Cannibal Cafe is my favourite go-to burger joint on Commercial Drive, hands down. I discovered this place almost two years ago by accident, and have been coming back ever since. I'm a huge fan of their Big Blue, and the real blue cheese they use in their burger to give it the 'stink' it so deserves, which makes it all the more tastier. While others say their burgers lack taste, I feel they are juicy and seasoned quite well. I've never had any problems with their burgers or other food items.
The decor is a nice mix of wood, stainless steel, and...checkered tile flooring! Kind of a blend of a modern restaurant with a retro feel. They even have all these old posters of local events from years and years ago, which can keep you occupied just from reading them. Their staff is very attentive, and I always get asked if I need a top up of my bevy, ensuring my glass is never empty. Seldom do I find a place in this price range that offers this kind of attention, but these guys do.
Great food, great people, great vibes, my fave burger joint on the drive
The best burger I've ever had!! This place blows in-n-out out of the water!! Im from california so i know my burgers.
Cannibal Cafe's the kind of place that lets you order onion rings at the last possible minute then does a zoolander impression when the night is out. They are heroes, and the food is straight delicious.
It was my first time here, came for my birthday burger, so I had the Bacon Bad. Great service and a tasty burger, I'll be back!
One of the most original Burger Joints in Vancouver! Great staff, awesome atmosphere. Their Onion Rings are like nothing I've tried before, so deliciously crisp and battered to golden perfection.
The best service in the whole Lower Mainland! Good is great, but service is really exceptional.
The food and the atmosphere are so great. I love the burgers and checking out all the old posters. I found this place when I did a Google search for best Vancouver burgers. They delivered!
The Cannibal Benny was the best Benny I think I have ever had. The fried battered Onion stayed crunchy even while covered in hollandaise and pulled pork. The potatoes were crispy and the salad perfectly dressed. Keep it up.
Cozy place with an upbeat atmosphere. Burger, beer & onion rings were a tasty experience!
Amazing burgers and a great atmosphere! The playlist was as awesome as the beer choices! Can't wait to go back 👌
Unbelievable hamburger every time im in vancouver this is a must stop
Great burgers, booze and service. I recommend everyone to go. =)
My Son did The Beast challenge and he lost....said if he had more time he could do it! Only the onions (which he hates) and 2 and 1/2 patties left.....so close! I picked away at the burger when he finished and the most amazing burger patty I've ever had! Yum!
i tried the cannibal fries .. so good fast service and great food and that cannibal sauce ... so good
The service was amazing and the atmosphere was so happy/ The food was very good at reasonable prices.
The Cannibal Café's probably my favourite restaurant—not just on The Drive, but anywhere.
The food's great, the atmosphere's wonderful (I especially love the old gig posters), and the workers are friendly and attentive!
The service was just ok but the food more then made up for it. Deep fried pickles are amazing & the veggie burger was really good!!
The food and service was fantastic! Coming from Seattle I don't typically expect burgers elsewhere to compare. I was mistaken! Dominique is amazing!
Perfectly cooked burgers, huge milkshakes, helpful attentive staff and a great value.
My hubby, and a couple coworkers came to conquer the beast challenge, along with a few others. My hubby and his coworker managed to eat the BEaSt!!!! Woohoo. I had the Farmhouse burger with the salad, the salad was sooooo freaking delicious. I know some of you are thinking...it's a salad...but this salad was OMG and my burger was very tasty and pretty large. Lots of good alcohol as well :)
Fabulous burger creations. Cannibal fries to die for!
This was our second time there. The service was amazing and the burgers were delicious.
Intense burgers, good onion rings, good service and vibe. Bit pricier at first look but they certainly give you a lot for the money. Would be nice to have some more appetizer options tho which weren't also the sides for the burgers..
First time the wife and I had been , seen on you got to eat here..And you got to eat here it's awesome
Delicious burgers and poutine. I was too busy chatting and totally forgot about taking pictures....overall, good food, good ambience and good service.
Always a favourite to visit. The burgers are great, but we actually love brunch the most. Their eggs benedict is generously portioned and well balanced with the salad on the side. The value for your money is insane. Makes getting a drink with your meal almost guilt-free.
The burgers were amazing...i thought mine was good till i tried my GF’s tuna burger. It was even better. The service is great Andre the music totally rocked.
Only room for improvement would be a bigger dessert menu but there are also lots of other dessert places on the drive.
We moved out of E. Van a few years ago and I miss Cannibal Cafe the most. One of the best burgers in the city. Staff is great and always welcoming.
pretty good burgers. been here twice. nothing i had is going to cure cancer but pretty solid lunch.
if i wanted a burger on the drive i'm coming here
No complaints about my turkey burger (The Farmhouse) - cranberry + turkey genius. M’s American Classic with yam fries in the background. P got the American Classic as well, with a side of poutine, and the poutine could’ve been a full entrée by itself. Maybe he got this because he’s from Montreal?
