White Spot
Several dozen locations in BC and Alberta
5550 Kingsway (Location visited)
Burnaby, BC
To those who live in Vancouver and maybe in Alberta, there is nothing for you to see, move along! 
To those who are not (or if you are still interested on reading this post…), White Spot is a local chain restaurant known for its burgers, “home cooking” – whose home, I am not sure – and, recently, “upscale” dining (whatever that means). But, the most important fact is that it is a family-friendly restaurant. Sure, it is a place everybody criticizes/bashes but, in the end, it is that restaurant a lot of Vancouverites grew up with. (Or so I have been told, as I did not grow up in Vancouver!). Now, I do not have any love for White Spot but there was a reason why I went there…
I can’t help to ask… Why is the US flag along with Canada and BC flag?
I went there on a weeknight and, well, service was spotty to begin with. Frequent readers of this blog know that service is something I seldom mention and, if I do, it is because service is at either end of the spectrum. Well, in this case, I easily stood in the waiting area for over a minute (with another customer who just walked in not long after I walked in) until a waiter spotted us. This was a constant during the whole meal (more below). But enough of that, now, to the food.
As mentioned above, White Spot’s specialty is burgers. After all, they managed to branch out the burger offerings into stand alone small fast food-like restaurants (Triple-O’s)! Originally, I wanted to go for one of their regular burgers – that was until I noticed something “different” from the menu – their celebrate BC menu, which includes a burger “inspired by the recipes” of John Bishop (of Bishop’s), one of the original “pioneer” chefs in Vancouver. This is the description of the Bishop’s Burger: Our 6 oz. beef patty with grilled and marinated sweet golden bell peppers and red onions, basil goat cheese, lettuce and mayo. Creamy coleslaw and ‘endless’ fries. CDN $11.49 . I will admit the burger itself looked plain until…
Again, I usually “bite” into the sandwich but, this time, I used the knife to cut it in half. To a certain extent, if it wasn’t for the yellow-y/orange-y bell peppers, I would say it still looks plain. However, after taking the first bite, I will have to admit it wasn’t that bad. The bread was “steamed” (as in soft but not mushy) and the peppers gave it a slight sweetness you don’t usually associate with a burger. The one thing that you might not notice very well might be the goat cheese – It is that white-ish layer between the patty and the top bun. And, it was good as it added a soft dimension to the meat-y taste of the patty.
Now, I can’t help to compare it to some certain burger I had recently, namely, the one from Cactus Club, which was “created” by Rob Feenie. I should mention this, as Rob Feenie used to “pitch” for White Spot, too. But, regardless, comparing the two will be totally unfair, as there is a $6 difference. Let’s just say it was good in its own ways. But, putting the burger aside, here is the real reason why I went to White Spot…
Yes, a slice of blueberry pie! As if I couldn’t make one myself, hehehe. But, as the menu said, this is celebrating BC! Now, here is the thing: this pie is quite different from the pie I made. Whereas mine had a “gelatinous” type consistency (at least v1), this one is mainly blueberry mixed with a syrup. And the crust, well, I would say it was more on the lines of a baked cookie (as it was quite “crunchy”). The whipped cream was just extra but it did not add much.
Overall, the food wasn’t that bad or I should say better than expected considering all the bashing. However, the one thing that really “killed” the meal was, again, the service. As mentioned above, I had to wait quite a while for service. But that did not end there. Although I ordered the pie from the beginning, after I finish my burger, I sat there for quite a while until my waitress casually pass by and asks me “if I ordered the blueberry pie”… Errrr… Did you check what I ordered? Now, I would let that one go easily; however, it took them over 10 minutes to bring this pie out! Wait, did I mention the restaurant wasn’t even busy?!
And, to the most important question: would I go to White Spot again? Considering the food wasn’t as bad as everybody mentioned it is, I think I will. I guess I should go on a busier night when waiters and waitresses are more actively checking on customers…
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s harsh to generalize and think that just because one White Spot had bad mediocre service that the rest of the White Spots will as well. Perhaps the Kingsway location might be like that but you can’t judge an entire chain based on just one visit.
white spot service is a hit and miss. oakridge misses consistently while i found the kingsway and knight location, as well as the marine way at market crossing location either acceptable due to how busy or pretty good because they weren’t busy.
i love their calamari because it’s has great value for the quantity.
Although I generally agree with Jemma as in not all White Spots are the same in terms of service, I think Kim is merely stating what he experienced. If it was really good, he would’ve said so. For myself, it really depends as well. For instance, the White Spot at North Road has someone manning the host/hostess booth at all times; thus you will get noticed immediately upon entering. However, the location at Lougheed and Gilmore has someone at the entrance sometimes. You literally have to wave down a passing server. Moreover, the food comes out sloooooow… Don’t go to that location. I agree with Koji, the Oakridge one is always a bit slow, no idea why. Marine has always been good for me. Kingsway in Burnaby has been slow in my past experiences. I’ve had good experiences at the Kingsway and Knight as well. The 2 downtown locations along Georgia seem good too, probably because of all the traffic and tourists.
Jemma, welcome! I agree with what you say; that is why , when I visit a chain or a restaurant with more than one location, I specify which location I visited!
Now, notice there is one reason why people like to go to chains: consistency. The idea is that you can visit two or more different locations and you will get the same food/service. If White Spot can’t be consistent across their locations, then there is something that is not been done correctly. And, at the end of the day, I went for the food, and the food was better than what I expected.
Koji, since I usually go on my own, the only way I would have ordered the calamari appetizer would have been by ordering it with another appetizer and skip the entree completely. Next time? ^_^
Sherman, exactly! As you mentioned, had I gone to the one near my workplace (read: Downtown), I am sure it would be more “attentive”. As for the different locations, I think the one in Marine Way is “good” because it serves also as their test location. I won’t mind dropping by that one and have them “screw” up my order to see what “new” dishes they dare to serve me… Hmmmmm… Did I just sound like Anton Ego?
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