Arbutus Cafe in Duncan

Amazing orange yolked eggs, gourmet/house made hollandaise sauce and the perfect hash browns with varying textures and bits all fried up with high quality ham and the perfect sausage and bacon, 10/10 top tier, best in town breakfast (up there with the brunch on 3rd) fast and regular coffee right away, best service, very happy right now praise the Lord

Delightful and conscientious owner, excellent food, consistently friendly and attentive service. Novel wall art!

Best place in Duncan to eat informally if you want fast, pleasant service, quality meals at reasonable prices.

Service is always amazing here! Great food! Amazing staff....superb service

Average, just OK. I wouldnt come here for another Eggs Benedict, but is satisfied my hunger. No complaints.

Perfect and authentic!!! The fries are amazing!

Very good service. Good portion sizes and frequent coffee refills

Dont expect them to follow special requests also the beef in the beef dip was dry and chewy. Such a huge waste of 20 bucks.

Love this place. Not at all fancy, but the food is delicious and the atmosphere is fun.

horrible cod. wouldnt serve it to my dog. everything else, service, ambiance, chef slaw was perfect. bad taste in my mouth forever Im afraid. server and cook were exceptional at what they do.

My wife received a plate salad with bruised lettuce chunks the size of her hand, flavorless bacon, and unsalted fries. My soggy reuben had possibly the funkiest roast beef Ive had in five years. It has been a half hour and I still taste it. In the past we had some totally reasonable food here. Given the quality control issue that seems to be a thing right now, I feel like $50 is a bit much for two people for lunch.

When I walked in they didnt have any sort of greeting just a sit where you want I asked for water which took almost 10 minutes to get. I ordered a drink I never got but looked at me like I did something wrong. And no sorry. The burger was ok but the fries were barely warm . The staff showed more interest with a cat on their deck than humans.

Lovely place and great service :)

Very fast service and the Reuben sandwich was absolutely perfect.

The food is always great and the staff treat everyone like family. Its a great place for a quality meal for reasonable cost.

Great greasy spoon style restaurant. The food is fast, the staff are friendly, and the paintings on the wall are off the wall.

some new painting. I even had desert. Food

Wonderful old time café

I ordered a Spanish omelette with coffee. The taste of the omelette was very good, and the portions were huge - I usually clean off my plate, but I couldnt with this meal. The server stopped by frequently with coffee. Prices were the going rate for a sit-down breakfast. I recommend and will return. Kid-friendliness: Family friendly old school diner.

Great food and service and there price not bad too I recommend you try this place worth a try

This is another one of those reastutaunts Ive always come to as a child but stopped as I got older. I went back to see if anything changed and it hadnt. I ordered the Vicky burger and orange pop. The food came pretty dang fast which is great. The fries seemed frozen and a little bit overdone, but the burger makes up for any issue I had with the fries. The bun was soft and a bit chewy just like how I like my buns and the sauce used was delicious My order was about 20 dollars in total and thats a pretty good price if you ask me. This is another resturaunt you should definitely try if youre visiting Duncan

They have the best fries but dont get the gravy its not the best .But their food and baking are great at this place except the gravy blah.

Its a Duncan landmark. Decent fare at reasonable prices. Can be slow at times, bear that in mind if you are in a hurry. One if the better values in the downtown.

Best lemon meringue pie ever. Im a baker and never had a better crust or filling. Fabulous!

Simply amazing eggs benedict, with the perfect zest in the Hollandaise. The fried potatoes were moist AND just the right amount of crispy.

Literally the best place in town. Great food, great service. Always feel welcomed and always leave satisfied.

Stopped here for lunch today with my family and it was amazing. Great food and people! So happy we randomly found this place on our way through. Loved it!

Great food, great service Parking: Parking is minimal

Have you tasted the coconut cream pie? It ll change your life expectancy. Marvellous!!!

Most likely racist. We were the only brown people in the restaurant and they didnt serve our food. It some how got missed. The server kept serving other people and didnt even question the fact that we didnt get our food. In the end I had to ask what was going on. Then she inquired and found out they just didnt make our food. Im not the type to label a place racist, but the vibe I got made me feel uncomfortable.

Great little diner in the heart of downtown Duncan. Awesome eggs Benny with homemade hollandaise. Cant go wrong here!

A Duncan classic, never gets old. Tasted as good today as it did when I was 5. Great service and friendly staff. Highly recommended.

