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Bells & Whistles, Dine Out 2022

Looking for a venue for our catch up session, and seeing it was the first night of Dine Out Vancouver, we decided to make our destination Bells and Whistles, due to its proximity and our ability to make reservations.

They are a burgers and fries joint, done in the classic roadside Americana style; all made to order with locally sourced ingredients.

And what makes their restaurant especially memorable is their expansive beer menu. A listing that stretches around their 2 roomed dining hall. Not only is this practical, but decorative as well.

We would take advantage of this listing, ordering a couple of pints each; and taking the opportunity to sample some of their other beers as well, doled out in miniature steins.

Their dine out menu is a reasonable $27 and it gives you an option of appetizer, main and side, and dessert. With plenty of ways to upgrade at a nominal fee. The following is what we had and what we upgraded to.

Between the 4 choices for appetizers we went with the two most interesting sounding, passing on soup and/or salad.

The Crispy pork rinds are fried to order and come to the table still popping from the heat and grease. Light and airy, they are seasoned in either flaming hot or lemon pepper, as per your choosing. We went with the former in order to get as much flavour as possible, but sadly that would not be the case. Oily to the touch, it would have been better with a creamy dip like the side of guacamole or soup that the menu suggest you add on for $6.

The Pretzel buns were our favourite and definitely the option we would order again and recommend. The buns too came out fresh to order. Soft pillowy centres with a crispy shell, best dipped into the tangy honey mustard side with ranch dressing notes.

Your 5 main options includes a side. So it felt like you got 4 courses out of this menu. Choose between beef burgers, a chicken patty, and even an all day breakfast option. Or pay a little more for fish and chips and/or steak frites.

Once again we unanimously agreed to pick the two most interesting sounding options.

The Royale burger with cheese was a classic burger. It starts with not one but two great smashed beef patties; and to it adds lettuce, American cheese, their secret sauce, and Hobbs sweet pickles. It was a great tasting burger with an incredibly short shelf life. With all the sauce, the juicy patties, and melty cheese it gets messy upon the first bite. And it is the kind of burger you can’t put down, or are left finishing off with knife and fork. Luckily they serve it all on a cute miniature trays to catch all the fallen debris.

The Cripsy chicken burger is less saucy, but just as messy, given how much chicken is sandwiched between buns. ‘Frank’s Red Hot’ breaded buttermilk chicken, lettuce, pickles, and black pepper mayo. The breading is dense and crispy, plenty to crunch through before hitting quality white meat. The mayo added moisture and the pickles tang; and the sandwich had a nice Cajun warming spice to end on.

For one of our sides we went with the fries at no extra cost, served with a garlic rosemary aioli. This is how I like my fries (unless it is McDonald’s) thicker cut, with soften centres.

For the other side we upgraded to curly fries, at $4 more. And despite it being from frozen, they were still worth it. The deep frying was even and they put their own spin on it by adding Cajun seasonings, and pairing it with a black pepper mayo.

For dessert it was soft serve with your choice in flavour between vanilla, Nutella, or a twist of both. We got the latter and it came to our table pretty melty, but still better than the ones at any fast food chain.

For $2 more you can upgrade your sundae. Same soft serve options, but to it they add toppings like banana chips, fresh berries, marshmallows, and even pretzels.

We opted in for the 14 carrot Chai-mond. Vanilla soft serve topped with carrot cake bits, chai caramel, and toasted coconut. The moist cake bits and chewy coconut added texture and the gold flakes took it to the next level. A well crafted sundae worth the extra $2.

In conclusion this is a great Dine Out deal and one I definitely recommend.

Bells & Whistles
3296 Fraser St, Vancouver, BC V5V 4B9
(604) 620-7990
bellsandwhistlesyvr.ca

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