Acme Cafe - Vancouver, BC

Located in the shoddy part of Gastown is the Acme Cafe opened up in 2010 by husband and wife team Alan and Peggy Hoffman. It's a beautifully minimalistic space with a diner feel and a mix of old, new, eclectic and hipster decor but without any of the pretentious attitude. It doesn't claim to be sustainable, fair trade, organic or shade grown.

If you look in the kitchen, many of the ingredients come from a certain big box store but that's ok. It's just homemade, handmade, good food served in a relaxing atmosphere. Love the open concept kitchen as it makes for the best people watching and conversation point. After a 15 minute wait, the Piglets are seated comfortably at the bar in front of the kitchen... Let the feasting begin.

Mac and Cheese with bacon folded in and side salad - $12

A rich and creamy dish that was made more decadent by the addition of bacon... a perfect Sunday lunch item. The side salad was just that, a side salad which broke up the richness of the main dish really well. I thought the macaroni was a tad overcooked but Mr. Piglet deemed it to be perfect.

Chicken Club on multigrain with slaw and chips - $12

Chicken, bacon, aged cheddar, tomato, arugula, sun-dried tomato mayo and grainy mustard

The chicken is tender and the bread crispy but it's the sun-dried tomato mayo that is the revelation. That mayo just elevates this sandwich from good to GOOD. The broccoli slaw is also a surprising hit - crispy, nice balance between vinegary and creamy and is quite refreshing. The chips and pickle however are an afterthought, not really integral to the meal.

Double Rainbow - $5.00

This pie is all about the filling - the crust is thin and crispy, basically just there to hold the filling together and the filling should take center stage because it is DELICIOUS!  Cool vanilla custard good.  Peanut butter good.  Chocolate good.  Banana good.  Whipped topping good.  Every bite is different depending on what you've scooped up on your fork.  Thank you Acme for prying me away from the love of the crust and towards the love of the filling!


Overall, the Piglets haven't seen the last of this place. Those pies better be afraid cuz we're coming back for them! Save room for the old school milkshakes, their famous sandwich cookies, Pop Shoppe pops and most definitely the pies!


Pros:

• Friendly, laid-back service
• Open concept kitchen so you can see your food being prepared
• Relaxed atmosphere
• Good diner coffee (dripped apparently)
• Excellent food - Mr. Piglet still talks about his Mac and Cheese!
• Great prices in comparison to portion sizes

Cons:

• Expect to be waiting during the prime dining hours
• Pay street parking - impossible to find on the weekends!