Quaint old fashioned Dive. Rustic charm,large portions, low cost high in friendliness.Try the poutine after 11am only grill is for breakfast. Good feasting to you! Ken

This is Duncans gem in a mine full of rocks. I had a breakfast. 3 poached eggs, toast, English muffin and hash brown. It was honestly the greatest food Ive had in a very long time the food was delicious, not greasy, the eggs were perfect and the hash browns were so good. Its an intimate setting with amazing food and amazing staff. I cant believe it took me so long to eat there.

Awesome classic diner breakfast. Hollandaise was authentic. Local art for sale on the walls.

A hidden Gem! The BEST customer service I think I ve ever had. The portions are very generous and the selection of cold drinks wide. Stop in and enjoy! Food : 4/5 |

Cozy diner that serves sit-down meals with fresh ingredients. Tasty! Good service! Well-priced!

Great staff, great service and great food.

We come here quite often for breakfast and have been doing so for 15 years. It s always good, lovely staff, nice atmosphere, we love it.

Fabulous clean cafe with amazing food for a good price

Great food an service as always Parking: Lunch hour is more difficult to find parking Food : 5/5 |

Truly Hidden gem of the block.

Great little cafe with excellent food and staff. Always a pleasure to visit the Arbutus Cafe in Duncan. Still some of the best food in town .

Parking: Needs disability parking Food

Great food & service, reasonably priced. Interesting art work on the walls . Highly recommended...

How cute & delicious. Dined in and was cared for right away I had the blacken chicken burger and was sooo great!

Had the black stone Benny and it was fantastic. Eggs cooked perfect. Server was run off her feet busy, but still was very good. Excellent food and service on multiple occasions that we have had breakfast or lunch there. Highly recommended for the great food and friendly staff.

Enjoyed the food and service.

At age 74 I had almost given up on finding the perfect hamburger. Look no further than the Arbutus Cafe where my wife, adult daughter and I enjoyed a delicious lunch: friendly staff, excellent service, relaxed and congenial atmosphere, and excellent food and coffee. The cafe is in the heart of downtown Duncan so plenty of shopping nearby and less than five minutes off the Trans Canada Highway. Now back to the hamburger: I have eaten countless hamburgers since I was a young child and can confidently say that the Arbutus Cafe has this to an art and to a precise science - it gets no better than this. Well worth the short detour into town.We shall now make the Arbutus a regular stop during our trips Up Island. Highly recommended!

There friend ly people

Really great ole home cooking with awesome flavours. Reminds me of my Baba s 70s cafe in the Brant Hotel. I come here every time I m in town.

Absolutely awesome !! Highly recommended, staff are the best! Couldnt ask for better service

Best fries in town!

Friendly prompt service and great friendly staff Reasonable price for food

Long-time breakfast favourite!

The Arbutus has been open for years and years. The food it fantastic and has a homemade flare. I recommend it to everyone. Great food, great staff and great prices. Yummy all around. Check it out and you will be back again and again.

Friendly staff. Great menu selection. Funky atmosphere. Love this place.

Great food. Great staff

Omg...The Arb is a fixture in Duncan. The art in here is worth the visit alone! The staff are like family, the owner a gem. The food is cheerful and tasty. Been going here for years, as have a whole cast of regulars! Do NOT miss the cheesecake when it is on offer!!

Great place for lunch

Comfortable and busy here and we had a great breakfast. Very good coffee and a happy friendly staff!

I had the Vicky Burger with fries and a cold can of Kolsh beer, unbelievably great. Prices were low for these inflated times and the patio deck has new tables, chairs, & umbrellas.

Awful, the eggs were cooked on a dirty flat top (came out very grey). My girlfriend and I couldnt eat more than a few bites. Our coffee cups came out dirty, with food around the rim of the cup itself. Still had to pay for both breakfasts and the coffee even though it wasnt edible. Food poisoning was shortly followed a few hours later. 10/10 would not recommend, simply embarrassing.

One of the best places to go in Duncan. Amazing staff awesome food and you always leave with a smile.

Best place to eat in Duncan, hands down! Home cooked meals, decent portions awesome friendly staff. Say hey to Dar when you visit the Arbutus Cafe and tell her Stacey sent you. Feb. 3, 2022, visited again for a meal. I still feel the Arbutus Cafe is the best eatery in Duncan. Hands down! July 13, 2022 Dam good meal!

