Haida Way Restaurant in Chemainus
9320 Trans-Canada Hwy, Chemainus, BC V0R 1K4, Canada
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A clean, retro diner with good service. I tried the chicken curry as it had such great reviews (half portion was big enough for me, a medium-sized woman). It was breaded chicken strips on rice with brown curry sauce poured over the top. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t particularly good either. Definitely disappointing given the raving reviews. My partner had spaghetti in meat & tomato sauce which was OK. Both came with garlic toast. Portions were a decent size and we did finish our food. The average age in there was around 65 or so. Perhaps it’s very safe and comforting food for people who aren’t very adventurous. It’s almost a gem but the food didn’t quite make it for me.
Will not be going back. My bun for my burger was burnt plus a black curly hair found on my plate right when the waitress put it on the table. “oh” was her response. My son’s order was incorrect. When I received my new burger it was made different than the first burger I had with missing ingredients and added ones. I tried to get her attention but 10mins past with not even a glance over to see if we were doing ok. Forgot to bring water and when she came at the end we mentioned all this to her as she rolled her eyes. Received the bill and no discount for all the mistakes including the hair on my plate and not even an apology! $85 for a breakfast, sandwich and two burgers! Will NOT go back!
The Haida Way has a truck stop kind of feel to it. Simple decor, great food, great service. The basics can be so refreshing in a world of neon signs and food delivery. It hasn't changed at all in the 35 years I've been going there, and that's a good thing.. In fact the same hostess that has served 5 generations of my family still works there. And if you should know anything about the Haida Way it's this: the curried chicken is famous from one tip of this island to the other. I regularly hear people talk about driving hours just to sit and have the curried chicken. In fact, in all those years, I've never eaten anything else from their menu.. it's that good.
Haida way has a rustic charm and friendly staff. Our server was timely and cheerful. We had the beef dip and stir-fry. Mine (the beef dip) had a fresh bun and just the right amount of beef. The fries were crisp with a perfect crunch on the outside. The dip was not as dark colored as I am used to seeing but had good flavor. The color threw me off thinking it was watered down but had great taste. The stir fry was so yummy my wife cleaned the whole plate with just the right mix of veggies. (some just fill the plate with bell peppers, this was not the case here). All in all I Would recomend the place. The table tops could use a refresh. Enjoyed the food and service!
Very clean little restaurant. Service was quick and the food was good. They are known for their curry if you like it.
My first experience was 5 star ratings! The servers are excellent did an excellent job. The food was also amazing, I never tried oyster burger ever anywhere else except in this place and for the first time. Surprisingly, it taste amazing! It went well with the soups too. Great lunch means happy tummy!
Got the steak medium and eggs over easy…. Unfortunately the steak was burnt and VERY grisly, didn’t finish it. Dinner on the other hand… OMG all three dishes were tasty and amazing! Can’t tell you about the Pacific seafood chowder as it unfortunately never arrived at the table! 😕
Servers were friendly, food was just okay, wait for breakfast was longer than most breakfast places. They have an 'all day breakfast', which is a bonus for people who like breakfast any time of day. I ordered the waffle combo; was excited to try since I haven't had waffles in a while. To my dismay, the waffle wasn't crisp on the outside and my bacon was quite greasy. I have had breakfast here before, without any complaints, today was just 'off', must be a new cook. They have a very small Seniors menu, which didn't have anything that caught my eye for breakfast. Not sure if I would recommend this place if you are looking for a quick breakfast.
Excellent food with great service Parking: Lots Food : 4/5 |
Best Western style curry chicken in the area!
Dont eat the clam chowder it is the worst we have ever eaten. A can of campbells is far superior
Kathy and the whole staff are fabulous!!!!
Well think the other peoples food was good,,,,, but I did not like my frech toast. They just said thats the way they make them. Was. More like bread lightly toasted.
Food is tasty, especially the curry chicken. You can get quarter order, senior order and full order. Staff are efficient. Bathroom while small single units, they are clean.
Friendly staff, service is good
Our family loves this place! The service is very friendly, and lots to choose from on the menu. Very kid friendly too.
Breakfast all day. You will not leave hungry as servings are generous. Dietary restrictions: GF options. Food : 5/5 |
Always tend.to stop here especially when I dont feel like cooking never fails me to get a fish and chip plate even though they have probably the best curry chicken lol my other family members who live in Victoria always ask me to pick up curry to bring down to them so that speaks volumes if you ask me.