The food is incredible, the atmosphere is fun, and the staff went above and beyond, as we chatted the night away; They offered us a warmer place to sit as we'd decided we could deal with being near the door (which always opens due to the popularity;) and then offered us tea and hot water with lemon.. which kind of seemed a little opposite to the vibe that the servers give off, given the tattoos and then the rock and roll music playing. But it really speaks to their attitude and interest in seeing the guests enjoy themselves. That food though. I had a burger with blue cheese, it was perfect; my friend had the Vietnam burger and found it had fun and surprisingly complimentary flavours. kudos guys.
Update: December 2017
I came in for my free birthday burger. I love a free meal!
I had a last minute errand around the area. I was told there was another cannibal cafe location around this area. I had such a great experience last time down town that I had a craving to try it again, and thankfully it's consistent. The service is excellent here and very friendly. Their burgers are juicy and delicious. I had a fantastic fast meal. I'd love to come again and I recommend others to try it.
My favorite is the big blue cheese burger. It has the crispy onion ring in it. Management did a great job here. All the servers are so friendly and professional. I love this location
Pretty decent burgers - but the real winner here is the taco salad. Omg if you like taco salads do yourself a favour and go here. My husband enjoys the carnival burger (it's pretty enormous!) and I like the blue cheese burger. The sides are all good except the macaroni which is just terrible.
The Cannibal Cafe’s been on my list of places to visit on The Drive for a while… mainly for the thick milkshakes that I’ve heard about. The walls of Cannibal Cafe are wallpapered with old flyers and adverts and lends to the diner-style vibe of the place. I had mentioned milkshakes… I ordered the Strawberry Milkshake ($6.49) which arrived in the stainless steel cup. I wish it actually came in a large glass cup with the excess in the stainless steel cup (like they do at many other diners) because it would have made for a better picture. I did enjoy the thick shake however.
This is the place to come for a good burger. Not the cheapest place, but solid food. Always have great service here too. Love the stuffed jalapeños... So delicious! The monthly burgers are quite often tasty as well!
Best milkshake on this side of town, very chocolatey without even being a malt. Must be the quality of ice cream lol
Also had their Mac and cheese, their lunch specials are terrific.
Clean washrooms.
After our large-party slow-burger disaster last time at The Cannibal Café, management invited us back for a re-do. Only 8 persons from our original party could make it this time, but for the persons who showed up, The Cannibal Café let us have our food (but not alcoholic drinks) free. Honestly, I thought we'd just all get a free burger, so some of us went ahead and ordered an appy to share. But holy moly, they gave those to use for free as well.
Well, folks, here it is. The best beef burger I've had in the city! Well, best beef burger I've had, period.
Why? They use the highest quality ground beef with 3 different cuts of organic beef. Their toppings aren't taken lightly, as they're layered plentifully on the burger. The quality of their toppings is also incredible; from the bacon jam on my girlfriends "Bacon Bad" to the provolone and pepperoni on my Kowabunga...just writing this is making me hungry again.
Oh, almost forgot! Their onion rings! They're soft, battered like fish and chips and just the best things you'll have as an appy! They're the size of Safeway cake donuts, and the red pepper Mayo...my girlfriend scraped that out of the bowl it was so good.
Go to Cannibal! You won't be disappointed.
Update: Folks, even their brunch menu is on point. Do it!!!
This place definitely deserves to be on the best burger list in Vancouver. The burgers here are easily two times better than the next best burger in this city. Insane flavors from their paddies and I love the choice of temperature. Is that even legal!? Who cares!
Good burger joint. Best veggie burger in the city perhaps, definitely up there. They offer every type of burger you could imagine. The sides were just ok.
I got drunk and ate some food. I went in on a Friday after work for a beer (or two). My husband ended up stopping in so we ordered some food.
I got the blue cheese burger.
It was good. The patty was cooked the way I asked. The bun was fresh. The toppings were plentiful.
My only complaint is that the burger is thin and tall so it's a bit hard to eat without the butter and grease dripping down your elbows.
My husband got the junior classic. He said the flavour was good and the size was good too. He also got a strawberry milkshake. It was yummy, thick and made with good classic ingredients.
We both got a side of fries and they were OK. Most of the fries are in little bits so you need to use a fork to eat them with gravy (the gravy was average).
Overall we were happy with out meal and will definitely return.
What a great spot! We really enjoyed our brunch here. Something for everyone our group of 6 adults and 1 toddler all found something tasty to eat. The staff was very friendly and attentive. The service was fast and the food itself all was really delicious and came out hot. The menu had lots of variety and a wide array of burgers which is what they are known for. I would totally recommend this place and look forward to checking out their dinner menu. The rooms itself was comfy with booths, high tops and tables with a seating up at the bar. Overall a great spot!
Fun place Stopped in in a.... Fun place
Stopped in in a whim and had a burger and a couple of beer. Great service, excellent burger and a decent low rent decor. I have had a lot of burgers in many places across North America and this one held its own.
It was interesting to read some if the other reviews. Seriously though if you don't like loud music why would you go to a place with a punk rock motif?
It is a nice little place with very good burgers a decent selection of beer on tap and a background soundtrack of punk and heavy rock. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Great restaurant with the regular menu (awesome beer selection), but would not go back for dine out.. Had a really good, but pretty small portobello burger. Something's gotta be done about the appies cause they were either minuscule portions of salmon cakes or really salty poutine.
