A&W Canada in Courtenay

2840 Cliffe Ave, Courtenay, BC V9N 2L7, Canada

★★★★☆
(781 reviews)
Categories: Hamburger restaurant American restaurant Breakfast restaurant Canadian restaurant Chicken restaurant Fast food restaurant

About

Canada's original burger restaurant. Known for great-tasting burgers, handmade onion rings, and frosted mugs of famous A&W Root Beer. Now Proudly serving Organic Pret Coffee, offering hot, iced and frozen beverages at A&W Brew Bar.

Website
web.aw.ca
Address
2840 Cliffe Ave, Courtenay, BC V9N 2L7, Canada
Plus Code
M2F9+9R Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada
Time Zone
America/Vancouver

Business Hours

Sunday
Open 24 hours
Monday
Open 24 hours
Tuesday
Open 24 hours
Wednesday
Open 24 hours
Thursday
Open 24 hours
Friday
Open 24 hours
Saturday
Open 24 hours

Services

Service options
Outdoor seating Kerbside pickup Delivery Drive-through Takeaway Dine-in
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park Wheelchair-accessible entrance Wheelchair-accessible seating Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Offerings
Beer Coffee Late-night food
Dining options
Breakfast Brunch Lunch Dinner Counter service Dessert Seating
Amenities
Toilets
Atmosphere
Casual
Crowd
Groups
Planning
Accepts reservations
Payments
Credit cards Debit cards NFC mobile payments Credit cards
Children
Good for kids High chairs Kids' menu
Parking
Free of charge street parking Free parking lot Parking

Photos

Reviews

3.8
★★★★☆
781 reviews

Most Mentioned

drive thru (37) fast food (24) breakfast (22) root beer (21) onion rings (17) lettuce (12) cold (10) teen (10) prices (9) poutine (5)
5 stars
304
4 stars
243
3 stars
113
2 stars
43
1 stars
78
★★★★★
December 5, 2024

Solid food with a friendly staff. Their seasoning salt goes great on everything! They also have a great poutine!

★★
November 24, 2024

They never seem to understand anything when you order at this restaurant. I ordered a mozza burger today, they question you weirdly about the order even though you clearly state the item as it is on the menu, and then she gave me a literal cheese burger. Please hire people who can understand and comprehend what people are ordering..there should be a mandatory English test.

★★★★★
November 17, 2024

I had lunch at A&W Canada and chose to dine in. The Chubby Chicken sandwich was delicious and definitely worth recommending! The portion size was good, and the food was fresh and flavorful. The atmosphere was clean and welcoming, making it a great spot for a quick meal. The price was reasonable as well, with my meal costing between $10–20 per person. I would definitely visit again for another satisfying meal.

★★★★
November 16, 2024

Very yummy food. Worked out great and the best thing about this is it's open 24×7.

November 7, 2024

I have never had to actually get out of the drive thru line to go inside and order because the server literally had no idea what i was talking about when ordering. Unbelievable. Never going again. Ever.

★★
July 25, 2024

Food was excellent bacon and egger. The coffee we threw out it was undrinkable! Smelled old and it was very weak. Just went through the drive through.

★★★★★
June 25, 2024

Nice place inside (one hobo out by the front door) Delicious burger (could use more lettuce lol) 24h drive thru!

★★★★★
January 21, 2019

I loved my hot burger in a lettuce wrap. I know it is early spring. I look forward to the tables outside getting a spring clean. Must be dust from the construction.

