Restaurants in Duncan
Best Restaurants
Breakfast • $$
Indian • $$
“the owners are so lovely and the food was very good. normally my daughter thinks butter chicken is too spicy but it was perfection. I'll definitely go back”
Bistros • $$
“We had the calamari, the duck, the pork belly and the creme Brule. All were wonderfully presently and incredibly delicious. The menu items seem to have been thoughtfully created with flavors that paired perfectly making for a meal that excited with every bite. The tenderness of both the duck and the calamari was second to none, and the pork belly delighted with complimentary flavors and both buttery and crispy textures. The service was extremely friendly and personal, a joy to be experienced. All in all one of my best meals in a restaurant in a long time. And we even brought home half a bottle of wine we did not finish. Made for a beautiful date night with my sweet wife. Can't believe it took us this long to come back and we will be returning soon. Thank you Genoa bay cafe.”
Wine Bar • $$
“The Old Firehouse continues to be an amazing place with creative cocktails and delicious food! This community-minded business is well worth the visit, as always. Great for drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), appetizers, and gourmet meals of various sizes. Friendly, enthusiastic staff. Check it out!”
Vietnamese • $$
“The Hot and sour seafood was well presented. A huge bowl with two large mussels in the half-shell, Five super jumbo prawns and some squid. It Had lots of noodles etc and pineapple for the sourness. The service was good. The washroom was dim, but clean.”
Restaurants by Cuisine
Mexican • $$
“Taco Revolution catered our wedding and they were fantastic to work with. Easy to communicate with, affordable catering prices, and delicious tacos!! Our guests couldn't stop raving about the awesome taco truck at our reception.”
Family • $$
“Had the famous foot long dog and it was amazing. The server was great too! Overall a very enjoyable experience.”
Restaurants with Delivery
Indian • $$
“the owners are so lovely and the food was very good. normally my daughter thinks butter chicken is too spicy but it was perfection. I'll definitely go back”
Creperies • $
“The people who work there are always so welcoming and nice and the drinks and food is always yummy”
Pizza • $
“The pizza is AMAZING!!! It is absolutely the best pizza we have had in the last 20 years! Great job!!!!”
Wine Bar • $$
“The Old Firehouse continues to be an amazing place with creative cocktails and delicious food! This community-minded business is well worth the visit, as always. Great for drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), appetizers, and gourmet meals of various sizes. Friendly, enthusiastic staff. Check it out!”
Bistros • $
“Great coffee and an abundance of lunch/cafe items for vegans. A lot of Gf choices too. I was only hungry enough to try the GF and Vegan bread pudding and it was yummy!”
Vietnamese • $$
“The Hot and sour seafood was well presented. A huge bowl with two large mussels in the half-shell, Five super jumbo prawns and some squid. It Had lots of noodles etc and pineapple for the sourness. The service was good. The washroom was dim, but clean.”
Mexican • $$
“Taco Revolution catered our wedding and they were fantastic to work with. Easy to communicate with, affordable catering prices, and delicious tacos!! Our guests couldn't stop raving about the awesome taco truck at our reception.”
Wineries
“Had a nice experience at Blue Grouse estate winery. We had the savour the island which was very nice.
The charcuterie board was nice although I belt the crackers had been a little too dry to my taste but to each and their own.
Beautiful property and nice that we could see the vines when we had the tasting.”
Italian • $
“Regrettably it’s been a long time, sorry Nico! Despite that, still the best pizza on Vancouver Island!! Thank you!!”
Vietnamese • $
“Always fresh and delicious, healthy option compared to other restaurants in town. Reasonably priced as well, can’t say enough good things!”
Pizza • $
“I'd give 10 stars if I could. The pizza is fantastic! But better than the food is the amazing service we just received from Noor, the very helpful and friendly employee who is making our fresh hot pizza as I type this!
I've been here 3 times in the last couple weeks and although we don't care to spend a fortune on takeout pizza, we never have to worry about that at Pizza Pizza with the great deals they offer!
Thanks Noor! We'll be back soon!