I love this place, its simple and great every time, good with the kids
Great food
Parking: Chemainus. Bc Recommended dishes
Wonderful Staff. Great food
To dark and bathroom needs to be properly marked
A great family style restaurant
Ordered bacon cheeseburger. It was so dry, precooked patty that was barely warm with processed cheese, cold, dry bacon. No mayo but lots of lettuce. I literally choked 2 bites down and told the waitress I couldnt eat any more, she informed me that she would have to charge me. I asked to speak to the cook and she informed me his name was Ho and he was the owner. He refused to come out of the kitchen and I was charged full price. Terrible food and service. I will never go back and would not recommend.
Sadly - after eating at the HW restaurant and thoroughly enjoying it for many years-- the meal was not good. Restaurant had run out of French fries as well.....it was disappointing.
The food was good but the service was a little slow. It was not the servers fault.
An old school family restaurant like we cannot find elsewhere anymore. Prices are fair, portions are reasonable, food is good. You can get out of there well fed for less than 20$ all inclusive.
Food was absolutely delicious thank you
My nephew ordered a take out order of curry chicken. It took quite awhile for the gal answering the phone to understand what we wanted to order. We asked for one full order of curry chicken with additional curry sauce. To say what we got was awful is a mild understatement. It was dried out rice and very little of it, dried out chicken and very little sauce without the extra sauce that we were charged for. We used to get this dish regularly for many years as it was one of our favorite foods but as of late it is just plain bad. Staff is terrible, food is terrible and if I could give it zero stars I would.
This is funny. Its the second time we went there in 5 yearsish got the same server, and both times, I heard her checking on the other staff to see how they were doing. She is enthusiastic without being overbearing, which is nice. Overall, really sweet lady. Food, i got eggs and sausage, which the sausage here is really good. When it comes to how you like your eggs, i find you have to know your restaurant they all have their own interpretation so this isnt a bad thing. Here, when i ordered over medium, it was more over easy, so if you like your eggs cooked more, just keep that in mind.
Went for dinner here Wednesday evening Jan 25th. Myself and another person in our party ordered the Cheese, mushroom, bacon burgers with Onion rings instead of fries. When the orders came, they both had fries. Honest mistake which is fine. Rather than put our plates down and just bring out the rings, the waitress took them both back to the kitchen burgers and all. I had tried to ask her to just leave the plates off food and bring out the rings but she wouldnt because apparently they needed the fries back even when I then suggested that she bring out a seperate plate and we would transfer the fries onto it for her she wouldnt and both plates ended up back in the kitchen. Ridiculous to me that a patrons waiting longer for their food based on a staff members mistake is how they handled this, that a restaurant would want to take two handle foods of fries back in the first place and that the waitress didnt seem to clue into how inappropriate and non customer service oriented this was. When the plates were finally brought back out after taking the wrongly inputted fries off them mine went back fully. Will not return to a sketchy place that would make its patrons wait longer and eat cold food based on their mistake and hand full of fries. According to the others in my party the food wasnt great and most of it looked to have been prepacked frozen items one would buy at a grocery store and cook at home.
Its alright. Prices are good. Curried chicken is the best thing on the menu.
The curry, shrimp, and chicken rice are awesome! Portions are generous and delicious!! The waiters are enthusiastic, attentive, and thoughtful, making you very satisfied!
Been coming here for years , always delish ,and a very comfortable atmosphere
This is a little hidden gem. Passed this place May times and went in for lunch the other day and WOW. The menu is vast. The food was okay. The service was excellent. Great mom and pop restaurant. Will definitely be going back
The curry is amazing. And the staff is so friendly!
Yikes prices climbed. $27 for curry combo. From $17
Food is great! 1 of my favorite restaurants! Yummy!
If youre in Chemainus...youd better try this place.
Ample portions. Amazing service. Unassuming atmosphere.
The service was prompt and friendly. My cordon bleu burger was fantastic, and the price was satisfying. The atmosphere was very cute and that of an old school diner. Will definitely be returning to try more of their menu! Parking: Loved the open parking lot next to the highway
Love this place.
Great traditional breakfast and wonderful service. Husband said best French toast ever!
Not good experience
Weirdly enough I had food poisoning... could keep anything down for 2 days after I had food from there
Wonderful and welcoming staff, had a lot of fun eating here.
Such a great place. True Diner, all the favorites.
The service was great. We had breakfast. The sausages were horrible. The hashbrowns sad, even the tea was thin. I would go somewhere else for breakfast.