★★
Local Guide
December 21, 2024

I would have never eaten their if I seen what I seen all over the lot upon entering it was raining and I covered myself with a sweater ,but when I left I was horrified by the parking lot I phoned the staff weather or not they will follow through what I said who knows inside wasn t clean windows dirty and the items of garbage is what you wouldn t want you re kids to see ,the burger was good poutine was sad Luke warm and underportion ,order was made quickly that was the only good side hahahah

December 21, 2024

Ordered a coffee through drive through. The coffee had absolutely no coffee flavour. Seems like this location is cutting costs but making multiple pots with the same grinds. The other a&w in town had fantastic coffee. This location is went to today has coffee that is worse then tim Hortons wont go back to this location.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 1, 2024

Great place with tasty food and friendly service from the staff. Parking: Plenty of parking available Food : 5/5 |

★★★★★
November 24, 2024

Wonderful place Vegetarian options: There are a lot of veggie options, including promotional offers like piri potato and masala veggie burgers. Wheelchair accessibility: Limited accessibility

★★★★★
Local Guide
November 22, 2024

I had good experience good people and place

Local Guide
November 22, 2024

Gross sticky floor, cleanliness obviously isnt a priority. Didnt order.

★★★★★
November 22, 2024

Store very clean and well communicated staff.

★★★★★
November 22, 2024

Awesome stuff

★★★★★
November 22, 2024

Dine in experience was so great .. restaurant was so neat and clean .. staff service is quick n food tasted soo good .. Overall amazing experience ..

★★★★★
November 22, 2024

Good service

★★★★★
November 22, 2024

Great service, cooperative staff

★★★★★
November 22, 2024

Fast drive thru service

★★★★★
November 22, 2024

Go thru place

★★
October 22, 2024

How can a restaurant be out of fries? Ordered a chicken strips my bad assumed it came with Fries it did not. Asked about fries told I didn t ask but wouldn t have mattered as zero fries.

★★★★★
Local Guide
October 22, 2024

Love me some onion rings. And icy root beer

★★★★
Local Guide
September 22, 2024

Employees were professional and friendly. Food arrived as ordered and was hot. Frosty Mug root beer was delicious.

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 22, 2024

Always good

★★
July 22, 2024

Service is insanely slow because apparently now drive thru customers get priority over those of us not idling and polluting our air. Brutal.

July 22, 2024

The slowest service and longest waits I don t know what has happened to this a&w in the last few months but has seriously deteriorated and needs to be addressed as it would be quicker to drive across town then order here

★★★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

The foods always hot prepare nicely and friendly fast service

Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Its a real shame they canged their chicken buddy burger recipe... and switched to american cheese instead of real cheddar. Will not be returning.

Local Guide
June 22, 2024

Worker coughed into her HANDS the entire 20 minute wait and not once did she wash them. Then she went into the back and got a burger wrapper ready for a drive thru order, pushing her coughed-on fingers and hand into the paper to open the envelope. Gag. Never going back.

★★★★★
May 22, 2024

Came in today for a quick lunch. Im so impressed. The staff is great. Friendly, fast, and courteous. The restaurant is clean and inviting. Definitely recommend

★★★★★
Local Guide
May 22, 2024

Teen combo with onion rings..yummy

★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

The all day breakfast menu, i think the egg sandwich had its time. It was one of those grab a coffee & a bite, and hit the road.

★★★★★
April 22, 2024

As A&W as youd expect

★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

Stopped for coffee

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

Not busy and nice place with a great stuff

March 22, 2024

Watch out for the little staff with glasses. Purposely reprinted my receipt with deleted items on it and tried to tell me to my face that i didnt pay for certain items I didnt get. While holding the receipt that says I paid for said items. New staff clearly werent brought up with work ethic in mind.

March 22, 2024

Simple order, 4 burgers, 2 rings and one fry. $40 and they messed it up, waited 20 mins in drive thru. Got home saw they messed up drove back and asked for a refund because the food is ice cold and I dont feel like wasting more of my time. The manager refused to give me a refund and even refused to remake the order. Then after it got heated he refused to give me the rings I paid for, which is called STEALING!! Still refusing to give me what I paid for, I told him I would go get them myself, eventually he gave me the rings after laughing at me and telling me to go to. Easy to say I will never eat at an A and W ever and I will be contacting their head office. Paid $40 for cold food that I threw in the garbage.

★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

Love their onion rings. A guilty pleasure.