Parking: Parked right in front. Lots of space”
Fish & Chips • $
“fish is great ! but i do wish they had other chippy items from the uk ! like the battered sausage,pizza crunch etc..”
Wineries
“Stopped in for an impromptu date/wine tasting with the wife. Had great service from a very knowledgeable bar tender.
The wines were very nice. I especially liked the Rose. We got a delicious(and locally sourced) duck pate for a snack served with crackers and pickles.
The setting is beautiful. We were unable to enjoy the patio due to a late summer downpour but the tasting room has great views of the Cowichan Valley and we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless.
The owner(Andy) even stopped by to chat with us about the wines.
Ended up buying a couple bottles of wine for later.”
Brewpubs • $$
“We stopped by here for an early dinner, and were not disappointed at the overall design and interior of the building. It's very dimly lit, with multiple floors and an outdoor patio upstairs to eat at; choose wherever you want to sit!
Staff there were very patient and quick to serve our meals. They also acknowledge the BC trail app rewards, so we got a free glass with the purchase of a pint! The food tastes great, although it is served in very small portions compared to the price. This place is not cheap.
Regardless it was worth stopping by here, and is great for any kinds of events; family gathering, couples, or even celebrations! I recommend Craig Street Brew pub if you're looking for a pub in Duncan!
Vegetarian options: Vegetarian options noted on the menu.
Dietary restrictions: Speak to staff regarding dietary needs.
Parking: Free street parking is available, but limited in spaces. Paid parking lot nearby, south of the pub.
Kid-friendliness: Great for families of all ages!
Wheelchair accessibility: The first floor is accessible.”
Pubs • $$
“Final supper on the island before our journey back to the prairies. This supper was memorable. Large portions, great seafood linguine, good chowder, fish and chips and the shrimp platter. Service was great, our servers were a pleasure to talk with and made us feel valued and welcome. When we return to the island, this place will be on our must visit list again!”
Pubs • $$
“My favourite pub in the world back when it was the Brigantine and also now. They get 4 stars instead of 5 until they bring back the haggis Mac and cheese. Apparently not popular enough so start asking for it. Almost hesitant to write a review since if I don’t write, then you won’t come and I can be assured of a table.”
Online Reservation Available
Chinese • $
“Delicious! We had 3 different dishes and all 3 were delicious! So flavourful! I would highly recommend Baan-do's”
Japanese • $$
“Always great food and great service ! Japan town has been my family's go to for quite a rew years. .”
Indian • $$
“Tanadoori Prawns/Vegetables combo was excellent. The place was not busy and the waskrooms were clean but better than average.”
Bar • $$
“We are regulars and staff are always happy and sociable.love this place
Dietary restrictions: Celiac, the staff are always very accommodating and understand the difference between gluten free and Celiac.
Kid-friendliness: Friendly staff,make the kids feel welcome”
Pizza • $$
“Huge selection of food and drinks! Mrin Unicorn cocktail was delicious!! The food tastes super delicious! Service was friendly and very nice!! Cool restaurant, there was sport everywhere!”
Pubs • $$
“We (2) stopped in at the Oak last night ( Friday 17th) and enjoyed excellent appies. We ordered 3 different items. The chef and kitchen staff are on fire. Great dishes, properly presented and tasty! Great menu and other dishes being served looked top notch. Sadly, the wait staff dragged down the whole experience. Honestly, they were sorely lacking in focus as the timing, attentiveness and followup was just plain bad. The hostess and our server ( both in early 20's) were quite intent on chatting with each other instead of tending to the many tables, ours iincluded. The Oak Taphouse offers great food and drinks, but until the owners get their staff figured out, I won't go back and can't reccomend this Pub to others. KW”
Gluten-Free • $$
“Wonderful GF products with amazing customer service from the owner Dale !! She was so helpful when my husband was diagnosed Celiac . He wouldn’t survive lunchtime without her !!”