The restaurant had a retro feel to it. We waited quite a while to get our meal but the curried chicken was really really good. My mom and I shared an order and it filled both of us up
There are two types of customer: Those of us who love their curry chicken special and those who havent tried it yet.
Good curried chicken.
The restaurant was quiet and comfortable. The staff were nice. The food was terrible. Don t order the eggs benny. The shrimp and chicken curry comes with a thick greasy batter on the meats. You can ask not to have it battered I think. That dish, the rice, the meat and curry tasted cheap. Dinner for 4 came to about $85 which is the same as much cleaner restaurants with way better food.
Great little spot..good food and service..
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes is wheelchair accessible Food
Great menu selection. Clean, fast and tasty.
Great food, great prices, amazing portions and great service! More people should know this local small business exists!
Its a truck stop type place, my sandwich was good, my sisters curry was NOT, although it seems to be a best seller. Its not traditional curry made with coconut milk, thats for sure. Its clean enough, but needs updating. Our server was a great addition to the lunch!
Good chicken curry. Going back soon.
Horrible,food was cold and the waitress asked me if I wanted her to put my food in the microwave I mean really in the microwave Horrible restaurant Food
Very friendly staff I ordered curry chicken. That was not curry at all! It was dried pices of fried chicken on top of plain rice with a very thick brown gravy. No spices at all. Very disappointing.
Really good food, prices and service. The fried zucchini is fresh cut, battered there--a rare find. Good Chinese dishes, fish & chips too. Fast friendly service. Very good prices.
Fantastic truckstop food at an even better price
Saw the reviews and thought we had stepped back in time since the prices were really good. Unfortunately the food was horrible. The steak i ordered was way way overcooked and completely tasteless and so hard you could barely cut it with a steak knife. Definitely NOT a New York steak. I couldnt eat it. Youd have to have steel teeth and no sense of taste. On top of that the place is freezing. The people waiting for take out tend to bunch up all around your table. Felt sorry for the staff in that regard. My mother ordered a seniors meal and was charged the large meal price. So disappointed. Will NOT be back.
Love the curry and prawns/chicken. Never changes!
Best curry chicken.
Great food friendly service great pricez great for tha whole family
Came late in the day for your all day breakfast. Fast and pleasant service, good home-cooked meal. Good prices. Always pleased with my experience when I eat here.
Amazing food. Especially their curry.
Always have the curry . N breakfast
Dinner soup looked like it was mixed with gravy,hamburger patty was broken into small pieces, frozen veggies. Gravy was canned,short of staff. Today was not a good meal day, green tea tasted and smelled like fish.
I always saw this place as I was driving back home to Victoria but it was always closed (I was usually driving home quite late.) This time it was open so we stopped here after a long day of hikes and exploring. The food was made perfectly. Very homie, the atmosphere and food style reminded me of home! Definitely hope to return here again :)
Mmm good curried
Excellent service. Wonderful curried chicken. A blast from the past that did not disappoint.
Love the curried chicken.
Friendly staff and good food, right on the highway for easy access while travelling through. Rice wasnt thoroughly cooked with the curry chicken
A great traditional family diner with probably the best curry in the south island.
The bacon cheeseburger, I had to go back a second time
I had the clubhouse sandwich on Brown bread with a side of coleslaw and it was great!
Old lady with glasses was very rude and didn t care how she talked to me and didn t treat me with decency. Never coming back here again.
Love the food here. Staff is hit and miss. Busy little place at mealtimes.
Wonderful service and delicious food. Great little diner!!!
Good all round Canadian diner
Went for their great curried chicken, ended up have some good fish and chips.
Dont order beef dip. I just had it and bread was stale and beef was like rubber. Waste of money. Dont order the steak; it should be removed from the menu.
Service wasnt great. Not enough staff, food was not great either. Soggy waffles, weirdly moist eggs or overcooked.
We havent been to the Haida Way since the pandemic started. Used to come for breakfast regularly. I was somewhat dismayed by the reviews and worried that maybe it was not the same place with the same food we were used to. Went for breakfast this Saturday morning and am very pleased to say we had a wonderful experience. The restaurant is sparkling clean and the atmosphere is calm and peaceful. Waitress was friendly and competent. Food was as we remembered it, a little more expensive but that was to be expected. Scrambled eggs done perfectly, real hash browns, otherwise known as fried potatoes, 4 substantial slices of bacon for me, 4 really nice pork sausages that my husband enjoyed with gusto. Sourdough toast and coffee refills as needed. All-in-all a wonderful, relaxed Saturday morning, we will be back. Sorry, no pictures of the food this time, we ate it all. Next time Ill stop to take some pictures first.
