Real Food Cafe in Nanaimo

Cozy cafe with food to die for. Great selection of soups, salads and sandwiches all meticulously prepared and delicious!

NOT DINE IN FRIENDLY. Its so disappointing that the blonde woman, possibly the owner, is as disrespectful and rude as she is. It would be wonderful to see a different business in this spot, something that contributes positively to the old city quarter community. The energy of this restaurant is so dark with her bad attitude.

Best food bar none in Nanaimo! Tracey the owner is the best! Helpful. Friendly. Caring. Felt so at home. DID I SAY THE FOOD WAS AMAZING!? Right!?

Best food

Such a wonderful atmosphere, amazing selection of health food. Carrot cake was the best I ever had. Food

Best food in all of town, best carrot cake I have ever had.

Some of the best sandwiches we ve ever had. Also the creamy tomato soup was phenomenal! You can tell a lot of effort and thought goes into the food.

Sandwiches were good! Soup was okay. Service was weird though, the lady taking my order was not pleasant at all and that is really important to a good dining experience to me. Waited 20 minutes for my takeout so not super fast as the name implies.

Fabulous Mennonite soup and caramelized onion-cheese panini!

This is my favorite lunch destination. The salads are so creative with edible pansies and a light dressing. Every soup is delicious and topped with a cream decor. The sandwiches are fantastic and so tasty. What can I say about the cake; they are out of this world. Best real food in Nanaimo.

Dropped in last week for the first time so glad I did l had the BBQ chicken sandwich and soup both were fresh and delicious . If you have a passion for cake this is the place very nice selection , the service was okay and yes the lady/owner does have a bit of a attitude but you can tell she puts a lot of love into her food it s too bad about her attitude and the restrictions on the menu that s not good for anyone ! In defence of the owner the hospitality industry is very stressful specially if you have high standards and take a lot of pride in what you do , next time I m in the area I well drop in for some more of that real food for sure gotta get me some of that cake ! Updated: Been there a couple of times now what a attitude very aggressive I ve never seen anything quite like it l will try again but if I feel those bad vibes three strikes your out l don t understand why the owner can t see being so rude to some of her customers and staff is hurting her business (hospitality) ? Anyway it s her cafe if they ever change the name they could call it Real Rude Cafe come on try being a little nicer !

We unknowingly came in at closing but they were good about it. I had the best grilled cheese and mushroom soup of my life. Highly recommend

The owner is horribly rude to her staff, slamming things around. Ive never witnessed someone treat an employee with such blatant disrespect. It was absolutely disgusting the way the owner conducted herself! Food is good but atmosphere is so hostile!! Not a comfortable experience!!

Got the veggie sandwich but vegan and it was the best sandwich I ve had in a lone time! So delicious and fresh.

I had the soup flight, 3 soups served with garlic toast. Hubby had soup and sandwich. Everything was amazing, took a couple pieces of cake to go. Great food, nice atmosphere. Will definitely be back!

Stopped in for lunch on a whim. Had the Chicken noodle soup with the Hamazing panini. Delicious, great atmosphere, great service. Amazing little cafe. It just became one of my go tos in the area.

The lady, Tracy I believe was quite aggressive and rude to the other employee. Her overall energy and presence was very off-putting. Her customer service as well as leadership of the other employees was very unprofessional and negative. Food seems okay though she appeared to burn many items. Not sure Ill be back

The staff at this place is awful. I understand having a no substitutions rule, but you can communicate that without being completely rude. The food also isnt worth tolerating them for. I wont go back, and I wouldnt ever recommend it to others. I would give zero stars if I could.

I came in 3 times now first time the shop was empty I got the three soups and garlic toast nice size servings and the tomato soup was great I enjoyed it. second time I brought my wife we each got the 3 soups and garlic toast and ordered a panini style sandwich , one of the soups we each had wasn t even room temperature yet and our grilled sandwich was a soggy mess. I didnt tell her our soup was cold and the sandwich was a mess because I didn t want her to bite my head off. So we tried a third time now opps our fault.. again we got the 3 soups and garlic toast , she made the bowls so small now and it took 40 mins for them to make a BLT sandwich that I asked for an egg to be added what wasn t on it . I won t be returning there $60 for maybe two cups of soup and a bad sandwich that lacked any seasoning . It sucks because you pay and tip before you eat and then get bad food and service. there is a 50 cent fee for using debit. I learned how to make my own creamy dreamy tomato soup now so no need to go there .

