Ideal Cafe in Campbell River

Great food and service...waits can be long when busy but worth it.

Great food. Servers were friendly and down to earth. Very comfortable place and welcoming.

Good food and (classic) ambience

Delicious food and great atmosphere. We are out of town and a local friend took us here. Ideal Cafe feels like real Canadian food and we loved it.

Excellent

Super!

If you love a classic diner, this place is Ideal.

Awesomeness!! Great food, large portions and friendly staff!

Love the place. The food is amazing and the staff are very pleasant. Its a pretty busy place on the best of days but its worth it if you have to wait. Lately it feels like one of the last vestiges of historical Campbell River.

Perfect Breakfast.

Awesome food been eating at the Ideal Cafe for over 40 years and still some of the best food in CR

This place is amazing! Classic diner, great food, great staff.

Super iconic diner. Like in the movies! Friendly waitresses who have all been working here for years and put their heart and soul into it. Breakfast is served handmade. Even sourdough bread is offered. Guests were already lining up for breakfast.

Great lil non greasy spoon! Old time feel, niche cafe. Staff are lovely. Best BLT and soup place going. Thick Milkshake with the tin. One of my fave Campbell River stops. Parking: Parking in front so you can see your bikes, and more along the side.

best vibe of any diner ; very special spot

Great. Old time greasy-spoon with good food......but, sadly, over-priced.

Awesome food great service

Excellent food and service at a reasonable price

great place for breakfast

fabulous place lots of food on the plate sat at counter every time and the free abuse was great Cheryl and Kiela ( i think) were great cant wait to return read all the notes on boards LOL

Vegetarian options: Serve vegetarian and vegan food! Food

Very busy place. Love the breakfasts they serve all day, will try lunches next, waitresses are awesome and attentive, recommended for sure. Light breakfasts and lunches available.

Stopped by on a road trip at the recommendation of locals. While the wait was long on a Sunday at brunch (about an hour) it still gets t stars as it was well worth the wait. Great service and all the food was delicious. Vegetarian options: I had a great vegetarian omlette. Dietary restrictions: They have many gluten-free options, but they note possible cross-contamination, so those with serious allergies should beware.

Cozy for breakfast and lunch. Very extensive map. Locals also like to come here.

We stop here any time we are on the way to the North Island for fishing. The food is really good and it seems to be where locals come to eat. The restaurant has been in business for ever and the quality of the meals has never wavered since weve been going. Lots of parking in the gravel lot behind so if youre towing it makes it easier.

Great breakfast reasonable prices.

Fantastic servers, always welcoming you as you enter, the food is always delicious, and if you like old diner atmosphere, this is the place to go!

I got the gluten free grilled cheese and added some veggies, it was delicious. My boyfriend got eggs Benedict and said they were amazing as well. Great place to get food before or after getting on the ferry!

Does not adhere to all provincial safety regulations. They obviously know better than professional health experts with decades of experience, and still want accreditation for rules they dont follow. Full stop. Due to concern over this organizations stance on safety, Im going to continue warning my friends and family against eating here. 2024: still embargoed for willful non-compliance with provincial health and safety orders.

Old dinner feel. Service was great, and the food was delicious especially the hollandaise sauce.

If you are looking for good home-cooked style breakfast or lunch food look no further. On top of the amazing food, the customer service from Stephanie (Manager) and her staff hands down are rockstars with awesome attitudes and sense of humor.

Dietary restrictions: Gluten-Free options Food

Great old time cafe. Great for breakfast / lunch. Staff with old work ethic.

Fantastic food and very friendly staff! Will be back!

What a great place to have something to eat! Super enthusiastic and friendly staff and the milkshakes are just awesome. We just did have to come back for those a second time! If you dont look for it youll easily drive past it, but keep your eyes peeled as it is a little gem that you must visit!

This place is definitely worth checking out if youre in the Campbell River area. The wait might be long on some days but its so worth it. Breakfast was delicious, portions were large, and the servers were so friendly and welcoming. Great vibe as well!

Great food the fry was a bit over cooked but the main part was amazing place is clean and nicely renovated and the staff was great

Great food and great service in a very cozy diner. Ideal indeed!!

Everything delicious, good atmosphere and very friendly staff!

Old school atmosphere and setting! Love this place. The servings are huge and you need to be starving to finish your food. Prices are amazing for what you recieve.

Great little breakfast diner! The bennies were amazing and the veggie omelet was great.

