Red Wagon Diner - circle this wagon and attack

The Red Wagon Restaurant in Vancouver has been popular since, well, pretty much the day it opened. No surprise then that Guy Fieri and his TV show Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (Triple D's to the fans) made a stop at the restaurant to film an episode.  But if you don't have Guy's credentials, you may have to time your visit based on how long you want to wait for a table (we hit it on a Friday, so we expected a line; a Tuesday? Maybe not so much...). But, as they say, it's worth the wait.

We arrived at the Red Wagon and, after putting our name on the wait-list, strolled a bit of East Hastings to bide some time - and it's an interesting area - great stores and food shops abound. On our return (and hearing our name called), we saddled up to two stools at the counter (and a front row seat to the bustling kitchen)…

Chia latte and the All Day menu

Before 11am, there's a breakfast menu and after that, an all-day menu. For those seeking Red Wagon's signature dishes - don't worry, they're on both. And when in Rome….

So we ordered a plate of the pulled pork pancakes. Three buttermilk pancakes (large, but not obscene) with pulled pork in-between and topped with….drumroll, please…Jack Daniels spiked maple syrup. Oh yeah. And darn these were great. Sweet/fluffy/bbq/tangy all in a single bite. And having recently re-watched the TV episode (isn't youtube great?)….they were exactly as pictured. And yes, you could smell the JD in the syrup before you even tasted it.

Pulled pork buttermilk pancakes with JD spiked syrup

I ordered an omelette with smoked brie, mushroom and arugula. I really loved this omelette - it was more of a french style, with the double fold and still a touch runny in the middle. A perfect amount of brie, quartered mushrooms and fresh arugula. Served with great home fries (the nice pan-fried potato style with crispy bits).

Smoked brie, mushroom & arugula omelette

Omelette close-up….oozy goodness!

All in all, The Red Wagon was worth the wait and lives up to the hype. The food was solid (and everything coming out of the kitchen looked great). The staff is top notch as well - they are efficient and friendly in the midst of a crazy-busy work environment. We'll be back - any day of the week, with a wait or not.

Wagons ho!

The Red Wagon Restaurant
2296 East Hastings St, Vancouver
604-568-4565

Mon/Tue 8am-3pm
Wed-Fri 8am-8pm
Sat/Sun 9am-8pm

Website: www.redwagoncafe.com
Facebook: The Red Wagon
Twitter: @redwagoncafe