Takeout Restaurants
Thai • $
“Had an early dinner and was pleasantly surprised. The Stir Fry Cashews with Prawns & Green Curry with Chicken was Delicious! Will definitely be going back again! "Thanks"”
Bistros • $$
“We had the calamari, the duck, the pork belly and the creme Brule. All were wonderfully presently and incredibly delicious. The menu items seem to have been thoughtfully created with flavors that paired perfectly making for a meal that excited with every bite. The tenderness of both the duck and the calamari was second to none, and the pork belly delighted with complimentary flavors and both buttery and crispy textures. The service was extremely friendly and personal, a joy to be experienced. All in all one of my best meals in a restaurant in a long time. And we even brought home half a bottle of wine we did not finish. Made for a beautiful date night with my sweet wife. Can't believe it took us this long to come back and we will be returning soon. Thank you Genoa bay cafe.”
“Our go to place for a quick snack after a long walk or some gelato on a hot day, we love coming here and the staff are always exceptionally friendly. Awesome place, close to home. Highly recommend!!”
Cafe • $
“This is the place to be in town. It's packed and lively chatter fills the air. Everyone over 40. It feels like a community of active lively friendly people. Ithink that is more what the attraction is to coming here , than the food. The bakery items are good and the coffee is rich.”
Coffee Shops • $
“The Fishbowl is a great cafe with plenty of gluten free items.”
Japanese • $
“This is such a cute little place there is one lady who is doing everything and she is so sweet and kind I loved my interaction with her when getting on roll from their to go section and had to go back for more it was so delightful! Good sushi good price and lovely worker”
Cafe • $
“A friend that is a regular suggested to go there for brunch. I was pleasantly surprised. The crew was really nice and food came in very fast, even when they were quite busy at that time.
The restaurant was nice but starting to feel the pass of time. Still a good option for breakfast and brunch. Note they don’t open on Sundays and close early.”
Pubs • $$
“Final supper on the island before our journey back to the prairies. This supper was memorable. Large portions, great seafood linguine, good chowder, fish and chips and the shrimp platter. Service was great, our servers were a pleasure to talk with and made us feel valued and welcome. When we return to the island, this place will be on our must visit list again!”
Coffee • $
“Its such a cute place to go for bubble tea! I go every Sunday w my bestie and we always get refreshers. its amazing, and THERE ARE FISH!”
Asian Fusion • $
“I order from Noodle Box all the time. I'm Celiac and they have a bunch of gf options, and I've never had a reaction. Their service is so fast, the staff is super friendly and the food quality is consistently amazing.
Vegetarian options: Many of the bowls are veggie without protein added, but they have tofu as well.
Dietary restrictions: Separate list of GF options, haven't had a reaction.”
Cafe • $
“So glad I discovered this place .. was on a road trip and looked for a place to meet up with a friend .. great atmosphere.. I only had coffee but watched what others had and I will definitely be back to sample the offerings”
Pubs • $$
“My favourite pub in the world back when it was the Brigantine and also now. They get 4 stars instead of 5 until they bring back the haggis Mac and cheese. Apparently not popular enough so start asking for it. Almost hesitant to write a review since if I don’t write, then you won’t come and I can be assured of a table.”
Pizza • $
“absolutely stunning experience everytime i go there the lady is very cheerful and nice. Plus the food is always fresh and so tasty. Shoutout to jaspreet kaur great work.”
Japanese • $$
“Always great food and great service ! Japan town has been my family's go to for quite a rew years. .”
Bar • $$
“Could use a change in menu and a reno of the Dining area but as it is now....It is a comfortable atmosphere😉
Great place to kill some time when travelling up or down Island.”
Family • $$
“I have a son with multiple severe food allergies so we are a bit of a pain when we order food from restaurants. I cannot say enough good things about the Duncan White Spot. They are always SO accommodating with finding food options that are safe for my son. Many (if not all) of their staff are familiar with how carefully food allergies need to be handled. As a parent of a child with allergies, it is a HUGE relief to find a place that you know your child can eat at safely. This White Spot has, and will continue to be, our go to place when we want too eat out as a family.”
