Canada's Best Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Part 1: The West)

Everybody knows this Food Network show and if they don't, they should. The bleached blonde, Hawaiian-shirt-wearing host Guy Fieri drives a '67 Camaro SS convertible across America with the top down, seeking out some of the best diners, drive-ins and dives and getting the skinny on the secrets behind their signature dishes.

Problem is, he's never done the same across Canada. So, I thought we could do it for him right here. The question has already been raised on the Web at foodie sites like Chowhound and, as the following comment indicates, some forum members have lost faith:

"I really think such places are unique to the U.S.," one post said. "Canadian entrepreneurs, with a few rare exceptions, just don't seem to have the temperament do open places like these. Also, because of the lessened population density, it's much harder to get enough traffic to support a one-of-a-kind diner."

Of course, such comments are way off base. There are plenty of great diners, drive-ins and dives across the "true north, strong and free". All of them perfect for your own road trip across the Trans-Canada Highway this summer. Here's how I'll break it down: I'll give you one for each of the "Big Ds" in every province along the route.

Ready, set, go...


B.C.

Diner: The Argo Cafe- Nestled in an in Industrial Vancouver neighbourhood, I'd call this a '50s style diner without the neon kitsch. It caters to a smattering of day labourers and regulars who are there every day. Thing is, go here once and you'll be joining them. The coffee is way above board for a typical diner and the food surprises every time. No menus, just boards where you can get comfort food like steak and eggs or international staples like curry chicken or Cajun halibut. They're always putting new dishes up and these people know how to cook potatoes like no one else in the city. Yet, what really separates them is the staff; all are super-attentive, no matter how busy and they take an active interest in the lives of their patrons.

Drive-in: The Beacon Drive In - Victoria, B.C. serves as "Mile Zero" on the Trans-Canada Highway and a perfect place to kick off your journey is this "Victoria Institution" across from Beacon Hill Park. Founded in 1958 by Bill Pistol and Bob McMillan, this place seems like it has been around forever and though people complain that the food isn't as good as they remember it, the soft-serve ice cream is still getting raves - even from those who feel the burgers and hot dogs have declined. Still, the staff is friendly and the place remains largely unchanged (save for a few menu additions) and many still go purely because their grandpa took them there when they were kids.

Dive: The Ivanhoe Hotel & Pub - A place where the down-trodden of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside meet the backpacking globe-trotters of the hostel and hotel upstairs. Too many dive bars affect a sordid history that they don't really have to attract their clientele. Well, there's nothing fake about the Ivanhoe. Whether you're being sexually propositioned for the low, low price of $5, or someone is trying to sell you all manner of goods out of their jacket - everyone who has been there has an Ivanhoe story and that's what makes this place a true legend.

Alberta

Diner: Diner Deluxe - A '50s style diner that could've survived very well back in the day. This Calgary diner doesn't thrive on its gimmick, but its insistence on fresh ingredients and preparation from scratch. Their eggs are free-range, their butchers are local, their coffee is fair-trade and they use the fresh ingredients to make their basil hollandaise sauce, meatloaf and ice cream with their own bare hands. Other diners in the province, such as Edmonton's Blue Plate, make organic a priority, but these guys remembered the importance of a classic diner feel.

Drive-in: Peters' Drive-in - This Calgary drive-in is fit for a Wolverine. Hugh Jackman came here while filming X-Men and couldn't stop raving about it to the Calgary Sun: "I also learned quickly that Calgary has the best burgers in the world. My driver took me to Peters' Drive-in one day. After that, I'd find any excuse I could to go back there." There's a real Peters behind the name and it's Gus Pieters who has been slinging milkshakes there since 1962. With over 4,000 milkshake flavor combinations, the variety is all up to you. The kitchen pumps out saucy, stick-to-the-paper burgers using only the freshest ingredients, the biggest portions and onion rings as big as your head.

Dive: The Strathcona Hotel - Older bar flies must hate what this place on Whyte Ave. has become. The $2.75 beer at room temperature, along with the pool table and the pickled eggs are still there, but this place has become a bit of a tourist trap and a place to go for those 18 to 25 seeking dirty cachet. Still, there aren't many places where you can get an $8.95 pitcher or a gladiator made with orange tang. If these walls could talk, they would tell stories of blood, vomit, semen and sweat socks, but you always walk in knowing no one and walk out knowing some very friendly, warm (albeit slightly shady) people. It's like a scuzzy Cheers, with a storied history as an Edmonton railway stopover going back to 1891.

Saskatchewan

Diner: Jerry's Food Emporium - A Saskatoon Diner that has gone mainstream because its ice creams and cakes are now available at the local Co-op grocery chain. Yet, they haven't sacrificed quality. Making food with real and fresh ingredients, they bake their own buns, their own tartar sauce and hand batter the cod for their famous fish and chips. Yet, they're fast and are as good as a take-out destination as they are as a sit-down diner. Breakfast is served all day and the portions are hearty.

Drive-in: The Burger Baron - There was an actual Baron whose name was Burger - Klaus Von Burgher to be precise. He was famous for curating vats of oil he would fry his enemies in and as a kind of "victory favor" his men would fry snacks in oil as memorabilia. This modern Baron is not the western Canada burger chain that was the first drive-thru in the region. It's a mom and pop establishment with a burger called The Baronette and a Bacon Burger featuring a chopped bacon patty.

Dive: The Country Squire Inn - Found in Moosomin, this place is a no-nonsense dive with staff that are supposedly happy to drive you home if you've had a few too many. Shoot some pool on its two tables and play the hits on its rather schizophrenic juke box. Apparently, it once had a mix that included Dolly Parton, Frank Sinatra, Tommy Dorsey and The Clash.

That's the end of the western part of our journey together, but there are more Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives to come. Check out the Central Canada version, as well as the Atlantic round-up. Obviously, we can't do them all, so if you have any regional favourites I missed, please use the Comments below to tell me what they are and why you like them. The best suggestions may be included in a future reader's choice blog post.