Classic old roadside eatery good service and food
No, just no.
Great staff, yes there isnt much staff here, but the lady who served us is full of jokes and bright times, so nice she gave us a free curry sample. Food was delicious. I never regret coming here.
Nothing to do with First Nations culture. Similar to a Dennys in atmosphere. Good old fashioned service. Even the prices were old fashioned which was nice.
Delicious fish and chips Parking: Ez parking Wheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible and senior menu pricing
Just got charged $31.66 for a single order of curry chicken on fries pretty sure it s $18.95 on the menu ask for your receipt and watch your bill unfortunately I did not get one seems like some self tipping going on here will no be returning btw better curry at Crofton foods for $9.50
As a person who works locally, I and my fellow employees have frequented this establishment for lunches (take out) quite regularly. The front counter staff are always pleasant and do their best. However, they cannot get orders correct, many times food is overcooked and even though we always order in advance, they always make us wait for out order. Today was the final straw, waiting yet again. I personally will never spend another dime at this place. I only gave them one star because I could not post without doing so. UPDATE October 6, 2022 I thought Id give these folks another chance. Called order in told price for item $8.95 plus tax. Got there 20 minutes later price now $10.95 plus tax. Asked, Do you still want the order? well, drove over there, seemed futile not to, so paid. There was so much grease in the to go container that I couldnt bring myself to finish the deep fried Zucchini once I saw that. Sorry folks, that one star I said should be no star just got downgraded to negative rating.
Worth the drive to Chemainus. Great family diner, has booth and table settings, lots of parking, large regular menu and large kids and seniors menu. The way its set up truckers would also feel welcome Parking: Never counted the spots, about 10 - 20 for cars and a large area for trucks Kid-friendliness: The booths have kid friendly material and different sizes Wheelchair accessibility: Sidewalk ramp, wide doors etc.
And old style restaurant for regular sorts of people. The food is simple and honest. The service is excellent. I like that.
The curry chicken hasnt changed in forever
I didnt take a picture it looked so good I ate it. Lol . Had to go back good food
Was definitely a little hole in the wall-ish. But food was pretty good, unexpectedly. Service was friendly. Ambience could use some work but overall was a good experience.
Food and service both good. Reasonable priced.
Love their Curry chicken and always very friendly and food comes fast.
Awesome! Food!!Great customer service!!
Most of the food was ok but my steak was ordered medium and came rare i didnt eat it and got charged full price
Support local business
Good food and great service. Had curried chicken with coleslaw. Really good
Stopped in and had the trucker burger (fried egg, cheese, bacon, mushrooms and a fried weiner) w/fries. At such a low price ($11.95) I wasnt expecting much so what a surprise it was to get such an awesome burger. Screw fast food places. If you have the time to take a load off and have great, fresh made food at amazing prices, you wont be disappointed. Im definitely going back.
Always the best service and the Curried Chicken is To Die For!!
A great place for lunch. Their fresh soups are always delicious and their curry chicken is the best on the island. Service is always excellent...thanks Kathy
I dont want haida for oil not good for me reason for stomach
Affordable food, best menu that I have ever seen. Something forr all ages. I ordered the steak dinner. Portions are great amd it was the best steak that I have eaten in a long time. Staff very friendly, fast, and efficient. I will be returning soon. Can not wait to try the breakfast. Thankyou!!!!
Best place ever!!! I ve been going here for years. I ve moved away but whenever I come home to visit, this spot is a MUST!!! The curry is a staple & the staff are always so friendly!!
Great food every time
Service was awesome. Got take out, and the guy on the phone asked how long I needed, in case the drive was a bit longer. In house staff were also excellent, attentive, and helpful. Food was better than I could have ever expected. It tastes just like the best parts of my childhood, from restaurants long expired. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone within driving distance.
Food was yummy
Best curry chicken
Best service and staff, great food, Chinese food and Canadian food as well. Best restaurant on the island. Family run as well. Keep up the great work. Cindy, Wayne, Qui, Evans.
It was a very enjoyable meal with nephew.and Uncle. Was so nice see so many our families nd friends as well...of course no visits yet...regulations. Uncle Ben had a very special person...gifted him ...with kind gesture..
Great hot curry chicken.
Me and my sister stopped in June/21 after over 40 years and the curry was just as I remember. We had the chicken/prawn curry combo and this is the place to go if you want excellent curry. The homemade cherry pie topped with icecream was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal. Service was awesome. I wont be waiting another 40 years...