Cheap Eats
Bakery • $
“Atmosphere is amazing, service is splendid, the food spectacular and the people who work here are polite and wonderful. Am quite convinced to move here just so I can have a pork kimchi crosaunt every day haha”
Coffee Shops • $
“No hyperbole, this is the absolute best coffee shop I've been to, and I've been to a lot. Fantastic and fresh baked goods, unique sandwiches, and phenomenal coffee.”
Cafe • $
“Amazing place with great people, good food, and fun games!!! 5/5 >^×^<”
Cafe • $
“everytime I have been here the staff go beyond to help, and are always friendly even for my silly questions”
Cafe • $
“Best sandwiches in town! Great people and quick! Highly recommended:)”
Cafe • $
“This is a beautiful shop, with lovely unique handmade chocolates. Lavender Lemonade is really tasty too!”
Ice Cream Shop • $
“I popped in today for lunch. The frozen lemonade is delicious and perfect on a hot day. I went for the homemade soup and sandwich - definitely hit the spot. Quick service, and lovely staff!
See you again soon Cherries!!”
Cafe • $
“The only thing disappointing about this cafe is the fact that it isn’t open 24/7.
Amazing space, wonderful and knowledgeable staff, and incredible quality products.10/10 every time I go in. Will be making a point of frequenting this lovely shop more often.”
Sushi • $
“Felt like something fast but not the usual nasty burger. I stopped by here for some teriyaki chicken, and it was great! $16 for a large serving of chicken and sitr-fried vegetables on a bed of rice. There was plenty of both meat and veg. Tasted very good - and it was fast! I recommend!
Vegetarian options: Wide variety of Japanese food choices; some veggie stuff too.
Parking: Lot of parking.”
Cafe • $
“I just read the ingredients on the coconut crisp cookies purchased from sweet meadows market, and I am so impressed at the quality and the realness of these cookies. Sincere thanks for making and selling these cookies.”
Pizza • $
“I am a Community health nurse in Duncan, received free pizza at work today courtesy of Little Caesar's Duncan. It was delicious, thank you Little Caesar's!”
“We visited yesterday because outside the shop they advertised sugar free chocolate. My husband is diabetic so we had to check it out! Beautiful hand dipped chocolates and such a variety in both regular and sugar free. We don’t live in Duncan but we’ll be stopping in every time we go through!”
Chinese • $
“It's May's! Love the atmosphere - as it's genuine and gal that serves up the yummy food is always pleasant and friendly. When you crave a quick delish meal - check out M's”
Mexican • $
“I tried toffu burrito. It was so delicious and the guy harjot welcomed me with a great smile and was very friendly. I highly recommend this place for delicious food and service.”
Wineries • $$
“Amazing experience at Great Fermentations. Their Winexpert Eclipse Barolo was truly one of the very best kit wines I have ever made or ever tasted for that matter. I will not only order another Eclipse Barolo wine kit, but I am very motivated to try the rest of the Eclipse line. Typically, it takes a long time to age Barolo wine, the pleasant and knowledgeable staff at Great Fermentations explained how Eclipse kits have a special secret process that makes it possible to have a delicious drinkable wine in a much shorter period of time. Looking forward to my next batch!”
Pubs • $$
“Wasn't busy when we came, but the waitress was incredible. Extremely friendly, took time to chat with us and get to know us, turns out I knew her from my daughter's school a year back too.It's nice to visit a place where the staff cares about their customers.”
Indian • $$
“Tanadoori Prawns/Vegetables combo was excellent. The place was not busy and the waskrooms were clean but better than average.”
Bar • $$
“We are regulars and staff are always happy and sociable.love this place
Dietary restrictions: Celiac, the staff are always very accommodating and understand the difference between gluten free and Celiac.
Kid-friendliness: Friendly staff,make the kids feel welcome”
Japanese • $$
“Love all,of the food, amazing miso (not true of every restaurant), fresh sushi, tasty bento boxes, I can honestly say I’ve not been unhappy with anything they’ve prepared for me. But, if I was to tell you my favourite things the first would be the “Monkey Brains” we recently tried. We’ve had this dish in other restaurants and really thought we’d found the best version elsewhere...but we were wrong! Sushi House Monkey Brains are THE best! The spicy chopped scallop roll is a must, and if you like Pho, their soups are delectable. I recently ordered take out Pho and was so impressed when I realized that the broth was very obviously homemade and it was without a doubt the best Pho I’ve ever had. Thank you Sushi House, you’re our go to place!”