The owner was rude on a level i have not experienced in a very, very long time. I was trying to ask her to accommodate a simple dietary request for my 85 yr old mother. Her response? We re not Subway.

All round Awesome!

Our family was visiting from Chilliwack, and arrived off the ferry at lunch time. I m so glad we came here! All of our sandwiches were delicious, as were the soups, and I am an excellent home cook. Definitely real food ! The bathrooms were clean, too.

The owner (blonde lady) was beyond rude and short and walked away as we were asking questions and didn t return. Another lady (short brown hair) came over and was absolutely phenomenal and definitely turned around the experience. If she hadn t come over and turned around our experience I would 100% have not eaten here. Great food, but I m not sure where the hostility from the owner came from or why it was called for.

The Tuscan Burger was great and the Black Chocolate cake was decadent. Great coffee too

My go to spot for lunch! Something for everyone :)

Absolutely the best BLT my mom and I have had in our lives. Also, the mushroom soup was very robust and dense in flavour. Such a happy little spot and bright cafe. Will return!

Good to support a locally owned business. Clean & fairly well organized. Fair warning: you must PREPAY food & tip when ordering. Biz model is a hybrid of self-serve/table service. Food a tad overpriced for what is offered. $20+ for lox salad. Mostly filled with greens and maybe 60 grams of salmon. Potato & leek soup tasted good but lacked body, as one would be expect from this type of soup.

Everything exemplary! Tuscan chicken soup, rich tomato bisque, bagel with lox, carrot cake, peanut butter chocolate cake. Wow. A must stop anytime we are near Nanaimo!

Hidden Gem! Quality ingredients, really lovely owner. Beautiful cakes!

Nice store, good selection of witchy stuff, lady who did my reading said itd be 20$ then charged me 60$ at the end hence only 3 stars

Come for cake!

Food is good but the owner is very rude and talks to the staff in a way that would make me wanna quite mid day on a lunch rush.

The best sandwich you re ever gunna have !! Hands down theeee best lunch spot in nanaimo. Homemade style food that hits the spot every time.

As it came to be our turn in line the blonde behind the counter snapped at the young female employee, snatched a metal flipper from her hand and aggressively tossed it into a container, clearly trying to show her annoyance with the poor girl. She then was so unbelievably rude to me when I asked if I could have the grilled cheese without onions or mustard. She practically barked NO at me. I was stunned and didnt understand. She ran her hand over the menu sort of gesturing that I should have read it.... Then the man cooking says I can do the sandwich without to which she replied with the same short unpleasant aggression NO! She then says to me in such a condescending way that we can order the kids grilled cheese. I am not your employee, I came in to support your business and this is how you greet me? I wasnt aware there was a childrens grilled cheese. I stepped into the shop and ordered. If it was my restaurant I would speak in a polite manner and kindly explain that we have another sandwich that would suit our onion allergies etc. We will never be back there again, clearly this woman needs to work on her front of house disposition. .

Ordered a full black forest cake for my girlfriends birthday. The cake was not cheap but worth every penny as it was one of the best chocolate cakes Ive ever had. Customer service was exceptional. Ill definitely be continuing to support this locally owned business.

Lovely people, lovely food

Driving through Nanimo on the way to stop and visit family from Vancouver. Would consider the ferry ride again just to eat here, it was delicious.

Saw a sign that said Real Food Cafe in comic sans font and had a good chuckle. Decided to go in for brunch and ended up having the best sandwich Ive tasted all year. I ordered the original chicken sandwich and paired it with the tomato soup - the tomato soup was rich, creamy goodness. Finished it off with a creme brulee cheesecake slice, and now I am seriously considering moving to the Island. Im gonna ride this food high for the rest of the year.

So fresh, and generous portions. Owner was a delight!

I visited from out of town and was delighted to try this place. The owner was so friendly and they legit had THE BEST SOUP I have ever tried in my life. Ive never written a google review before, but I felt compelled to do so.

