Foundation

The Foundation is at the heart of Vancouver's hipster scene, located as it is on the fringes of Main Street's trendy SoMa neighbourhood.

The service?  You'd better have time to wait a while.  It's indifferent at best, with cooler-than-thou staff who help maintain Main Street's reputation as a place where waiters and waitresses would rather be doing anything but bringing you your dinner/drinks/water refills and aren't reluctant to show it.

The food?  Hearty, mostly-healthy and home-style vegetarian and vegan fare that makes up for the attitude you may have encountered at the door.  Prices are highly budget-friendly.  Decipher the arfully-worded menu and you will discover a variety of dishes that even a dedicated meat-eater would appreciate.

The nachos?  Hands down the best in the city.  Smothered in cheese, black beans and corn, and served with generous sides of dip, the platter is huge and inexpensive.  They key here (and nacho aficionados will know what I mean) is that they are built wide and flat -think cookie sheet -with maximum melted cheesy coverage.  We're talking a high topping-to-chip ratio.  This is no pub-style pile with goodies on the outside and dry chips in the middle.  The Foundation nachos are the real reason why the masses keep coming back.  Wash them down with a pint (or a pitcher) of local beer and you will be happy.

The bottom line?  Worth the wait for the nachos alone and a great place to go if you want good veggie food on a budget.  Stay away if you're in a rush or aren't prepared to lower your service expectations.  And the bathrooms?  Keep looking at those pictures and eventually you'll figure out which one is which....

Loud music, great vegetarian food, cold beer and tasty Sangria mixed with interesting walls, friendly service and a laid back atmosphere, are what make The Foundation worth a visit.

I go to The Foundation quite often and my favourite dishes include the maple chili, the spicy peanut pasta dish and the spicy peanut salad.

There's plenty of paid parking accross the street if you're driving, and I'm pretty sure there's some major bus routes nearby for if you're not driving.

It's not just a place for "carefully tousled art students" and "young intellectuals".  You'll see all types there - even my 65 year old parents loved it there on their recent visit, and demanded to go back a second time!