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

Great place to get a burger and time because they are the only place that is open 24 hours a day!!! Plus its always hot and fresh. My # 1 choice

★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Great as expected

★★★★★
February 22, 2024

Best service

★★★★★
February 22, 2024

Best

★★★★★
February 22, 2024

Best

★★★★
January 22, 2024

Best burgers

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

This A&W has the standard A&W menu, which is pretty good. The quality of the food late at night was also fine. Cleanliness of the place was very acceptable for how snowy it was that day, there was enough staff to keep up with all the orders (and then some, on this particular night). Compared to the McDonalds a couple minutes away, this is a way better option. The menu is great, and also allows for vegetarians to eat here, compared to the McDonalds I also gave a review), it is way better. Staff motivation was on par with other fast food restaurants, not great but still acceptable. Parking was a breeze, loads of parking and the one-way traffic makes it easy to make the decision where and how to park. The one-way traffic does make you go around the restaurant to get out, but thats fine. Outdoor seats (picnic style tables) is available, but with about a foot of snow covering it, I sadly did not test comfort and such. Vegetarian options: All burgers can be replaced with a vegetarian option and the default veggie burger is nice. Parking: Loads of parking, more than the restaurant would need to fill the seating and then some.

December 22, 2023

We ordered a mozza burger/onion rings combo and a buddy burger/onion rings combo through a bored sounding staff member at the drive-thru close to closing time on Christmas Eve. Got back to our motel only to find the mozza burger was dry with overcooked, crumbled bits of bacon and a tough piece of tomato. The buddy burger was barely passable. The onion rings were flavourless and dry. I realize it was close to closing but these were not A&W meals I would have paid for had I known they would be this bad. Please do better.

December 22, 2023

Fail. Orderd lunch for the crew. After 2 trips back just to get the correct order, a simple order. The zero effort is amazing, why are the drinks half full? Out of half of the ingredients OK?...so half price then?

December 22, 2023

I ordered a cold brew with sweet cream, and I was charged for a cold brew with SWEET CREAM and then the lady gave me a plain cold brew and I asked if there was sweet cream in it and she said no and gave me attitude and started arguing saying I didn t order sweet cream even though I said it about 5 times. that lady has very poor customer service skills

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Its a&w if you like it . You like it .

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Good and fast service

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Our food was only luke warm today.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

One of the better fast food places.

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

It s so sad because sometimes the food is amazing but the manager has to be working for that to happen. The workers do not know how to make coffee or anything on the brew bar menu. I ordered a cold brew with sweet cream and was given a milk shake that was disgusting. I told him this isn t what I ordered and he told me that an iced cold brew with sweet cream didn t exist. It s on the menu!! Everytime I order coffee I dump it out because they pour a ridiculous amount of cream in the coffee when I ask for half a cream! Someone needs to further train the staff at this a&w because it s completely gone down hill and it used to be the best a&w

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Clean, friendly and old fashioned great food.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Food was amazing. I recommend all to visit there

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Great experience. Loved the food, it was so fresh.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Great experience

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Staff could be a little more happy. To many young employees would rather be on thier phones, texting, facebooking . Pretty much anything but work.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

The supervisor Nik and the staff make their customers feel welcome and respectful of everyone. Keep it up

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Great service

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

I dont rate fast food

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

I usually get a teen combo from time to time.the lettuce and tomato were fresh and crisp.the bun was light and not crushed. The fries were crispy and a good ,quick meal to eat by the ocean.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

The food was amazing as always, on this particular day they were short staffed. I waited a reasonable amount of time for someone to show up and take my order. The overall experience was quite lovely, unfortunately the staff shortage leaves them ignoring the fine in customers to service the drive thru and skip the dishes pick up orders. The staff was polite and professional. Parking: Plenty of disabled parking.

