Scary? Not really. The area is well-lit, and the restaurant closes before dark. Also there's plenty of foot-traffic due to its proximity to the dockyards and the parks. Plenty of transit in the area, and it's a leisurely 15 minute walk from Skytrain. Assuredly you don't want to jump right into the car after eating - which leads to the best thing about the location: cheap rent = big portions.
It's not that I hate breakfast. I hate the monotony of the traditional Western breakfast. It's the same eggs, bacon and potatoes everytime, with some variation of sauce (of which there's only 3). On occasion, someone may throw a side of beans in there - but that's just wrong. Nothing strikes more terror in me than the thought of a breakfast buffet... ugh... how many overcooked breakfast weenies can you possibly choke down... which explains my excitement over Deacon's Corner.
I love pancakes. There. I said it. Plop a stack in front of me and kiss it good-bye. I like them thick and fluffy, so I can pour half a jug of maple syrup on it and it will drink it up like a sponge and ask for more. Keep in mind that I'm not a morning person and I don't do this breakfast thing. My pancake cravings usually hit sometime in the mid-afternoon, or at times - after midnight.
I've been going to White Spot religiously for them, but it's becoming annoyingly difficult to find a location that serves them outside the morning hours. Something about needing the space on the grill for burgers... it takes 1 minute to cook a pancake! A server once told me no one wants pancakes that are cooked in hamburger grease... I just stared at her, mouth agape, pointing at myself.
But I digress.
Deacon's pancakes aren't my style. They're huge, thin and flat. That being said - they are VERY good. They spent just enough time on the grill to cook through; not dense, but the outside was a little dry and needed a butter sch-mear. Once the syrup was poured, it was juuuuuuuuuust fine. For $9, they come with a choice of the holy tri-pork-fecta: ham, bacon or sausage. Of course I went with the sausage. "Ham" denotes way too many different things that I'm not a fan of, and I don't like bacon by itself - too boring.
I also ordered a side of biscuits 'n gravy as I'd heard exemplary notes about it, and good Lord were they ever dead on. Look at that thing. It's essentially sausage with some gravy! The biscuits were a disappointment - dense and tough like a hockey puck. The country gravy on the other hand was perfect. Chunky sausage dotting it, and a nice balance of salty creaminess - I licked the plate clean. I was eating with an elementary school friend who I hadn't seen in over 15 years so my eating habits gave him much amusement to say the least. I was a rather neat-eating fat-kid back then, versus the scrawny feed-baggin' guy I am now.
Deacon's chicken-fried steak was featured as one of Vancouver Magazine's 101 Things To Eat in 2009 so that was a given for me. I'd had chicken-fried steak before and I never really liked it. Don't get me wrong - I love the idea of deep frying anything and everything (wait for a post called "Fry Night"), but the contents still have to be tasty.
A perfectly spiced and deliriously crispy outer coating, which this was, can be ruined by the soggy steamed grey matter that's inside... which this was. It's the science of deep-frying - the content of the batter-shell gets steamed/boiled by the heat generated by the oil. When does steamed/boiled beef ever taste good? I have yet to see. If it was a pork-loin inside, I might give that a shot - but beef? The mind boggles. If anyone from Down South wants to prove me wrong, I am absolutely up to that challenge!
Ray had tagged along on one of my visits and he went with, what can only be described as T3H AW3S0M3. You take 2 buttermilk pancakes, sandwich it with Carolina-style pulled pork, then top with 2 eggs. With 4 triangles of toast. The pork was a little tougher than I'd like, but I've learned this is how pulled pork is done in the Southeast (KC, NC) so I can deal with that. Mixed with the butter and maple syrup? HELLO.
Sadly Ray doesn't quite have my constitution, so valiant as he was - he had to concede to food on this day. He actually left much more on the plate but I helped him out a bit.
So yes, definitely heed my advice about leaving the car at home... or parked somewhere in Gastown. You WILL need some cardio immediately after - and no, you can't take any of this home. Breakfast food does not make for good leftovers. Sure you could also share... but where's the fun and game in that?
Though always busy, the servers are attentive and always swung by at least twice during the meal to check how things are going. Getting their attention for a coffee refill was never a problem.
Deacon's Corner is on 101 Main Street, corner of Alexander - about 4 blocks north of Hastings. They open early, close by 5 and don't take reservations so be forewarned. That being said, I have never waited more than 10 minutes for a seat - but that's for the window counter. Expect to wait longer for a booth or table.
And just in case you think I'm some freaky unstoppable eating machine, this review was culled from 3 separate visits so rest easy... ier.
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