I enjoy the coffee, food and atmosphere at this bright local gem in the Old City Quarter. Chicken sandwich and sweet potato soup were excellent. Vibrant colors on the walls and a nice chill vibe from the owner and staff. Have yet to try the cakes yet but they look incredible. ~Sandra

Excellent food, friendly service highly recommended

Stumbled upon this hidden gem. The owner was a delight and very friendly. And on top of that the food was to die for! I highly recommend the cakes! Super moist and flavourful, I always have to grab a piece if I m in the neighbourhood. The portions are huge and made from scratch.

I just had lunch there today with friends. Lovely, welcoming staff and a cheery atmosphere. I chose their bagel with locks and it was, I have to say; the most delicious one I have ever had anywhere. All the flavours sent my taste buds dancing.

Stopped by FINALLY! I was missing out on this lunch spot. Fresh made soups and sandwiches that are soo delicious and perfect to grab on the go. Next time I ll try a piece of the cake as it looked to die for. By far one of my favourite new spots as I am a die hard sandwich fan. Friendly service as well!

As always enjoyed everything we had, and great people that work together.

Great service and the most amazing breakfast sandwich on the island! Have it with the salad, dressing is amazing like the sandwich, music perfect, atmosphere wonderfully colorful

Great sandwiches . Restaurant always clean and well maintained Service friendly

Excellent soups, sandwiches and cakes. Nice, friendly service

Over priced for quality a d quantity of food.

Had lunch here and it was great!

Changed this review to a 5 star. Have fixed their open issues with Skip and have been reliable since. The sandwiches are so so delicious (BLT is a family favourite) as are their cakes (especially lime coconut and orange and lemon). Original review: Stated it was open - ordered from skip the dishes, order went through, payment went through and then it suddenly stated order rejected, then it stated it was closed. Payment was refunded. It was not listed as closed on their fb page and obviously wasnt listed as closed on Skip.

Best

This was amazing!! Had the soup sampler- spectacular! N And it s worth the trip to come for the Dulcé de Leche cheese cake

What a great surprise in Nanaimo! Delicious food, wholesome food. Highly recommend.

This restaurant is amazing! It has become our favourite place to eat in Nanaimo. Really fresh delicious sandwiches. They are put together as you wait and are the perfect balance of green vegs, roasted red pepper and in our case chicken. The dressings are house made and all this is in a triangular bun may be chiatta that is heated. I cant wait to try the other sandwiches. We had soup and sandwiches a couple of times and the soups are outstanding as well. The service is terrific, very friendly owner who is bright, happy and interested in providing excellent customer experience. The cafe is decorated in cheery very colourful way that is quirky and inviting. Definitely recommend this place. The price is VERY reasonable given the attention to detail and the quality of the food. Well done.

Our favourite lunch spot in Nanaimo. All the options are so fresh and delicious!

Wife had a Vegetarian sandwich which she loved we both had the sweet potato soup and I had a grilled cheese with my son. The grilled cheese was so good that I needed another or my life wouldnt be complete. Loved all the food we had ! Thanks!

Needed something easy for the road, BEST CHOICE!! SO GOOD! I got the chipotle & guacamole BLT sandwich with Greek salad! I ll definitely be coming back if I get the chance! Thank you guys!!

We were driving through and looked for a lunch spot - the restaurant name got us Real Food . We had an incredible lunch. The food was delicious. We had soups - three different kinds and all were excellent. The grilled cheese truly is THE BEST and the BLT with added egg and guacamole was a flavorful combination of ingredients. The mixed green salads were exceptional. The star was the lemon cake with an oh so perfect balance of sweetness, tartness and lightness - divine!! We wished we could have tasted every cake. You can even get frozen soups to go - which we did!!! Delightful find!

Prentious and rude

Was looking for healthy whole fast food option because Nanaimo lacks that and I was told about this awesome place down town Nanaimo! Stopped in here today and the lovely owner Tracy made me a breakfast sandwich! It was the best I have ever had!!!!!!! Mouthwatering to say the least!!!! Going to recommend this place to all my friends and family. Thanks again!!!! -Sarah

Food was disappointing

Great CAKE and delicious coffee. Many places have less than satisfying drip coffee but I drank my whole cup. Had to rein myself in from having more. The CAKE (!!!) is heaven. Id rather have one piece here than a whole grocery cake. She makes it worth every calorie and nickel. Wanted to lick the plate. <3

The food was awesome and the service as well

Great little diner, delicious food, desserts that you just gotta have. Tracy is having some challenges just now with Dallas temporarily out of action, so she is carrying the load by herself. Please stop in for a bite or two and support her and her little restaurant.