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Its meh

December 22, 2023

30 minutes in drive thru for 2 drinks, only to be told the machine reliant working. Bad service!!!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Its a&w

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

The staff are really pleasant and helpful. Food was good and fresh...Great fries Food

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Place was virtually empty except for 3 other people waiting to order while listening to a very loud, negative, and opinionated employee giving her unwanted opinion of Courtenays street people. NOT COOL! Very unprofessional!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

There wasnt enough staff working for how busy it was.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

We dont have many A&W restaurants in the States anymore. I really enjoyed the root beer in a frosty mug

December 22, 2023

Take-out, picked up inside restaurant Omg, the Cliffe Avenue location needs to know that the burgers we got there yesterday around 5 pm were reprehensible! We have patronized the place for years, without an issue. Not recently, though. But this was the worst we ve had in our life, and we are old. The cheese on the burger was literally unrecognizable. It was a grey, pasty thin slab of ? The flip side was an oily orange. Both our burgers were dry and sawdust-like in consistency. The lettuce was likely a week old. Plus, I the orders were mixed up. Not a problem, but the food was HORRIBLE! And to add insult to injury, they have jumped on the gougeflation bandwagon. I can t believe you haven t been shut down for inflicting this garbage on the public. Won t be back Except for receiving a refund.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Very good breakfast for the price. Staff were also very pleasant.

Local Guide
December 22, 2023

THEY MICROWAVED MY BURGER.

Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Slowest drive through Ive ever been to. I literally watch people drive away in anger every single time I come.

Local Guide
December 22, 2023

The food Could have been pulled out of the trash can would have tasted better then the food we were served. and we were wrongly deceived that they served milkshakes because it was nothing but blended ICE... Both male and female washrooms smelled badly of urine and the males there was a puddle of piss under and dried booger on the urinal. The supervisor working was quite ignorant and I dont believe we will ever return to this location.

December 22, 2023

This place is absolutely filthy, I would be afraid to see the kitchen. Bathroom flooded with piss, food all over the floors, service area grimy. Wont eat here again Atmosphere : 1/5

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

I used the drive through. Service was great. Food was great. Food : 5/5

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Same staff, good service, a rad smoothie machine. It s a franchise!!!!

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Average A&W, like the free wifi. Food is good but getting quite expensive.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Good food

Local Guide
December 22, 2023

The managers at this store treated me really badly when I went to have my order fixed .I felt humiliated after driving back nervously enough as it was to have my meal replaced at 30$$$ This used to be my favorite stop on my way to Campbell River on the old hiway but Ill be sure to skip out stopping here from now on.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Great

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Ive always loved A&W

★★★★
December 22, 2023

Food is great, restaurant is decent for an older place, staff is friendly

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Quite nice and cool place..

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Excellent service

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Poor eye contact when a person is waiting to be serve theres a propensity for avoidance. The breakfast wraps are horrible and its expensive for the small amount of poorly prepare food .however a few times There was a young man though ( not Caucasian- saying that so hopefully youll know who I mean -with glasses ) who was extremely polite communicative in the right amount who actually knew how to do his job . Wish I knew his name; we encountered him during a weekday afternoon and he manage to pull it all together .

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

No salt

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Great experience and staff is so cooperative

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Fast service. Friendly staff.

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

I love a&w but they always get eggshells in my breakfast sandwiches.

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Mmm free rootbeer

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Nothing like a cold root beer in a glass.

December 22, 2022

Worst Ive ever had. Three cars in the drive through, food took forever, burgers were cold, fries were old and had zero seasoning.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Honestly the staff that work there are kind. The burgers can be dry or quite saucy depending on what you order.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

best fries

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Love the beyond meat burger

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Very nice service. Best store ever in Canada. The management and staff is so cooperative and humble. Best hospitality. People should visit this store to relish delicious meals with wonderful hospitality

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Very good service

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Its the best fast food breakfast...eggs toast bacon and sausage links ...cant go wrong with that ...it dosnt try to pretend it just is what it is

★★★★
December 22, 2022

Borgir and yam fry were good.

Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Rude

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

I go to A&W ALOT, for some reason. The double buddy burgers with extra onions and cheese hit 100x better at this location than any other location.!! Way to Go!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

A bit understaffed, but otherwise, its A&w, what can I say?