Canadian • $$
“I really like this place. I have been coming for the last 10 years. Food is consistently good. Staff is usually good (though once in a while there can be some glitches, but in general I have been quite happy with it). When it is busy it can take some time to get your food (they share kitchen with the pub next door, but they have their own dishes). I recommend”
Thai • $$
“I always enjoy my food from Phad Thai. Service attitude is great, especially for an Asian style restaurant in our area. They have gotten my order wrong before, but it’s rare… worth checking before you leave if you do takeout. Large portions! I go every month or two and can definitely recommend!”
Italian • $$
“Awesome place,
Nice atmosphere,
Service ist good/okay, a bit weird
I like to get pizza from there, they have good for dine in and to go.
Parking: Parking is behind the house, there is plenty of parking and back door to the restaurant”
Pizza • $$
“Huge selection of food and drinks! Mrin Unicorn cocktail was delicious!! The food tastes super delicious! Service was friendly and very nice!! Cool restaurant, there was sport everywhere!”
Chinese • $$
“Best Chinese buffet I’ve seen. Clean, huge variety, fresh and flavourful.”
Vietnamese • $$
“I enjoyed my lunch here. I had salad rolls and Viet ice coffee, then the prawn and pork rice plate. The food was good. They did get hit with 2 bus tour groups though so to be fair im sure the kitchen was a bit banannas. Im going to try it again. Very sweet people working there. Super friendly!”
Pizza • $$
“I can't blame this location for a difficult online platform service. My customer service experience from local staff was amazing. I didn't have to wait at all and I was explained that one of my pizzas was not perfect so they made an different one for me. They even opened it up to show me honestly I regret paying online so I could've tipped higher for the amazing service! Friendly every time from this location from my experience! Honestly most places I have gotten pizza from for this kindof price around town have had pizza like the dark one in the picture and still sent it out happily. These guys really went the extra mile and delivered a great product. Congrats to fantastic business practices!”
Latest Reviews
Pizza Delivery • $$
“Great pizzas, ordered 4 and they were as ordered. Think the young, very friendly staff member, Titan maybe, was very helpful as he carried the four pizzas to my car as I walk with a cane. The leftover pizzas tasted great warmed up the next day. I would definitely recommend. I also had insulated Panago pizza carriers which the staff had never seen, recommend they sell these again.”
Vietnamese • $$
“The Hot and sour seafood was well presented. A huge bowl with two large mussels in the half-shell, Five super jumbo prawns and some squid. It Had lots of noodles etc and pineapple for the sourness. The service was good. The washroom was dim, but clean.”
Indian • $$
“Tanadoori Prawns/Vegetables combo was excellent. The place was not busy and the waskrooms were clean but better than average.”
Caterers • $$
“I should have written this months ago. Azam catered my daughter's wedding in October and made it a wonderful and unforgettable occasion. He found everything we needed to have the event in her garden, including the tent and lighting! The food was excellent, totally delicious, and we had a constant stream of compliments. I cannot recommend Azam highly enough.”
Pizza • $
“The pizza is AMAZING!!! It is absolutely the best pizza we have had in the last 20 years! Great job!!!!”
Thai • $
“Had an early dinner and was pleasantly surprised. The Stir Fry Cashews with Prawns & Green Curry with Chicken was Delicious! Will definitely be going back again! "Thanks"”
Most Popular Restaurants
Asian Fusion • $
“I order from Noodle Box all the time. I'm Celiac and they have a bunch of gf options, and I've never had a reaction. Their service is so fast, the staff is super friendly and the food quality is consistently amazing.
Vegetarian options: Many of the bowls are veggie without protein added, but they have tofu as well.
Dietary restrictions: Separate list of GF options, haven't had a reaction.”