Arrived in Duncan, this afternoon. Found this wonderful cafe on a walk downtown. By the time we left we felt like family. Thanks to Darlene/Dar s fabulous service! These folks have homemade gravy, real au jus for their beef dip. You can taste the love that goes into the food. Homemade bone broth for their gravy and soups. Delicious! Real Fries that are made from real potatoes not, battered McCains frozen manufactured product. And, the peach and rhubarb crisp with ice cream as beyond fabulous!! Love, Love, Love the food here. We are coming back for breakfast!

Every time I get a chance to go here for breakfast or lunch it is always wonderful. The staff are friendly and efficient, the food is perfectly cooked.

Cute little patio friendly service reasonable prices and good food.

The food was delicious but the waitresses were not very friendly maybe it was a busy day but we did not get a friendly greeting and no smiles.

I love the atmosphere, friendly staff, and traditional food of this cafe. Always first in my mind for a breakfast out.

First time Ive been disappointed in the food. Always delicious every other time. These hasbrowns were terrible amd Im shocked they would even serve them . Most were hard like rock and the rest were soggy and flavorless. Seemed they were a week old. A little pride in what you serve would go a long way . I noticed on our way out , a table with 3 plates had left all of thier hashbrowns as well.

The burger I had was disappointing, but the kind staff made up for it!

Was a very friendly place the food was excellent and the banana pie was the biggest I ever seen . Good prices and good portion.

Fast, friendly affordable and delicious!

I love their 2 for the road breakfast plate.... Its so filling

My bill was high because we paid for other guests. The staff are the greatest and what a meal. Thanks

The dish is well served and the service is very good.

Pancakes were huge!

Great food great service!

Great place, very pleasant staff, its very rare to see staff that enjoys their work

Excellent value for your money. Generous portions , friendly staff , Meals are consistently good. Breakfasts are awesome. The berry/fruit pies are out of this world delicious.

Awesome food and LOVE the old fashioned Cafe!

Excellent staff excellent food what more can you say about this place try it out . .And look for Jessica Rabbit

Always been a local favorite service has always been very good when eating there and the waitress always meets my needs if I ever need anything

Its a little cafe not bad food its got a descent breakfasts

Good food, good people, thank you

Very nice friendly cafe, sets the bar high for other cafe s in town

What an absolute gem of a cafe this is. I have been dinning at this place for thirty years and I am yet to leave disappointed. Check it out if you are looking for delicious, simple food, at great prices

Food was tasty but not very hot. Good service.

Horrible experience! Ordered 2 omlettes- One vegetarian One veggie omlette with bacon. What we got: 2 bacon omlettes Take note: a vegetarian omlette was ordered for a VEGETARIAN. Took a huge bite and spat out becuase there was bacon inside!! Yuk! Totally lost appetite after not eating meat in over 40 years-Got a sorry, and got the bill to find out we had to pay for half the vegetarian omlette that had bacon in it. Guess the potatoes were really expensive and had to be charged for that, after the waitress made the mistake. Outrageous. Never going back and 100% do NOT recommend!!

Wonderful place - local cafe/diner type restaurant . Good food, good portions, good prices and really lovely people. Our favorite breakfast place in Duncan.

Food and service good, no a/c

Classic Island diner. Always great pie.

Always good food

Nice comfy place food was delicious

Diner/cafe menu. Breakfast all day.

Just today I got the chance to try out Arbutus Cafe here in Duncan; an amazing local diner with great prices, top-quality food and an amazing set of friendly staff ready to serve you with a smile on their face! The owner, Darlene (or Dar) was the sweetest person there. During the crazy heat wave of 35°+ she was quick to make sure our water cups were never empty and always had a cool story to share. This is not paid advertising; I would genuinely recommend that anyone in the cowichan valley looking for a place to eat out, this is the place to go! Great service, amazing staff, and the best part is that you get to support amazing local businesses like Dars Arbutus Cafe! #RelaunchLocalBusiness

Great food and wonderful service

Good breakfast.

Always great food and service. A great downtown diner.

Wonderful- food excellent, staff wonderful!

Truly home

Fast service, good food, old school dinner a little greasy spoon style

Great place for breakfast. Great atmosphere and friendly staff.

Nice little cafe

Great food

Best homemade fries around

Wonderful little diner for breakfasting.