Had a fantastic breakfast at Ideal Café, in Campbell River. Fast service, good food, friendly service. Sometimes so busy that you end up on a waiting list, but with their pager system that is no problem.

Loved the ambiance, coffee refills & on the go.

Thank you so much for your sincere hospitility and delicious breakfast, espacally the grandfathers pancake. We loved to live to see the local people Food

From the moment we walked in to us leaving: delightful! Service: so friendly and engaging, food: A M A Z I N G ! Highly reccomend Food : 5/5

I went here to try the Vegan tofo Scramble skillet with vegan sausage. I didn t like the vegan sausage and others found it to be too much food. It s a lovely option and very inclusive for everyone to eat here. I will go back again. It s very busy and the staff are working hard to keep food moving quickly.

Very retro 50 s era diner. The staff were wonderful and the chef had great taste in music when I was there (in case you are wondering, no, did not match the 50 s vibe but well worth it as I was there for food). Now here is my complaint with google reviews. When I say the food was 5 stars that means something very different from most other people. 5 stars from me means that a vegan, a person with sensory issues and a restricted pallet and a few more typical people all had a really good meal. Not just tasty well prepared food, but without the stress that often comes when our particular diverse group of food choices head out for food. My 5 should be worth 10! ;) It was really good.

We had the eggs which were overcooked but the bread was good. The fish and chips were only so so. Service was friendly and the vibe is nice. Too bad food is not as good as before

Great customer service and delicious food! Family friendly and feels like your family! Highly recommend this place to anyone!

Nice atmosphere, good food!

I have been here several times for breakfast and lunch and have never been disappointed. Great menu, large meals and very good staff. Highly recommended.

A hidden gem. The staff were very friendly and the food was great! Kendall and Hannah made the experience amazing. Thanks guys :) our group enjoyed it!

Great food friendly staff highly recommend for anyone that what great food

Best dinner in Campbell River 10/10!

Amazing food.

Perfect place for a home cooked dinner. Fast attentive service and good tasty portions.

A great, authentic local diner experience. Great, hearty food for good value, lovely service and a memorable atmosphere.

Wow. One hell of a diner, forget Campbell river, this might be the best run diner in BC. Great food, spot on service and fair prices. If you like classic diner s do not miss this gem.

Best breakfast, great people, I always stop on my way through Campbell River

VEGAN food made with care in an old school diner. Seriously amazing vegan options for breakfast lunch or dinner. Don t judge this place from the outside because it s super clean and nostalgic inside. Great service, great atmosphere and great food. Vegans have an awesome option when in Campbell River. Highly recommend. Arrive early as it fills up quickly and you will be waiting. Dietary restrictions: Vegan

Best breakfast sandwich I think I ever had

Great atmosphere and the food is good

Old school cafe, super friendly staff, and a delicious vegan skillet.. Excellent

Best breaky place in town. Parking: Big enuf for a truck n trailer. Food : 5/5 |

Best breakfast Ive had on the island. I enjoyed coffe, and a Avocado and tomato Benny Eggs done perfectly, rich yolks, bright fresh perfect hollandaise. The grilled tomato, was delicious, and the avocado was perfectly ripe. My choice of cubed hashbrowns perfect. Excellent service and a real old school diner vibe. Thank you for a fabulous breakfast.

Delicious food. Good portion sizes. Great service.

Great food and great service n great people

Amazing service, ordered 13 bacon cheeseburgers with fries for the crew, all prepared in under 30 minutes! The food is exceptional. Food

Ive been visiting this place for many years... Pretty much every time I pass through Campbell River, and it never disappoints! In fact, word has gotten out and now the staff issue pagers for anyone willing to wait to get into the cafe.

We LOVE the Ideal Cafe!! Always the best service, great food and no wifi...lol The staff is friendly and always smiling no matter how busy they are. Food

Wow, if you are in Campbell River this is a place to eat. This place provides the character, food and service which surpassed my expectations. If you like hollandaise it truly is the spot.

Don t let the outside curb appeal fool you. Doesn t look like much BUT well worth the visit The very best poached eggs I have ever had ! Hands down. Tons of food , staff ( 1 girl ) Hanna Banana ( lol ) was extremely friendly , professional and attentive 5/5 would recommend

Have been coming here for a long time. Definitely the best breakfast in town. The service is great and the food is amazing! The Large and in charge Barge I highly recommend.