Awesome curry chicken and great breakfast. Fast and freindly service and the coffees good.
Im a regular. Great fresh ground coffee. Offering dinner specials again
Good food, known for their curry, best in town.
Great food
Best curry chicken ever!
Great service! Food was far above average, fair pricing!!
Finally stopped here after years of driving by. A great diner. Plenty of room. Very clean and tidy. Service is quite quick at busy times, given lowish staff numbers. Nice big affordable menu, thats very tasty. Certainly aim to stop again.
Great little spot with decent breakfast food. Typical diner menu but quick and friendly service.
Great food great service a must try if your up in Chemainus
Friends were raving about this place so I tried going here yesterday on my way up the island but a pateron was puking in the parking lot a few feet from the doors...I tried going again later in the day but the puke was still there in the parking lot. Very unsanitary. Bullet dodged I guess?
Stopped for a half order of curried chicken on coleslaw. Absolutely the best!
Very good
Been eating here for over 40 years. But never again as they discriminate on take out/pick ups, no curb pick up.
Had our favourite curried chicken dinner tonight! After 1.5 years, our second time in a restaurant. Dinner was amazing, staff were very efficient with checking everyones passport and govt ID. at the door. Felt very safe and enjoyed a night out! Thankyou for such a safe experience. Koudos for being diligent with the protocols! We really appreciate it! By the way, place was getting very busy when we left.
Ok could be better
Good food, but the on-line menu prices are a lie!
Love the food and staff are super nice
Great place to get a T-Bone and curried Prawns on Rice. Good prices and nice people, great service and friendly.
Huge menu and decent food.
Good food and service. Reasonable price, too.
Best curry
Wonderful food wonderful atmosphere
Not a great experience food was average took s long time and poor service never again.
Good in a pinch.
okay food
This was the 3rd time my oma and I tried eating at this restaurant. We try once a year thinking the food will be different and try giving it another chance but it is absolutely TERRIBLE. We waited OVER 40 minutes for our food to come. My oma ordered porkchops and they were so dry and hard my poor oma couldnt chew them. Neither could I. Hard as rock. No gravy even for the dry pork. Veggies were from frozen and looked gross and cheap. The salad was watery and poor quality and had brown sour lettuce leaves. Dressing was tasteless. And then I ordered the deep fried zucchini which had a dark stale crumbly fried brown shell (it really didnt taste right and I have eaten many deep fried veggies from much better places) and the zucchini was soggy and slimy. The deep fried prawn was minimally acceptable but was not crazy about it what so ever and the cocktail sauce was thick could not dip it in. HOW is this place still in service... Ive read enough bad reviews on this place after tonight, I will NEVER go back here in my entire life. They dont even deserve 1 star. Thankful the waitress didnt make us pay for food we didnt eat. Chemainus deserves a much better family restaurant imo. Never in my life have I eaten worse restaurant food. Never.
Good breakfast
Curry chicken is the best
Breakfast order took too long to prepare, but the breakfast was well made, light & tasty. 3.5 stars out of 5.
First off, if you re ordering anything other than the breaded curry chicken, you re doing it wrong. Most of the tables have this exact meal on it, and for good reason. It s amazing, flavourful and spicy. 10/10 would recommend. We usually get it with rice and with fries and both are amazing.
First time in 20some odd years since I was there last. Still a greasy spoon diner but the food is really good and lots to choose from
This place was such a pleasant surprise. Definitely looks like a hole in the wall but thats a good thing! the staff was super friendly and they have such a comprehensive menu. We just had breakfast but our breakfast was really tasty and came up quick. The prices are beyond reasonable and they keep your coffee cup full.
Best place and love the food
Quaint place to eat
Yeah never again will I enter this building. What your told you get on the menu and what you get on your plate are two different things. And then a lame excuse of why its that way. Slow service its like every meal is cooked individually so if theres 6 of you your all getting a long wait. The only reason there getting 1 star is because it wont allow you to proceed without a star.
Good meal,good service.
Great restaurant! Always delicious food and great owners!
Excellent curry n steak
Greasy and good!!
reaaly good food decent prices
Great foods & people!
A typical roadside cafe inside, but the food is EXCEPTIONAL and homemade. Portions are a good size. The oyster burger is super fresh, the soups tasty, the curries amazing. Try their takeout too!
Food is good and so is the service.
Ok for a quick meal
Best curry prawns and chicken canadian style.
Good service. Good food .. great prices
Cripy chicken curry yum