Great food. Amazing cakes

My honest opinion, the owner was polite and made some freaking killer soup. She can do whatever she wants with food like that and Ill keep coming back. Would recommend again!!

Pretty nice tuna sandwich, but thats all. Service is like they are doing you a favor that they serve you. Best cake in town? Very sad that Nanaimo has nothing better to offer.

Good sandwiches and the best soups in Nanaimo!

The BBQ chicken sandwich was delicious, the creamy tomato soup was tasty. Service was impeccable, looking forward to going back.

Coconut lime cake scrumptious!

The BLT C G is the best sandwich Ive ever eaten!

You cant even order a sandwich without an ingredient. I ate elsewhere. Rude woman that works the counter. There so many other cafes downtown with positive vibes.

Excellent food , service, kindness and personality. You are a blessing to the community!!! Yum!!

Too bad they arent open on the weekend, guess Ill never get to try there food

Their food is pretty good, but the lady at the counter inside treats me... strangely. Also half the time I order from skip the dishes they either take all day to confirm the order, or just mess up the order completly. Food is tasty

I eat here for lunch weekly and they always deliver! I ve tried almost every sandwich on the menu and hey are all tops.

Oh my gawwwwd. Hit the spot!

The couple who owns this place offers a good selection of soup which you can sample before deciding. Their sandwiches, especially their grilled cheese, and salads are amazing. They offer a good selection of cakes, too.

Did not get anything as the woman at the counter was rude when we asked about options for a dietary restriction. She made it seem like even us asking about it was a major inconvenience for her. Pretty much if you have any restrictions, including an intolerance or allergy, theres no point in even trying.

I know that they will absolutely not modify anything for anyone here - even if you have allergies. Thats fine and all and I understand that I can take it or leave it... However, the lady that works here is so incredibly rude which is why I never go here anymore.

Had a barbecue chicken sandwich, soup and creme Brule cheesecake. They were all exceptional. I will be returning again.

By far the best Grilled Cheese Ive ever had. Would recommend to anyone in the Nanaimo area to check them out!

Excellent food! Great location and super friendly service!

Real food was real, everything is delicious and fresh, Mediterranean eatery with deadly cakes!

Amazing food, however the reason I am docking off two stars is for the awful service. The two main workers are always rude but the food is so good I keep coming back. So if you want great food I would reccomend but be wary of prickly and abusive treatment.

Very negative experience as a delivery driver for this restaurant. Owner made a comment on my attire in which she has no business commenting on. Horribly judgemental

Dallas the guy @ Home Depo is gone.Maybe a hot dog stand would be a cheaper way to go ?? Hotdogbob here

This is the best soup and sandwich place in Nanaimo. Fresh ingredients and everything made from scratch! Customers are encouraged to bring their own container as part of a low-waste initiative.

Their avocado egg BLT is to die for, the soups are always amazing, the cake is also to die for. All around a really great place, the owners are so nice.

The food can be good but the owner is not friendly nor helpful. A friend who has many food issues wanted a salad with no dressing. They had it but refused to serve it without dressing as she (the owner) said it would not taste the way she wanted! Lost 3 customers and word of mouth.

Really recommended! Great value, portion, neat package and most important is great heat-holding.

Nice people. Orders can take quite long even though they advertise that its fast healthy food. They dont really offer much you couldnt easily make at home, but sometimes thats what you want. Worth a try.

Really hit the spot for lunch. We stopped here after taking the ferry in from Vancouver and were looking for something fresh and healthy. Our sandwich and salad were top notch and super delicious. Nothing pretentious here, only good fresh food.

Best cake on the island

Nanaimo s Biden gem! Best sandwiches I ve ever had. MUST TRY !

Good food, love the environment. After food I tested some cakes and they tasted well.

Tired of them not making the food the way I ask for it to be made I have an allergy and they just make it how ever they want and I mean if they wanna do that it s fine but tell me before I pay so I m not stuck with something I can t eat and already paid for terrible service

Best soups in Nanaimo!! And the desserts, oh boy!