Haven t been here in years and stopped in while in town over the holidays. I ordered the smaller size chicken fingers and fries. They should have been embarrassed to serve what they did. By far the worst strips I have ever eaten . Nasty dried out from a low cost grocery store. My friend ordered fish and chips and the fish had already been cooked once before. It was so dry and dark coloured. I wouldn t have eaten it. We had to ask for more coffee and it took forever to get it. The first cup was only warm. Other friends with us had a burger and clubhouse which they were pleased with. With the kind of prices they charge and the quality of food its a definite never again . I would think twice before anyone ate here.

Good food but plate needs a face lift

Its an absolutely perfect diner. Decor is dated. It is drafty in winter, but the breakfast is wonderful.

Classic family diner. This place is well known, loved and respected. Fantastic vintage tables. Huge menu with some surprising vegetarian options and always home made/home cooking. Its not a quiet place so you may have to yell but the good is great and you wont regret it.

Breakfast was delicious and filling. I would come back again!

Friendly staff, good food and a great atmosphere.

Eggs Benedict, a good hash, and a big breakfast was enjoyed by our group. Our waitress was wonderful helping us pick out our breakfasts and very charming. Clear they have a steady stream of customers in an actual diner. Will return when we are in Campbell River again.

Best place to eat, great staff, home made pies!

Awesome Place!

Today I realized what my usual is, the chicken burger. Slaps every.damn.time Thank you for cheffing something that I do not xo Leah is the best!

Good food and service

Everything about this place is absolutely amazing!!! From the servers to the cooks and everyone in between they are all fantastic people

A classic! I used to go to Ideal Cafe with my Dad when I was a young lady and was able to come back 17 years later with son and it hasnt changed a bit. Service was exceptional, food was perfect greasy spoon...i went with the world famous loggers special and it filled me to the brim! Plenty of parking out back, might be a little wait during the weekend, but its worth it! Has a 50s ice cream parlor vibe inside, so if you like nostalgia, this might be an Ideal stop....see what I did there?

French fries to die for! Monte Cristo outstanding and made with real turkey, not some deli excuse for turkey! Nice job! The only downside is that this meal is so good I dont try anything else on your menu :) Happy luncher!

Very good but also very expensive for what we had and the type of food served.

Disappointing food and service both times :( 2023 update: gave them another chance and was AGAIN disappointed by both the food and the service. Three fails! Most of my reviews are overwhelmingly positive and I really want to support local businesses, but this one is truly terrible.

Love new menu caters to all age groups, and all patrons have choices. Service with a smile even when busy server does not seem rushed.

So so good! I m a breakfast person. I would eat it three times a day. Their breakfast menu is amazing and The Barge was delicious. And they are all so nice!!! Everyone! It s so nice to see.

Im always raving to people about the huuuuge, to-die-for-tasty breakfast wrap. Not my usual pick when theres bennys but i wanted something new & it was soooooo good

Lovely down-to-earth place. Breakfast was great and I loved the old school vibes.

Beautiful place and delicious food. I had The Boat breakfast, liked it so much.

Always love visiting ideal when were traveling through Campbell River. Awesome food and friendly&helpful staff.

Genuine old school diner! Eggs Benny are fabulous!

First-time there. Great find Service and food excellent Will definitely tell friends to go there. Will definitely return.

Great 50s ambiance, a typical diner menu but with super tasty vegan options (which I needed). Great service. Highly recommended.

Fantastic eggs benny! And service! Love the classic diner style.

Best breakfast in town by far!!

Burgers and clubhouse and cherry pies are awesome. I stop here every time i go through Campbell River.

Decent food at a reasonable price

Funky café- and lots of yummy menu selections. The vegan hash bowl and oatmeal with blueberries were delicious. Our server was friendly and efficient. Food : 5/5

Dont miss the pistachio milkshakes.

Id definitely go back again - good food and service. Its clearly a very popular place to dine. You put your name in a queuing system book thats outside and wait to be called in when a table is available.

Had the beast Benny, it was great

Great old-school diner style restaurant with great food and super friendly, experienced staff, which makes it a very popular and very busy place. Lots of great vegan options now too. A little expensive, but so is The White Spot, and this place is 100x better.

Probably the best cafe in Campbell River. I was only visiting for a day and this was recommended by a friend. The service was friendly and welcoming and our drinks came fast and the eggs were poached perfectly. Just upset they dont serve pancakes after a certain time.