Local Guide
December 22, 2022

The most disgusting breakfast sandwich Ive ever had and we had to wait about 10 min and my husbands teen burger was ice cold. Will not return.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Fabulous coffee!

Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Dont order anything deep fried...they dont clean or filter their fryer oil as often as you need. You often get food cooked in dirty deep fryer oil that stinks and your food taste like dirty deep fryer cause they are too lazy and too cheap to change the oil. Reauesting full refund! Blah!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Yay! The Whistle Dog is back with Sweet Potato Fries and a small root beer. Welcome back old friend...

★★★★
December 22, 2022

Always enjoy the teen burgers-very fresh every time

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Still A&W, still good. Nice spot for lunch after the air park Vegetarian options: Beyond meat burger good Parking: Funky entrance and exit but not usually too crazy unless its a lunch rush Kid-friendliness: Kids packs good

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Had a delicious a & w breakfast with bacon and sausage. The coffee was brewed perfectly

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Food is good, service is quick. Staff could be friendlier

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

One of my favourite burgers and egg muffin breakfast spot. Courtenay and Comox A&Ws are the best Ive been too. Keep it up!!

Local Guide
December 22, 2022

I had bad experience there I went drive through it was 10 minutes before closing I asked you still opened the lady said yes I get my combo meal but the burger was quite cold and fries was not fresh and cold too I understand I was close to closing time but it s not excuse to get cold meal because I paid the regular money for the meal I suggest to offer last order 30 minutes or 1 hour before closing I m not satisfied at all

December 22, 2022

went thru the drive through to get a beyond meat burger with no sauce... well the bun didnt have sauce on it but i found mayonnaise on my tomato. wasted my money as i couldnt eat it. really disappointing and uncomfortable. wont come here again.

Local Guide
December 22, 2022

IF YOU ARE CLOSED for RENOVATIONS or whatever . PLEASE let your Regular CUSTOMERS Know, by USING your BIG SIGN on CLIFFE street, maybe

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

The service at this location was one the best A&W experiences ever. Polite, courteous, and exceptional detail in our special order. - Hamburgers were hot and premises was very clean. Food : 5/5

★★
December 22, 2021

Not a fast food restaurants at all lol

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Their facility is clean

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

This is a really bad A&W. mobile orders don t start being made until you arrive (defeating the purpose of ordering ahead), lines are always super long and the food is slow. Staff are nice enough but a sit down restaurant is faster than this!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Nice clean place new seating awesome teen burger

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

There are like A&W everywhere. However the servers were very friendly!! I was even given a free coffee. That was nice of them.

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Prices seem to vary...somtimes a breakfast combo costs $14 or $12 seems like a guessing game

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Good breakfast sandwiches

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

A& W - if youve been to one, youve been to them all. Fast food. The best root beer.

★★★★
December 22, 2021

A standard A&W with good food. Do not order the onion rings; way too salty and expensive.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

What good?

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Great staff, food was noticeably fresh.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Always great burgers!

★★★
December 22, 2021

Great at getting orders wrong

★★★★
December 22, 2021

Clean facility good burgers can drive through or eat in

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Probably the worst A&W I have ever eaten at. Greasy onion rings.. oil needed changed last month.

Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Learn to get an order right, if i pay for a certain item and u give me something cheaper/different its not right, will go to ryan rd location only now

Local Guide
December 22, 2021

I went to this one at night and I got a burger but when I bit into it I got long black hair in my mouth , so I took it back , they made me another one , took a bite out of it and got 3 more long black hairs , I never went back since then .

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

They got our order wrong and charged us to correct it. Staff were also super rude. At least the food was good, but I wouldnt go to this location again.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Great food, super friendly staff!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

I love the uncle burgers best I think , onion rings and root bear ! , Then of course theres the all Canadian breakfast .... Great coffee and more ! Im getting hungry now

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Its A&W. If you have been to one you have been to them all? Its clean inside. Staff is usually friendly. This location is often busy with a drive through lineup. Sometimes its better to order via the app then do pick up inside to avoid the line up.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Excellent customer service and the food was really good worth going here

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Good food , excellent service