for parties of 4 or less. My friend was slightly disappointed to be seated without a view.

Final Thoughts

Judging by this dining experience, I’d return for the food. Now I only hope that they could improve its quality of service and that I could be seated by the water next time.

Cardero’s Restaurant
Price Range: $20-$30
1583 Coal Harbour Quay, Vancouver
604-669-7666
www.vancouverdine.com/carderos/home.html