Hands down the breakfast in CR. Portions are huge and the service is great. This place is the retro diner vibe at its finest.

cute, unassuming old school diner that has been here since the 40 s. some of the best hollandaise i ve ever had. fresh eggs and veg, nice folks too

Awesome food and great service! Super busy so you know its a great place to eat.

Very friendly staff. I felt very welcome.

An original diner with amazing breakfasts.

Great traditional breakfast, really liked the cubed potatoes and pancakes. Some stranger even bought my breakfast.

Fantastic classic cafe atmosphere, with amazing food and quick service.

Amazing service and even better food, how can you go wrong! I had the barge and a strawberry milkshake on an empty stomach and it really hit the spot! Food

Great food and service

Best place to go get a great meal and the best service.

A genuine icon, a legend not to be missed!!! I love their salmon Benny. It s all so good. Hard working staff. I love sitting at the round bar. Feels like what 1950 must have been like. 12/10.

Amazing food, with old diner atmosphere!

Vegetarian options: The vegetarian options were amazing Food

We stopped in for the first time this week and we enjoyed our visit to the café. The retro vibe was fun, staff were super friendly and welcoming, and the food was delicious. Vegetarian options: They had vegan options. Parking: There s a parking lot on the side of the building that you can use

Wonderful little breakfast diner with friendly staff and an old time atmosphere. Food was delicious, I had the Ideal Skillet. Hash browns could have been a little crispier for my taste but really nice flavors overall! Would recommend.

Excellent food Well worth coming here. It can get busy at times so dont be surprised if you have to wait depending on what time you decide to make your visit The milkshakes look outstanding with the old school mixers sitting at the counter. ********Take a look at their menu****** If you have dietary restrictions or otherwise a picky eater I wouldnt recommend this place, or if you do come by, understand that they may not be able to accommodate you. Its a small kitchen so there will be cross contamination.

What a beautiful place this is to eat! It looks like youre going back in time. The food is also great! The poutine is highly recommended!

I travel for work, and have eaten at every cafe/diner /restaurant all over BC. This is hands down my favourite place to eat, and it has great coffee

Excellent food and service. We ordered smoked salmon Benny and beast benny, ideal scramble, strawberry milkshake, hot chocolate, and kids strawberry waffle. We had both shredded and cubed potatoes and both were very tasty. Everything was delicious and better than expected. Fast and friendly service. Old diner style atmosphere. Very happy with this restaurant. 5 stars hands down. :)

Kind people and fast service. Food was tasty and what you d expect/want from a diner like this. Would recommend if your driving through this town and need something comforting and cozy. Would come back!

Ideal cafe is always a great place to eat. I try to make it there every time Im in Campbell River.

Cute little place. We are from out of town and were told we had to eat here. Well, we agreed and made it our breakfast spot every day we were there. The breakfast was big and fresh the wait wasnt too long and the place was hopping busy. For good reason!

Best spot in town! The food is always amazing!

The staff here are AMAZING. Food came out fast and fresh. Such a great menu and the holandaise sauce is AMAZING!!

This was a cool breakfast spot. There were 19 of us, and we were accommodated with no waiting. The food was awesome, the service superb! Highly recommend this place! It was an Ideal Cafe!

Great little place, Im sure glad we stopped! Fantastic milkshakes! Great food, friendly staff! Dont be surprised if you have to wait for a seat, though! Food

Don t be fooled by its exterior! You d drive by this place without even noticing it, but inside it s full of cool diner vibes, very friendly staff and great food!! I d highly recommend it

This place was amazing. Reasonably priced, delicious food. Kind staff. Hidden gem. Milkshakes and the fish and chips are a must.

Old style diner! Loved the food, and although busy it was maybe a 5 minute wait Parking: Small area for parking. Food : 5/5 |

The place looks like in the movies and the staff is super friendly. We visited them because they had a tasty vegan options. It was so good, we went there a second time the next day. A bit pricy but adequate for the quality and service.

Takeout chowder and garlic toast was really good, the woman on the phone was super friendly. Can t wait to go in and try some other menu items.

Busy place in the am

Always a great place for breakfast.. but prices are way up. 48 for breaky for two.. an omelette with no toast and an order of french toast - 2 slices., Plus 2 coffees. Wheelchair accessibility: Ground level at all entrances. Tables have moveable chairs easy to pull up to one.

Good food, nostalgic atmosphere.

Always top tier experience

One of the best omelettes Ive ever had! This place is great, and the staff is very friendly. Check this place out for sure. Make sure you try their milkshakes, they are top class!

