Food was absolutely delicious, but the service was TERRIBLE! I was very surprised to learn that the rude server was actually the owner. She wasn’t welcoming at all and treated me and my friends very differently from other customers. While others were seated comfortably in the shade, we were left in the sun. When we tried to move an umbrella for some relief, she immediately jumped in and told us we couldn’t do that. The contrast in how we were treated was hard to ignore and makes me wonder why that was. It felt like she didn’t care about us as customers—or maybe didn’t want us there at all. What a rude lady! If you don’t wanna have a bad time, skip this place!!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Sebastian Pinzón Joya
The food at this restaurant was genuinely delicious—flavorful, well-prepared, and clearly made with care. Unfortunately, our experience was overshadowed by the owner’s behavior, which felt unnecessarily rude and, at times, uncomfortably biased toward me and my friends. We couldn’t help but feel that her attitude crossed a line and carried undertones that made us question whether we were being treated differently because of who we are.
It’s a shame, because the kitchen truly delivers. But hospitality is more than just good food—it’s about making guests feel welcome. I hope the management reflects on how their interactions affect the overall experience, especially for diverse customers.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 1
Mei-Li Ko
Good food and nice service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips, Candied Salmon Chowder, Salmon Burger
guy felicella
I was only in Port Alberni for a day and tried a few coffee shops ordering my favorite (Americano) and this place was by far the best. Also the barista was awesome.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jennifer Beharrell
The patio is lovely but other than that, this place does not have much to offer. The food was not great. BF had the chicken and ribs and it was laughable. 2 pieces of overcooked ribs and a chicken wing. (I've eaten better at QF). I ordered the fish and chips and it was barely edible it was so over-done. Maybe their oil needs changing?? Our waitress was kind and attentive. This was not a service issue at all. We will never come back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
Philippe Tosoni
No reservation but we could have lunch outside. Simple good cuisine. We had crispy chicken bowls. Service was good and quick. The location on the wharf is nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ryan Arey
Good fish and chips, burgers
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adrian Wadley
Took a recommendation from the folks operating the steam railway and tried this place just three minutes walk from the station. Excellent food choices, plenty of vegetarian options, and reasonable prices. Service friendly and speedy but we didn't feel rushed at all. In fact we were persuaded to stay for a delicious sounding berry crumble made with local fruit 🍓 and berries. Totally worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
david reid
One of the most ‘blah’ poutine experiences we have ever had.
Prices were overall very high, 21 for a burger PLUS minimum 4.5 for sides. The burger sounded amazing on the menu but was only semi-decent on taste. The fries were dark and bland, as if they hadn’t changed the frying oil in over a week.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Shaun Sussbauer
Too expensive for what you get. My drink had a bug in it straight from the kitchen and the food was pretty subpar, and too expensive for the quality. The views were great and the staff were decent. Maybe I just felt a bit underwhelmed.
Quick, friendly service for our group of 6 on a busy Saturday in Port Alberni. Everyone, including the kids, really enjoyed the food. We recommend Starboard Grill!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ali Ruddy
Great views, yummy food and friendly staff!
Lanny Hsieh
Sat outside on a windy day, but the patio had wind protection and the view was quite nice. Service was friendly but slow. They did give us a heads up about that when we sat down.
Husband had the Starboard Burger which was a decent burger. Did not come with any sides. We decided to try the smoked pork poutine. We liked it okay, but we are new to poutine. Not the most healthy though. I had the tofu and peanut bowl, which was not what I expected at all. I thought it would be a kind of salad type bowl. Instead, It was more of a soggy stir fry with an overall sweet sauce, served with rice and a few pieces of nan bread. The tofu was deep fried. Not a good dish.
Overall the menu was very large with many choices. Most dishes seemed a fusion of several cuisines, not all of them made sense.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Jack MacKay
Very nice place. Very friendly and efficient staff. Food was very good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eric Geringas
What a nice surprise! Delicious fish and chips, excellent local beer from Dog Mountain Brewing down the street, and the friendliest, most genial host you can ever hope for. Bravo!