Great food, great atmosphere

This place amazing, perfect size breakfasts, cozy and comfortable with awesome service.

Delicious breakfast, fast friendly service, comfy cosy atmosphere, warm and kind clientele.

Good food

Friendly staff with good food.

Old style diner with booths and counter service..Very friendly staff that make the effort to learn what regular patrons like. Outside patio in the summer, central location just down the street from the Saturday market.

I had a Rueben sandwich. It was very good and the price was reasonable. It has a very welcoming feel.

Service is wonderful. The food is great, and they make you feel welcome.

Food was fantastic, Service was great. Perfect lunch spot!

Amazing customer service, the fields were friendly and accommodating. The portions were out of this world huge!

Love Arbutus Cafe

Very nice. I got full and sum very nice customer and services.

Great food, great staff, and a patio, what more can I say!

Excellent as always

Nice service , food delicious

Not fancy but hands down the best restaurant in town for wide menu, excellent food, great prices and fabulous, friendly service. All items homemade, what more could you want...nothing I say!

Always a great place. Great food. Great people. Will always go back

Friendliest service in town!

I like it because there is very little glass and chrome. The food is plain and good.

They have well priced food thats always good plus the staff is really the best

One of my favourite breakfast spots in Duncan. Love their hashbrowns.

Great old time restaurant with great staff and tasty food

Everyone followed strict safety measures, and still.... The food was amazing and the staff was very nice. Such a great little place

Great food and excellent service!

Food is always good, staff is always top notch. The art works are amazing!!

Always enjoyable!!

Food was great.

Good food, friendly service

Always a wonderful experience

Excellent food and service. Great small town feel and atmosphere.

Home cooked fresh food, very affordable and served quickly!

Typical west coast diner serving up delicious meals. We walked in with 14 people (they knew we were coming) and we were served all within an acceptable time frame. Great friendly service.

Good food but the place feels a bit close.

Good food.

Excellent service, kind servers. The food was delicious and quick to the table. Family friendly vibe. Enjoyed the conversation of an older regular. Made me feel right at home

Food just okay.. looks and feels like a breakfast/brunch place but they only serve it till 11am. They also rushed us out...

Fantastic

Great place reasonably priced fair and reasonably clean

Love this place

First time dinning, A friend and I stopped in on a whim, for a bite of lunch, A simple menu, Friendly service, agreeable pricing, with Great Taste....Definitely would recommend to others and eat there again.

Have loved this place for years. Shannon is an excellent server.

This has been a go to for us for 20+ years. The quality of food and service has been great all the way through. Love the quirky art!

would give them 0 stars if i could i got the pina coloda cheese cake which was more coconut than cream cheese. also the whole thing tasted as if they used old cream cheese. would never recomend this place for any kind of dessert was a WASTE of 6.50$ and who charges that much.

Service and food excellent.

A MUST STOP GREAT FOOD.GREAT SERVICE

Great food great price awesome service

Food ok but service is horrible. It s been about 10 months so review is late however they charged my 5 and 9 year old for full meal not kid meal when clearly they are kids and waitress argues after saying they were served adult portions so we must pay. We ordered 2 kid meals and 2 adult meals. Clearly we weren t ordering a 30lbs 5 year old and 50lbs 9 year old adult portions and portions weren t even huge. They were chicken strips and fries. We had to argue and they reduced one meal to kids but not the other. Shouldn t have had to argue at all. Horrible to treat customers this way.

Always good food. Staff are very friendly

The hime made fries here are awesome especially with there gravy and the staff is friendly

Awesome food and awesome service every time!

Food wasnt as good as last time.

Great sandwiches

Great little cafe with good food and service. Definitely worth stopping in if youre in the area.

Great service, great food, good prices!

Excellent food and service

Excellent..great food and lots of it for a reasonable price and great staff.

Good food

Lived in the area for 30 years and had never been to the cafe. It was a pleasant experience. Food was yummy

Funky restaurant great service best bacon and eggs in town

Good food

Great food, great desserts.

Quick and friendly for lunch!

Great

A great place for breakfast. The selection of eggs Benedict is great and the art on the walls makes me smile every time.

Great friendly service and great food and awesome desserts!!

Wonderful place take tha family great food friendly staff muzt try

Great atmosphere and service, food is typical diner fare.

Awesome

Great local flavor.