Good, classic diner food, big portions! Been a part of Campbell Rivers social fabric forever!

Still the best eatery in Town for a weekend breaky 30 years n counting....

Always a favorite stop when passing through Campbell River. From the warm greeting on our arrival, to the excellent food, and service throughout, the Ideal Cafe truly lives up to its name. Looking forward to coming back again soon. Food

I have been eating at Ideal cafe for years as a treat to myself when I get the chance, I love the homey vibes, the old diner taste and the total atmosphere of the place. I have never had bad food while being there, or bad service! If you ever go they have the best diner food and old classic milk shakes.

Best place to get breakfast in Campbell River. Classic cafe look, food is unbelievable, great place for a family breakfast get together. Feel like having a morning alcoholic drink? They also have an alcoholic beverage menu too. Also great lunch food. For breakfast: Ideal omelette and The Barge (or boat) are 10/10s For lunch: chicken burger or Beef dip are also 10/10s And customer service is awesome. Even while being busy, the food still doesn t take too long to be served. So I d have to shed some light on their chefs for high quality and high speed meals

This place is just amazing! Thanks for everything, you certainly love what you are doing, which can be seen in every detail. Cheers! Excellent food Excellent service Excellent athmosphere Excellent price Excellent Milk Shakes on top of it :P I love it and as soon as I left, I miss it already. Looking forward to our next stay XX

It has been years used to be the regular spot. Happy to be back, food excellent, the old nostalgic feelings walking in...

Lets put it this way....I cannot wait to go back! Vegetarian options: Lots of great vegan options!! Dietary restrictions: I think they sell gluten free stuff.

Not sure that ideal is the best name. The place certainly has that diner vibe going for it, and the food was really good, but also expect the servers to talk so loud and enthusiastically that you wish you brought ear plugs. It s a little hard to find the restaurant too, so make sure you follow driving directions carefully if it s your first time.

Home cooked fresh food and friendly, great service. Its as epic and wonderful as it ever was. Truly an Ideal roadside cafè

Old restaurant but good food and service

One of thr best meals on our trip. Large quantities. Delicious.

Good breakfast. Good service. Recommended.

Legit breakfast place

Yummy breakfast, large portion, but very old building and interior. Needs a renovation urgently. Staff was friendly and competent.

Food was good. Kind of expensive. The employees were really loud where we were sitting.

Best damn breakfast in town. Unique old school diner with a very comfortable vibe, and exceptional staff. Recommend getting the boat.

me and my partner came here today for breakfast and it was amazing! the service was warm and food was awesome!! thanks for everything :)

Super good food and our server was wonderful Smiling faces all over the place! Great experience Great atmosphere!

Great diner on the edge of Campbell River that serves up a great brunch. The menu is very varied, so there is a great selection depending on what you feel like eating. The milkshakes are amazing and a highlight! The staff are super friendly and so welcoming.

Incredible in Campbell River, this little place that offers a relaxed atmosphere, impeccable service and brunch plates that dont pretend... If you pass in the area....to discover

Always hopping! Fabulous food great service

What a great cafe. Great food. Good prices and staff was excellent. Daves clam chowder was the best I ever had. Cant wait to go back.

Great food!

Had a bacon cheeseburger, clam chowder and peanut butter milkshake. Burger didnt have much flavor. Bacon was good. Chowder was a 7 out of 10. The milkshake was pretty good. Prices were a little high. Service was great.

Best eggs Benedict in town. Service is excellent as well. Food

Best breakfasts in Campbell River.

Good food for sure, with swift cooking, but the general atmosphere felt somewhat off/condescending (a lack of mask/vaccine mandates, throwing shade at people who use phones). If that doesn t bother you, I imagine you ll love the place, but I doubt I ll come back.

Super good, my buddy took me for breakfast and it was amazing! The benny was delicious and super filling.

Great home cooked meal , busy spot

Parking: Wonderful food! Large portions. Food

good food and good service, old school diner. would 100% recommend.

On my bucket list to go and eat here with my cutie Angel and just order food more and more till I roll over and roll out. Love the patriotism and open minds, a real gem. So shweet I literally am throbbing right now you are my favorite spot in Cambell River.

Had a nice breakfast the other day loved the ambiance of the place and the food is excellent

One of the best customer service experiences in a long time! Waitress was totally on point and extremely personable! #tipthebill