Food was absolutely delicious, but the service was TERRIBLE! I was very surprised to learn that the rude server was actually the owner. She wasn’t welcoming at all and treated me and my friends very differently from other customers. While others were seated comfortably in the shade, we were left in the sun. When we tried to move an umbrella for some relief, she immediately jumped in and told us we couldn’t do that. The contrast in how we were treated was hard to ignore and makes me wonder why that was. It felt like she didn’t care about us as customers—or maybe didn’t want us there at all. What a rude lady! If you don’t wanna have a bad time, skip this place!!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
The food at this restaurant was genuinely delicious—flavorful, well-prepared, and clearly made with care. Unfortunately, our experience was overshadowed by the owner’s behavior, which felt unnecessarily rude and, at times, uncomfortably biased toward me and my friends. We couldn’t help but feel that her attitude crossed a line and carried undertones that made us question whether we were being treated differently because of who we are.
It’s a shame, because the kitchen truly delivers. But hospitality is more than just good food—it’s about making guests feel welcome. I hope the management reflects on how their interactions affect the overall experience, especially for diverse customers.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 1
Good food and nice service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips, Candied Salmon Chowder, Salmon Burger
I was only in Port Alberni for a day and tried a few coffee shops ordering my favorite (Americano) and this place was by far the best. Also the barista was awesome.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The patio is lovely but other than that, this place does not have much to offer. The food was not great. BF had the chicken and ribs and it was laughable. 2 pieces of overcooked ribs and a chicken wing. (I've eaten better at QF). I ordered the fish and chips and it was barely edible it was so over-done. Maybe their oil needs changing?? Our waitress was kind and attentive. This was not a service issue at all. We will never come back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
No reservation but we could have lunch outside. Simple good cuisine. We had crispy chicken bowls. Service was good and quick. The location on the wharf is nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good fish and chips, burgers
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Took a recommendation from the folks operating the steam railway and tried this place just three minutes walk from the station. Excellent food choices, plenty of vegetarian options, and reasonable prices. Service friendly and speedy but we didn't feel rushed at all. In fact we were persuaded to stay for a delicious sounding berry crumble made with local fruit 🍓 and berries. Totally worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the most ‘blah’ poutine experiences we have ever had.
Prices were overall very high, 21 for a burger PLUS minimum 4.5 for sides. The burger sounded amazing on the menu but was only semi-decent on taste. The fries were dark and bland, as if they hadn’t changed the frying oil in over a week.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Too expensive for what you get. My drink had a bug in it straight from the kitchen and the food was pretty subpar, and too expensive for the quality. The views were great and the staff were decent. Maybe I just felt a bit underwhelmed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Quick, friendly service for our group of 6 on a busy Saturday in Port Alberni. Everyone, including the kids, really enjoyed the food. We recommend Starboard Grill!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great views, yummy food and friendly staff!
Sat outside on a windy day, but the patio had wind protection and the view was quite nice. Service was friendly but slow. They did give us a heads up about that when we sat down.
Husband had the Starboard Burger which was a decent burger. Did not come with any sides. We decided to try the smoked pork poutine. We liked it okay, but we are new to poutine. Not the most healthy though. I had the tofu and peanut bowl, which was not what I expected at all. I thought it would be a kind of salad type bowl. Instead, It was more of a soggy stir fry with an overall sweet sauce, served with rice and a few pieces of nan bread. The tofu was deep fried. Not a good dish.
Overall the menu was very large with many choices. Most dishes seemed a fusion of several cuisines, not all of them made sense.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Very nice place. Very friendly and efficient staff. Food was very good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a nice surprise! Delicious fish and chips, excellent local beer from Dog Mountain Brewing down the street, and the friendliest, most genial host you can ever hope for. Bravo!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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