Went with a groupon and it was the beat burger ever! Atmosphere was awesome very cool and the staff very friendly. Love it here!
Good Burger!. Went for lunch during the week. Friendly server. Had the standard burger with the double 3oz patties and no extra toppings since I wanted to get the true taste. Burger was juicy and very flavourful. Fries not greasy. I will be coming back to this place.
Please Turn the Music Down!. Amazing burgers -- juicy and delicious. Milkshakes! Nice selection of beer and wines, and interesting tasty appies (although a bit overpriced). But the music is so incredibly obnoxiously loud, I doubt I will be back. It's a real shame cause I love the burgers -- but I couldn't even hear myself think, let alone talk to my partner. :-(
I really like this place, comfortable and friendly. Good music and a funky atmosphere. But the food is really the best part, the burgers are amazing! Good choices for anyone, fresh ingredients, and handmade quality. This might be the ultimate Commercial Drive vibe burger joint.
FINALLY!!. First time at Cannibal Cafe yesterday and I really enjoyed myself. Our server was super friendly and informative. The music was amazing and brought me back to my teens. The chocolate milkshake was creamy and delicious. The beer selection was nicely put together. The burgers were large and tasty. I had the Blue Cheese and my lady friend went for the Veggie Burger. It was her second favourite of all time only to the Truffle Pigs' beet burger in Field, BC.
Welcome to Commercial Drive guys. I'm very glad you exist.
Good place with good burgers. Service is also attentive and friendly. Like that they cook your burger to order. Both times i went there however, i asked for rare and it came back medium. It was still delicious anyway but hope next time theyre able to do it!
Looking forward to my next visit!. This was one of the best burgers I have ever had. Incredibly fresh, great flavour and they have a small but good craft beer selection. My wife had the kimchi burger and we were both surprised at how tasty it was. I had the blue cheese and man, they did not skimp on the cheese! Fabulous. We're going again very soon.
I went with my boyfriend for a relaxed dinner and found the burgers to be delicious with excellent toppings. The salads were great as well. The music in the background was a great addition to the evening. We will definitely go back for delicious burgers and hand cut fries. The fresh wine on tap and the South African cider with a hint of caramel was excellent.
Cannibal Cafe is located on Commercial Drive (between 2nd and 3rd) and is usually open until 10 pm. I personally love visiting new restaurants and coffee shops in and around Commercial Drive since it gives me a chance to get away from Downtown Vancouver’s pretentiousness, and to pay less for great quality food.
Vancouver's Best Burger
+4.5
When the burger was set down in front of me, it seemed to be sending me telepathic messages, pleading "Eat Me" and I was only too happy to oblige. First off let's get one thing straight here, this is a really good looking burg. It's the kind you almost feel bad destroying, but not really. As I got a hold of it and took my first bite I could have sworn I heard a water main burst in the back of the restaurant, until I saw the large puddle of burger juices overtaking my plate. It was right then that I realized how smart they were to keep both the salad and fries in containers which protect them from the rising tide. As for losing the burger beneath the waves, there was no chance I was putting it down before it was done, methodically devouring it bite by bite. The final moments were spent doing the last bite tango, where you try your best to maintain the form of the burg as it finally gives way, patty, bun and some remnant toppings all trying their best to slip from your grasp as you wrest
As the meat is ground in house, you have the option to have it done to your preference – I had mine done medium – In retrospect, I should have have it med well, as I didn’t really like the blood dripping in the bun. Overall, the burger was very good, perfectly cooked and well presented. Bottom line… sure, I’d go back here again !
Went to Cannibal Cafe on Saturday evening. We got a table right away and our server was really friendly. Cool atmosphere with Vancouver music event posters from the past posted on all the walls. Menu didn’t have a lot of options outside of burgers on a few appies and sides. My burger was delicious and everyone I was with enjoyed there’s too. A bit on the pricey side - $18 for my burger (no fries or anything with it), but other than that, a good spot that I’d go back to.
Bacon burger with bacon jam and garlic aioli was amazing! Chicken breast burger contained sweet and sour slaw which was too sour for me, I think I would prefer a classic creamy slaw to balance the heat next time. It’s great you can order the level of spice for the fried chicken. We also had fried pickle spears … take the server’s advice and cut before eating … the pickle stays super hot inside!
First time trying out this place and decided to try the smoke show burger, it was so good I was thinking of getting a second one. Will have to comeback to try the rest of the menu and some beer. Service was good and friendly.
Service great, omg we ordered the best hamburgers in the menu, some Chicken Wings, Cannibal Fries, Bacon Bad and The Smoked Show Burgers. We will be back for more so Delicious, I hardly recommend
Hamburger was good and the cannibal fries was Super good!!! Our waitress was really nice.
Also, they do check vaccine card and ID 👍
Food is delicious, everything was fresh and hot with tons of flavour. Loved the blue cheese burger, would highly recommend for burgers. I'll go back to try other items.
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