Fast Food • $
“Nice clean restaurant and playplace. Would be nice if the playplace had 1 or 2 tables. Only thing in there was 2 chairs on our visit. There's plenty of room for something so the parents/caregivers are able to relax while their child plays.”
Fast Food • $
“This review is for Julie who seem to be the manager. On Friday night (Oct 25. 2024) I ordered through the app and there was a misunderstanding with the drinks. In our meal I ordered Large Vanilla frostyccino, we were given a medium sized (I thought was iced coffee). I called the store and was told to come in and get my drinks corrected. I spoke with Julie who was polite and listened. Went back to the store the guys remade my order (for some reason When I got vanilla frostyccino for the past mos has vanilla frosty in it) so I whined and complained that my drink was still wrong (I was starting to sound like a Karen at this point, I am sorry) the guys told me it was made correctly, and I was in denial (goddamn whoever makes frostyccino with actual frosty for making it so good). I asked to speak to Julie since me and the staffs were not seeing eye to eye. Julie came over still polite and nice and diffused the situation (that’s topnotch customer service). I obviously researched the recipe and it turned out I was just being given a better version of the drink and not the actual wendys recipe. To the staffs and Julie my apologies for complaining, I was so wrong. Thank u for giving me the ootion to get somethin else.”
Cafe • $
“So glad I discovered this place .. was on a road trip and looked for a place to meet up with a friend .. great atmosphere.. I only had coffee but watched what others had and I will definitely be back to sample the offerings”
Coffee Shops • $
“No hyperbole, this is the absolute best coffee shop I've been to, and I've been to a lot. Fantastic and fresh baked goods, unique sandwiches, and phenomenal coffee.”
Bakery • $
“Atmosphere is amazing, service is splendid, the food spectacular and the people who work here are polite and wonderful. Am quite convinced to move here just so I can have a pork kimchi crosaunt every day haha”
Pizza • $
“I'd give 10 stars if I could. The pizza is fantastic! But better than the food is the amazing service we just received from Noor, the very helpful and friendly employee who is making our fresh hot pizza as I type this!
I've been here 3 times in the last couple weeks and although we don't care to spend a fortune on takeout pizza, we never have to worry about that at Pizza Pizza with the great deals they offer!
Thanks Noor! We'll be back soon!
Parking: Parked right in front. Lots of space”
Creperies • $
“The people who work there are always so welcoming and nice and the drinks and food is always yummy”
Pizza • $
“The pizza is AMAZING!!! It is absolutely the best pizza we have had in the last 20 years! Great job!!!!”
Food • $
“The staff is friendly and it has a local feel to it. I work nearby and come often. Even when it's busy, they serve with a smile and are upbeat. Big shout out to the entire team, especially Liz!”
Hamburger • $
“The Duncan location has made major customer service improvements. The staff is ever-so-friendly. Every child in the restaurant was given a candy sucker. There was a special needs customer who complained over the ice-coated glass mugs, and they cleaned it for her without any hassle or trouble. I just want to highlight the staff on this particular visit. They seem to be doing well after this pandemic.”
Pizza • $
“absolutely stunning experience everytime i go there the lady is very cheerful and nice. Plus the food is always fresh and so tasty. Shoutout to jaspreet kaur great work.”
Fast Food • $
“Lee's Chicken tastes great! A couple orders back they shorted us some chicken. I live in Victoria, so by the time I realized I was an hour away. I brought it up on my next visit and they were confused about what to do and said I needed to save my receipt and come back when it happened. In the end, they did nothing about shorting my previous order.
The takeaway: when you get an order from them and you don't want to get shorted on what you paid for, check your order while at the counter and count your items to make sure. Then, they can fix it before you leave.”
Coffee Shops • $
“Only had a drink as meeting up with a friend after not seeing each other in 28 yrs, so sat and took up space for a few hours , thank u I will be back
Staff were friendly and prompt”
Bistros • $
“Great coffee and an abundance of lunch/cafe items for vegans. A lot of Gf choices too. I was only hungry enough to try the GF and Vegan bread pudding and it was yummy!”
“Outstanding food and service the Monte Cristo French toast is my favorite”