Delicious soups. A must try

Holy cow..... some lady was so rude behind the counter that I left without ordering! Bad vibes!

The food and service are outstanding!

Its right at the top of the menu. You can not ask them to alter or substitute anything on the menu because they feel they have worked so hard to create the food the way they want it to be. Sorry, but people have likes, dislikes, allergies, food intolerance and special dietary needs. its not the customers responsibility to accommodate you.

Homemade food...big portions....soup/sandwich...$15...but wait till you taste it...Who gives out shooter size SAMPLES of there soups on our visit..was 4 kinds...and lots of other variety shops nearby...

Always delicious, super flavours, warm service!

Best soup Ive ever had! Staff super nice and amazing food!

I would definitely recommend this restaurant!! The food is great (especially the tomato soup), the owners are friendly and the sevice is fast!

The sandwiches are okay, but the cake is life-changing. Do yourself a favour and get the Nanaimo bar cake.

Experienced extremely rude service! The guy yelled at me for asking if it was possible to take something off a sandwich, told me this isnt subway and its not his job to make the sandwich the way I like. Wich is fine but he shouted at me and was very rude. And Im pretty sure that he was the owner. Most certainly will not return and would not reccomend! Lots of other great places in Nanaimo to go and receive service with a smile.

So fresh and delicious

Was just in today... if you want great food that is healthy and home cooked. This is the place to go.

Excellent quality soups and sandwich. Beware the cakes... so deadly and delightfully decadent. Dallas and Tracy have been here since the early 2000s and never dissapoint. Go try the daily soups in shot glasses

Normally, I very much enjoy the cakes there. However, my spouse and I had a very negative experience. My spouse asked for mustard on his sandwich and the woman scoffed and said No, we dont modify ... we know about real food. We would understand the business model of not making substitutions; however, being rude because of a simple question is quite unnecessary. And my spouse noticed as she spoke, they were microwaving the chicken breast for the sandwich and he advised to them, if you know about real food, why microwave your food and zap all of the nutrients out of it . Anyways, we will not be going back and will tell others about this experience.

BBQ chicken sandwich is amazing and the Nanaimo Cake is very tasty!

Nice smells. So unfortunate that I never got to eat there. I asked about the salads, was informed that the salad dressing contained maple syrup. I asked if they could make it without sugar infused dressing (like simple oil and vinegar, yogurt and herbs etc) and was abruptly told we don t serve undressed salads and all our dressing is made in advance . Talk about inflexible.

Foods are great...

Every time we come through Nanaimo we stop here for the amazing soup and delicious sandwiches. These folks are so good at what they do!

My favourite lunch place to take visitors to Nanaimo. Its also my favourite place to go with locals. Lets face it, I go there by myself too! They make the very best soups and cakes.

This lunch place is a gem somewhat hidden away in the old town in Nanaimo. Once you find it you will be glad you did. Everything is absolutely fresh and delicious. Will go back in a flash.

The nanaimo bar cake is amazing. A must try

My sister and I are CRAZY for this place! The food is always beautifully displayed, and tastes fresh, vibrant and delicious every time!

what a great place! Located in old town, lots of charm and as stated , real food! had lunch twice now with my husband and both times the meals were excellent. Highly suggest trying this little gem out!

Love having lunch at Real Food!! Best home-style meets gourmet food in Nanaimo!! Thanks for always using fresh ingredients and for the passion you put into every serving!! Fantastic!!

Delicious and nutritious food for a great price. The soups, sandwiches and salads are diverse with flavour, fresh ingredients and why not have dessert at lunch!

The food is fab, the decor is cheery, the service is great...Soups are all homemade (3 choices), sandwiches are yummy, and all the cakes are just amazing! Love the location in the Old City Quarter...Will return :)

Such an amazing place to eat! Great lunch and amazing cake:)

Best cakes ever. We don t carry desserts at the pub I work at nearby. I send folks there regularly. I sent my vacationing neice there, she runs her own pub and restaurant, she said the Nanaimo Bar Cake was the best dessert she had had in ages. I highly recommend this little jewel.

I think all of their food is great but I agree that their cakes are a cut above what I would normally expect for lunch.